The immune system is a very complex system that functions to seek and destroy bodily invasions. It is responsible for identifying everything that is foreign to us and protects us from infection and foreign substance. This is a system I recommend taking care of. You see, high levels of stress that go untreated will supress your immune system preventing it from working at 100% of its ability.

The effects of stress on the immune system are many and include weakened defenses, lower resistance to infections and viral illnesses as well as increased susceptibility to allergies and malignant cell changes that encourage the growth and spread of cancer.

Unfortunately we have come to live in a highly toxic environment, therefore it is as important as ever to support healthy function of your immune system. I recommend regular massage to reduce stress and strengthen your immunity but in the short term, try a good laugh. Stress constricts blood vessels, and thus lowers our immune systems, and ability to fight off disease. Studies have shown that laughter lowers levels of the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine, and in effect reversing the constriction of blood vessels.

The reproductive system makes life possible. An individual does not need the system to survive, but the human race does. Without the reproductive system, the human cycle would end. It is important, then, to keep the reproductive system operating at peak efficiency. High levels of stress that go untreated can be particularly taxing on the reproductive system.

An overload of stress prevents the release of the ‘master’ hormone that signals a cascade of hormones that direct reproduction and sexual behavior. It also inhibits the testes and ovaries directly, hindering production of the male and female sex hormones testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone.

In men, long-term stress can reduce the number of sperm produced or cause impotence. In women, stress can cause absent or irregular menstrual cycles, and reduce sexual desire.

So what do you say? Let’s keep the human race alive, book a massage session and help relieve the stress in your life.

The endo…what? I’ll give you a hint, it’s not what you do when you go over your handlebars. In simplest terms, it is a system of ductless glands that regulate bodily functions through hormones secreted into the bloodstream. This system influences almost every cell, organ and function in our bodies. It is instrumental in regulating mood, tissue function, metabolism and reproductive processes to name a few.

So how is this system involved with stress? When the body is stressed, the glands of our endrocrine system start to produce stress hormones. These hormones are released into the body and in response the liver produces glucose, raising our blood sugar and keeping us in our ‘fight or flight’ sympathetic nervous system when we don’t need to be there. Basically, it inhibits our ability to relax and recover from the stress.

The ability to recover from stress and to relieve ourselves from stress is very important in overall healthy function of the body.  Our society lends to a life of sympathetic nervous system living and not parasympathetic healing.  As a whole we need more time in the parasympathetic nervous system and ‘down time’ is the way to get there.  I’m not talking about down time in front of the television while folding laundry.  I’m referring to meditation, massage, relaxation in nature – I’m referring to time spent nurturing our soul and rejuvenating our systems.  Time out of our hectic schedules and time for healing.

In 2007, I wrote a series of articles on how stress affects the systems of the body.  I am going to post these articles again as I feel the importance of this information is paramount for all.  Stress is a fact of life and a necessity in many cases but left untreated, stress can wreak havoc on your systems and interfere with the intelligent workings of your body.  Simply put, general health will be impaired and ill effects unavoidable.

So, how does stress affect us?  Before we can answer this question we must know what stress is. Simply put, stress is the body’s reaction to any change that requires an adjustment or response. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental and emotional responses.

Stress, to varying degrees, is a normal part of life and our body, mind and spirit is designed to experience and react to stress. Stress can be positive in that it helps to keep us alert and ready to avoid danger.

Stress, as we know, can also be negative and without relief or relaxation, it will negatively affect every system in our body. In future posts, I will be highlighting the different systems of the body and how stress affects those systems.

Here are some interesting statistics on stress:

- 43% of adults suffer adverse health effects from stress
- OSHA estimates that stress costs American industry more than $300 billion annually
- Emotional disorders are more than 50% due to chronic, untreated reactions to stress
- It is now believed that 80% – 90% of all disease is stress induced
- 75% – 90% of all doctor’s office visits are for stress related ailments and complaints

My intent is to help you understand just how important it is to allow our mind, body and spirit to experience relief. Whether you are an elite athlete, a corporate executive, college student or average joe, we all need to be active participants in our own care.

So please, take an hour out of your life and come in for a massage. Let me assist you in living a healthy life.

Care of your body should be at the top of your priority list. You will feel and look better if you take the necessary steps regarding health and nutrition. Stress relief alone can improve your vitality and state of mind. Massage, bodywork, and somatic therapies can play an important role in your life.

Receiving massage on a regular basis will help to promote a healthy circulatory system, along with good posture. Massage also releases tension and pain in the muscles, allowing them to move more freely. People who receive massage frequently tend to be more flexible and comfortable in their bodies, since they are maintaining a higher level of general health.

Because of the various benefits that massage offers, it is unlikely a person could receive too much. Therapeutic massage has a cumulative effect on both soft tissue repair and decreasing stress, therefore regular massage is recommended to achieve the best result.

There is not a ‘one for all’ answer to this question and will vary from person to person.  Generally speaking, if you are recovering from injury or trying to ‘dial down’ some red flags that your body is putting up, then I feel weekly massage is in order until your body is able to re-establish balance.  For health maintenance and to assist in your activities of daily living once a month is ideal.  I am more than happy to talk with you individually and make a personalized recommendation regarding frequency of receiving massage.