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Writer's pictureSecond Opinion Magazine

Acupuncture & Mental Health



June is Mental Health Awareness Month. It is becoming more common for people to utilize alternative healthcare services, such as acupuncture, to address their mental health needs. Acupuncture is effective at alleviating the symptoms of stress, trauma, depression, and anxiety and it makes a great addition to any treatment plan.


Eau Claire Acupuncture provides dynamic, holistic support for both the body and mind. Their mental health treatments “work directly on the nervous system to balance your neurotransmitters, mood, emotions, and mind.” It is their goal to provide authentic care and customized treatment programs for each person and each problem. We talked to owner Jamie Wilcox to hear more about her experience in the field and how combining natural medicine with holistic support can address your overall mental and physical health.


What brought you to acupuncture work?

There were a lot of things that influenced me into acupuncture and Chinese medicine, but the crux of it was my own health journey. I was diagnosed with PCOS (poly cystic ovary syndrome) at age 20. I remember sitting in the OBGYN office and feeling defeated as the doctor said, "unless you're here for birth control or a hysterectomy I don't know what to tell you." Without any other option, I decided to pursue their suggested treatment, which gave me terrible side effects. At that point, I decided to try acupuncture, and it changed my life. The reason I do this medicine is because I want to offer people a real solution when no one else can.


How do you bridge mental health work with acupuncture?


There is no separating mental health from acupuncture treatments. Everyone experiences stress but not everyone processes stress the same way. Acupuncture works directly on the part of the body that responds to stress: the nervous system. This makes acupuncture an incredibly effective tool that can be used to help your mind and body turn down the intensity and mitigate the effects of stress. There are different treatment approaches for different types of mental health problems. Is it anxiety or stress? Have you experienced a significant trauma? Are you unable to sleep? Does it affect your digestion, like appetite or bowel movements? Is it draining your energy? Do you feel angry? I create a treatment plan and choose specific points to correct those problems.


How have you seen acupuncture help folks or yourself manage mental health?

I see a lot of patients with varying mental health needs improve with acupuncture: everyone from overtired moms and caregivers to veterans with PTSD, students, couples going through infertility, women with cycle-related anxiety or depression, menopause-induced anxiety, high level executives with intense career stress, people processing grief, chronic health concerns, etc.

Whether you’re experiencing increased stress or looking to integrate holistic support into your mental healthcare, Eau Claire Acupuncture is here to provide the most modern healthcare available in the Chippewa Valley.



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