Stress Management Programs And Meditation

Stress management programs like Transcendental Meditation should be implemented to help manage coronary heart disease in patients, according to a new editorial written by a Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute physician, C. Noel Bairey Merz, M.D., and published in Archives of Internal Medicine. Acupuncture and other TCM therapies can treat symptoms of stress including: Headaches, pain, fatigue, sleep disorders, mood swings, allergies, sinus conditions, and reproductive disorders.

Bairey Merz is calling upon medical centers to institute stress management programs to improve health in heart patients. Effective stress management programs could be as effective as beta-blocker drugs in improving health outcomes for the more than 13 million coronary heart disease patients in the U.S.

The commentary is in response to a new, nine-year trial that concluded coronary heart disease patients who practiced the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique had nearly 50 percent lower rates of serious coronary heart disease events compared to patients enrolled in a health education group. The study was conducted at the Medical College of Wisconsin in collaboration with the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management in Iowa.

A comprehensive treatment plan including relaxation, exercise, lifestyle changes, and acupuncture therapy can be very effective in managing stress-related health conditions. Acupuncture alleviates stress by:

• Releasing endorphins, the body’s natural pain-killing chemicals.
• Decreasing heart rate and blood pressure.
• Relaxing muscles.
• Improving blood circulation and oxygenating tissues.

In comparison to conventional therapies and medications for stress management, acupuncture is a safe, non-invasive and drug free therapy.

Acupuncture & Massage College’s Community Clinic offers acupuncture, massage therapy and herbal medicine for the treatment of a wide range of health conditions as well as for overall wellness. To schedule an appointment call (305) 595-9500. For information about AMC’s Oriental Medicine and Massage Therapy programs ask for Joe Calareso, Admissions Director. July 31.