Stress
Everyone experiences stress on a daily basis. What causes one person severe stress, may be a minor source of stress for another.
Causes of Stress
Stress is defined as “a reaction to any internal or external stimuli that upsets normal functioning and disturbs mental or physical health”. Internal conditions such as illness, pain, or emotional conflict; as well as external circumstances, such as a death in the family or financial problems can cause stress. Even positive experiences like a new marriage or job promotion can provoke stress. Long lasting or chronic stress suppress the immune system, which in turn increase the susceptibility to illness, especially to immune-related disorders or cancer. Emotional stress also leads to hormonal imbalances that interfere with immune system function.
Knowing the causes of your stress is an important step to relieving stress. Everyday annoyances can lead to stress-related health problems. While your own daily hassles will vary, the important thing here is the frequency and duration and how you react to them. To gain a better understanding of your daily stressors and how you react to them, try using a stress diary. If you reduce stress, you will help to maintain balance and health. The fact is that something needs to be done to reduce stress levels.
A basic principle in mind and body balance is that chronic stress can contribute to illness, and that relaxation restores the physical and mental functioning that improves one’s health. More important than the stressors themselves is our ability to cope with them.
Meditation has been shown to have a positive effect on immune functions. Meditation is extremely effective in that it slows the breathing rate, increases oxygen consumption, creates a relaxed brain wave rhythm, and increases blood flow. These are effective reactions to reduce stress and tension. Just close your eyes, take a few deep, easy breaths, and recall a time and place when you felt relaxed and peaceful. Maintaining this relaxed state is said to help the body to heal itself. Yoga has been effective to reduce stress and anxiety, lowering blood pressure and heart rate, alleviating pain, providing relief from addictions, and improving memory, intelligence, and motor skills. It can also help your metabolic and respiratory functioning. The concept behind all relaxation therapies is the relationship between mind and body, that when the mind is restless and agitated, the health of the body will be affected. Conversely when the body is ill, mental functioning will decline.
Many symptoms of stress can be explained by examining your diet and nutrient levels. You can reduce stress by avoiding caffeine and food additives; and by eating fresher, whole foods. Limiting simple sugars and alcohol should also be incorporated. Eating the right foods, like superfoods can make a huge difference.
A complete balance of exercise will work in making the body healthier, thus reducing overall stress. Make a plan to exercise everyday and stick to your program! It’s important to understand that the way we think or feel can play a very significant role in our overall health. Reducing stress is necessary to restoring and maintaining good health. Our immune system can be enhanced or suppressed by what we think and how we respond emotionally to everything around us.
Stress and Chiropractic
Some of the most common symptoms of stress that many chiropractors see involve headaches, fatigue, and pain in the neck and back. If left untreated, unhealthy stress could cause more serious problems in the body like high blood pressure, ulcers, and disrupted sleeping patterns. Millions of people are unaware of how stress can be directly tied to these symptoms but can become educated about the correlation through chiropractic care.
Chiropractors who deal with stress management aim to revitalise the body to a healthier state of being. Chiropractic care can assist people who suffer from various problems due to chronic stress. If the body isn’t processing stress in an efficient manner, it suffers consequences later. Chiropractic care is one way to help the body process stress more effectively.