Acupuncture Shown to Reduce Stress Hormone Levels
Acupuncture has been shown to reduce stress hormone levels in several clinical studies, indicating its efficacy in treating anything from insomnia to anxiety.
Insomnia and anxiety are two common side effects of chronic stress, burnout, and adrenal fatigue. We have also found through thousands of years of practice, and in clinical trials, that acupuncture is an effective tool to treat other manifestations of chronic stress, burnout, and adrenal fatigue, like
Digestive issues: gas, bloating, constipation, loose stool, easy fullness, stomach pain, gallbladder issues, nausea, indigestion
Toxicity-associated issues: fatigue, headache, sluggish bowels, gallbladder or liver issues, cravings for unhealthy substances
Musculoskeletal pain (commonly seen with adrenal fatigue as nutrient status drops and inflammation levels rise)
Mood issues: depression, anxiety, cycling between the two; apathy, hopelessness, a negative outlook
Hormone imbalance: imbalances in estrogens, progesterone, testosterone, adrenal hormones like cortisol and DHEA, thyroid hormones, appetite-regulating hormones like leptin and ghrelin may all respond to acupuncture through the neuroendocrine system
In my practice I have seen that the effects of chronic stress can cause issues in circulating stress hormone levels, which can be a root cause of many physical ailments. The research is showing that acupuncture can help modulate these hormone levels, which provides a fascinating link between the physical body and our mental and emotional relationship to stress.
One case study in a depressed patient assessed auricular acupuncture (using acupuncture points on the ears) and its effects on cortisol levels. The case study showed a promising link between acupuncture and regulation of the HPA axis which helped control cortisol secretion (1). The study noted the link between depression, high levels of circulating cortisol, and suicide attempts, indicating a strong need to address this crisis in mental health.
Another interesting study looked at the effects of a form of acupuncture (called Tiaoshen needling, which was developed specifically to address the patient’s mental and emotional state) on circulating cortisol and melatonin levels. The supposition was that dysregulated daytime and nighttime cortisol and melatonin levels causes daytime fatigue and nighttime insomnia. This study found that nighttime levels of melatonin increased and those of cortisol decreased in the treatment group, which correlated with a positive improvement in reported sleep quality and daytime fatigue levels (2).
A third study looked at cortisol levels in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain. Patients were split into two groups and acupuncture was done for 5 consecutive days, while sham acupuncture was performed in the control groups. In the group receiving acupuncture, cortisol levels had dropped measurably after five consecutive treatments (3).
I use acupuncture often to help patients recover from the effects of chronic stress, burnout and adrenal fatigue by helping to reset the nervous system and provide the patient the opportunity to establish new, healthy thought patterns and habits. Truly breaking the stress cycle, and breaking free of unhealthy and limiting beliefs, is a fundamental requirement of healing from chronic stress, burnout, and adrenal fatigue.
Pirnia B, Mohammadzadeh Bazargan N, Hamdieh M, Pirnia K, Malekanmehr P, Maleki F, Zahiroddin A. The Effectiveness of Auricular Acupuncture on the Levels of Cortisol in a Depressed Patient. Iran J Public Health. 2019 Sep;48(9):1748-1750. PMID: 31700836; PMCID: PMC6825666.
Li JH, Wu WZ, Liu CY, Wang XQ, Qin S, Zhao YN, Xi HQ, Zheng SY, Xu L. [Effect of Tiaoshen needling on plasma melatonin and cortisol in patients with chronic insomnia]. Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 2021 Aug 25;46(8):690-4. Chinese. doi: 10.13702/j.1000-0607.201009. PMID: 34472755.
Lin ML, Wu JH, Lin CW, Su CT, Wu HC, Shih YS, Chiu IT, Chen CY, Chang WD. Clinical Effects of Laser Acupuncture plus Chinese Cupping on the Pain and Plasma Cortisol Levels in Patients with Chronic Nonspecific Lower Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2017;2017:3140403. doi: 10.1155/2017/3140403. Epub 2017 Aug 7. PMID: 28848615; PMCID: PMC5564089.