Something that many people are unaware of is the great power that acupuncture has to maintain emotional balance.
From TCM, the theoretical-philosophical basis on which traditional acupuncture is based, great importance is given to emotions in order to achieve full well-being, so much so that in one of its fundamental theories it attributes them to five elements corresponding to organs and “support viscera” (understanding it at an energetic level and not purely physical as in Western anatomy). Thus, according to TCM, rage has a close relationship with wood element and liver, joy with fire corresponding to the heart, obsession with earth and spleen, sadness with metal lungs, and finally, fear is attributed to the water and kidneys. According to TCM, any alteration, whether at a physiological or energetic level, in any of these organs (or their attached viscera) will produce the corresponding emotional alteration. In the same way, an emotional alteration for external reasons can affect these organs on an energetic level.
On the other hand, continuing with the bases of TCM, there would be a series of energy channels, called meridians, in which the acupuncture points are located. That allows us to work energetically, among others, the five elements now mentioned. Similarly, the “curious meridians” wich are not directly related to the aforementioned organs, can be also very useful in certain cases and can play an important role in emotional balance.
Science
Until now I have spoken to you from a theoretical basis of TCM, but what does science say? Although scientific studies in the West about acupuncture have been scarce for many years (mainly because the studies were carried out exclusively in Chinese hospitals and were published only in its mother tongue), little by little very interesting papers are being published.
For example, in 2022 a systematic review and meta-analysis was published “Medicine” journal, which evaluated the effectiveness of acupuncture for the management of “generalized anxiety disorder”. In this review, 27 scientific studies were analyzed, in which a total of 1,782 people participated, including a control group with subjects under pharmacological treatment and/or psychotherapy. In order to evaluate the results, various indicators were used such as the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), which evaluates both psychological and somatic symptoms, or the Zung Anxiety Scale (SAS) among others. At the end of the analysis, a lower score on the Hamilton anxiety scale was evident in the people who underwent acupuncture, with a statistically significant difference (-1.26) compared to the control group and with a 95% confidence interval (-1.96). , -0.56). In both scales mentioned, acupuncture turned out to be more effective (specifically) than the drugs Paroxetine, Flupentixol and Methyltracene.
In addition to the favorable results in terms of anxiety reduction, this review showed that acupuncture produced fewer adverse effects compared to subjects receiving pharmacological treatment. Therefore, it was concluded that, in the studies reviewed, results suggested that acupuncture was a more effective and safer option than treatment with certain drugs for relieving the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder.
Does this mean that acupuncture should replace the usual treatment to combat anxiety? Absolutely NO. However, scientific studies are confirming what ancient TCM books said, which is, acupuncture can be a great help to balance emotions. That said, I'd NEVER recommend abandoning medical or psychotherapy treatment to work with acupuncture, because as I understand it, it is another tool to find our own balance.
Interesting acupuncture points
As I mentioned previously, TCM classifies the predominant emotions in a series of organs and energetic channels, so depending on each case the points used to help balance can be very different, however there are some frequently used points to maintain an emotional balance. .
20DU: Bai Hui. Its name means “one hundred encounters” and it is the highest point of the organism (symbolically in contact with the sky). It allows us to regulate energy and the Yang (someday I will tell you about the theory of Yin and Yang, well known but frequently misunderstood). Calms the Shen, what in the West we understand by “spirit”.
6PC: Nei Guan.Its name means "inner door", it is a connection point between the pericardium and heart meridian, so in situations in which there is a state of nervousness and especially with a feeling of congestion in the chest, it will be helpful. In addition, it is the opening point of the curious Yin Wei Mai meridian, which is closely related to emotions.
6H: Yinxi. Its translation would be “yin crack”. Xi point of the heart meridian. Very useful to calm the Shen. Tones the heart (specifically its Yin). It is useful when there is an emotional shock, also when palpitations appear.
7H: Shenmen. Its name means “door of the spirit.” This is one of the main points to regulate emotions, especially in situations where nervousness predominates. Nourishes the heart and decongests the chest among other actions.
Anmian: Its name means "peaceful sleep", so it will be very useful when emotional affectation disturbs our sleep.
Yintang: Its name means “printing room.” Calms the Shen and harmonizes the emotions. As a curiosity, in many cases the relaxing effect of puncturing this point occurs immediately.
This has only been a small sample of some of the most used points to harmonize emotions, as well as summarizing their actions. In addition, it should be noted that these points also have other effects on the body, however, I will leave these pending for future publications.
To conclude, traditional acupuncture has proven to be of great help since it began to be used millennia ago and little by little studies are emerging in the West that help us scientifically corroborate what ancient texts explained.
In the case that concerns this publication, we can conclude that acupuncture is a great tool to balance emotions and with fewer side effects than other techniques. However, as I have already said, it is one more help, non-excluding of medical and/or psychotherapeutic treatments.
If you want me to help you find your natural balance, do not hesitate to make an acupuncture and naturopathy appointment with me.
I remind you that this information is for informational purposes only and that I am not a doctor :)
References used in this article:
Li, M., Liu, X., Ye, X., & Zhuang, L. (2022). Efficacy of acupuncture for generalized anxiety disorder: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine, 101(49), e30076. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000030076
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