Part 2. How the Body Reflects Stress and Feelings During Acupuncture: Hyperarousal and Hypoarousal
Welcome back to Part 2 of our series on how body reflects stress and emotions during acupuncture session. In our last post, we touched upon how our body and mind hold onto the very thing they need to let go. Before we start the second part of this series, I want to invite you to think about what stress means and what kind of cause and effect it has in your life.
For me, stress is part of life happenings.
A healthy dose of short-term stress can be incredibly beneficial, acting as a catalyst for growth, resilience, and even evolution. It’s what pushes us to adapt, learn and overcome challenges. However, there’s another side to the coin.
When stress becomes chronic, accumulating over extended periods without adequate recovery, or when we face complex, overwhelming experiences that our mind and body aren’t equipped to process in the moment, it transforms from a beneficial force into a source of significant disruption, even destruction, within our delicate system.
This chronic stress is something I understand deeply on a personal level.
My own journey with it began even before birth, as an unplanned child to my parents. The immense stress my developing self absorbed during my mother’s difficult decision left a profound mark on my mind, body, and spirit. This deep-seated impact remained until my adult self acquired the intellectual and physical means to finally address it.
At my acupuncture practice, I often observe two primary ways that clients’ bodies respond to these deeper, unprocessed stressors: through hyperarousal or hypoarousal. These are essentially two sides of the same coin, representing the nervous system’s attempts to cope with perceived threat.
Hypoarousal: The “Freeze” response
On the other end of the spectrum is hypoarousal, often referred to as the “freeze” response. This occurs when the perceived threat is too overwhelming to fight or flee, or when previous attempts to do so have been unsuccessful. In this state, the body conserves energy and may appear numb, disconnected, or shut down. Symptoms can include:
fatigue
dissociation
emotional numbness
a sense of hopelessness
and a feeling of being “stuck” or heavy.
It’s a primal survival mechanism, but when chronic, it can lead to depression, chronic fatigue, and a general lack of vitality.
Hyperarousal: The “Fight or Flight” Response
Hyperarousal is what most people typically associate with stress. It’s the classic “fight or flight” response, where your sympathetic nervous system kicks into high gear. Think of:
a sudden jolt of adrenaline
a racing heart
shallow breathing
heightened senses
and an overwhelming urge to either confront a threat or escape it
In this state, your body is ready for action – ready to defend itself or flee to safety. While useful in acute danger, chronic hyperarousal can lead to:
persistent anxiety
panic attacks
insomnia
irritability
and a feeling of always being “on edge”
During my time in my mother’s womb, my developing self was already experiencing a constant, chaotic shift between hyperarousal and hypoarousal states. It’s perhaps no surprise that my mother often described my younger years as a hypersensitive, big with emotions often comes with stubbornness, and frequently sick with a cold or flu – a clear manifestation of an overwhelmed system.
The Body Remembers: A Client’s Story
I recall a particularly insightful case involving a client who sought acupuncture for panic attacks and persistent insomnia. She had a demanding career in law enforcement, frequently dealing with high-stressful emergency situations. Eventually, she left that challenging role for a seemingly more peaceful position in retail.
When I inquired if her symptoms began during her stressful law enforcement job, she responded, “Oddly, no. They started on a relatively peaceful weekend after I had already left that job.” This observation alone speaks volumes about the delayed onset of trauma symptoms.
Her acupuncture sessions with me were also quite telling. During treatments where I worked on her anterior (front) side, she described the experience as profoundly relaxing, one of the most soothing body therapies she had ever received. However, in her third session, soon after the needles were inserted into the point on her posterior (back) side, she panicked.
“Why did she become hyperaroused on her back side, not the front?” I wondered. In her own words, she explained, “All of a sudden, the needle insertion felt like an attack on my back by an unknown presence. I wanted to run away but felt completely frozen in my position on the table.” This was a powerful moment, revealing both hyperarousal (wanting to run) and hypoarousal (feeling frozen) co-existing.
This client’s experience highlights a crucial point: it was a clear case of unprocessed trauma surfacing when we began working on her body – specifically, the area where the tissue held the memory of past physical and emotional stress from her previous job.
My immediate recommendation was for her to seek a trauma counselor, encouraging her to explore and process the moments in her former career when she felt overwhelmed, fearful, and/or powerless.
Healing Begins with Curiosity
As a trauma-informed acupuncturist, my greatest intention is to create a space where you can become curious—not just about your physical symptoms, but about the deeper energetic patterns that may be driving them. In this space, you are met with understanding, presence, and the freedom to express whatever arises.
Too often, we’re taught to view physical discomfort or illness as something random or broken - something that needs to be “fixed” or fought off. But what if, instead, we approached our symptoms as messengers? What if pain and tension were the body’s way of signaling unresolved stress, unprocessed trauma, or unmet emotional needs?
Modern neuroscience supports this perspective. Studies have shown that chronic stress and trauma can keep the nervous system locked in a state of hypervigilance - what researchers call “sympathetic dominance.” This state, when prolonged, disrupts digestion, sleep, immune function, and emotional regulation. For true healing to take place, our nervous system must shift into what’s known as the “parasympathetic” state - where rest, repair, and restoration can occur (Porges, 2011; van der Kolk, 2014).
But this healing isn't just physical. It involves the entire landscape of our being: our thoughts, emotions, mind, and spirit. Just as nature moves through cycles of growth, dormancy, and renewal, our bodies and minds are designed to follow similar rhythms. When we honor this natural flow - alternating between activation (sympathetic) and deep rest (parasympathetic) we create the conditions for real, sustainable healing.
The first step is awareness. Simply becoming curious about your symptoms, rather than judging or suppressing them, opens the door to healing.
If you’ve ever wondered how past experiences, stress, or trauma might be affecting your body, thoughts, emotions, mind, and/or spirit, I warmly invite you to explore this connection through gentle, meditative acupuncture. You don’t have to figure it all out alone. Healing is not only possible - it is your body’s natural state, waiting to be remembered. You are welcome here, just as you are.
