How to manage your stress, reduce your pain and accelerate your recovery.
The level of stress and awareness around stress management has become much more prevalent within our society, especially since the pandemic. Modern day living is fast and there are so many pressures placed upon us. It can all feel very overwhelming. Social media is definitely a leading cause and doom scrolling, comparison and filtered highlight reels that get fed to us all lead to that feeling of not being good enough, having enough or confident enough to just be ourselves.
The impact of stress on our health and wellbeing is profound and it is something experienced by millions around the UK. The Mental Health foundation reported that at some point in the last year, 74% of us have felt so stressed that we have felt unable to cope. Sadly the rate of suicides in the UK is growing year on year and is the leading cause of death in young males.
My job as a physiotherapist brings me into contact with many who are stressed, either due to the impact an injury is having on their body and their lifestyle, or where the stress they are experiencing personally is contributing to the condition or injury they have come to me about.
The research clearly shows that high cortisol levels are clearly correlated to higher pain levels. This does not mean that stress has caused pain but it does change how it is interpreted. Think of pain as a radio signal, and stress as the volume or amplifier. As that same signal is experienced by someone who is under significant or chronic stress, their perception of pain is much higher. This then leads them to believe the injury or pain is more serious and further contribute to their high stress levels.
As a physiotherapist I am expected to get to know and understand the variables that are impacting not just upon my patients ability to move pain free but on why they are in discomfort, what is the cause, what factors in their lives make it easier or harder to be mobile, motivated and supported to pursue their recovery.
The treatment plan I provide is expected to take these issues into account and be tailored to provide solutions and strategies to support the best, most realistic and effective treatment journey for that unique patient. A one size all approach simply does not work.
That is why we spend so much time getting to know our clients and fully assess them to understand all the barriers to treatment as well as the underlying factors which are causing or contributing to their pain experience. It creates a more tailored, personal experience but also a much more effective one. We treat people with injuries not the injuries themselves.
Particularly those with chronic back pain, stress management can play an important role in your recovery.
I, like everyone else, am not immune to the impact of stress and I have cultivated a number of ways I know help me regain focus, clarity and control.
I find simple meditation gives my brain a rest and chance to reset. It can be done anywhere, any time and doesn’t have to be perfect.
5 tips to help your Meditation
Meditation, like any skill takes practice and repetition. Don’t expect to get it right every time and especially not first time.
- Start small – 5 mins is a great start.
- Try different types of meditation and find a way that suits you, I like to use peloton meditations.
- Plan meditation into your day – pick a time and try to stick to it. Before bed is a great time.
- Get comfortable
- Breath naturally and deeply. Focus on exhales.
Don’t judge the meditation practise – allow it to just be!
If your mind wanders during the meditation practise, that’s ok, become aware of it and bring your attention back to the meditation track.
There are so many resources available online and with so much to choose from it means there is likely to be something you can relate to.
Stress management tools
MindTools.com has a particularly comprehensive range of explanations, guides and strategies. These help get to the heart of the problem and acknowledge that not everyone deals with stress the same way by giving access to multiple stress management techniques.
These guided exercises from The Honest Guys are not only relaxing but the commentary doubles as a practical guide to preparing for meditation, recognising signs of stress and simple guided techniques to slow breathing, relax muscles and calm thoughts. A lot to gain for just 15 minutes of your day.
GUIDED MEDITATION – Simple Breathing Exercise
GUIDED MEDITATION – TOTAL STRESS RELIEF!
Similar meditations to destress and help you sleep can be found on the Calm app. Stress triggers can be unpredictable and putting the app on your phone means that stress management is at your fingertips.
Calm – The #1 App for Meditation and Sleep
I hope some of these techniques and resources might provide you with a window of calm to begin to break the hold stress might have over you.
If your stress is being caused by or contributing to an injury or pain that we can help with please get in touch. Massage has been showing to a great treatment for stress relief, decrease anxiety levels and replace cortisol with those feel good endorphins. Exercise is also helpful, but a good nights sleep is where our body clears away the excess cortisol and makes everything better. Massage is also shown to help improve our sleep, so if you fancy 60 minutes to yourself (we even have a 90minute massage session) then why not give it a try. I’m confident you will feel much more relaxed and less painful as a result.
You can contact Optimal Physio at 0333 301 0205 or email treatment@optimalphysio.co.uk or if you are ready you can book an appointment online by following this link.
0 Comments