Holidays can be one of the most emotionally trying times of the year as it is often filled with a dizzying array of demands, visitors, travel and frantic shopping trips. For many people, it is also a time of sadness, self-reflection, loneliness and anxiety.
All of this amounts to stress that, if left unchecked, can cause illness and deterioration of health. Finding a release valve for your stress can help you stay healthy this holiday season -- and year round. Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of acupuncture in treating stress, anxiety and lowering blood pressure. Together, acupuncture and Oriental medicine can help achieve the changes you seek as they assist in illness prevention, stress relief, minimizing aches and pains, improving energy and finding balance.
As a normal part of life, stress enables us to get things done and process feelings. Left unmanaged, however, stress can lead to emotional, psychological, and even physical problems. Stress causes a disruption in the flow of vital energy, or Qi, through the body. This can throw off the immune system and cause new symptoms or aggravate already troublesome health conditions and, over time, more serious illnesses can develop.
Stressful situations that last over a long period of time can create an ongoing low-level stress that puts continual pressure on the nervous system and can cause the overproduction of stress hormones such as cortisol. The extra stress hormones sustained over an extended period of time may wear out the body's reserves, leading to fatigue, depression, a weakened immune system, and a host of serious physical and psychological ailments.
According to Oriental medicine, stress, frustration and unresolved anger can play an important part in throwing the immune system off and allowing pathogens to affect the body. Through acupuncture, these energy blockages can be addressed. Acupuncture points can help energy flow smoothly and alleviate not only the symptoms of stress and anxiety, but the stress and anxiety itself. Acupuncture improves circulation of blood throughout the body, which oxygenates the tissues and cycles out stress hormones like cortisol and other waste chemicals. The calming nature of acupuncture also decreases heart rate, lowers blood pressure and relaxes the muscles.
In addition to acupuncture, Oriental medicine offers a wide range of tools and techniques that can be integrated into your wellness plan to keep stress in check. These tools include Tui Na, Qi Gong exercises, dietary therapy, meditations and acupressure that you can administer at home. Regular acupuncture treatments serve to nurture and nourish your kidney Qi, which can greatly enhance the body's ability to thrive in times of stress and aid in healing, preventing illness and increasing vitality.
While it isn't always possible to remove the external forces causing stress, the ability to effectively deal with stress is a choice. Take time for yourself to cultivate the energy you need to handle your stress more skillfully and effectively.
If you or someone you know is experiencing stress or a related disorder, contact us for more information about how acupuncture and Oriental medicine can help you regain peace of mind and stay healthy!
About SOPHIA Natural Health Center:SOPHIA Natural Health Center is the largest natural health and wellness clinic in Connecticut, combining the traditional healing arts of Chinese and Naturopathic Medicine with modern science – getting our patients results when nothing else has worked.
Dr. Kenneth Hoffman, DAOM, L.Ac., Medical Director, has serviced thousands of patients since opening his practice in 2004.
SOPHIA Natural Health Center, 31 Old Route 7, Brookfield, CT 203-740-9300 Web: www.inm.center