Chronic Stress: A Risk Factor for Degenerative Diseases
Stress was crucial for our ancestors’ survival. They relied on surges of stress to hunt wild animals, find food sources, and stay alive.
Not all stress is bad. In small amounts, the right kinds of stress can be good for you physically and mentally. However, in our contemporary world, none of us are meant to experience stress all the time. It’s only when we’re in a constant state of stress that it becomes a serious problem.
What Chronic Stress Does to Your Body
Chronic stress can cause severe and lasting damage to your body. Outcomes of chronic stress include depression, heart disease, autoimmune conditions, and pain. Research shows that up to 90% of all doctor office visits are related to stress.
If you deal with persistent stress, finding healthy ways to manage it before it damages your body is critical. This is particularly true for the four million patients suffering from fibromyalgia, a medical condition that involves chronic pain. Stress and negative thoughts may cause painful flare-ups. If you find yourself frequently stressed out, make sure to talk to your fibromyalgia doctor and about pain and stress management.
Healthy Ways to Manage Stress
Regardless of your health or medical condition, you can effectively manage stress with diet, exercise, and positive lifestyle practices such as
- Practicing meditation
- Consuming healthy whole foods
- Going for a walk through a park
- Avoiding caffeine
Nutritional supplementation is another way to manage stress. At Blatman Health and Wellness Center, you can ask our nutritional counselor about the benefits of ashwagandha, lemon balm, L-theanine, and various supplements we offer.
Control Your Stress and Pain Naturally
Regardless of why you’re stressing, learning how to cope with and manage your stress before it leads to serious health problems is essential. For many patients, the effects of stress don’t become readily apparent until they need to see a Cincinnati pain doctor or other specialist.
Our team at Blatman Health and Wellness Center can work with you to identify the underlying causes of your pain and how they may be linked to stress. You can also take advantage of the natural treatments we offer that address the source of your pain and support your stress management.
