Stress

Imagine an incident of extreme stress that triggers off a reaction, instantly preparing your body to do battle. For 'fight' or 'flight' to commence, every system in your body must undergo a change in its normal function.

The stress hormone, adrenalin, is released in larger amounts, stimulating your heart to pump faster and ultimately raising blood pressure. The smooth flow of lymph is disturbed, causing retention of fluids and swelling. Your rhythmic breathing pattern is disrupted, your muscles contract and tighten, and your digestive system is effectively "switched off" as blood is diverted to other organs, until the stressful situation passes.

Because your body can't distinguish between the causes of stress, this reaction is always the same.

Your body does have effective mechanisms in place to deal with the everyday stresses of life, but excessive or prolonged stress can result in poor health as your body fails to cope.

Complementary therapies such as massage can provide an almost immediate effect in reducing stress. As you relax, the parasympathetic nervous system is activated. This "housekeeping" system calms the body and is predominantly concerned with the conservation of energy. Your breathing slows and deepens and heart rate and blood pressure are reduced to their normal levels. Digestion is stimulated. The mind is allowed to rest from mental activities and in creating this barrier to work schedules, deadlines and day-to-day problems, your mind and body are revived.