This year has been an extremely challenging one for many. My clients have described feeling stress, worry and anxiety which can then lead onto a decline in their mental and physical health. This has been particularly noticeable during these last few months. As a Chiropractor, I see this present in various ways, and some may not see the connection between their mind and how it may manifest in their body. My aim is to try and understand the full picture of what is going on for that client – physically, emotionally and nutritionally – as more often than not, there are various factors that are contributing to one’s complaint.
Our emotional states can be very powerful and can even cause ill health if not dealt with effectively. Your body responds to the way you think, feel and act. This is often called the “mind-body connection.” When you are stressed, anxious or upset, your body tries to tell you that something isn’t right. Some examples of how this may present are shortness of breath, pain (such as headaches, back pain, muscle tension), digestive discomfort, or fatigue.
When I see clients suffering from chronic pain or dysfunction I have noticed the effect it can have on their mood and energy. At times, this leads to depression and feelings of isolation (now more than ever). The good news is, because of this immensely strong mind-body connection it is therefore possible that when you correct one, you can in affect correct the other!
One of my go to exercises for my clients for home advice is to lay on a foam roller (or if you don’t have one, you can use 2-3 rolled towels). Lie on your back flat with your head and tailbone on the roller (or towels) with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Have your arms straight beside you with palms up. Aim to enjoy this gentle stretch for 2 mins while practicing deep breathing. For extra relaxation, listen to your favourite meditation track or song. This stretch is not only excellent for posture, it also works to calm down the sympathetic nervous system (our fight/flight stress response). It’s a simple exercise that helps your mind and body!
The purpose of Chiropractic care is to bring balance to the nervous system – the control centre of the body, by correcting subtle disturbances in nerves with specific adjustments to spinal bones. I have various techniques to accomplish this from gentle, low force tools to more firm hands on treatment. Every treatment is tailored to the client’s needs, and preferences.
In addition to Chiropractic, I also have an amazing tool I use called Neuro-Emotional Technique (NET). This is a mind-body intervention that has been shown to be effective in reducing stress related problems. Finding and balancing these stuck stressors is done with the help of simple muscle testing. It works amazingly well on the subconscious mind – meaning, the stress or beliefs that we’re not consciously aware of. Sometimes we think we’ve moved on from a stressful situation, when in reality, it’s still having an impact on our brain and nervous system. When we hold onto stress chronically, it starts to cause problems in our body.
If you’re curious to see if your body is experiencing stress, why not try our FREE online Wellness Check (www.wellnesscheckonline.com) and email your results to me, I’d be happy to have a complementary 15 minute chat to discuss your results and see if I can help you.
While we cannot always decrease the number of stressors in our life we can support the body to better deal with these stressors. Chiropractic and NET as well as simple lifestyle changes can help decrease the time your body is in this “fight or flight” mode enabling you to more easily adapt to the challenges that life throws you!