At Red Leaf Wellness, we believe in taking a holistic approach to improving overall health and satisfaction in life.

While medical treatments are available to deal with stress and anxiety, we focus on combining the best of ancient Eastern and modern Western medicine to help our patients overcome the symptoms and causes of stress and anxiety.

That’s not to say that traditional medications and psychological therapies are not effective in combatting stress and anxiety – but it’s important that those who suffer from these challenges understand that there are many options available.

And, with such a variety available, it’s easier to find an approach that meets your unique needs!

If you are exploring alternative methods of battling the stress and anxiety in your life, here is more information on how treatments such as acupuncture, massage, Reiki and osteopathy can help you on your journey:

 

What Causes Stress and Anxiety?

Stress occurs when a demand is placed on your mind and/or body, especially when multiple demands compete for your attention. It can also be triggered by a situation that causes you to feel frustrated or nervous

Anxiety, on the other hand, is the feeling of fear or worry. It can be caused in reaction to stress but can also happen when no stress is apparent in your life.

Everyone feels stressed or anxious at some point in their life and experiencing these states is not always bad. Oftentimes, they can help you overcome a challenge or dangerous situation.

However, when stress and anxiety begin to impede your physical health and day-to-day living, they can become an issue that needs to be addressed.

Common symptoms of stress and anxiety include:

• Feeling nervous, restless, agitated, irritable or tense.
• Increased heart rate.
• Sleep disturbances
• Having a sense of impending danger or panic (especially when there is nothing happening to justify it).
• Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation).
• Sweating, trembling and/or feeling weak.
• Social avoidance
• Having trouble concentrating or thinking beyond your present worry.

Constantly dealing with these symptoms can make living difficult. Luckily, there are holistic treatment options available to help alleviate the symptoms of stress and anxiety.

 

Acupuncture for Stress and Anxiety

In ancient Chinese medicine, energy called Qi is seen as a chemical reaction in our bodies that regulate our overall health through pathways called meridians.

When our Qi’s flow is disrupted or blocked, by causes such as stress and anxiety, our systems begin to suffer.

The practice of acupuncture involves inserting needles half a millimeter away from the nerves at specific points of the body to restore your Qi’s balance and promote relief.

This helps to regular the “happy” neurotransmitters in your brain and decrease the ones that cause stress and lower blood pressure (which can contribute to anxiety).

Red Leaf Wellness offers acupuncture therapies to help patients feel more balanced and less stressed and anxious.

 

Massage for Stress and Anxiety

Patients of massage therapy will tell you how the knowledgeable touch of a therapist will make their cares melt away as they lay upon the table – but massage does so much more than that for managing stress and anxiety!

Massage actually alters the electrical activity in your brain, increases parasympathetic activity and, most importantly when it comes to stress and anxiety, decreases cortisol levels.

Cortisol is a stress hormone that acts as your natural built-in alarm system. It works within your brain to control mood, motivation and fear.

You’ve probably heard of the term “fight or flight” – cortisol is responsible for triggering these reactions when faced with a crisis.

This is a good thing but, after the perception of danger has passed, sometimes that alarm button stays on and you remain under constant stress.

Regular massage therapy can help moderate the levels of cortisol your body produces and eliminate the perpetuating feels of stress and anxiety you feel in your life.

Click here to learn more about Red Leaf’s massage services and the other amazing benefits it can provide!

 

Reiki for Stress and Anxiety

Reiki is a popular Japanese form of alternative medicine. Also known as “energy healing”, it employs specific techniques that transfers universal energy through the palms of the practitioner to the patients as a way of encouraging emotional or physical healing.

It is also a form of guided meditation that can promote relaxation and balance.

Reiki helps to turn off that “fight or flight” response caused by a spike in cortisol levels and activates the parasympathetic nervous system that quiets the alarm and allows you to return to a neutral state.

This is a hands-off form of therapy but can have amazingly profound effects such as less overall stress and the ability to handle stressful situations more effortlessly. It also helps patients develop a stronger sense of personal power that can help them overcome anxiety as well.

What to learn more? Check out our Reiki services here or one of our other Energy Medicine modalities.

 

Osteopathy for Stress and Anxiety

Osteopathy is a drug-free therapy that helps to improve overall health by strengthening the musculoskeletal system through stretching, massaging and moving the body.

Although osteopathy is used to restore the normal function and stability of your joints, it can also be used to help treat stress and anxiety.

Practicing osteopathy involves intimate knowledge of how the interconnections between the body’s internal systems can have an effect on mental health.

By releasing the pain and tension of the body that is contributing to stress, such as muscle pain, fatigue and restricted digestion, osteopathy can improve these and the symptoms of stress to help you feel a better sense of wellbeing.

Red Leaf Wellness also offers osteopathy services to help with a variety of health issues. Click here to learn more.

There’s a Treatment Option That’s Right For You

With so many treatment options out there available when it comes to managing stress and anxiety, there is one that will suit your unique needs.

Get in touch with us today to explore which therapy is right for you – and start your journey toward healing and better health!