What’s Got You Stressed?

We have all experienced stress in some way, shape, or form, but do we really know the impact it is having on our health?

In our office we look at how your body is handling stress. This is done by comparing the balance between your sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) and your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest). When our body is in a state of fight or flight, our heart rate is elevated, our blood pressure is increased, digestion is impacted, and our body prepares to fight or flight in order to keep us safe. Now imagine the impact this has on your body if it is in a constant state of fear for an extended time.

Studies have shown that living under continuous stress can lead to hypertension, heart disease, obesity, digestive issues, arthritis, and additional health concerns. This doesn’t just include emotional stress.

Did you know that stress can be divided into three categories? Thoughts, toxins, and traumas can greatly impact our health, but rest assured, chiropractic care can help support your body through it all.

Thoughts

Giving a speech, financial burden, losing a loved one, or meeting a deadline can leave us feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and uneasy. The stress that stems from these feelings has a real impact on our overall health. It sends our body into fight or flight, the state that we talked about earlier, activating our body’s physiological response in our nervous system. Now this is not always a bad thing if we allow our body the time to balance back into harmony and return to normal activity levels. Consistent chiropractic care can help do that so much more efficiently, helping the body work, balance, and adapt to achieve true health.

Toxins

Lotions, potions, pills, and food all have an impact on our overall health.  While we can strive to eat healthy, use clean products, and do our best to minimize our medications, we can’t always escape the burden of certain toxins. All these toxins eventually have a great impact on our nervous system as it adapts to all the chemical reactions already occurring in the body. These toxins can disrupt our body’s natural function and lead to a breakdown within the nervous system. Chiropractic care helps maintain the brain-body connection, allowing the body to more effectively control all those chemical reactions.

Trauma

When we describe traumas in the office, we typically refer to the physical injuries we accumulate, such as slips, falls, and accidents. Although these are typically major traumas, minor traumas can have a huge impact on our health as well. These minor traumas can include excessive sitting, looking down at technology, and overuse or repetitive injuries from working out. The first major trauma we all experience is the birth process which is often overlooked. This can lead to shifting of the spine, putting pressure and irritation on the nervous system, impacting the function of those nerves.

Often, people wait until pain shows up to seek chiropractic care, when the truth is that only 8-12 percent of our nerves even sense pain. Pain is just the tip of the iceberg. We want to know what is going on under the surface to help achieve true health. Don’t let stress keep you down and impact your health; get adjusted today!