How many of us are not affected by the daily toll of stress? Most of us living in San Diego are aware of the stress that comes from trying to make it in one of America’s most expensive cities. It is said that stress plays a roll in a majority of complaints that bring people to the doctor’s office, from migraine and tension headaches to ulcerative colitis. It plays a role in our illnesses, and having the illness creates more stress in a seeming vicious cycle. Western medicine does not have a lot to offer in treating stress related disorders, which often tend to be chronic conditions.
In the fertility clinic, stress is huge. Many women, who are already stressed out from daily life, suffer the greatly added stresses of not being able to conceive. Chinese Medicine understands the role of mood and emotions in the menstrual cycle. Western medicine recognizes the “hypothalamic, pituitary ovarian axis.” It is hard to imagine the brain playing no role in our reproductive health. In fact, stress is often the fertility patients main secondary complaint.
Stress plays a major role in back pain, especially upper back pain and neck pain. The “fight or flight response” come into play when we feel “under attack.” We instinctively tighten up those muscles that would protect our vulnerable neck area. When animals fight, they bite. I can’t tell you how many times I see “jaw clenching, or grinding” checked off on the intake chart.
After being set off by stress, one condition gives rise to another. Tension headaches may follow the previous example. Tense low back muscles are more easily pulled, and sprained. These low back injuries may seem to come out of nowhere.
An acupuncturist should factor in stress whenever they create a treatment plan for a patient. The effects on a patients stress levels are immediate and sometimes dramatic. Some points have a very direct effect. Certain acupuncture points have been shown to stimulate the brains secretion of natural opiates These have a calming, pain reliving effect. The pulse usually slows and relaxes, and the blood pressure usually goes down.
There is a very profound calming effect from the insertion of an acupuncture needle, that most people will notice shortly after they begin acupuncture treatments. Even simply treating tender muscle spasms on the back or neck will usually leave the patient melting on the table, reluctant to get up.
Although acupuncture can help mitigate the effects of stress on the body, we ultimately need to counter stress with proper relaxation, recreation, exercise and sleep. I refer to this method as “relaxation, recreation and meditation,” which will the the subject of a future article.