Acupuncture and Stress: Can Needles Score a Bullseye for Stress Management?

Our acupuncturists Barbara Barakos and Beverley de Valois pool their wisdom and experience here: Barbara first examines how acupuncture addresses general lifestyle stress of work, home and social interaction; and Beverley then specifically shares how it can be used to manage the more poignant stress of patients recovering from cancer treatment.

1/ Acupuncture and Stress

Stress and its impacts

You’d be hard pushed to find someone who isn’t impacted by stress in some shape or form. Whether it’s work-related stress, financial stress, relationship issues, health concerns, life transitions or past trauma, the effects of chronic stress are far-reaching, impacting both physical and mental well-being.

Stress isn’t simply a psychological event, it’s a physical event during which the body is triggered to release hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Whilst this kind of response can be useful in the short-term – say if you’re working overtime to meet a deadline or trying to set boundaries in a challenging relationship – repeated stress responses over time can lead to cardiovascular problems, compromised nervous system and immune function, and an increased susceptibility to chronic disease. Furthermore, on a psychological level, chronic stress is linked to anxiety, depression and burnout.

Acupuncture and stress: How acupuncture can help

Acupuncture offers a holistic approach to stress relief working on a level of mind, body and spirit to achieve profound and long-lasting results. This ancient practice involves the insertion of very fine needles into specific points on the body with a view to restoring balance to the body’s energy flow, known as Qi (pronounced chee). By stimulating key points, acupuncture works to regulate levels of neurotransmitters and stress hormones, promoting relaxation and deactivation of the ‘analytical’ brain, which is responsible for anxiety and worry.

Acupuncture also works to reduce muscle tension, lower blood pressure and improve sleep quality, all of which play a key role in improving emotional wellbeing and mental clarity.

Healing beyond physical symptoms

Beyond the physical symptoms that many of my patients come into clinic to address - be they headaches, insomnia, anxiety, fatigue, digestive issues, menstrual irregularities or perimenopause issues - there often lies a deeper level of stress that may well be exacerbating physical symptoms. In the fast-paced world that we live in, people often fail to make the connection between daily stress and physical health.

Over the years of working in close partnership with my patients, I’ve found that taking the time during the treatment session to talk through stress in a safe and non-judgemental setting acts as a great complement to acupuncture treatment, often improving the resolution of physical symptoms. Talking through our emotions, being heard and understanding how we respond to different situations empowers us with self-awareness which ultimately leads to greater emotional resilience and well-being.

Taking control of our lifestyle

Working in partnership with a supportive practitioner can be incredibly helpful when making lifestyle changes that last. As well as offering my patients tips and advice about changes that could be of benefit to them, I often find that people know what kind of changes they need to make but may need support and guidance in overcoming any obstacles stopping them from making those changes. When we empower ourselves with the ability to make change we cultivate a greater sense of control in our lives, which in turn helps us feel less overwhelmed and more peaceful.

Would you find a free discovery call with Barbara helpful? If so, please call or WhatsApp her.

2/ Acupuncture and Cancer Survivorship Stress

People living with and beyond cancer experience the same stresses as people who have not had cancer. They also have the additional stressors associated with their disease, whether they are newly diagnosed, undergoing treatment, or living well beyond diagnosis and treatment. Acupuncture offers an effective and non-pharmacological means of managing these stresses, which many cancer survivors find beneficial – and enjoyable!

First, let’s clear up some myths about stress and cancer. There is no convincing evidence to support the idea that stress causes cancer. While there is emerging evidence that stress may be a risk factor for cancer recurrence and metastases, these are early findings and more research is needed to establish any direct link.

What is suggested is that people living for long periods with chronic stress may be more likely to adopt behaviours that increase the risk of cancer, including overeating and/or having a poor diet, smoking, consuming alcohol or recreational drugs, and lack of exercise. (This applies to all individuals, whether or not they have had a cancer diagnosis.)

For people undergoing cancer treatment, the stressors are obvious. Attending for cancer treatments is stressful, as is the uncertainty about whether treatment will be successful. Stress continues to be an issue after cancer treatment ends. In the immediate aftermath, uncertainty about the treatment success remains. It is also usual for cancer survivors to be highly concerned about any new symptom, which they fear may signal a return of the cancer. Stress related to cancer often continues for many years after treatment ends – a study showed that nearly 50% of cancer survivors still experienced fear of recurrence five years after finishing treatments.

How can acupuncture help? Many people are surprised to learn that acupuncture is a relaxing therapy! Watch this brief video to learn how cancer survivors experienced acupuncture as a relaxing, enjoyable treatment.

Acupuncture has the added benefit of dealing with other troubling symptoms, often in the same treatment. In my extensive work with breast and prostate cancer survivors experiencing cancer treatment-related hot flushes and night sweats, I found that when stress reduced, troubling symptoms reduced as well. This includes sleep problems, anxiety, low mood, and low energy, as well as the bothersome flushes and sweats. And in my work in a hospital-based acupuncture clinic for colorectal cancer survivors, the consultant oncologist frequently commented that patients who had acupuncture were much calmer and coped better with the aftermath of their cancer.

So, if you are living with and beyond cancer, consider having acupuncture to manage stress and improve your quality of life. And if you know someone who is living with and beyond cancer, pass this information on to them.

For more information, check out this infogram https://www.bridgetohealth.co.uk/blog/acupuncture-and-cancer that gives more details on how acupuncture can support cancer survivors to deal with the consequences of cancer treatments, and help them to live well again.

If you would like to book an appointment with Beverley, feel free to contact her.