Hello everyone from Life Chiropractic and Acupuncture Center. Today we’re going to talk about anxiety and acupuncture and some of the commonly used and very effective acupressure points that you can use on your own.
Anxiety: who does not have anxiety in this world? Anxiety is a very normal emotion. When that anxiety becomes overlapping, or recurring, or disrupting to your daily routine or daily life, then it becomes a mental illness. There are different types of anxieties that people feel and the most common types are: Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, phobia, stress, and panic attacks. The symptoms that people feel with anxiety are worry, fear, restlessness, stress, nervousness, insomnia, as well as a racing heart or heart palpitations.
In Chinese medicine, emotions correspond with the internal organs. For example, lungs correspond with sadness, grief, or "letting it go"; fear corresponds with the kidney. In Chinese medicine, anxiety is when people have excessive heat, or excessive energy in their head or body; that’s when they start feeling all these rushing types of symptoms.
With acupuncture, we try to reduce that heat or suppress that energy that you feel when you’re feeling palpitations, restlessness, or nervousness. Some of the common points that we use for acupressure is in the middle of the eyebrows. In the video, I’m putting the colored dot there so that you can see it. This is a common point called Yin Tang. Find a quiet space, relax your body, take a deep breath, and apply firm but gentle pressure on this point for 3-5 minutes to relax your mind and help with anxiety.
The next point is in the middle of the shoulders at the highest point. Press that point with your index finger and that helps you and relaxes your neck muscles. When people get stressed and nervous they try to hold the tension in their shoulders. So this point for relaxation is very important. Apply gentle but firm pressure for 3-5 minutes.
The next point is in the hand. One point is between the thumb and the index finger, where you feel both of the bones meet. You apply pressure to that point, firmly but gently for 3-5 minutes. The next point is on the wrist crease, where you see your thumb and your pinky finger, where the pinky finger ends, make a straight line from the left side of the wrist crease to the right side, you will feel a dip. That point is called Heart 7. This point strengthens and nourishes the Chi, quiets the mind, and settles the worries. That’s a very powerful point to treat anxiety.
One more point is in the hand, which is when you pressure or close your fist, you see the middle, the tendon. Three fingers down in the middle, that’s called PC 6 point. This point is in the middle, three fingerbreadths down, put gentle pressure here. This pressure point is very helpful to reduce anxiety.
Besides these acupressure points, there are healthy lifestyles tips that you can adopt to help you with anxiety. Quit smoking, alcohol, or refined sugar, stay active, stay away from caffeine, meditate, have a healthy diet, and practice deep breathing. Some essential oils that help with anxiety are Lavender Oil, Lemon Balm, Jasmine Oil, or Chamomile. You can use those oils, a drop of the oil behind your ear, where your nervous system is strengthening before you go to sleep. When you sleep quietly or deeply, you will have less anxiety. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Life Chiropractic and Acupuncture Center.
