by Evolve Manual Therapy
There’s little doubt that 2020 has brought with it, a substantial shift in the mental health of Australia’s population. Trends indicate that the numbers of people suffering from stress, anxiety and panic attacks is on the rise and is a true threat to the future state of Australia’s mental health.
Many of our patients arrive at our clinic with the classic but very real symptoms of stress and anxiety. Much of the time, people are aware something isn’t right but aren’t sure what the root cause is, or the extensive litany of symptoms that stress and anxiety can cause to our emotional, spiritual and physical selves. Our patients find themselves manifesting in a myriad of different ways – becoming irritable, restless, suffering from fatigue, chest pains, insomnia and a racing mind amongst many other symptoms, all seemingly unconnected but potentially debilitating if not properly managed. It’s been estimated that stress related workers compensation claims have doubled in recent years, now costing over $10 billion each year. Let’s unpack the enormity of that number. The huge number of people impacted by stress and anxiety if the average payment is just $250,000. That’s an average of 40,000 people whose claims were so debilitating, that they went to court. Imagine the thousands of other cases, perhaps no less serious but of which we have no recording and we’ll understand the scale of the issue we’re dealing with.
What does stress do to our body?
We try to help our patients understand that its normal to feel stressed and anxious in small quantities. It’s when we wait until stress and anxiety become overwhelming that issues start to become more marked in our bodies. In our modern, digital world, stress triggers can exist on a constant level, which stimulates a response in our body. Stress and anxiety stimulate changes in our body and activates our ‘fight or flight’ response, leaving us constantly in an inflammatory response and unable to self-regulate our hormones and responses. In turn, the appearance of mental and physical stress symptoms can cause further stress and perpetuate a vicious circle, people feel unable to break.
How can CranioSacral Therapy help stress?
At Evolve Manual Therapy, we practice Craniosacral Therapy (CST) which is a light touch manual therapy which works with the body to promote greater wellbeing and health. It’s a whole of body approach which works to remove restrictions within the cranium and sacrum (head and pelvis) and helps shift the body out of stress mode into a calmer, more relaxed state. Our practioners gently apply manual pressure to help increase mobility and circulation within the craniosacral system. When the body slows down during a session, it’s like untangling a tightly knotted ball of wool – where the stressed and confused reactions and responses get a chance to unravel and rebalance. Our bodies have an innate ability to self-correct and heal and CST, as a non-invasive therapy allows our mind and body to correct in an absolutely safe, non-medicated way.
The science shows the enormous benefits experienced by a wide range of patients suffering with stress or anxiety related symptoms. At Evolve Manual Therapy, we encourage patients to seek support early, whatever the source of stress. We all need help from time to time.
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by Evolve Manual Therapy
We live in an age of digital overdose. Our senses are constantly being fired up with noises, lights, sounds and demands. It’s normal to be always ‘on’, to never be out of reach and to sleep next to our mobile phones. But at what cost?
Think back to your last holiday – the one where you really relaxed. Where you lounged in a hammock, book and drink in hand or swam in the ocean with not a care in the world. How good did it feel? No stressing about the next meeting, tomorrow’s deadline or what to cook for dinner – you probably felt calm, peaceful and happy. You likely had time to spend with those you love, playing the board games you never normally get time for, sharing long walks in nature. It’s at times like these that we feel most connected to ourselves and to our families. Does this sound familiar?
Unfortunately for most of us, life isn’t a constant holiday of hammocks and reading by the pool. We have commitments, work, children, ageing parents, friendships to maintain and a whole host of other obligations we try to juggle. All too often, at Evolve Manual Therapy, we see clients put themselves last, at the bottom of the list under the other responsibilities needing to be managed. Our therapists see clients arrive exhausted and overwhelmed at the sheer amount in their daily to do list, resulting in negative physical and mental health symptoms. Aside from seeking help from our expert team, there are ways we can positively impact our own wellness, in our own time and to the beat of our own tune.
Finding time to stay connected to yourself is critical – losing yourself under a sea of responsibilities is a common complaint we hear and sympathise with. We’ve got a few suggestions to get you started on maintaining your own wellbeing.
