Acupuncture to Manage Stress and Anxiety: Brittney’s Story

Brittney, age 25, had begun having “massive panic attacks” after receiving some abnormal results on lab work done by her doctor. Told that it would take several visits and repeat labs over a few months to get to the bottom of the test results, she said she began to panic. “I was freaking out. I was having some really bad, intense headaches, neck spasms, neck pain, and panic attacks,” she says.

She began to see a chiropractor for the aches and pains. After a few sessions, Brittney says she told the provider about the panic attacks. She says, “I told her that I just couldn’t control them anymore and that everything was putting me over the edge. I felt like life was hitting me from all directions and I just couldn’t handle it anymore. I didn’t want to go on anxiety medication, but I didn’t know what to do. I asked her if this was normal that I was so afraid and reacting this way.”

Brittney says the chiropractor told her, “This is normal. You’ve never been through anything like this before. You don’t know what’s going on with you.” And then the chiropractor asked if she had ever tried acupuncture. Bianca said no, but that she was willing to try. The chiropractor told her that acupuncture can be very effective with stress and anxiety and recommended Garrett Krause at Queen City Acupuncture and Wellness.

The very next day, Brittney found herself at her first acupuncture session. “He saw how panicked I was. I was shaking and I had really bad palpitations. I was short of breath, everything – you name it. And Mr. Garrett was so compassionate. He told me that acupuncture is definitely good for anxiety, and after my first session with him, I immediately felt relief. And so I started coming every couple of days and saw how my anxiety attacks would diminish. It was like a massive panic attack would become less intense after each session.”

“Mr. Garrett got me through a period when I was in constant fight or flight mode,” she says. “He really helped me manage it. Even though I was extremely stressed with my health, my school, and my work, he helped keep me on my feet so that I wouldn’t go to the other extreme. So he really kept me sane during that period.”

For a time, Brittney had acupuncture treatments every few days. She was able to move to weekly and then as needed, based on how she feels. “My stress has lowered now, but I’m working with myself to get back on my feet. I’m nowhere near as bad as I was before. I felt like I was in a manic state for a while there,” she says.

In addition to receiving treatment for anxiety, Brittney also asked for help with neck pain. “After every alignment at the chiropractor, my neck muscles would get so tense,” she says. “So Garrett also helped me with the muscle tension.”

As an acupuncturist, Garrett acknowledges that chiropractic care and acupuncture complement each other well. In Brittney’s case, he says, “We utilized acupuncture to reduce pain and inflammation. The addition of electrostimulation was important as I set a specific frequency that triggers the brain to release beta-endorphins, the pain-relieving endorphins, which are dumped into the bloodstream continuously for up to 24 hours after treatment. Brittney responded very well to the combination.”

Today, Brittney says she recommends Garrett Krause to friends who are also dealing with stress and anxiety. “I know they are nervous about it because of the needles and all, but I tell them it’s really not a big deal at all. I’m personally afraid of needles myself, but when I started, I was so desperate that I didn’t care if it hurt. But then it really didn’t. I will have needles going into the very thin part of my skin, my feet, my ears – all very sensitive areas. And all I feel is a tiny pinch. It’s nothing. So I tell people 100%, don’t let that fear scare you away. The results are just so much more than you ever think they can be. It really works.”

She also tells people that “Garrett is extremely compassionate. You can see it in the way he talks and the way he acts that he really loves what he’s doing. He really cares about his patients. And he is so accommodating. I don’t know how many times I’ve texted him at night and said, Please, can you get me in tomorrow? And he always says Yes, of course. He works with your schedule. He’s such a kind and caring person. “