Mental health is very important to physical health and well being.  Studies have shown that 1 out of 5 people in the United States struggle with mental health.  The amount of anxiety and depression rises each holiday season.  It has been documented that those numbers go up to 64% of people who have mental illness.

How can chiropractic care help with depression and anxiety?

Well, when we adjust the spine and extremities, signals are sent back and forth from the brain to all other areas of the body including all interactions with chemicals, neurons, systems in your body. 

Your nervous system connects and controls everything in our body.  This includes emotional, chemical and physical health. Chiropractic helps the nervous system be better at doing its job.  

Studies have been done showing how the autonomic nervous system improves, adapts and regulates better after an adjustment.  Stress is reduced from the body and the brain will then shut off the danger mechanism of "fight or flight".  When the brain does not perceive danger, it works better and all other parts of the body relax.  This leads to better concentration, sleep, mood, digestion and reduced pain.  So depression and anxiety decrease.  

Did you know that anxiety and depression are the most common mental illnesses in the United States?

Depression is not always based on a reaction to a particular situation or memory.  Many times it is from a chemical imbalance or stress on the brain's emotional centers.  Insomnia, stiffness, tension, migraine headaches are often chemical and anxiety based.  

Emotional and mental stress leads to imbalances on the body and not only have you feeling bad about yourself but it also has your body feeling bad too.  Stress will hide in joints, tissues and cause havoc on your systems.  That is where chiropractic can really help.  

Chiropractic helps depression and anxiety by:

• Improving blood flow:
  This relaxes and helps relieve stress.  Blood flow improves throughout the body including the brain.  
• Decreased pressure on nerves helping them communicate:
  Your body is always communicating, even when we sleep.  Our brain is always on.  Making sure the nerves can send messages from and back to the brain is key for physical and mental health.  
• Hormone release with treatments:
  After working on spinal and extremity muscles and nerves, your body sends off neurotensin, oxytocin, dopamine, seratonin are released in the body.  These all help stabilize mood and keep inflammation down.  
• Relaxes muscles and sends atmospheric information to the brain:
  Your brain analyzes movement, where you are in space, what is happening around you every moment. It is always trying to protect you.  When muscles are stress free and moving correctly the brain sends balanced signals to all supporting areas of the body.  If muscles are not stress free or moving correctly, the brain sends more signals to one area than the other to compensate leading to imbalance and raised stress to the body.  
  
  Sometimes additional work needs to be done outside the chiropractic office like eating specific foods, adding supplements to your diet, exercise programs and Amino Neuro Frequency Therapy.  Dr. Amie Gregory, DC, CCEP, ANF is top level trained in this European therapy and has helped many with PTSD, anxiety, depression, gut issues, lymphatic problems and many other problems she sees in our office.
  
  Amino Neuro Frequency Therapy helps your neurons and hormones balance for 3-5 days at home after leaving the office.  
  
  Dr. Amie Gregory, DC, CCEP, ANF is a San Francisco, CA and San Carlos, CA chiropractor that understands full body health.  She works with athletes, expectant moms, office workers and everyone else in between.  Contact our San Francisco, CA chiropractic office or San Carlos, CA chiropractic office today!

Resources:
https://www.healthpartners.com/blog/why-we-get-depressed-during-holidays/