Stress has real, tangible effects on your wellbeing. In addition to being detrimental to your mental health, a prolonged state of stress can show up in physical symptoms across many of your systems.
Research shows that it can contribute to changes in the structure of the brain, a suppressed immune system, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and cardiovascular disease. That’s a wide array of potential harm, and that’s just the start! It’s safe to say that science backs the idea that stress is bad for your body - every part of it.
Massage to relieve the physical effects of stress is also backed by research! We took a closer look at what stress can cause and how it can be mitigated.
Stress effects on the brain
We all know that stress affects your emotions, but did you know it can also cause changes to both the form and function of your brain? Studies like the ones summarised in this research proposal have shown an association between stressful life experiences and actual structural alterations to the brain, particularly the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex.
These changes can lead to many concerning symptoms: memory deficits, anxiety and emotional dysregulation, and cognitive impairments. This journal article links stress to migraines, saying that “Stress as a trigger for migraine attacks is present in nearly 70% of individuals.” If you’ve ever suffered a migraine, you’ll know that this is a symptom you’ll want to avoid at all costs.
Stress effects on the immune system
Stress could be making you sick, or at least making you more susceptible to the bugs that come your way! Although short-term acute stress can enhance immune responses (it is, after all, a survival mechanism), chronic stress can suppress or dysregulate your immune responses. From the Journal of Clinical Medicine, this review article on the Immunology of Stress states that “stress significantly impacts the immune system, affecting susceptibility to illness and overall health.”
Chronic stress raises cortisol levels in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, and this leads to suppression of helpful immune responses. In addition to this, the sympathetic nervous system, which is activated by stress, causes catecholamines to be released which can, over an extended period of time, adversely affect the function of immune cells directly.
Stress effects on the gastrointestinal system
Even your guts can’t escape the ill effects of prolonged stress! This topical review discusses how stress-related hormones can influence the activity of the enteric nervous system which regulates mucosal function and gut barrier impermeability. It also mentions that stress exposure can cause visceral sensation in the gut, which, put simply, is pain. Stress-induced stomachaches are far from a figment of the imagination!
Gastrointestinal symptoms can make life difficult. And if you’re stressed enough to be experiencing these, it’s definitely time to look at ways to relax and minimise the harm that’s being done.
Stress effects on the heart
It’s widely known and accepted in the medical world that chronic stress is linked to cardiovascular disease. Numerous studies and articles expand on the hormones and physiological responses that cause the correlation, but it’s bad news all around. Long-term stress increases blood pressure and heart rate, causes plaque build-up in arteries, and even leads to irregular heart rhythms.
Stress may also contribute indirectly to heart issues by causing individuals to develop unhealthy habits like smoking or substance abuse.
Relaxation massage as treatment and preventative
It’s clear that stress comes with a whole host of detrimental effects. Thankfully, there are also many ways to address and minimise stress in your life. This must start with the foundations of it; identifying what is causing stress and making lifestyle changes to eliminate this where possible (such as a job change), minimise it (adjusting a schedule, outsourcing tasks, clarifying boundaries), or cope with it in healthy ways (therapy, exercise, self-care).
Some stress will always linger, and some people will always be prone to it no matter what is going on in their lives. Targeted treatment such as relaxation-focused massage can be a valuable tool for those managing chronic stress, offering not only the proven positive physical effects of touch massage (outlined in studies like this one) but also a serene environment in which to unwind and a moment to yourself amongst the bustle of everyday life. Elemental Body Therapies clients have been known to fall asleep during these massages, a clear sign that it helps them to relax both physically and mentally!
Book your relaxation massage today and make moves to manage stress and its effects on your health.