Stress is a terrible issue and the reality of how stress can impact your health is becoming increasingly apparent as more and more studies are showing correlation between stress and disease. Indeed, the American Medical Association reports that stress is a factor in 75 per cent of all disease. One recent study has found that stress can make the heart muscle weaker.
Stress and Cardiovascular Issues
A report published in the 2004 edition of GreatLife magazine, based on a study done at Duke University Medical Center, shows that the heart can be adversely impacted by stress. They found that stress, anger and sadness can cause issues, and that the more someone experiences those things, the less able the heart was to react to them. The pressure that is exerted on the heart through the rollercoaster of emotions is something that makes the heart less able to ‘bounce back’ after traumatic events.
Depression and the Heart Rate
A study conducted at Emory University in Atlanta, in conjunction with other researchers from Yale, found that there is a link between depression and reduced heart rate variability. A decreased HRV can weaken the heart, meaning that you are more susceptible to certain other heart issues. Your heart rate variability is the fluctuations in your heart rate.
Beating Stress Using Reflexology Treatments
If you are looking for a low cost, natural way to beat stress, then reflexology could be an option. It is an effective way of improving your overall health and offsetting the effects of stress on your heart. Reflexology can help to treat your mind, body and spirit, and is a cohesive way of getting to the cause of the disease, rather than just managing the symptoms. It can help to cancel out the effects of stress in the short term while also helping your body to find a place of relaxation for itself so that it can achieve better balance.
Reducing Stress the Natural Way
The relaxation process makes the body better able to cope with the stresses that are placed on it on a day to day basis. It helps with the difficulties that people experience due to illness, and due to mental stress. It helps the body work towards improved functioning and helps to improve lymphatic drainage, stimulate your nervous system, promote muscle relaxation, and improve lymphatic drainage.
One recent report published at reflexology-research.com, based on a Chinese study, showed that reflexology can alleviate even extreme stress. The report looked at people who were being treated for neurasthenia and how they responded to emotional stress. The treatments looked at areas of the feet that related to the adrenal glands, bladder, sinuses, kidneys, heart and brain. These are organs that are often affected by stress.
The treatments were given daily, and the results were presented at a reflexology symposium in 1993. Of those who took part in the study, 40 per cent reported being cured, 35 per cent enjoyed great improvements in their symptoms, 15 per cent reported mild improvements, and 10 per cent saw no change.
Reflexology Promotes Feel-Good Hormone Production
Reflexology treatments can reduce stress and tension and can have a therapeutic impact on your body’s systems, improving your circulation, and flushing toxins out of your tissues. It is thought that it can stimulate the production of endorphins, which are natural feel-good hormones that are known to help relieve stress.
Self-Healing through Reflexology
There are clear physiological benefits to reflexology because it can stimulate the immune system, eliminate waste and promote the assimilation of nutrients. This supports the body’s own healing processes and helps to maintain the balance that will promote long term good health. All these points and more are covered on reflexology training courses.
Reflexology feels good, and even people who are not able to enjoy a traditional massage due to physical restrictions or because of inhibitions regarding disrobing can benefit. With reflexology, all you have to do is take off your footwear.