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How does stress affect health?

As a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner in Australia for ten years I was often asked this question by people seeking help for emotional stress and related conditions. According to TCM, a complete, professional medicine system that has evolved over at least 2500 years of consistent use on literally millions of people, stress mainly affects the liver. Depending on each individual person, though, it may also affect the digestive organs, bowels and heart.

In TCM the primary function of the liver is to ensure a smooth flow of qi (vital energy) throughout the body. Stress impedes the free-flow of energy (and blood) causing bodily aches and pains, muscular tension, PMT, painful periods and other problems. The liver has a yin-yang relationship with the gallbladder, so problems involving liver function can affect gallbladder function. As the gallbladder energy meridian runs across the shoulders, up the neck and over the sides of the head, this explains why sufferers of stress often complain of headache and stiffness in the neck and shoulders - their energy (and blood) is not flowing freely causing blockage and pain.

When stress affects digestion it causes such problems as poor appetite, tiredness, bloating, belching and nausea. If the bowels are affected it causes diarrhea and/or constipation and conditions like irritable bowel syndrome. When the heart is affected by stress it causes anxiety, palpitations and poor sleep.

How does stress affect lifestyle?

In addition to the question of "How does stress affect health?", there's the related one of "How does stress affect lifestyle?". There's no single answer here as TCM views each of us as a unique individual with a unique response to stress, i.e. what one person considers to be a highly stressful situation may be of little or no concern to someone else. Some people experience the occasional stress headache that is never really bad enough to affect their life too much - others get severe, regular migraines, together with nausea, tiredness, anxiety and constipation, which can impact their lives hugely.

As you are a unique individual, the TCM treatment for stress - or any other complaint - is specifically tailored to suit your particular body type, current state of health and other factors unique to you. TCM treatments for stress include acupuncture, herbal medicine, therapeutic massage and dietary and lifestyle advice.

If you're still wondering "How does stress affect health?" and would like to know specifically how TCM can help you deal with stress, you should consult a qualified TCM practitioner, such as an acupuncturist or herbalist.

Matthew Scott is a professionally trained Chinese medicine practitioner from Australia, living in China since 2000. His website http://chinese-holistic-health-exercises.com offers classic, time-tested exercises & techniques to stretch, strengthen, energize, relax, ease pain & improve overall health.