How To Use Chinese Medicine To Help With Stress And Anxiety

"The Soul of the Rose," John William Waterhouse

Stress and anxiety can hurt your health.  Although we're hardwired to handle stress, too much for too long takes a toll.  A little bit of stress is a necessary and natural reaction to living in the world.  Stress is your body's way of reacting to change, such as a threat, challenge, physical barrier, or an emotional wall.  It affects how you feel, think, and behave, as well as how your body functions.  Long-term stress causes severe muscle cramps, shrinks the size of our brains, causes weight gain, and even leads to heart disease.  

Chinese medicine is a wonderful choice to combat the day-to-day stresses we face to prevent chronic stress issues from developing.  It will help you look and feel your best!

Acupuncture- It's an important technique to improve circulation, increase the release of endorphins and serotonin, and decrease cortisol.  Serotonin regulates mood, social behavior, appetite, digestion, sleep and memory.  Endorphins activate the body's opioid receptors, triggering pain relief.  Cortisol is released in response to stress, and chronically elevated levels of cortisol are linked to abdominal fat gain, cognitive decline, and compromised immune function. 

To get the most out of your acupuncture treatment for anxiety or stress, try to do an evening appointment or schedule time to take a nap after your treatment.  Being able to rest after your treatment allows the effects to sink into your nervous system and integrate better with your body.

Chinese Herbal Medicine- There are hundreds of herbs in Chinese medicine that work specifically to balance out your body to reduce stress' impact.  There's lots of research showing certain herbs to have adaptogenic, sedative, and anxiolytic effects.  Adaptogenic herbs help your body adapt to stress and have a normalizing effect upon it's functioning.  Sedative herbs promote calm and sleep, and axiolytic herbs reduce anxiety.  

Some common Chinese herbs to help reduce stress are chrysanthemum, ginseng, astragalus, licorice, goji berry, and reishi mushroom.  These are mostly found as teas or tinctures.  If you'd like something more specific and potent, talk with a Chinese herbalist.

Focus on your feet- Chinese medicine knows that our feet are connected to the earth and the energy of the earth circulates throughout our entire body.  Our feet have vital points for health and well-being, so it's important to take care of them.  Going barefoot, having a nightly foot bath, taking the time to massage your feet, or rubbing your favorite essential oil on the sole are wonderful ways to get out of your head and ground through your feet.

Practicing these gentle, holistic, and non-invasive methods will give you improved immunity, vigor, functionality, and presence.  Chinese medicine can mindfully help you get to where you want to be.

Have a specific concern?  Get in touch!  Peace,
​-C