A Chiropractors Role in Stress Management

There is nothing worse for our health and wellbeing than stress.

In my role as a Chiropractor, I see lots of people every day who's physical, mental and emotional health is being affected by the stresses in their lives, and it's tough to watch.  Most often, people end up in my office after the pressure has taken a toll on them physically, but it doesn't take too long to see that it is affecting their quality of life in other areas as well.

Stress can be boiled down to 3 significant sources; Trauma to the physical body, Toxins and chemicals we are exposing ourselves too (including poor nutrition choices), and the Thoughts that consume our brain negatively.

Trauma

Our body is exposed to physical trauma every day, either on a significant level, lifting, car accidents, sports or industrial injuries, and on a secondary level, poor computer posture, sitting for prolonged periods, commuting, looking down at our devices.  Over time the accumulation of all of these major and minor injuries (stresses) leads to body dysfunction, breakdown and pain. 

Chiropractic care helps these dysfunctions directly through examining and treating the dysfunctional structures, most commonly joints, muscles or nerves. Pressure and tension are relieved, cramped regions can be stretched, and rehabilitation to weak areas to countermand the physical stresses experienced by the body. Chiropractors are also experts on correcting poor ergonomics, helping a person sort out the cause of their issue and give them valuable advice on correcting habits that started it in the first place.

Toxins

We are exposed to a wide variety of toxins and chemicals every day of our lives. From the air we breathe, the water we bathe in, the food we put in or mouths, the drugs we take, and the products we put on our face and body…most of it contains chemicals. Some of those chemicals are beneficial, some are merely there and neither good nor bad, and some are harmful. However, the toxic load we are under affects our health and ability to heal. When our ability to heal decreases and our immune systems become overwhelmed, sickness, disease and pain are the results.

One of the most natural things you can do to help yourself in this area is to eat well.  I am not an advocate of any particular diet, but I do think that the "farm to fork" principle is the very best. Farm to fork means that there are virtually no processes in the food chain from agricultural production to consumption, ensuring your healthiest choices. Do your best to eat 80% "real" food, and your health will improve.

Consuming Thoughts

Many of us have stressful lives and stress-filled thoughts.  Finances, relationships, work, family, the news can consume us. We think, think, think about things all day.  Some of those thoughts we work through, process and move on from, but others sit in our brain and swirl around, keeping us from sleep, from productive work, and happiness. Negative thoughts are stressful, and this kind of stress stores up in our muscles, and our nerves. When someone scares you by jumping out from behind a tree, what do you do? You tuck your chin down, your shoulders pull up to your ears, and you tuck your tail between your legs (so to speak). If someone frightens you, you feel this stress response instantly and sometimes painfully. Well, if you are living with stressful, negative thoughts, your body is physically responding in the same way as the example above; chin down, shoulders up, and butt tucked.  This posture is physically stressful, and eventually causes dysfunction, breakdown and pain, usually in the neck, shoulders, upper and low back.

Chiropractic care allows you to unwind these stress postures to relieve the physical tension that comes from emotional and mental stress and to feel better.  When we alleviate the physical strain, the emotional stress that was stored there is also released, leaving the person lighter and less painful in mind and body.

Stress is a part of all of our lives, we can't get away from it completely.

But we can learn how to cope with stress and to reduce its impact on our physical being.  Chiropractic care is an excellent strategy to help manage stress. Your chiropractor is highly skilled to address the cause of your pain and affect a healing change within your body. From a holistic perspective, your chiropractor can offer a wealth of information that will help you create a plan for healthy choices in all areas of your life.  Seeing your chiropractor regularly for a check-up helps keep the body in balance reduces the effects of stress on your wellbeing and health.

Life is stressful. If you are experiencing Stress, a Chiropractor can help.