Headaches

WHAT IS STRESS?

• Reaction to any stimulus or interference that upsets normal functioning and disturbs emotional, mental, and physical health.
• It can be brought on by internal conditions (illness, pain, and emotional conflict) or external conditions (death in the family, financial problems).
• Stress can also be caused by allergic reactions, poor diet, nutritional deficiencies, substance abuse, or biochemical imbalances in the body.
• Although a certain amount of stress is a normal part of our lives, prolonged bouts of stress can lead to exhaustion, illness and serious health problems.
• Repeated incidences of stress can interfere with digestion, alter brain chemistry, increase heart rate and blood pressure, and affect metabolic and immune functioning.

SYMPTOMS

• A lack of joy, spontaneity, happiness or enthusiasm
• An intolerance of people and irritability
• Difficultly in concentrating and/or an inability to make minor decisions
• Increased use of alcohol or drugs
• Restlessness and/or difficulty being alone
• A loss of efficiency in work or school
• A preoccupation with certain thoughts, especially negative ones
• Frequent physical illness and/or delayed recovery
• Persistent nightmares and the recurrence of disturbing dreams
• Withdrawal from friends and social situations

HOW YOUR BODY REACTS TO STRESS

• Whether your stress is brought on by internal or external factors, your body will react to it the same way.
• Fight-or-Flight: Your body gears up to face the challenge (fight) or gathers strength to move out of harm’s way (flight).
• The following explains how internal and external factors cause the body to react to stressors:
• Your brain sends messages down the spinal cord to the adrenal glands to tell them to pump out stress hormones called adrenaline and cortisol.
• The body prepares for exertion (fight or flight) by the heart beating faster, breathing quicker and the blood pressure rising.
• The liver increases its output of blood sugar for energy.
• The circulatory system diverts blood from nonessential functions, such as digestion and blood to the brain and large muscles.
• Once the internal and external factors subside, the Fight-or-Flight response becomes inactive and levels of stress hormones return to normal.

HOW STRESS AFFECTS HEALTH

• Although stress is not a disease, it can aggravate numerous conditions, including:

Stress-Related Anxiety

• Everyone reacts to stress differently.
• The amount of emotional stress a person experiences depends on the individual’s coping functions.
• The degree of anxiety that a person experiences often indicates how well he/she is coping.
• SYMPTOMS include:

Increased Susceptibility to Colds and Viral Infections

• In an experiment on the relationship of stress and the probability of viral infection, 420 people were evaluated over the course of one year.
• During this time, they were exposed to one of five cold viruses and tested one month later for antibodies.
• 90% of those who were under the greatest stress became infected, compared to 74% of those experienced the least amount of stress.
• Those who experience stress were four times more likely to develop a cold or bacterial infection.

Allergies

• An allergic reaction is a stressor that can trigger a variety of symptoms, including:

• During an allergic reaction, the body releases a chemical called histamine.
• Histamine causes inflammation, excess stomach acid, narrowing of the air pathways in the lungs, and increases stress on the organs and glands.

Stress affects the immune and endocrine systems, leaving them in a weakened, susceptible state causing the allergic reaction in the first place.

TREATMENT AND REDUCING STRESS

• How life experiences are handled often affect our ability to deal with stress in the future.
• It is important for both children and adults to learn effective coping skill when dealing with stressful situations.

Relaxation Therapies

• Meditation, yoga, biofeedback, and guided imagery all facilitate deep relaxation and reduce stress.
• Stress-reduction techniques include deep breathing and visualization in order to enhance the relaxation process.
  

1. Meditation

• Designed to test the value of using mindfulness meditation to help patients develop effective coping strategies for stress.
• Meditation has the effect of slowing the breathing rate, increasing oxygen consumption, creating a more relaxed brain wave rhythm, and increasing blood flow.
• It has been shown to have a positive effect on the immune functions and strengthening the body’s defense against infectious disease.
• In 1984, the National Institutes of Health recommended meditation over prescription drugs as the first treatment for mild hypertension.

