5 HEALTH CONDITIONS MANAGED USING THE STRESS BALL

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The stress or the squeeze ball was thought to be a silly toy, but recent studies and experience from different areas and persons show that the stress or the regular rubber squeeze ball has many positive health benefits

Some of the health conditions managed using the balls include:

1. Stress
Just as the name used suggests, the stress ball is an effective stress reliever. Excess mental and emotional pressure makes life hard and has been shown to reduce productivity significantly. However, when using the balls, tension is released from muscles. At the same time, nervous impulses relayed to the brain when you squeeze the ball cause release of feel good hormones, the endorphins that restore a good mood and reduce built-up stress.
Depression results from excess stress in some cases and the balls alleviate the effects of the stress restoring normalcy and putting anxiety at bay.

2. Insomnia
Many people struggling with insomnia are advised to use a stress ball. You may be wondering how this could ever result in better sleep. Well, this strategy promotes sleep by relaxing your body muscles. It is always easier to fall asleep when you are relaxed.

Besides relaxation of the body and the muscles, your thoughts are directed in one direction and you get clarity of mind that reduces stress and helps you sleep better.

3. ADHD
Adults and children suffering from Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity disorder have trouble concentrating on one thing. What happens in these individuals is that they have thoughts in many directions that affect their concentration.

It can be depressing and you have to find a way of stilling their thoughts or directing their thoughts in one direction. The squeeze ball has proven to be effective because they will be able to direct all the thousand thoughts firing in their brains in one general direction. This makes learning and/or work easier for these individuals.

4. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
This is a condition associated with weakness, numbness, tingling, cramping, and pain in other cases. This condition results when the median nerve running from the arm to the hand is squeezed at the carpal tunnel. Since your ability to work is affected, you should work on managing the condition before it affects your ability to perform manual tasks.

The squeeze ball has been shown to be an effective remedy for the condition because it strengthens the tendons and reduces the pain at the wrist. The simple squeezes help in stimulating the median nerve reducing the numbness and the tingling. These exercises reduce the swelling around the carpal tunnel.

5. Managing injuries
Arm injuries are treated and managed using physical therapy. Physical therapists understand the power of the stress balls in healing muscle and nerve injuries. Simple moves starting with the soft stress balls help in strengthening and rebuilding muscles. With time, you will be able to use the harder balls, leading to faster recovery.

In conclusion, despite the low cost of stress balls and the simple exercises when using the balls, you will be able to recover when dealing with a physical injury, besides recovering and having restoration of your physical movements, you will also be stress free.

Author Bio
Janelle Strauss is a renowned physical therapist working at a leading physical therapy center. His success with patients has been attributed to the use of the squeeze ball in managing physical and emotional problems. Check out her blog for more insights.