2015 Acupuncture Awareness Week – Stress

Theme:  The Management and Treatment of Stress

Acupuncture Awareness Week was held from 2nd to 8th March 2015.  The theme of this week was to promote Acupuncture in general and specifically this year to promote the benefits of acupuncture in the treatment and management of stress related illnesses.

Stress is the feeling of being under too much mental or emotional pressure and can have a significant impact on a person’s mental and physical well-being.  Many of life’s demands, work, relationships, illness, major life events and financial problems, can cause stress.  Stress can manifest as symptoms, such as, anxiety, depression and physical pain.  The prognosis is good for treatment with acupuncture.

Anxiety is an emotional disorder caused usually be fear.  The main symptom is difficulty falling asleep or related sleep disturbance.   Other symptoms can include restlessness, poor concentration, agitation, fatigue, sweating, palpitations, dizziness and skin sensitivity.

Depression, of the non clinical type, can give rise to low spirit and over anxiousness. It has a slow gradual progress and the chief symptom is insomnia together with poor appetite and lassitude.  Work performance is less effective.  Speech and movement are decreased. Low self-esteem is often a feature of depression.

Physical pain in the body due to stress can often manifest as neck, shoulder or back pain, muscle tension, epigastric discomfort, chest pain, numbness, cold extremities, headaches, migraines, etc.

Essential to any acupuncture treatment plan would be a recommendation to get physically active and have a healthy nutritious diet.

Acupuncture Awareness Week 2015 was officially launched by Minister of State, Kathleen Lynch, TD, and the Chinese Ambassador to Ireland, His Excellency Mr Jianguo Xu, in the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland.