Case Studies

chief complaint: anxiety

A 53 year old business executive complained of anxiety of 6 months duration. He was depressed, exhausted, weak, and dizzy. He was nauseous daily and had no appetite. He slept poorly, only 3-4 hours each night. Under severe job stress for several years, he had become worn out and isolated from family and friends.

He was treated 13 times over a period of a few months. During that time, he also talked with a counselor and was seen briefly by a psychiatrist for medications. He tried a series of antidepressants and sleep medications, each with side effects he found intolerable. The acupuncture sessions provided some immediate relief while he was setting up physician appointments and getting his medication regimen established.

When we began treatment, his anxiety was 10+/10 on a scale where 0 represents complete comfort and 10 represents extremely severe anxiety. After each session, he felt much more relaxed and comfortable for hours to days. After a few sessions, his anxiety was reduced to 4-5/10, and his appetite returned to normal with no nausea. After 6-7 sessions, his anxiety was reduced to 3-4/10, and his sleep improved from 3-4 hours/night to 5-6 hours. At the end of his course of treatment, he reported no anxiety, good energy, ability to sleep 8 hours, and the return of a decent golf game. He reduced medications under the supervision of his psychiatrist.