Chiropractic for Chronic Stress

Stress is just a part of life, and most people in American society suffer from chronic stress. Stress may be common, but that doesn’t make it a good thing. Chronic stress can be a contributing element to all major diseases and health conditions including diabetes, heart disease, and depression. So how does stress affect the nervous system and can regular chiropractic adjustments help with these effects?

Autonomic Nervous System

The autonomic portion of your nervous system is constantly active and controls all automatic functions of the body and is comprised of the enteric nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system, and the sympathetic nervous system.

You’ve probably heard the term “fight or flight” before – well, that’s your sympathetic nervous system. This system pulls the body’s functions away from things like digestion and rest for protective functions.

Alternatively, the parasympathetic nervous system manages resting and repairing the body including food digestion and elimination, salivation, and tears.

The Chronic Stress Response

When you suffer from chronic low-grade stress, the sympathetic nervous system remains active at a steady rate higher than normal, but not so high that your life is in danger at that moment.

Some causes of low-grade stress include working long hours for an extended period of time, life and family demands, bad posture, poor sleep habits, dehydration, poor diet, and more.

Chiropractic Care for Chronic Stress

Chiropractic adjustments have a positive impact on the communication of the nervous system. Different areas of the spine correlate with specific stimulation of different areas of the nervous system. For example, if one of our patients has a highly overactive nervous system and has for some time, we can focus on adjusting areas of the spine that stimulate joint motion and nervous system function in parts of the spine that contain nerves associated with parasympathetic functioning, like the upper neck. The idea behind this is to ensure the nervous system is functioning optimally in areas that promote rest functions. This will promote the nervous system’s calming elements and take pressure away from the overactive sympathetic component.

One of the most common comments we hear after treating a patient is that they just feel better. When the nervous system is healthy, the rest of your body will follow along, providing a feeling of ease, which releases tension in the muscles, restores motion to the joints, and leads to a decrease in chronic stress.

To learn more about how chiropractic care can help relieve your stress, click here to schedule an adjustment at Markson Chiropractic, serving the greater Ft. Lauderdale and Miami area.