2. Yoga

• Yoga is the integration of the mind and body, explained as when the mind is restless; the health of the body will be affected.
• Physical postures, meditation, and breathing exercises have a healing and relaxing effect.
• Yoga has been effective in reducing stress, anxiety, lowering blood pressure and heart rate, alleviating pain, heightening visual and auditory perceptions, and improving memory, intelligence, and motor skills, as well as metabolic and respiratory functioning.

3. Biofeedback Training

• Use of a visual or auditory signal from a machine that records a person’s physiological responses,
• A person can learn to voluntarily relax specific muscles, alter the brain’s electrical activity, reduce heart rate and blood pressure, increase body warmth, and improve gastrointestinal functioning.

4. Guided Imagery

• A patient is asked to close their eyes, take deep breaths, and recall a time and place when they felt relaxed and peaceful.
• The patient then imagines being there, noticing in detail the sights, smells, and sounds of the place while focusing on relaxation and peacefulness.
• Guided imagery is used to accomplish stress reduction, increasing the immune response, reducing susceptibility to disease, controlling pain, losing weight, or dealing with anxiety or depression.

Diet and Nutritional Supplements

Diet

• A well balanced diet is crucial in preserving your health and reducing stress.
• Certain foods act as a powerful stimulant to the body and can be the direct cause of stress.
• Those suffering from stress should avoid caffeine and food additives and stick to a diet high in complex carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and low in fat.
  

Vitamins and Minerals

• Stress also tends to increase the likelihood of maldigestion and malabsorption, and because of this, many people may have vitamin deficiencies.
• B-Complex vitamins (B6, B12, folic acid, biotin), Vitamin A, C and E, and calcium are important for the body and need to be replenished during time of stress.
• A deficiency in any of these vitamins can actually lead to depression, abnormal nerve function, and irritability.
• Vitamin C can be kept in higher amounts in the body when taken with the mineral alpha lipoic acid, which helps recycle vitamins in the body.
  

Herbal Medicine

• One of the universal methods of relaxing is drinking a hot cup of tea.
• Brewing herbs such as, chamomile tea, beta glucan, and gotu kola can help to promote relaxation and stimulate the immune system.
• Valerian is especially useful when dealing with the central nervous system.
• Ginseng can help against emotional, mental and physical stress because of its ability to work as an adaptogen. It helps the body to be more prepared to adapt to stressors.

Exercise

• People who are more physically fit tend to have fewer stress-related health problems.
• It is important to find an exercise routine appropriate to your specific needs.
• For exercise to be effective, it should be done at least three days per week for at least 30 minutes each time.
• Aerobic exercise is associated with a lower resting heart rate and reduces the risk of hypertension, muscle tenseness, depression, anxiety, obesity and stroke.
• Stretching takes pressure off the spine and promotes relaxation.
• Low Impact exercise routines can be done at home. Choose an activity such as bicycling, running, walking, swimming, or use an exercise machine such as a Stairmaster or treadmill.

Chiropractic Care

If you suffer from stress, a chiropractic spinal check up is one of the best things you can do. Chiropractic’s safe, gentle methods have helped millions of stress sufferers over the years. Doctors of Chiropractic free your body from the vertebral subluxation complex that has the power to destroy your health. Vertebral subluxation interferes with the central nervous system and reduces the body’s ability to self-regulate, adapt and heal. When freed of subluxations, your body works more efficiently to use its natural energies to heal itself.

Chiropractic is not only about the well-being of your spine,
but of your entire body--your overall wellness.

Chiropractic care is a commitment to yourself!
It is a commitment to getting and staying healthy!

If you are suffering with stress, it is time to take back your life. Learn more about your condition and treatments available to you. Come in for a complementary consultation with Dr Jeffrey Needham and discuss your future!

References

MayoClinic.com. (1998-2005). Signs and symptoms of stress: Prompt recognition is crucial. Retrieved from: http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?objectid=ADA11820-E961-4379-965BB77B679CB1CA

Burton Goldberg Group. (1995). Alternative Medicine. Stress. (pp 8-9, 747-49, 849-58).

Student Affairs University of Toronto. (2001). Your Well Being: Stress. Retrieved from: http://www.sa.utoronto.ca/handbook.php?cid=3&sid=21

AARP. (2003). Handling Your Stress. Retrieved from: http://www.aarp.org/Articles/a2003-03-11-handle/tools/printable

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