Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are effective treatments for stress, anxiety, and emotional issues, and notably, the therapies do not come with the harmful side effects of antidepressants. Joseph Tonzola has successfully treated patients presenting with stress, insomnia, and mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Acupuncture for anxiety
Stress and anxiety can disrupt physical and mental health in a variety of ways, causing fatigue, depression, digestive issues, sleep problems, weight gain, fertility issues, headaches, or other pain problems.
In traditional Chinese medicine, stress and anxiety cause obstructions in the natural flow of energy in the body, causing pain and illness. Chronic stress, for instance, often manifests with muscle tension and pain in the upper back and neck, which in turn can lead to headaches. When this physical pain leads to anxiety, a cycle of imbalance is created.
Acupuncture breaks the cycle of imbalance by removing the energy-flow obstructions and restoring natural balance to the body. This not only helps to alleviate the physical manifestations of stress, but it directly combats stress itself.
Acupuncture for headaches & migraines
In Chinese medicine, headaches can be caused by different pathogenic factors and blockage such as wind, dampness, and qi or blood stagnation. People who have experienced migraines very commonly describe their pain as stabbing, piercing and usually at one point somewhere around the eye. This type of pain shows that that is a factor of blood stagnation. Acupuncture is used to free the flow of qi as well as invigorate blood which can effectively treat reoccurring migraine symptoms.
Unexplained continuous headaches
I see many patients who experience continuous headache pain and discomfort. Regular acupuncture treatments dramatically reduces the intensity of the pain they experience as well as the frequency of the headaches.
Menstrual headaches
Women who have headaches often experience the worse symptoms at the time of menstruation. If qi and blood are not flowing smoothly during the time of menstruation because of stress or other factors, headaches may be experienced. Along with headaches the patient may also complain of lower abdominal cramping, low back pain, clotty menstrual flow, and other uncomfortable symptoms related to abnormal menstruation. Continuous acupuncture through 3 full cycles can help regulate menstrual symptoms and help with decreasing and eliminating menstrual headaches.