Stress - The Physical Effects on Your Body

By Celine Healy

As a species we are constantly bombarded with stress triggers daily, from our work environment, our family life, our lack of resources, lack of money, lack of skills, lack of self-esteem, lack of self-worth, being criticised by our bosses or our partners, and so on. As a thinking, feeling species, we tend to store the emotional effects of theses stresses in our bodies, in our organs, tissues, muscles or our bones, and our spine. The unfortunate thing about this is that we no longer have the instant ability to counter these stress responses and turn of our stress trigger mechanism.
Even though our societies may have progressed our bodies are still primarily built to be hunter-gatherers. Initially our main stress response trigger was that we were in danger of being hunted by wild beasts, killed or eaten, as we also did, to those animals. These stresses were very clearly delineated. These were the only type of stresses that we came across. Because of this our stress trigger mechanism of fight or flight was very simple, and that is precisely what we did and how we reacted: we either fought the beast or we thought better of it and fled. This means that our stress trigger mechanism could be shut off pretty easily after our initial reaction. These reactions were not stored in our bodies and we easily got on with life.
Unfortunately, due to the complicated nature of our societies, the rules and regulations about what to do, what to say, when, where and why, has lead to a situation in which has evolved many and varied opportunities for stress responses.
This means that the sympathetic (turn it on) and the parasympathetic (turns it off) nervous systems are in a constant state of flux, on, off, on, off. We lose the ability to shut down and recuperate. Why this is so is because both of these body systems are attached to and affect the spine and the nerves, as all nerves spring from the spine. So, if we are constantly responding to stress triggers and we are storing these emotional effects in our bodies somewhere, then eventually our nervous system, our brains and our spine will become blocked or distorted in some way. When this has occurred sufficiently then inflammation can occur which can lead to disease or permanent damage of our spines.

In order to be free of the physical aspects of daily stress on our spines and nerves we should be on the look-out for the signs and symptoms of the commencement of disease and damaging wear and tear on our spines.
The types of issues to look out for include: sore throats, shortness of breath, pain in the arms, stiff neck, pins and needles, dizziness, shoulder pain, meniere's disease, rib pain, liver conditions, fevers, stomach pain, bladder conditions, menstrual problems, sciatica, back aches, frequent urination, cramps, spinal curvature, pain at the base of the spine on sitting, and so on.
All of these symptoms, and so many more, indicate that there have been compromising effects of stress held within the body and which are now affecting the spine and the nerves.
From an holistic point of view this means that your base chakra has been affected and you need to look at the structure of your life and your environment to see if you need to change what you are doing, physically, in order to maintain a healthy body/mind. The base chakra houses aspects of family of original issues, security, belonging, dependence and independence and so on. When your nerves and your spine show signs of wear and tear then this will affect every aspect of your being.
Physical health and well-being comes first in the steps to maintain a balanced life.

Physical health needs to be maintained in order to have a balanced healthy life. An easy way to check your structure is to have a chiropractic health check. Well-being comprises an holistic approach, including emotional, physical mental and spiritual. Addressing one aspect without the others can lead to a distorted view.

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When You Need Sciatica Pain Relief

By Jeff Parks

Pain caused by sciatica is felt deep inside the leg and can be incredibly crippling. Sciatica can also cause tingling, numbness or weakness in the leg or a sharp burning feeling all of which are uncomfortable. Achieving sciatica pain relief permanently involves targeting the cause of the sciatica and treating the cause, otherwise pain alleviation may only be temporary.
Sciatica refers to damage or pressure involving the sciatic nerve which is the largest nerve in the body. It runs from the bottom of the spine, through the hip joint, knee and ankle. Damage or pressure on the sciatic nerve can be caused by a variety of reasons and needs to be investigated in order for sciatica pain relief to be obtained on a permanent basis.
Temporary sciatica pain relief can involve taking anti-inflammatory medication or pain killers. In more serious cases cortisone injections may be administered. Placing hot or cold ice packs on the painful area as well resting the affected area may also be recommended to aid in reducing inflammation and help with alleviating pain.
However sciatica, which is a type of neuralgia, is often considered a symptom of a cause. Sciatica can be as a result of many things including piriformis syndrome, spondylolisthesis, spinal stenosis, slipped or herniated disk, tumors, osteoporosis, and pregnancy among others. Many of these causes of sciatica are further caused by other factors. Each of these causes needs to be looked at carefully in order to treat sciatica and help with sciatica pain relief on a more permanent basis if the pain does not ease up.
Often physical therapists can be recommended for sciatica pain relief as they can help with stretches and strengthening exercises that may target some of the sciatica causes. Piriformis syndrome can be relieved by stretching the tense piriformis muscle and strengthening the surrounding gluteal muscles to give the hip area support, taking strain off the piriformis muscle and ultimately the sciatic nerve. When sciatica is caused by back problems such as a herniated disk or spondylolisthesis, strengthening the muscles in the lower back will help relieve any pressure on the sciatic nerve which has been placed on it due to weakness in the back. A herniated disk refers to when a disk in the back has slipped or pushed on to the muscle from straining the back, a sports injury or moving in an unusual way. Spondylolisthesis refers to a vertebra slipping onto another vertebra. Physical therapists may also recommend massaging around the area where the cause of the sciatica is to relieve muscle tension, which may also aid sciatica pain relief.

