Stress is something that everyone experiences in their day to day. It is a natural response of our bodies, and when we are healthy it is a good response. However, when stress gets out of control and becomes chronic, it can permeate our life and feel like it is something that we can’t escape. It can manifest in physical and emotional tension, and it can affect well-being significantly.
Stress is the response of our bodies and nervous system when it is in a position of challenge. In health, stress is what helps us overcome things like winning a race, avoiding danger, or meeting a deadline at work. However, chronic stress or too much stress can cause our bodies to stay in an alert state. Being in a constant alert state uses up our body’s resources and energy and leaves the body little energy to rebuild and restore. Consequently, chronic stress leads to symptoms like palpitations, exhaustion, insomnia, weak immune system, muscle tension, and digestive problems, as also emotional symptoms like anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, among others.
Since stress is something subjective, it is not easily diagnosed with tests. There are available questionnaires that can help bring some clarity on severe, and how much of your personal life stress is affecting. However, ultimately only the person experiencing can determined those factors.
Acupuncture is highly effective in helping the body and mind achieve a relaxation state and regulate the response to stress. It promotes homeostasis, self-healing and it increases blood flow and circulation. The use of acupuncture needles in specific points, releases hormones that the body recognizes as “feel-good” hormones. At the same time, acupuncture helps reduce the production of stress hormones like cortisol.
