Last week, I treated a longtime patient—a member of the press corps. I am sure you can imagine what is going on in their world these days:
They came in to my downtown Washington, DC office after an unusually crazy news week, and before they said a word, I could see it: shoulders up by their ears, jaw tight, holding their breath. Same pattern I see all the time.
And then they said it:
“I think I’m just stressed.”
Most people think anxiety lives in their head.
It doesn’t.
It lives in the body.
Where Stress Shows Up In the Body
Some of the most obvious places we hold stress:
- Low back
- Neck and shoulders
- Headaches
- Jaw tension
- Trouble sleeping
- Even digestion… like constipation
I see it every day—neck and shoulder tension that won’t let go, headaches that show up like clockwork, that constant low-level hum of feeling “on.”
You can talk yourself through it all you want.
But your body is still sitting there… braced.
What Happens When Stress Stays in the Body
Over time, this can wear down your immune system, make your body more prone to injury and overuse, and keep everything just… stuck.
And this is where most people get frustrated.
They’re functioning. They’re pushing through.
But nothing ever really resets.
Massage Therapy is a Great Start!
Massage therapy can be incredibly helpful for stress and anxiety.
It releases tension.
It helps your body let go.
It gives you that moment where everything finally softens.
But for some people, it doesn’t always hold.
That tightness comes back.
The shoulders creep back up.
The cycle continues.
Why I Combine Massage Therapy With Acupuncture
This is where treatment needs to shift.
In my practice, I often recommend massage therapy with acupuncture—and the order matters.
I have my massage therapists start first, because it opens everything up and begins to unwind those deeply held patterns.
Then I follow with acupuncture to help the body actually hold onto that change and “seal in” the progress.
Massage helps the body let go.
Acupuncture helps reset the system so it doesn’t just snap right back.
Treating Anxiety Through the Body
Most of the people I see are functioning “just fine.”
They’re working, showing up, getting things done.
They’re just doing it with a body that never really turns off.
If that sounds familiar, it’s more changeable than it feels.
You’re Not Imagining It
If your body always feels a little “on,” even when you don’t want it to be, you’re not imagining it—and you’re definitely not the only one.
If you’re dealing with chronic stress, anxiety, or tension that keeps coming back, this is exactly the kind of pattern I see every day—and it’s usually more fixable than people think.