Posted by chiropam on Jun 30, 2009 in Chiropractic
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.
Which one, you may ask….in fact, many of my chiropractic patients ask me all the time which is best. Well, questions like this always depends on the individual and their personal needs. Both Yoga and Pilates work in supporting your body, mainly the muscular system. Core muscle strength is one of the Health Benefits of Yoga and Pilates.
A little background from a chiropractic perspective:
The muscles of the abdomen, the back and the buttocks all support the spine. These are the core muscles. If these core muscles are weak, they often contribute to the root of back pain, especially lower back pain.
Muscles are the spine’s main support system. Strengthening the muscles that support the spine with exercises can assist in preventing, reducing and even eliminating back pain.
Strong abdominal muscles (primarily the deep abs) are as important as strong back muscles for supporting the lower back and preventing lower back pain. Strong quadriceps (front of thigh muscles) are important to prevent back injuries when lifting. Proper lifting techniques involve using your legs. If your legs are weak, you may end up using your back, which can lead to injury.
Shortened muscles can throw the spine out of alignment and cause back pain. Stretching exercises lengthen shortened muscles and help to relieve back pain. Tight back muscles, tight buttocks muscles, and even tight hamstrings (back of thigh muscles) or quadriceps (front of thigh muscles), can affect the alignment of the spine. Stretching the back with stretching exercises also increases mobility of the joints of the spine.
Flexible and strong muscles help maintain proper posture and prevent back strains and sprains.
Here are the basic differences to help give a better understanding between Yoga and Pilates.
Yoga
Yoga is aimed to unite the mind, the body, and the spirit. Yoga’s view is that the mind and the body are one, and that if it is given the right tools and taken to the right environment, it can find harmony and heal itself. Yoga therefore is considered therapeutic. It helps you become more aware of your body’s posture, alignment and patterns of movement. It makes the body more flexible and helps you relax even in the midst of a stress stricken environment. Benefits include feeling more fit, more energetic, balanced and peaceful. Your own body’s weight is used for resistance from one posture into another. There are several different Yoga styles. It boils down to personal preference and individual needs.
One example and a common one is Vinyasa Yoga. Vinyasa Yoga makes use of modified yoga poses that are designed to enhance healing, flexibility and strength of joints. The poses also intend to promote the feeling of well-being and strength. The emphasis of this branch of Yoga practice is on coordinating breath and movement. Practices may also include meditation, reflection, study and other classic elements.
Pilates
Pilates is aimed at reaching similar goals with a series of controlled movements. The major difference is that the Pilates technique has a full complement of mat work, as well as incorporates work on the Pilates machines. The emphasis of the exercises is to strengthen the abdominals, improve posture, stabilise and lengthen the spine, improve balance and overall strength.
Pilates works the whole body, emphasizing control, precision and concentration in both the mind and the body. The focus is on quality not quantity, so movements are not performed rapidly or repeated excessively. The abdominal muscles, lower back and buttocks (”powerhouse”) serve as the centre of all movement, allowing the rest of the body to move freely. This focus on core stabilization makes one stronger from the inside out and is critical for advancement. The low impact nature of Pilates makes it ideal for injury prevention and rehabilitation. The balance between strength and flexibility creates a healthy, vigorous and symmetrical workout for all muscle groups resulting in a leaner, more balanced, and stronger body.
Are you still left with a question of which of these two fitness techniques is right for you? Here’s an answer for you: do them both! You don’t necessarily have to choose. The nature of the techniques makes it easy for them to complement each other. Get the stretch from Yoga and keep it from Pilates. Strengthen your abdominals and watch your poses improve. Join the breathing techniques of Pilates and meditative aspect of Yoga into your daily routine and see the stress of your everyday life begin to dissipate. Both techniques are time-proven and established, and with the help of an experienced instructor, you will surely reach the goals you set up for yourself!
Chiropractic is an art, science and philosophy focusing on a nervous system free from interference to allow the body to reach it’s optimum potential, naturally.
Chiropractic is a main passion and interest in my life. Not only is it my profession, but a way to connect the mind and body; a lifestyle - a natural way to allow your body to heal itself, and so much more. It is about looking at the entire body. Our bodies act as a whole unit - from Above, Down, Inside, Out! I love serving the community and being pro-active in making a difference…both individually and collectively as a whole.
