Acupuncture for Anxiety - Treatment Protocols

Below you will find some of the more common tcm diagnoses and acupuncture treatment protocols for anxiety disorders. There are many ways to approach the treatment of this condition within TCM. Our presentation describes foundational approaches that would need to be further tailored in most cases to be effective for a given individual.

Differentiation:
- - Excess Conditions:
  - HT Qi & Blood Stagnation
  - Phlegm effecting the Heart
  - Deficient Conditions:
  - Yin Deficiency - empty heat may rise and effect the shen
  - HT Qi & Blood Deficiency - may arise after a prolonged illness
  - HT Yang Deficiency
- HT Qi & Blood Stagnation - Excess
  - Signs & Symptoms:
    
    Panic attacks (sudden feeling of doom, rapid breathing, shortness of breath, palpitations, chest oppression), insomnia, profuse dreams.
    
    Tongue: Pale w/dark spots
    
    Pulse: Weak, fine possibly irregular
  - Treatment Points:
    
    St. John Treatment Points (with modifications):
    
    LV 3 - harmonize LV
    
    LI 4 - four gates w/LV 3 above
    
    SP 10 - move the Blood
    
    HT 7 - calm the spirit, possibly HT 8 if in distress
    
    PC 6 - calm the spirit, relax the chest, possibly PC 7 for a stronger effect
    
    UB 15 - HT Shu
    
    UB 17 - Hui meeting of the Blood
- Phlegm Effecting the Heart - Excess
  - Signs & Symptoms:
    
    Anxiety coupled with emotional depression and other signs of LV stagnation (easily angered, tension, sighing), insomnia, nightmares, dizziness, profuse thick phlegm.
    
    Tongue: Greasy yellow coat
    
    Pulse: Slippery, wiry
  - Treatment Points:
    
    St. John Treatment Points (with modifications):
    
    LV 3 - harmonize LV
    
    PC 5 - expel phlegm
    
    ST 40 - resolve phlegm
    
    CV 12 - ST Mu
    
    CV 17 - PC Mu
    
    HT 7 - calm spirit
- Yin Deficiency
  - Signs & Symptoms:
    
    Anxiety originating with fear a/or dread, restlessness, palpitations, nightsweats, afternoon fevers, mallor flush, heat in the 5 palms, dry mouth a/or throat, dizziness, tinnitus.
    
    Tongue: Red possibly w/yellow coat
    
    Pulse: Thin, rapid, wiry
  - Treatment Points:
    
    St. John Treatment Points (with modifications):
    
    HT 8 - clear heat effecting the HT
    
    PC 7 - clear heat efffecting the HT
    
    KD 3 - tonify KD & HT yin
    
    SP 6 - tonify yin
    
    GB 20 - clear the head, dizziness, tinnitus
    
    UB 15 - HT Shu
    
    UB 23 - KD Shu
- HT Qi & Blood Deficiency
  - Signs & Symptoms:
    
    Palpitations with exertion, shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, poor memory, insomnia, pale lustreless complexion.
    
    Tongue: Pale w/thin white coat
    
    Pulse: Thin, weak
  - Treatment Points:
    
    St. John Treatment Points (with modifications):
    
    HT 7 - tonify HT Blood & Yin, harmonize spirit
    
    PC 6 - calm the heart & spirit, regulate HT Qi
    
    SP 6 - tonify ST/SP
    
    ST 36 - tonify ST/SP
    
    UB 15 - HT Shu
    
    UB 17 - hui meeting of the Blood
    
    UB 20 - SP Shu
- HT Yang Deficiency
  - May arise as a further development of HT Qi and Blood Deficiency, palpitations worse after exertion, shortness of breath, chest tightness, aversion to cold, cold limbs, dizziness.
  - Tongue: Pale
  - Pulse: Deep, thin, empty or Deep, slow
- Treatment Points:
  - Valaskatagis Treatment Points:
  - HT 7 - calm the spirit
  - UB 15 - HT Shu
  - UB 23 - KD Shu
  - GV 4 - tonify Yang
  - CV 4 - tonify Yang
  - ST 36 - tonify Qi

The information on our site is drawn from our own lecture notes and clinical experience. The following lecture notes were consulted within this section:

St. John, Meredith: New England School of Acupuncture, Etiology and Pathology Lecture Notes
Valaskatgis, Peter: New England School of Acupuncture, Etiology and Pathology Lecture Notes

Relationships

TCM Patterns (6)

Conditions / Symptoms (1)

Anxiety

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Acupuncture for Anxiety - Treatment Protocols