Learn More About Traditional Chinese Medicine in Adelaide

Yes life can be stressful, but it's time to feel more relaxed, happier and healthier! The subject of stress and how it can affect your health is a vast and complex topic that could easily fill a large book. Here I will provide just a broad overview from a Western and Eastern perspective and then finally provide some strategies which you could use now to help manage the effects of stress. For over 2000 years Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been practising natural stress relief. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine have been shown to be some of the most effective ways to reduce the effects of stress and increase a person's sense of relaxation and well-being. But b efore I get into how TCM and Acupuncture looks at the influence of stress and how it can help, let's briefly look at what taking place from the Western medicine perspective. Stress is the body’s natural reaction to any difficulties that appear in our lives, physically or emotionally. It’s a normal response to adverse conditions. It’s actually healthy to experience some low-degree, short-term stress occasionally, because this lets the body practice protecting itself. Let’s face it we are generally bombarded by physical and emotional stress throughout our modern lives. Things like the mobile phone, TV and computer screens can be feeding us news which is full of information on things like terrorism, war, famine, pandemics and climate change threats, just to name a few, which can lead us to feeling strong emotions like fear, anger or sadness. In our daily lives we experience stress in different situations, however they could be compounding over time. For example; we might find ourselves often in a hurry, the fast paced lifestyle can have us always pushed for time. We may eat on the run and then some find themselves seated for long hours on the job. Processed food, poor quality water and polluted air are also a stress to us. We may be experiencing relationship issues, work place stress, financial concerns, or even managing the grief of the loss of a loved one. Think about how much Stress could be accumulating and compounding in your day. Stress can be directly linked to many symptoms like irritability, insomnia, anxiety, depression, hypertension, lethargy, addiction, obesity, headaches, muscle pain etc. Stress causes the muscles to become tight and makes the nerves more sensitive. This causes more pain and inflammation. Many diseases, including cancer, can be linked to stress. The body responds to stress through the brain, the hypothalamus, a tiny region at the base of your brain, sets off an alarm system in your body. Through a combination of nerve and hormonal signals, this system prompts your adrenal glands, situated atop your kidneys, to release a surge of hormones which sends out a message alerting the body to start producing hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline increases the heart rate which elevates the blood pressure and boosts energy supplies. This is known as the flight or fight response. Cortisone increases sugar in the bloodstream which enhances the brain’s use of glucose and increases the body’s ability to repair tissues. All this is a natural process to restore the body back to balance. It’s when the stress builds up it can become a problem that can lead to health problems. When we’re upset, the appetite changes, causing us to eat too much or too little, affecting our nutrition. Many digestive problems are related to long term stress through the activation of the Vagus nerve, the longest cranial nerve connecting the brain to the rest of your body. It passes through the neck and thorax to the abdomen, including your heart, lungs, gut, liver and pancreas. The vagus nerve springs into action only when the body is in “rest and digest” mode (also known as the parasympathetic state). This can only happen when you are not in a state of stress (or in a sympathetic state). The vagus nerve stimulates and regulates digestive organs. Stress can be implicated in symptoms such as: heartburn and reflux, ulcers, cramping, nausea, vomiting, obesity, constipation, bloat, IBS, diarrhoea. Sometimes stress even shows itself externally, on the surface of the skin, as with eczema or psoriasis. Lastly, long term expose to chronic stress can cause “burn-out” which is often viewed as Adrenal Fatigue (exhaustion). The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis plays a major role in both mind and body health. The intricate connection between the brain and endocrine system broadly influences our health, and many researchers suggest that our stressful, modern lifestyles are overtaxing the HPA axis. In TCM theory strong emotions are form of stress that interrupts the body’s energy from flowing smoothly. Each emotion is related to an internal organ energy. When these emotions are present for long periods of time they create a blockage energy in the body which impacts the function of the organ. The Liver in TCM is one important organ relating to emotion, particularly to anger and or frustration. Liver Qi (chi) problems occur when a person is under chronic stress. The Qi and blood will not flow smoothly it can cause stagnation a of Qi and blood. During prolonged stress the liver has to work much harder. We rely on the liver to clean the blood, but if it struggling to do its job toxins are not removed effectively and the body becomes more acidic and toxic, increasing inflammation which contributes to a whole increasing cascade of symptoms the longer it continues. Furthermore according to TCM theory the organ energy system is inter-promoting and supporting. Conditions of prolonged chronic stress affecting one organ energy will therefore impact other organ energies contributing to a myriad of adverse health symptoms. For example Fear will affect the Kidney Qi which is responsible for the energetic function and hormonal balance. Worry will affect the Spleen which is the housekeeper of the body’s immune system. Emotional and mental disorders can influence the Heart Qi and is reflected as unhappiness or depression and a lack of vitality. All of these considerations form a holistic approach to the treatment of stress. According to TCM Acupuncture can reduce the effects of stress and restore the balance to the energy systems of the body because it can work to restore the flow of Qi and Blood through Acupuncture points on the meridian pathways that pertain to particular organs.Or in another way it can restore balance because of its two-way regulation effects on the body’s metabolism and hormonal systems. Acupuncture increases the circulation of blood and oxygenates the tissues throughout the body while cycling out cortisol and releasing