Stress is a common health problem afflicting large numbers of people today. Some factors that cause stress are demanding jobs, tight deadlines, poor-work life balance, and long commutes. You can attest to feeling stressed at some point in life.

Learning how to manage stress is important in ensuring that it doesn’t take its toll on your health and well-being. Let’s have a look at the effects of stress on mental and physical health as well as ways of managing stress.

Effects of Stress

The onset of stress initiates a fight or flight response in the body through the release of either adrenaline or noradrenaline which are fast-acting hormones. The body will heighten its senses and responses to the stressor. Chronic stress will lead to the release of a hormone called cortisol. Chronic stress is associated with inflammation, fatigue, neck, back and shoulder pain, depression, sleeplessness, muscle tightness, fatigue, and headaches.

Use Physiotherapy to Relieve Stress

Ottawa Physiotherapists can help in the management of stress and stress symptoms. You can reduce pain by improving muscle strength and correcting muscle balance. The following are different ways in which physiotherapy helps reduce stress.

  • Lowering of Cortisol Levels: Physiotherapy sessions entail diaphragmatic breathing which has been proven to help reduce cortisol levels, improve concentration, and improve relaxation.

  • Reduced Stress Sensitivity: Regular exercise has been shown to reduce stress by about 50 to 78 percent. Exercise also minimizes sensitivity to stress and other stress symptoms.

  • Get Better Sleep: Through patient education for better sleep positioning, relaxation techniques, and posture training, you are able to address sleep problems through improved sleep quality and duration.

  • Reduce Depression: Physiotherapy entails undertaking prescribed exercises that will help to treat depression within three months. The exercises will also lower the likelihood of relapse into depressive states.

  • Improved Quality of Life: People are able to improve their physical and mental wellbeing, self-esteem and overall quality of life