IS DE-STRESSING A LUXURY?
The human body is brilliant, and the myriad of checks and balances operating beyond our conscious control is a perfect example of this. There is a perpetual dance going on that is responding to our needs in every moment that happens so automatically it is hard not to take it for granted. So what happens when many of our moment-to-moment needs are in the backdrop of a busy, high intensity or fast paced modern life?
The good news is that we are built for handling these times that require action. The stress response allows us to kick into gear the physiological and behavioral responses to get the job done. So what is the bad news? Well, we aren’t built to remain in that state chronically. The body is ultimately seeking homeostasis, or a way to stabilize and adjust back to a resting state where it can prioritize beyond handling the immediate task or stress at hand.
The areas of the nervous system in charge of mediating this have been coined the “fight or flight” and the “rest and digest” responses. As the names imply, they mobilize opposite and contradictory functions of the body’s systems. What this means is that in responding to stress, the body diverts its priorities to preparing for action and away from some of our most basic long-term needs. Who needs to worry about digesting their meal, going to the bathroom, healing from an injury or making a baby if they are running from a bear? While that is an extreme example, you can see how consistently feeling the pressure of a very full life can start to have some detrimental effects. Interestingly enough, the body doesn’t know the difference between different stressors. A fight with a spouse, financial worries or an upcoming deadline catapults the same cascade of stress hormones that happens with a more obvious threat or stressor.
As an acupuncturist, I see on a daily basis how this plays out in people’s lives. Even if stress isn’t the primary motivation for their visit, it isn’t unusual for that to play a role in what they are experiencing. I have found Chinese medicine to be a system rich in tools for helping people restore more balance to their minds and bodies. In the case of consistent stress, understanding how that plays out specifically within the individual is important, as there is no one size fits all approach to health and healing.
A recent study done by Georgetown University Medical Center and the University of Hong Kong shed some interesting light on the link between acupuncture and stress relief. Researchers found that electroacupuncture at a specific point prevented increases in stress hormones of rats put in stressful situations. The specificity of the point was also crucial as the “sham” or fake acupuncture point did not yield the same results. They found that the mechanism most likely influenced by the acupuncture was in the brain and not further down the chain of events in the endocrine system. The effects of blocking the stress hormone release were found to be relatively long lasting and coincided with a reduction in anxious and depressive behaviors. While this study was done on rats and not humans, perhaps it can give us some insight into some of the benefits so many have experienced using this medicine over thousands of years.
So why is all of this important? I recently heard a patient talk about the luxury of de-stressing, and that got me thinking. In light of the consequences of chronic stress on our physical and mental well-being, can we really afford to consider this a luxury?
For further information or to schedule an appointment please contact Ramie Holmquist, LAc at Alison Palmer Physical Therapy and Wellness Center at #307- 752-1799. We are located in the Cimarron Lodge at the bottom of lift 7. Wellness is the full integration of mind, body and spirit. We look forward to helping you towards a healthier life.