Stress

Treatment For Stress

Stress is a problem that will affect most of us in our lifetime. Many people think of stress as a problem that only affects us mentally, but it can often impact our physical well-being as well. Our practitioners in Leeds and Manchester can treat both the physical and psychological symptoms of stress, helping you back to health and happiness.

What Is Stress?

Stress is the body’s mainly physical response to a stressor (i.e. a stimulus or environmental condition). When humans are stressed, the sympathetic nervous system is activated, resulting in a fight or flight response. Typically, stress is described as either a negative or positive condition that has an impact on your mental and physical wellbeing.

Today’s busy lifestyles can contribute to elevated stress levels. The more we experience the physical symptoms of stress, the more unwell we feel, and the more our stress response is elevated. It becomes a vicious cycle.

Symptoms Of Stress

Symptoms of stress include:

  • Memory problems
  • Poor judgement
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Indecision
  • Self doubt
  • Depression
  • Moodiness
  • Irritability
  • Fatalistic thinking
  • Panic
  • Cynicism
  • Anxiety
  • Feeling overwhelmed
  • Frustration
  • Chest Pain
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Aches and pains
  • Frequent colds
  • Skin complaints
  • Indigestion
  • High blood pressure

Causes Of Stress

There are many causes of stress, but the most common include:

  • Facing changes
  • Worry
  • Feeling a lack of control
  • Overwhelming responsibilities
  • Financial problems
  • Living situations
  • And many more

 
Whatever the cause and symptoms of stress you are experiencing, our practitioners offer a range of treatments to help you overcome it.


What To Expect From Stress Treatment

Treating stress will depend on your particular symptoms. An assessment will always be carried out before we start treatment. During your assessment you’ll be asked about your medical history and the details of your current situation. Generally, we treat stress with acupuncture or massage, or a combination of the two.

Research has shown that a massage and acupuncture can help treat the symptoms of stress, heres how:

  1. Improving circulation – manipulation of soft tissue and acupuncture can enhance the delivery of oxygen to muscle cells, helping tissues function more efficiently and leading to the removal of waste products and absorption of excess fluids.
  2. Relaxation response – during massage and acupuncture, our heart and breathing rate slows and our blood pressure lowers. This in turn reduces the production of stress hormones and increases feel-good hormones such as serotonin. This relaxation response could decrease the physical effects of stress, such as hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue, sexual dysfunction, digestive disorders and psychological issues.
  3. Mechanical relaxation response – massage of soft tissue (muscle, connective tissue, tendons and ligaments) helps the release of nerves and deeper connective tissue.

Contact Us

For more information, call your local clinic on the number below.

Leeds: 0113 345 5060

Manchester: 0161 503 5656