In my practice one of the things that I see the most is stress. People are living very demanding lifestyles, more often than not, these days. In Chinese Medicine this leads to a condition known as Liver Qi Stagnation. The liver is considered to responsible for the smooth flow of qi in the body. The more things we have going on in our daily lives that disrupt the flow of qi (such as sitting in traffic, difficult projects, over working, and lack of physical activity) the more this stagnation occurs. We often experience this as a sensation of stress. This sensation of stress may include tension in the shoulders and neck area, a feeling of frustration or irritability, and an inability to relax completely. As this condition advances, or if left untreated, it is not uncommon that it may lead to worsening symptoms such as anxiety, headaches, sleep disruption, digestive issues and even anger.
Chinese Medicine, including acupuncture, is very effective in alleviating stress, particularly through treating qi stagnation. The idea of preventative medicine is one that is not always well understood, however this is a perfect example. By treating qi stagnation in its early stage of stress, we can not only help to relieve tension and irritability, but we can prevent it’s progression to the more serious conditions listed above. If qi stagnation has progressed to anxiety, headaches sleep disruption, digestive issues or anger, treatment is more difficult because we are now dealing with complex conditions requiring a longer course of treatment. The progression of qi stagnation can lead to more serious patterns such as blood stagnation, qi deficiency, and liver yang rising all with a unique set of symptoms.
There is an old saying “You would not wait until you are thirsty to begin digging a well”. The same idea exists in Chinese Medicine; do not wait until you are ill to seek treatment. Using acupuncture when we have stress in our lives can not only help us prevent more serious health conditions, but also provide relief from tension and a renewed sense of wellbeing.
Contact San Diego Natural Medicine now to schedule your stress reduction treatment or view a list of other common conditions treated with acupuncture.
Chinese Medicine, including acupuncture, is very effective in alleviating stress, particularly through treating qi stagnation. The idea of preventative medicine is one that is not always well understood, however this is a perfect example. By treating qi stagnation in its early stage of stress, we can not only help to relieve tension and irritability, but we can prevent it’s progression to the more serious conditions listed above. If qi stagnation has progressed to anxiety, headaches sleep disruption, digestive issues or anger, treatment is more difficult because we are now dealing with complex conditions requiring a longer course of treatment. The progression of qi stagnation can lead to more serious patterns such as blood stagnation, qi deficiency, and liver yang rising all with a unique set of symptoms.
There is an old saying “You would not wait until you are thirsty to begin digging a well”. The same idea exists in Chinese Medicine; do not wait until you are ill to seek treatment. Using acupuncture when we have stress in our lives can not only help us prevent more serious health conditions, but also provide relief from tension and a renewed sense of wellbeing.
Contact San Diego Natural Medicine now to schedule your stress reduction treatment or view a list of other common conditions treated with acupuncture.
