Aligning for the New Year: How Chiropractic Care Calms Stress and Restores Balance

As we step into a new year, there’s no better time to align not just our goals, but our bodies and minds to make ourselves and our health a priority. In today’s busy world, stress has become a common problem for many people. It is not only an emotional issue, but it can also affect your physical health.

When the body is under chronic stress, the sympathetic nervous system, the fight or flight response, remains active and higher than normal which sends out stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. This response is important for facing immediate danger, but an increase in these hormones all the time can hurt your health. Some of the causes of low-grade stress are working long hours, family and life demands, sleep issues, bad posture, dehydration, poor food choices, and more.

Over time, chronic stress manifests as different physical symptoms, including muscle tension, headaches, back pain, jaw pain, and increased anxiety. These symptoms can make daily life challenging

. Stress can also affect your digestive system, causing problems like heartburn or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). When we are exposed to high levels of stress hormones for a long time, it can weaken our immune system, making us more likely to get sick. Long-term stress can also disrupt nervous system function, which may worsen pain. Knowing how stress affects your body is the first step to finding good solutions.

Chiropractic care doesn’t just treat back pain, neck pain, and injuries, it takes into account your overall of health, well-being, and how the nervous system relates to the body’s stress response which can offer an effective way to manage stress and improve overall health.

A chiropractic adjustment affects the nervous system by correcting spinal misalignments or subluxations to remove nerve interference, improving communication between the brain and body, which boosts nerve flow, coordination, balance, and can even calm the stress response (sympathetic system) by activating the relaxation response (parasympathetic system). It works neurologically by stimulating joint receptors, reducing inflammation, and supporting better brain adaptation and function. 

In essence, adjustments aren't just about moving bones, they're about optimizing the central nervous system's control over the entire body. Every member of the family can benefit from gentle, regular adjustments. When the spine is aligned and the nervous system is functioning optimally, the body’s natural healing power, resilience, physical, and emotional well-being is supported.

Dr. Kristen Stirke, DC