Anxiety, stress and Back Scool

By Dr. Gianpiero Greco

Anxiety, stress and excessive tension in today's society

The constant state of tension, sustained by the attempt to respond to the demands imposed by society, has produced the spread of stress pathology.

Stress is actually a positive physiological response of the organism, because it activates the hormonal secretion of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, so that the entire human body naturally puts itself in "alert" to react with defense or escape systems . Without stress he would not be able to respond effectively to such stimuli.

Chronic stress or distress : this is what happens when, in a certain period of our life, the problems and commitments that we invest in are exorbitant with respect to our resources and ability to face them at that given moment. Stressful events that are too powerful, frequent or prolonged, or never addressed before, overcome the possibility of resistance of the organism, inducing a "phase of exhaustion" of the response characterized by a critical reduction of our adaptive capacities, which predisposes us to the development of the disease .

Frequently in our society, for example, is the chronic illness caused by work-related stress, caused by a variety of factors, including precarious working conditions, long journeys to get to work, conflicts with colleagues or the boss, strong pressures for maximum efficiency and efficiency, a reduction in time to dedicate to oneself and the family, an imbalance between commitment and responsibility on the one hand and remuneration on the other.

The first symptoms of the stress reaction consist, on a physical level, of acceleration of the heartbeat, intense sweating, indigestion, muscle aches and pains; on a psychological level, agitation and nervousness appear, accompanied by difficulties in concentration, fatigue, insomnia, anxiety and depression.

Prolonged stresses are at the origin of the so-called psychosomatic diseases, classifiable as mixed responses in which psychological distress is associated with contemporary physical manifestations, and in which the subject often only realizes physical suffering, involuntarily evading the emotional component. They consist of headache, skin diseases, pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract (gastritis, gastric ulcer, irritable colon), cardiovascular diseases (myocardial infarction, arterial hypertension), pains localized on the spine (cervicalgia, lumbago) ......

Back School

Back school is a valid method to prevent and treat vertebral pain. It is a school that aims to reduce the risk factors that cause vertebral pain: stress, anxiety, excessive tensions, incorrect postures, etc ...

The Back school program is characterized by six cornerstones: information, preventive, analgesic and rehabilitative gymnastics, the correct use of the spine, relaxation techniques, nutrition and lifestyle, customary to physical activity.

In situations of tension and anxiety, the muscles remain contracted and the circulation is thus reduced, with a consequent reduction in the supply of oxygen and removal of the waste; in addition, there is an increase in intradiscal pressure of 50%. All this can cause joint stiffness, discopathy, spondyloarthrosis and inflammatory processes due to ischemic pain.

A study has shown that music therapy is a valid complementary treatment for those suffering from chronic back pain, also helping to reduce anxiety and depression resulting from this disease (Guetin et al, 2005) .

Another very important study has shown that back and neck pain can be caused by professional activity, both for physical and psychosocial stress (Hagen et al., 1998).

It is therefore useful to perform breathing exercises to unblock the diaphragm and obtain better cellular functioning of all the organs and systems through good oxygenation, doing stretching exercises to relieve muscle tension and use music to enhance its effects.

Recommended bibliography

Kerkvliet GJ .: Music therapy may help control cancer pain. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1990 Mar 7; 82 (5): 350-2Khalfa S, Bella SD, Roy M, Peretz I, Lupien SJ .: Effects of relaxing music on salivary cortisol level after psychological stress. Ann NY Acad Sci. 2003 Nov; 999: 374-6.Kraus N, Nicol T .: Brainstem origins for cortical 'what' and 'where' pathways in the auditory system.Trends Aura Science.2005 Apr; 28 (4): 176 -81 Särkämö T et al .: Music listening enhances cognitive recovery and mood after middle cerebral artery stroke. Brain 2008; 131: 866-76 Scardovelli M., The Pan Flute. Music, complexity, communication, Ecig, Genova 1988 Schmid W, Aldridge D.: Active music therapy in the treatment of multiple sclerosis patients: a matched control study. J Music Ther. 2004 Fall; 41 (3): 225-40 Umenura M, Honda K .: Influence of music on hearth rate variability and comfort - a consideration through comparison of music and noise. Journal of Human Ergology (Tokyo) Dec, 1998, 27, 1-2, 30-38

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