April is stress and anxiety awareness month. If you suffer from stress and anxiety, you should know that it’s a normal part of life. However, it is essential to learn more about stress and anxiety to recognize when they negatively affect us, as both can be debilitating and cause or aggravate health problems. Take some time to learn and understand what stress and anxiety are and how you can properly deal with them.
How Can You Identify Stress?
According to WebMD, stress is defined as the body’s reaction to harmful situations, whether they are real or perceived. When we feel threatened, a chemical reaction occurs in our bodies that allows us to act in a way to prevent injury. This is known as “fight-or-flight”. During the stress response, our heart rate increases, breathing quickens, muscles tighten, and blood pressure rises. This is how we protect ourselves.
Stress can mean many different things to different people, and in the same regard, some people may be better able to handle stress than others. In general, stress can affect all facets of our lives, including our emotions, behaviors, thinking ability, and physical health.
Physical symptoms of stress include:
- Low energy
- Headaches
- Upset stomach, including diarrhea, constipation, and nausea
- Aches, pains, and tense muscles
- Insomnia
Can Stress Cause a Misalignment?
- Physical stress can absolutely cause a misalignment. When physical stressors occur, they can move bones out of alignment from impact, tension, or physical force.
- Chemical stress, too, can cause a misalignment. Chemical stress can be caused by poor diet, exposure to toxins (including smoking), drinking too much, and other imbalances. Chemistry in the body affects muscle tone, and when muscles get tight, the tension can pull on the bones to which they are attached, causing misalignments.
- Emotional stress is one of the most common causes of misalignments and pain in the body. Emotional stress causes us to subconsciously tighten our muscles, raise our shoulders, and release cortisol. This causes an increase in muscle tension and pulls on the bones causing misalignments.
Can a Chiropractor Help with Stress and Anxiety?
It’s a given that chiropractors offer relief from physical ailments, but the great news is that they can also help with stress and anxiety. Chiropractic care relaxes the body, and when our body is in deep relaxation, it is more likely to relieve stress and anxiety disorder symptoms. Chiropractic treatment can also help improve sleep, muscles spasms, and headaches.
Additionally, chiropractic care is known to stimulate “happy hormones” or cortisol. As we’ve learned, cortisol is responsible for assisting the body in dealing with stress. According to the website, To Your Health, a study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, children were significantly less likely to report any symptoms of depression, anxiety or pain interference following a trial of chiropractic care.
Total Chiropractic Care and Wellness Can Help with Stress and Anxiety
While many of us live with stress and anxiety, there are absolutely ways we can manage the associated symptoms. Here at Total Chiropractic Care and Wellness, we care about all health concerns and can create a personalized treatment plan for you. Contact us today to learn more.