Stress & anxiety

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Most of us will (or have) experience stress or anxiety in some point in our lives. At times, stress is helpful a natural mental and physical response to demanding situations, which can help improve our focus and performance. But chronic stress can cause anxiety, depression and have a negative impact on our overall health. You’ve probably heard of the term ‘fight-or-flight’ response. This is natural response from our body, adapting to a stressful situation and enabling us to get through it.

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When the body perceives a threat, an alarm system is set off in your brain (in the hypothalamus). Through a combination of nerve and hormonal signals, this system prompts your adrenal glands to release a surge of ‘stress’ hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. This leads to a plethora of behavioural changes within your body such as increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, an increase in your energy supplies, lower immune system response, suppressed digestive reproductive system function and reduced growth processes. 

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The stress-response is usually self-limiting and once the perceived threat has passed, our hormone levels will return to normal and other systems (digestive, immune, and reproductive) will resume their regular activities.

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According to a UK-wide study in 2018 by the Mental Health Foundation, a Whopping three quarters of adults (74%) have at some point over the past year felt so stressed they felt overwhelmed or unable to cope. 

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With so many of us dealing with potentially high levels of stress, it is important to recognise when it has started to impact our physical wellbeing and find ways to help manage and improve symptoms.

 

Causes

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• Emotional stress (bad relationships)

• Financial troubles

• Health issues

• Family 

• Work 

• Injury

 

Symptoms

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• Fatigue

• Pain 

• Anxiety

• Irritability

• Depression 

• Inability to sleep

• Muscle tension and stiffness

• Headaches or migraines

• Aches and pains throughout the body

• Supressed Immune System

• Brain fog and loss of concentration

 

Care 

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It's important to note that your Chiropractor can't treat the cause of your stress, but Chiropractic care can certainly help to improve associated symptoms such as muscle tension, pain, headaches, poor sleep, and improve the function of the central nervous system (CNS). Chronic stress often results in pain, which often results in further stress – becoming vicious cycle.

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Your CNS helps regulate mood as well as full-body health, meaning that a healthy central nervous system helps improve overall health and wellness.  By making regular adjustments to the spine, chiropractic care frees up any nerve interference within the spine, allowing your CNS to function optimally.