Chronic pain is one of the most common medical conditions in the world, affecting an estimated 116 million people in the US alone. While acute pain can serve as a warning signal that your body needs you to take action and heal, chronic pain is different. It’s caused mainly by underlying issues with your health – factors like inflammation, nerve damage, muscle tension – and yes, STRESS – that continue to cause pain even after the initial injury or illness has healed.
This blog post will share some of our favorite Hache Protocol ™ approved strategies for banishing the insidious nature of stress from your mind and body.
Stress & Chronic Pain: What’s the Connection?
At first glance, it may not seem like there is a direct connection between our mental health and physical well-being. But science is now finding significant evidence for just such a link, with stress emerging as a key player in the development of inflammation throughout the body. In particular, research has shown that chronic stress can significantly increase levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), two biomarkers associated with elevated risk for numerous inflammatory diseases.
Stress Symptoms to Look Out For
Three-quarters of Americans report experiencing stress’s physical and emotional symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue, and trouble sleeping. However, some people may be experiencing less well-known indicators of stress that can be more difficult to identify.
Back pain, for example, is often caused or exacerbated by stress. In addition, stress can lead to brain fog, making it hard to focus and remember things. For women, stress can cause irregular or missed periods, as well as extreme menstrual cramps. And both children and adults may experience nightmares or night terrors when they are under a lot of stress.
Finally, stomachaches, constipation, diarrhea, and vomiting are all common symptoms of stress. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it may be a sign that you are pushed to your limit and need to take steps to get back on track.
The Effects of Stress on Your Well-being
While some amount of stress is unavoidable, it’s essential to learn how to manage it in a healthy way. Left unaddressed, chronic stress can lead to a host of mental and physical problems. It can weaken the immune system, making you more susceptible to illness. It can cause digestion issues, headaches, and insomnia. And it can take a toll on your relationships, work performance, and overall sense of well-being. The good news is that you can take steps to minimize the impact of stress in your life (we’ll be covering these next).
To learn more about stress management for pain resolution, please watch Dr. Rob’s short training below:
These Hache-Approved Techniques to Detox Stress From Your Life
There are numerous stress mitigation techniques you can try. Today we are sharing 3 of our favorite Hache-approved options below.
Stress-Relieving Herbal Tea Recipe:
Herbal tea is a delicious and healthy drink that can help you relax. The calming effects of this herbal blend are amazing. Not only does it promote gentle sleep but also relief from anxiety or stress!
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp. Oatstraw (dried)
- 1 tsp. Lavender (dried)
- 1 tsp. Chamomile (dried)
- Optional maple syrup or honey to taste
- Boiling filtered or spring water
Instructions:
- Combine dried herbs and place them into a tea steeper.
- Pour boiling water over the tea mixture and allow it to steep for at least 10 minutes.
- Strain and enjoy a delicious way to wind down and relax.
Meditation for Mindfulness
Although there is a longstanding belief that fitness is all about pushing yourself to the limit and going as hard as possible, science has shown that this type of intense effort can negatively affect our bodies. In fact, studies have found that overdoing it during a workout can trigger the body’s fight or flight response, leaving us feeling more stressed and fatigued instead of energized and satisfied.
So, what’s the solution?
Clearly, a gentler approach is needed if we want to achieve positive results from our workouts. And one of the best strategies for this is mindfulness. Mindfulness is essentially about shifting your focus to the current moment – being fully present in every experience you have – while simultaneously accepting and recognizing your feelings, body sensations, and thoughts in that moment. This practice helps us connect more deeply with ourselves, releasing stress and tension and fostering a sense of tranquility instead.
In addition to simply walking mindfully or practicing yoga or meditation, other forms of mindfulness training include martial arts like Thai Chi and journaling techniques such as expressive writing. Overall, whatever method you choose, incorporating an element of mindfulness into your fitness routine will be sure to provide a valuable benefit.
Walking Meditation Instructions:
- Start your walking meditation in a peaceful and quiet time and place.
- Start walking at a natural pace.
- Take notice of your breath and how your steps hit the ground.
- Feel your foot as it touches the ground and rolls up, lifting your toes as you step.
- Tune in to your body. Anytime your mind starts to roam, redirect your thoughts to your breath and steps.
Looking for another way to practice mindfulness outdoors? Try forest bathing!
Can Microcurrent Therapy Help Detox Stress?
Yes, in fact, microcurrent can be incredibly helpful in managing the root cause and subsequent symptoms of stress on your body.
How does it work?
When you live in constant pain, your body can get “stuck” on sending pain signals to the brain– creating a problem where there shouldn’t be one. Microcurrent therapy allows you to alter your body’s communication signals to the brain by:
- Identifying problems that need fixing.
- Working with the brain to commit to actually FIXING the root cause of a problem instead of covering it up, as opposed to conventional medicine, which focuses on masking symptoms.
See, when you have an injury, your body responds by increasing inflammation in the area, which in turn causes pain. Microcurrent therapy aims to interrupt that process by reducing pain-triggering inflammation. Studies have shown that microcurrent therapy successfully reduces stress-triggering inflammation and pain and actually eliminates “the pain-brain connection.” As a result, microcurrent therapy offers a safe and effective way to treat pain without using harmful drugs.
To learn how to perform some of our most effective destressing microcurrent protocols, please read the following blogs:
- Trigeminal Stimulation for Anxiety, Stress, Depression, and More
- How To Effectively Deal With Stress and Get Your Life Back
- Polyvagal Theory and Vagus Nerve Stimulation
- Mental Health Coping Strategies During the Coronavirus
Still not sure if microcurrent is the solution for your stress-related pain?
In that case, please see what our patient, Sam, had to say about how The Hache Protocol™ and microcurrent therapy helped improve their mental health:
“I have Crohn’s Disease. Stress, for me, isn’t a small deal. It’s a big one. It often means spending hours in the bathroom. I felt like I could deal with the physical discomfort of Crohn’s if I could control the stress flares. My chiropractor recommended trying the Avazzia. When I started doing Vagus Nerve stimulation with the Evolution device, I felt calmer and like I had control again. My stress levels were definitely down. Even better, the physical discomfort has lessened significantly, and some days I don’t even feel like I have Crohn’s. Who would have thought that electricity would have such a power over the body.”
–Sam C.
Join Dr. Rob For the Detox Your Stress & Stressors Masterclass
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed, it’s time to take some action. Join Dr. Rob Vanbergen from May 23-29, 2022, for the Radical Healing Event, where you can learn about how stress is damaging your health and what you can do about it. You’ll also learn about diet, meditation, and microcurrent therapy- all tools that can help detox stress from your life once and for all. With this knowledge, you can finally get on the path to better health and well-being.
And BONUS- all who attend will receive a download of our newest eBook: Naturally Eliminating Stress with Microcurrent Therapy and The Hache Protocol ™, among loads of additional gifts from other speakers!
Sources cited:
41 Eye-Opening Stress Statistics & Facts for 2021 (medalerthelp.org)
Introduction – Relieving Pain in America – NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)