In more extreme cases of sciatica when the pain can not be kept at bay and someone suffers from it continuously, surgery may be considered as a way to treat the cause of the sciatica. If spinal stenosis is the cause, which refers to a narrowing of the spinal canal, surgery may be a way to physically take pressure off the spinal cord and ultimately the lower back, relieving pressure on the sciatic nerve and promoting sciatica pain relief. Surgery may also be used to physically loosen the pirformis muscle, undoing its hold on the sciatic nerve as well as repairing the vertebra that has slipped onto another vertebra in the case of spondylolisthesis. It may also be a way to remove a possible tumor, which could be pushing on the sciatic nerve. However surgery would be a last resort as a means of alleviating sciatica pain and help with sciatica pain relief.
Sciatica pain relief can be achieved temporarily with painkillers and anti-inflammatory medication as well as hot packs and ice packs. However if the pain increases, it is recommended that you consult your physician immediately to locate the cause of the sciatica and target it to achieve ultimate sciatica pain relief.

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Benefits of Exercise for People With Sciatica

By Rocky C Rhodes

The spine is a highly complex piece of structural anatomy. Due to its intricacy, if not properly maintained, it can suffer damage or injury in the bones, cartilage, nerves, and connecting muscles and ligaments. One such condition that afflicts many people is sciatica, which manifests itself as pain, numbness, or spasms stemming from the lower back through the upper legs. Luckily sciatica exercises have effectively prevented or treated this condition in many cases.
What Is Sciatica?
Sciatica derives its name from the sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the lower body, originating near the lower spine, and traveling under the buttock, and down the interior of the femur. Sciatica pain can from the low back to the toes, but is usually most intense in the buttock and pelvic region. Sensations vary widely between patients from numbness and tingling to severe and immobilizing pain, usually only on one side of the body.
Typically the pain will intensify at night, after sitting still for a long time, when sneezing, laughing, or coughing, or after walking. Unless there are underlying conditions, the pain will often go away in a few months, or it can and come and go over time. If the pain lasts for more than a month or is particularly intense when sneezing or coughing, you may need to allow more time for recovery. Luckily, learning the right exercises will help treat and prevent your sciatica pain.
Physical Therapy

It is vital that those with low back pain begin a gentle exercise program to reduce their pain. For patients with severe symptoms, physical therapy is a great way to learn proper techniques to eliminate your pain for good. A licensed professional will design a program specific to your needs, with a thorough understanding of the limitations caused by your condition. Although it is possible to design a program on your own, one New York Times study indicates that doing so will yield less results than a formal physical therapy program.
The first benefit of physical therapy is that it will educate you and train your body how to use the correct movement patterns not only while exercising, but when performing daily tasks. Secondly, you will learn exercises to help you keep your spine in a neutral position during your daily activities. According to most therapists, using incorrect movement patterns or engaging in high-impact exercise for a long time is the fastest way to develop sciatica pain.
Benefits of Exercising for Sciatica
By regularly performing exercises for your core and back, you may start to see an improvement in your sciatica pain. However, in order to see the benefits of exercising regularly, it is important that you do not push yourself too hard. This is where the guidance and program design of a professional will help you make the most of your training and recover from your sciatica.

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