Acupuncture can put you in a better mood

How can alternative medicines, like acupuncture, effect my mood?

When we talk about alternative medicine, we are talking about a very broad range of disciplines including, but not limited to, homeopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture, herbs, and ayurvedic medicine.

Each of these medicines has within its constructs the ability to diagnose and treat disharmonies. To address your question more specifically, however, I will give an example of how this is done with acupuncture and herbs.

Let’s look at a typical complaint: Stress and fatigue as a result of overwork and a hectic schedule. A person may initially complain of tiredness and frustration, but these symptoms can quickly progress to more pronounced anxiety and depression—anxiety about day to day choices which must be made, and depression as it relates to a sense of powerlessness to change one’s situation. These feeling are always exacerbated by low energy or fatigue.

How acupuncture & herbs can help ?

First, a proper diagnosis must be made. One possible Chinese Medicine diagnosis in this situation is liver qi (chee) stagnation. Here we must do two things: One, regulate or harmonize the liver qi to offset the emotional frustration to give this person a sense of being in control. And two, strengthen the kidney energy to give this person the strength to engage in life’s day-to-day activities.

In this case acupuncture and herbs can work in conjunction to achieve these goals. Acupuncture can balance liver energy; herbs can provide the foundation of energy necessary resolve the fatigue and make this person feel well.

This is just one possible scenario in which alternative medicines can effect emotions and moods.  If you have a specific question about a situation you are experiencing, please contact me.