STRESS

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Stress is often used as a catch-all term, but it is very real and can have a profound impact on both physical and emotional health. Ongoing stress can contribute to a wide range of issues, including anxiety, low mood, high blood pressure, fatigue, weight changes, muscle pain, and difficulties with sleep or concentration. Because stress affects so many systems in the body, learning how to manage it is an important part of protecting long-term health and well-being.

Common symptoms of stress can include irritability, muscle tightness, difficulty concentrating, headaches, and a racing heart. Many people also experience anxiety, low mood, or a sense of mental fog or overwhelm. These symptoms can show up gradually and are often easy to overlook, which is why early support and gentle regulation of the stress response can make a meaningful difference.

What Causes us to Feel Stressed?   

When you face a challenging situation, your body naturally releases stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. This is part of the body’s built-in “fight or flight” response, designed to help you deal with immediate threats. When stress is short-lived, these chemicals are used and the body returns to balance. But when stress is ongoing, or when you can’t act on that response, the body can stay stuck in a heightened state. Over time, this can lead to the familiar physical and emotional symptoms of stress.

In Chinese medicine, emotional well-being and physical health are closely linked. Stress is often associated with tension and restriction within the body, which can affect mood, digestion, sleep, energy levels, and even cause aches or tightness in the chest, shoulders, or ribcage. Rather than viewing stress as “just in the mind,” Chinese medicine recognises it as something that is felt throughout the whole body.

From a modern medical perspective, long-term stress places extra demands on the nervous, hormonal, and cardiovascular systems. Heart rate increases, recovery slows, and the body has less capacity to rest and repair. While some people cope well in short bursts, prolonged stress can overwhelm even the most resilient systems.

Acupuncture aims to help regulate these stress responses, supporting the body’s ability to calm, re-balance, and recover. By addressing both physical tension and emotional strain together, treatment supports overall well-being and helps the body move out of a constant “high alert” state.

Treatments for Stress  

Acupuncture helps the body regain balance by gently supporting its natural regulatory systems, including the nervous system, hormones, and immune function. Modern research shows that acupuncture can stimulate the release of endorphins and other neurotransmitters, helping to reduce pain, calm the nervous system, and improve overall well-being.

Stress plays a significant role in many long-term health concerns, affecting energy levels, digestion, immunity, mood, and sleep. From a Chinese medicine perspective, stress can disrupt how the body processes nutrients, responds to illness, and manages emotional strain. Acupuncture aims to restore balance across these interconnected systems, helping the body become more resilient and better able to cope with everyday demands.

Treatments are designed to calm the body, ease tension, and support recovery, often leaving people feeling more grounded and relaxed. Alongside acupuncture, we consider lifestyle, diet, and daily habits that may be contributing to stress. Zen Shiatsu is also available — a deeply relaxing form of Japanese acupressure and energy-based bodywork.

At Bubbling Spring Acupuncture Clinic, treatments are always tailored to you. Your care may involve a combination of approaches, carefully chosen to reflect your individual symptoms, needs, and goals.

Your practitioner, Helen Trill, may also recommend supportive practices to use at home, including guided meditations and qigong, available through the Jing Self-Care app at no extra cost. Where appropriate, Helen can also prescribe a Su Wen Chinese herbal medicine formula, delivered directly to your door. These high-quality herbal medicines are carefully produced and can only be prescribed by a fully qualified acupuncturist.

Client Feedback 

'From the first treatment, I felt like a new person. Helen takes into account everything that is going on physically and mentally, and adapts treatment accordingly to give great results. Helen has a very calming, sympathetic manner and is happy to answer questions. I am very pleased to have found Helen and wish I had come to her sooner... I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her' C.J.

'I have seen Helen weekly for the last five weeks. I have been going through a real stressful time. I can not recommend Helen highly enough! She has been absolutely brilliant. The acupuncture has helped so much. I feel calmer and more centred. Sleep after a treatment is really good ?. I plan to go once a month now for a top up appointment.' L.S

'Helen is an incredibly knowledgeable and intuitive acupuncturist. My sessions with her have been deeply healing.' J.C.    

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