Sleep & Digestive Issues
What's acupuncture got to do with sleep and digestion? Studies demonstrate acupunctures affect on the central nervous system. In the brain, MRI's have shown acupuncture to change functional connectivity and decreasing activity associated with stress and illness. Acupuncture regulates the branch of the nervous system associated with rest, relaxation, digestion and tissue healing.
Acupuncture works be safely and effectively alongside medication. I will often suggest relaxation exercises or movement practices to address digestion and insomnia on a whole-istic level. Sessions are an opportunity to reflect and shine awareness on the root cause of an issue.
I came to Vanessa after struggling for years with chronic abdominal pain. She quickly identified my pain as a result of IBS and found research that supported our treatment. After just two sessions Vanessa has allowed me to be free of daily stomach pain. What's more my tension headaches and bad sleep disappeared.
Fran, Clapton
How does acupuncture work? Stimulation of certain acupuncture points has been shown to affect areas of the brain that are known to reduce sensitivity to pain and stress, as well as promoting relaxation and deactivating the ‘analytical’ brain, which is responsible for insomnia and anxiety.
Research has shown that acupuncture treatment may benefit digestive symptoms by providing pain relief, regulating the motility of the digestive tract, raising the sensory threshold of the gut and increasing parasympathetic tone.
Research has shown that acupuncture treatment may specifically be of benefit in people with insomnia by:
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stimulating opioid (especially b-endorphin) production and µ-opioid receptor activity
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increasing cerebral blood flow
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reducing sympathetic nervous system activity, increasing relaxation
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regulating levels of neurotransmitters altering the brains’s mood chemistry to help to increase relaxation and reduce tension.