Are you stressed out? Feeling anxious for no reason? Has your anxiety become so pronounced that your heart begins to palpitate and you’re not quite sure what is happening to you? You may be suffering from panic attacks, a very real disease that if not under control can leave you in a constant state of stress.
There are many prescription medications on the market that are prescribed to deal with anxiety and panic attacks. Benzodiazepines, a class of anti- anxiety medications, are often used when a patient is not able to sleep or feels out of control. When taken, it produces a sedative effect, allowing the patient to sleep or calm down. Such medications include Valium, Xanax, and Ativan. They work by depressing the central nervous system, but the side effects can include severe drowsiness and lethargy. These medications do not promote a sense of well-being so when the sedative effects wear off, the anxiety tends to start all over again, causing a need for further medication. This is a downward spiral that leads to addiction, or dependence on anti-anxiety medication.
Acupuncture, a natural, non-addictive alternative to prescription medications, is used to treat anxiety and panic attacks with marked success. Acupuncture is an eastern medicine that originated from China, but is now widely practiced in the United States by licensed acupuncturists.
A report on the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of anxiety and panic attacks was filed in June 2007 by the University of Westminster in London, England. After searching through 12 studies, they found on the treatment of anxiety through acupuncture, that “there are positive findings for acupuncture in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder and that these findings indicate that further research is warranted”.
Anxiety and panic attacks can be debilitating to the sufferer. Yet, acupuncture can reduce the severity of symptoms almost immediately. Sterile, tiny, surgical steel needles are inserted into points in the body which significantly calm the nervous system and quiet the mind. The needles are virtually painless as they are extremely thin, comparable in width to a cat’s whisker. Patients have reported less intense feelings of anxiety or panic after only one session, and after 2-3 more sessions reduced to a minimum altogether. It is important to remember that acupuncture works to restore the balance within the body and works on any variety of illnesses or diseases.
Acupuncture has become more popular in the United States as more people search for natural, safe ways to combat sickness and disease. Prescription medications can be costly and as we often learn after a medication has been on the market for some time, prescription medications can have dangerous side effects. There are no known significant side effects to acupuncture treatment when used to treat anxiety. In fact, it can be a very helpful tool in regaining your emotional health and wellbeing.
Do not stop taking prescribed medications without consulting your doctor first, but it is safe to try acupuncture as a complimentary treatment to go along with your medication. You may find that after a few treatments you are feeling better and you are less dependent on as-needed anxiety prescriptions.
If you have any questions, please send us an email or call us at (305) 306-4150. We will refer you to a licensed acupuncturists who will answer your questions and discuss your concerns.
To your health,
MiamiAcupunctureClinic.com
Connecting You with the Right Acupuncturist
“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame and in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.”
— Thomas Edison.
“Acupuncture treatments are natural, safe, effective and drug-free. My goal is to activate the natural, self-healing abilities of your body to bring balance and prevent future illness and disease.”
— MiamiAcupunctureClinic.com