Stress 

By keeping the physical body working well and by freeing the tensions that habitually build up within the muscles and internal organ systems, the health-damaging effects of stressful living and negative emotions can be reduced.

Different people react to stress and negative emotions in different ways; some store tension in their necks and backs, others in the stomach and digestive regions. Some people react with headaches and others with low back pain. The result of accumulated stress is ‘tension’ at the tissue level or ‘disturbances of function’. Tension causes muscle contractions, decreased blood and fluid circulations and pain. In the outside of the body, muscle spasms and joint pains result while internally, stomach pains and digestive disturbances are common markers of stress. These “functional disturbances” are the body’s way of telling us that it is not happy with the environment that we are creating for it- either wittingly or unwittingly. We create our environments by how we think, eat and move. Our tissues come to reflect this reality.

Chronic stress → tensions → tissue disturbances → disease

If these symptoms of stress remain at the tissue level too long then eventually the tissues themselves start to change and “disease or pathology” manifests. At this point they are given “diagnostic labels” such as tendonitis, neuritis, hiatus hernia or stomach ulcers. So, persistent stress gradually becomes “disturbances of function” which, in turn, become “diseases” if the causes are not removed and negative stresses checked. This deteriorating process of dis-ease becoming disease may be slow or quick depending on a combination person’s hereditary resistance and lifestyle.

The vagus nerve is the body’s key regulator of relaxation and recovery, counteracting stress by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Prolonged stress weakens its function, which can lead to overstimulation, sleep disturbances, and issues such as digestive problems.

The image below shows how the spine and nervous system are connected to different parts of the body and organs. For example, how a “minor neck stiffness” can affect the function of many organs via the vagus nerve.

The negative effects of stress can be minimized

Fortunately, there is much that can be done with physical and health-enhancing treatments to reduce the effects of stress and to slow down the disease and aging processes. Skilful treatments reduce tissue tension which builds up in muscles and organ systems. The positive effect is a normalizing of tissue functions such as movement, metabolism, circulation of fluids etc. with the attendant systemic effects of improved movement, breathing, blood circulation and digestion etc. We see this as a daily reality at Bliss Clinic- people come in with their various pains and the sufferings and, as they proceed with their treatments, they experience new-found well-being and health potential. Intelligent use of treatments in combination with lifestyle modifications give great benefit to one’s general health, vitality and resistance to disease. We are not helpless victims of stress. Much can be done if we heed the signals of our bodies and… act in purposeful and knowledgeable ways.