WHAT IS STRESS?

We all have heard the word Stress.  I think all of us also use the word stress regularly.  But when pressed to describe what stress really is, many strain to really describe its action.  Stress is when our mind perceives a force or influence and our body has a response to it.  Often this response has aspects to it that are maladaptive or cause unintended problems.  These negative affects can range from shoulder, neck, and back pain to GERDs and IBS.  Because the stress response involves the sympathetic nervous system (much of which remains involuntary), coping with or curing the effects of stress remain elusive.

HOW DOES STRESS ACTUALLY AFFECT US?

Two of the most common effects of stress are 1)to raise one shoulders closer to the ears or 2) to tighten the abdominal muscles.  Maybe these two effects are leftovers from our days as a tribal people, who knows, but most people fit into one of these two categories. Some people do both.  So why is this bad and how does it manifest into symptoms?   

Muscles are meant to have an "On" time of tightening and action followed by an "Off" time where the muscle fibers relax.  If we constantly are raising our shoulders up towards our ears, the muscles eventually lose this ability to go into the relax phase.  Over time this tightening creates another issue on top of the outside issue we are adapting to.  The circulation reduces and pain soon follows.

Left to its own devices, stress is has a tendency to build rather than reduce.  When we feel stressed we are less likely to be able to deal with the next difficulty which comes along.  Acupuncture is a great way to treat stress because it often works by stimulating the nerves of the body bypassing the mind.  

HOW MANY TREATMENTS WILL IT TAKE?

There are too many variables to give an accurate time frame for each person.  Often the treatments will relax the client effectively but the outside world is still there and has the potential to pull them back to the state of heightened stress.  Dialoguing with the client and talking about habits and prescribing herbs are often the key to making the treatments lasting.  

HOW WILL I FEEL DURING THE TREATMENT?

Stress treatments are among the most enjoyable and clients often sleep through the treatment (very safe to do so).  Aromatherapy is also used to deepen the effect.