Acupuncture Balances Neurotransmitter Levels

Because acupuncture stimulates the nervous system, it has a special effect on neurotransmitter levels. The neurotransmitters acupuncture affects most are seratonin and noradrenaline.

Neurotransmitters are essential
for building healthy relationships.

.

Seratonin is the nervous system's gauge for food intake. It moderates social interaction, and determines relationship behavior. Low levels of seratonin are linked to sugar cravings, depression, anxiety, OCD, and addictions.

Higher levels of seratonin are associated with calmness, optimism, and mindful reflection.

Noradrenaline, also known as norepinephrine, is a stress hormone that stimulates the fight-or-flight response. Chronically high noradrenaline levels produce adrenal fatigue and circulation problems.

The best acupuncture point to balance
neurotransmitters is located near
the base of the ear.

Lowering levels of noradrenaline allows the rest-and-digest response to activate. One point on the ear is called the 'autonomic point,' and it specifically balances these responses. This point is featured in a specialized protocol
used in addiction recovery all over the world.

After people receive acupuncture, their seratonin levels rise and their noradrenaline levels decline. This is why acupuncture is so effective for weight loss, mood disorders, and all kinds of addiction. It also explains why people feel so amazing after a session.

Acupuncture Increases Circulation

Acu-points influence circulation by affecting
hormones like histamine to dilate and constrict
blood vessels in the affected area.

Specific hormones work together to govern blood flow in the body, but there is no single hormone that modulates circulation.

A familiar hormone may help us understand the relationship between circulation and acupuncture. Many of us seek to block histamine in our respiratory systems; we use anti-histamines to cause the blood vessels to constrict so we don't feel swollen and snotty with allergies. Histamine can be very useful in combination to relax vessels and push the blood flow to an area.

Chinese medical concepts
may seem esoteric, but
they produce real, metabolic
results.

As blood reaches the site we are stimulating with acupuncture, it carries immune components, endorphins, and other beneficial compounds like vitamins, fats, and blood constituents. Once we have created the proper building blocks for healing, acupuncture directs the blood flow to the parts of the body where it is most needed, improving the circulation of the entire body. Sometimes, a specific area is involved – for example, the back, knee, and neck are all areas where the blood flow has commonly been reduced to a trickle. And one can feel it, whether as a direct source of pain or through indirect means, like edema (swelling), numbness, or tingling.
Often in response to poor circulation, it's easy to further decrease that circulation by applying ice, consuming numbing medications, or using compression socks. Unfortunately, this begins the process of removing circulation from the extremities, killing the nerves and causing muscle atrophy from mis- or dis-use.

As a licensed acupuncturist, I highly recommend stimulating the circulation to painful, numb, and swollen areas with acupuncture and the complimentary aspects of Traditional Chinese Medicine before seeking more drastic means to inhibit these symptoms. Reducing circulation creates a great deal of side effects which can be irreversible, while acupuncture poses minimal risks in comparison.

When structural problems interfere with
circulation, we can use acupuncture to
direct blood flow where it's needed.

One of my patients experienced severe tennis elbow, and he was instructed that he could only receive cortisone shots, pain medications, and surgery for his condition. During his first visit, I could quickly see that his elbow pain was related to severe circulation problems in his spine, specifically referring from his neck. I informed him that I would need to address both his neck and his elbow in order to reduce the pain. Additionally, because his neck had bone spurs, I could only affect his circulation around these structural conditions.

The patient had substantial relief after the first session, which became exponential as his treatment plan progressed. While I could not change the shape of his neck, I increased the circulation within and reduced his inflammation by positively influencing blood flow in his neck, thus stopping the elbow pain.

Read more about the mechanisms of acupuncture in this excerpt from the American Journal of Acupuncture.

Acupuncture and Placebo Effect

Although many practitioners believe in the power of the mind to aid healing, acupuncture is not a therapy based on ‘placebo effect.’ While acupuncturists often encourage mental exercise such as meditation during treatment, it is not necessary for the patient to have an understanding (or belief) of the mechanism of each treatment. The effectiveness of a treatment may seem magical and mysterious, but this impression is usually due to the surprise of success!

The Oriental perspective on acupuncture combines ancient knowledge with modern practice. Acupuncture is practiced in all forms of Oriental medicine (chiefly Chinese, Korean, and Japanese). The first medical text on acupuncture is 2500 years old. The balance of yin and yang in the body is the oldest theory, in which all the body’s elements can be compared and balanced with one another. Qi (vital energy) is everywhere in the body, and is a series of processes that acupuncturists manipulate in order to affect deeper areas. The principle of wholism tells us that since everything in the body is connected, we can treat a small area that reflects the entire body (such as the hand or ear). Finally, many theories within acupuncture are based on modern clinical practice. In every treatment, points that have been tested thousands of times in clinical setting will be used again, in a variety of constellations.

Acupuncture according to Chinese Medicine

Acupuncture restores normal functioning of the body by stimulating points.

The body is covered with points that can be needled or otherwise stimulated by an acupuncturist. Pathways called meridians, which help to connect each part of the body to the whole, connect points, so that one point can have effects on multiple parts of the body. For example, an acupuncturist might needle points on the ankle, wrist, or hand to relieve neck pain.

Acupuncture points can regulate the Qi (energy) of internal organs to resolve internal problems, or of a local area (the elbow, for example) to relieve pain.

The word Qi refers to both a substance of energy in the body and the functionality of organs. Regulating the Qi of an organ refers to restoring its functionality to benefit all internal organs. In a local area, the mechanism of acupuncture often refers to pain relief.

Acupuncture Overview

Documented for 2000 years in treating pain, digestive imbalance, and psychological stress, acupuncture is the oldest, most established medical procedure in the world.

In modern practice, acupuncture is the insertion of solid, thin, single-use needles just under the skin. Through generations of evidence-based practice, Chinese medicine practitioners have found points that directly affect certain body systems and structures. Acupuncturists choose these points carefully to maximize the long-lasting benefit to each patient while reducing symptoms immediately.