For many people, an average day can be enough to stress them out.
You work all day at a job, then come home to even more work. You manage things that need to be done in your house while shuttling your kids to and fro and juggling all of their activities at school and elsewhere. The traditional roles in an average family went out the window long ago, so both spouses/parents are constantly running around. If you are also helping care for elderly parents, that adds another level.
With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, ProHealth Physical Therapy and Pilates Studio expands our focus on overall women’s health, making it the perfect time to discuss these issues.
“Every relationship is a little bit different,” said Dr. Karyn Staples, PT, PhD, NCPT of ProHealth Physical Therapy and Pilates Studio in Peachtree City. “Men and women have different hormonal makeup and everybody’s nervous system is different. This makes each of us unique in our ability to handle these things. The idea for physical therapy is to really tap into the nervous system, to give individuals the opportunity to have more capacity to handle things that might come along.”
None of us are robots. Sometimes you just have to handle things and keep moving forward, while at other times you need an emotional release of sorts. The key is to handle all the things you do for other people and still keep tabs on your own wellness.
“Self-care” is a big buzzword nowadays. But what does it really mean?
Sometimes it is as simple as taking a moment in your car, just before you walk into your house, and taking a few deep breaths to calm your nervous system. Physical therapists like the professionals at ProHealth have strategies to teach people how to manage that.
“As we deal with so many chronic pain management techniques, we know that there is much in our emotional sphere that can affect us physically,” said Staples. “For example, that pit in the stomach we get – feeling so crampy in the middle of the body – is often just a physical representation of anxiety. Many times an emotional roller coaster can have physical manifestations in the body.”
If that mind-body connection is not managed properly, the body will keep going until it finally reaches a breaking point.
“Being sad, mad, or hurting will impact your ability to potentially be doing your best,” said Staples. “As a physical therapist, by putting your hands on a patient, you can change the emotional state and release tension, calming the body and then the emotions.”
Sometimes a release of physical tension can lead to an emotional outburst that even takes the patient by surprise. It happens because the tissue in our bodies can hold onto some emotions, and they are released when the tension is released.
“There is a relationship that is developed between the physical therapist and the patient, so that there is a trust on both sides,” said Staples. “And so the patient is willing to share if something’s going on, and it’s helpful for the physical therapist to know what else is going on in their life that could be impacting their physical progression.”
A body scan can help give a sense of where the tension is normally carried, such as in the shoulders. Posture is important in that it drives the emotions and vice versa. A simple adjustment such as sitting up straight or looking straight ahead instead of at the ground can make a significant difference.
Then again, sometimes you just need to scream and let it all out.
“Don’t be pent up,” said Staples. “If you let those emotions out, maybe they won’t manifest themselves in your back, your neck or some other part of the body.”
ProHealth Physical Therapy and Pilates Studio is located at 1777 Georgian Park in Peachtree City. For more information or to book an appointment, phone 770-487-1931 or visit prohealthga.com.