Anxiety is very real to its sufferers. Often recognised as producing symptoms such as constricted breathing, a whirling mind, body tension, pain and shaking hands, anxiety and overwhelm – it really puts strain on the body. An evolutionary trait, anxiety once existed to keep us out of danger, but in modern times, our stress response has become problematic itself when our body tells us to react to environmental factors out of our control.
Our fast paced, digital lives are full of stimulus, stemming from work, home and society more broadly. Our minds are constantly alert to noises, sights, sounds, thoughts, leaving our bodies in near constant fight or flight mode. Even though we understand there’s no real danger most of the time, our bodies recognise the stress and leave our stress hormones coursing through our bodies with nowhere to go to. As our stress levels build, anxiety can set in as a direct response to this unhealthy level of stress and overwhelm, creating an overload in your central nervous system (CNS).
Many patients end up in our clinic after repeated and failed attempts to reduce their anxiety via traditional methods – medication and psychotherapy. We understand how challenging it can be for sufferers of anxiety to continue thriving in their day to day lives and how much the weight of the problem can impact upon work and family life.
How can you help stress?
At Evolve, our therapists are experts at helping you regain control of your anxiety. By gently using CranioSacral Therapy (CST), we can help keep your nervous system flowing in a calm state. This allows your body to reduce its auto-pilot stress response and return to transmitting hormones that promote a healthy body. Anxiety and stress can cause a chaotic increase in nervous system activity, creating an overall sense of dis-ease within your body and mind. One of our patients, Claire, came into our clinic suffering from tremendous stress during COVID. A number of significant changes in her personal life, coupled with the uncertainty of life in a pandemic caused her sleepless nights, a racing heart and physical pain in her stomach. Having tried medication, Claire was keen to try a gentler and more natural way to try and beat her crippling anxiety and arrived at our clinic desperate for help. Within a few sessions of gentle CST, Claire started to sleep better. Gradually, her panic attacks and anxiety grew less and less until she reached the point where it’s now at a manageable level, allowing her to return to doing the activities she loves once more.
A light touch manual therapy, many patients say that they feel far more relaxed after CST as their body slows down and has an opportunity to wind down and self-correct. CST offers the body a unique opportunity to reset and break the cycle of stress and anxiety. Dig deep and ask yourself how your body really reacts to stress. How do you deal with looming work deadlines, family problems, traffic jams, being late to pick your kids up from school? They may all be small problems in isolation, but added together, create a fertile breeding ground for anxiety, if not carefully managed.
Our vast experience at Evolve, tells us that the sooner you seek help to pinpoint and treat a health challenge like anxiety, the faster we can treat you back to health. Our caring and knowledgeable clinicians will partner with you on your journey from diagnosis to your return to health.
Is it time for you to banish anxiety for good?