How does stress show up in the body

Here Chris Phillips, Principal of the Cotswold Academy & Soft Tissue Therapist, talks us through the how stress presents in the body and how we can start to navigate this for our clients.

Stress can have a variety of effects on the mind and body. Some of the common effects of stress include anxiety, depression, irritability, difficulty concentrating, muscle tension, headaches, increasing heart rate and blood pressure, weakening of the immune system and sleep disturbances. Long-term stress can also increase the risk of developing chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, fertility issues and depression. It's important to find healthy ways to manage stress to reduce its negative impact on your health and well-being.

So let's now think about what happens for us when we feel stressed. When a threat, physical or emotional, presents itself our nervous system responds by releasing a flood of stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, which engage the body in fight or flight mode. Your heart beat quickens, muscles tense, blood pressure rises, breaths get faster and shallower and you are on high alert. All fantastic responses if you are in imminent danger, however, in modern life we are exposed to stress in many and varied ways and if our brains are constantly exposed to stress it impacts on health in a significant way.

When our clients enter the clinic room we begin noticing and gathering their story of what has brought them to see us. We may notice that rounded posture, shallow breathing, neck and shoulder pain and headaches. They may even directly talk of being overwhelmed and stressed. But are we really factoring in stress to our treatment plans?

Stress can have both a physical and emotional cause and effect and here we want to think of them together and not try to separate the two. Another aspect of this is thinking about the fascia and muscle as one, the very thing that holds us together both physically and emotionally. Keeping this holistic approach in mind can really start to bring about real and effective change for our clients and help you as a therapist to navigate treating the affects of stress in clients.

Stress can cause tension to build up in muscles, leading to muscle stiffness, soreness, and even pain. This is because stress triggers the release of hormones that cause muscles to contract and tense up. Over time, this can lead to chronic muscle tension and an increased risk of injury.

Fascia is a connective tissue that surrounds and supports muscles, bones, and organs in the body. It is made up of collagen fibers and helps to provide structural support and protection to the body. Fascia is made up of layers with liquid between called hyaluronan enabling it to stretch as you move. Fascia should move freely and smoothly although stress constricts and dehydrates the fascia causing it to be dry and tight.

Stress can cause tension in the muscles, leading to poor posture. When we are stressed, our muscles tend to tighten up, particularly in the shoulders, neck, and back areas. This can cause us to hunch over, and over time, it can lead to chronic poor posture.

Massage can relieve the effects of stress by promoting relaxation, reducing muscle tension, lowering blood pressure, and increasing the production of endorphins, which are natural mood-boosting chemicals in the body. Sports and remedial massage can improve range of movement and posture by lengthening muscles that have become shortened and tight. Additionally, massage therapy can help improve sleep quality, reduce anxiety and depression, and enhance overall feelings of well-being.

Unblocking energy has to be our goal here and we do this through breaking down the tension and tightness held in the fascia and muscles, lengthening, getting fresh blood supply to areas that are stagnant and constricted, releasing endorphins, opening back up posture and regaining range of movement. Stress will cause the body to constrict into a protective posture and cause blocked energy, stagnation and constriction.

There are of course other vehicles to unblocking energy and restoring to state of balance. Reflexology is incredibly effective at not only relaxing but restoring the body to a state of homeostasis. Acupuncture, energetic work, chakras, crystal healing and yoga are other areas that we can signpost our clients towards or bring into our treatments. Another really key aspect that we can engage our clients with is thinking with them around diet and avoiding inflammatory foods. Teasing out the aspects of our lifestyle that can benefit or affect our bodies response to stress can be really helpful and give our work longevity