Stress & Anxiety Treatment in Lakeville
From the pandemic to politics to job-related stress, it’s no wonder so many people are experiencing stress and anxiety these days. Combine that with the fact that we’ve all become conditioned to get instant gratification, we expect that in all aspects of our life. When it doesn’t happen, that creates a negative reaction. Stress and anxiety not only take a toll mentally, but also physiologically.
The Effects on the Body
Physiologically, because we’re often perpetually in a heightened state of stress, we tend to go into adrenal fatigue. As we get stressed, we often get irritable, angry, and worried. The various external stressors, from world events to relationship challenges, induce tension. Our shoulders tend to creep up toward our ears, and neck pain and shoulder tension often results.
Hormones also come into play, with the biggest being cortisol, which will be released to help us deal with different stressful scenarios. When we’re constantly bombarded with these signals from our brain stem, we need to alert these stress hormones. When a significantly stressful event happens, it’s like we’ve run out of gas. The pedal has already been pinned to the floor, and it can’t go any faster.
That’s when our body gets even more rundown, because it can’t respond the way it should. The brain says, “Do this,” and the body says, “I have been doing this. I can’t do it anymore.” Conversely, if we’re more in a calm state and enter those stressful scenarios, then we have the proper response left to have a response to that.
The Importance of Keeping the Body in Balance
“I like to equate that example of stress and anxiety to a teeter-totter; our body should be in balance. Sometimes when one side goes down, we need a stressful response. Sometimes the other side goes down when we should be in a relaxed, calm state or at least net neutral so that we can respond to that,” said Dr. Jake.
Referring to the car example, because everybody’s so stressed, we are using that gas pedal so much that our body doesn’t know how to either let off the gas or even try to hit the brakes.
The Two Nervous System Types
The autonomic nervous system consists of the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. Here’s a look at each:
The common term for this nervous system is fight or flight. Think of a bear chasing you, and you have to run away quickly. That’s the stressful side of things. The sympathetic chain ganglion lives in the upper part of the thoracic spine between the upper part of the shoulder blades.
It’s not that the nervous system doesn’t work. It’s just through every aspect of our lives that we’re constantly bombarded by stimuli. That often comes from social media, from our smartphones, from constant emails, etc. We can get notifications from our devices 24/7, making it difficult to shut down, especially at bedtime. In short, we are primed to hit the gas and go, go, go so much that we can’t stop.
The good news is that chiropractic adjustments can help prepare the nervous system to be better balanced. So that way, when the body has a stressful response, it’s better to respond properly.
Our Provider will also talk with you about feelings you have when you are stressed. They may ask questions like
- How do you feel about this?
- Is your biggest stressor your work life or your family life or both?
- Do you feel like you don’t take any breaks in your life?
- What makes you stressed?
- What helps you relax?
Another effective way to address stress is through supplementation. At Family Chiropractic and Wellness, we carry a wide range of stress supplements that Our Providers take themselves. These can help balance your cortisol–your stress hormones. Or they may recommend you take a calming supplement like ashwagandha, which has been around for thousands of years. Milk thistle is also helpful. We also have chewable tablets, which help you relax when you have immediate stressful things going on.
Book an Appointment
If the gas pedal is constantly on in your life, we want to help you de-stress naturally. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
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