Can Acupuncture help with stress? Yes it can!!

Spring is here! Unbelievable as this might seem (we’ve had more hail than sunshine this week here in the UK) April also brings with it National Stress Awareness month. Acupuncture and stress relief are often mentioned in the same breath, but how can putting needles (of all things!) into your body help with your stress levels?

The pandemic has got us stressed. Obvious? Yes. True? Absolutely.

Personal tragedy, financial insecurity, loss of community, isolation, health worries and a sense of wider global anxiety. Is it any wonder we are all feeling more stressed?

Research carried out by the national stress management society identified that 65% of people in the UK have felt more stressed since the COVID-19 restrictions began in March 2020. The three key causes for concern were feelings of disconnection, uncertainty, and a worrying loss of control.

Never before has managing your stress levels been so important.

Acupuncture activates your parasympathetic nervous system, encouraging the body to enter a deeper relaxation which initiates the relaxation response

What happens to your body when you feel stressed?

Cast your mind back to your school science lessons and think about the nervous system. The nervous system plays a huge role in your response to stress. Your autonomic nervous system is made up of what is known as the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) which send essential messages that help your body regulate the internal conditions necessary for you to be alive!

The sympathetic nervous system is associated with the well known ‘Fight or Flight’ mode. This is your body’s ancient response to acute stress, your automatic survival instinct when faced with danger. When the sympathetic nervous system kicks in, your heart rate rises, blood pressure increases and blood rushes to your muscles (and in my case my cheeks!) all in preparation to either fight or flee. Not only is this a little unpleasant but it can leave you feeling frazzled and fatigued longer term.

Now, in the modern world this reaction is less about survival and more about your body’s response to stressful situations. Fight or flight can be falsely triggered by everyday stress, be it a work presentation, an argument with your partner or a pandemic. None of these modern triggers require us to make an instantaneous survival choice however the continuous stresses of modern life can leave your body in a constant state of fight or flight.

How can acupuncture help relieve stress?

Put simply, acupuncture activates the opposing system, the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system, known as your rest and digest mode, initiates a relaxation response in the body.

In this mode, your heart rate slows, digestion happens, muscles repair themselves and you feel calm and relaxed.

Acupuncture has also been shown to increase the release of endorphins, the body’s own ‘feel-good’ chemicals, which have an important role in the regulation of physical and emotional stress responses such as pain, heart rate, blood pressure and digestive function.

Acupuncture gives your mind and body the signal and the physical space to receive the relaxation message allowing it to re-balance and helping you reclaim a sense of calm.

If you are struggling with stress and interested in acupuncture, please contact me at helloacukate@gmail.com to discuss how acupuncture could help you.

Seasonal Living: Autumn