Tag: acupuncture

Anxiety and overthinking: when you worry about everything…

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Are you the kind of person who always anticipates a worst-case scenario, overthinks an event or conversation, or can’t sleep because your mind won’t switch off? Anxiety comes in many forms.; sometimes fleetingly, and at other times picking away at your emotional and physical health.

 

A certain amount of anxiety or apprehension is quite normal; before an exam, moving house or starting a new job. But usually, those feelings will disappear once the event has passed.  More worrying is when those feelings escalate, and you’re unable to sleep, everything seems out of control and you may even experience panic attacks. The fight or flight response is literally on overdrive.

 

It is estimated there were 8.2m cases of anxiety in the UK in 2013.*

 

Women are nearly twice as likely to experience anxiety as men, and people of both sexes under 35 are more likely to be affected than older people, according research that combined evidence from 48 previous reviews of studies into the condition. Research also found that those suffering from chronic diseases including cancer, stroke and multiple sclerosis have a higher chance of experiencing symptoms of anxiety than healthy individuals.*

 

Sufferers could experience any of the following:

 

  • Physical symptoms, such as palpitations and sweating
  • Cognitive symptoms, causing negative thoughts
  • Behavioural symptoms, which may include uncharacteristic aggression or avoiding social interaction
  • Emotional symptoms, such as fear and dread

 

Living with anxiety can be very distressing and whether your anxiety is mild and short-lived or more entrenched, acupuncture can really help. Acupuncture is able to jump-start your body’s own natural healing processes, and stimulate the part of the brain that controls emotions. It can also slow the body’s production of stress hormones, calming the mind and supporting better sleep. The calming effects may be felt after just one treatment.

 

There is still a stigma around experiencing any kind of mental health issue, but it’s no different from other health problems. With an empathetic practitioner you trust,  acupuncture can complement any conventional medication or therapy you may be undergoing, or work as a standalone treatment.

 

Ask for the help you need and enjoy a good night’s sleep again.

 

*Source: The Guardian

 

Read J’s experience of acupuncture for anxiety:

https://peachyacupuncture.com/2016/05/29/js-story-acute-case-anxiety/

 

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J and Belinda’s stories – Coping with anxiety

by  on  in Case Studies

J’s Story

J is a bright, successful woman in her 40’s who was clearly very distressed when we first met. She was sleep deficient, very anxious and felt quite out of control.

 

She came to see me while struggling with a very painful, emotional and life changing difficult situation. She’d struggled through 4 weeks of anxiety, feeling sick, disorientated, unable to sleep or think clearly. She had tried conventional medicine, and was starting on sleeping tablets and seriously considering anti-depressants.

 

Read about J’s experience:

I cannot over-state the impact even just the first treatment made. And I honestly don’t know how I would have managed to cope with things without it.

 

Immediately, within minutes, I was able to think more clearly, breathe more easily, and over time, deal with high stress situations with more calm and perspective. Physical symptoms (sickness, panic, sleep issues) were eased, and mental stability and clarity were substantially improved, with effects lasting long after treatment.

 

Being calmer, better able to see past the emotional stress was absolutely critical in working through the most difficult days, and make reasoned and rational decisions. That wouldn’t have been possible without Rita’s expertise.

 

I don’t quite know how to say this – I’ve had acupuncture before, and found the effects calming and soothing. BUT, what Rita does is just so much stronger, impactful, it’s a genuine treatment for your symptoms. I’d say to anyone, no matter how serious the problems – physical or emotional – don’t under-estimate this form of Acupuncture’s ability to help you.

 

Rita is a wise, warm, practitioner. But what stands out for me is her absolute focus on understanding and treating you.

 

J, Crouch End

 

Belinda’s story

Belinda was preparing to get married but experiencing anxiety and stress particularly in relation to preparing for her wedding. This was making her feel down and affecting her energy levels. Organising a wedding can be challenging at the best of times and many people find the stress of it can be overwhelming.

 

Read about Belinda’s experience:

I really wanted to try acupuncture as I had heard positive things and Rita was local and came highly recommended on Crouch End Facebook group.

 

Rita has a home-based clinic which is very private, comfortable and relaxing. I started feeling positive effects after my first session and felt a combination of the acupuncture treatment and the tuina massage was very effective in helping me to relax. I continued to do weekly sessions with Rita and I have been so much more relaxed as a result. I am sleeping better, my skin feels great and most importantly I feel great too.

 

Rita is so professional. There is a natural apprehension that comes with having acupuncture for the first time but Rita really puts you at ease. She has a calm, gentle manner and is very sensitive to placing the treatment needles. Rita is also very intuitive and works very holistically, if you mention any other symptoms or problems you might be having she works them into her treatment. I have been raving about her treatment and the benefits I felt from it to friends and family.

 

I am hoping to continue with a monthly session as I have found it so beneficial to me.

