Alternative Practices to Help Your Body Destress

Daily life can be full of stressful events, from increasing pressures at work to having a demanding home life. While short term stress is not bad for the body, prolonged or chronic stress can cause a range of health problems, including mental health issues, reduced immune system and poor functioning and metabolism within the body. Many people try to combat these issues using modern medicines, such as using paracetamol or ibuprofen to combat a stress induced headache. While these work in the short term, they can be damaging to the body if overused. Therefore, if you are affected by a lot of stress related health concerns, then you might want to consider looking to alternative medicines, which can be used alongside modern medicines as a complimentary aid.

Acupressure

Acupressure is a healing method developed in Asia thousands of years ago. Though it has been refined over the years to create the practice which is used today, it is still based on the original idea of targeting the channels (referred to as meridians) within the body which energy, or QI, flows. You can use things like a pressure point mat to help alleviate certain tensions and issues with your body. Acupressure has been found to be useful when treating a range of different symptoms, from improving emotional wellbeing, to increasing the effectiveness of the immune system. Once you know where the right pressure points are located, it is even possible to use these pressure points to perform simple acupressure on yourself.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils to promote healing within the mind and body. Essential oils are concentrated extracts from different parts of the plant, including the roots, leaves, seeds and blossoms. The oils are used in different ways, depending on the reason for their usage, and what the practices they are used in. Sometimes they can be simply inhaled, and often the most common method of usage is through being massaged into the skin. Different essential oils promote different healing. For example, the smell of lavender is considered to promote relaxation, and rubbing this into the skin, when diluted, can be used as a stress relieving agent. It can also be used to promote healthier digestion and reducing inflammation. By doing your research into the main products available, you can find ways to implement some into your day to day routine, if necessary.

Chiropractic care

For stresses of the body, chiropractic care could be a route to consider. Chiropractic medicine is the method of adjusting the alignment of the spine, in order to improve upon the functioning of the body. It is believed that the proper alignment of the spine facilitates the enhanced functioning of the nervous system, meaning that not only will it improve the mobility of the body, but also the internal workings as well: the spine being out of alignment means that the nerve signals aren’t able to transmit properly. This treatment can be used to reduce back pain, and the resulting nerve pain such as sciatica. As well as this, it can help to improve symptoms such as headaches, and poor immune functioning.

Herbal medicine

Herbalism is the practice of using plants and other natural substances in order to make traditional forms of medication. Herbalists take a holistic approach to medication, steering away from manmade substances. Herbal medicines are concocted using a range of different combinations of substances, and are tailor made to each individual and their specific needs. Each part of the mixture will have a different medicinal use, based on everything from the patient’s medical history, to their previous, current and ongoing symptoms. Herbal medicine has a lot of various benefits and can be used to treat physical ailments, such as inflammation and irritation caused by allergies, plus it is also beneficial for hidden illnesses, such as chronic stress or mental illness. Herbal medicine is worth considering for a more organic route into self-care.

Cannabidiol

Depending on the type of pain or stress you are trying to relieve, there are a number of different options out there. One you may want to consider is cannabidiol, which can even be taken in the form of cbd gum. The CBD chemical that is found within marijuana is what makes medical marijuana affective, relaxing the muscles and reducing feelings of stress and anxiety (For greater detail into studies carried out have a look into, https://www.reddit.com/r/cbdoilreviews). This chemical can also be found in hemp, and is extracted from this plant to create a lot of Cannabidiol products, which when ingested can be used for medicinal purposes. These are reported to include pain and inflammation relief, anxiety and stress reduction, and increased cardiovascular health. This website has more information on Cannabidiol and different products if it is something you may wish to consider. With so many varieties of Cannabidol products out there for purchase, it is important to make sure you do your research on the products beforehand. Read reviews, like this one for pure CBD oil, so that you can make sure you will be satisfied with your purchase before parting ways with your money.

Reflexology

Another alternative practice for relieving stress is reflexology. Reflexology is similar to massage, except that it involves applying pressure to specific areas of the feet (though the hands or ears can also be used). Specific areas of the feet are thought to be linked to corresponding areas of the body, such as certain organs. Pressing areas of the feet which are linked to malfunctioning areas of the body is considered to target these issues, and improving a person’s overall health. In some ways, this is similar to acupressure as the premise revolves around targeting certain points of the body, and this is something which a person can perform on themselves if they have the required knowledge to do so. However, as the most effective place to perform reflexology on is the feet, better benefit may come from seeking treatment from an accredited reflexologist.

Reiki

Reiki is a form of spiritual healing, the basis of which is the belief that sickness is caused through low life force energy in the body. Anyone who has the necessary training can be a reiki healer, and as such, the exact practices tend to vary from person to person. During a reiki healing, the practitioner aims to pass on some life energy into their client through focusing on each area of the body. Usually, this is done by the reiki healer lightly running their hands along, or just above, the clients body. This therapy is considered effective for promoting relaxation, reducing stress and pain, increasing the immune system and the speed of healing within the body, and generally improving the wellbeing of the client.