ACUPUNCTURE: EFFECTIVE SUPPORT FOR
YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

Mental health refers to your thoughts, emotions, how connected you feel to others, and your ability to manage in your daily life. Our mental health can change over time due to specific circumstances or changes in our physical health.

Taking care of your mental health is just as important as caring for your physical health, and acupuncture can be welcome support for our patients managing mental health concerns.

Acupuncture is a natural, safe, and effective treatment that can treat various symptoms and conditions, including helping people maintain their mental health or manage symptoms of mental illness. In addition, acupuncture can be used as a supportive therapy, supplementing traditional therapies like medication and counseling to create a more robust, effective care plan.

If you are looking for extra mental health support, acupuncture could be a good fit for you.

Why should I try acupuncture for my mental health concerns?

There are good reasons to give acupuncture a try in support of your mental health:

• Acupuncture is an effective means to relieve symptoms of mental health disorders
• Low-risk treatment offering potentially significant benefits
• An excellent way to supplement traditional mental health care
• Minimal adverse side effects in most patients
• Can boost mood and well-being
• Can reduce inflammation in the body, increasing overall wellness

How can acupuncture support my mental health?

Traditional Chinese Medical Acupuncture can treat symptoms of mental health conditions and disorders such as addiction, ADD, OCD, PTSD, anxiety, depression, autism, and eating disorders.

While acupuncture may not offer a cure for these conditions, it can relieve the symptoms of mental health disorders, providing relief to patients looking for additional care and support for their mental health.

Acupuncture helps shift the autonomic nervous system, regulating the body's unconscious actions out of our sympathetic nervous system (what we know as our “fight, flight, or freeze” response) into our parasympathetic nervous system (our “rest and digest” mode.) Acupuncture is an adjunctive therapy used alongside psychological counselling and the care of social workers to alleviate symptoms.

When the body is under stress, an area of the brain called the hypothalamus releases neurochemicals. Research shows that acupuncture can calm this response. Acupuncture has also been shown to increase the release of endorphins, the body’s own ‘feel-good’ chemicals, which play an essential role in regulating physical and emotional stress responses such as pain, heart rate, blood pressure, and digestive function.

Our acupuncturist has extensive training in neurology and can provide scalp acupuncture which is very effective, less painful, and can be done while a patient is sitting up for additional comfort. This specialized training allows our clinic to treat symptoms of mental health disorders, stroke, paralysis, aphasia, phantom limb pain, and more.

How does acupuncture work with conventional medicine?

The success of acupuncture comes from its unique approach to healing. Traditionally, acupuncture has focused on restoring the flow of the body’s vital substances, which allows the body to heal itself. Acupuncturists also focus on creating a balance between the body’s organ systems so it functions correctly.

Think of acupuncture as a way to enhance your other care and treatment plans rather than a replacement for them. You don’t need to choose between conventional medicine and acupuncture. Many of our patients appreciate that we take the time to walk through information given by other providers to help them understand the process and offer comprehensive support.

We’re also happy to have direct conversations with your primary care doctors to collaborate on your care.

What can I expect from my first visit?

Your first appointment will likely be a bit longer, so please allow at least 60-75 minutes for this visit. We do a detailed intake and assessment to ensure we have all the information to offer support.

We’ll work to restore balance in your body and help create a plan specific to your overall health and wellness. We’ll answer your questions, explain the details of your treatment plan, and offer support along the way.

NOTE:  As always, our licensed practitioners at Action Health are your best source of up-to-date and accurate information regarding this and any other treatment plan we recommend.

Please call our front desk at (403) 243-8114 to book a consultation with one of our acupuncturists to see if acupuncture treatment is appropriate for you.