May 2006

Stress and the Mind/Body Connections:
Is It All In Our Heads?


Picture this: A group of thinly clad individuals are sitting quietly in a 40-degree Fahrenheit room.

Others soak 3-by 6-foot sheets in 49-degree water and place them over the first group's shoulders. For most of us, such frigid wrappings would undoubtedly produce uncontrolled shivering - and perhaps, if our body temperatures continued to drop, could even result in death.

What actually happened, though, was that the sheets dried and, in doing so, produced visible clouds of steam. This experiment was repeated twice more, over a period of several hours, with the same results.

Needless to say, don't try this at home. But what was going on?

This was an experiment conducted by Dr. Herbert Benson, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and president of the Mind/Body Medical Institute. Through it, Benson showed how what's known as the "relaxation response," when practiced by highly trained individuals, can affect such processes as body temperature, metabolism, breathing rate, heart rate and blood pressure.

What does this mean for us? The experiment offers clues as to how we can learn to effectively deal with stress - and the damaging impact stress can have on our physical and psychological health - in our own lives.

What's Out There?
Stress sets off an alarm in the brain, which responds by preparing the body for defensive action. The nervous system is aroused and hormones are released to sharpen the senses, quicken the pulse, deepen respiration and tense the muscles.

Biologically preprogrammed, this response - sometimes called the "fight or flight" response - is important because it helps us defend ourselves against what we perceive as potentially harmful situations. Everyone responds in much the same way, regardless of whether we’re dealing with a truly life-threatening or injurious situation or whether it's a stressful situation is at work, at home or elsewhere.

Many studies have looked at the relationship between stress and a variety of ailments. Mood and sleep disturbances, upset stomach and headache, and disturbed relationships with family and friends are common examples of stress-related problems that are quick to develop.

The link between stress and chronic diseases, however, is more difficult to see because they can take a long time to develop and can be influenced by many other factors. Nevertheless, evidence is rapidly accumulating to suggest that stress plays an important role in several types of chronic health problems - especially cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders and psychological disorders.
Just the Facts
  • 50 percent of U.S. adults identify stress as their No. 1 health concern.
  • 60-90 percent of office visits to health care professionals are for stress-related complaints.
  • Health care expenditures are nearly 50 percent greater for workers who report high levels of stress.
  • Three-fourths of employees believe the average worker today has more on-the-job stress than workers did a generation ago.
  • 80 percent of workers feel stress on the job, nearly half say they need help in learning how to manage stress and 42 percent say their coworkers need such help.
 
The Relaxation Response


The relaxation response is "hard wired" into our bodies to control the effects of stress in e everyday life. Just as the heart begins to pound when you imagine a frightening situation, so you can slow your heart rate by relaxing the body and quieting the mind.

The relaxation response is a physical state of deep rest that changes a person's physical and emotional responses to stress. If practiced regularly, it can have lasting effects for people who encounter stress throughout the day and, thereby, can improve their health. Regular practice of the relaxation response has been scientifically proven to be an effective treatment for a wide range of stress-related disorders. In fact, to the extent that any disease is caused or made worse by stress, the relation response can help.
Your Body on Stress:
The 'Fight or Flight' Response 		Effects of the
Relaxation Response 		  Techniques for Eliciting
the Relaxation Response
Metabolism increases Metabolism decreases   Mindfulness meditation Progressive muscle relation
Heart rate increases Heart rate decreases   Repetitive Prayer Focus on breathing
Blood pressure increases Blood Pressure increases   Yoga stretching Repetitive exercise
Breathing rate increases Breathing rate decreases   Imagery  
Muscle Tension increases Muscle tension decreases      

Although seemingly varied, all of these techniques have two basic components: First, the focusing of attention through the repetition of a word, prayer, phrase or physical activity; and second, the passive disregard of everyday thoughts when they occur, returning to the repetition.


The information contained in this newsletter is not intended to replace the advice of your healthcare provider. If you have any questions about managing your health and/or seeking medical care, please contact a medical professional.
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