In today’s fast-paced world, stress has become so normalized that many people don’t even realize how deeply it’s affecting their health—until symptoms emerge or a diagnosis is made. Stress, often called “the silent killer,” is not just a mental or emotional issue. It manifests physically and chemically, affecting every system in the body. What makes it even more challenging is that our bodies respond to all types of stress—physical, chemical, and emotional—the exact same way.
Functional medicine offers a comprehensive, root-cause approach to identifying and managing stress. Rather than masking symptoms, it seeks to understand where stress is coming from and how to support the body so that healing becomes possible.
Let’s take a deeper look into the three major types of stress, how the body responds, and what you can do to finally regain control.
The Three Forms of Stress
Stress is often thought of as only emotional—worry, anxiety, burnout. But functional medicine recognizes three core types of stress that all impact the body’s physiology in the same way:
1. Physical Stress
This includes anything that physically strains or injures the body. Examples include:
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Poor posture
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Overtraining or lack of movement
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Injury or trauma
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Chronic pain
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Poor sleep or irregular sleep cycles
Even being sedentary or staying in one position for too long can place physical stress on the nervous system, muscles, and joints.
2. Chemical Stress
This type of stress is more insidious because it often comes from things we don’t see or feel immediately:
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Processed foods, sugar, and alcohol
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Environmental toxins (pollution, heavy metals, mold)
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Prescription medications or overuse of antibiotics
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Infections (bacterial, viral, parasitic, or fungal)
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Hormonal imbalances
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Food sensitivities and intolerances
Chemical stress can silently overwhelm the body’s detoxification systems, irritate the gut lining, and disrupt immune function.
3. Emotional or Mental Stress
This is the most recognized form of stress and includes:
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Work deadlines
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Relationship challenges
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Financial concerns
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Grief or trauma
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Negative self-talk or perfectionism
Emotional stress, if unresolved, can lead to chronic activation of the body’s stress response—even if no external threat exists.
How the Body Responds to Stress (No Matter the Type)
Here’s what’s fascinating—and troubling: your body doesn’t distinguish between a deadline at work, a hidden mold exposure, or a twisted ankle. To your physiology, stress is stress.
When a stressor is detected, the brain (specifically the hypothalamus) triggers the HPA axis—a communication network between the Hypothalamus, Pituitary gland, and Adrenal glands. This leads to the release of cortisol, our primary stress hormone.
Cortisol prepares the body for “fight or flight” by:
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Increasing heart rate and blood pressure
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Mobilizing glucose for quick energy
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Suppressing digestion, reproduction, and immune functions temporarily
While this response is essential in short bursts, chronic stress leads to long-term dysregulation:
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Sleep disturbances
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Weight gain (especially belly fat)
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Anxiety and depression
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Hormone imbalances
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Weakened immune system
This is how stress silently erodes your health—day by day, system by system.
Functional Medicine’s Approach to Stress
Functional medicine understands that stress is multifactorial. Rather than looking at symptoms in isolation, it asks: What’s driving this person’s stress response?
1. Investigate and Test for Stressors
A key part of the functional medicine model is comprehensive testing. This may include:
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Food sensitivity testing (to identify hidden inflammatory foods)
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Gut testing (to detect pathogens like parasites, candida, or SIBO)
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Hormone panels (especially cortisol levels and rhythms)
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Toxin and mold testing (for hidden environmental exposures)
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Nutrient status (for deficiencies in key stress-related nutrients like magnesium, B vitamins, and omega-3s)
By identifying underlying root causes, practitioners can build a personalized plan to remove these hidden stressors.
2. Remove the Stressors
Once identified, the next step is to gently eliminate or reduce these stressors. This might involve:
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Removing trigger foods (e.g., gluten, dairy, sugar)
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Supporting detox pathways to eliminate toxins or mold
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Treating infections in the gut or rebalancing gut flora
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Minimizing exposure to chemicals in cleaning and personal care products
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Improving posture or movement habits to ease physical strain
This is where true healing begins—by getting rid of what’s keeping the body in survival mode.
3. Support the Systems That Need Help
After removing the burden, the next step is rebuilding resilience:
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Supporting adrenal health through herbs like ashwagandha or rhodiola
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Replenishing nutrients depleted by stress (like magnesium, vitamin C, or zinc)
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Healing the gut with targeted probiotics, amino acids (like glutamine), and digestive enzymes
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Optimizing sleep hygiene
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Balancing blood sugar through whole foods and stable eating patterns
Functional medicine honors the body’s innate ability to heal—when given the right tools.
Simple Tools to Manage Stress Daily
You don’t need a lab report to start managing stress more effectively today. Here are practical, research-backed tools to help calm the stress response:
1. Breathwork
Deep diaphragmatic breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, telling your body it’s safe. Try:
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Box breathing (inhale 4 sec – hold 4 sec – exhale 4 sec – hold 4 sec)
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4-7-8 breathing (inhale 4 – hold 7 – exhale 8)
2. Movement
Gentle movement like walking, stretching, or yoga lowers cortisol and increases endorphins. Avoid overtraining, which can become another form of stress.
3. Sleep Hygiene
Aim for 7–9 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Power down screens an hour before bed, and keep your room cool and dark.
4. Mindfulness and Meditation
Even 10 minutes a day of mindfulness can rewire your brain’s stress circuits. Apps like Insight Timer, Calm, or Headspace can guide you.
5. Connection and Joy
Loneliness and emotional suppression fuel the stress response. Make space for connection, laughter, creativity, and purpose daily.
The Healing Equation: Remove + Support + Recalibrate
The functional medicine approach to stress can be simplified into a powerful equation:
Remove the stressors → Support the systems → Allow the body to heal
Your body is incredibly wise. Given the right environment and the removal of what’s causing dysfunction, it will move back toward balance—naturally.
Final Thoughts
Stress doesn’t have to be the silent killer in your life. When you understand that all forms of stress—physical, chemical, and emotional—affect the body the same way, you can begin to see the big picture of your health. Functional medicine offers the tools, testing, and support to uncover hidden stressors and help you build a more resilient, thriving body and mind.
If you’ve been feeling burned out, anxious, inflamed, or just not yourself, it’s time to stop ignoring the signs. Or, if your medical doctor is telling you that your labs are normal, but you still feel terrible, exploring your body’s stressors may be the answer. Your body is speaking—functional medicine helps you listen.
Are you ready to stop the cycle of stress and start healing from the inside out?
Schedule a consultation with our functional medicine team today and take the first step toward a healthier, calmer you. Call today at (949)476-1250