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Apr 7, 2019

How You Can Use Stress Management to Take Control of Your Health


By Katherine Grill, PhD, Behavioral Neuroscientist, Integrative & Behavioral Specialist, Founder, Neolth Inc.


Neolth is your digital platform for personalized stress management. Made by doctors, for you and your doctor. That's the Neolth difference. Launching Spring 2019. See more at www.neolth.com



Stress Management: Why it's So Important

We’ve all heard that stress is bad, but here’s why it’s worse than you think. Stress is not just a cognitive or emotional state. Stress is a series of physical processes in the body. Stress activates sympathetic nerves, which leads to the release of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. High levels of these hormones can cause wear and tear on the body, including a weakened immune system. Long-term stress leads to the inability of the prefrontal cortex to control other areas of the brain, which results in high levels of fear and anxiety as well as difficulty controlling emotions. We see this pattern of brain activity in many psychiatric conditions, such as depression and anxiety. If left untreated, chronic stress can lead to organ dysfunction. All vital organs are at risk because they are all connected to the sympathetic nerves. That’s why stress is a risk factor for the development of health conditions like heart disease, IBS, chronic pain, cancer, depression and more.



You Have the Power to Take Control of Your Health

Engaging in stress management helps you learn the skills of emotional awareness and self-regulation. By doing so you not only reduce your mental distress, but you can physically change your body. Overtime, practicing these techniques causes the brain to change. It undergoes something called neuroplasticity, a fundamental rewiring of the connections in the brain. The prefrontal cortex gains better control over the rest of the brain, which means you can get rid of excess fear and anxiety. When you are in control of your emotions, you prevent the autonomic nervous system from being overactive. You prevent the release of high levels of hormones that weaken the immune system and harm your organs. You can reduce symptoms of mental or chronic health conditions and you can prevent the onset of future illnesses.


The Neolth Difference

Not all stress management programs are alike. Most programs use a one-size fits all format. Most programs are not recommended and monitored by your doctor. Many programs are not created by healthcare professionals. Neolth is different.


1. Your personalized stress management plan is created by our medical experts and updated from your feedback. We do this to promote patient autonomy, because it's important that your voice is heard.


2. We have multiple types of stress management practices, like journaling, breathwork, guided imagery, creative art, mindfulness, CBT and meditation. With Neolth, you'll discover what works best for you.


3. We encourage self-care tracking and sharing: record when you go for a run with Strava, listen to music on Spotify, or make a craft from Pinterest. Use #selfcareshare @neolth to let your friends and family know you're serious about prioritizing your well-being. Neolth isn't just a digital platform, it's a movement.


4. With Neolth, you'll improve communication with your doctor. Not only do you get scientific reports to visualize your progress, but your doctor gets these reports as well. In fact, your doctor can actually prescribe Neolth for support managing your stress-related illnesses, because our platform is HIPAA compliant and clinician monitoring is reimbursable.


Neolth is transforming healthcare by facilitating prescriptions and support for one of your core health behaviors - managing stress. Neolth is made by doctors, for you and your doctor. That's the Neolth difference.



Our Mission, Our Moonshot

Our goal is to seamlessly integrate stress management into medical care for people living with mental or chronic health conditions. No one should have to suffer because of untreated stress. We have the scientific knowledge about how reducing stress improves our health, so let's put it to use. In addition to the care you are already receiving, like medications or therapy, you can use Neolth as a wellness amplifier in between office visits to your doctor. You have the power to take control of your health. You have the power to reduce your stress. You have the power with Neolth.