- Walk in nature – Scientists are beginning to find evidence that being in nature has a profound effect on our brain and on our behaviour. We are physically and mentally more healthy when outdoors – it decreases stress and anxiety, reduces blood pressure and has been shown to improve moods. As an added benefit, walking helps our body to release serotonin, known as the happy hormone.
- Reading a book or completing a jigsaw puzzle – We know that by taking time out, we reduce our ‘fight or flight’ response and allow our nervous system to relax. By focusing on something specific, we’re helping to block out the many other ‘lose ends’ constantly buzzing around in our heads – the appointment you need to book, or the project you need to finish, get pushed to the back of your brain.
- Catch up with friends – We’re a tribal bunch and most of us thrive on connecting with others. Socialising helps create positive neuron connections in our brain and just having a friend listen to a challenge can help to break it down and reduce the anxiety we feel about that activity or thing.
- Have a soak in the bath – Take the time to relax in warm water to release many health benefits including reducing the workload of your adrenal glands and helping to restore balance within your body. Try using minerals and salts to help soothe, reduce toxins and heal.
- Practice meditating. Meditation has long been known to produce wellbeing enhancing benefits both mental and physical and using a guided meditation can help even a beginner to relax, release tension and enjoy a calmer mind.
The way you feel, becomes your essence of living. It’s time to push aside the constant digital demands and make space for our own personal wellbeing and health – when we don’t have time is exactly when we should practice self-love the most.
by Evolve Manual Therapy
Life is a roller coaster of emotions – full of extreme highs and the inevitable lows. Life is unpredictable, yesterday’s highlight can easily become tomorrow’s challenge. As humans, we tend to pack our lives full of people, work, activities, hobbies and a long list of things we ‘should do’. But what happens when despite all our efforts, we feel flat, uninspired and isolated?
We’re genetically programmed to connect and for the most part, have some form of interdependence on one another. Profoundly shaped by our social environment, humans suffer when our social connections are severed, and social pain has been scientifically proven to translate into real pain. We have evolved in such a way that being social, has become a necessity, not just a luxury. We live busy lives in fast paced world and it’s increasingly common for us to feel under the weather, to not really enjoy the life we’re living, even if we’re not sure what’s causing our low mood. The advent of social distancing and isolation with COVID has induced two distinct personas – one is perfectly happy to snuggle down in pyjamas at home, revelling in the slower pace of life and the chance to do the jobs they’ve been putting off for a while. The other has become a little unravelled with the lack of contact and socialising, easily recognised by the constant calls and desperate attempts to find a coffee shop that’s open. Both are perfectly normal responses to what has been an uncertain and unprecedented time.
The power of connection shouldn’t be underestimated. At Evolve Manual Therapy, many of our clients have been coming to us feeling the disconnect between their body and the connection with themselves and others. Clients typically come into our clinic aware that they’re feeling low and a little flat but unsure how to restore their natural vibrance and a happier demeanour. Many are missing the healing power of touch – an essential feeling which ground us from day dot – a parent with their child, a couple in love, a Grandparent with their grandchild – we’ve been raised to enjoy, and even need human touch. Isolation over the past few months has deprived many people from the joy of human touch and has impacted upon the health and wellbeing of countless others. Medical research has proven that Neuroscience has shown touch lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol and increases the amount of oxytocin, a feel-good hormone.
Raising your mood, gently and effectively
At Evolve, we practice a gentle, hands on approach called CST (CranioSacral Therapy) which is a delicate manipulation of the cranial bones and sacrum. It’s non-invasive and works by helping the flow of cerebrospinal fluid in the central nervous system to be normalised and removes blockages or tension, enabling the body to heal. The relaxation of the body and brain during CST can have a positive effect on the regulation of mood and on the reduction of stress. As your body secretes the ‘happy hormone’ serotonin, your body is flooded with a feeling of wellbeing and calmness.
It’s a natural way of lifting yourself up, no cocktails of chemicals required, only a regular appointment with your favourite therapist.
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