Acupuncture for Stress and Anxiety: Does it Really Work?

Anxiety disorders are the most frequent type of mental illness in the United States, with over 19 percent of the adult population, or 40 million people, suffering from one each year. An anxiety condition affects approximately 30% of the population at some point in their lives. While some who suffer from anxiety try various therapies and medications, others prefer a more holistic approach such as acupuncture for anxiety. 

As a sliding scale community acupuncture clinic, we have made it our mission to be accessible and affordable for our community regardless of financial circumstances.

At the Zen Den, we know that acupuncture is a powerful and effective tool for helping the body deal with and adapt to stress. We also know that sometimes the most stressful periods in our life are also times when we are the most financially squeezed as well. Nothing brings us greater joy than providing a safe space and an effective,affordable treatment for those in need.

How Does it Work?

By stimulating specific energy points in the body with needles, clinical studies have found that acupuncture has the ability to lower cortisol levels and release pain relieving neurotransmitters and hormones which allow your body to feel good.

When you feel good you make better choices, and when you make better choices you feel even better. This creates a synergistic effect that overtime raises your vibration and puts you in a better place to deal with all that life throws at you.

How Many Treatments Do I need?

The number of required treatments is determined by the severity of your condition and how readily your body responds. The majority of patients have a weekly appointment. Others receive treatment on a greater or less frequent basis, depending on the duration of the effects. 

Your acupuncturist can provide a treatment plan that is personalized for you. On the first or second appointment, you may not experience all of the benefits of acupuncture. You should give acupuncture at least five treatments to experience results if you decide to try it.

While most patients prefer weekly visits, some patients have found that regular and frequent acupuncture not only helps them cope with stress, they find they simply feel healthier and more vibrant with 3-5 acupuncture visits a week. Luckily with our membership programs, this is more affordable than ever.

*Stay Tuned for part 2 of this blog post: Acupressure Points for Anxiety and Stress Relief!

Acupuncture for Optimum Digestion: What Can Acupuncture Do for your GUT?

Most people know acupuncture can help with pain, headaches, and allergies, but many are surprised when they learn that acupuncture can be effective at treating digestive issues was well. What digestive conditions can acupuncture help?

Acupuncture can help manage the symptoms of a number of different digestive conditions:

·       Crohn's Disease

·       Ulcerative Colitis

·       Celiac's Disease

·       Irritable Bowel Syndrome

What digestive symptoms can acupuncture help?

·       Bloating

·       Digestive pain/cramping/discomfort

·       Constipation

·       Diarrhea

·       Irregular bowel movements

It's also been suggested  that acupuncture can help with "leaky gut syndrome," i.e., strengthening the mucosal barrier of the digestive tract. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4507100/

In a 2007 systematic review  in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, it was found that acupuncture improved quality of life for IBS, Crohn's and Ulcerative colitis patients in each study they reviewed https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4146776/

OK, so it works, but what does an Acupuncture Treatment for a Digestive issue look like?

Curious about what happens during acupuncture treatment for a gastrointestinal (GI) disorder? Keep in mind that TCM treats the whole body and acupuncture is only part of a complete disease management plan. This means that there is no specific treatment plan for every ailment but rather the practitioner designs an individualized plan for each patient. Remember as well, that you should not quit any medication that you are taking unless you notify your physician and confirm it with your acupuncturist or doctor of TCM.

Even when a problem manifests in the abdominal area, your treatment plan could include acupuncture points elsewhere on the body, such as the arms or legs. For example, a female patient may come in with symptoms of bloating and gas. After assessing her using TCM diagnostic criteria, the practitioner could select acupuncture points on her left hand between her thumb and index finger and sites below her knees. Another patient may have the same symptoms, but his treatment could call for acupuncture points on his back and the back of his legs. Treatment could also vary from session to session for the same patient.

During the procedure, while you’re comfortably lying down, the practitioner inserts sterile single use tiny needles into your skin at selected points, aiming to achieve a ‘needling sensation’ called de qi. This sensation includes feelings of heaviness, aching, tingling, numbness, electricity, and warmth. It is quite soothing and patients often fall asleep during treatment, which could include leaving the needles in place for 20-45 minutes.

After treatment, patients may feel tired, or a bit groggy, as if they have just woken up from a nap. It’s a good idea not to plan anything over-stimulating, such as vigorous exercise after treatment, and to drink plenty of room temperature or warmer water as this often helps to re-energize following treatment.

Sessions could range from a daily occurrence to as few as once per month, or even once per season, but usually a management plan includes treatment once or twice per week.

If you're struggling with digestive issues, acupuncture may be able to help, please schedule a free 15 minute consult with one of our Acupuncturists to learn more about how acupuncture can be a viable treatment for you.

What’s different about Community Acupuncture?

We are Sliding Scale

All our treatments are sliding scale, $20-40 per visit, YOU decide how much feels right to you, and allows you to afford as many treatments as you need. We adopted the sliding scale because it is important to us that Acupuncture treatments are affordable and accessible to everyone, regardless of financial situation.

You are treated in a Group Setting

Yes, it’s true…You will be treated in a large room with OTHER people in the room. While this can seem odd or invasive to some, (Americans like their privacy) it’s surprisingly a very soothing to experience a healing modality in a community setting. There’s something more powerful about being in a space with others; creating the collective intension to heal. From clinical experience, Michelle has noticed that patients seem to heal faster when they are treated in a room with other people.  Much like meditating or doing yoga in a group vs. alone-it just feels different.

All of our Treatments are Distal-Style

All of our treatments utilize the Balance Acupuncture Method which is a technique created by Dr. Richard Tan. His techniques utilize distal acupuncture points located on the lower arms, lower legs, head and face that can effectively and quickly treat anywhere in the body. Essentially, this means we can treat your neck pain by needling your wrist. This technique has allowed us to administer thousands of treatments, addressing anything from neck pain to menstrual cramps, without asking the patient to do more than roll up their pant legs.

Community Acupuncture is different and it’s important to understand it is not always the best fit for everyone. Some patients have very complicated cases that require lab work and careful monitoring, while some patients just like the privacy of being treated one-on-one. Private treatments can still be booked with Michelle Hamilton at the SLO Wellness Center. The primary goal of Zen Den is to make acupuncture available to anyone in the community and with the sliding scale community acupuncture model, we are able to provide just that.