What Selye did was reposition how this actually affects us and the repercussions it creates. Today, we are still learning the invasive and pervasive effect that stress has in many of the diseases and symptoms experienced in our modern world.
So, rather than tell you how bad stress really is and make you feel guilty because you’re not doing enough to manage yours better, let’s discuss some possible lesser talked about ideas regarding this ubiquitous issue in our culture.
It does look appealing, doesn't it?
Signs and Symptoms of Stress
There are a host of these. You might think that you are handling your stress just fine or that you can take it. To a certain degree, your body can actually thrive and perform better under the presence of stress. This is part of the phase that Selye, himself, described as the resistance phase. During this period, you actually have a greater ability to respond to your life circumstances. This whole phasing process is time dependent, though.
That is to say, the longer that the stress is present, without being truly adapted to or effectively dissipated from within your physiology, the more likely the toll it will take. This is when you may start to experience any number of the signs of stress discussed below. You’ll quickly notice that these are not just physical in nature. In fact, a great majority of symptoms or signs that stress is taking a toll on you, your health and your life have to do with the emotional and behavioral spheres.
Impatience and Anger
While there are times when you may find yourself becoming angry or have impatience at the DMV, stress that you are not properly managing will lead to more outbursts of anger. Many times, this anger can also be turned inwards and lead to depression or anxiety at some future point. This will also show up in your posture as described here.
Sleeplessness
Stress affects the quality of your sleep, but also your ability to go to sleep. The thoughts on your mind, the demands, bills, etc. will cause you to find it difficult to get to sleep at night. Even after sleeping for many hours, you may not feel rested.
Fatigue
This is due not to physical exhaustion or a cold or flu, this is from a prolonged stress response. Feeling slow and sluggish is a consequence of losing your passion and focus that stress can induce. You see, it affects how your emotional capacity responds by changing brain ‘wiring, firing and biochemistry’.
Physical Symptoms
These neck and back pains that you’re feeling are quite common. Without a ‘thing’ that we can point to saying ‘that is what I did’ to cause this pain, stress is often the culprit. You can point the finger at stress saying ‘it’ is what is leading to your pain, but really it’s your inability to adapt effectively that is to blame.
Colds, flus and other diseases that arise from a taxed or overworked and under-performing immune system are also related to stress. Because of the way that the nervous and immune systems are interconnected, your health may suffer when you are experiencing long-term, even if low-level, stress.
Difficulty with Memory and Concentration
Stress will direct or re-direct your mental attention and energy toward more ‘survival based’ concepts rather than other tasks, work or what you were planning on doing.
Difficulty Controlling Impulses and Cravings
Impulse buying, cravings for comfort foods and the like are signs that your body is turning to a more ‘comfortable’ existence. While comfort isn’t a bad thing in and of itself, when you are having a hard time controlling your impulse to purchase or eat, you have a problem. Stress hijacks your brain, make no mistake about it.
Postural Changes
This one is a little bit more difficult to appreciate until you understand the way it works. As your spinal cord and peripheral nerves are the aspect of your body that must respond to the incoming signals from your environment, it is what is responsible for ‘interpreting’ the messages first – even before they reach your brain. Then, once the messages have entered the brain, they can be interpreted and adjusted as various ‘output’ responses.
Some of these output responses will be emotional changes, behavioral changes and physical changes. The physical things can be in the form of musculoskeletal changes. The smaller muscles around the spine have nerve fibers that are branches of your sympathetic nervous system (the fight or flight system). When enduring stress, these nerves tell the muscles to contract and tighten to prepare you for what is coming. When the threat leaves, your body CAN go back into ease. However, if the stress does not leave –or, more importantly, HOW YOU RESPOND OR INTERPRET the stress doesn’t change – your body will continue to remain in this state.
Prolonged contracture of these muscles will alter the tension on your spine, altering the natural curves and contours of your spine. You may even have new, sideways or lateral bending curves (scoliosis) created. You will also see this in terms of your head being carried forward of your shoulders, a hump in the upper part of your back forming, tingling and numbness in your hands, arms, feet or legs, headaches, etc. Many physical aches and pains can be traced to this very fundamental spinal tension physiology.
The good news: this is reversible!
What Can You Do About Stress?
