Combating Stress through Massage and Complementary Physiotherapy Techniques

I. INTRODUCTION ........ 3
I.1 MOTIVATION FOR THE CHOICE OF TOPIC ...... 3
I.2 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES .... 4
I.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES ...... 5
II. THEORETICAL BASIS OF THE RESEARCH .. 6
II.1 BODY AND PSYCHOEMOTIONAL REACTIONS TO STRESS ....... 6
II.1.1. PSYCHOEMOTIONAL REACTIONS TO STRESS ... 7
II.1.2. BIOCHEMISTRY AND DISEASES OF STRESS ....... 8
II.2 SOURCES OF STRESS ......... 10
II.3 EVOLUTION OF THE STRESS REACTION ......... 12
II.1.1. STRESS AT THE WORKPLACE ........ 13
II.4 STRESS AND WORK ORGANIZATION . 18
II.1.1. RELATIONSHIP STRESS ....... 19
II.1.2. PROFESSIONAL CAREER ..... 20
II.1.3. PROFESSIONAL STATUS ...... 20
II.1.4. STRESS AND CHANGES IN THE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT .... 22
II.1.5. INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS OF RESISTANCE TO STRESS ........ 24
II.1.5.1. INDIVIDUAL MENTAL AND BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND THE SOCIAL
ENVIRONMENT . 25
II.5 PREVENTION AND THERAPY OF STRESS ..... 27
II.6 TRADITIONAL REMEDIES 29
II.7 MODERN REMEDIES ......... 30
II.1.1. THERAPIES AND METHODS OF FIGHTING AGAINST STRESS ...... 30
II.8 RELAXATION IN COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL THERAPY ........ 32
II.1.1. OBJECTIVES OF TRAINING AND RELAXATION ......... 32
II.1.1.1. WAYS TO ACHIEVE OBJECTIVES ........ 32
II.1.2. THE PLACE OF RELAXATION IN BEHAVIORAL THERAPY .. 34
II.1.3. RELAXATION METHODS IN BEHAVIORAL THERAPY 34
II.1.4. PRACTICE OF RELAXATION IN BEHAVIORAL THERAPY .... 34
II.1.4.1. STAGE I . 35
II.1.4.2. STAGE II 37
II.1.4.3. STAGE III ......... 37
II.1.4.4. STAGE IV ......... 37
II.1.4.5. STAGE V 37
II.1.4.6. STAGE VI ......... 37
II.1.4.7. STAGE VII ....... 37
II.1.4.8. STAGE VIII ...... 38
III. CONSTITUENT ELEMENTS OF RESEARCH .... 39
III.1 RESEARCH ORGANIZATION ..... 39
III.1.1. RESEARCH DURATION AND STAGES .... 39
III.1.2. EXPERIMENT PLACE AND BASIC MATERIAL CONDITIONS ........ 40
III.1.3. SAMPLE OF SUBJECTS INCLUDED IN EXPERIMENT ........ 40
III.2 RESEARCH METHODS AND THE SPECIFICITY OF THEIR USE IN CONNECTION WITH THE
CHOSEN TOPIC ..... 42
III.1.1. DOCUMENTATION METHOD ....... 42
III.1.2. OBSERVATION METHOD .... 43
III.1.3. INVESTIGATION METHOD . 43
III.1.4. MEASUREMENT METHODS (EXPLORATION AND EVALUATION) ......... 43
III.1.5. EXPERIMENTAL METHOD . 44
III.1.6. DATA RECORDING, PROCESSING AND GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION METHOD 44
III.3 THE EXPERIMENTAL METHODOLOGY FOLLOWED IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE RESEARCH
OBJECTIVES ......... 45
IV. CONCLUSIONS .... 50
V. BIBLIOGRAPHY ....... 51
VI. ANNEXES .... 52