Understanding Your Stress & Anxiety
Our bodies still respond to stress signals as if they were life and death situations. Your body will respond in a similar way to a looming deadline as our ancestors would to a predator in the distance. Your sympathetic nervous system will kick in and prepare you for fight or flight (or freeze you in place with extreme stress).
This is a useful response for survival and even in modern life for periods where we need to get stuff done, but it is too easy for us to get trapped in a cycle of fight or flight. This means our body will spend less time in the opposite parasympathetic, or rest and digest, which is responsible for our processes of sleep, recovery, reproduction, digestion, social engagement, etc.
Stress can affect us in so many ways, contributing to things like:
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Anxiety
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Insomnia
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Panic attacks
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Chronic fatigue
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Chronic pain
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Gut issues
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Irregular menstruation
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Mood swings
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Relationship issues
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Difficulty with weight
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Issues with blood pressure and cardiovascular health
Just to name a few.
Well meaning friends or even doctors may give the advice of “just don’t stress so much”. Which is possibly the most useless advice for someone stuck in a cycle of stress. Medication and therapy can be useful and important for some with anxiety or mental health concerns, but many will still feel stressed and look for more help.
How do we use acupuncture for stress and anxiety?
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Finding Balance (Engagement vs Stillness)
In Chinese medicine we have Yin Yang theory. We are meant to have phases of activity, expansion and engagement with the world, balanced by phases of stillness, quiet, retreat and rest. Stress is great at keeping us stuck in a state of activity, even when we’re trying to rest physically, our mind can still be racing at 100km per hour. Your acupuncturist’s job is to figure out how your mind-body is keeping you trapped in that loop, and help you break out of it, into a more balanced state of being.
At Acupuncture Grove in Bondi Junction Sydney, we use acupuncture for stress and anxiety tailored specifically to you. Typically if it’s going to be helpful for you, we will know very early on within the first 4-6 treatments (often earlier). That doesn’t mean that you will be totally relaxed and carefree within that time, but you should feel some early signs of improvement from the acupuncture if it’s going to help.
Once we know how you’re responding to the acupuncture, we’ll then work out a treatment plan for you. The ultimate goal would be to get you to a place where you don’t need acupuncture anymore, or it’s just something you do for maintenance.
If you're interested in learning more about the specific acupuncture techniques I specialise in, you can take a look at our dedicated acupuncture page for more details.
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Tailored Treatment for Each Individual
Chinese herbal medicine may also be a useful adjunct when working with stress or anxiety as it helps to keep the treatment going each day. It’s the same idea as acupuncture, we use it for a period to help address certain imbalances, but as you improve, we aim to get to a point where it’s no longer necessary. If it’s something that we feel will help you along, we’ll discuss it as part of the treatment plan.
If you would like to try acupuncture for stress or anxiety in Sydney, then book your appointment now, or contact us with any questions.
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Chinese Herbal Medicine
Frequently Asked Questions
Individual success will depend on a variety of factors, but stress and anxiety is a very common reason for people receiving acupuncture. Acupuncture can have a regulating effect on the mind and nervous system to help with anxiety and stress-related symptoms. Of course we can’t needle away the stress of life, the aim is instead to help the body function more efficiently and spend less time in a chronic stress response to better deal with everything else going on in life.
Typically if acupuncture is going to help you for anxiety, you’ll typically notice some improvements in your mood and mind activity within 6 sessions. This is a starting place. If you’re responding well, further treatment is often advisable to get the most benefit from acupuncture and some people will enjoy this as a form of regular self-care. If your anxiety is chronic, then expect it to take some time to help your body and mind transform these patterns.
There is research that demonstrates measurable changes from acupuncture treatment. For example it has been shown to improve heart rate variability (HRV), an indicator of better autonomic (stress response) balance. This suggests deeper nervous system regulation—not just short-term relief. See more here.
Yes absolutely. Acupuncture works well with, and does not replace traditional mind-based therapies such as psychology, counselling, etc. If you are already taking medication that is helping, you should of course continue and it will not interfere with your acupuncture.
If you are looking to be able to come off medications for anxiety or depression, this should only ever be done under the close supervision of the prescribing doctor. It is recommended that you continue with your medication, then as treatment progresses, and if you’re feeling improvements, have that conversation with your doctor then.
When performed by a qualified practitioner using sterile, single-use needles, possible side effects are mostly mild (e.g. light headedness, slight soreness or bruising). Serious complications are extremely uncommon.
Visit Our Clinic
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LOCATION ADDRESS
2/15 Bronte Rd,
Bondi Junction NSW 2022
Located across the road from Westfield Shopping Centre
OPENING HOURS
MON: 9:00am - 6:30pm
TUE: Closed
WED: Closed
THU: 9:00am - 6:30pm
FRI: 8:00am - 1:30pm
SAT: Closed
SUN: Closed
Professionally Certified Acupuncture For Stress & Anxiety in Bondi Junction, Sydney
Meet Your Acupuncturist
Hi, I'm Gavin from Acupuncture Grove Bondi Junction, Sydney.
Modern day life is great for triggering our stress response. Despite all of our modern luxuries, the pace of life continues to quicken and our attention is constantly dragged in multiple directions. It’s no wonder so many of us feel stressed, anxious or just plain burnt out.
If you would like to try acupuncture for anxiety and stress in Sydney, then reach out below and book your initial consultation.
Gavin Martin-Rentz
Chinese Medicine Practitioner and Acupuncturist