Stress Specialist

Family Wellness Acupuncture

Acupuncture located in Irvine, CA

Stress is a familiar concept for most Americans, even children, and can affect your emotional and physical health. Acupuncture can reduce your body’s stress response and limit its negative impact on your health. The licensed acupuncturists at Family Wellness Acupuncture Inc. are well-known for their expertise in creating treatment programs to address stress. They have one location, in Irvine, California, that clients find graciously welcoming and stress-free. Schedule your visit today by calling the office or booking your appointment online.

Stress Q & A

What is the stress response?

Physical reactions triggered by stressful situations are known as the stress response. These reactions are beneficial when you’re faced with a physically or emotionally dangerous situation. When your brain responds to stress, it warns your muscles to tighten in preparation for “flight or fight.”  

Your brain also signals your adrenal glands to release stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones increase your heart rate and elevate your blood pressure so that more blood flows to your brain and muscles. They also quicken your breathing so that more oxygen enters your blood while your body releases additional sugars and fats into the blood for energy. These physical changes fade as the situation that triggered your stress response resolves.  

When stress is prolonged, however, it can cause physical conditions, such as elevated blood sugar, that can negatively impact your health. Emotional responses to prolonged stress include nervousness, anxiety, depression, and frustration.

What are the common effects of prolonged stress?

Prolonged stress can cause:

  • Increased risk of heart disease
  • Headaches
  • Muscle tension and pain
  • Chest pain
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Problems with digestion
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Anxiety and/or depression

If you’re experiencing prolonged stress, you may also notice a lack of motivation or productivity at work and changes in your sex drive. Behaviors such as overeating or undereating, social withdrawal, and alcohol or drug abuse may also indicate you’re struggling with stress.

How can acupuncture help with stress?

Acupuncture has been used for centuries to enhance your body's natural healing response by stimulating acupressure points throughout the body. This increases your body’s ability to resist or overcome illnesses and conditions by correcting imbalances. It also prompts your body to produce natural chemicals that decrease or eliminate painful sensations.

Research conducted over decades shows that acupuncture can relieve pain, reduce the body’s natural stress response, restore hormonal balance, and effectively treat a wide variety of medical conditions related to prolonged stress.

To address the underlying conditions caused by your body’s stress response, schedule a visit at Family Wellness Acupuncture today. Call the office or book your visit online.