As a clinical massage therapist i have encountered many individuals that have allowed just everyday living to increase their stress levels to the point where the Immune system is lest effective, they can't fight a simple cold with out an over-the-counter drug. I will take this opportunity to explain what happens when stress is out of control.
STRESS is any psychological or physical situation or condition that causes tension or strain. Stress can be any element or situation that requires our body or mind to compensate in order to maintain our delicate internal balance and harmony. Stress may affect individuals differently. What is extremely stressful to one person may not affect another at all. However, if too many stressful conditions occur without an effective method to manage or cope with them, the health of the individual will suffer. Regardless of the source or nature of the stress, the physiological reaction of the body is essentially the same.
Stress is most notably associated with the adrenal glands and their secretion of the "Fight or Flight" hormones. The principle and most understood adrenal hormones are Adrenaline and Cortisol. When we encounter high levels of stress, the adrenal secretions give us physical and mental boost that heightens our senses, sharpens our reflexes, and prepares our muscles for maximum exertion. The adrenal glands by no means work alone. In conjunction with the pituitary and the hypothalamus, they affect the function of most of our internal systems. Muscle tone increases, blood pressure rises, and breathing deepens. Blood is directed toward the skeletal muscles and nervous system and away from the digestive organs. Digestion virtually stops. Glycogen, glucose, and oxygen-carrying red blood cells are mobilized. Blood-coagulating chemicals are added to the blood, and the kidneys retain fluids in case of injury and bleeding. Cortisol promotes breakdown of the body's proteins to form glucose and acts as an anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic.
These biochemical effects are essential in emergency, fight or flight situations; however, if the dosage of these hormones is sustained over a long period of time, as it would be with long-term stress, the consequences can be devastating. The ongoing anti-inflammatory effect of cortisol, for example, would inhibit the natural inflammatory response to injury. The body's healing process of flooding the injured area with wound- healing leukocytes, nutrients, fibroblasts, and oxygen would be interfered with and eventually decrease the the body's ability to resist infection of all kinds. Continued secretion of adrenaline would eventually exhaust not only the adrenal glands but, because of its effect on the sympathetic nervous system, would have the same effect on the organs as severe loss of sleep-exhaustion! Other effects of sustained levels of these hormones include gastric ulcers, high blood pressure, depressed immune system function and, finally, death.
STRESS in and of itself is not the problem. Life is inherently stressful. When effectively worked with, stress tends to strengthen our physical, mental, and emotional resolve. However, when we load ourselves with unrelenting, inescapable, and overburdening stress, it becomes unhealthy and even death, this is why as a massage therapist negative stress is mine enemy.
Posted By: James CLARK
Sunday, June 14th 2009 at 2:16PM
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