Stress is a condition which in fast-paced modern day life seemingly affects us all. Most of the time we are able to find ways of dealing with it, but what happens when it becomes too much and begins to affect your health?
According to figures provided by the Office for National Statistics, in the UK 30 million employees took a total of 15.2 million days off work due to stress in 2013. This is because when stress is not properly dealt with it can develop into more serious illnesses both mental and physical, making it one of the biggest causes of work absenteeism.
As a result, employers are now taking new and innovative steps to keep their employees healthy and happy by recommending traditional acupuncture.
Traditional Chinese Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years as an alternative medical treatment for a number of ailments. As a result, in recent years it has become increasingly westernised and used in place of more intrusive medications with unwanted side effects.
Acupuncture works by stimulating the nervous system which allows the release of neurochemicals in the brain. In turn, this promotes a chemical change in the body which results in improved physical and mental wellbeing.
Stress is one of the most common problems that patients suffer from and one of the hardest to deal with because of the numerous associated symptoms. Although stress begins as a mental and emotional based condition, it is not long before other aspects of your health can be affected.
Anxiety and depression are other mental issues that may occur, but physical problems such as headaches, IBS, insomnia, chronic muscle pain, joint pain and fatigue can also develop.
Over the years, numerous studies have been carried out to explore the beneficial effects of acupuncture on stress and the results have been more than promising. By targeting specific areas of the brain, calm and relaxation are promoted as the ‘analytical brain’ which causes stress is deactivated. It also is able to help reduce the sensitivity to stress and pain that patients experience by promoting the release of serotonin and endorphins.
Cheshire based Acupuncturist and owner of ‘Acupuncture That Works’ Emma Guy has spent many years working with patients dealing with stress and had this to say;
‘Throughout my time as an acupuncturist, I have treated many patients who as a result of high-stress jobs were suffering from both physical and mental ailments. In each instance after just a couple of acupuncture treatments, patients are able to feel consistently relaxed and rejuvenated”.
Acupuncture treatments can only take full effect when carried out by a trained and licensed practitioner, which is why it is always advisable to seek a reputable and ATCM (The Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture UK) approved acupuncturists.