Can The Credit Crisis Make You Ill

We are all affected by the credit crisis in one way or another, yet very few people are actually aware of the fact that the economic downturn is taking a toll on our health as well as our bank accounts. While threats of a deeper recession continue to engender panic worldwide, the prospect of losing everything is threatening to overwhelm many.   

Yet can the economic crisis make you ill? The latest research claims that it can. The pressure of not being able to pay the bills can be a psychological burden (recent headlines of theft, violence, and even suicide come to mind) as well as a physical one. Too much stress often leads on a rise in qualms such as head and stomach aches, makes us more vulnerable to disease, and negatively impacts the heart and nervous system. The fact that the credit crunch is also affecting the health sector is not a welcoming thought either, but it is important to be aware of these circumstances if we are to change them.

Many healthcare services (including the NHS) are heavily affected by inflation, and lack of funding and investment from banks and other private sectors will prevent them from providing the best possible services to those in need. In a paper published by the British Medical Journal, John Appleby predicts that every 1% rise in inflation of interest rates will cost the NHS 380m every year, and that from 2011 onwards, the health service will have to deal with the brunt of the problem. This could have massive implications for the population at large, as the credit crisis is not only contributing to further ill health, but the high demand for health care services could leave many high and dry.

The reverberations of the economic downturn can also be felt on a more personal level. Winter tends to make us more susceptible to airborne bacteria and disease, and vulnerability is greatly enhanced by stress. As NetDoctors recent online poll suggests, one-fifth of the British population are getting fewer than five hours of sleep a night. This credit crunch insomnia, as the BBC calls it, is most frequently attributed excessive worrying about finances.

While there is not much we can do to overturn the recession, is important to go about ensuring our own good health. Simple techniques such as getting a few more hours of sleep at night, eating a well-balanced, varied diet,  and getting enough exercise may all seem ridiculously clich, but the fact of the matter is that very few people adapt their bodies for the winter. The seasons pressing darkness frequently has the tendency to bring down your mood and energy levels. It is therefore important to recognize this, and take the right steps to making yourself feel good again.

Osteopaths also offer various techniques to assuage the stress of financial pressures. A massage (either a professional one from an osteopath using pressure-points, or one from a friend or relative) is a good way to get circulation going through excessively tense areas, and will stimulate blood flow to the extremities. Massages, combined with joint therapy and the reception of various tips on stress management and breathing exercises, make an osteopath a useful person to visit in these times of need.   

Our bank accounts might be affected by the economic crisis, but it is important to remember that our health doesnt have to be. By keeping track of the changes you are undergoing and consulting the right experts, you can minimize the cumulative impact of the credit crunch.

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The content of this page is informed by feedback from practices in Surrey and also clinics in Birmingham. Further input was received from osteopaths in the Sheffield area and osteopathic practitioners in Fulham. Finally a contribution was made by a practitioner in Nottingham