“Oh the noise, noise, noise!!!” Dr. Seuss, The Grinch
We live in challenging times. Our world is constantly changing at an alarming rate. We face overwhelming stress at work, school and at home. It feels like the world is spinning faster than we have the energy for. Many of us live in constant fatigue. Most of our health challenges of our day are a product of Stress. Yet, our body responds to Stress the way it has for thousands of years.
The stress response is designed to be relatively short lived. It is necessary for survival. People can survive extremes in environmental, physical and mental stress. Bear Grylls is an inspiring example of overcoming the challenges of the great outdoors. He uses innovation, creativity and endurance to survive the most hostile conditions. His body, and ours, was designed to thrive and to become stronger through overcoming challenges. Most of us, however, do not live like our hero. We probably will never need to decide whether to fight a grizzly or to run for our lives.
Interestingly enough, when we are stressed, our bodies react as if we were Bear Grylls in the wilderness. This is called the Sympathetic nervous system and it is responsible for the changes in our body during stress. It is the opposite of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for behaviors associated with peace, rest and digestion. The stress response is meant to get us away from danger and then to turn off when we are safe. The challenge of living in the modern world is that many of us are in a constant state of stress.
The stress system left unchecked leads to decreased digestion, reproduction, memory, sleep, concentration and other important, but not necessary actions for survival. Blood pressure, sugar, and fats increase exponentially to face the forthcoming energy demands. The stress hormone cortisol and adrenaline surge through our veins. There is a principle in Physics called fatigue point. There is only a certain amount of force that an object can withstand until it buckles under the pressure. If the force is applied and then the object is allowed to rest, its fatigue point improves and the object can handle a greater stressor.
There are many ways that we can counter the stress that we will certainly face in our lives. Exercise restores proper hormone balance, breathing, digestion, energy and function throughout our body. It prepares the body to handle large amounts of stress, while at the same time relieving the entire system. Eating a balanced diet of natural food brings balanced to the system by giving your body the raw materials it needs to heal. Chiropractic adjustments relieves stress and balances the nervous system. Pressure on the nerves interfere with the body’s ability to communicate and operate. Chiropractic works with the body’s natural healing ability. When spinal misalignments, Subluxations, are corrected balance is restored, Sympathetic activity is inhibited and parasympathetic activity takes over. Rest and digest, restore and build.
The next time you feel stressed out, breathe,eat some good food and run over to our office to get your spine adjusted.