Acupuncture is #1 and Sex is Measly #4
Endorphins Endorphins Endorphins
The name comes from two words: endogenous (body) and morphine (pain reliever). Produced by the pituitary gland and hypothalamus, endorphins act as opiate receptors in the brain. These neurotransmitters act to increase feeling of pleasure and well-being and also help reduce pain and discomfort. This is nature’s way of keeping us free of pain and moving us towards a feeling of pleasure.
The number one way to increase your endorphin level is through acupuncture. In every article I found, acupuncture was the first thing mentioned. Acupuncture beat out SEX. We did it together!!!
Ok, to be honest, I think those lists were in alphabetical order, but on every one of them acupuncture was crushing sex. Dark chocolate, exercise, laughing, dance and making art were also big contributors to boosting endorphin levels.
Last night I tried to have sex while getting acupuncture, laughing, coloring and listening to music while shoving chocolate in my mouth. It was a pretty successful night!!
Be Like Gabriel!!
So many of my patients tell me how wonderful they feel after their acupuncture treatments. This is the result of channels being balanced and the endorphins being released. Patients always tell me they feel partly stoned/high (or just super calm).
Some of my favorite post-treatment lines:
“Do I have to go back to work?”
“Can I stay here all day?”
“Do I have to get up?”
“Can I make the Sher Acupuncture Center my new home?”
Acupuncture is amazing at increasing blood flow. This is essential as everything the body needs to heal is in the blood (oxygen, hormones, nutrients, hormones, anti-inflammatories, and immune substances). Acupuncture also releases natural painkillers (which we now know are called endorphins) thought to be 10 times stronger than morphine.
Endorphins do more than just make us feel good. Endorphins are believed to:
Decrease depression
Reduce anxiety
Reduce pain
Regulate appetite
Increased immune response
Improve self esteem
During these challenging times when hanging with friends and loved ones is so hard to do, we need to make sure we are exercising, being creative, eating chocolate, laughing, having sex and, most importantly, trying to incorporate acupuncture into your weekly schedule.