The link between the body and mind is inextricable so it’s no surprise to many of my patients when I tell them that an osteopath can help with the treatment for stress in Bristol.
According to this report, 79% of British employees have suffered from work-related stress.
Work can be stressful irrespective of the type of work, or the business sector in which a patient works. Stress is of course not limited to just our working lives.
Whatever the origin, ongoing stress can disrupt the body and mind, leading to several potential mental and physical issues.
One key osteopathic aim is to restore equilibrium to the body. Improving body function and allowing it to recover and find balance when it has been under strain (mental and physical) or injured.
The stress response is a very natural, necessary and healthy physiological reaction. Our fight/flight stress responses are key to survival and have helped us evolve.
The important thing to realize is that after a stress response, the body needs recover and to return to a balanced resting state, both physically and mentally.
This is what we call homeostasis, and is the body's response to return to a balanced state after it has been stressed physically or emotionally.
Rest, recovery and sleep are key elements to healthy living and a huge part of se-stressing.
Osteopathy can also help with stress by assisting the body back into balance.
Stress becomes a negative physiological force when it is sustained. In our modern world sustained stress is now commonplace and is in many cases detrimental to health.
Our bodies produce stress hormones (such as adrenalin and cortisol) which are healthy for short periods but when released constantly over longer periods our bodies become ‘over-stressed’, unhealthy, and ‘burnt out’
We are then much more at risk from the big diseases we all fear - Heart disease, cancer and diabetes as well as mental burnout, exhaustion or even suicide. We are also likely to feel the physical effects of stress, back pain, neck tension and headaches.
How can an Osteopath help with the treatment of stress in Bristol?
Osteopathic treatment seeks to restore balance to the body, including:
- Release and rebalance mechanical stress, muscular tension
- Improve circulation to help cleanse the body of toxic products from stress responses
- Relax the body allowing it to find its balance again
- Improve breathing mechanics to assist the body in being calm
- Improve digestive function to help absorption and reduce IBS
With less pain and tension the body can recover and find its healthy homeostatic state.
If you're unsure whether you are suffering from stress and burnout, please read this article.
I also recommend that you read these hints and tips on how to maintain the best physical and mental health.
To book with me at my Henleaze osteopathic clinic in Bristol, please visit here.