We’ll end on this because happy endings are always better. The research evidence is in and many mind-body techniques and approaches prove that physiology and life are enhanced through these practices. One such practice and the one near and dear to my own heart is Network Spinal Analysis.
This approach has at its core the ability to help you unwind spinal tension and nerve system disturbance and dysfunction giving you a better way of adapting to stress and living your life in a more creative and passionate way.
While you might find that statement to be a bit grandiose, I can assure you that since 1998, I’ve witnessed people’s lives changing. They tell me all the time how they didn’t think something so gentle could be so effective. They say that they are so thankful that they found Network Chiropractic and can’t imagine life having to live they did before.
Sure, escaping for a weekend retreat or getting away from work for a while can help. But, these things are just temporary. You aren’t actually changing anything, you’re just ‘getting away from’ or ‘escaping’ them. Vacations and get-aways are vital and important, please understand this point. The problem is that a vacation doesn’t mean that you will be different when you get back. Sometimes, the post vacation high is more temporary than you would have hoped for.
If you can relate with anything you’ve read here or you know you should do something about your stress, but don’t know what, contact us today and we’ll get you started down that path. There has never been a better time in your life than right now. It’s why you’re reading this article and it’s why ignoring this message would be a big mistake. I invite you to learn more about our office or contact us and let us help you find a practitioner close to you. I wish you all the best and brightest that YOUR life has to offer!
]]>My reason for beginning Network Care was…
“Back pain – chronic, herniated disks L4-L5 & L5-S1″
I have been receiving Network Care for about 3 months and I’ve noticed that I have…
“Decreased pain – most days, pain free… decreased stress with high focus on breathing & clearing my mind.”
~Scott B., Phoenix, AZ
]]>My reason for beginning Network Care was…
“My reason was due to stress and how to handle it without flipping out, leading to a calmer life and not worrying about the small stuff and learning to let go.”
Since beginning Network Care (6 months ago), I’ve noticed these changes in my symptoms, my body and my life…
“I am more intuned with my body. It’s crazy! I can move my body and feel my spinal cord move and adjust to accommodate my tension. It’s almost like I’m giving myself a mini treatment! I’m up and down as far as emotions go. But what I can say is I truly understand how it feels to be happy and sad. I feels great to feel every emotion and have control of my life.”
What I enjoy most and what I would like someone to know about Network Care at Infinite Healing Arts Center is…
“What I enjoy most is that it helps you put your life into perspective and you actually control your wants and needs. The feeling is indescribable. Your life becomes effortless.”
~ Lisa S., Scottsdale
]]>“…a few months ago, I was experiencing tremendous neck and shoulder pain due to stress and tension. Not wanting to accept the miserable state I was in, I sought out advice from my general doctor. After X-rays, muscle relaxers and physical therapy, my body continued to hurt. I was extremely frustrated! There had to be a better, non-medicated way of healing.
Since beginning Network Care (3months ago)…no pain meds! No physical therapy! No more pain and discomfort! My entire being has been transformed into positive energy . Through prayer and the precious knowledge of Dr. Mike, I now have peace. My body knows how to deal with stress and tension in a proper manner naturally. Network care has been life changing! The past three months have allowed me the opportunity to experience my “wonderful self” again.”
What I enjoy most and what I would like someone to know about Network Care at Infinite Healing Arts Center is…
“You will be enlightened; mentally, physically, and spiritually! Dr. Mike creates an environment that uplifts the human spirit. Thank you for giving me the tools to live in harmony with myself. You exude an abundance of happiness!”
~Jennifer W., Gilbert
]]>As a chiropractor in Gilbert, I’m among a population of active and busy families. We get to see mothers, children, babies, grandmothers and dads all working and playing, doing as much as they can to enjoy their lives. So, it is always a treat when we can play some small part in another’s healing journey and help keep families healthy together. Here’s one of our favorites from the sciatica treatment category…
“I was referred to Dr. Mike Funicello after enduring excruciating pain for over seven months. I had already tried six different Dr.’s and while they were able to help me get to a certain level they were not able to get rid of my pain. I had suffered from a very bad fall and had injured the left side of my body and fractured two discs in my back. I was still suffering from Sciatica and Piriformis Syndrome and bad spasms in my spine. I was not able to sit and walking was barely manageable. My life was barely tolerable because of the pain. For seven months, I had lived day to day on very strong pain pills and could barely manage to get our of bed, much less walk. This was not the way I wanted to live the rest of my life.
