Dear ,

Stress affects everyone differently, and it can be defined in many ways. The definition of stress that we focus on is that “stress is a physical, chemical or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension.”

While most people think of stress as being only detrimental, it truly does have a function in our bodies.

Stress is the body’s way of signaling for help or the body’s need for a break in our routines. As long as our system can function as it should be under certain stress, it is beneficial as it enhances our stress resilience (Eu-stress) but if we start to feel overwhelmed or we don’t listen to these signals, we can develop imbalances in our bodies, which can then lead to illness.

It’s obvious that the most visible way stress affects our bodies is through our appearance. People who are under chronic pressure and stress tend to look older and fatigued. This happens because cortisol, the stress hormone in our bodies, builds up. When this occurs, it increases the amount of free radicals in skin cells which damage them causing them to become dull and dehydrated. And women typically show the effects of stress more than men.

Another big player in the stress game is chronic stress, which can also be detrimental to your muscles and can then lead to chronic aches and pains. Muscles are supposed to tense up when under stress, but when you’re constantly stressed, the muscles never get the chance to completely relax. Tight muscles result in headaches, back, neck and shoulder pain. Over time, those tight muscles and chronic pain can cause many to seek pain relief through prescription pain medications which can become costly and are often only a temporary fix.

We found some ways that you could adopt in order to help ease tension and pressure in your life such as:

Exercise

Working out as little as 3 to 4 times a week for 30 minutes at a time can help you feel better. Studies show interval training could help to ease stress more efficiently due to mitochondria-induced metabolic regulation.

Meditation

Coloring, yoga, walking on the beach and even listening to music while sifting through your thoughts are different ways that you can practice meditation.

Having a support system

This could be talking with friends or family about situations in your life that add tension.

Acupuncture can help. Let’s break down the process of what happens to the body when you use acupuncture treatments to help with this:

When you undergo an acupuncture treatment for stress, it helps by keeping the heart rate normal. When the body is stressed, the heart tends to pump faster and in some cases, a person may even develop palpitations or atrial fibrillation.

In other terms, the heart rate is closely connected to the vagus nerve. If the vagus nerve is stimulated, so too will the heart rate. There are specific acupressure points on the arms and hands that can calm the vagus nerve and the heart. Acupuncture acts like physical therapy for the nervous system. The tiny needles retrain the nervous system and the brain to behave as it should normally.

As few as two needles can reset your body and decrease your daily stress level.

Admittedly, most people don’t think of being stuck with tiny needles as “relaxing,” but it really is!

Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years and it is becoming more mainstream every single day. It is even being used in some hospital emergency rooms for those who are in pain and anxious. Remember, as few as two needles can reset your body and decrease your daily stress level.Talk with us about how to resolve your stress the natural way.

We’ll check in soon,

Dr. Doweon Park