Tight deadlines, long commutes, a demanding job, and poor work-life balance are common causes of day to day stress.
We’ve all felt stressed out at some point in our lives, but how you manage it can have a significant impact on your overall health and well-being.
How Stress Affects Your Body Every time you’re stressed, your body’s fight or flight reaction is triggered.
So when you have a stressful day, your body reacts by releasing fast-acting hormones called adrenaline and noradrenaline which your body uses to heighten senses and respond to the stressor.
But, if you continue to experience stress (this would be considered chronic stress), your body releases the hormone cortisol.
A lot of stress and continued chronic stress is harmful to your body and can cause:
Depression Fatigue and sleeplessness Inflammation Headaches and muscle tightness Neck, back, and shoulder pain
How Physiotherapy Relieves Stress:
Physiotherapy can help manage stress and stress symptoms by correcting muscle imbalance, improving strength and reducing pain.
Lower Cortisol Levels:
Daily diaphragmatic breathing is clinically proven to significantly lower cortisol levels, improve relaxation, and improve concentration.
Reduce Stress Sensitivity:
Exercise prescription is a common element in physiotherapy treatments.
Improve Sleep:
Relaxation techniques, posture training, and patient education on optimal sleep positioning have been shown to improve both sleep quality and sleep duration.
Talk to your physiotherapist about any sleeping issues you have so they can design a custom treatment plan to address your concerns.
Ease Depression:
As mentioned above, exercise prescription is a common element in physiotherapy treatments.
Prescribed exercise is shown to be as effective as antidepressants in treating depression in as little as 3-months.
Better yet, exercise also lowers the risk of relapsing to previous levels of depression Studies show that regular exercise can lower perceived stress by 50 to 78%, reduce stress sensitivity and stress symptoms. The Pressure Point therapists provide specialised treatment for anxiety to improve your ability with everyday and recreational activities and enhance your quality of life.
Treatment will help manage the physical symptoms of anxiety and stress by: Reducing pain and stiffness Improving cardiovascular fitness Improving quality of sleep Enhancing sense of well being Facilitating activities important to you.
Your physiotherapist at The Pressure Point will provide individualised treatment may include: Structured exercise programme to improve fitness levels and reduce fatigue Relaxation techniques Massage and Acupuncture to relieve tension Muscle stretching to lengthen tight muscles.