There are lots of day-to-day techniques we can use to help manage stress and anxiety levels, including regular exercise, yoga, mindfulness and getting a good night’s sleep. There are also a range of alternative therapies that can be used alongside these to make a positive difference to mental health and overall wellbeing.
Reflexology
Reflexology is a complementary health therapy that can help with deep relaxation and stress reduction, boosting overall health and resilience. Dating back to Ancient Egypt, India and China, reflexology is based on the theory that different points on the feet, lower leg, hands, face or ears correspond with different areas or organs of the body.
Reflexologists work these points and areas with their hands, aiming to clear congestion and relieve tension to bring the body back into balance and therefore help it work as well as it can. Reflexology is suitable for any age and is an individual treatment; practitioners will tailor their approach to your specific needs, accounting for both physical and non-physical factors that might be affecting your wellbeing. For more information, check out the Association of Reflexologists website.
Homeopathy
Homeopathy involves the prescribing of holistic ‘remedies’ with the aim of triggering the body’s own healing mechanisms. These remedies are specially prepared, highly diluted medicines or tablets, prescribed according to a patient’s specific set of symptoms and overall health. During a homeopathic consultation, the practitioner will work to gain a thorough understanding of your health and the exact symptoms you are experiencing, and will then find a homeopathic remedy that matches you and your symptoms as closely as possible. For more information, take a look at the Society of Homeopath’s website.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medicine-based approach to treating a variety of conditions by triggering specific points on the skin using needles. Fine needles are inserted to stimulate nerve-rich areas of the skin’s surface in order to influence tissues, glands, organs, and various functions of the body for therapeutic or preventative purposes. They work by producing a tiny injury at the insertion site; although minor enough to cause minimal discomfort, this produces a signal to stimulate the immune system, promoting circulation to the area, wound healing and pain relief.
Traditional acupuncture is based on the belief that an energy, or “life force”, known as Qi (pronounced “chee”), flows through the body. Practitioners who use acupuncture in the traditional way believe that when Qi does not flow freely this can cause illness, and that acupuncture can restore the flow of Qi and, in turn, help restore health. Acupuncture can be used to treat a wide range of health conditions including tension headaches and migraines, neck, joint and dental pain, as well as to help change behaviours such as stopping smoking. For more information on acupuncture, visit the NHS website.
With ever increasing levels of stress in everyday life, it’s important for people to have access to alternative therapies as a complement to traditional health care. While these can be expensive, health care cash plans such as Sovereign Health Care’s Good All Round plan support with the cost of treatments including reflexology, homeopathy and acupuncture, so you can explore a range of options to see what suits you.
For more information on Sovereign’s Good All Round cash plan, please check out sovereignhealthcare.co.uk/good-all-round.