May 2005

The stress of life

by Dr. Howard Loomis

The term "stress" is so commonly used it seems to have lost significance as a specific diagnostic term. Yes, everyone in our modern, fast‑paced society seems to be "uptight" because their life is so stressful. But, as clinicians we should never lose sight of the fact that the body responds to all types of stress in a very specific manner.

In my seminars, we call attention to Hans Selye's research on stress. He taught that we only treat one condition ‑‑ stress ‑‑ and that it can result from a structural, nutritional, or emotional source. Regardless of the source of stress, the body will react physiologically in an identical manner. That being true, it behooves us to know the exact manner of response, since failure to respond appropriately will result in symptoms. And determining the cause of symptoms is the goal of all clinicians.

I remember my days of studying clinical diagnosis. I almost needed a wheelbarrow to carry the textbook around campus. I was very concerned about becoming a good diagnostician and worried that I might not be able to make good clinical decisions considering the enormity of the material to be learned.

Fortunately, I read Selye's "The Stress of Life" while still a student. He decided to study stress because in medical school he was impressed with the fact that most disease processes began with the same vague and undistinguished symptoms. Only after they became full blown disease processes could they be categorized, named, and treated with precise protocols.

Selye's diagnostic plan was to:

***  Treat one condition, recognize the cause of the stress and make recommendations to reduce or eliminate it entirely.

***  Take whatever therapeutic steps were necessary to relieve symptoms and restore normal function, and then make nutritional recommendations so the body could heal itself.

***  That sounded like a plan that I could make work repeatedly and would be effective in most clinical cases. To say that I was encouraged would be an understatement.

The point is that we do not go directly from health to disease. Health is much more than the absence of symptoms. There is a long, grey area between the two extremes. Our goal should not be to treat disease, but to prevent it. To prevent disease you must know what is normal and be able not just to see the deviations from normal, but also recognize what stresses are challenging the body to remain within normal limits. Only if you can recognize and reduce, or even eliminate, the major stresses on a specific body can you truly say you specialize in preventing disease. The sympathetic nervous system and blood glucose levels are key players in the body's response to stress.

Sympathetic nervous system response

Obviously, the intent of the body's response to stress is to permit the person to perform far more strenuous physical activity than would otherwise be possible. Primary among the chain of sympathetic events is maintaining adequate blood glucose levels. To do this the body kicks off an immediate hormonal cascade to switch from glucose to fat as the primary source of fuel for energy production. This involves the release of epinephrine from the adrenal glands, glucagon from the pancreas, and growth hormone. The sympathetic system is also strongly activated in many emotional states. For instance, in the state of rage (which is elicited mainly by stimulating the hypothalamus) signals are transmitted downward through the reticular formation and spinal cord to cause massive sympathetic discharge.

Maintaining a constant blood glucose concentration

Why does the body have so many processes in place and devote so much attention and energy to this issue, particularly since most tissues can shift to utilizing fats and proteins for energy in the absence of glucose? The answer is that glucose is the only nutrient that can be supplied to the brain, retina, and germinal epithelium of the gonads ‑‑ in sufficient quantities ‑‑ to supply them with their required energy! In fact, most of the glucose formed by gluconeogenesis between meals is used by the brain. Indeed, it is important that the pancreas not secrete any insulin during this time because the small amount of available glucose would all go into the muscles and other peripheral tissues, leaving the brain without a nutritive source.

Screening examination

Begin by palpating the major "stress point" in the body ‑‑ across the top of the shoulder, the "shawl area" over the Upper Trapezius muscle. Next, palpate for Pottenger's Saucer, understanding that its existence is evidence of muscle contraction in the spinal area from which innervation to the digestive organs as well as the adrenal glands and liver arises.

Next, understand that regardless of the type of stress your patient is experiencing, the presence of symptoms indicates that his or her body is unable to physiologically respond adequately to its demands.

(Dr. Loomis welcomes input on the subjects covered in this column. To make a comment or ask a question, write to him at 6421 Enterprise Lane, Madison, WI 53719. Visit www.loomisenzymes.com online or call 800‑662‑2630 for information on upcoming Loomis Institute seminars.)