Adrenal glands produce hormones that help regulate your metabolism, immune system, blood pressure, electrolyte balance, and response to stress. Two types of hormones include:
Chronic stress, such as prolonged physical or emotional stress, can lead to an overstimulation of the adrenal glands, causing them to become fatigued and less able to produce adequate levels of hormones. Our bodies can handle stress for a short period of time. You may know this as "fight or flight" (or a sympathetic nervous system response) where you feel a burst of energy, alertness, and increased critical thinking. After the stressor is resolved, we go back to our calm, restful parasympathetic state.
However, in long term stress this system gets tired and exhausted. Hormones (such as cortisol) drop and we feel "exhausted." This affects our Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (HPA): the central nervous system and the endocrine system adjusting the balance of hormones in response to stress. This is also improperly known as Adrenal Fatigue/Exhaustion. HPA exhaustion can result from long-term stress, lack of sleep, poor diet or eating irregularly, excessive caffeine consumption, chronic illness, work stress, light exposure, environmental toxins, emotional stress, anxiety and other factors that can place a strain on the body.
One of the ways to see how your adrenal glands are doing is to test your stress hormone levels including cortisol, cortisone, creatinine, DHEA, DHEA-s, neurotransmitter metabolites, and other relevant metabolites. I love using the DUTCH test for this, which can include dry urine samples or saliva samples.
HPA Exhaustion is treated by looking at the WHOLE system. First we balance the body chemistry with the appropriate foods that fit your constitution (I love using Chinese medicine principles for this). When your body can absorb nutrients and minerals easily, it doesn't waste energy digesting food.
Next I use herbs and supplements to help balance your cortisol and stress response. Other modalities such as acupuncture and homeopathy help the body reboot its nervous system and allow for deep relaxation as well as organ system balance. I also help you learn how to rewire your stress response in your body using emotionally focused acupuncture, hypnotherapy, breathing and cognitive restructuring.
The Comprehensive Initial Visit is where we take the time to understand your full picture and build a plan that actually fits your body.
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