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In modern society stress is rampant and with prolonged exposure to stress a variety of health problems begin to surface. Stress can begin in the brain as well as affect it, but it definitely affects the whole body. Stress can be short term or long term, otherwise known as acute or chronic. Short term stress tends to promote survival responses via the nervous system, endocrine, immune, and cardiovascular system. These responses and fluctuations in biochemistry are natural adaptive mechanisms designed for our survival; however they are not supposed to go on for a long time. If stress continues unchecked, it tends to exacerbate pathologies in our bodies through the same systems that are already dysregulated.

Potential effects of chronic stress:  

• Increased blood pressure
• Decreased immune response
• Irritability/ mood swings
• Decreased appetite control
• Inflammation and potential weight gain
• Depression and/or anxiety

What compounds the problem is how many of us deal with chronic stress. Examples of lifestyle changes that worsen the inherent impacts of stress are poor sleep habits, eating too much, drinking alcohol, or smoking. The greatest challenge may be to reverse these types of behaviors and create healthier sustainable habits that will positively buffer the impact of stress on a regular basis.

Some good habits to develop include:

• Going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time
• Eating meals at the same time each day
• Exercise regularly, this is a natural way to release endorphins and enhance our bodies natural ability to withstand stress. Many studies are finding regular exercise to be as effective as anti-depressants in the treatment and management of depression.
• Find a time each day to reflect and be still. Incorporating a daily mindfulness based practice has been shown to increase cognitive performance, memory, and enhance overall mood.
• Self care: this includes getting a massage, acupuncture, or even just a warm bath with Epsom salt.

When it comes to building good habits, the challenge is a matter of starting them and sticking with it. As busy as everyone is, it is useful to have a support network and social reinforcement. For example, having your partner join you at the gym or a yoga class, or even shared quite time before bed, can create accountability for these behaviors.

Having the right healthcare provider on your side is equally important. Lifestyle changes and stress relief can be found with the right combination of guidance and treatment. Acupuncture is well known for helping with pain, stress, and anxiety, among other ailments.

How can acupuncture help with stress?

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine has been used for stress and anxiety since its inception. As a comprehensive system of medicine, acupuncture treats the full spectrum of human conditions. Stress and anxiety are common human afflictions, and it impacted people of the ancient world as much as it does today.

An increasing amount of research is supporting the use of acupuncture for stress and anxiety worldwide. As a recent comprehensive literature review states: “…statistically significant effects directly attributable to an acupuncture treatment lends weight to the use of acupuncture to significantly reduce the symptoms of stress related anxiety disorders, using both human and animal subjects.” If it isn’t enough that acupuncture has been helping conditions such as these for thousands of years, science is starting to catch up with and understand how this system of medicine can be so effective.

Some benefits of acupuncture:

• Reduces muscle tension and spasm
• Inhibits inflammation
• Improves blood flow and blood pressure
• Releases naturally occurring opiates, which improve mood and decrease pain
• Promotes relaxation and increases body awareness

We all share the responsibility of taking care of earthly matters and everyday toils such as finances, food, and shelter. Yet we are inextricably linked with the greater movements of time and space. The seasons change, the years go by, we transition from children to parents. All of these fragments come together day by day, in different ways, and sometimes at odds against one another. Challenges arise to make us stronger, but their emotional impact can linger and lead to responses that aren’t always adaptive or beneficial. Acupuncture is a subtle yet powerful way to help us deal with these stressors, to equip our mind and body to respond in a more relaxed and meaningful way.

-Dr. Jonathan Nadal, ND, LAc

Change with the Seasons

As the seasons change externally, it is wise to guide our bodies into this transition internally. There is a qi and way to each season. In autumn it is a time to take in and find balance, whereas in winter it is a time to secure and store.*

From late summer to fall and into winter, in the northwest it’s hard to anticipate the scope of daily fluctuations in temperature and precipitation. Wearing multiple layers is a great idea to be prepared but there is more to consider.

As it gets colder, allow your body to experience this transition gradually. In other words, don’t rush to grab your thickest jacket just because you wake up feeling cold. Instead, add layer by layer until you are just comfortable enough. Allowing your body to feel some of the cold will bring an internal awareness beyond your perception of what is being witnessed by your other senses. This fosters a deeper capacity for adaptation and cultivation of your thermal regulation. The opposite is true for the arrival of spring or summer. Introducing the heat of your environment gradually by keeping light layers on, especially in the spring with unpredictable wind and transient sunshine.

* Concepts inspired by the Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen, Chapter 2.

If you like your home nice and warm during the holidays, with the fire ablaze or a space heater ready to go, why not do the same for your body? You can generate warmth from within. If you engage in practices and good habits that warm your core body temperature, your peripheral temperature (limbs) will follow.

This can be accomplished through what we consume and how we move throughout the day…

Diet

This is the time of year to eat foods that are warm and nourishing instead of cold or raw. Eat foods the elicit the comfort of grandma’s homemade chicken soup.

For breakfast try adding extra cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange peels to your favorite oatmeal.

For lunch, instead of salads and cold sandwiches, switch to broths and soups. Even adding teas throughout the day that have more warming and aromatic herbs is useful and easy, such as those with clove, cardamom, and black pepper.

For dinners consider including ingredients that warm and promote circulation such as…

• Onion or Shallots
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Szechuan or Cayenne pepper

Movement

Upon waking, reaching for that cup of coffee is tempting, but how about doing just 5 minutes of your favorite yoga or qigong sequence?

A significant portion of our vasculature (ie veins & venules) move blood when the muscles around them are contracting and promoting blood flow back to the heart, so give a helping hand! When the blood flows, qi flows, which means warmth.

Throughout the day, shortly after meals, consider doing a simple exercise that can be done anywhere, like squats or wall push-ups. It doesn’t have to be demanding of your body, just something to keep the blood moving and send a signal that the food you just consumed may be used for energy sooner than expected. This will prompt your metabolism to perk up and is especially useful before that afternoon cortisol drop.

Dr. Jonathan Nadal, ND, LAc