Stress Management
As a normal part of life, stress enables us to get things done and process feelings. Left unmanaged, however, stress can lead to difficult-emotional, psychological, and physical problems.
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.
Our Relaxation and Stress Reduction techniques have been shown to reduce stress, balance the immune response, manage acute and chronic pain, promote sleep and reduce fear and anxiety. These powerful techniques include:
Mind / Body Relaxation
Mind / body relaxation provides a powerful psychological strategy that enhances a person’s coping skills. It involves all the senses, as well as one’s whole body and emotions. It can stimulate changes in bodily functions such as heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory patterns. It can help you tab inner strengths to find hope, courage and other qualities that can help you cope with a variety of conditions.
Acupuncture
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. Read more about Acupuncture →
Auriculotherapy
Auriculotherapy can treat stress, control anxiety, calm the mind, release tension from the body, and relax the nervous system. It can reduce the tension, stress, and pain not fully relieved by other medical procedures. The overall effect of auriculotherapy is to create a more balanced condition throughout the body. Read more about Auriculotherapy →
Oriental medicine
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.
Nutritional / herbal remedies
We will prescribe nutritional supplements or herbal remedies as a complement to your treatment plan. These products may ease the effects of stress, support the nervous system, or maintain emotional balance. Once your diagnostic procedures have been completed, and you have been fully assessed, we will make recommendations and provide the appropriate formula for you. We will work closely with you to manage your care and monitor your course of treatment.
Lifestyle changes
Lifestyle changes is an evidence-based practice of assisting individuals to adopt and sustain lifestyle behaviors that can reduce stress, improve your health and quality of life, such as eliminating tobacco use, improving diet, practicing stress relief techniques, and increasing physical activity. Poor lifestyle choices are the root cause of chronic diseases. Scientific evidence is clear - adults with chronic stress who adhere to a healthy lifestyle experience rapid, significant, clinically meaningful and sustainable improvements in their health.
About Stress
At the first sign of a threat, whether real or perceived, our sympathetic nervous system kicks in and facilitates what is called the "fight or flight" response. Our heart rate increases, our pupils dilate, and our digestion temporarily shuts down, directing blood to our extremities, so that if need be, we can either fight what is threatening us, or turn and run if the threat is too formidable.
More often than not, the stress in our lives is long-term, and as a result, we find ourselves in a constant state of "fight or flight", or stress. Over time, the constant state of stress takes its toll. Cortisol, the body's stress hormone elevates, blood pressure increases, and our immune function is suppressed. Over time, these symptoms become worse and can develop into anxiety, depression, fatigue, digestive problems, and tension headaches.
Signs of stress include:anxiety or panic attacksfeelings of constant pressure, hassled and hurriedirritability and moodinessphysical symptoms such as stomach problems, headaches, or even chest painallergic reactions, such as eczema or asthmaproblems sleepingoverindulgence in food, alcohol, smoking, or drugssadness or depressionAll 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.
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.