Stress and Your Spine
When you think about stress and anxiety, they are often linked to mental health and hormonal imbalances. What you may not know is that problems of the spine can often be at the root of stress. We’re not talking about muscle stress like back pains but rather mental stress. If this seems strange to you, consider how your posture changes when you’re experiencing stress. You may slump, your muscles can tense, and breathing patterns will change. All of these shifts can affect your vertebral alignment and lead to spinal abnormalities. In short, chronic stress can have a long term impact on your spine’s integrity.
Because your spine controls the central nervous system, its health is linked with the health of the rest of your body. This can create a cycle- stress can lead to poor spinal health, which can impact physical health, leading to higher stress levels. Because of this, even small stressors in daily life can compound to cause serious health issues over time.
One way to proactively reduce stress is to see a spinal specialist that can ensure your spine is properly aligned. When this is the case, your nervous system is able to properly send messages throughout the body. This means communication and system efficiency are improved, and the body functions as normal, even under stress.
Types of Stress
While most types of stress can be rooted back to the spine, the cause and treatment may differ depending on the scenario. Depending on how and why your spine is experiencing a misalignment, you may experience stress in a variety of manners.
Physical stress is possibly the most dramatic and obvious form of stress. Chronic stress can lead to inflammation in the body, which is related to a large number of conditions that impact the discs, ligaments, and tendons near the spine. Any issues with these tissues can cause pain and lead to spinal abnormalities. In addition, there can be an impact on your immune system.
There are also some cycles that can occur with physical stress. Poor sleep and nutrition habits can exacerbate stress, which leads to trouble sleeping and metabolic disorders, for example. These are all made worse by any injuries, physical labor, or sedentary lifestyles that are paired with them.
Just as important as physical stress is the more subtle chemical stress. This can occur when you are presented with toxins from cleaning products, pollutants, medications, and other external sources. If you suffer from allergies, this can also be treated as a toxin by the body. The constant exposure to these substances can create a constant and low-grade stress to the body.
Much of what we associate with stress has to do with mental and emotional health, such as mood disturbances, anxiety and depression, and a number of other forms of mental stress. In addition to the impacts on your mental health, emotional stress can also cause problems with memory and concentration, sex drive, and sleep patterns. Stress caused by work and daily life can often lead to not only mental distress, but also to physical ailments that cause spinal interference.
Relieving Stress Through Chiropractic Care
While you may not be able to remove certain stressors from your life, you can help your body be better equipped to handle outside stress without causing harm. One of the simplest ways you can positively impact your health is regular visits with a chiropractor who can remove any interferences that are impacting your body.
The gentle and natural adjustments provided by a chiropractor target these misalignments with the goal of reducing pain and enhancing your wellness. When you are not in pain, you will find yourself relaxing more easily, sleeping better, and feeling less anxiety.
The spine specialists at AICA Orthopedics are focused on creating personalized care to help you manage stress and be prepared to handle any stress in the future. Our comprehensive approach to spinal health is designed to help you safely and effectively reach your goals of reduced pain and less stress. Contact us today.
