Stress

 

We all suffer from stress on a regular basis- whether its in the form of a debate, argument, work tasks, financial target and relationships. Stress is good for short term motivation in achieving certain goals. However when prolonged stress occurs the real problems begin to creep in and can quickly cause our health to spiral out of control.

Stress and Muscle Tone – 

In normal circumstances our Cortex (the most highly developed part of the human brain:  responsible for thinking, perceiving, producing, and understanding language. Most information processing occurs here)  controls the amygdala (emotional centre of the brain processing fear, anger, pleasure and determines memory storage), however in times of prolonged stress the amygdala grows and begins to dominate the cortex. Generally the spinal-cord receives descending inhibition* from the cortex, however once the amygdala takes over the cortex this descending inhibition for pain is lost! 

That descending inhibition also control muscle tone, when people get really stressed there is a lack of descending inhibition — resulting in more tension in the muscle tone (e.g. you may feel tension in the back of your shoulders or lower back muscles stiffness) 

Over time of prolonged stress – this unwanted process becomes much more frequent and easier to switch on than previously.  (Was once an ‘A road’, is now essentially a Motorway)

With this constant muscle tightness – we start to compress joints and feel more stiffness in our joints than ever before. However not many of us relate this starting at a very stressful time in life (as that original stressful time may have quietened down, but your body did not). 

Usually it is at this time when people are vulnerable to developing back, neck, shoulder (and many more) pains, as they then continue doing their normal activities although the body may not be ready for it. Or they do not have a clear understanding of what their mind and body is going through, thus thinking bad thoughts about having damaged their bodies, this will only further exemplify the pain experience.

 

Recognise Stress to prevent problems arising 

In order to reduce likelihood of having issues arise, is to recognise how stress presents in your INDIVIDUAL bodies.

These are only SOME ways our bodies may present stress to us. A better way to understand your bodies reaction – is to KEEP a DIARY ?. After a few weeks of having this during a stressful time, both yourself and your healthcare practitioner will have better chance of understanding perhaps how your body manages stress. The more you record the more chance of seeing PATTERNS. These patterns are vital in helping you take down barriers in reaching your potential goals.

Be attuned to your personal physical manifestations of stress (e.g. during stressful times a lot of the stress “can go” to our lower back – and can create lower back pain when we are under a lot of stress), combat this when you begin to recognise early signs of stress and a rise in physical tension.

 

Furthermore, what can you then do to mitigate that? … stretches and certain movement is vital. Try out different ones from our self-help pages or ring in for some advice / consultation. Massage therapy can be very effective, having a handheld tool at home could provide an easy way to help. 

Foam rolling is also a great tool. Another means self-massage, used to release muscle tightness or trigger points. When rolling or working on tight/sore muscles you will experience discomfort or pain. It should be uncomfortable, but not unbearable, and when complete you should feel better.

There are a number of benefits to foam rolling:

• It can be a great warm up before exercise, as it helps to increase the blood flow to your muscles, improving the delivery of oxygen during exercise.
• For this reason, foam rolling after exercise can also improve recovery.
• It is possible to focus on specific problem areas to relieve discomfort from tight muscles.
• It can help to increase your range of motion and flexibility by stretching and lengthening your muscles.
• The process can also stimulate the lymph system, helping your body to eliminate toxins

Overall, foam rolling can help to increase physical ability, reduce stiffness, prevent injury and help you to feel your best. Book in with your therapist to get advice on how foam rolling can help you.

Another tip is setting a dedicated alarm to focus on checking in with your stress levels personally and implementing activities to help mitigate that stress (i.e. a walk in the garden/ yoga / painting/ looking into nature, are all examples) there’s nothing that’s perfect but you must find what works for you. There will be trials and errors just like anything.

 

* – Descending inhibition – are nerve signals produced by the Cortex that tells the spinal cord to stop certain activities – such as Contracting your muscles unnecessarily, and sending our bodies own opioid system down to rescue pain.  

For further fantastic information and resources check out the NHS – Get help with Stress site. At

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/understanding-stress/

Spread the word of why Stress recognition and physical / psychological manifestations are important in this Stress Awareness Month

Sources : Jake Cooke – Chiropractic Lions, Osmosis Med, NHS, Royal College of Chiropractors, WHO, BIA Blog 16/7/14 and 5/7/16.