Summer Stress Relief: How Acupuncture Can Help You Unwind
Summer has arrived this year with some searing temperatures! It’s the season for relaxing with family and friends in the outdoors and enjoying walks in nature. However, for many busy professionals, parents, and commuters living across Surrey, the reality of the summer months can be overwhelming. Balancing the school holidays, managing heavy work deadlines before annual leave and dealing with disrupted routines (and disrupted South Western train timetables!), can cause stress levels to spike. This may trigger feelings of anxiety.
At my Surbiton acupuncture clinic, I help patients using traditional acupuncture for stress relief and work to support your overall emotional wellbeing in Southwest London.
The Traditional Chinese Medicine Perspective: Liver Qi Stagnation
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), emotional and physical health are deeply interconnected. Rather than viewing stress or anxiety as purely mental states, TCM looks at how stress disrupts the smooth flow of Qi (the body’s natural vital energy).
The organ system most sensitive to emotional strain, frustration, and a hectic lifestyle is the Liver.* In Chinese medicine theory, the Liver is responsible for keeping Qi moving freely throughout the entire body. When we experience chronic pressure this energy can become blocked; rather like pressure building up in a pressure cooker. This is referred to as Qi Stagnation.
Patients coming to my Surbiton practice may mention the following, which can be signs of Liver Qi stagnation in TCM:
- Emotional Tension: Feeling easily irritated, frustrated, “wired but tired,” or experiencing erratic mood changes.
- Physical Constraints: A tight chest, feeling a “knot” in the throat or stomach, or jaw clenching and tight shoulders.
- Disrupted Sleep: Waking up frequently, often between 1a.m. and 3 a.m.
How Acupuncture May Help
Acupuncture for stress relief focuses on gently smoothing this stagnant energy, by selecting specific acupuncture points on the body, mainly on the lower leg and on the arms and hands. These points are traditionally used to allow Qi to flow more easily and help ease tension.
A Convenient Acupuncture space for the A3 Corridor
You don’t need to travel into central London to find high-quality, traditional care. My practice is centrally located in Surbiton (KT6), making it a highly accessible acupuncture space for the local community. It is a calm and welcoming space (with air conditioning), which is a welcome respite in these high temperatures.
Because the clinic is situated just minutes from Surbiton station and the A3, I regularly welcome clients seeking acupuncture for anxiety and stress relief from nearby Kingston upon Thames, Esher, Claygate, and Epsom. I am also a straightforward drive or train journey for patients coming from further down the line in Cobham, Hersham and Guildford.
*Chinese medicine uses terms like “Liver”, “Spleen” and “Kidneys” in a different way to Western Medicine. These names describe patterns of function and balance within the body, rather than the physical organs themselves. If these terms are mentioned during treatment it does not mean there is a medical problems with your liver, spleen kidneys or other organs. They are part of the diagnostic language used in Chinese medicine.