How Are You De-Stressing This April?

What You’ll Find in This Issue:

• Ear acupressure seeds & stress reduction

• Bladder Meridian acupressure & anxiety relief

• Bone tapping: add it to your beauty routine!

• A weeeeeird acupuncture experience (the acupuncturist fell asleep?!)

Before we get into it, is there one person you know who might like this newsletter?

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Exploring Alternative Stress Relief: Ear Seeds Prove Beneficial for Nurses

A 2011 study¹ involving 75 nursing professionals evaluated the stress-reducing impacts of traditional ear acupuncture and ear seeds, a non-invasive alternative using tiny seeds placed on specific acupuncture points on the ear.

The participants were organized into three groups: a control group receiving no treatment, an acupuncture group, and an ear seeds group, with treatments focusing on the Shen Men, kidney, and brainstem points. Stress levels were assessed at the start, during the fourth and eighth weekly sessions, and again during a follow-up session 15 days after treatment completion, with each session lasting between 5-10 minutes. Additionally, participants in the ear seeds group were instructed to press the seeds three times daily to enhance the therapy's effectiveness.

The results indicated that while traditional acupuncture was more effective overall in mitigating stress, the ear seeds group also experienced notable stress relief, especially those who were highly stressed initially. Ear seeds proved to be more tolerable than needle acupuncture, suggesting a higher likelihood of adoption for self-managed stress relief, thanks to their ease of use once the optimal application points are learned. This finding highlights ear seeds as a feasible and user-friendly method to reduce stress among healthcare professionals.

Bladder Meridian Acupressure in Rats Found to Help Relieve Anxiety

In a study published this month² , researchers explored how acupressure along the bladder meridian, a specific path on the body used in traditional Chinese medicine, impacts anxiety levels in rats.

By subjecting these rats to chronic stress to mimic anxiety, researchers then applied acupressure and observed changes in their behavior through maze and open field tests. They discovered that this technique not only improved the rats' behaviors but also balanced their brain chemistry—lowering harmful inflammation markers in both the blood and brain and adjusting neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which affect mood.

Additionally, acupressure was found to deactivate a stress-related pathway in the brain while activating a beneficial one, leading to significant reductions in anxiety symptoms. This suggests that acupressure could be a powerful tool for reducing anxiety by naturally altering brain signals.

More info on the Bladder Meridian in humans from AcuPro Academy:

Unlock Radiant Skin and Relaxation with Bone Tapping: Your New Go-To Beauty Ritual!

Bone tapping is an increasingly popular, non-invasive beauty practice from Traditional Chinese Medicine that's making waves for its simple yet effective approach to enhancing skin health. By lightly tapping along the contours of the face, this method works to soften fine lines, even out skin texture, and boost your complexion's natural glow.

More than just a skin fix, bone tapping increases blood flow and promotes lymphatic drainage, which helps detoxify the skin and reduce puffiness. It's also a chill way to unwind, helping to lower stress and refresh not just your face but your whole vibe. Simple to do from the comfort of your home, bone tapping is a fun, zero-cost trick to add to your beauty routine for some serious perks—inside and out!

Read more about bone tapping on Glam.com »»

Here’s a video to get you started with bone tapping:

blushwithme_parmita

View more on Instagram

Iowa Man Removes Own Acupuncture Needles After Practitioner Falls Asleep

Imagine if you were left alone in an acupuncture clinic with needles still in your body and the acupuncturist nowhere to be found. That’s exactly what happened to a man who visited a clinic in Iowa last June.

After inserting the needles, the acupuncturist left for home and fell asleep, leaving the patient to eventually remove the needles himself and seek help from the sheriff’s office. The incident led to the acupuncturist being charged with professional incompetence by the state Board of Medicine, resulting in a settlement that included a warning and a $500 fine.

This alarming experience highlights the importance of vigilance and responsibility in the practice of acupuncture. And always read the reviews before you book an appointment!

Sources:

¹Kurebayashi, L. F., Gnatta, J. R., Borges, T. P., Belisse, G., Coca, S., Minami, A., Souza, T. M., & da Silva, M. J. (2012). Aplicabilidade da auriculoterapia com agulhas ou sementes para diminuição de estresse em profissionais de enfermagem [The applicability of auriculotherapy with needles or seeds to reduce stress in nursing professionals]. Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S P, 46(1), 89–95. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0080-62342012000100012

² Lu, P., Yin, Z., Fang, M., Yao, L., Zhang, N., Zhang, S., Guo, G., He, P., & Qin, Y. (2024). Acupressure bladder meridian alleviates anxiety disorder in rats by regulating MAPK and BDNF signal pathway. Physiology & Behavior. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114534