Acupuncture for Stress Reduction in a Demanding World
The competing demands of work and family, coupled with limited downtime, can be overwhelming. If you're feeling stressed by the frantic pace of life, acupuncture could help you find the balance you need.
The Effects of Stress
Your body reacts to stressful moments by triggering the "fight or flight" response. The response increases production of the hormones cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones increase your heart rate and give you the energy you need to outrun a vicious dog or solve an urgent problem.
Although cortisol and adrenaline levels usually return to normal after a stressful event, they can remain elevated if you frequently feel stressed. Chronic stress can be a factor in many health problems and may increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, and obesity, in addition to causing headaches and muscle pain.
Relieving Stress with Acupuncture
Unsurprisingly, work is a common cause of stress. Seventy-seven percent of employees surveyed by Headspace reported physical health problems due to workplace stress. Acupuncture offers a simple way to reset your body's stress response and calm your mind no matter what the cause of your stress.
Treatments help you manage stress by:
- Releasing Calming Hormones. Acupuncture triggers the release of endorphins and serotonin, hormones that ease stress and improve mood. Treatments also lower cortisol and adrenaline levels.
- Balancing the Nervous System. Acupuncture rebalances your nervous system, making it easier to handle stressful situations.
- Relieving Muscle Pain and Headaches. It's difficult to relax when your head hurts and your neck and shoulder muscles are tight and painful. Acupuncture treatments reduce inflammation and relax tight muscles and soft tissues.
- Improving Sleep. Stress makes it difficult to turn off intrusive thoughts and fall asleep. Unfortunately, stress may only worsen if you only get a few hour's sleep. Calming hormones released during acupuncture can help you get the sleep you need.
- Fatigue. Chronic stress is tiring and can be a factor in constant fatigue. Unfortunately, fatigue may make it more difficult to concentrate or solve tasks, which only increases your stress level. Acupuncture boosts your energy level in addition to improving sleep.
Treatments also provide an effective way to manage the physical and mental effects of stress, including digestive problems, irritability, poor concentration, and appetite issues.
Is Acupuncture Effective in Relieving Stress
Several research studies have demonstrated acupuncture's effectiveness in improving stress. Treatments improved heart rate variability (HRV) in a research study published in Medical Acupuncture in 2014. HRV refers to the slight time variations that occur between heartbeats. Low HRV can be a sign of stress, while high HRV is more often seen in people with lower stress levels.
Researchers looked at HRV in patients with high blood pressure during and after acupuncture treatment. According to the study, HRV improved after needles were placed in the skin and throughout acupuncture treatment. Results lasted for months for some people.
In another study published in Neurology in 2022, researchers evaluated the effects of acupuncture on chronic tension headaches, a common physical complaint related to stress. Patients who had chronic tension headaches for at least a year received true acupuncture treatments or superficial acupuncture treatments.
Although both groups reported an improvement in their headaches, the results were more impressive in the group that received true acupuncture. After eight weeks of treatment, headache days per month were reduced by 50% in 68% of patients who received true acupuncture treatment and by 50% in patients who received superficial acupuncture treatment.
Looking for a drug-free stress reduction method? Contact our office to schedule an appointment with the acupuncturist.
Sources:
Headspace: Workforce State of Mind, 2024
https://get.headspace.com/2024-workforce-state-of-mind
PMC: Medical Acupuncture: Does Acupuncture Reduce Stress Over Time? A Clinical Heart Rate Variability Study in Hypertensive Patients, 10/1/2014
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4203477/
Neurology: Acupuncture Treatment for Chronic Tension-Type Headache, 10/3/2022
https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/WNL.0000000000201075
ScienceDirect: Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies: Effectiveness of Acupuncture Therapy on Stress in a Large Urban College Population, 6/2017
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2005290116301224
American Psychological Association: Stress Effects on the Body, 10/21/2024