Some stress is healthy or positive and can help you through times of challenge. For instance, the charge of adrenaline you get when you're trying to get that project done before the deadline or perform at a difficult sport. This stress response occurs when a person is presented with a real or imagined threat to their safety or well-being. The endocrine system and the autonomic nervous systems activate a series of physiological changes. The heart rate increases and blood is diverted from the skin and internal organs to the skeletal muscles, giving us power to act quickly.
Digestion is inhibited, breathing is shallow, the mouth is dry and the pupils dilate.
After the challenge has been met, your bodily functions return to normal, you relax and resume normal activities. A prolonged period of stress with no relief is the cause of the physical and mental ills associated with stress. Chronic stress has been proven to impair the function of the immune system, leaving us vulnerable to many diseases from the common cold to cancer. Therapeutic massage helps to restore balance and return the body to normal. The long smooth strokes used in Swedish Massage activate a relaxation response by activating the parasympathetic nervous system.