Stress hides in the body.  If it is not released it will store in areas of the body that are weak and make you uncomfortable. 

"The type of stress that human beings are under really differs from animals in the wild" according to Stanford neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky, Ph.D who wrote the book "Zebras Don't Get Ulcers.  Animals in the wild normally encounter stress for around 3 minutes and then it is over or they end up deceased. But we are human beings and we have different types of stress.  

Emotional: A demanding boss, work deadlines, unpaid bills, children to look after or elderly parents that need care on top of all of the other daily duties someone may have going on. 

Chemical: Junk food, smoking, pollution, pesticides in food

Physical: Falls, bad posture, repetitive behavior, injuries

Stress left unattended and not taken care of will lead to symptoms.  

Most common places you will see symptoms and how chiropractic can help. 

1. Hormones: 

When stressed, your body secretes a hormone called cortisol.  It can lead to memory loss, depression, and causes swelling in the body. 

2. Your Hair: 

Researchers at the University of Western Ontario found that chronic stress contributes to heart attacks by conducting a study on individuals admitted to the hospital who had heart attacks and took hair samples from each.  They found higher levels of cortisol on these individuals which affirmed their hypothesis. 

3. Your Nervous System: 

When you're stressed, your sympathetic nervous system kicks in which elevates the same hormones used primitively when we were cave people.  This system is called "fight or flight" sharpens your vision, pumps your blood faster, makes you breathe faster and puts your muscles in active mode ready to flee or protect yourself. The amount of stress each person has can lead to different levels but most times it leads to tightness in the neck, shoulders and back.  It can also lead to constipation/diarrhea, headaches, loss of sleep etc.  All of these areas and basically any area of the body are controlled by the nervous system. 

4. Your Gut:

Stress alters the way your body processes fat, causing you to store more acid in your abdomen.  This leads to acid reflux heartburn and pain in the abdomen. 

So how does chiropractic help with stress relief?

Stress needs to be released from the body.  If it is not released it will store in your organs, joints and systems.  Your brain and body are constantly trying to react and get rid of stress as much as it can but sometimes the body needs help.  

We have great success with getting stress out of the body!  

When chiropractors treat your body and spine, we ignite the power of your nervous system to work at its best. The nervous system (brain and spinal cord) is connected to all of the organs, muscles and basically anything in the body.

Stress can build up and hide in any area of the body and usually it is the weakest part.  

Once treatment has been administered to the spinal cord, the stress can clear its way out.  The brain relaxes and sends neuron signals correctly.

That is the amazing thing about what we do!   Dr. Amie Gregory, DC, CCEP, ANF in San Carlos, CA and San Francisco, CA understands that every issue we have in our body is caused by some type of stress.  How do we get rid of it?  Chiropractic, breathing exercises, lifestyle changes all help us release stress. Contact us today to make sure stress is not festering in your body.  We want you to be the best you can be!