Reduce Stress and Improve Health with Massage Therapy

“...It is very important to understand there is no disease process which cannot be made more likely - or more serious - because of stress, and which cannot be helped or removed by a reduction in stress.” - Dr. Leon Chaitow, ND, DO This quote clearly points out the importance of reducing stress. In recent years it has become almost common knowledge that too much stress has an ill effect on our health.rnOur bodies are certainly miraculous, we just need to give them the support they require to achieve and maintain balance. More of us are aware of how massage therapy can help with this (even in small towns like Millersburg, Ohio) than ever before. To understand the quote above a little better, it helps to know a bit about how the body deals with stress. The autonomic nervous system has two branches - the sympathetic and the parasympathetic. The sympathetic is engaged when we encounter a stressor, and its job is to help us to protect ourselves. This means a raise in blood pressure and blood sugar, and release of adrenalin, which helps us react quickly. The muscles receive extra blood and tighten, while blood is diverted somewhat from the digestive organs. This is only a little of the cascade of changes that happens very quickly. The parasympathetic nervous system has the opposite kind of effects on the body. It promotes rest and relaxation by increasing digestive activity, allows the muscles to relax, lowers blood pressure and more. The PNS is all about reducing the effects of stress. The sympathetic activity described above is extremely helpful when we really need it, like when we are in a dangerous situation. However, it has become the norm for many of us to be in this state, to some degree, much of our lives. I’ve been thinking more about all of this since Dr. Robert Ader died at the end of 2011. Dr. Ader was a psychologist who was one of the first people to prove that mental processes can and do effect the body’s immune system. His obituary in the New York Times included these lines: “At the core of Dr. Ader’s breakthrough research was an insight already obvious to any grandmother who ever said, ‘Stop worrying or you’ll make yourself sick.’ He demonstrated scientifically that stress worsens illness — sometimes even triggering it — and that reducing stress is essential to health care.” Chronic worry, and chronic stress of all kinds, can take a toll on our digestion, on our breathing and our pain levels. It can disrupt sleep patterns and leave us feeling completely worn out. This lethargy is often worsened by the fact that the body’s ability to repair tissue, which happens primarily in sleep, is weakened. As the cycle continues, ongoing muscle pain can develop. Headaches, diabetes, asthma... The list of health problems triggered by or worsened by stress is a long one. The good news is that there are lots of ways to reduce your stress levels. Massage therapy and self-massage are proven methods to dramatically reduce stress, but there are simple things you can do for yourself too. A brisk walk on a wintry day can work wonders. Setting a timer on your computer to break up the monotony of sitting is a great one. You can even program a little physical activity into your day, whether it be stretching for just a few minutes every hour or two or taking a walk around the office. The bottom line is that you probably already know the best things to reduce your stress, whether they include massage therapy or walking, because you experience the results firsthand. Since this is the case, the most important thing becomes actually allowing yourself to regularly do those things. This is grassroots healthcare. It’s the beginning of 2012. What can you begin as a healthy routine for reducing your stress and improving your health?