Chiropractic Care and Stress: Why It’s Never the Stress, But Your Adaptation
It’s Never the Stress
Everyone is faced with stress. It becomes a reality of life and the results of stress in our lives ultimately effects our psychological, emotional and physical self.
Many people struggle to cope with Holiday stress, or everyday stress by focusing entirely on the idea of stress. It is never the stress that is causing the negative effects on ourselves, but our chronically failed adaptation to stressors.
When Adaptation to Stress Fails
When we fail to adapt to stressors it can leave us feeling irritable, anxious, angry, overwhelmed, fatigued and depressed. When we leave ourselves in this chronic state of stress it can affect our entire body.
Our metabolic systems slip into a chronic alarm state, our mitochondria (tied to chronic brain damage as well as diturbed energy production) and our endocrine system keeps producing cortisol. Our musculoskeletal system tenses up, leaving us with migraines or body pains that left untreated can cause chronic muscle pains.
The nervous system, that is built around our spine, stays in a constant fight or flight mode which further exhausts our body and mind.
Stress Resistance and Recuperation
Stress resistance is a major component of our overall recuperation. Strength, health and wellbeing in the face of stressors demands resources of adaptation.
How Chiropractic Care Helps with Stress
Where does Chiropractic care play in aiding stress?
As much as Doctor Seals would love to simply cure your stress with one adjustment, it is never that easy. Chiropractic adjustments that relieve joint dysfunctions or restrictions that possibly are inhibiting proper brain-to-body communications can help calm the body’s fight or flight response. Once these are calmed it becomes easier to adapt to our stress on our own.
Nutrition and Stress Adaptation
Many people also believe that eating can calm your stress response, but it actually can add more strain to your already tired body. Chiropractors, like Doctor Seals can assist with nutrition counseling which may include supplements your body may need.
The Real Issue: Adaptation, Not Stress
So, it’s never the stress. We fare so poorly against stress because we see stress as the issue when it’s really only a reflection of the issue: our adaptation to the stressor. Successful resistance to stress comes from controlling the stress responses and supporting within ourselves recuperative strength.
Chiropractic Care for Stress Relief and Recovery
Chiropractic care can play a powerful role in helping the body manage stress by supporting the nervous system, reducing cortisol, and improving brain-to-body communication. By improving spinal function and reducing interference, chiropractic adjustments may help the body adapt more effectively to stressors. Combined with proper nutrition, lifestyle choices, and recuperation, chiropractic care offers a natural and holistic way to improve stress management, restore balance, and protect long-term health.
Works Cited:
Written by: Donaid Seals D.C
Dr. Seals is a practicing Doctor of Chiropractic with over 25 years of experience caring for people. His thinking is the product of his education, practice experience and many years in the natural foods and fitness industry. He has become living proof that old muscleheads don’t die-or fade away; sometimes they grow up to bring real-world expertise to the clinical picture. Traditional background information is available here.
