Category: Anxiety and Stress

Acupuncture for anxiety & stress, plus self-help tips & recent research.

Acupuncture Treatment of Anxiety

Research from the University of Westminster: Acupuncture treatment of anxiety. A systematic review of the evidence for the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment of anxiety, has been published by London’s University of Westminster. In all, twelve controlled trials were found, and all had positive findings. The authors conclude the results are promising, and recommend further research.

(Acupuncture for anxiety and anxiety disorders – a systematic literature review. Acupuncture in Medicine, June 2007.)

Acupuncture and the Immune System in Anxiety

In a study which looked at acupuncture and the immune system, acupuncture was found to counteract impairments of the immune system associated with anxiety. Thirty-four women aged 30 to 60 and suffering from anxiety, received ten acupuncture sessions, leading to complete remission in all cases. Interestingly though, blood samples showed that a variety of immune system functions eg. natural killer cell activity and phagocytosis, were improved following treatment.

(Effect of acupuncture treatment on the immune function impairment found in anxious women. American Journal of Chinese Medicine 2007;35)

Acupuncture for Depression and Anxiety

In a randomised controlled trial looking at acupuncture for depression and anxiety, involving 43 patients with minor depression and 13 with generalised anxiety, acupuncture compared with placebo treatment resulted in significant clinical improvement in depression as well as a marked reduction in anxiety symptoms.

(Acupuncture in patients with minor depressive episodes and generalized anxiety. Results of an experimental study. Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr, March 2000.)