Stress Management and Chinese Medicine

There are many factors in life that can stress the body and mind—the environment, pathogens, external events, interpersonal relationships, and emotions. An inability to adapt to these challenges, rather than stress alone, is what may lead to illness. A practitioner of Chinese Medicine does not treat stress per se, but can help people who may be stuck in the process of change or experiencing too much pain as they go through it.

While Chinese Medicine is often used to alleviate the pain and inflammation associated with stressors, it can do more than simply provide anesthesia. While acupuncture can activate endorphins so a person can bear pain without excessive suffering, a certain awareness should remain on the places that hurt in the body. By bringing the person's attention to the problem and responding appropriately, we keep the process of change moving and thereby help prevent disease.

Observing Acute Responses

When someone undergoes acute stress, the body employs more Wei Qi, energy that responds to the environment. Wei Qi characteristics parallel the alarm phase of the general adaptation syndrome (GAS) formulated by physiologist Hans Selye: energy rises to the face, blood pressure elevates, oxygen consumption increases.

In the acute phase, the practitioner should evaluate the Sinew channels, the tendinomuscular terrain which carries Wei Qi. If the patient responds to change by becoming hyper-active, the practitioner should address the Tai Yang Sinew channels (Bladder and Small Intestine). If he or she experiences lots of uncertainty and cannot decide what to do, the Shao Yang pair (Gall Bladder and Triple Energizer) should be addressed. Or, if the person cannot do anything—energy is moving toward the interior—activating the Yang Ming zone (Stomach and Large Intestine) would be indicated. Essential oils of melissa or hyssop, which help clear excess heat in Wei Qi, would be good choices for a massage blend or point stimulation.

Change that occurs suddenly and unpredictably resembles the movement of Wind, and is referred to as such in Chinese Medicine. Wind can invade the body like any other pathogenic factor, with the upper and outer aspects most vulnerable. The muscles in the neck, jaw and shoulders tighten as the body attempts to prevent what is unwelcome from going deeper.

Wind can be addressed by using the Windows to the Sky points, a group of ten acupuncture points mostly in the neck that are frequently used together. The Windows to the Sky points help relax the upper body, and open the person to new possibilities.

Deeper Phases

During the resistance phase of the GAS, the brain generates substances to reduce stress, a measure of how well we are adapting. If we are seeking body-mind adaptogenic strategies, meditation cannot be overlooked. Meditation provides relief from the inner voice that constantly tells us what to do, and brings in images that facilitate healing. Images can help people overcome feelings of helplessness, and provide a ray of hope. Bringing a person into the moment, as meditation does, also activates Wei Qi and prevents stagnation.

Since this stage begins to involve deeper aspects of the body, the practitioner may want to address movement of Qi within the Qiao Vessels. Qiao means bridge and refers to the connection these channels make between our inner world and external world, helping us adjust so the meeting of the two can be more harmonious.

Long Term Changes

If stress continues unabated, the depletion of energy affects all systems. The Liver no longer moves Qi nor harmonizes emotions. The Spleen loses its ability to provide energy that supports mental focus. Kidney Yang, a source of energy for all of the internal organs, becomes exhausted. What Chinese Medicine calls depletion, Western Medicine may call depression or neurasthenia, with its corresponding symptoms of chaotic emotional state, lethargy, and lack of drive.

The functions of the Liver and Spleen are closely associated with stress management issues. The Liver will be important in restoring the flow of Wei Qi. A practitioner might help a person rebuild strength and feel more centered by tonifying the Spleen and Stomach energy. While eating easily digestible food helps the process, making time to eat slowly and rest after a meal is just as important.

Life changing situations that occur uninvited may cause suffering in patients. Feelings such as loss and sorrow are normal responses we should honor by not forcing change too quickly. We can help patients by supporting them as they find new ways to reconnect to the world at their own pace. Though difficult, stressful events are part of life's dynamic forces of opposition, and provoke us to expand, grow stronger and explore new paths.

Glossary of Terms

Non-toxic therapies that work to naturally support vital functions of the human system as they compensate for adverse conditions.

Naturally occurring chemical messengers (peptides) in the body which have morphine-like properties that suppress pain.

One of the six external climatic factors that cause disease. Also used symbolically to represent heightened reactions to change.

An abnormal condition characterized by nervous exhaustion and vague functional fatigue, often following depression.

Two of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels—Yin Qiao Mai and Yang Qiao Mai—that represent, at the constitutional level, our stance in relation to the world and ourselves.

Twelve Sinew Channels carry Wei Qi through a tendinomuscular terrain in the body. The Sinews are paired according to muscle function: Tai Yang (Bladder and Small Intestine) moves the body forward, Shao Yang (Gall Bladder and Triple Energizer) activates rotation in space, and Yang Ming (Stomach and Large Intestine) moves things in toward the body.

A strategy to strengthen, supplement or vitalize Qi, Blood, Essence, or Fluids.

Wei Qi—the protective energy which flows on the surface of the body—responds to exogenous factors, some of which may be pathogenic.