Acupressure and Acupuncture for ADHD
While there are several medications on the market for treating ADHD, medication alone is often not the answer. Rather than treating ADHD with medication on its own, many people turn to other forms of therapy to help them better manage their symptoms. One form of alternative therapy that’s been growing in popularity among ADHD patients is acupuncture. Below, learn about Acupuncture for ADHD.
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture has been around for centuries, and is known for healing a wide variety of health conditions. The idea of acupuncture is that it works to stimulate specific pressure points in the body, which each work in different ways to provide healing effects.
The pressure points are stimulated through the use of acupuncture needles, which are inserted into the skin. Due to the size and the insertion method, there isn’t any pain experienced during acupuncture, and most people describe it as a relaxing experience. The body's energy flow, which can become disrupted, is improved during acupuncture, which leads to the overall positive results seen with this alternative therapy.
By stimulating the pressure points within the body, malfunctioning in the body's organs is corrected, allowing that organ and brain to work properly together and improving ADHD symptoms. A study done at the Mayo Clinic with Dr. Bower, who has been licensed in the study of ADHD for over 20 years, confirmed this information. While the use of only acupuncture for ADHD treatment isn’t recommended, it works great in conjunction with medication therapy, they stated.
Most people know that ADHD is often accompanied by other problems, like depression and anxiety. Experts believe that by using acupuncture for the treatment of ADHD, any additional issues like these will also be corrected. For optimal results from acupuncture, it’s suggested that diet changes, time management techniques, exercise, and similar healthy lifestyle changes are made to help improve the symptoms of ADHD and the conditions accompanying it.
Study
A study involving 55 volunteers aged seven to 92, who had ADHD, insomnia, or depression, and also experienced anxiety, found acupuncture helped almost all of them.
Lying in a comfortable position, the patients received acupuncture via alcohol-cleaned needles. The sessions lasted 30 to 45 minutes. The needles were twirled every five to 10 minutes. They were then removed.
