How Can Chiropractic Help with Stress ?
“The human body gets sick as the result of excessive TRAUMA or TOXINS or THOUGHTS, or a combination of these agents.”
-DD Palmer, 1895
If there is one thing that we can all certainly agree on, it is that current events have brought upon us a great deal of mental and emotional stress, much more than our bodies are naturally equipped to withstand. Nonetheless, one stress on top of another diminishes our bodies ability to react and respond effectively to keep our internal environment optimal for health and healing.
Symptoms of stress vary depending on each individual. While some people overeat when they experience stress, others might find it difficult to work up an appetite at all. You may find that you sleep more during times of high stress, but someone you know may experience insomnia during these same situations. While the symptoms are infinite and variable, we can talk about three main categories that will help us better understand the root causes. Furthermore, see how chiropractic adjustments can help to decrease stress by increasing your natural ability to cope with these unavoidable stressors.
THOUGHTS, TOXINS & TRAUMAS
Thoughts, toxins and trauma are the three categories which can lead to stress in the body. While stress signals are actually a healthy response in certain cases, ignoring these body signals can lead to bigger problems.
TRAUMA
Physical traumas can be divided into two categories, micro trauma and macro traumas. Macro traumas include a single event, such as a car accident, sports injury or slip and fall. Micro traumas, however, are largely accountable for more chronic stress patterns. These are events of daily living, such as sitting, standing, improper posture, poor sleep patterns and repetitive motions that lead to an interruption of the nervous system.
TOXINS
Toxins include chemical substances that make their way into our body. There are external substances that can enter our body via the foods that we eat (GMO’s, preservatives, hormones), the water that we drink (lead, fluoride, traces of medication) or the air we breathe (pollution, pollen, viruses).
THOUGHTS
Thoughts are the most common, yet least understood of the three origins of stress. These emotional stresses are unavoidable from day to day, but can often manifest themselves as physical ailments in the body.
HOW CHIROPRACTIC CAN HELP WITH STRESS
Chiropractic care provides an adjustment to a subluxated area of the spine. A subluxation is a misalignment of the vertebrae which interrupts the nervous system causing your body to function less than optimally. Removing the pressure off of the nerves allows for uninterrupted communication between your brain and body, therefore allowing your body to heal naturally.
As we mentioned, when your body is functioning at its optimal level, it is better equipped to deal with stress.
A 2017 study shows that a chiropractic adjustment can reduce sympathetic nerve activity and promote relaxation responses within the body. The same study shows an 80% decrease level in stress chemicals in the saliva after an adjustment when compared to “control” subjects. *
5 TIPS TO MANAGE STRESS
GET ADJUSTED
RELAXATION THROUGH MASSAGE
RELEASE ENDORPHINS THROUGH EXERCISE
POSITIVE JOURNALING
PRACTICE MINDFULNESS/ MEDITATION
Schedule your appointment with Live Well Chiropractic today to see how Chiropractic can benefit you!
SOURCES
Inami, A., Ogura, T., Watanuki, S., Masud, M. M., Shibuya, K., Miyake, M., … Tashiro, M. (2017). Glucose Metabolic Changes in the Brain and Muscles of Patients with Nonspecific Neck Pain Treated by Spinal Manipulation Therapy: A [18F]FDG PET Study. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2017, 1–9. doi: 10.1155/2017/4345703
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