Raymond Chiropractic

A lot of patients come into the office on a daily basis and state that their “complaints” are related to stress in their individual lives. Be it stress at work, stress from home, stress  from an injury or maybe financial stress, they are all hitting the problem right on the button. So how can we help to manage stress without having to use a prescription or by other unnatural means? First we need to understand what exactly stress is….

The definition of stress is the rate of wear and tear on the body as a result of anxiety, worry or exhaustion from a difficult or challenging situation.  Perhaps another definition would help us all to better understand what stress is and how chiropractic care relates.

“Stress is a hard, difficult, or intense experience which if prolonged, could cause irritation and/or damage to a person’s nervous system.”

So, now that we understand how to define stress. How about we look at some typical causes of stress:

• Job
• Relationships
• Children
• Junk Food
• Environmental Conditions
• Medications
• Trauma (i.e. accidents)

One of the world’s first researchers on stress, Hans Selye, M.D. documented that there are 3 stages a person goes through in response to stress.

No Stress / Normal

The Alarm Stage

• The body’s defense towards fight or flight mechanisms are activated.

The Resistance Stage

• In this stage the body will either adapt to the threat or successfully resist the stress and return to normal.

The Exhaustion Stage

• If the body fails to return to normal in the resistance stage, body malfunction will occur due to the prolonged stress and low resistance.

In the exhaustion stage the nervous system over-reacts and causes the secretion of adrenal hormones.

These hormones cause the following:

• A loss of ability to digest food
• Reduced circulation to the heart
• Reduced white blood cells, which reduce immune response
• Reduced oxygen to the cells or the body

When faced with a stressful situation, our bodies rely on the adrenal glands sitting atop our kidneys to monitor our “fight or flight” response. The main hormones released by the adrenal glands are cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine. Cortisol raises blood sugar and halts the immune response. Adrenaline stimulates heart muscles and makes us more alert and focused. Norepinephrine is released and directed to cells in order to inhibit the gastrointestinal muscles and increase heart activity. Why does this all happen? The adrenal response’s main goals are to rapidly increase our heart and respiratory rates and blood pressure while releasing energy, tensing our muscles, sharpening our senses, and slowing our digestion so we are primed to escape or fight back, whichever is needed. When the threat is gone, the body returns to normal — quickly with respect to adrenaline levels, less quickly with respect to cortisol.

But in today’s society, we are all inundated with stress — stress that doesn’t let up. And when chronic stress repeatedly forces the adrenal glands to sustain high levels of cortisol, two things happen: first, the adrenals can’t attend to their broader role in hormonal regulation, and second, cortisol starts to damage healthy tissues. Eventually, adrenal fatigue sets in, and we experience the symptoms of stress!

Symptoms of Stress:

• Headache
• Fatigue
• Pain and tension in the neck, shoulders and/or low back
• Irritability
• Sleep problems
• Sinus and allergy problems
• Digestive problems

These symptoms indicate that the body is breaking down from stress and that there is a definite need to take action and begin living a healthier life.

So what can we do about the stresses we all will encounter on a daily basis? What are the alternative options? What can we do to manage stress more naturally? The short answer includes implementing the following lifestyle changes. We will break each one down individually, but for now the list includes:

• Exercise
• Eat a Healthy Diet
• Laugh
• Receive Chiropractic care
• Rest
• Sleep

Exercise

Exercise….the dreaded 8 letter word. It is something most of us would avoid like the plague if we could, but its reality here that we’re talking about, and part of that reality is to exercise regularly in order to maintain a healthy, stress free lifestyle.

• California State University +found that a 10 minute walk is enough to increase energy, alter mood, and effect a positive outlook for up to 2 hours!

• A seven year study at the University of Minnesota involving 12,000 men found that those who walked or did some similar exercise for an average of just 20 minutes a day were 37% less likely to die of Coronary Disease than those who exercised less than that.

There are guidelines to follow when exercising though:

• Get checked by a doctor to make sure exercise is ok
• Decide what you will do for proper exercise
• Start slowly then increase the intensity
• Aerobic exercise is best for stress relief
• Don’t forget to warm up and cool down properly
• Resistance training is important for weight control and lean muscle maintenance

Eat Healthy!

There is a proper proportion of nutrients that is best utilized for combating stress and high stress levels.

• 40& Complex Carbohydrates

1. Fruits
2. Vegetables
3. Whole Grains

• 30% Lean Protein

1. Chicken
2. Fish
3. Vegetable proteins

• 30% Unsaturated Fats

1. Olive Oil
2. Canola Oil
3. Flaxseed Oils

It is important to avoid foods and ingredients that will not allow your body to physiologically cope with stress: Processed foods, sugars, saturated fats and fried foods to name a few.

Consider ingesting vitamin supplements during your daily routine. B complex vitamins, a well-developed multi-vitamin and Vitamin D will all help your body to deal with the stresses in a much more positive way.

Laugh

Laughter really is the best medicine. Laughter has been clinically proven to lower the stress hormones (remember them? Cortisol, Epinephrine and Adrenaline) Laughter increases endorphin levels (natural pain relievers), antibody producing cells (improved immune response) and T-Cell effectiveness.

Laughter not only can provide a good physical workout, it can also help distract you from anger, guilt and negative emotion. Laughing can simply help you put perspective on stressful events.

So go out, watch a truly hilarious movie or show, go to the movies with friends, maybe a comedy club. Laughing is contagious and you will always laugh more with a group of friends than you will by yourself. If there is nothing to laugh about, laugh about nothing! It works…

Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic care has a sole purpose, and that is to remove nervous system stress. Bones out of alignment in the spine can put pressure on nerves leaving the spinal cord.  Research done at the University of Colorado found that very small amounts of pressure on a nerve can significantly reduce the function of the nerve (Up to 60% less functioning ability!). Chiropractic adjustments reposition the bones in the spine, taking pressure off nerves and restore nerve function. Trigger point therapy as well as massage can work well in conjunction with chiropractic care to reduce stored stress in the muscles of the body.

Rest

Go out and find yourself a relaxing hobby to enjoy and let your mind and body rest. If your job includes lots of physical activity, find a lower activity hobby such as reading, knitting, fishing or playing the piano.

Sleep

Most of us need 8 hours of a good night’s sleep, however, sleep requirements can vary from 5-11 hours per day depending on the person.  Sleep is the time when your body is able to re-charge itself; sleep is a vital component of how our body handles the stresses of everyday life.

If you can’t sleep, here are some tips that may help:

• Stop working 2 hours before bed and allow for relaxation.
• Do some light reading to tire the eyes and relax.
• If something is bothering you, write it down and put it aside.
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed.

So in conclusion, if you follow these simple tips and implement them all into your normal everyday life, you and the others around you will be able to manage the stresses we all endure much more effectively, and even more importantly, naturally. Just remember: Exercise, Eat Healthy, Laugh, Reduce nervous system irritation, and rest your body and mind!

If all else fails… TAKE A WELLNESS DAY FOR YOURSELF!