Stress and Your Health
Stress and Your Health
At Holistic Physio, we see the effects of stress on our patients every day. While a little stress can keep you motivated, ongoing stress can drain your energy, affect your mood, and lead to long-term health issues. The good news? With the right care, your body and mind can be brought back into balance.
What is Stress?
Stress is the body’s alarm system — a built-in survival mechanism designed to keep you safe. When your brain detects a challenge or danger, it triggers the stress response.
Here’s what happens:
1. The amygdala (fear centre in the brain) sounds the alarm.
2. The hypothalamus tells the adrenal glands to release adrenaline and cortisol.
3. Your body reacts — heart rate speeds up, muscles tighten, breathing becomes shallow, and digestion slows.
4. You feel the symptoms — sometimes this feels like nervous energy, other times like anxiety, fatigue, poor sleep, or headaches.
This is called the fight-or-flight response, and it works well in emergencies. But in modern life, the “threats” are often things like work deadlines, family pressures, or financial worries. They don’t go away quickly, which means your stress response stays switched on.
How Stress Flows Through the Body
- Brain detects a threat → The amygdala alerts the hypothalamus.
- Hormones are released → Adrenaline & cortisol flood the system.
- Body reacts → Heart races, muscles tense, breathing quickens, digestion slows.
- Symptoms appear → Fatigue, poor sleep, anxiety, pain, low immunity.
What are the Causes of Stress?
Stress isn’t caused by one thing — it’s the result of biology, lifestyle, and environment all interacting.
Biological Causes
- Hormonal imbalance – The stress hormone system (HPA axis) can become overactive or exhausted.
- Immune changes – Stress triggers inflammation and lowers immune defences.
- Mitochondrial strain – Constant stress drains energy at the cellular level.
- Sleep disruption – Cortisol at night blocks melatonin, worsening insomnia.
Psychological Causes
- Perfectionism or negative thinking – How we perceive challenges can magnify stress.
- Past trauma – Early stress can “wire” the nervous system to overreact.
- Mental health conditions – Anxiety, depression, ADHD all heighten stress reactivity.
Lifestyle & Environmental Causes
- Work or study pressure.
- Financial strain.
- Relationship conflict or isolation.
- Technology overload (constant screens, notifications).
- Poor lifestyle habits (lack of exercise, caffeine, alcohol).
In short: stress happens when the demands on your body and mind exceed your ability to cope.
How Can Acupuncture Help with Stress?
Acupuncture has been shown to regulate the nervous system and help the body shift from “fight-or-flight” into “rest-and-digest.” By stimulating points along the meridian system, acupuncture influences circulation, hormone balance, and the release of natural calming chemicals such as endorphins and serotonin.
Research suggests acupuncture can:
- Lower cortisol levels.
- Improve sleep quality.
- Reduce anxiety and tension.
- Support overall emotional wellbeing.
Many patients leave a session feeling deeply relaxed, with benefits that build over time.
How Can Physiotherapy Help with Stress?
Stress often shows up in the body as tight shoulders, headaches, jaw clenching, or back pain. Physiotherapy helps by:
- Releasing muscular tension through hands-on treatment.
- Teaching posture, movement, and breathing techniques that calm the nervous system.
- Supporting physical recovery if stress has led to injury or chronic pain.
By easing the physical strain, physiotherapy creates space for the mind to relax.
How Can Clinical Pilates Help with Stress?
Clinical Pilates combines gentle strengthening with mindful movement and breathwork. It helps reduce stress by:
- Activating the parasympathetic nervous system (the body’s rest mode).
- Improving posture and mobility to relieve pain and tension.
- Building resilience in both body and mind.
Many people find that Pilates becomes a moving meditation, giving them calmness and clarity while improving physical strength.
How Can Chinese Herbal Medicine Help with Stress?
Chinese herbal medicine has been used for centuries to support the body during times of mental and physical strain. Formulas are tailored to each individual, but often work by:
- Nourishing the nervous system.
- Supporting adrenal and hormonal balance.
- Reducing inflammation linked to chronic stress.
- Improving sleep, digestion, and energy.
Modern research supports that certain herbs may regulate cortisol, improve mood, and enhance resilience to stress.
Taking the Next Step
If stress is leaving you tired, tense, or overwhelmed, know that you don’t have to cope alone. At Holistic Physio, we take a whole-body approach — blending Acupuncture, Physiotherapy, Clinical Pilates, and Chinese Herbal Medicine to restore balance and help you feel like yourself again.
Book an appointment today and let’s work together to calm your stress and rebuild your vitality.
Acupuncture at Holistic Physio: Ancient Healing for Modern Stress
At Holistic Physio, we understand the toll that modern life takes on the body. Chronic stress, fatigue, poor sleep, and emotional strain are increasingly common – and often interconnected. That’s why we offer acupuncture as part of our “whole-body approach” to healing, helping clients restore balance and vitality from the inside out.
What Is Acupuncture and Why It Works
Rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is a time-tested therapy that stimulates the body’s natural healing response. By gently inserting ultra-fine needles into specific points along energy pathways (meridians), we help regulate the nervous system, improve circulation, and reduce inflammation. It’s not just about symptom relief – it’s about treating the root cause of imbalance.
Stress Relief and Holistic Recovery
Acupuncture is especially effective for stress-related conditions such as anxiety, insomnia, digestive issues, and chronic pain. At Holistic Physio, we use acupuncture to calm the mind, regulate cortisol levels, and support parasympathetic recovery. Clients often report deeper sleep, improved mood, and a renewed sense of clarity after treatment.
Bridging Ancient Wisdom with Modern Wellness
Unlike conventional treatments that focus on isolated symptoms, acupuncture encourages the body to heal itself. It’s a gentle yet powerful therapy that aligns perfectly with our integrated care model – combining physiotherapy, herbal medicine, and clinical Pilates to support long-term wellness.
Led by Sandra Tan, our clinic blends decades of experience with genuine compassion. Whether you’re dealing with chronic pain, burnout, or emotional fatigue, acupuncture at Holistic Physio offers a safe, effective path to recovery. It’s more than a treatment – it’s a reconnection to your body’s natural rhythm and resilience.