Selye continued his study on the subject and struggled to find a satisfactory definition of stress. He continued his work until his death in 1982, which was arguably, in many ways, a What happens in the body during stress? Whether we can clearly define stress or not, we all know it when we feel it, as Selye suggested. The symptoms of stress are recognizable and universal. While on a conscious level we perceive stress as some sort of psychological or emotional pressure from outside sources, there is a specific physical process that takes place in the body that stems from what remains of our primitive survival skills after thousands of years of evolution as a species. When the nervous system senses stress, a part of the brain called the hypothalamus triggers the production and release of stress hormones, the most powerful of which are cortisol and adrenaline, to stimulate the fight-or-flight response in the body. This process was very useful when our cave people ancestors had to flee that saber-toothed tiger, but its application is far less practical today. Although our physical survival is rarely in question on a day-to-day basis in our modern lives, as it was for primitive humans, the biochemical process that takes place in the body remains largely the same. Adrenaline elevates the heart rate, and cortisol releases stored glucose into the Acute versus chronic stress Acute stress can be described as the natural and immediate response to a perceived demand. It is typically an immediate and brief experience in reaction to a sudden, unexpected change in environment or circumstances. The short-term stressful experience of a traffic jam that makes you late for work or the crunch to meet an impending deadline is one that the body and brain can perceive intensely but can quickly shake off when the situation is over. The process is normal, and not necessarily a bad thing, because it stimulates action to execute a plan to solve the problem. The stress response is not always in reaction to something negative, either; it can also occur during an exciting and positive event like your wedding day or winning an athletic event. There are some specific applications for therapeutic massage in an acutely stressful situation, which will be discussed in greater detail in Section 3. For the purposes of this course, our focus will be more on the applications of therapeutic massage for chronic stress, as it is a more rampant and destructive force that is plaguing our society. Chronic stress can be described as a disease process unto itself, from both a psychological and a physiological standpoint, and it is often a precursor to or trigger of the disease processes of serious medical conditions. Chronic stress builds over time, often from a continuous low-grade stress level that is barely perceptible in comparison to acute stress. It can be subtle but far more pervasive both psychologically and physiologically in the long run than acute stress is. The American Psychological Association describes chronic stress in an article on their website titled “Stress: The Different Kinds of Stress” from a psychological perspective, which can have dramatic effects on the physical body. “Chronic stress comes when a person never sees a way out of a miserable situation. It's the stress of unrelenting demands and pressures for seemingly interminable Long-term effects of chronic stress A loss or consistent lack of homeostasis in the body can manifest as many symptoms and conditions. Below are lists of common ailments observed with chronic stress.
much less stressful time than today. What would Selye have thought of the way we live today?
bloodstream to give the body a boost of energy to provide the speed and strength needed to escape danger. This is the process that is responsible when people suddenly develop superhuman strength in moments of crisis. As part of its self-regulatory functions, the body also has mechanisms that will return hormone levels back to normal once the dangerous situation has dissipated. This can happen relatively quickly after brief episodes of minor or acute stress. The problem, however, is when the body spends too much time in the stress response chemical state and it cannot sufficiently or efficiently regulate hormone levels and bring them back to normal, which creates a state of chronic stress. When the hypothalamus is triggered intensely or consistently, the body does not have an opportunity to level out the hormones and reverse the fight-or-flight response. The human body is not designed to function in such a state, and stress will manifest as pain, inflammation, and disease. Chronic stress can wreak havoc on the body and mind, making it susceptible to physical disease and psychological issues. periods of time. With no hope, the individual gives up searching for solutions...The worst aspect of chronic stress is that people get used to it. They forget it's there. People are immediately aware of acute stress because it is new; they ignore chronic stress because it is old, familiar, and sometimes, almost comfortable.” (American Psychological Association, 2018) Additionally, the prevalence of chronic stress has increased since the collective trauma of the Covid-19 pandemic. The American Psychological Association sponsored a survey of American adults about their stress levels after things appeared to return to “normal” after the pandemic, and the results show an alarming new “normal” for many Americans. “The long-term stress sustained since the COVID-19 pandemic began has had a significant impact on well- being, evidenced by a significant increase in reported mental health conditions and chronic illnesses, according to the results of Stress in America™ 2023, a nationwide survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of APA among more than 3,000 U.S. adults age 18+…Nearly a quarter of adults (24%) rated their average stress between eight and 10 on a scale of one to 10 where one means little to no stress and 10 means a great deal of stress. This is up from 19% in 2019, before the pandemic.“ (American Psychological Association, 2023) Chronic stress among Americans was already high, and it appears to be climbing. And with that rise comes a decrease in physical health. Under such circumstances, the body is frequently or constantly functioning within a stress response and, over time, the process that is biologically designed to be a blaring alarm becomes an annoying and ever-present background noise. Homeostasis, which is the body’s ability to maintain equilibrium and stability within the systems, cannot be achieved. The body gets little or no chance to return to normal, and its health begins to unravel.
Effects of stress on the body: • Insomnia or hypersomnia • Headaches/migraines
Page 39
Book Code: MNJ0626
EliteLearning.com/Massage-Therapy
Powered by FlippingBook