Stress-related conditions
Acupuncture for anxiety & depression, with Dr. Peter Caron.
Many people I see for anxiety or depression are already in therapy or on medication. Their body still won’t settle. Acupuncture works on that physical state, alongside the care they already have.
Why it hasn’t gotten better
The body stays braced even when nothing is wrong.
Whether you call it stress, anxiety, low mood, or burnout, it tends to feel the same. Your jaw and shoulders are tight by mid-morning, and your chest feels pressure when nothing is wrong.
Acupuncture won’t remove the source of the worry. It can lessen your body’s reaction, and sleep is often one of the first things to improve. Some of my patients have difficulties beyond everyday stress, and you’re welcome to raise yours in confidence on the call.
Where I fit, and where I don’t
I work alongside your therapist and physician. If you’re in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, please contact a mental-health professional now, or call or text 988.
Acupuncture doesn’t replace therapy or medication. Any change to your medication is a decision for you and your prescriber, and I’m happy to coordinate with them.
What it feels like
What people describe when they first call.
- A jaw and shoulders that are tight by mid-morning
- A sense of pressure in your chest when nothing is wrong
- A mind that keeps running through what could go wrong
- Feeling flat or worn out most days, even when life is going fine
- Losing interest in things you used to enjoy
- You’re in therapy or on medication, and your body still won’t settle
If you recognized yourself in that list, the free 15-minute call is the place to start.
How I treat it
The body settles first.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture shifts your nervous system out of its braced state, which eases the tension you carry and makes the day easier to manage.
Treatment shifts your nervous system out of its braced state. Most people feel it happen on the table. I also release the tension in your jaw and shoulders.
- Autonomic downregulation
- Trigger point release
- Motor-point stimulation
Herbal medicine
An herbal formula you take daily supports your mood and sleep between visits.
An herbal formula works on the sleep and digestion that slip when you’ve been anxious or low. You take it daily, so the change holds between visits.
- Herbal formula
- Mood & sleep support
Most people notice a change within the first visit or two. The visits that follow are for making that change last.
Fifteen minutes on the phone is usually enough to tell whether I can help.
Your first visit
What happens the first time you come in.
- We go through the history When the anxiety or low mood shows up, how you’re sleeping, and what care you already have, including therapy and any medication. Share as much or as little as you want.
- I find where it sits in the body I check the jaw, neck, shoulders, and chest for the tension stress has built up, and how your sleep and digestion are holding up.
- You’re treated the same day Fine needles, sometimes with light electrical stimulation. Most people feel their breathing slow on the table, and many fall asleep.
- You leave with a plan Roughly how many visits it should take, whether an herbal formula makes sense, and what should have changed by the third visit.
What to expect
How it usually goes, visit by visit.
We track how long the calm lasts after each visit, so you’ll know if it’s holding.
- Visits 1–2 Notice how long the calm from the table lasts after each visit.
- Visits 3–6 The change starts to hold longer between visits, and the jaw and shoulders stay looser through the day.
- After that We space visits out and watch whether it holds. In the trial on this page, the benefit was still there at six months.
Typical ranges, not promises. Results vary from person to person.
You’ll know at the first visit roughly how many visits it should take.
What the research shows
In 755 people with depression, a course of acupuncture reduced symptoms more than usual care alone.
In a 2013 trial in PLOS Medicine, 755 adults with depression were offered acupuncture, counselling, or usual care. Most were already on antidepressants. At three months, depression scores dropped significantly more with acupuncture than with usual care, about as much as with counselling. The benefit held at six months, with no serious side effects.
Questions
What people ask about anxiety and depression.
Something not covered here? Ask on the free discovery call.
Many people feel a shift on the table as their breathing slows. It lasts a little longer after each of the first few visits. I’ll suggest a number of visits once I’ve seen you.
No. In the trial on this page, most people were already on antidepressants. Any change to your medication is between you and your prescriber.
No. Share what you’re comfortable sharing. I treat how your body is responding, and you’re welcome to raise more in confidence when you’re ready.
Yes, tell me on the call. The needles are far finer than an injection needle. Most people feel a dull ache for a moment, then very little. I can start with only a few, and you can stop at any point.
For depression, the trial on this page is large and well run, but it didn’t use sham needling. By twelve months, the usual-care group had caught up. For anxiety, the trials are smaller and mixed. I’ll tell you by the third visit whether it’s helping.
Often, yes. Sleep is usually one of the first things to change.
We’re out of network and don’t bill insurers. After each visit we can send a superbill to submit to your plan. Some plans reimburse part of it, so check first.
If your question isn’t here, ask it on the call. It’s free and takes fifteen minutes.
Related conditions
Often treated alongside this one.
Digestive problems
For bloating and irregularity that normal tests don’t explain.
Insomnia
For a mind that won’t switch off at night.
Perimenopause & menopause
For hot flashes and night sweats that break up your sleep.
Start here
You don’t have to explain it well.
On a short call, I can tell you whether acupuncture belongs in your care. I’ll also say how it fits with your current treatment.
If you already know you want to come in, book an initial visit.