From Fight or Flight to Thriving: How Chiropractic Care Helps Tackle Chronic Stress & Enhance Overall Health

Remember that time when you were being chased by a tiger?!?

Of course not.  Most people today are not running from tigers.  Today, we are running against deadlines, weaving through traffic, dealing with temper tantrums, annoying co-workers, or simply having to stand in line at the grocery store for too long.

The things is….our brain doesn’t know the difference.  Whether you are actually being chased by a tiger, or you’re just really irritated that they’re taking Yellowstone off the air, your brain is going to interpret and respond to that stress in the exact same way!

HOW DOES CHRONIC STRESS AFFECT THE BODY?

When you are under stress, your body goes through a number of physiological changes, such as increased breathing and heart rate, reduced digestion, dilated pupils, and increased muscle tension.  This is what is called “fight or flight”— the state that our autonomic nervous system goes into to prepare us for danger.  In these situations, we need such physiological changes to happen.  It’s a matter of survival.  The problem arises when we get stuck in that state.

Living in “fight or flight” is bad for our health.  Imagine standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon without support or driving the wrong way down the interstate.  That would scare the bejeezus out of you.  You wouldn’t think of doing those things, because you know the danger.  Your “fight or flight” is going to tell you to stay away from those situations.  Now imagine, instead, doing those things every single moment of every single day and that feeling you get.  THAT is living in fight or flight.  Yet, those who live in this state don’t notice it most of the time, because they are just used to it.  They just say, “I am stressed.”

Living in “fight or flight” is also called Chronic Stress.  How do you know if you or someone you know is living with chronic stress?  The effects of chronic stress can manifest in many ways, including:

  • Fatigue, changes in sleep patterns
  • Headaches or migraines
  • Digestive issues
  • Aches, pains, muscle tension
  • Getting sick more often
  • Anxiety, depression, other mental health concerns
  • Low or no libido

If chronic stress continues over a long period of time, it makes us more susceptible to other, more serious health problems, such as:

  • Heart disease
  • Asthma
  • Obesity
  • Diabetes
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Cancer

HOW DOES CHIROPRACTIC CARE HELP?

Regular principled chiropractic care can help people with chronic stress by addressing subluxation and other irregularities in the spine causing nervous system interference.  Removing this interference creates balance in the nervous system and restores autonomic balance (i.e. gets them out of “fight or flight!”).  

Other positive changes for people in chronic stress include:

  1. Releasing positive hormones

Oxytocin and neurotensin, both positive “feel good” hormones, can be released during a chiropractic adjustment.  They help regulate the nervous system and carry a number of anti-stress benefits.  They have also been shown to reduce blood pressure and cortisol levels, stimulate positive social interactions, and promote growth and healing.

Both oxytocin and neurotensin have been shown to directly reduce stress and encourage relaxation.

  1. Relieve muscle tension

Muscle tension is often associated with chronic stress, causing serious wear and tear on your body—including your spine.  Chiropractic adjustments help ease tension in muscle tissue, as well as the nerve tissue that supplies input to the muscles.

With regular chiropractic care, your body functions appropriately.  Not only do you feel less pain, but you can also respond better to stressful situations, heal from the effects of chronic stress, and experience a higher level of health than without regular care.  You have the ability to lead an overall better quality of life.

WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW?

Stress can take a serious toll on our minds and bodies, and the longer it is allowed to continue, the harder it is to address.  This makes it incredibly difficult to deal with stress in a healthy way.

Seeing a chiropractor, like Dr. Druckenmiller at Rising Chiropractic in Evans, can help you get the relief you need.  Share this information with friends and family who live with chronic stress and want help.  Make an appointment to take the next step in healing and living life your way.