What do you think would happen if you kept your car in park and the engine revving as if it was traveling at 65 miles per hour?

Clearly, after a short time your car would break down. If you were lucky, a simple tune-up would fix the problem. If not, the engine might need to be replaced entirely.

Stress is a revving engine that, if left unchecked, can wear out the body and mind. Stress in our professional, personal, financial and social lives can lead to a variety of signs and symptoms of poor health.

Stress increases our body’s production of cortisol and adrenaline. These body chemicals help activate the “fight or flight” response, a normal reaction that is designed to prepare the body to flee danger or fight an attacker.

Unfortunately, many modern stressors are chronic and end up activating the “fight or flight” response for weeks, months, or years at a time. This long-term activation of the body’s stress-response system can wear down the body and mind, setting the stage for illness and disease. Especially suppressing the immune system and increasing your risks of catching colds, flus, and worsening your current allergic reactions.

The good news is that acupuncture and Chinese medicine can be extremely helpful in reducing the signs and symptoms associated with stress. Using special techniques, a skilled acupuncturist can reduce stress in a few ways:

1) A customized Chinese herbal prescription can help restore internal health and balance, thus “slowing the engine down.”

2) Safe, gentle and effective acupuncture treatments can help “turn off” the fight or flight response and can enable you to feel calmer and sleep more soundly.

3) Suggestions for a healthy lifestyle, including proper nutrition, meditation, rest and exercise will enable you to maintain a long term healthy lifestyle.

One of the unique attributes of Chinese medicine is its holistic approach to health and well-being. Instead of masking or addressing a few signs and symptoms related to stress, an acupuncturist cares for the whole person: body and mind.

Stop revving your engine! If you or someone you know is experiencing stress, please call the Marlborough Wellness Center. For five thousand years, acupuncture has helped millions of people cool their engines before they burned out!