Ganging up on Stress - A Multi-Disciplinary Approach
The Oxford Dictionary of Psychology defines stress as “Psychological and physical strain or tension generated by physical, emotional, social, economic, or occupational circumstances, events, or experiences that are difficult to manage or endure.”
Between the high demands of work, the encroachments of emails, text and social media, current affairs gloom and threats of pandemics, a mild to high state of stress is hard to avoid!
Mindful of that reality, Bridge to Health’s clinicians have teamed up to summarise how the therapies available at the clinic might combine to assist our patients suffering from stress. We hope you enjoy the first in our series of collaborative blogs on specific health conditions:
Dealing with Stress through Osteopathy
Your osteopath may initially focus on identifying stress-induced postural features – for instance raised shoulders due to overactive upper back and neck muscles with rounded shoulders and a forward head posture. Muscular imbalances at the front and back of the torso and neck are noted and stretched or strengthened accordingly.
Another key part of treatment addresses “sympathetic overdrive” - the part of the nervous system responsible for the 'fight or flight' response, very much overactive in a person suffering from stress. The osteopath will seek to ensure that the joints in your mid-back and rib cage articulate optimally and then administer a specific form of treatment that “inhibits” - i.e. calms - the sympathetic nervous system.
Additionally, breathing exercises are taught to reduce over-engagement of accessory respiratory muscles in the upper back and neck and encourage deep diaphragmatic breathing which increases oxygenation to the tissues and organs, helping them to function at their best.
Dealing with Stress through Massage Therapy
Massage therapy is a natural painkiller; in the right hands it is highly effective in relieving chronic tissue tension that builds up in muscles, often manifesting as 'knots'. It has also been shown to help reduce the levels of the stress hormone cortisol. A session of deep tissue massage can trigger many changes in the body, including muscle relaxation, increased blood circulation and lymph flow (facilitating metabolic waste elimination), reduction of pain and lowering of heart rate and breathing rhythm.
Massage also contributes to rebalance your nervous system, enabling the parasympathetic “rest and digest” system to reclaim the ascendency over the sympathetic “fight and flight” system over-activated by stress – triggering a phase in which the body can endeavour to heal itself. In effect, massage offers the perfect environment for the body to recuperate, triggering its own self-healing capabilities.
Marialine Cifre, Massage Therapist
Dealing with Stress through Acupuncture
Acupuncture offers a holistic approach to stress relief acting on levels of the mind, body and spirit to achieve profound and long-lasting results. This ancient practice targets specific meridians – connections between acupuncture points acting as passageways through which energy flows throughout the body - to rebalance the body’s energy flow, thus promoting emotional stability.
By stimulating key points, acupuncture acts on areas of the brain known to reduce sensitivity to pain and stress, as well as promoting relaxation and deactivation of the ‘analytical’ brain, generally responsible for anxiety and worry.
Acupuncture also works to reduce muscle tension, lower blood pressure and improve sleep quality, all of which play a key role in improving overall emotional resilience and mental clarity.
Barbara Barakos, Acupuncturist
Dealing with Stress through Pilates
The rhythmic, disciplined practice of Pilates favours calm, focus and awareness. The deeper, slower, more regular breathing presiding over the exercise routine enhances blood circulation and encourages relaxation.
The strengthening and balancing out of postural muscles also ensure that whole body flexibility and resilience combine to avoid the stress of physical injury.
In all respects, the regular practice of osteopathy equates to building solid foundations for your “house of health”!
Ciba Barnikova, Pilates Teacher and Osteopath
Dealing with Stress through Nutrition
Blood sugar balance is one of the key areas that a nutritionist will usually focus on when addressing stress. Stable blood sugar means a reduction in the production of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol (the hormone that usually gets stimulated during long term stress and causes us to store fat around the middle). One of the easiest ways to restore blood sugar balance is by ensuring you eat protein with every meal. This is particularly important in stressed individuals as the production of stress hormones drains the body of its protein reserves.
Supporting the health of the adrenal glands through nutrition is also key – after many years of stress these tiny glands can become overworked and physically shrink. A nutritionist will ensure that you have key nutrients in your diet to enable them to recover.
An Adrenal Stress test may be recommended where it was suspected that a client’s cortisol levels are having a detrimental impact on the person’s health in terms of immunity, weight management or hormonal balance. The Adrenal Stress test is a non-invasive saliva test which involves taking samples at four key points in the day. With these results we can develop an appropriate protocol to support the adrenal glands back into healthy balance and this should result in better energy levels, more resilience and a stronger immune system.
Emily Fawell, Nutritional Therapist
Dealing with Stress through Counselling
Stress may result from accumulated and unresolved feelings and emotions, usually triggered by external life events.
Long term stress management requires acknowledging and managing unaddressed internal conflicts rather than seeking to avoid external triggers.
Counselling and psychotherapy are effective ways to address the true causes of stress – our supressed feelings. Working with a therapist offers a safe and non-judgemental space to explore and address one’s psyche and to resolve emotional triggers, rather than allowing for the buildup that ultimately results in stress.
Coherent work with a counsellor enables you to acquire tools and strategies to make lasting changes and better manage daily stress. This in turn fosters the confidence, self-esteem and self-reliance needed to successfully navigate modern life.
Ania Jorgensen, Counsellor / Psychotherapist
As you can see, each one of our therapies can assist in the process of bringing stress to boot in your life – and some (e.g. acupuncture and massage) combine very potently indeed.
Find out more
Would you wish to discuss how to manage stress with any of our therapists? Are you based in London? Click here to view the range of therapies we offer and each therapist’s contact details or book online.
