Stress. We’ve all experienced it, but what is it exactly? While millions of Americans struggle with stress, we all have different definitions. One person may say they suffer from stress because they have a lot to do and not enough time to do it. Another person might say it’s because they are unemployed, while a third might say it’s because of their job. April is National Stress Awareness Month and in recognition of that, we’d like to talk about stress and the dangers of drug-related treatment options. Chiropractic care offers a drug-free, systematic relief that will last a lifetime.
What is Stress?
Let’s start by explaining what stress is and how it affects us. Stress is generally seen as something that poses a challenge or threat to our well-being; it’s something that triggers the “fight or flight” reaction in all of us. We feel the effects of stress when we struggle to cope with a situation or event. Pressure from these stressors can come in many different forms and can trigger various physiological responses.
In a study done by the National Psychological Association in 2013, researchers found that 77% of Americans regularly experience physical symptoms caused by stress. In that same study, researchers also found that people in the United States suffer from stress because of:
- Job pressure
- Money
- Health
- Relationships
- Poor nutrition
If you allow stress to go untreated, it will accumulate and build. At first, you may experience mild forms of stress such as a headache, nervous stomach or the occasional sleepless night. These symptoms are the body’s way of telling you to reduce stress. If you do not listen to the message, the built-up stress can lead to serious health problems.
Dangers of Prescription Medications for Stress
Medication can relieve some symptoms of anxiety, but it also comes with side effects and safety concerns, most notably, addiction. Medications are at best stopgaps that have no real long-term benefits when it comes to solving your anxiety or stress related symptoms. Non-drug treatments may not relieve stress as quickly as medication, but they can produce lasting results. Medications do not treat the underlying cause of the anxiety or stress. Once you stop taking the drug, the symptoms often return in full force.
Chiropractic Options –
The nervous system is the organizer, controller and coordinator of everything your body does. When you experience stress, your nervous system is the first responder. The most direct method of reducing stress should be directed towards balancing the nervous system. Any interference with the nervous system alters the body’s ability to function and heal itself. Chiropractors are specifically trained to heal and replenish the nervous system.
Chronic stress often causes prolonged muscle tension and contraction. This muscle tension creates pressures on the structures of your body, leading to misalignments of your spine and the other joints of your body. These misalignments cause nerve irritation, which then can cause common conditions such as:
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Headaches
- Jaw pain
- High blood pressure
Chiropractic adjustments correct these misalignments, reduce spinal nerve irritation, improve circulation and release muscle tension. Through spinal adjustments, your body is able to return to a balanced, relaxed state. In many cases, these changes can be enough to get your brain to turn off the fight or flight response, and begin the process of healing.
“It’s not our stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it” – Hans Selye
Sources –
http://www.statisticbrain.com/stress-statistics/