 

Belinda, Crouch End

 

Read more about anxiety:

https://peachyacupuncture.com/2016/06/03/anxiety-overthinking-worrying-everything/

 

Acupuncture for Hay fever and Allergic Rhinitis

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Runny nose, itchy, streaming blood-shot eyes, wheezing, heavy head and interminable sneezing? Yes the hayfever season is well and truly here. Symptoms usually start in February and for some people may continue until October. It can be pretty miserable. Astonishingly anywhere between 10 and 40% of the population worldwide are affected.

 

I’m a sneezer. Loud and repetitive, much like a croaking machine gun that frightens those around me. Attractive it’s not. But I consider myself quite lucky, I’ve seen clients whose lives during the season are almost intolerable.

 

I remember a boy at school, whose hayfever was so bad he had to be put on steroids just to be able to get through his exams. Nowadays, modern anti-histamines or steroidal nasal sprays may reduce the worst of the symptoms but it does mean you have to take drugs all the time to keep it at bay. Whereas acupuncture can work incredibly quickly in reducing or completely eradicating symptoms.

 

The British Acupuncture Council reports the following:

“Recent randomised controlled trials have found that acupuncture used as an adjunct to routine care for allergic rhinitis has clinically relevant and persistent benefits (Brinkhaus 2008) and is cost effective (Witt 2009). Such trials have also found that acupuncture is effective in the symptomatic treatment of perennial rhinitis (Xue 2007) and that active acupuncture is more effective than sham acupuncture in decreasing the symptom scores for persistent allergic rhinitis and increasing the symptom-free days (Ng 2004).”

 

Auricular acupuncture, where tiny needles are placed around the ear, is the most effective treatment, but, this is often supported by body acupuncture and/or Chinese herbs.

 

It can take as few as two or three treatments for a significant change to take place, and if you start before the season you could avoid it that year. It may even go permanently.

 

Start enjoying Spring instead of sneezing your way through it.

 

Read about Priscilla and Myles’ experiences:

https://peachyacupuncture.com/2016/05/15/priscilla-myles-stories-hay-fever-allergic-rhinitis/

 

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Michael’s story: Joining the dots

by  on  in Case Studies

Michael came to see me mainly because of recurring tension in his upper back and shoulders that had been going on for about four years. He would also feel light headed when he became stressed.  He would sometimes get emotional and short tempered which also troubled him. Michael has a good diet and is a regular gym goer, but still found that this wasn’t enough to manage his stress levels.

He came for a short course of treatment of electro-acupuncture, TuiNa massage and cupping after trying various other therapies and now comes once a month for ‘maintenance’ to ensure he keeps on top of any health issues.

 

Read Michael’s story:

Not only have I experienced a physical difference in the tension or stress I feel in my body, I have also realised that this tension was due to other underlying emotional issues that were being expressed physically in my body. Rita has helped me to be a calmer and happier person and to let go of things that may be upsetting or troubling me a lot sooner than I may have been before.

Before I would have sought treatment for emotional and physical issues/ tensions separately but Rita has shown me that the two aren’t really separable. I don’t fully understand how some of the treatments she does on me work, but I have realised that it doesn’t matter! As long as I feel a happier and better person, I don’t really need to understand rationally.

I think Rita is one of the best therapists I have been to see. She makes me feel completely at ease and listens at each and every appointment I have with her, making sure she is treating me according to each specific time, rather than just rolling out a template for treatment. And the treatment clinic is just perfect!

 

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Michael Camp, Crouch End

Read more about how TCM views mind and body:

https://peachyacupuncture.com/2016/05/02/acupuncture-tcm-body-mind/

Acupuncture & TCM: Body and mind

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When I first had acupuncture many years ago, it made total sense to me that it worked equally on my physical body as well as my emotions. Body and mind. Mind and body. Of course they were interconnected….

 

As a simple example, if a client comes to see me for sore muscles then of course that’s what I will treat them for. However, if I look closer, I may find that they are also someone who worries and overthinks, which in Chinese medicine is a deficiency of the spleen. Which is responsible for muscle health. This adds another dimension to my understanding of their condition and therefore directs their treatment.

 

Western science however, tends to see them as separate. Yes, emotions can affect physical symptoms, but no, they don’t operate synergistically. However, there is a shift change among some scientists and doctors who recognise the need to understand why drugs may work on one person but not another with exactly the same condition. And from this develop drugs that work for individuals, not conditions. As such, phrases like ‘personalised medicine’ are starting to emerge. Which is good news for patients.

 

The principle of personalized medicine is intrinsic to the way we diagnose and treat clients. So when a client comes in with seemingly random symptoms, that don’t make much sense to their doctor, they will most often make complete sense to an acupuncturist!

 

It’s why we ask odd questions like whether you’re someone who feels hot or cold all the time, or what time you experience your headache, or whether you feel sad, or anxious.

 

Because we’re treating you. Not just your condition.

 

Read Michael’s story https://peachyacupuncture.com/2016/05/03/michaels-story/