About Stress:

Stress, this is something that more and more of my patients are experiencing daily and finding that it is interfering with their health and happiness. Recently there have been several medical studies showing the relation between high stress levels and decreased health. In Chinese medicine stress affects the flow of qi and eventually blood flow within the body, causing stagnation.

Symptoms of stress

• anger, irritability, frustration
• stiffness in the muscles, commonly neck and shoulders
• the heart starts beating more rapidly
• trouble sleeping
• depression
• irregular menstrual cycle
• premenstrual symptoms, moodiness, bloating
• migraine or tension headaches
• chest constriction, anxiety
• frequent sighing
• the palms start to sweat
• blood pressure elevates
• digestion shuts down
• poor concentration

Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine Treatment for Stress:

Acupuncture helps to move and restore qi, blood and relieve stress. thereby promote a return of health, vitality, and has a deep relaxing effect on the body, many people fall asleep while the needles are in. Acupuncture decreases the sympathetic nerve activity during mental stress, lowering blood pressure and heart rate. Many people feel more energetic after as little as one treatment and have a marked improvement after 6-10. When the body and mind are relaxed, as acupuncture helps them to become, the heart rate lowers, blood pressure decreases, and the muscles release their tension, all of which promote a calmer, healthier, and happier state of body and mind.

Herbal Medicine is also effective to help manage stress and control the symptoms of stress within the body. Personalized herbal formulas are more effective than herbal pills in treating insomnia, digestive complaints, fatigue, headaches, menstruation, Pre-menstrual Syndrome, Irregular period, anxiety and muscle tension. Herbal medicine can be used alone or is most effective when combined with acupuncture treatments.