Click here to hear the Interview by Jamie Bussin, host of The Tonic and publisher of Tonic Magazine, June 22, 2019.
Besides the well-known causes of wear-and-tear in the body — such as the aging process, certain injuries, poor posture, congenital malformations of the joints and autoimmune diseases –Rucsandra Mitrea talks about stress and dehydration and the negative impact they have on the connective tissue.
Stress causes the adrenal glands to release the main stress hormone cortisol; this is part of your body’s fight-or-flight mechanism. Once the fight-or-flight response has been initiated, your body is ready for action.
If there is no physical release of fight or flight, cortisol levels build up, therefore creating mayhem in the mind and the body.
The stress hormones impede or even stop the healing process. The build-up of stress hormones causes the fascia to tighten and become more rigid, therefore impeding proper movement in the joints.
As a result, pain increases and becomes “chronic” to the extent that it begins to rule your day-to-day life.
Water is critical for collagen structure and stability and the flexibility of the fascia. Water molecules play a major role in load bearing and filtration properties within the fascia.
Dehydration in the body affects the sliding movement of the fascia and slows the healing of tissues. Dehydration of the collagen fibers of the fascia creates an acute inflammatory response in the body after several days.
Proper hydration, as well as an overall stress reduction prevent unnecessary wear-and-tear in the body and speed up the healing processes in the body.