Emotional and Physical Wellness
I’m Joseph Alban, a New York City-based Doctor of Acupuncture with over 20 years in practice. Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine have a holistic understanding of health, recognizing the connection between physical and emotional wellness. Emotions affect our physical health, and our physical health affects our emotions, so over two decades I’ve often seen treating one naturally support the other.
Acupuncture’s Holistic Approach
In diagnosis and treatment, Chinese medicine links specific emotions with specific functions in the body. Stress and worrying can affect the digestive system, and stress can also cause pain, because it stops the free flow of Qi. Fear can impact urination. Anger causes heat and can lead to headaches or dizziness. A 2017 randomized controlled trial found that acupuncture significantly reduced perceived stress in a group of university students and staff, with the effect still holding three months after treatment ended.¹
The connection of the physical body with emotions makes sense. We all know when we are nervous because we physically feel it. Your heart rate increases, you may get sweaty palms, or even blush. It is also widely known that stress and anxiety can have a negative impact on health. That’s why regular physical activity, stretching, yoga, and tai chi make us feel better emotionally and physically.
How does Chinese Medicine Address the Whole Person?
The metaphor of the root and branch symbolizes Chinese medicine’s approach to treatment. The branch is the symptom, such as pain. The root is the main imbalance that causes the disease. A Chinese medicine physician’s goal is to treat the root of the problem, not just the branch. Correcting the root can lead to long-term improvement and recovery.
Acupuncture’s Holistic Effects
Contemporary research is beginning to show how acupuncture works in the brain to affect both physical and mental health. Using an fMRI scanner, a scan that tracks blood flow within the brain, scientists have shown that acupuncture affects a part of the brain called the limbic system.2 The limbic system is involved with emotional control. It is also involved with memory and behaviors such as addictions, as well as hormonal regulation.
This remarkable finding suggests that acupuncture may calm the parts of the brain associated with the limbic system, resulting in a calming effect on a person’s state of being. It’s possible that acupuncture’s cumulative, long-term capacity to improve health and well-being may have something to do with this ability to calm the limbic system.
Reference
- Schroeder S, Burnis J, Denton A, Krasnow A, Raghu TS, Mathis K. Effectiveness of Acupuncture Therapy on Stress in a Large Urban College Population. J Acupunct Meridian Stud. 2017;10(3):165-170.
- Hui KKS, Marina O, Liu J, Rosen BR, Kwong KK. Acupuncture, the limbic system, and the anticorrelated networks of the brain. Auton Neurosci. 2010;157(1-2):81-90. doi:10.1016/j.autneu.2010.03.022
Feedback From our clients…
“The treatments that Dr. Alban has provided me, ranging from acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and acupressure techniques, have helped me immeasurably in dealing with anxiety, vitiligo, and with boosting my immune system in general. Perhaps most important of all, these improvements have afforded me with the confidence that these issues can be dealt with successfully. I had tried other methods before, but found no success until I met with Dr. Alban. On a personal note, I find Dr. Alban’s nature, style, and manner to be professional, considerate, kind, and genuine. I highly recommend him to others.”
~ Patient, New York City