Anxiety and numbness or tingling: Western and Chinese views and how acupuncture can help

If you’ve ever experienced numbness or tingling in your hands, feet, or face during a period of anxiety, you’re not alone. These sensations can feel unsettling, but there’s a reason behind them. In this article, we’ll explore why anxiety causes numbness or tingling, how this shows up in the body, and how acupuncture can help restore balance and ease these uncomfortable symptoms.

The Western medical perspective: Anxiety and Numbness/Tingling

Numbness or tingling, also known as paresthesia, is often linked to anxiety, especially during moments of intense stress. Here’s why:

• Hyperventilation: When we feel anxious, we tend to breathe more rapidly and shallowly, a response known as hyperventilation. This leads to a drop in carbon dioxide levels in the blood, which in turn can cause constriction of blood vessels and a reduction in oxygen flow to certain parts of the body. As a result, you may experience numbness or tingling, particularly in the extremities.
• Sympathetic nervous system activation: Anxiety triggers the fight or flight response, which relates to the sympathetic nervous system. This response can cause various bodily changes, including changes in blood flow and muscle tension, which can lead to sensations of tingling or numbness.
• Muscle tension: Chronic anxiety can lead to persistent muscle tension in areas like the neck, shoulders, or face. This tension can compress nerves, leading to tingling or a feeling of numbness, especially in the hands, feet, or face.

The Chinese Medicine perspective: Qi and Blood stagnation

In Chinese Medicine (TCM), numbness or tingling is often seen as a sign of Qi and Blood stagnation. When energy or blood flow is blocked or restricted in certain areas, it can lead to sensations of tingling or numbness. Here’s how TCM views the condition:

• Liver Qi stagnation: Anxiety is often linked to the Liver, particularly when Liver Qi becomes stagnant. This stagnation can affect the flow of Qi and Blood, especially to the extremities, causing numbness or tingling sensations.
• Qi and Blood Deficiency: Another possibility a deficiency of Qi or Blood, which results in poor circulation and insufficient nourishment to the body’s tissues. This can lead to feelings of numbness or tingling, particularly in the hands or feet.
• Liver Wind: In more severe cases, Liver Wind may be considered a cause of numbness or tingling. This condition occurs when the Liver energy becomes excessive and leads to irregular movements of Qi and Blood, which may affect the nerves and cause abnormal sensations.

How acupuncture helps with anxiety-related numbness or tingling

Acupuncture is a highly effective treatment for relieving numbness and tingling caused by anxiety. Here’s how acupuncture can help restore balance and ease these sensations:

✅ Restores Qi and Blood flow: Acupuncture helps to regulate the flow of Qi and Blood, ensuring that energy and nourishment reach all parts of the body, including the extremities. By unblocking energy pathways, acupuncture promotes healthy circulation and alleviates sensations of numbness or tingling.

✅ Calms the nervous system: Acupuncture calms the nervous system, which helps to regulate the sympathetic nervous system and reduce the overactive fight-or-flight response that contributes to tingling sensations.

✅ Relieves muscle tension: By targeting specific acupuncture points, acupuncture helps release muscle tension, particularly in areas that may be compressing nerves (like the neck, shoulders, and face). This alleviates pressure on the nerves and reduces sensations of numbness.

✅ Balances Liver Qi: Acupuncture targets points that support the smooth flow of Liver Qi, helping to reduce stagnation and the symptoms associated with it, such as numbness or tingling.

Common acupuncture points for treating numbness or tingling include:

• Liver 3 (Taichong): This point helps to move Liver Qi and resolve stagnation, promoting better circulation and energy flow.
• Stomach 36 (Zusanli): Known for its ability to boost Qi and Blood, this point helps nourish the body and improve circulation to the extremities.
• Pericardium 6 (Neiguan): This point helps calm the nervous system and regulate the flow of Qi, alleviating anxiety-related numbness.

If anxiety is causing you to experience numbness or tingling in your body, acupuncture can help restore balance, reduce nervous tension, and improve circulation. At The Village Healing Centre in Curl Curl, we have a special interest in addressing anxiety-related symptoms and helping you find lasting relief.

If you’re in the Northern Beaches of Sydney and you’re curious about acupuncture for anxiety, we’d love to help you. Let’s help you feel better.

📍 Find us in Curl Curl (Sydney Northern Beaches)
📞 Call us at (02) 9938 2182
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