Insomnia
Insomnia
Insomnia and sleep problems are conditions that often respond well to integrative therapies. Different therapeutic modalities are like different languages that your body speaks – the key is to find the right language (or combination of languages) that your body will listen to. At Stepping Stone Acupuncture & Wellness, we offer many services that can benefit patients suffering from insomnia, either as stand-alone therapies or in combination with one another. When it comes to holistic medicine, we find that the whole is often greater than the sum of the parts.
Acupuncture involves the insertion of single-use, sterile, solid needles into specific acupuncture points on the body to reduce tension and pain, overcome disease, and rebalance the body. Your acupuncturist will work with you to determine the underlying cause of your insomnia from a Chinese Medicine perspective, and your treatments will be tailored to your individual condition. Additional Chinese Medicine methods such as cupping and gua sha manual therapy may be included in acupuncture sessions, when appropriate. Acupuncture can reduce mental and physical tension, balance hormones, promote relaxation, and change how the nervous system perceives and responds to pain and stress.
Craniosacral Therapy is a gentle hands-on manual therapy technique. The craniosacral system extends from the head (cranium) to the sacrum and includes the central nervous system. A craniosacral therapist can feel and rebalance the rhythm of cerebrospinal fluid flow, which covers your bones, joints, and sutures. Craniosacral Therapy seeks to reset the nervous system, and in turn can reset sleep patterns. It can reduce tension held in the body’s membranes, as well as calm activated nerve fibers between the sutures of the skull, to better promote relaxation and calm.
Chinese Herbal Medicine works on the same principles as acupuncture – but the herbs work from the inside-out, whereas acupuncture works from the outside-in. Herbs are taken in a formula of 2-20 herbs working together to create balance in the body, calm the mind, and boost your body’s natural resources. Formulas are customized to your experience of insomnia – your herbalist will consider when the insomnia began, if it is cyclical, if you always wake at the same time, associated symptoms, and what makes it better or worse. Herbs are prescribed in pills, teas, tinctures, powders, or raw herbs to decoct at home.
A growing body of scientific research shows the benefits of meditation for relaxation, sleep, and managing stress. We offer individual or small group meditation instruction so that you can learn the basics of how to create a home meditation practice for your health and well-being.
Reiki is a Japanese energy healing modality used for stress reduction, relaxation, and promoting healing from chronic illness. When it comes to insomnia, Reiki can both calm the nervous system and quiet the mind to promote more restful sleep, and can also rebalance your body with a goal of alleviating whatever blockage or pathology has been keeping you awake.
A Health Coach is a supportive mentor and wellness guide, who can help you to identify dietary and lifestyle factors that may be contributing to your lack of sleep. Health Coaching sessions focus on looking at all aspects of your lifestyle and how simple changes can improve your sleep, such as diet, exercise, supplements, sleep habits, work stress, and relationships.
In addition to these services, we may also recommend lifestyle modifications to further support you on your journey. We also have a large referral network and may refer out to other specialists as necessary.
Reflexology is a therapeutic treatment in which pressure is applied to particular points and regions of the foot to affect change in the whole body. Reflex points on the feet correspond to different organs and body systems, and by stimulating these points the practitioner can create positive change in a particular system and bring the body back into balance. There are specific areas of the foot that a trained reflexologist can work on that correspond to sleep cycles and insomnia. Also, reflexology has a known calming effect on the system overall, which can help promote restful sleep.