In Canada, at least 1 in 5 people suffer from mental health issues. These conditions affect a proportionately high number of young people (aged 15-24), men, and socially disadvantaged.
Mental health issues are also highly linked to physical health conditions, such as chronic pain, digestive difficulties, and insomnia. Acupuncture is an effective approach to help treat mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, as well as the conditions associated with these illnesses.
The Nervous System and Acupuncture
The Autonomic Nervous system (ANS) regulates the body’s systems, so that they are constantly able to adapt to each circumstance and condition, and restore homeostasis (or balance) in the body. The ANS has two branches: the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS), responsible for our “fight and flight” response or reaction to stress, and the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PSNS), in charge of the Rest, Restore and Digest response.
Acupuncture can influence both branches of the Autonomic Nervous System, calming the body’s response to stress and triggering the release of endorphins, the body’s “feel good” hormones. Acupuncture has also been seen to improve Heart Rate Variability (HRV), which is a predicator of one’s capacity to respond to stress and then return to a state of calm after the stressor passes.
Acupuncture and Mental Health
Acupuncture can improve mental health in various ways. Indeed, this millennial medicine has been shown to:
Calm anxiety
Soothe depression
Help treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Improve sleep quality
Stabilise mood swings due to hormonal imbalances
And more…
Recent studies have demonstrated the efficacy of acupuncture to treat both anxiety and depression, when compared to pharmacological approaches and to psychotherapy. Authors of various studies have noted a significant decrease in symptoms among people treated with acupuncture alone or combined with other modalities, with sometimes twice the reduction in both anxiety and depression. Other studies have noted a more moderate effect, but an effect, nonetheless. A review on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) also demonstrated that acupuncture was superior to cognitive behavioural therapy for the treatment of this condition. Recent studies have also allowed us to understand the biophysical and biochemical effects of acupuncture, namely its effects on the nervous system, and consequently, on all the other systems of the body.
It is possible to overcome mental health illnesses.
While acupuncture is far from the only treatment available, it is a modality that is safe, accessible, and effective, alone or combined with other approaches. Depending on your situation, it can be used either on occasion or regularly, to help keep the nervous system operating optimally and to help the body re-establish its internal balance. It is non-invasive and without side-effects. In Quebec, it is regulated by the Ordre des acupuncteurs du Québec (OAQ).
My mission: to help people take control of their health, so that they can reach their full potential.
It is possible to live in a state of harmony and well-being. In my clinic, I help numerous men, women and children who live with mental health issues (re)-discover their capacity for calm, joy, and balance.
