Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine for Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD - Balance Point Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine for Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD

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In an acupuncture clinic, it is common to see patients seeking relief from anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other emotional conditions. Unlike Western medicine, which treats these conditions as standalone disorders and prescribes medications to manage symptoms, traditional Chinese medicine views them as symptoms of a broader body imbalance, diagnosed as a pattern or syndrome. An acupuncturist or TCM doctor then uses acupuncture and herbal medicine to address the pattern, resolving all symptoms. Treatment is then discontinued, and patients don't need to continue taking herbal medicine or receiving acupuncture treatments.
Initially, I was skeptical about the effectiveness of acupuncture and Chinese medicine on individuals facing highly stressful or challenging life circumstances. However, my experience has shown that acupuncture and herbal treatments cannot change one's job, partner, or other aspects of life, but it can change one's perspective on these things. By removing the physical effects of emotional burdens, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine refreshes the spirit and helps individuals develop a more resilient approach to life's challenges.
Acupuncture is quickly becoming a preferred mode of treatment for anxiety and depression as it relieves stress and clears the mind of negative thoughts. This treatment approach also helps improve sleep, making individuals feel stronger and better overall, ultimately addressing the underlying causes of several health problems.
In addition to acupuncture and Chinese medicine, osteopathy, massage therapy, and other forms of alternative medicine may be helpful for improving emotional health and treating conditions such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. An acupuncturist or massage therapist can work with patients to develop a personalized treatment plan that addresses their unique needs and concerns.

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In Chinese medicine and acupuncture theory, there is no separation between the physical and mental/emotional self, and when one suffers, the other will eventually follow suit. This mind-body connection means that an external emotional cause, such as PTSD from a traumatic event or an abusive childhood, can lead to a decline in physical health. Conversely, anxiety and depression can arise internally due to a physical imbalance. Both emotional health and physical health can be addressed through acupuncture, Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, osteopathy, massage therapy, and other holistic modalities. As an acupuncturist or TCM doctor, it's important to differentiate between the various patterns of anxiety and depression and provide the appropriate treatment plan for each individual patient. If you're looking for holistic solutions to improve your emotional and physical well-being, consider visiting an experienced acupuncturist, osteopath, or massage therapist who can provide you with a customized treatment plan that addresses your unique needs.

Within Chinese medicine theory is the theory of the five elements water, wood, fire, earth, and metal. Each of these has an emotion associated with it. and fire which relates to the heart has the emotion of joy. When they fire element is weak the heart is weak and there becomes a lack of the pertaining emotion; joy.

Water - Kidney and Adrenals - Fear
Wood - Liver and Gallbladder - Anger, Repressed Emotions, Lacking Courage or Initiative
Fire - Heart - Joy but Mania and Hyperactivity when in excess
Earth - Spleen - Overthinking, pensiveness, dwelling too long on things
Metal - Lungs - Sadness and Grief

According to Chinese medicine and acupuncture theory, anxiety is a type of fear that is associated with the Water element, which relates to the kidneys and adrenals. To bring the Water element under control, an acupuncturist's treatment may focus on strengthening the Earth element through the selection of appropriate herbs and acupuncture points. Overthinking and worry, which are emotions of the Earth element, often play a big part in anxiety. If the Earth element is weakened by too much worry, its controlling relationship with the Water element may be impaired. This chain reaction can result in the kidneys and adrenals no longer suppressing the function of the heart and its associated emotion, joy. For those seeking relief from anxiety, acupuncture, Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, osteopathy, or massage therapy may be helpful. An acupuncturist or TCM doctor can differentiate patterns of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other emotional health concerns and provide personalized treatment.

In another common scenario frequently seen in an acupuncture clinic, the wood element may become blocked and fail to generate the fire element, which pertains to the heart. The wood element corresponds to the liver and is highly susceptible to stress and tension. Prolonged or intense stress may lead to liver Qi stagnation, where the flow of Qi and blood through the liver becomes congested, impeding smooth flow to the heart, resulting in a deficiency in the heart or fire element, also known as a deficiency of joy. Acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and other Chinese medicine treatments can focus on opening and moving liver Qi, allowing for better flow into the heart, which can resolve the pattern.
According to acupuncture theory, joy is the emotion that pertains to the fire element. A weak fire element may result in a lack of joy, leading to sadness or melancholy, which is where depression comes into the anxiety picture. With this diagnosis, an acupuncturist may use acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine to strengthen the fire element, making it stronger against water (and bringing back joy), and also strengthen the earth element to better control water. Acupuncture, Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, osteopathy, and massage therapy can all be used to support emotional health and well-being, particularly for those experiencing anxiety, depression, or PTSD.

It's fascinating to note that Fire is the mother of Earth in the five-element generation cycle. When Fire is weakened by an over-controlling Water element, it can't adequately nourish or generate Earth, which makes Earth less able to control Water, resulting in overthinking and dwelling. This can create a state of anxiety and depression with heart palpitations or empty feelings in the chest. It's important to recognize that simply reducing the excess of the Water element won't solve the problem as the issue comes from higher up the stream. A trained acupuncturist or TCM doctor can diagnose the appropriate pattern and apply acupuncture and traditional Chinese herbal formulas to correct the syndrome. The above theories can be complex, and it takes a properly trained acupuncturist to recognize the symptoms and apply the appropriate acupuncture, herbal medicine, osteopathy, or massage therapy to improve emotional health, treat anxiety, depression, and PTSD.

The above theories can be very confusing and complex and takes a propeply trained acupuncturist or TCM doctor to recognize the symptoms, diagnose the appropriate pattern and apply the appropriate acupuncture and traditional Chinese herbal formulas to correct the syndrome.

For more general information about anxiety and depression check out these sites:
Depression/Government of Canada
Depression/CDC
PTSD and Car Accidents