What is stress?
"A man ninety years old was asked to what he attributed his longevity.
"I reckon,' he said, with a twinkle in his eye,
'It's because most nights I went to bed and slept
when I should have sat up and worried.'"
(Dorothea Kent)
FACT: 85% of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related complaints or disorders.
This means that the presenting complaint is either directly caused by stress, or the presenting complaint is exacerbated by stress. Stress has been linked to all of the leading causes of death, including heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis and suicide.
Stress is not the actual events in our lives. Stress is our body's reaction to life's events. When we are confronted with a stressful situation, our body produces a 'stress response' with the release of adrenaline as a way to boost our energy to deal with the situation. Our heart races and lungs increase breathing to raise our blood pressure forcing oxygen to our brain and muscles. This is a very primal reaction to move us out of harm’s way. Consequently, the needs our immune system, digestion and reproduction functions are put on hold until the ‘threat’ is gone.
This is known as the 'fight or flight' response. Once the stressful situation is resolved, our nervous system calms and our body stabilizes into ‘homeostasis’, a balance of functions. While the fight or flight reaction is life-saving, life in this modern 24/7 culture creates a chronic reaction what is best described as 'burn-out'. What nature intends to be an immediate reaction to an acute situation becomes a prolonged physiological drain, much like a car parked and in neutral, but with the accelerator pressed to the floor. The engine roars and gas burns while parked but the car is not moving. Just as the car will eventually shut down under this abnormal strain, so do our bodies under stress.
This is why numerous symptoms and conditions related to immunity, digestion and reproduction are rooted in chronic stress.
Acupuncture & Microcurrent Treatment of Stress
When Traditional Chinese Medicine looks at what causes imbalances and disease, it considers:
It is impossible to avoid stress but it is within our power to manage our life to minimize the negative effects of stress. At Transition To Health we offer acupuncture and microcurrent (FSM) treatments specific for stress reduction.
Stress management is the key to health!