Approaches for the treatment of Stress and Anxiety

There are many treatments available for stress and anxiety, and the change that they affect can be discussed at the PHYSICAL, the CHEMICAL and the ELECTRICAL level.

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Change at the Physical Level: These are changes from treatments such as Massage, Shiatsu, and Rolfing where the body is being manipulated in some way.
Change at the Chemical Level: These are changes that are as a result of ingesting something. For instance, a prescription for medicine taken orally or intravenously evokes change at a chemical level, as does Chinese Medicine or a Homeopathic remedy.
Change at the Electrical Level: This utilizes the electrical energies that are already present in the human body. Acupuncture, Reiki and Bio-energetic healing are examples of this order of change as they use the energy meridians of the body.

Here is a list of some of the treatments that are available for stress and anxiety and a brief description of each.

• Traditional medicine
• Physiotherapy
• Chiropractor
• Osteopathy
• Cranial Osteopathy
• Talking Treatments
• Hypnotherapy
• Alexander Technique
• Feldenkrais Method
• Rolfing
• Body Psychotherapy / Somatic Psychotherapy
• Bio-energetic healing
• Bowen Technique

The traditional approach to medicine views the patient primarily and sometimes only, as a ‘body’, from an anatomical and physiological perspective. (Rather than as a living body: a self sensing, self organising, and self responsible entity). 
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For physical injury and pain, it is possible to visit a physiotherapist, a chiropractor, or an osteopath. All of whom offer a tremendously useful and effective form of treatment. Each practitioner of the above has their own unique style and methodology, but in my opinion it is the ones who approach the person as a whole living body that have the most to offer. This is opposed to the ones that ‘do to’ by way of hands-on manipulation or the use of mechanical equipment to re-align and work the body.

“I wasn’t occupying the right head-space at all when I was seeing my doctor and physiotherapist. Because of the pain and worry about “what if…”, I was always feeling so stressed and anxious. I felt like everything was conspiring against me and I was in a constant state of alert for the next crisis to occur with my health. Obviously my body was experiencing the effects of this stress as well. It was only when I learnt to take control on the inside and relax, that the treatment being given to me on the outside, the physio and medication, could actually stand a chance of doing what it was supposed to”. A.Hughes.

Physiotherapy treats physical injury, disease and dysfunction by encouraging the body to heal itself and move more efficiently. It is achieved by either mobilising or manipulating joints, and strengthening muscles that may be weak after injury. Physiotherapists use a range of mechanical equipment as well as manual techniques to achieve the desired outcome. Sports injuries are commonly treated by a Physiotherapist.
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A Chiropractor tends to focus attention on the spinal and pelvic structures and uses X-ray procedures in their analysis. Typically a Chiropractor is visited by someone with back pain or neck pain. A range of leverage and thrust techniques are used in the treatment.
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An Osteopath will mobilize any joint that does not have its full range of movement for whatever reason. In addition to mobilizing joints, an Osteopath will also diagnose and treat muscle and fascia tension. An osteopath may also be trained to give cranial osteopathy.
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Cranial Osteopathy is sometimes also known as craniosacral therapy. This therapy uses a combination of gentle pressure and holding techniques on the patient's skull to release tension and to restore balance.
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There are many psychological therapies available (talking treatments). Amongst them are behavioral therapy, cognitive therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy, counseling, psychoanalysis and psychotherapy, each with their own techniques and application.  All of them focus on "the mind" of the person, with a view to help them think differently in order to feel and behave differently.  

N.B. Some people are in psychological therapy treatment programs for many months or even years, which brings into question their effectiveness as a way of treating mental distress.   They attempt to update the "software" that a person is running through their mind, without updating the "hardware" first, upon which the "software" operates.

Behavioral therapy
People are encouraged to learn new ways of behaving through gradual changes and exposure to feared situations. They are often asked to keep diaries to record their activities and to monitor their progress.

Cognitive therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy
Based on the fact that the way we feel is partly dependent on the way we think about events (cognition). It also stresses the importance of behaving in ways which challenge negative thoughts - for example being active to challenge feelings of hopelessness. Although it may sound like common sense, CBT is more than just positive thinking. Research suggests that it can be effective for people with both severe and moderate depression.

Counseling
Involves the client talking about their difficulties with a counselor, who plays a supportive role, and may sometimes provide practical advice on problem-solving. Counseling is offered by various agencies including via the NHS and non-statutory organizations such as the Samaritans.

Psychoanalysis
Intensive, long-term treatment which encourages the individual to ‘free associate' (i.e. to explore whatever comes to mind and make links with events or feelings from earlier in life). It is not usually available within the NHS.

Psychoanalytic or psychodynamic psychotherapy
Similar to psychoanalysis except that the discussion concentrates on specific problems rather than ‘free association'. May be helpful with neurotic and personality types of problems, including childhood abuse. Not widely available within the NHS.

Psychotherapy
Sometimes used to describe all forms of talking treatments. Also used to describe talking treatments which are based on psychodynamic theory and practice.

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Hypnotherapy utilises the natural processes of the mind to lead a person into a relaxed state.
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The Alexander Technique promotes correct alignment., posture and poise. Back pain is often due to the way in which a person sits or stands, so the Alexander technique will teach a person how to sit and stand without placing un-necessary strain on the spine. As well as back pain, the Alexander technique will alleviate chronic pain disorders generally and it is also a technique used by performing artists who want to improve their performance. It was developed by F.M. Alexander and is practiced widely.
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Feldenkrais Method® is a way of handling the body by communicating specific sensations to the central nervous system in order to improve the functions of the motor system. It consists of two versatile applications: Awareness Through Movement® and Functional Integration®. It teaches the relationship between bodily movement and the ways we think, feel and learn. It was developed by Dr.Moshe Feldenkrais and is also practiced widely, although it is perhaps less well known than The Alexander Technique.
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Rolfing is an organized pattern of bodywork that releases the forces that disturb the body’s natural alignment. A Rolfing practitioner releases tension stored in the fascia of the body by physically manipulating the fascia. Dr. Ida Rolf, its developer, created the pattern of bodywork as a means to undo the ill effects of time and injury on the body’s structure.
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Body-Psychotherapy / Somatic Psychotherapy. This is a combination of verbal counselling, psychotherapy and body methods such as breathing, relaxation and expressive movement. A Somatic Psychotherapist can help a person to come to terms with their emotional pain and/or to move forward with strength and confidence in their life.
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Bio-energetic healing During treatment one hand feeds positive energy into the patient, which revitalises the impaired cells, while the other hand extracts the negative energy, thereby balancing the energy level. This leads to the restoration of the patient’s good health.
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Bowen Technique. A practitioner of this technique develops a keen sense of where tension is in the muscle, tendons, nerves and fascia of a person. This tells them where stress has built up and how much pressure to use when they apply moves called ‘procedures’ to release it. The Bowen Technique is a system of these subtle and precise ‘procedures’.
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