How our Midtown Manhattan Acupuncture Clinic Can Alleviate Anxiety in NYC Residents

by Jeffrey Medina| September 30, 2024

I am a Manhattan acupuncturist practicing in Midtown and living in one of the most stressful cities on this planet, New York City. Am I stressed out? You bet I am! In fact, approximately 20% of NYC residents experience some form of mental distress with anxiety being the most common complaint.

Understanding Anxiety and How Acupuncture Can Help

Anxiety includes a variety of symptoms such as palpitations, feelings of fear, anger and irritability, muscle tension, insomnia, loss of appetite, nausea, and digestive issues. At Medina Wellness, our Midtown Manhattan acupuncture clinic specializes in treating anxiety by understanding how these symptoms affect the circulatory patterns in the body known as channels.

Determining the Affected Channels in Anxiety Treatment

Anxiety has been detailed in the classical text the Huang Di Nei Jing in Ling Shu Chapters 9 and 10. In these chapters, anxiety symptoms have been detailed in specific channels. For example, in the pericardium channel, indicators include palpitations, feelings of heat, uneasiness in the heart, and hot sweaty palms.

In the liver channel, symptoms include being unable to take a full breath, anger, irritability, vomiting, and diarrhea. These symptoms indicate impairments in the regions between the stomach, diaphragm, and liver organ where the channel passes.

Other key indicators are fear, as if someone will arrest you, in the kidney channel. To effectively treat anxiety with acupuncture, we need to pinpoint which channel is being affected. As we treat the affected channels, the clinical effectiveness is greatly enhanced.

Lifestyle Considerations for Anxiety Relief

Diet and Sleep

The most important lifestyle aspects we want to consider are diet and sleep patterns. Generally, we should be eating and sleeping at regular times because this enhances our resources for healing. At minimum, we should have 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. This may be difficult being a New York City resident because the city is very stimulating, but it is absolutely essential, especially during periods of anxiety and depression.

Exercise Regularly

In general, we should have 1 hour of exercise daily. I prefer yoga, but any exercise that increases the heart rate and gets the blood circulating will help. If palpitations are the main symptom, I will suggest that a person refrain from exercising as this can increase feelings of anxiety. In these cases, we will use acupuncture and herbal therapies to strengthen the body and calm the mind. Once the nervous system stabilizes, the patient can begin to incorporate exercise.

Avoid Alcohol

Alcohol in both Chinese medicine and Western medicine affects liver function and creates inflammation. In Chinese medicine, the liver is responsible for maintaining the free flow of circulation by opening the channel pathways.

Alcohol inhibits the liver from performing this necessary function, which leads to feelings of anger, frustration, and irritability.

Now, I know my office is located in a fun neighborhood with the Reichenbach German Beer Hall next door. In fact, my wife and I had a celebratory drink there after we moved into our Midtown Manhattan acupuncture clinic, but for those having moderate to severe anxiety, alcohol should be reduced and eventually eliminated, enabling the nervous system and liver system to regenerate.

The Patient’s History

Understanding the patient narrative is the most important aspect of medicine. If there has been physical or emotional trauma, often times the patient can pinpoint where these areas are located in the body. These areas may be holding emotional content, and when treated, may allow the patient to let go of the emotions associated with the trauma that have led to anxiety and depression in the first place. Treating these areas is of special importance, especially when a patient has difficulty accessing their emotions. Only when we are able to access emotions, can we let them go.

Effective Anxiety Treatment at Medina Wellness

In general, a good acupuncture treatment will leave you feeling very relaxed, yet alert, unlike medications or sleeping aids. When we treat the appropriate channels, there is a release of mood-enhancing chemicals such as endorphins and serotonin. Recent developments in acupuncture treatments enable us to stimulate the production of specific neurotransmitters like GABA, serotonin, and dopamine. These chemicals help the body and mind to relax. For more information on neurotransmitters and how they affect the body, please read my blog Frequency Specific Acupuncture Stimulation.

Research and Testimonials

A study titled “Acupuncture and Counselling for Depression in Primary Care: A Randomised Controlled Trial” concludes that “acupuncture and counseling for patients presenting with depression, after having consulted their general practitioner in primary care, both interventions were associated with significantly reduced depression at 3 months when compared to usual care alone.” At our Midtown Manhattan clinic, we’ve seen symptoms of anxiety and depression diminish with treatment over time.

Testimonial

Lady Soule shared her experience on our Google webpage review, stating, “ In addition to all these amazing things, his treatment has helped my anxiety levels so much which has also been holding me back in my fertility journey and in my life in general. My anxiety is rare now. His treatment has given me overall balance and better health that I can feel and see the results from.”

For comprehensive anxiety acupuncture treatments in NYC, visit Medina Wellness in Midtown Manhattan. We are here to help you move from a state of distress to one of clarity and calm.