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One of the greatest challenges we face in regard to health is chronic stress.  To start to understand how chronic stress affects the body, you first have to know a little about the body’s physiological response known as “fight-or-flight”. When the brain senses an immediate stress or danger the adrenals release adrenaline and the hormone cortisol.  Energy is needed for one of two actions-fighting or fleeing. On an occasional basis this doesn’t cause a problem. The danger passes and the parasympathetic nervous system again takes over and restores things to normal. The problem is, in our modern world, our stress response is getting activated much more often than was ever intended, and the constant activation “burns in” that particular hormone pathway and makes it even easier for future stress responses. We are all familiar with the mental/emotional kind of stress, but the body reacts in much the same way whether the stress is from emotional pain or physical trauma or a chemical stress.  Cortisol is, in the short-term a feel good hormone. It numbs us to pain and gives us energy, clarity, and focus. This is why we are often most productive in times of stress. However, the body wasn’t meant to remain in a state of elevated cortisol.  Continued high levels of cortisol can deplete DHEA (the hormone responsible for repairing and rebuilding) and cause imbalances in other hormones. High cortisol also increases blood sugar, lowers immunity, and can initiate many chronic diseases. Eventually constant demand for cortisol exhausts the body. It cannot keep up and cortisol levels plummet, making it hard to concentrate and plaguing us with fatigue, inflammation, and an array of physical and mental symptoms. Controlling stress levels is a key component in maintaining health or reversing the disease process.

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Mental/emotional stress is rampant in society. We lived fast-paced lifestyles in times of insecurity, many without a strong emotional support system. Humans are meant to be social creatures, but Americans have more often become creatures of isolation without proper outlets for stress.

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Physical stress is also more common with modern lifestyle because we often don’t get enough exercise, spend too much time sitting, and have poor posture and breathing habits. This creates muscle weakness, nerve compression, lack of circulation and oxygen depletion. We are prone to injury, and likely to forge ahead without giving adequate time for healing when we are injured.

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Chemical stressors are present at levels we have never before experienced. The environment is filled with so many different toxins. The body can be stressed by unknown or unidentified pathogens, bacteria, or viruses. Standard American diets are laden with artificial ingredients and chemicals that the body doesn’t even recognize as food. Even those on a whole foods diet are consuming pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones if they are eating non-organic. Our personal care products are another source of chemical stress. Popular brands contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals, toxins, and cancer-causing ingredients. We are using these products in our homes and on our bodies with no thought to the long-term effects. In addition, we are constantly exposed to radiation and electromagnetic pollution because of our dependence on electronics.

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Pain, while technically a symptom, is also a cause or stressor, because of the constant demand for cortisol it places on the body. Chronic pain interferes with sleep and the body’s natural process for healing and rejuvenation.

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My mission is to help you optimize health by removing as many stressors from your life as possible, and to give you ways to manage the stressors that cannot be eliminated. I do this by identifying healing opportunities through functional lab testing, lifestyle education, supplement recommendations, and finding ways to activate the parasympathetic nervous system.  For those local, I also offer one of the most effective tools for stress management and pain relief-massage.

Lexington, SC 29072
Tel: 803-265-5774
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