In Chinese medicine, anxiety, like any strong emotion, interrupts the smooth flow of energy throughout the body.

According to Chinese medical theory, energy flows through our body through a network of ‘meridians’ almost like roads on a motorway system. Anxiety acts like a traffic jam, blocking the free flow of energy in the body. For example, many people who are very stressed out experience upper back, shoulder and neck pain. This is because stress is causing tension in those areas, blocking the free flow of energy, causing pain and tightness.

In a motorway system, when there is road construction, traffic may be also backed up on other secondary roads that feed into or out of the affected area. This is true in the body too. Stress may affect many other functions of the body, most notably digestion, the ability to sleep and blood pressure. It can also aggravate an already troublesome health condition and through acupuncture, these energy blockages can be addressed.

Acupuncture can help energy flow more smoothly, easing not only the symptoms of stress and anxiety, but the stress and anxiety itself. The calming nature of acupuncture also decreases heart rate, lessens irritability, lowers blood pressure and relaxes the muscles.