How Can A Chiropractor Help With Emotional Health?
I have heard people say that they need to see a chiropractor when they are under a lot of stress. What does chiropractic have to do with stress?
Chiropractic is not a treatment for stress but people who go to chiropractors often find it helpful when under a lot of stress for a couple of reasons. First of all, stress is not just in our minds but it affects our entire body. Our nervous system becomes irritated when under stress which directly impacts our muscular system causing a lot of tension and tightness. When muscles are tense, the joints of our spine do not move as well as they should, and we go into tense postures, and weak areas of the spine get fatigued and inflamed, causing more nerve irritation.
Chiropractors locate areas of the spine that are not moving properly and where the nerves are irritated. With specific adjustments, spinal motion is corrected, taking the pressure off the nerves. When you break down the patterns of tension in the spine, patients will often find it a great relief and relaxation. In a sense we are “re-booting” the system, and letting the body heal from within. If you find that you are under a lot of stress and you know that it’s affecting your well being, consider a chiropractic check-up.
Understanding stress!
The effects of negative stress on our health and lives in general.
The single event stressor tends to be much easier for the body to handle, and usually does not have in itself, so much effect on our health. The body will react and then recover and regain balance. We are very aware of this type of stress and make room and take time for recovery, because we know “it has happened”.
The ongoing, but less threatening situation may become a part of our daily lives, leaving no time for the body to recover. This type of stress leaves the body in a constant state of imbalance. The danger of this type of stressor is that it often goes unrecognized until the physiological damage has already reached a fairly advanced stage. We may be aware of the stress, and feel that we are handling it quite well, but be unaware of the long- term toll on the various anatomical systems.
Great, now that you have me stressed about stress, what can we do about it? An obvious answer would be to rid your life of stressors. How to do that on the other hand is a big complicated topic. Chiropractic is not a treatment for stress but people often find chiropractic helpful when under a lot of stress for a couple of reasons. Very often, the first obvious clue that our bodies are reacting negatively to stress is the increase in subluxations. Our nervous system becomes irritated when under stress which directly impacts our muscular system causing a lot of tension and tightness. When muscles are tense, the joints of our spine do mot move as well as they should, we go into tense postures and the weak areas of the spine get fatigued and inflamed, causing more irritation.
It becomes a vicious cycle within the body, wearing the body down, inhibiting the nervous system to function properly. Let your chiropractor “re-boot” your system to stabilize the cycle as you work on addressing the stressors in your life.
Stress is an unavoidable and normal part of our lives. It upsets the body’s natural balance (homeostasis), depletes nutrients, and creates an excellent breeding ground for disease. Stress is estimated to account for 80% of all major illnesses.
Major sources of stress
- Physical Chemical
- Inactivity
- Internal toxins
- Allergens
- Temperature extremes
- Excessive noise
- Inadequate light
- Trauma or injury
- Sugars
- Infections
- Nutritional imbalance
- Nicotine
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Drugs
- Emotional Electromagnetic
- Fear
- Anger
- Guilt
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Inadequate sleep
- Airplane travel
- Electric blankets, pads
- Television, computers
- High voltage power lines
- Fluorescent lights
- Electrical appliances
The fact that you have a spine and live in this stressful world means that you can have vertebral subluxation complex and should have periodic checkups.