STRESS
How does stress affect health?
Stress is something that more and more of our patients experience daily, finding that it interferes with their health and happiness.
This is one of the most obvious signs of Qi deficiency. It’s not uncommon for many hard-working adults to overextend their energy and fail to prioritise rest. Between managing a job, balancing family obligations, dealing with financial issues and keeping up with the social scene, it’s easy to feel like there’s not enough time in the day.
Recently there have been several medical studies highlighting the relationship between high stress levels and decreased health. In Chinese medicine, stress affects the flow of Qi as well as blood flow within the body, causing stagnation.
- anger, irritability, frustration
- stiffness in the muscles, commonly neck and shoulders
- trouble sleeping
- depression
- irregular menstrual cycle
- premenstrual symptoms, moodiness, breast distension, bloating
- migraine or tension headaches
- chest constriction, anxiety
- frequent sighing
- gastrointestinal disorders
- poor concentration
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
What we do to help you manage stress:
Acupuncture helps to move Qi and blood, and relieve stress. Acupuncture releases endorphins and serotonins within the brain and has a deep relaxing effect on the body (many people fall asleep while the needles are in). A medical study at the University of California found that acupuncture decreases the sympathetic nerve activity during mental stress, lowering blood pressure and heart rate. Many people feel more energetic after only one treatment, and have a marked improvement after a course of 6-10.
Herbal Medicine is also effective to help manage stress and control the symptoms of stress within the body. Our specialist herbalist can provide personalized herbal formulas in granule or capsule form to help with insomnia, digestive complaints, fatigue, headaches, menstruation, PMS symptoms, IBS, anxiety and muscle tension. Herbal medicine can be used alone or is most effective when combined with acupuncture treatments. Acupressure stimulates certain acupuncture points on the body help to relieve stress.