Definition of Stress: An Acupuncture Chinese Medicine ViewpointWhat is stress: Acupuncture and Chinese medicine assigns the definition of stress to any factor that requires you to make a response or change. This factor, or stressor, can be actual (real) or perceived. The source can be emotional, physical, social, economic, or anything that changes your normal behaviour in response to a stressor. For example, during good economic times you may be pressured or exhausted from a hectic work environment whereas during poor economic conditions, such as the 2008-2009 Global Financial Crisis, job losses, loss of wealth or financial devastation easily lead to a variety of stress and anxiety manifestations. The cause of the disease is an important consideration when formulating a treatment plan with acupuncture or Chinese medicine, which is very effective for stress and anxiety. In essence, stress in not what happens to you, but how you react (physically, emotionally, mentally...and spiritually) to what happens.
Exposure to stress can have a positive or negative impact on your body. It can have a positive or negative influence in your life and causes wear and tear on your body’s physical and mental resources. How much damage is caused depends on the nature and degree of stress, that is, the severity of stress and how you cope with it. Some people perform better or thrive on stressful situations, such as in competitive sports or during examinations. On the other hand, others do not cope very well with stress, even on exposure to mild forms of stress. Stress has been theorised as a major contributing factor in many physical diseases, for example asthma or heart disease. Once a response or change is required, the body’s physiology also changes. For example, separation from parents can cause a young child to cry. Another example is an increase in body temperature when you become dehydrated. Fundamentally, there are two forms of stress - acute short term and chronic long term. Both have different consequences on health and wellbeing. Acute short term stress can be a near-miss car accident on the road and chronic long term stress can be constant deadline pressure or having major relationship difficulties with spouse, family, friends or work colleagues. Chronic long term stress usually leads to chronic disease or contribute to the early development of disease. What this means is that the more stress you experience, the more likely you will become sick. The immune system become suppressed or become less active, making you susceptible to catching colds, the flu or infectious diseases. Chronic stress or constant pressure will eventually lead to 'burn-out'. When you are under any type of stress, the body normally reacts by making itself ready for the event – heart rate, blood pressure and muscles tension rise quickly. Some people even experience racing thoughts, anxiety and panic. Overtime, this rise in heart rate can lead to arrhythmia (absence or irregularity in normal heartbeat); the rise in blood pressure develops into hypertension (high blood pressure); and increases in muscle tension become headaches or migraines. In addition, unusual activity in the intestinal tract can lead to diarrhoea, constipation or Irritable Bowel Syndrome. --- If you feel you'd like to receive treatment for your stress or anxiety, please contact me at my acupuncture Chinese herbal medicine clinic, located in Berwick Australia. --- Over the next few weeks I’ll be adding more information on stress. So please come back and visit this page. Better still, subscribe to my newsletter ezines and I’ll let you know each time I post a new article. --- Learn Stress Reduction Techniques and How to Control Anxiety Please click on this link: stress reduction techniques and ways to control anxiety to read more about acupuncture's dao yin qi gong healing exercises, which includes special beathing and vital pressure points techniques to prevent illness.
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