why acupuncture makes you feel so good
One of my favourite things about what I do, is witnessing that shift that happens during and after a treatment, what I call the “acu-high”…
It’s that shift that happens once the needles are in: the sensation of your body becoming heavier and lighter at the same time, warmth, ripples or other interesting sensations in the body. Maybe you drift off to that half-sleep half-awake state. Afterwards you likely feel a little spacey, a little floaty, sometimes with unprecedented levels of chillness.
So what’s happening here?
At its most basic level physiologically, acupuncture helps encourage the body to shift out of a sympathetic ("fight or flight") state and into a parasympathetic ("rest and digest") state. When acupuncture needles are inserted into specific points on the body, they stimulate nerves and can trigger the release of feel-good neurotransmitters and hormones like endorphins and oxytocin. These chemical messengers help reduce pain, ease tension, promote relaxation, and create an overall sense of well-being.
From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, we're working with channels that flow through our whole body, and points on those channels, to help encourage balance and the flow of Qi (energy) and Blood. When things are flowing well, we tend to feel more at ease, both physically and emotionally. When things are stuck, depleted, or out of balance, we can experience pain, tension, fatigue, stress, or other symptoms.
The "acu-high" is also what it feels like when the body is finally given permission to slow down and regulate. I’m a firm believer in the power of rest. Many of us don’t normally have the option or opportunity to take one full hour of our busy day to fully and deeply rest. So I think there is some magic in that, too. This is also why I always recommend taking it easy after your treatment if you can. It can be a little jarring to jump straight back into a busy day afterwards - we could all use a little more slowness and ease.
You might not have the same experience every time, and that’s normal. Every session meets you where you're at, and every body responds a little differently depending on the day. But when you experience that deep state of relaxation and well-being, it can feel like a bit of a reset button. If you’ve experienced acupuncture before, you know exactly the feeling that I’m talking about, and if not, it might be worth experiencing for yourself!
