Ever wonder why you have an upset stomach when you’re stressed or anxious? When your body experiences stress or perceived threats, it triggers the sympathetic nervous system which in turn initiates the fight or flight response. During this process, stress hormones cause your body to redirect blood flow from your internal organs to your muscles in preparation to quite literally fight or run away. This reaction is quite practical if said threat is a sabretooth tiger but maybe not as helpful if the threat is big project at work or a blog post.
Back to that upset stomach though. As you can imagine, it’s hard for your body to digest food or heal itself when your blood is being shunted to your extremities in preparation for your escape. With all that undigested food sitting there that your body doesn’t know what to do with at the moment, it’s no wonder stress and anxiety cause digestive distress. You’re probably wondering whatever can you do? Well, that’s where the parasympathetic nervous system steps in to save the day. The parasympathetic triggers the rest and digest reflex lowering blood pressure and heart rate and stimulating digestion. It helps your body remember what to do with that food sitting in your stomach, and your upset stomach is magically gone.
So you’re probably thinking, thanks for the biology lesson, but what does this have to do with acupuncture? One of the theories on how acupuncture works from a Western perspective is that it regulates the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. So while the stress is still there (sorry, this isn’t a magic stress removal point that’s permanent), your body doesn’t jump into full fight or flight panic mode and is better able to handle the stress. That in turn means more blood for digestion and less stress related upset stomachs. The end result is a calmer, happier you.
Now I’m sure some of you are thinking, but the needles! These needles are so small you can run a bunch through the end of a hypodermic syringe like they use at the doctors’ office. So small, in fact, that my daughter as a toddler followed me around the house asking for punctures. You know if the toddler is asking for it, it’s not painful. Most people find treatments extremely relaxing and often sleep through them. Since acupuncture is holistic, many people also find that other issues resolve as the body moves back into balance. So what’s stopping you? Call or email today to find out if acupuncture is right for you.*
*Side effects may include better sleep, less headaches, pain relief, and more.
Samantha Marek, L.Ac