2: STRESS, ANXIETY, & INSOMNIA

One of my main focuses for my patients no matter what the issue they come in for is to work on what Oriental Medicine refers to as “Anxiety.” It is more commonly referred to as Stress in Western terms.  The mind gets overwhelmed, thoughts become cloudy, confusion sets in, and it is hard to see your path. Acupuncture helps part the clouds, clear your mind, and allows you to more calmly asses your situation.

These issues can encompass many presentations, including but not limited to stress, anxiety, insomnia, depression, panic attacks, stomach issues, and insomnia. There are many other issues that come under this category, but the treatment is all based on calming the Central Nervous System, and calming the Mind.  Some people come in for just these particular issues, and others I treat these issues along with their other issues.

Sleep is essential, and many humans are unaware that even though they have been lacking in proper sleep for many years, this is an issue that can be resolved. And resolved without medications or hormones. In many instances this can be a relatively simple fix. When sleep is absent, absolutely every system in the body is strained. It affects different people in different ways, but if you are not sleeping properly, which includes sleeping soundly and deeply, your system and your body are vulnerable to imbalance. Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine are highly effective in regulating and enhancing your sleep.

Another way Stress disorders present itself is in Stomach issues, including but not limited to IBS and Crones.  I try to describe this in relation the RPMs of a car, whereby it is stuck revving too high, and will not slow down. Oriental Medicine calms the central nervous system down, and therefore also calms the stomach down. The stomach is allowed  to relax, recover, and do its job. It is also akin to the fight or flight response, where your body in stuck in the fight mode. Here where the body is stuck in fight mode, it never relaxes and never turns off. Acupuncture helps turn off your fight of flight response, and allows your stomach to relax, recover, and digest. To put it In Western medical terms Acupuncture turns off the Sympathetic nervous system (flight or fight) and turns on the Parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest). I have treated a lot of stomach issues, and have had a lot of success with this treatment protocol. Stomach issues can be complicated, but Acupuncture many times can help tremendously, and also sometimes completely solve the problem.

When I treat issues in the Stress, Anxiety, and Insomnia categories,  I will also employ a Japanese style Acupuncture approach. Here I use extra tiny and painless pins. They are specifically designed for you not to feel them. This is a more energetic focused treatment, and is very calming and relaxing. Simply put, the difference between needling techniques between the Chinese and Japanese styles is the Chinese want you to feel it, and the Japanese do not want you to feel it. All I care about is which style gets better results, and I will absolutely use the Japanese style when I can, and if this will get the best results. Different issues respond better to different styles. I have studied many different styles, and can switch Acupuncture styles to best treat your particular issue or issues.

In addition, as with all my treatments, these treatments will be followed with some degree of Acupressure. Here I hold Acupuncture points with pressure from my hands to further calm, relax, and remove tension from the body. Acupressure will also involve Tui Na, Shiatsu, and some other styles of bodywork I have studied and practiced over the last couple decades. There will also usually be some sort of heat therapy involved, such as a heat lamp, steam packs, and some stretching involved when needed. It is an individually tailored protocol, as are all my treatments, depending on your needs and issues.