natural pain-killers called endorphins. Acupuncture also decreases the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and relaxes the muscles to help the body feel less stressed. Liver Qi problems are a major factor in women’s and men’s health problems. The Liver helps regulate hormonal balance which therefore influences the reproductive system and the libido. For women, this can cause PMS, fertility issues related to ovarian function, blocked tubes, or unstable uterine lining, and more severe menopausal symptoms. For men, long term stress can cause the testosterone level to drop, the prostate and the urethra to become inflamed and prone to infection. Liver Qi imbalance in men can be involved in erectile dysfunction too. There are numerous herbs that can improve our ability to handle stress. Particular Chinese herbs can be used to rectify underlying imbalances and stress management herbs can aid our bodies to better adapt to a variety of stressful conditions. Chinese herbs can be used for many different purposes, so once the practitioner identifies the causes and effects, they will decide the best Chinese herbs. Here are some things you can do in your daily life to manage stress. Meditation can be very useful at managing stress. Dedicate some time and space in a day to be free of thoughts of the future (worries and anxieties), the past (depression and regret) or the day to day. A good starting point is to simply sit and practice slow deep breathing. Some forms of Meditation can seem hard to begin but with perseverance can be very beneficial. With modern technology today there are many Guided Meditation Apps or online, many are free, to are a good option to help you too. Meditation is a great way to enable you to focus on being in the moment, no longer with the negative thoughts, thereby allowing the mind-body-spirit to unwind from the effects of stress. Exercise is useful because it can demand your attention. Exercise should be a part of everyone’s stress management plan as it helps the body produce more endorphins also known as the “runner’s high.” Many types of physical activity can stimulate this response, and each person must find the right type of exercise for him or herself. For some, walking is enough. For others, getting more of a workout to get their blood pumping and break a sweat is ideal. Dance can also be a stress relieving work-out too. Going outdoors for exercise and getting fresh air and sunshine, is even more beneficial than going to the gym. Mind-Body-Spirit techniques like those of Tai Chi, Chi Gong or Yoga trains you physically and emotionally at the same time. They are all forms of meditation in motion. In Tai Chi and Qi Gong they teach you to cultivate your internal Qi. These mind-body-spirit techniques have been shown to help induce the “relaxation response" and improve well-being The relaxation response makes the heart beat slower, the muscles relax, the breathing slows and the blood pressure decreases. Diet . Most vegetables and fruits that are rich in colour can help the body deal with stress. Foods like apricots, asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, brown rice, dried fruit, figs, salmon and green leafy vegetables are high in vitamin B. Even if you eat a healthy diet, vitamin B complex is a good supplement to consider if you suffer from chronic stress. In Chinese nutrition, blueberries, purple cabbage, beets, tomatoes and eggplant are believed to be stress-reducing. A diet high in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and vitamins B and E is recommended as these nutrients are easily depleted by stress. Mindfulness . Change the way you view problems. A lot of time we needlessly take things negatively. Say you wake up to the sounds of a bird, chattering in a tree. You can think, “Ah, the beautiful music of nature!” Or you can get annoyed. Same situation, different response. Learn how to think positively. In the world, nothing can exist that has one side only. This is the concept of Yin and Yang; nothing is only good or only bad. There is good and bad in everything. Learn to pay attention to both, but “accentuate the positive.” Grounding .Get back to Earth! TCM says barefoot is the way to be. The idea behind this concept is called "earthing or grounding". By taking off shoes and socks you can literally "ground yourself" and help release negative energy. Nature . Connect yourself to nature and the energy outside of yourself by going outdoors to parks, forests, mountains or the beach and open your senses to appreciate nature. Sit by a river and feel the flow of the water. When you feel anger try going outside and facing something like a mountain or a tree and breathe out that negative energy from your body, visualise the trees breathing in that negative energy and then breathe in the cleansed positive energy that the tree breathes out. Feel yourself letting go of stress as you connect into the life force energy of nature available in the moment Even if you can go out, take a moment and visualise a pleasant pace in nature that you can remember. Spending time in Nature is a great way you can release stress and help you replenish your strength. Engage Socially. Encourage yourself to engage in some social activity. Stress can cause sadness and depression. People tend to close themselves off. So, you must push yourself to go out, keep up your activities. Talking with friends will release the stagnation from your body and mind. Sign up to volunteer; helping other people will reduce your stress. Hobbies. Take time for a hobby. Whatever you enjoy: walking, swimming, reading, listening to music, going to dance class, fishing, golfing. Do it regularly. But it should be something active for your body or mind. Inactive pastimes like watching television or playing video games, surfing the internet may seem relaxing, but they can actually increase stress long term. Keep time spent on those passive activities to a minimum. Humour. Work on your sense of humour! When you laugh, you are happier and so are others around you. Try a laughter club. Be generous with your positive energy and others will be there to help you when you need it. Overall, managing stress will pay off, not only by making you happier, but probably also allowing you to enjoy a longer and healthier life. Practicing stress management techniques and using Acupuncture or taking herbal medicines if necessary will help you to recover from existing conditions and prevent other issues from becoming serious in the future. I hope you have found this both informative and helpful. If you would like some more help look for “acupuncture near me” online or book an appointment at my clinic, AaronSlape Acupuncture.com.au , Plympton South Australia.

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