Relaxation
Guided Imagery for Stress Relief and Well-Being
Subscribe FREE to our RELAXATION TIPS
weekly e-mail newsletter.
HTML Text
Each issue is full of valuable
information and inspiration to help you relieve stress and find balance
in life.
Learn simple relaxation techniques
that support your well-being.
Let the practical wisdom of Joel
& Michelle Levey guide you on your inner journey of self-discovery.
"Subscribe now. You'll
be glad you did."
Bryan
Brewer
Producer
Self-Guided.com
Seattle, WA USA
Stress May
Trigger Multiple Sclerosis Flare-Ups in Women Washington, DC, Nov. 26, 2002
The Center for the Advancement of Health reports a new study
suggesting that avoiding stressful life events and learning effective stress
coping skills may help avert multiple sclerosis flare-ups in women with the
disease.
A group of researchers at the Multiple Sclerosis Clinic at
the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center followed 23 women with multiple sclerosis for
a year. The women completed weekly questionnaires and monthly interviews regarding
stressful events and their MS symptoms.
The results, published in the November-December 2002 issue of
Psychosomatic Medicine, further strengthens the link between stress and MS.
"A controversial issue in multiple sclerosis research
concerns the extent to which psychological stress contributes to the development and
progression of the disorder," writes researcher Kurt D. Ackerman, M.D., Ph.D., and
co-investigators in the Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Pathology and Psychology at
the University of Pittsburgh.
"This study contributes to a growing body of evidence
that stressful life events are potent triggers of disease activity in women with
relapsing-remitting MS," they add. "MS exacerbations may be delayed or
avoided by limiting the individual or cumulative effects of stressful life events."
The researchers suggest that
preventive strategies could help women avoid flare-ups associated with stress.
Preventive strategies include stress coping skills and early intervention
for symptoms of anxiety and depression.
According
to the Center for Advancement of Health, "MS is a life-long
neurological disease that is usually diagnosed in young adults. According to the National
Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, as many as 350,000 people in the United
States have been diagnosed with MS, and approximately 200 new cases are diagnosed each
week. In general, women are affected by MS at almost twice the rate of men."
Joel Levey's Self-Guided Relaxation CD is an
excellent tool for learning stress coping skills. Listening only a few minutes a day
will help you learn how to better handle stressful situations in your daily life.
