There’s no way to avoid stress, but you can take steps to keep it under control so you can prevent the health problems caused by chronically elevated stress hormones. Rebecca Baker, LAc, at Acupuncture Associates of Castle Rock specializes in helping patients reduce their stress and restore a healthy balance in their lives using traditional Eastern therapies such as acupuncture, tui na, and Reiki. To start on the path to a healthier, stress-free life, call the office in Castle Rock, Colorado, or book an appointment online.
Stress Q & A
What types of stress affect my health?
Every time you experience stress, your body automatically releases hormones that trigger changes in your body. The hormones boost your energy, speed up your heart rate, and make you breathe faster, creating a physical reaction that gives you the ability to act quickly in a threatening situation. This reaction is known as a fight-or-flight response.
Sometimes you recognize the cause of your stress. In other cases, however, stress is sneaky because it works quietly from inside your body. These are a few examples of the different types of stress that can affect your health:
- Physical stressors, such as fatigue, surgery, and over-exercising
- Metabolic stressors, such as illness, chronic inflammation, hormone imbalances, exposure to environmental toxins, and nutrient deficiencies
- Psychosocial stressors, such as anxiety, divorce, problems at work, a rocky relationship, and the death of a loved one
Stress serves a positive role until the stressors you face become so constant that your body never has time to relax. When stress continues without relief, your body goes into distress, loses its energy balance, and develops health problems.
What health problems occur due to chronic stress?
When stress hormones stay at a high level for a prolonged time, you start to develop physical and psychological problems such as:
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Digestive problems
- High blood pressure
- Difficulty sleeping
- Depression
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Chronic back, shoulder, and neck pain
Persistent stress also triggers or worsens health conditions such as heart disease, and it’s the driving force that leads some patients into substance abuse.
What services are available to help reduce my stress?
Acupuncture helps lower your stress through multiple mechanisms. By restoring the normal flow of Qi, or life energy flowing through your body, acupuncture has the ability to relax tension and relieve pain. When Rebecca targets specific acupuncture points, your levels of stress hormones may return to normal, which in turn lowers your blood pressure and heart rate.
Rebecca also specializes in other traditional Eastern therapies that effectively reduce stress, including acupressure and therapeutic massage techniques such as tui na and Reiki. As Rebecca strives to support your physical, emotional, and psychological health, she also evaluates your nutritional status and may recommend herbal medicines that help you relax and relieve stress.
If you’re frequently under stress, schedule an appointment by calling Acupuncture Associates of Castle Rock or using the online booking feature.
