Acupuncture and stress: regulate your nervous system AND your hormones

 Is it just me or does it seem like there is a collective energy out there right now that just feels tense, angry, hurried or negative? When our sympathetic nervous system ramps up into fight or flight, we can perpetuate these feelings and pass along the negativity from one person to another

Acupuncture is a standout treatment in helping to balance your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, but is also helpful for regulating different hormones that control these emotions as well. Acupuncture has known effects on dopamine,1 serotonin2 and GABA.3 Research using functional MRIs (fMRI) also shows that there are powerful changes to the brain after acupuncture. From the 1980s to 2010 alone, there were 82 peerreviewed and published (in English) works using fMRI to research acupuncture. Although there are some limitations to fMRIs, such as false positives or inconclusive results, there is also strong evidence that it isn't just a placebo such as a random needle prick your brain is responding to, or how nice the person giving you acupuncture is.4 Seven fMRI studies (2002- 2009) concluded that the somatosensory cortex of the brain fired the most during acupuncture versus their placebo.5 This area of the brain is known for its control over how we feel about certain situations, our ability to handle stress, and our mental capacity to handle disease—it's our perception of things. The insula, cerebellum and thalamus were also shown to have been stimulated during acupuncture at a frequent rate.

Many of us have been in a situation when we're driving and someone cuts us off. One day, you may be more likely to try to tailgate them, honk your horn and flip them off. Another day, you may be more likely to slow down and give that car some space. You might think, I hope they're ok, and there isn't a medical emergency.

Clinically, I find acupuncture to work wonderfully for situations like that first driving scenario I illustrated. We see patients come in who are almost in tears and feel like they can't handle what's in front of them. Twenty-five minutes later, after acupuncture, they feel like they can take on whatever it was that was bothering them much better. The euphoria is visible when they leave. As a patient, you can feel yourself doing way better. Anecdotally, we know acupuncture works, but it's backed by decades of research showing the regulation and firing of certain brain cortices, and dualdirectional regulation of neurotransmitters, amino acids and peptides.

Now, I know you think I am proposing for everyone to get acupuncture to chill out! And, of course, I would recommend that because I care deeply about everyone's mental wellbeing and I see how powerful it actually is, but I think there's more to it. As a collective, we need to remember self-talk, self-care and empathy and its effect not only on ourselves but those around us. We can control our responses,

Pull Quote:
"Think about the impact you are making not just on your own well­being, but on others'." to some degree, with practice (yes hormonal imbalances are real, but I'm talking about your response to stress). Stimulating the "rest and digest" section of your nervous system (ventral vagal) requires gym time just as any other muscle. So, if you allow yourself to just fly off the handle at everyone, you are reinforcing/strengthening your fight or flight muscles. Deep breathing along with other oxytocin/serotonin boosting activities, on the other hand, helps bolster your "rest and digest" or calm, cool and collected muscles (also known as neuroplasticity).

Our brains and hormones can trick us into believing these stories. Ask yourself, "Is this story that I'm telling myself true? And how can it or can't it be true? Is it as important as I am leading myself to believe?" and "what would happen if I changed my belief about this story?" Just like when someone cuts you off driving. Are they really out to just get me? Sometimes you perceive a threat that maybe shouldn't be. There are many things that can help your brain calm down in times of severe upheaval. These are important for us all to practice because when someone is upset, the chances of it upsetting another person, then another, and another, just because that first person was out of sorts in the first place becomes a butterfly effect. Think about the impact you are making not just on your own well-being, but on others'.

Controlling your emotions, taking care of your mental well-being, and actively pursuing the regulation of your state of mind is beneficial for the collective. For some that means acupuncture treatments! Others need regular hikes, vacations or healthy eating. All of which are good for you, but good for those around you too!