In these stressful times, it can be helpful to remember that our bodies and our emotions are connected. When we feel emotional stress — whether from our jobs, family pressure, or a global pandemic — our bodies also respond.
When we are stressed, our bodies are triggered into thinking that they are under attack. They release stress hormones that heighten your senses and help activate your muscles to respond to the immediate danger. If you need to fend off a tiger or run from a rockslide, these stress hormones will help you get ready to fight or flee.
If the stress is coming from a looming but not-so-immediate danger, our bodies continue to release these hormones. If stress is sustained over a long period of time, these hormones can damage your body and increase the likelihood of developing depression, insomnia, inflammation, headaches, neck back, and shoulder pain or trigger lower back pain.
The good news is that physiotherapy Brampton Physiocare & Wellness Clinic can help you manage your stress and deal with sore muscles, pain, and other stress symptoms. Here are some other surprising ways that physiotherapy can reduce your stress.
- Massage
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Physiotherapists can offer a relaxing massage to help improve muscle imbalance and treat sore joints. Massage helps reduce back pain, neck and shoulder pain, and relieving tension. It applied controlled pressure to tight muscles and nerves to help them release. This pressure also helps with blood flow and improves the range of movement.
The nerves and muscles in these parts may feel tight or throb painfully. Massage applies controlled pressure to these areas and manipulates the muscles. This manipulation relieves them of tension, increases blood flow, and facilitates movement.
Exercise
Physiotherapists can help design exercises to release sore joints and muscles and help improve your posture. Exercise by itself is a proven stress reducer, and with targeted exercises to strengthen and ease your painful joints, you can also reduce some of the harmful stress symptoms.
Exercise is also helpful in treating depression. Your physiotherapist can take a look at your movements and make suggestions for how to improve your mobility or minimize your pain. They can also design a treatment plan that focuses on your stress symptoms and creates exercises to help relax and reduce tension.
- Acupuncture
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Acupuncture is a 1000-year-old technique from Chinese medicine that focuses on restoring an energy balance in your body called Qi. Tiny, hair-like needles are placed at particular points of your body to stimulate the energy flow and the organ’s function. This treatment also relaxes and rejuvenates patients and often reduces chronic and stress-related pain.
- Improved Sleep
Many people report that they have trouble sleeping when they are stressed. Physiotherapists can help with suggestions for sleep posture, and relaxation techniques to help improve your quality of sleep and your sleep duration. They can also custom design a plan to deal with all your sleep concerns.
Our bodies and mind are connected. In times of stress, it is essential to care for your body as well as your mind. Physiotherapy can help you manage your physical stress symptoms and help you find a sense of balance.