Neolth is your digital platform for personalized stress management. Made by doctors, for you and your doctor. That's the Neolth difference. Launching Spring 2019. A Startup Health company powered by AWS Activate. See more at www.neolth.com

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    Mar 21, 2018

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    Discussion 
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  • Admin
    Mar 21, 2018

    Defining Integrative Medicine and Related Fields

    Discussion 
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For example, when practicing mindfulness meditation patients are instructed to notice emotional states and thought patterns that arise without judgment or reactivity. This practice has been shown to increase immune functioning and decrease the stress-hormone cortisol [12, 13]. In addition to meditation, other popular mind-body therapies include relaxation techniques (deep breathing, guided imagery and progressive relaxation), massage and yoga [11]. Mind-body practices are especially powerful for patients with complex medical issues, such as chronic or mental health conditions, because they support the emotional and cognitive aspects of health in addition to the physical. Integrative and Holistic Medicine: Integrative Medicine combines conventional and CAM therapies to promote health and wellness [1]. It isn’t strictly based on Western or Eastern philosophies, but is a blend of both. Integrative Medicine uses scientifically validated practices to optimize impact. While such practices can be used for symptom reduction, they are also used to prevent future health issues. This preventative focus is a key philosophy of Integrative Medicine; rather than treating symptoms of a disease when they arise, Integrative practitioners focus on optimizing wellness by engaging in health practices before symptoms arise. Of course, if you already have a medical condition you can work with an Integrative practitioner to reduce your existing symptoms. Integrative practitioners often adopt a holistic approach, using CAM practices to support the patient emotionally and mentally as well as physically. References [1] National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). September, 24, 2017. Complementary, Alternative, or Integrative Health: What’s In a Name? Retrieved from https://nccih.nih.gov/health/integrative-health [2] Chien LW, Cheng SL, Liu CF. The effect of lavender aromatherapy on autonomic nervous system in midlife women with insomnia. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med 2011;2012:1-8. [3] Nagai M, Wada M, Usui N, Tanaka A, Hasebe, Y. Pleasant odors attenuate the blood pressure increase during rhythmic handgrip in humans. Neuro Lett 2000;289:227-229. [4] Shiina Y, Funabashi N, Lee K, Toyada T, Sekine T, Honjo S, Komuro I. Relaxation effects of lavender aromatherapy improve coronary flow velocity reserve in healthy men evaluated by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography. Int J Cardiol 2008;128:193-197. [5] Carmody J, Baer RA. Relationships between mindfulness practice and levels of mindfulness, medical and psychological symptoms and well-being in a mindfulness-based stress reduction program. J Behav Med 2008;31:23–33. [6] Chan RR, Larson JL. Meditation interventions for chronic disease populations: a systematic review. J Holist Nurs 2015;33:351–65. [7] Hoge EA, Bui E, Marques L, Metcalf CA, Morris LK, Robinaugh DJ, Worthington JJ, Pollack MH, Simon NM. Randomized controlled trial of mindfulness meditation for generalized anxiety disorder: effects on anxiety and stress reactivity. J Clin Psychiatr 2013;74:786–92. [8] Meize-Grochowski R, Shuster G, Boursaw B, DuVal M, Murray-Krezan C,Schrader R, Smith BW, Herman CJ, Prasad A. Mindfulness meditation in older adults with postherapetic neuralgia: a randomized controlled pilot study. Geriatr Nurs 2015;36:154–60. [9] Michaelsen A, Kunz N, Jeitler M, Brunnhuber S, Meier L, Ludtke R, Bussing A, Kessler C. Effectiveness of focused meditation for patients with chronic low back pain – a randomized controlled clinical trial. Complement Ther Med 2016;26:79–84. [10] Zhang J, Liu X, Xie X, Zhao D, Shan M, Zhang X, Kong X, Cui H. Mindfulness-based stress reduction for chronic insomnia in adults older than 75 years: a randomized, controlled, single-blind clinical trial. Explore 2015;11:180–5. [11] National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). September, 24, 2017. Use of Complementary Health Approaches in the U.S.: National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Retrieved from https://nccih.nih.gov/research/statistics/NHIS/2012 [12] Davidson RJ, Kabat-Zinn J, Schumacher J, Rosenkranz M, Muller D, Santorelli SF, Urbanowski F, Harrington A, Bonus K, Sheridan JF. Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation. Psychosom Med 2003;65:564-570. [13] Matousek RH, Dobkin PL, Pruessner J. Cortisol as a marker for improvement in mindfulness-based stress reduction. Complementary Ther Clin Prac 2010;16:13-19.