April is Stress Awareness Month, which serves as a timely reminder to prioritise self-care.

 Stress. It's something we've all experienced at some time in our lives. It may occur in our life on occasion, but if it becomes chronic, it may have a severe influence on our physical and mental health. Chronic stress can manifest as physical discomfort.

When we are stressed, our cortisol hormone levels rise, which may contribute to increased inflammation in the body, potentially causing increasing pain over time. When we are stressed, our muscles contract up, producing discomfort in a variety of locations of our bodies.

Causes of Stress

Although stress is helpful in pushing us to the right direction sometimes, it is not always the case. Prolonged stress or recurrent bouts of it, can cause and aggravate existing health problems like:

• Cardiovascular diseases like high blood pressure, heart attacks, stroke, etc

• Eating disorders

• Skin and hair problems such as Eczema, permanent loss of hair, acne, etc

• Gastrointestinal disorders such as colitis, irritable bowel disease, etc

• Mental health problems like depression, anxiety, personality disorders, etc

• Weaknesses in the immune system

• Cognitive deficiencies

• Lack of sleep or difficulty sleeping.

• Persistent headaches or stomach aches

To put this into context, if you have a chronic pain condition, such as arthritis or fibromyalgia, stress-induced inflammation in the body can cause more severe pain that is difficult to control. The good news is that you can do things to control your stress, minimise inflammation in your body, and alleviate general physical discomfort. Physiotherapy is a highly efficient method for doing this.

Benefits of Physiotherapy for stress management

However, while stress can be overwhelming, there are methods we can do to control it. Physiotherapy is a kind of rehabilitation that use exercise, manual therapy, and other treatments to enhance physical function and alleviate pain. Physiotherapists can help you uncover the root causes of your pain and provide a tailored treatment plan to address them.

The physiotherapist can help you manage stress by motivating you to exercise regularly. When we're exercising, our bodies release endorphins, which have been shown to alleviate pain, reduce stress, and improve our overall well-being. In addition, exercise helps to reduce cortisol levels and the stress hormone that results in a reduction of inflammation and stress all over our bodies.

Regular physiotherapy can provide several benefits for stress reduction, including supporting physical activity:

• Reduce swelling in specific parts of the body

• To speed up the inflammation process.

• Alleviate any pain you may be experiencing

• Strengthening the muscles and increasing range of movement

• Boost self-esteem, self-worth, and overall quality of life Improve sleep quality, which contributes to stress management

• Foster a sense of control and accomplishment in your day-to-day activities

At home remedies for stress

There are many physical therapy stress management techniques that can help with stress and your ability to cope, which you can use at home. Here are some of the ways:

• Exercise: These exercises can help you reduce stress, tone up, and improve your stamina. This stimulates the production of endorphins, which act as pain relievers and mood enhancers.

• Breathing exercises: Controlled, rhythmic breathing leads to relaxation, mindfulness and stress relief.

• Meditation: Lowers heart rate, blood pressure, skin heat and reduces the heat of the skin. Adrenaline levels in the blood.

• Stretching: Stretching exercises such as yoga and pilates can help ease joint and muscle stiffness and relax them.

Remember the importance of your own health and wellbeing during Stress Awareness Month, as well as all year round. It is essential to recognise the signs of stress and take care of oneself!