Chronic Stress and Physical Tension Rewires Your Body and Shortens Life

Today I am introducing a subject everyone talks about, yet few truly see

Stress.

Doctors, psychologists, and researchers all agree that stress is a universal component of nearly every illness. In a physician's office, it sounds routine. They tell you to "try to worry less," "get better sleep," or "don’t take things so seriously." We nod our heads, thinking stress is just an inevitable part of life.

But in truth, stress runs much deeper. I have seen it and felt it myself. It isn't just a mental state. It is a physical siege on the body’s ability to maintain itself.

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The Biological Cost of Tension

There are dozens of studies on PubMed which show that stress directly affects the physical body. It acts as a decelerator for your natural recovery and slows your tissue repair. After injury or surgery (trauma), healing is sluggish when the body is under chronic tension. Cortisol, the stress hormone, suppresses immunity and regeneration.

It even has the ability to change how your medications work. I have seen the research showing that the same antibiotic is more effective in a calm person than someone who is anxious. The same applies to painkillers.

Expecting pain amplifies the sensation, while trust in the treatment increases its effectiveness.

The Hormonal Shift:

Prolonged tension in the body floods with cortisol and adrenaline. When this happens, the delicate balance of the endocrine system falters:

• Thyroid function suffers.

• Reproductive hormones shift.

• Cycles become irregular in women.

• Testosterone drops in men.

• Stress will also alter your blood sugar.

Studies show glucose spikes after stressful events even without any sugar intake. When the body is in a state of "fight or flight," it releases energy because it perceives a present danger.

Your Digestion:

What I am mentioning here is just the surface level of understanding. High stress affects blood pressure, leading to hypertension, an unbalanced heart rhythm, and shallow breathing.

It destroys digestion.

Studies show people who are calm digest food better. Those who are not at ease when eating experience cramps, inflammation, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation.

Most people think it is solely what they are eating. If you are experiencing digestive discomfort, your primary care physician will find the imbalance, give it a name, and provide a medication to treat your symptoms. Sound familiar?

Your symptoms may fade. Your body may feel alive again. But if the true cause goes deeper than just your diet, the problems begin to resurface, and many times, they come back much worse.

Maybe there is another layer that is unseen and untreated aside from the physical pains you are experiencing.

Is it an inner conflict?

An emotional state?

I do not believe stress is a minor factor when it comes to health. I believe it is part of the foundation on which your health is either built or destroyed.

The Individual Map of Stress:

Stress affects everyone and it shows up differently because every body is different and every mind is unique.

• One person develops IBS.

• Another gets pounding headaches.

• Another experiences rosacea and/or eczema.

• Another feels the weight of depression and/or anxiety.

• Another holds the weight of the world on their shoulders.

• Another has limited mobility because of tight hips.

These are all categorized as different illnesses, but stress is stress. In my practice, I view stress as being synonymous with physical tension.

This is why chronic diseases are so hard to cure. They return despite medications and surgeries. Even with the "perfect diet" or "eating clean," vitamins sometimes don’t absorb. Even with a desire to live a "healthy" lifestyle, it is difficult to stick to a regimen when mental and emotional stress begin to dominate.

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The "Silent Killer":

This leads me to my own conspiracy theory on why "health insurance" does not cover massage. Let me say it without saying it.

Chronic stress and physical tension is linked to the six top U.S. causes of death:

1. Heart Disease

2. Cancer

3. Lung Ailments

4. Accidents

5. Cirrhosis of the Liver

6. Suicide

Stress earns the "silent killer" label - by quietly worsening health without obvious symptoms until severe outcomes emerge. It suppresses immunity, elevates cortisol, and promotes plaque in the arteries.

The Lancet and Yale Findings:

A study in The Lancet found that stress disorders raised all-cause mortality risk sharply in the first year post-diagnosis. The crude rates were 7.95 vs. 3.11 per 1,000 person-years for exposed vs. unexposed individuals. Men with high perceived stress faced a 32% higher all-cause mortality, which was strongest for respiratory deaths and suicide. Work stress alone links to approximately 120,000 U.S. deaths yearly.

Furthermore, Yale research shows chronic stress shortens lifespan independently of other conditions by accelerating the aging process. Lower levels of the longevity hormone, klotho, in stressed women correlate directly with faster aging and disease risk.

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There is a saying in massage therapy that "we hold our issues in our tissues."

It is true!

I have experienced it in all of my patients over the last 13 years. There is no doubt in my mind that when the stress and tension have been relieved from the muscles, my patients feel lighter. They are emotionally relieved. The pain and discomfort they once felt has either completely vanished or lessened significantly.

I have listened to you tell me, "I really needed this," or "it feels better to be in my body again," and "I feel lighter and more energized." I have experienced you cry when I have done abdominal work. I have watched your shallow breathing turn into a deep breath and a sigh of relief.

Within my mind, and in my soul after our sessions, I believe as your guide to health, I have helped you lengthen your life to some degree.

And this is why "HEALTH" insurance doesn't cover therapies like massage and bodywork.

They are not interested in the foundation, but I am.