People who use some form of relaxation technique, such as meditation, prayer or even sitting quietly on their own, are likely to be 50 per cent more healthy overall, the head of the department of psychology at St John of God Hospital, Stillorgan, Co Dublin, said yesterday.
Mr Don Lydon, whose department also runs a stress clinic, was speaking at the unveiling of a survey on pain. He said using some relaxation technique could reduce heart disease and cholesterol levels. In general, people who used the methods could be 50 per cent better overall and there was a study to back this up.
"We spend no time on our own and we are always rushing," he said. Relaxation reduced anxiety and stimulated a chemical in the brain which made us feel good.
Mr Lydon, who is also a senator, outlined a 10-point plan to avoid stress, including managing time better, getting enough sleep and exercise, learning relaxation techniques and knowing when you are tired.
He said people should try to accept things they could not change, avoid arguments, learn to say "no" to people making demands and get help when they are sick. "We have a nation full of martyrs. People try and struggle on and tend to ignore warning signs. It is a matter of having time."
Dr Orla Hardiman, consultant neurologist at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, said areas of the body most commonly affected by aches and pains were the head (40 per cent), arms or legs (28 per cent), back (26 per cent), stomach (11 per cent) and neck (11 per cent).
Tension was the most common form of headache, followed by migraine.
She said pain was very difficult to define and the aim was to take a holistic approach with a patient. Successful treatment of chronic, daily headaches usually involved a combination of conventional drug therapy and alternative strategies, such as biofeedback, acupuncture and deep-muscle massage.
"People are also advised to exercise regularly and to engage in recreational activities they find relaxing," said Dr Hardiman.
She said it was the intention to treat pain by taking in all aspects of a person. "There isn't a multidisciplinary approach in Ireland at the moment."
Dr Hardiman said it was hoped that they would move towards this approach and already there were moves away from the medical model of illness. While doctors should recognise the physiological aspects, they should also recognise other management procedures.
She added that she was only commenting on pain and had nothing to do with the study and was not endorsing one drug over another.
The survey was carried out by Syndol painkillers and found that every day almost one in every three Irish people experienced aches and pains.
Aches and pains were most common among married people, especially women; people aged between 45 and 64; people living in Dublin; and those in the higher socio-economic groups.
The most common causes of tension headache were work (29 per cent); lack of sleep (27 per cent); mental stress (27 per cent); coping with children (15 per cent); hectic lifestyle (12 per cent); and emotional upset (11 per cent). Other triggers included physical stress (8 per cent); working with a VDU (7 per cent); and financial stress (6 per cent).
According to the survey, stress headaches can have broad-reaching effects on the lives of sufferers, with over half complaining of being more irritable as a result. Three in 10 sufferers were slowed down by headaches, while a quarter needed to rest or lie down.