Acupuncture for Stress & Immunity: Just the Medicine for These Anxious Times
By Matthew Maneggia, LAc T
he public awareness of acupuncture has grown by leaps and bounds since I fi rst started my practice 13 years ago. This is a testament not only to the profound effi cacy of acupuncture,
but to its ever-growing acceptance from the conventional medical world. Much of that acceptance is due to a continually expanding fi eld of research proving the benefi ts of acupuncture for a myriad of ailments. While most people are aware of its benefi ts for pain relief, fewer are aware of how great acupuncture is at boosting the immune system. However, as the data on acupuncture’s effects on pain becomes solidifi ed, new and better research is emerging on how it affects immunity.
Acupuncture for Stress Reduction
Before diving too deeply into the research, we should note one of the most important ways in which acupuncture boosts im- mune function - stress relief. Anecdotally, patients report improve- ments in their reactions to psychological stress as something of a side-effect of treatment. Countless times, I have heard patients remark at how surprised they are to fi nd that, although the stress- ors in their lives have not changed, they are reacting to that stress with much less intensity. And while we can amplify these stress- relieving effects using specifi c acupuncture points, even folks who are being treated for something as unrelated as low back pain note a signifi cant reduction in stress.
So why is this? Well, for one thing, we know that acupuncture has a direct effect on the prefrontal cortex. This is the area of the brain that regulates the sympathetic nervous system (fi ght-or-fl ight) alongside the parasympathetic nervous system (rest-and-digest). Acupuncture not only signifi cantly reduces sympathetic hyperac- tivity, it actively stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. As our physical reaction to stress decreases, our bodies produce less infl ammatory substances like cortisol. With lower levels of infl am- mation come higher levels of immune function. So not only are we feeling happier and less stressed, our bodies are more robustly able to fi ght off infection. While the stress-relieving effects of acu- puncture are great, they are not the only way in which acupunc- ture benefi ts the immune system.
Acupuncture and Your Immune System Central to the parasympathetic nervous system is the vagus nerve.
This nerve forms the “brain-gut” axis in which the gastrointestinal (GI) tract communicates with the brain. Via vagal nerve stimulation, along with stimulating increased blood perfusion to the GI tract, acupunc- ture protects the integrity of the intestinal mucosa. The mucosa is where the billions of benefi cial bacteria reside in the GI tract. These friendly bacteria form a signifi cant portion of the immune system, excreting massive quantities of antibodies into the gut. They need a healthy ecosystem in which to thrive and studies show that acupunc- ture does indeed provide that healthy environment.
Research shows that acupuncture has a direct effect on the
body’s production of certain specifi c immune cells. T-cells are a type of lymphocyte produced in the thymus gland that play a cen- tral role in immune response. One study measured serum levels
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