A word on Stress, Pain and Injury: Part 1

With different type of stress that we experience day to day, dealing with stress results in  various negative effects on our body.  When we experience stress, our body automatically triggers the sympathetic system which puts us into the “fight or flight” response.  In simple terms, we prepare our body to be in a constant state of guardedness and alertness to deal with anything that comes our way.  We would naturally tense up our muscles, take quicker breaths and get our heart pumping faster.  This method of dealing with stress is quite appropriate during the hunter and gatherer society, where stress is conceived to be a potential physical attack to our body. We would then be potentially involved in rigorous physical activities to defend ourselves.

However in our current society, stress can originate from a mental source rather than a physical source.  As well, these types of stress can linger for much longer which puts us in a chronic stress situation.  Ongoing tight muscle creates tension headaches and migraines, as well as neck and shoulder pain.  We also start to adopt poor posture as a result of increase tension, which would lead to various over used muscles and tendons plus stiff joints.

With that said, it is very important we pay attention to the signals in our body.  Our thoughts, feelings and our attitudes towards day to day activities affect much of the outcome.  As well there are many different ways to overcome stress and don’t forget to check out part 2 of this blog for stress management strategies.