Stress is a fact of life. In fact, a reasonable amount of stress can be a positive thing. It signals that there needs to be a change, mentally or physically, and can even be the beginning of the healing process. But when our bodies never have a chance to recover from stress, the negative effects build up. If the cause of your stress is physical, such as pain or dysfunction, this can cause a self-feeding cycle. A body that is in pain tries to protect itself with tension, which exacerbates the pain, causing more stress. Chiropractic care relieves stress and anxiety by interrupting that cycle, helping your body to heal and regain balance. Here are some common sources of stress and ways we can help you feel better.

Muscle Pain

The body is supported by an exquisitely balanced structure of bone and muscle. When a part of that structure is off-kilter it impacts all the surrounding parts. A subluxation in the spine often causes weakness in nearby muscles. This imbalance causes a cascade of effects, as other muscles contract to compensate. You end up kneading an aching shoulder muscle when the problem began in the spine.

A chiropractic adjustment takes that extra pressure off overworked muscles, restoring balance and easing the pain. When the muscles and bones can support each other in the ways they are supposed to, muscle pain and the risk of injury is reduced, making chiropractic care a natural way to find stress and anxiety relief through increased physical comfort.

Dysfunction

All the signals from the brain to the body go through the spinal cord. From there neurons branch off to carry those messages to every part of the body. A subluxation can impinge on those nerves, affecting that communication. This can cause a wide range of problems, including digestion problems and low energy. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by life when you’re not feeling your best.

Correcting a subluxation relieves the pressure on those nerves, creating another outlet for chiropractic stress and anxiety relief. The brain can communicate clearly with all the other systems, and everything functions together.  When your body is working efficiently, you’re more able to respond to life’s challenges calmly and effectively.

Posture

There are many forces in modern life that degrade our posture. Activities such as driving a car or working on a keyboard bring your shoulders forward, rounding the upper back. Most people spend too much time sitting, and very few chairs are designed to support the healthy curves of the spine. When you look at a smartphone you are usually looking down. This causes your head to push forward, instead of being balanced at the top of your spine. The weight of your head causes significant pressure in your neck.

All of this adds up to stiffness and aches. When you are out of alignment, normal movements such as standing up or turning to look over your shoulder cause pain. It may seem subtle, but taking natural steps to relieve stress and anxiety through simple tricks like eliminating stiffness is actually hugely impactful. Although this kind of pain isn’t severe, it’s an underlying drain on your energy and resilience. When your posture is corrected you feel stronger and more effective.

Anxiety

All these common issues, combined with the pressures of modern life, can spark anxiety in people. Relentless sensory input, from electronic devices, ambient noise, and the business of life often activates the sympathetic nervous system. This is the “fight or flight” response that is designed to make you alert and energized so you can escape danger. However, when it’s triggered by a blaring car horn as you drive home from work, it just leaves you with a pounding heart and full-body tension.

In the same way that there are many causes for mental and physical tension, there are also many natural ways to relieve anxiety and stress. Talk to your local chiropractor for more insights on how chiropractic care can be used for stress and anxiety relief.