It is medically recognised that over 75% of today's illnesses are stress related.
Stress & tension tighten up the cardiovascular system and restrict blood flow. This means body waste products are not allowed to be removed in their normal ways and so build up.
Stress can be from an external or an internal source, and can also be positive as well as negative. It is the negative stress that we need to be concerned with, as it can be great risk to our health.
External stressors include adverse physical conditions (such as pain or hot or cold temperatures), or stressful psychological environments (such as poor working conditions or abusive relationships).
Internal stressors can also be physical (infections, inflammation) or psychological. An example of an internal psychological stressor is intense worry about a harmful event that may or may not occur.
Biologically when we are exposed to stress two hormones are produced by the body - the "Fight or Flight" hormone adrenaline, along with cortisone. These hormones are crucial in our biological make up to keep
our reflexes working well so that we can fight the stress or run away from it!
There are two types of stress, acute stress and chronic stress.
Acute stress is the reaction to an immediate threat, commonly known as the fight or flight response. The threat can be any situation that is experienced, even subconsciously or falsely, as a danger.
Common acute stressors include:
noise
crowding
isolation
hunger
danger
infection
Imagining a threat or remembering a dangerous event.
Under most circumstances, once the acute threat has passed, the response becomes inactivated and levels of stress hormones return to normal, a condition called the relaxation response.
Under Chronic Stress modern life poses on-going stressful situations that are not short-lived and the urge to act (to fight or to flee) must be suppressed. Stress then becomes chronic.
Common chronic stressors include:
on-going highly pressured work
long-term relationship problems
loneliness
persistent financial worries.
grief
Moving house or changing jobs
Adrenaline is only supposed to be around in our bodies for a short period of time as it should be used up when the "risk" to us is removed. However, for most people exposed to daily stress this does not occur,
and the adrenaline remains in the body for too long. This is what causes the long term problems to our health.
When the adrenaline is released it draws the blood away from our organs and diverts it to the muscles and to the heart so that we have a short burst for fighting or running. This is fine short term, however over a
long period of time it causes our heart to work harder, the breathing becomes rapid and shallow, and the digestive and excretory organs suffer from the lack of blood. The clotting factor of the blood is also
increased, which makes the blood much thicker and prone to clotting.
Over a longer time the stress can cause:
Headaches/Migraines
High Blood Pressure
Depression
Stomach Ulcers
Muscle pain and fatigue
Emotional problems
Exhaustion
Hormone imbalance
Infertility
Reduced immunity - more prone to infections
Cancer
Heart disease and strokes
Insomnia
IBS
Reduced concentration and memory
Aromatherapy, Reflexology and Indian Head Massage can all help to reduce levels of stress, and so can help to stop the development of stress related conditions.
During the treatments you can relax and revitalise your mind and body. The "feel-good" hormone, serotonin is released, and natural pain-killing endorphins are also released during and after a massage treatment
aiding stress removal and general relaxation.
Who Can Benefit