Stress happens to just about everyone, and unfortunately, there’s no magic pill you can take to counteract the feelings of stress. Luckily, though, there are a range of different avenues you can go down to manage your stress levels and ensure that you aren’t more susceptible to anxiety, depression or other health issues associated with high levels of stress.
This is where chiropractic services come in. When used in conjunction with more traditional mental health therapies like mindfulness and counselling, it can be incredibly helpful in managing both short-term stress, and more chronic cases.
What Does Stress Do To The Body?
It can be easy to write off stress as a normal part of everyday life, and whilst this might be okay for short-term cases, chronic stress can be very detrimental to your overall health and well-being.
There are a number of changes your body goes through when it’s stressed, and whilst some people might see stress as beneficial (especially if you’re used to harnessing stress to meet important deadlines), a lot of the effects of stress are harmful.
Chronic stress can lead to a myriad of health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, depression, and so much more! Stress also weakens your immune system, so you may find yourself getting run down more quickly or coming down with colds far more frequently than if you weren’t stressed.
Some of the most common physical symptoms of stress you may be noticing include headaches, insomnia and muscle tension or pain.
How Can Chiropractic Care Help?
Whether you’re experiencing short-term stress or you’ve been dealing with chronic stress for quite a while, investing in chiropractic care could really make all the difference to your health and well-being.
These are some of the ways that chiropractic care can help you manage your stress and alleviate symptoms associated with short and long-term stress.
1. Relieve Muscle Pain & Tension
One of the number one benefits of chiropractic care in general, but especially for individuals dealing with stress, is its ability to alleviate pain and tension. Pain and tension as a result of stress is incredibly common and is most likely to occur in the jaw, the temples, the neck, the shoulders and the back.
Having regular chiropractic treatments can help you to relieve pain and relax your muscles in times of stress.
2. Improved Sleep
An inability to sleep is incredibly common in individuals who are dealing with stress and regular chiropractic treatments can help you improve your ability to fall asleep, and your overall quality of sleep.
Chiropractic care can help your body relax, which can lead to reduced cortisol and increased levels of oxytocin, which can help improve your overall quality of sleep.
3. Improved Immunity
As stress can make you more susceptible to illness, effectively managing your stress through chiropractic care can help boost your immunity and stop you from getting ill as often.
If you’ve been struggling with feeling consistently run-down, you may be stressed without even realising and it may be taking a toll on your overall immunity.
4. Positive Impact On Nervous System
Your nervous system is responsible for the way your body responds to stress, and it can also benefit from chiropractic treatment. Your nervous system helps to regulate your mood and having a healthy central nervous system can help to improve your overall health.
Adjusting the spine can help improve your nervous system's ability to function by reducing nerve interference. Not only do spinal realignments help to relieve pain, but they also help to ensure your central nervous system is functioning at its very best.
5. Improved Quality Of Life
One of the biggest benefits of chiropractic care in managing stress is the improvements you may experience in your overall quality of life. Not only will you have less pain and improved sleep, but you may also be advised on lifestyle changes that can help to improve your quality of life and reduce stress.
These recommendations could be for regular exercise, changes to your diet or anything in between.
Instead of trying to manage your stress on your own, investing in chiropractic care could really speed up your recovery process. Feel like yourself again and reduce your stress levels with help from your local chiropractic clinic.
