Nearly everyone that comes through our doors has some level of stress. It might be the primary thing that we are treating. But most often it's the background issue that is making whatever other health problem we are treating worse. In Chinese medicine we have a saying "stress is the mother of a thousand diseases."

That's because stress isn't just a feeling. It's a full body physiological response driven by cortisol. When stress is constant cortisol can become chronically elevated, causing many downstream effects.

What High Cortisol Does to the Body

1. Disrupts sleep
High evening cortisol makes it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. You get that "tired but wired" feeling. You might fall asleep fine, but then find yourself awake again in the middle of the night.
2. Increases anxiety and irritability
High cortisol puts your body on high alert mode, constantly scanning the environment for dangers. You feel constantly on edge, like you can't fully relax.
3. Increases weight and blood sugar spikes
High cortisol makes your body crave sugar and carbs. It promotes fat storage in your abdominal area and can put a hump on the back base of your neck.
4. Inhibits digestion
When your body thinks it's running away from a sabre tooth tiger, digestion is not a high priority. Energy gets shunted away from your digestion and towards other systems in your body. Bloating, slow digestion, acid reflux, leaky gut, etc. are all really common issues that can come from a high stress lifestyle.
5. Disrupts hormones and fertility
Cortisol is a hormone, and therefore its levels affect the levels of many other hormones such as estrogen, testosterone, progesterone etc. When you're constantly feeling under threat your body believes it needs to produce cortisol at the expense of the other hormones.

Where Acupuncture Can Help
Research has shown acupuncture can shift the body from sympathetic "fight or flight" mode to parasympathetic "rest and repair" mode. Acupuncture has been shown to lower chronic cortisol, improving so many aspects of daily life.
In our clinic we often see people sleeping better and having less anxiety even after a single treatment. Acupuncture doesn't erase the sources of stress. Life happens of course, but it absolutely can direct your body to respond differently to stress.
When your cortisol is regulated so many aspects of your health recalibrate. We're here to help. It's not a fantasy. You can feel rested and calm every day, have great digestion, balanced hormones and vibrant health. We've helped many people get there! http://bluejeanacu.com