Out of all of the potential reasons to seek acupuncture, you might be surprised to know that 82% (by the last count) request treatment for stress and anxiety. Even clients who come to us mainly for neck pain, back pain, or hormone balancing usually tell us they’re also experiencing a lot of stress-related issues, and want to address them during treatment.
The other 18% of clients who may not even realize it, most likely have ailments related to stress as well! Many of us are so used to being stressed and overwhelmed in our lives that we forget how much of a toll stress can take on our bodies!
Stress-related ailments don’t only come from big life events or traumas, either. Small, everyday stressors can build up over time and do a number on your nervous system if you aren’t taking steps to manage them. When we encounter stress in our days, our body reacts by producing adrenaline, and cortisol, and going into “fight or flight” mode.
Your mind might be thinking, “it’s only work stress!”, or “holiday stress is normal!”, but your nervous system is probably thinking it’s in danger! Until you activate your parasympathetic nervous system (which helps your body relax and feel safe) you’re going to keep feeling all this physical stress in your body.
What you may not know, is that the reason your back goes out or your hormones get wonky while you are under stress is because STRESS HITS US at the WEAKEST AREA in our body.
For women, typically the shoulder, neck, and jaw areas hold the most stress. Women’s center of gravity is much higher and so we tend to keep our stress in the upper part of our body.
Men, on the other hand, have a much lower center of gravity and tend to experience more low back and sciatica problems.
If unsure whether or not your health concerns are stress and anxiety-related, don’t worry. As acupuncturists, we can’t effectively treat our clients’ pain if we don’t also do points for stress and anxiety. We see these issues as inextricably linked – end of story! We don’t separate what is happening with our body physically from our everyday stress and worries.
When we put the needles in during treatment, our brain releases “feel good” chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. This is why you feel kind of sleepy or “dopey” after the treatment!
So, the next time that we see you, ask for help with stress and anxiety. But I can assure you, we got your back either way. We have already put points in for that, whether you have requested it or not!
May your holidays be stressless and joyous this year. We hope to see you soon!
Nicole
“There is No Out There, Out There”
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