La acupuncture Clinic

Most people experience feelings of Anxiety before an important event such as a big exam, business presentation, or first date. Anxiety disorders, however, are illnesses that fill people's lives with overwhelming Anxietyand fear that are chronic, unremitting, and can grow progressively worse. Tormented by panic attacks, obsessive thoughts, flashbacks of traumatic events, nightmares, or countless frightening physical symptoms, some people with Anxiety disorders even become housebound. Fortunately, through research supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), there are effective treatments that can help. Anxiety disorders, as a group, are the most common mental illness in America. More than 19 million American adults are affected by these debilitating illnesses each year. Children and adolescents can also develop Anxiety disorders.

Type of Anxiety

• Panic Disorder—Repeated episodes of intense fear that strike often and without warning. Physical symptoms include chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, abdominal distress, feelings of unreality, and fear of dying.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder—Repeated, unwanted thoughts or compulsive behaviors that seem impossible to stop or control.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder—Persistent symptoms that occur after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event such as rape or other criminal assault, war, child abuse, natural or human-caused disasters, or crashes. Nightmares, flashbacks, numbing of emotions, depression, and feeling angry, irritable or distracted and being easily startled are common. Family members of victims can also develop this disorder.
• Phobias—Two major types of phobias are social phobia and specific phobia. People with social phobia have an overwhelming and disabling fear of scrutiny, embarrassment, or humiliation in social situations, which leads to avoidance of many potentially pleasurable and meaningful activities. People with specific phobia experience extreme, disabling, and irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger; the fear leads to avoidance of objects or situations and can cause people to limit their lives unnecessarily.
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder—Constant, exaggerated worrisome thoughts and tension about everyday routine life events and activities, lasting at least six months. Almost always anticipating the worst even though there is little reason to expect it; accompanied by physical symptoms, such as fatigue, trembling, muscle tension, headache, or nausea.

 

Treatments for Anxiety

(1) Anxiety with TCM Treatment

Traditional Chinese Medicine focuses on treating the disturbance to the Shen while correcting the Pattern of Disharmony in the Zang organs. This dual approach helps correct and normalize responses to the stimuli of everyday life, thus permitting the Shen to remain calm.

Generalized anxiety disorder responds well to TCM treatment and all modalities are effective. They may be combined with conventional medication or used alone under proper supervision. Acupuncture seems to have the most immediate effect, with herbal medicine producing a medium-range effect, and Qi Gong a long-range effect. For this reason, a combination of the three modalities usually works best.

(2) Anxiety with Acupuncture

Regardless of which Zang Pattern of Disharmony predominates, all acupuncture treatment involves calming the Shen and affecting the Heart through the use of points such as Heart 7 (Shen Men) and Pericardium 6 (Nei Guan).

If the Spleen Zang is affected, points such as Spleen 4 (Gong Sun), Spleen 3 (Tai Bai), and Spleen 6 (San Yin Jiao) may be used. If the Liver is affected, points such as Liver 3 (Hun Men) have a powerful effect.

The Lung may be affected by the use of Lung 7 (Lie Que) or Lung 9 (Tai Yuan), especially when combined with Stomach 6 (Zu San Li) to tonify the Qi. The Kidney Zang may be affected by using points such as Kidney 3 (Tai Xi).

Other points may be used as well. A point located between the eyebrows, known as Yin Tang, has a remarkable effect on any disturbance of the Shen. Other points may be selected based on signs and symptoms.

Ear Acupuncture points also are effective for psychological disorders, and points such as Heart, Shen Men, Spleen, Liver, Lung, and Kidney may be treated as part of an acupuncture protocol.

(3) Anxiety & Herbal Medicine

Herbal medicine treatment for generalized anxiety disorder focuses on combining individual herbs to create formulas that calm the Shen and balance the affected Zang Organs.

To calm the Shen, most formulas use herbs such as Suan Zao Ren (Semen Zizyphy Spinosae) because of their calming properties. When the Heart and Spleen Qi are affected, common herbs in formulas include Fu-Shen (Sclerotium Pararadicis Poriae Cocos) and Bai Zhu (Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae) to affect the Qi.

Combinations of herbs such as Bai Zhu (Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae), Huang Qi (Radix Astragali Membranacei), and Wu Wei Zi (Fructus Schizandrae Chinensis) can tonify the Lung Qi while calming the Shen.

Combinations such as Chai Hu (Radix Bupleuri), Bai Shao (Radix Albus Paeoniae Lactiflorae), Bai Zhu (Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae), and Dang Shen (Radix Codonopsis Pilosulae) can Harmonize the Liver and the Spleen.

If the Kidney Qi is affected as well, herbs such as Yuan Zhi (Radix Polygalae Tenuifoliae) and Shu Di Huang (Radix Rhemanniae Glutinosa e) may be effectively added to formulas.

Formulas may be modified according to signs and symptoms.

(4) Anxiety With Qi Gong

The routines of Qi Gong are beneficial to patients suffering from generalized anxiety disorder. The slow, gentle, repetitive movements of the Eight Brocade Exercises and Tai Qi Quan induce relaxation and a focus on the present, reducing symptoms of anxiety. Meditation, especially if practiced regularly, helps normalize the body's response to everyday stimuli.

Anxiety Disorders Co-Exist with Other Physical or Mental Disorders

It is common for an Anxiety disorder to accompany depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, or another Anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders can also co-exist with illnesses such as cancer or heart disease. In such instances, the accompanying disorders will also need to be treated. Before beginning any treatment, however, it is important to have a thorough medical examination to rule out other possible causes of symptoms.