How Stress Damages Your Body and What You Can Do About It

Between the challenges of careers, the obligations to family, and all the other priorities that we have to take care of throughout our week, there’s your body and your mind. We’re not just talking about those regular ups and downs, where you might have a few obstacles to overcome. When it comes to stress, we mean those tests and trials that leave you feeling beaten down, worried, or even overwhelmed. You might also find yourself feeling exhausted or weakened because of stress.

Who wants to be left feeling like that? Yet, there’s even more to it than simply how you feel. Stress can wreak havoc on your both and your mind, not to mention your well-being. While stress might be a fact of life, today, we’re going to see exactly how stress damages your body and a few tips on how to better manage it before it gets out-of-control. As a result, you’ll be able to live a happier, more productive life that centers around building your health.

What Causes Stress?

The answer to this question will be different for every single person. In the case of stress, there can be a wide range of factors that contribute to it in any one person’s life. Still, there are some common and more general causes that can contribute to stress during your week. Maybe you’re going through a major change in your life or having difficulties with someone you know. You could also be experiencing financial hardship or maybe you’re just juggling a lot of tasks every month. In addition to understanding how stress damages your body, it’s important to identify the cause of your individual stress.

How can Stress Damage My Body and My Mind?

First, stress kicks your body into high gear, preparing it for a struggle. This means that your immune system gets an initial boost, your body is put on alert, and your body releases a slew of chemicals into your blood stream. These include cortisol and adrenaline. Adrenaline is probably a no-brainer for many of you, so let’s skip to the other one. Cortisol has a variety of effects on your body. On the one hand, if left unchecked, it can lead to immune system suppression, memory fatigue, difficulty sleeping, and many others. This is because, in essence, your body (and your mind) are being prepared for a serious showdown. Over time, however, the consequences can be severe, even possibly fatal.

What are Some of the Symptoms of Stress?

On our path to health and wellness, we’ll need to learn the signs of stress on our bodies. This way, we can take action to mitigate the cause, but also manage the emotions. Here are just a few of the symptoms associated with stress:

  • Difficulty remembering important items
  • Obsessive worry that can’t be dismissed
  • Nausea and fatigue
  • Faster breathing and a quicker heart rate
  • Feelings of having a cold, as well as general aches
  • An inability to eat properly
  • Difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
  • Headaches or migraines

How Can I Better Handle Stress in My Life?

Even though you can’t completely remove the challenges we face in everyday life, there’s good news. You can always better manage your stress or even eliminate it. Now, don’t expect all your stress to disappear all at once forever. For many of us, it’s a journey of constant improvement toward a better quality of life. Here’s some ideas to get you started:

  • Focus on having a positive attitude
  • Make time to relax during your week
  • Get a full night’s sleep and eat right
  • Meet with friends and family regularly
  • Keep a weekly exercise schedule

Of course, if you’re in need of some immediate relief from stress or merely want to reset and relax, our massage clinics in Seattle can help. Our staff in Redmond, Roosevelt, and Queen Anne are always ready to put you in the direction of a healthy lifestyle. Give us a call and ask how a massage can aid in helping you overcome your stress!

 

 

The Differences Between a Spa Massage and a Medical Massage

You may have found yourself wondering how a massage differs when administered at a spa versus in a clinical setting. After all, they both involve someone applying pressure to your body, right? Well, although they do share that similarity, there are many important distinctions between the two. It’s also essential to understand those differences for your own health and wellbeing.

As you might have guessed, the key differences are mostly in the purpose of the massage, but also the reasons that a person might be seeking one type of massage over the other. The end goal of the massages might differ greatly as well. As your resource for all things massage in, our staff at Dreamclinic is ready to provide knowledge and understanding when it comes to this commonly asked question of spa massage vs. clinical massage.

Understanding Patient and Client Relationships

This is a good place to start for the differences between a spa massage and a medical massage. Because a clinical massage is focused on relieving a medical need, it differs in how the interaction will proceed. For example, for a medical massage, your physician might have referred you and may even have certain requests for your treatment. In addition, your insurance company is likely covering part of your visits, expecting the visits to aid in resolving a specific aliment or condition. In contrast, spa massage is frequently expected to be a relaxing overall experience with the goal of destressing or relaxation

Targeting Your Needs with Differing Techniques

While a spa massage might feel similar to clinical in some ways, because the purposes of these two massage types differ, the types of techniques used will also differ. During a spa visit, you typically enjoy a regular, Swedish Massage that’s more basic and centers on your relaxation. However, during a medical massage, a professional may use a broader set of modalities, such as Trigger Point Therapy or Myofascial Release, to offer to aid in muscle health recovery.

Expertly Addressing Your Specific Circumstances

On the topic of techniques, another factor where the two types of massage differ is how your session is planned based on your individual needs. Consider how a longtime runner might seek out a medical massage to deal with a difficult injury during their year. At the same time, someone who’s been in a car accident may have completely different needs due to whiplash. Because of these differences, one of our massage therapists in Seattle or the surrounding area will approach your visits with your specific needs in mind. Although a typical spa therapist has been trained in the art of massage, our treatment massage experts receive additional training and experience that allows them to provide advanced care for your health.

Wrapping Up Your Therapy for Healthy Results

Finally, you will also find a difference in the suggested frequency of your massage visits. Because there is a targeted plan during your medical massage treatment, you’ll have a goal that’s based around a health outcome and includes a series of timed visits versus a sporadic spa visit. A medical massage factors into a larger plan to improve specific medical challenges you may be facing. Because tangible results are what is expected with medical massage, Dreamclinic has composed a team of elite massage professionals,skilled in the necessary aspects of medical massage.

Are you in need of a medical massage, but aren’t sure where to turn yet? Dreamclinic has several locations for medical massage in Seattle and the surrounding areas. Give us a call!