Contact your GP first
With sudden severe pain, loss of strength or sensation, fever, shortness of breath, chest pain, unexplained weight loss, symptoms after an accident or when you feel seriously ill.
AQINESIS - CONDITIONS
Fatigue that rest does not lift
Poor sleep despite being tired. A mind that will not switch off. Physical tension that never fully lets go. With stress and burnout the nervous system stays "on" for too long and needs help to return to a state of rest. Acupuncture and Cesar Exercise Therapy work together on exactly that switch.
Does this feel familiar?
Conditions that
apply to you
People who come with stress, burnout or overload often recognise:
Exhaustion that does not lift despite rest and sleep
Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or waking far too early
Tense or shallow breathing, sometimes hyperventilation
A racing heart or a restless feeling in the chest
A head that always feels "full", trouble concentrating
Stimuli (noise, crowds, people) coming in too hard
Tense jaw, shoulders or a knot in the stomach
The feeling of no longer being able to switch off
When the body stays alert
Stress in itself is not a problem; the nervous system handles short peaks well. It becomes a problem when the system stays in the “on” position for too long without truly recovering.
The sympathetic system stays switched on. The part of the nervous system that prepares us for action is meant for short mobilisation. With chronic stress this branch is often active too long, and the parasympathetic, resting part gets less chance to take over. The body stays alert, sometimes even at night.
The pattern becomes the default. What started as a response to a busy period can come to feel familiar to your body after months. Breathing stays high and shallow, shoulders do not drop easily, digestion can react and sleep becomes light. This is not exaggeration; prolonged stress can become clearly noticeable in sleep, breathing, muscle tension and recovery.
Burnout takes time. If you have pushed past your limits for a long time, recovery usually does not come from trying even harder. It asks for rest, boundaries and gradual rebuilding. My work can support this, but does not replace guidance from a GP, psychologist or occupational physician when that is needed.
How I work
With stress symptoms the combination of acupuncture and Cesar Exercise Therapy can be valuable, because both work through the body from different entry points.
Acupuncture invites rest. Through specific points, especially on the abdomen, ear and lower legs, I help the body shift towards relaxation. Many people notice their breathing becomes calmer and the body softens. For some, an acupuncture session is the first real moment of rest in weeks.
Cesar Exercise Therapy teaches the body to rest again. Using the Van Dixhoorn method, a Dutch breathing and relaxation therapy, you learn to recognise your breathing, adjust it and use it as a tool. Not as an exercise you add on, but as a way to move through your day. We also practise body awareness: learning to notice when tension builds before you get completely stuck.
With burnout, timing matters. In the acute phase the focus is mainly on stabilising, rest and recovery. Cesar Exercise Therapy often comes later, once the body can handle the exercises. I regularly work alongside a psychologist, GP or occupational physician; we complement each other rather than replace one another.
Evidence-informed
There is research into acupuncture for stress-related symptoms, sleep and wellbeing. Breathing and relaxation therapy is also defensible when tension, breathing and recovery influence each other. This does not mean the approach works for everyone, but it can be a serious support within a broader recovery process.
What you can expect
The length of a stress or burnout process differs greatly per person. With burnout, recovery is often a matter of months, and I am one of the building blocks rather than the whole treatment.
Acupuncture: some people experience more calm during or after a session. Improvement in sleep or energy usually comes gradually and cannot be predicted. We do not build towards “performing”, but towards “being able to let go”.
Cesar Exercise Therapy: breathing and relaxation exercises take practice. The first sessions mainly bring insight and awareness. After that we look at which small steps are realistic in your daily life. What I do not promise: that the source of stress disappears or that burnout is quickly over. What I do: support calmly, help you slow down and look together at which small steps are achievable.
“It was the first moment in weeks that my body did not have to perform.”
Frequently asked questions
Yes, in fact I often recommend it. Acupuncture and Cesar Exercise Therapy work on the body and nervous system; psychological guidance works on thoughts, behaviour and recovery strategy. The two strengthen each other. If you wish, I can exchange information with other practitioners, provided you give permission.
Yes, and it is not assessed as "working". Many people in reintegration processes do this specifically to support recovery. Do discuss it with your occupational physician and make sure you can manage it, since a session does ask something of you.
That differs per situation. With mild stress symptoms it is sometimes clearer sooner what helps; with overload or burnout, more time and phasing are usually needed, first stabilising, then carefully rebuilding. We evaluate along the way whether the approach gives enough support.
Discuss first?
Sometimes it is best to discuss first.
I think it is important that you start in the right place. That is why I explain when you can contact me and when speaking to your GP first is wiser.
Feel free to send me your question
If you are unsure whether acupuncture, Cesar Exercise Therapy or the combination fits. Also if you are already receiving treatment, use medication, are pregnant or mainly want to know where you can start safely.
I will think along honestly
During the initial consultation I look at what is appropriate. If my approach is not the right first step, I will say so and think along about a logical next step.
Would you like to discuss your situation?
You do not need to know exactly which treatment is right. Send me your question; I will think it through with you personally.
or call 06-30035299