You’ve probably heard of the fight or flight response – in response to a threat or a perceived threat a physiological change occurs in the body.
Adrenaline and cortisol hormones are released which have wide ranging effects.
- The heart and lungs speed up
- Digestion slows or stops
- Pupils dilate
- Increased muscle tension to provide the body with extra speed and strength
- Increased blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugars and fats in order to supply the body with extra energy
These changes evolved to occur to give the body a burst of strength and energy to quickly escape or fight for survival.
However, modern life creates situations that, although not life threatening, can be stressful and activate the flight or fight response. A traffic jam or an unreasonable boss for example will do it.
The fight or flight response should happen in a short quick burst and subside in a similar fashion (when the threat has passed). But in our times of chronic stress we are subjected to the fight or flight response for prolonged periods of time which can be damaging to the body. One reason why I discuss this topic with my patients at Leyton Osteopaths, is that if you are suffering with back pain, neck pain, sciatica or any other injury for that matter – your ability to recover and rehabilitate is inhibited if you are consistently in a fight or flight state.
Chronic stress contributes to high blood pressure, promotes the formation of artery-clogging deposits, and causes brain changes that may contribute to anxiety, depression, and addiction.
The fight or flight response has a lesser known brother called the ‘rest and digest response’.
This response acts like a brake and calms the body down after the danger has passed. It controls homeostasis, or the balance and maintenance of the body’s systems. It restores the body to a state of calm and counterbalance, and allows it to relax and repair.
The body undergoes several specific responses when this ‘rest & digest’ system is activated.
- Increased saliva
- Digestive enzymes are released
- Heart rate drops
- Bronchial tubes in lungs constrict
- Muscles relax
- Pupils constrict
- Urinary output increases
All of these changes are designed to maintain long-term health, improve digestion, conserve energy, and maintain a healthy balance in your body’s systems.
The fight or flight response kicks in automatically, and occurs in response to any perceived threat. This doesn’t have to be an imminent physical threat (we face those very rarely these days). Any perceived threat or stressful situation can trigger this response -imagine giving a speech in public.
Luckily for us it is possible to activate this restorative rest & digest response. Simply reading a book does the trick for some people, which may be why so many people read before going to bed for the night. Soaking in a hot bath, getting a massage, or petting a dog or cat are excellent relaxation strategies that will achieve it. Some people react well to breathing exercises or activities like yoga and tai chi.
A visit to your local osteopath in Leyton is of course another excellent way to promote the rest & digest response and to encourage healing from back pain, neck pain, sciatica, frozen shoulder, knee pain or hip pain. At Leyton Osteopaths we also incorporate elements of a breathing retraining programme called Buetyko breathing which is used to help people with conditions like asthma, rhinitis, stress, anxiety and panic attacks.
By learning to activate your rest & digest response, and reducing the effect of your fight or flight response, you can reduce the stress on your heart, digestive system, immune system and help to heal injury quicker.
Key Message: Activating your rest & digest response is important for general health and more so when recovering from injury. A variety of strategies are available for stimulating it including breathing exercises, reading, petting a dog and osteopathy treatment at Leyton Osteopaths.