Stress arises from many circumstances, from being stuck in traffic and dealing with a difficult neighbor to major life events such as divorce, marriage, death, illness, money problems, and losing your job.
Every time you’re under stress, the emotion triggers your brain to release hormones that energize your body. Normally, this short burst of energy helps you deal with the problem, then your stress goes down and the stress hormones return to normal levels.
When you often feel stressed out or frequently face stressful situations, your stress hormones stay at a high level. Over time, this type of ongoing stress leads to depression, anxiety disorders, and health problems. Stress is also one of the top causes of insomnia.
All of these conditions improve with stress management. And acupuncture offers an effective, medication-free treatment for stress.
Acupuncture offers whole-body care using the proven technique of inserting specialized needles into acupuncture points. Traditional Chinese medicine uses the needles to restore your body’s energy flow, enhance its healing ability, and ease your stress.
Acupuncture also relaxes muscles and stimulates nerves near the acupuncture point. The nerve stimulation travels through your nervous system, triggering the release of neurotransmitters, which regulate mood and stress and balance stress hormones.
During your first appointment, Dr. Travall evaluates your symptoms, learns about your health history, and does an examination. Based on your information, he determines where he will insert the needles to improve your symptoms.
During your treatment, you lie down and relax while he inserts the needles. You may have a hard time relaxing until you experience acupuncture the first time and learn what to expect. However, it’s important to know that acupuncture needles are very different from the standard needles used by doctors to inject medications.
Acupuncture needles are flexible and incredibly thin. The needles are often compared to the width of a human hair. The tip of the needle is tapered, so it easily slides into your skin. You may feel a brief twinge when Dr. Travall inserts the needle, but many people don’t feel the needle insertion.
Once the needle is in place, you may feel tingling sensations, but you should never experience pain or discomfort. Dr. Travall typically leaves the needles in place for 10-20 minutes. He may send a mild electrical current through the needles or twirl them to enhance their effect.
To learn how acupuncture can help with stress management, call Dr. Travall’s Acupuncture or book an appointment online today.