Stress. Everyone thinks it just means those times when everything seems too rushed or out of control. The kids are crying, the boss is yelling, the clients are threatening to leave, the lines of traffic…these are all stress inducing situations.

Stress is really more than that. Stress is created when our bodies inhale toxins in the air, eat foods or drink caffeine. Stress is what we think and feel. We are each responsible for the amount of stress in our lives.

As a result of stress, the body reacts by increasing the production of certain hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol. These chemicals help the body deal with stress. The thing is that the way our lifestyles are these days, we are unable to do anything to diffuse or get rid of the stress and get rid of the excess chemicals from the stress reaction. An animal in the wild when under stress such as being chased by a predator will shake for awhile (if not caught) to release the stress from their bodies. The flight or fight reaction guides their bodies.

Stress isn’t necessarily all bad. We need a certain amount of stress to grow and learn. It is when stress becomes internalized and held inside the body rather than released, that the problems begin. Your muscles respond to stress by contracting to prepare for the attack. They tighten and constrict veins, arteries and nerves. That puts more pressure on the heart. Someone with low cholesterol and high stress has just as much, if not more of a chance of heart problems because of the extra pressure on the heart to pump more blood when the circulation is restricted due to muscle tension.

The muscle contraction may also cause problems of it’s own…strains/sprains, repetitive strain syndromes, herniated discs, back and neck pain. Our bodies are amazing at compensating for stress. We can keep going until one day you bend over to pick up a pencil and you can’t stand up straight or you turn you head to look at your co-worker and you can’t turn it back. This really is telling you that the amount of stress you have is in the overload phase!

As a massage therapist, I often see clients who often come in with such late stages of stress held in their body I often think that it is a wonder we can even walk or function at all under all of this stress.

We are stuck in the flight or fight mode until we do something to release that stress. Movement, exercise and massage rate high on the list of reducing these stressors.

Massage can help relax tight muscles and teach you to be more aware of when they are starting to contract and build up tension. Awareness is one of the first steps in working toward making changes in you lifestyle. As you become more aware of the way you hold and store stress in your body, you can consciously begin to make the changes in your lifestyle that are needed.

Stress left unchecked really is what is the cause of most disease and injury.

Tuning into your body with the help of a good massage therapist who is able to help you interpret the message of the pain or stiffness in your body will be your best tool for living a long and healthy life.

Julie Onofrio, LMP
Seattle, WA
http://www.thebodyworker.com
http://www.massagepracticebuilder.com

Tags: Stress Reduction