We all experience stress from time to time. The 24-hour news cycle, doom scrolling, getting a new job, paying bills — life is filled with triggers and responsibilities that cause stress. Over time, your body’s response to tension can lead to anxiety and a variety of physical health issues that result in chronic pain. Chiropractic care is an effective way to treat the resulting pain and discomfort without medication.
How stress affects the body
Stress is a natural response to a perceived threat. Your body releases stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, which raise your heart rate, quicken your breath, and tighten your muscles.
While small amounts of stress can be beneficial, chronic stress can affect your mental and physical health and lead to low back pain, neck pain, headaches, tight muscles, inflammation, and sleep problems.
If you suffer from these symptoms, you may find chiropractic care to be a good way to treat stress-related pain, allowing you to feel relaxed and in control of your body.
The difference between stress and anxiety
Anxiety is a normal reaction to a stressful situation, such as delivering a presentation at work or taking an exam. While anxiety is the brain’s way of responding to potential threats, chronic anxiety can lead to headaches, nausea, irritability, insomnia, and depression.
Chiropractic care releases feel-good hormones that lower anxiety and can be part of a holistic treatment plan that addresses the physical symptoms chronic anxiety.
Chiropractic care seeks to enhance your overall well-being
Chiropractors focus on the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal system disorders, particularly the spine. Misalignments of the spine, known as subluxations, can interfere with the proper functioning of the nervous system and lead to physical and mental conditions.
Trained practitioners use adjustments and other techniques to restore the body’s structural integrity, reduce pressure on tissues, and improve overall health.
Common chiropractic techniques
Chiropractors employ a number of common techniques to address misalignments in the spine and treat conditions related to the joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments:
Spinal adjustments: Hands-on manual therapy techniques, such as spinal adjustments, restore the natural alignment of the spine and reduce nerve irritation. By alleviating muscle tension and pain, adjustments help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety related to physical discomfort.
Soft tissue therapy: Massage and myofascial release help reduce muscle tension and improve circulation. Soft tissue therapy may help reduce physical discomfort, which can alleviate symptoms of stress and anxiety.
Chiropractic treatment is a natural way to ease pain, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve your mood.
How chiropractic care helps manage stress
Pain is a common physical manifestation of stress. When you’re under stress, your muscles become tense, which can lead to misalignments in the spine that result in discomfort or pain.
Chiropractic adjustments seek to realign the spine and relieve pressure on the nerves, which, in turn, provides pain relief. Adjustments also help promote the free flow of nerve impulses, helping to boost your immune system and keep you healthy.
Chiropractic care can help relieve stress and anxiety
Chiropractors seek to restore proper alignment to the spine through gentle adjustments, improving the function of the nervous system, which controls the stress response.
By manipulating the spine and joints, chiropractic treatment can help reduce muscle tension and pain, improve circulation, and release endorphins. This, in turn, helps reduce anxiety related to physical discomfort and stress. In fact, patients often feel a sense of calm and relaxation after a chiropractic session.
In addition to reducing stress and anxiety, realigning the spine restores mobility, enhances blood flow, improves nerve functioning, and promotes a better sleep cycle.
Integrate chiropractic care into a holistic stress management plan
Stress and anxiety are complex conditions that may require a multidisciplinary approach. Chiropractic care can be effective in managing the physical symptoms of stress and anxiety, particularly when it’s combined with healthy lifestyle choices.
Get the recommended amount of physical activity. Regular exercise increases the production of endorphins—natural hormones that alleviate pain—improves your mood, and enhances your sense of well-being. Adults need 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week, or about 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
Eat a healthy diet. A wholesome diet rich in fruits and vegetables provides the essential nutrients your body needs. Foods that reduce stress levels include those rich in vitamin C, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Practicing relaxation techniques and getting the sleep you need can also help reduce stress and anxiety.
Dr. Andrea takes a holistic approach to health care
If you experience symptoms of stress and anxiety, work with a health care professional to develop a comprehensive treatment plan. Dr. Andrea’s Chiropractic & Spinal Decompression provides a wide range of complementary medical therapies to promote your overall health and well-being. To find out if seeing a chiropractor may be right for you, contact Dr. Andrea today or call us at 918-364-2225 to schedule an appointment.
