|
 Although
stress affects us all in one way or another, it is when it
becomes prolonged that it tends to cause the most
problems.
Acupuncture has been shown to decrease the stress response
(see studies below). Stress inherently affects every
system in the body from proper digestion and
cardiovascular health to the daily functions of the
endocrine and immune systems. There are thousands of
research articles on the correlation between chronic
stress and many diseases.
It
is estimated that between 70-80% of all visits to
physicians are for stress related illnesses.
Physical symptoms such as:
Muscle Tension / Headaches / TMJ / Back Pain
Cold Extremities / Tingling
Diarrhea
Indigestion
Fatigue
Heart Palpitations / Shortness of Breath
Increased or Decreased Blood Pressure / Dizziness
Sugar Cravings / Low Blood Sugar
Decreased Immunity / Frequent Colds or Illness
Emotional symptoms such as:
Anger / Aggression
Anxiety / Panic Attacks
Insomnia / Excessive Sleep
Depression
Helplessness
Excessive Worry
Indifference / Apathy
Irritability / Moodiness / Involuntary Crying
Pessimism
What is the
stress response?
There are two key elements in the understanding the stress
response:
1) Cortisol, a hormone secreted under stress
This
hormone becomes elevated under prolonged stress and can
lead to increased pain, inflammation, depression,
exhaustion, accelerated aging and poor immunity
2) Sympathetic nervous system: which becomes activated
in times of "fright or flight"
The
"Sympathetic" part of the autonomic nervous system goes
into action during fright, fight, or flight.
The
"Parasympathetic" of the autonomic nervous system is
involved in the restorative functions in the body.
For
example, when we are startled by the growl of a dog, there
is an almost instantaneous increase in heart rate, all
senses are tuned in, and we're suddenly full of energy and
able to either run in a panic or fight off an attack. This
is a result of the sympathetic nervous system. But
this sudden surge of energy comes at a price. Energy is
diverted from regenerative functions of the body.
Functions that are not required in the short term for the
"fight or flight" are suspended. No digestion,
reproduction, or immune functions (why fight a cold if you
aren't going to live another hour?) are undertaken.
How would
stress affect me?
So
imagine if the sympathetic arm of the nervous system, and
elevated cortisol are allowed to be turned on
indefinitely. You would see myopathy and fatigue
(from being in overdrive), hypertension (from
cardiac stimulation), ulceration and digestive
disorders(from digestion being a low priority),
infertility, amenorrhea, decreased
libido (from decreased reproduction), increased
disease risk (decreased immunity), and
neuron death (brain damage.) in fact, the above
are some of the side effects of prolonged stress.
What is the
evidence?
Effect of Stress on Longevity:
Both
of these stress responses (sympathetic nervous system and
cortisol) are also implicated in accelerating aging. It
has been shown has shown that stress can cause accelerated
aging in the hypocampus, an area in the brain, because of
elevated cortisol levels. A recent study by a San
Francisco team has shown that stressed mothers (mothers of
disabled children) showed advanced aging on a cellular
level compared to their non-stressed counterparts.
(This concept is in alignment with the teachings of
traditional Chinese medicine. One attempts to balance
one's life to preserve their essence (jing) to prolong
their life.)
Stress & Depression:
If
you stress a Lab Rat; it will take a stronger electrical
current than expected to activate their sense of pleasure.
Stress and elevated cortisol can have the same effect in
humans; i.e. stressed, depressed patients have trouble
feeling pleasure, or happiness. For example Patients with
Cushing's syndrome, a pathological surplus of the stress
hormone, cortisol, have depression, as do patients
administered cortisol-like hormones for treatment of
various conditions. Depression is a result of, or a cause
of alterations in the levels of serotonin, norepinephrine,
and dopamine (neurotransmitters in the brain, all linked
to mood.) Cortisol can alter the levels of all three of
these transmitters. Anti-glucocorticoids, (substances that
compete with cortisol) act as anti-depressants in many
instances.
This
concept is in alignment with the teachings of traditional
Chinese medicine. If the spirit is not healthy, the body
cannot heal.)
Effect of Stress on Immunity:
It
is fairly well established that stress can alter the
immune response in animals and in humans. It alters T cell
function, and can alter the healing process. This can show
up in a multitude of ways in the health of an individual.
The most commonly measured entity is cortisol, which can
become chronically elevated in persons under persistent
stress. Acupuncture has been shown to lower cortisol in
some studies. Chronic stress can be damaging to the
organism because when of long duration, the response
itself can damage the system.
How can
acupuncture help?
The following studies
(see below) confirm with what acupuncture patients have
observed. The treatment itself is relaxing,
and there is often a feeling of calm,
and control, afterwards. Though this can be beneficial in
and of itself, it may be key in how acupuncture helps the
body to heal itself, improve mood, and (hopefully) to
increase longevity. Often patients are able to give up
their anti-depressants and pain killers.
Is there any proof that acupuncture actually lowers the
stress response?
Besides Dr. Sparrows own research
showing that a decrease in stress response during
acupuncture treatment correlates with successful outcomes
there are the following studies:
There was a study from Japan that showed that acupuncture
decreased the cortisol secretion during surgery and in the
postoperative phase.
In
Germany they showed that needle acupuncture caused a
calming of the sympathetic nervous system in-patients with
minor depression or anxiety disorder.
Swedish study established that after acupuncture blood
flow to the uterus increased and alleviated infertility
due to a decrease in sympathetic nervous system activity.
In
China they showed that acupuncture calmed the sympathetic
nervous system in drivers.
In a
prison psychiatric unit in Sweden they showed that
auricular acupuncture treatment lowered cortisol levels
compared to the untreated group and the acupuncture group
required fewer medications.
Physical symptoms such as
Muscle Tension / Headaches / TMJ / Back Pain
Cold Extremities / Tingling
Diarrhea
Indigestion
Fatigue
Heart Palpitations / Shortness of Breath
Increased or Decreased Blood Pressure / Dizziness
Sugar Cravings / Low Blood Sugar
Decreased Immunity / Frequent Colds or Illness
Emotional symptoms such as
Anger / Aggression
Anxiety / Panic Attacks
Insomnia / Excessive Sleep
Depression
Helplessness
Excessive Worry
Indifference / Apathy
Irritability / Moodiness / Involuntary Crying
Pessimism
|
