Acupuncture For Stress

spect of our lives. We are used to being a highly productive society that is very work driven and constantly on the go. So when do we have time to take care of ourselves especially our mental health? This topic t has recently come to the forefront of the media but in my opinion we still have a long way to go to increase the awareness on mental health. If you never heard of acupuncture for stress than you’ve been missing out! Acupuncture for stress is a great alternative method that also helps anxiety, depression, PTSD, overwhelm and even grief. We all have stress in our lives, depending on that stage or circumstances, constant high levels of  stress can become completely overwhelming and begin to affect us in a negative way. During patient consultations I always ask what’s your stress level, from zero to ten, ten being the worst. If their answer is above a six I will more questions about the cause of the stress, what are they doing to try to reduce it. I then recommend ways to help relieve their stress in a healthy and natural way. Most of my patients do not realize how their stress level has a significant impact on their health. It is very patients come in for one issue such as back pain, insomnia or migraines and the root cause of the pain is due to stress.  From my clinical experience I’ve seen most patients with a high stress level reduce their pain much quicker when they receive treatments for pain and stress management concurrently. We all function at different levels, some say they are more productive with stress to force them to get a project done or to accomplish a task. It’s all relative but there are serious side effects that stress will cause your body after long periods of time. When you are under constant stress levels your body will continue to release adrenaline and cortisol. This is specialized function designed to help protect us during emergency situations. During non-emergency scenarios if theses hormones continue to be release they can have a negative impact on your health. Some of the most common symptoms are..

• Low energy
• Headaches
• Upset stomach, including diarrhea, constipation, weight gain or loss
• Aches, pains, tense muscles
• Insomnia
• Loss of sexual desire
• Frequent colds and infections
• Rapid heart beat or pains in your chest
• Easily agitated, frustrated and moody
• Feeling bad about yourself, low self-esteem, depressed
• Clenched jaw or grinding teeth
• Changes in appetite
• Increase use of alcohol, drugs or cigarettes

These are just a few of the most common side effects of stress but the longer you have high stress levels the higher your chance of those symptoms becoming more serious health problems such as..

• Cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, heart attacks and stroke
• Anxiety, depression or personality disorders
• Menstrual problems or infertility
• Acne, psoriasis, eczema or hair loss
• Gastrointestinal problems – GERD, gastritis, ulcerative colitis or Irritable bowel disease

I believe preventative care is the best treatment option. Getting treatments and controlling your stress level sooner rather than later can help reduce your chances of stress affecting other systems in your body and avoid more serious health conditions. At Holistic Healing we treat patients with acupuncture for stress and may also use herbal medicine. Acupuncture helps to reduce your stress levels that target the sympathetic nervous system. By sedating this hyperactive system, this will stop the constant over firing or cortisol and adrenaline. I also target certain trigger points that release other bio-chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine-which are known as your feel good chemicals that help you feel more relaxed and euphoric. All of my patients ask how many sessions they will need until they feel a difference. My response is that it usually takes about three acupuncture sessions. Some people respond very quickly and feel a huge relief immediately after their first treatment. I develop custom treatment plans for all of my patients. I may even prescribe an herbal formula to help relieve their stress in between their treatments. At Holistic Healing we use USA made natural ingredient plant-based formulas that are designed to help reduce stress naturally without the harmful side effects or dependency. These formulas are very effective and work faster with acupuncture treatments. I treat patients that are stress due to work pressure, to sudden deaths in family. Here are some other great natural methods that I recommend my patients…

• Exercise 4 times per week
• Take walks outside at least 15 minutes per day, preferably around trees
• Meditate before bed
• Use essential oil like lavender to help you feel more relaxed
• Spend time with friends that are positive and uplifting
• Make time for your family and do something new
• Unplug from all electronics
• Take a long warm bath
• Get back to that hobby you have not made time for
• Talk to someone you trust and is supportive
• Acupuncture for stress

My goal is to help all of my patients live a happy and peaceful life and acupuncture is a great remedy to relieve stress naturally. I believe in finding a long-term strategy for stress reduction by discussing which areas of your life need the most attention. We then discuss your next steps to improve. At Holistic Healing we help patients gain a deeper understanding of their difficult emotions and help guide you along your journey.

Love and Light,

Amanda Sanchez L.a.c Dipl.O.M

Holistic Healing