Sudden or constant stress can induce mental, physical andemotional disorders.  Research has shownthat around 12 million adults see doctors for mental health problems each year.Most of these suffer from anxiety and depression, much of it stress-related.



Disorders like dizzy spells, anxiety, tension,sleeplessness, nervousness, muscle cramps; chronic fatigue syndrome,hyperventilation or choking sensation, chest pain or pressure, headaches,ulcers, indigestion, constipation, IBS, migraines, palpitations, panic attacks,heart attack and coronary thrombosis and other chronic health problems can be aresult of long term stress.

There are exceptionally effective holistic methods to tacklestress instead of the general prescribed drugs, which again cause the bodystress due to their side effects. Some of the holistic methods are age-oldtechniques and some are new avatars of the modern world.

The TraditionalMethods

The traditional methods are the oldest form of structuredmedicine, that is, a medicine that has an underlying philosophy and set ofprinciples by which it is practiced. The principles and philosophy ofTraditional Methods always deal with natural laws, because all life is subjectto these natural laws and ill-health is usually due to an abnormal imbalance,either within an organism, or of the organism with its environment. ThereforeTraditional Healers do not only work at correcting the internal imbalancesthrough which disease can manifests in an individual, but also work atre-establishing an individual's harmony with their environment and theirrelationship with the natural cycles to which all life is subject. When thereis harmony stress fades away.

Reflexology

Reflexology is a non-invasive treatment performed on thefeet and sometimes on the hands. This holistic therapy uses manipulation withpressure of varying degrees. Reflexology focuses on areas of the feet thatcorrespond with all body parts. The pressure applied during reflexologystimulates the movement of energy along the pathways, through the use of aspecific finger and thumb massage technique. By re-balancing the body andemotions, reflexology is a countermeasure to stress and induces relaxation.

Yoga

Yoga means "to unite." It's the holistic approach toall aspects of life: physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga views the person as awhole; as a unique combination of body, mind and soul, and its techniquesmaintain that body-mind-soul harmony. Its quiet, precise movements focusyour mind less on your busy day and more on the moment as you move your bodythrough poses that require balance and concentration. Yoga also offers manybreathing skills for stress. These yogic breathing techniques are termed as 'pranayama'.Yogic meditation has proved helpful in reducing stress and anxiety, loweringblood pressure, improving concentration and creativity besides bringing relieffrom stress-induced ailments.

The yoga postures (asana), breathing (pranayama),and meditation (dhyana) create increased body awareness, release ofmuscular tension and increased coordination between mind-and body. It helps inbetter management of stress and ensures an overall feeling of well being.

Massage

Massage is an ancient healing art, which works to calm andrelax the body through which mental anxiety is lessened. Under stress musclesare over-worked, and the body shows many weakening symptoms such as soreness,stiffness, and even muscle spasms. Heightened stress responses accumulatelactic acid in the muscle and waste air inside the body.

 Specific massagetechniques, using hands, forearms, elbows, or even feet are applied to apatient's body for loosening the muscles and to locate areas of tension andother soft-tissue problems.

Acupressure

Acupressure is the needle-less variation of the Chinesehealing system which believes that when accupoints or meridians or energypathways become blocked or congested, a person experiences pains or discomforton a physical level. On emotional or mental level one may become frustrated orirritable, vulnerable, desperate, and indecisive about life.

In acupressure, practitioners use deep but gentle finger pressure onspecific acupoints to release the blocked energy and to facilitate its smoothflow. In effect, this allows your body/mind to relax. As your body/mindrelaxes, you experience less discomfort and stress in addition to an elevatedsense of well being.

Acupressure is, perhaps, the most convenient as well as a skillful healingart for stress.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is based on the concept of maintaining balanceand harmony within the body by facilitating the flow of life energy in it, so whenchi/Qi (life energy) inside the body becomes stagnant andcongested, all kinds of mental and physical illness follow. In order to restorechi distribution, needles are inserted into acupoints along the meridians ofthe body.

A large number of neurological and musculoskeletaldisorders induced by stress can be successfully treated by acupuncture. Theprinciple here is to clear the blocked energy in the muscles and nervechannels, as well as facilitating the flow of fresh energy in them. Thisensures relaxation of muscle and mind, and relief from stress and tensions.