Implications of Massage Therapy and Acupoints for Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Acupuncture Chart: Midline of the Head

Chinese Woodcut 1591

Source: Wellcome Library, London, Wikimedia Commons

Credit: Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images images@wellcome.ac.uk 

Woodcut illustration from an edition of 1591 

(19th year of the Wanli reign period of the Ming dynasty).

Generalized anxiety disorder is a psychiatric condition that can literally cripple an individual with a range of symptoms such as constant worry and fear. Putting the individual in a constant state of agony, generalized anxiety disorder can manifest itself through physical symptoms such as nausea, light-headedness, irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, panic attacks, trembling, racing heart, and shortness of breath. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately 18% of the population in the United States suffers from anxiety disorder. [1] According to Mayo clinic, the causes of anxiety disorders can be linked to life experiences, medications, health issues such as diabetes or thyroid problems, and heredity. [2]

American Massage Therapy Association reports that "massage can assist in reducing the symptoms of anxiety". [3] Nevertheless, research reveals conflicting results. For example, in a study conducted by researchers at Emory University, Swedish massage was found to be effective in relieving symptoms of anxiety. [4] In another study conducted by a group of researchers from Seattle, Washington, massage therapy was compared with additional treatments such as thermotherapy and relaxing rooms. Contrary to expectations, researchers did not find massage therapy to be "clinically or statistically superior to either thermotherapy or the relaxing room treatments at 12 and 26 weeks." [5]

From the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) perspective, massage techniques applied on acupoints are established treatment modalities for anxiety. In TCM, anxiety is linked to Qi stagnation and is correlated with thought. For example, grand master Lu at the Traditional Chinese Medicine World Foundation points to the connection between anxiety and thought as follows:

"TCM sees anxiety as the mind creating the wrong thinking. Your mind receives the information from the outside and then you cook it, based on what you know from your past. You try to analyze what will happen in the future and your limited knowledge and narrowed vision cause you to see something you don't want to see. You create this anxiety because your vision of the future doesn't match your wish. That's the whole idea. There's a difference between how you want to see things and what actually is". [6]

Some of the methods in treating anxiety in Chinese Traditional Medicine are as follows:  

Applying pressure to Yin Tang/ Third Eye (area between the eyebrows on the forehead) in circular motions. [7] [8]

An additional approach in treating anxiety is to apply pressure for 60 to 90 minutes to the following acupoints in cycles: [9]

Yin Tang

Kidney 27

Heart 7 

Finally, working on Water meridians (kidney and bladder) is also recommended to treat anxiety in TCM. [10] Anxiety in TCM is associated with Water imbalance [10] and it is believed that the Water element helps combat anxiety.

---

[1]  https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions/Anxiety-Disorders

[2]  https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-20350961

[3] https://www.amtamassage.org/approved_position_statements/
Massage-Therapy-for-Anxiety.html

[4] Mark Hyman Rapaport et al. Acute Swedish Massage Monotherapy Successfully Remediates Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder, The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (2016).

[5] Sherman KJ, Ludman EJ, Cook AJ, et al. Effectiveness of therapeutic massage for generalized anxiety disorder: a randomized controlled trial. Depress Anxiety. 2010; 27(5).

[6]  https://www.tcmworld.org/ask-grand-master-lu-anxiety/


[7] Reninger, Elizabeth. "Yin Tang: the "Hall of Impression" Acupressure Point." Learn Religions, Apr. 17, 2019, learnreligions.com/acupressure-treasures-yin-tang-3182283.


[8] https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/patient-education/acupressure-stress-and-anxiety


[9] https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/how-to-use-acupressure-for-panic-attacks-and-heart-palpitations


[10] https://innerworksacupuncture.com/five-element-acupuncture-fear-anxiety-water-winter/