06/05/2025
Ever notice that after a long period of stress, when you finally slow down, you get hit with headaches, fatigue, or even a cold?
In Western medicine, this is often called the let-down effect — a sudden crash of exhaustion or illness that happens after the stress ends. But what’s really going on in your body?
Why does this happen after, and not during stress?
When you’re under stress, your body releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, keeping you in “fight or flight” mode. This helps you stay alert and energized, even masking symptoms like pain, inflammation, and immune responses. But once the stress fades and you finally rest, those hormones drop, and the body shifts into “rest and repair” mode.
This sudden shift can reveal the wear and tear:
• Inflammation that was suppressed during stress now resurfaces.
• Your immune system, which was suppressed, becomes weak or overactive.
• The tension or energy depletion you didn’t feel before now hits full force.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this is seen as a disruption of the body’s Qi. The Liver Qi may stagnate after prolonged stress, or the Wei Qi (defensive energy) becomes depleted. The body’s energy needs time to restore balance after the stress has passed, and that’s when symptoms like headaches, fatigue, and colds tend to appear.
How can acupuncture help?
Acupuncture works by:
✔ Moving stagnant Liver Qi
✔ Strengthening Spleen Qi for energy and digestion
✔ Boosting Wei Qi to support immune resilience
✔ Easing tension and inflammation that builds up after stress