I have been in network care for two months and the changes have been amazing! I can now stand straight! I now can walk, I can sit and I can also lay down and be comfortable. While I still have a limited amount of pain and am still stiff and sore at times, I no longer have to take pain pills. Finally, I am able to get my life back on track. I am so much more aware of my body! I am so much more in tune to what my body is telling me and I am learning to listen to my body. I am so much more aware now of my body and how emotions and stress played a significant factor in my not being able to get rid of the pain.
My emotions have changed from a very negative out look to one of joy and happiness and contentment and I am looking forward to the future once again. My happy spirit is back once more and I can laugh, I can live each moment and enjoy my life for the first time in nine months without excruciating pain.
What I enjoy most about the Network Care at Infinite Healing Arts Center is that I am getting well! I am learning so much from Dr. Mike Funicello about how much body awareness plays a vital role in wellness. I am so grateful that he is so patient and so knowledgeable and so efficient and effective in his practice. His treatments have been so effective that I am now on the road to wellness. These treatments really do work.
I have come a long way from my very first visit that I had with Dr. Mike. When I went in I was so skeptical as to how he could help me in my condition; I could not grasp how the treatment could help me with my injuries and how he could possibly get rid of my pain. Two months later I am now a firm believer! Going to Dr. Mike has turned my life around! This has been and continues to be a life altering, positive experience for me.”
~Dorene R., Gilbert
]]>My reason for beginning Network Care was…
“…mostly because of chronic pain in my left foot making it difficult to walk or just do the things I enjoy. This made me extremely irritable at times and a little depressed (I have been diagnosed with Lupus).”
Since beginning Network Care (3 months ago), I’ve noticed these changes in my symptoms, my body and my life…
“I wish I could explain the whys, because it is hard to accept that the Network Care has been the reason for having less pain and being more at ease. But it is the only explanation for the way I have been feeling and I am very grateful.”
What I enjoy most and what I would like someone to know about Network Care at Infinite Healing Arts Center is…
“Dr. Mike is passionate about what he does and he definitely gets results!”
~Michele G., Mesa
]]>If you’ve been injured in an accident and you’re looking for a chiropractor in Gilbert to help you, then consider Infinite Healing Arts Center. We’ve been providing gentle chiropractic care to people injured in accidents of varying levels of severity since 1998. Listen to one story here…
My reason for beginning Network Care was…
“My reason for beginning Network Care was due to a car accident 5 years ago; I have had continuous pain in my neck and back and nerve damage in my right arm. I was diagnosed with bulging C5-6 and C6-7 disk and herniated disk, as well as nerve damage. I have had pain blocks done for 3 years with it only being a temporary fix.”
Since beginning Network Care (about 1 month ago), I’ve noticed these changes in my symptoms, my body and my life…
“Since I started with Dr. Mike I have noticed that I’m no longer a walking blob of pain! I’m off all of my pain medication as well as muscle relaxers. My life is more exciting. I’m able to get up in the morning without feeling pain and go all day without taking a nap due to all of the medication. I’m more relaxed and not as irritable “I’m actually pleasant to be around again”. I have a positive outlook on life. Since the accident it was taken away from me for 5 years it’s good to have it back!
I can actually tell what my body is feeling and what my posture should be doing and how I should feel. It’s a GREAT feeling to be able to have control over my mind and body!”
What I enjoy most and what I would like someone to know about Network Care at Infinite Healing Arts Center is…
“I look forward to going to Dr. Mike every week! If it wasn’t for him I would still be on all of the pain medicine and still going through life wondering if I was ever going to feel good again. I’m a living testimony that Network Care at Infinite Healing Arts Center can change your life!
Thank you Dr. Mike!”
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~Chandra C., Gilbert
At Infinite Healing Arts Center, we feel that incorporating these types of breath and body awareness exercises into the care of our patients, as well as in their home care yields great results that are often quite profound.
My reason for beginning Network Care was…
“I was stressed and I felt it in my back for a few years”
Since beginning Network Care, I’ve noticed these changes in my symptoms, my body and my life…
“Today we did an exercise where I quickly breathed in my mouth and out my mouth and then a separate exercise with breathing in/out quickly through my nose. ..I felt and uncomfortable emotional reaction where I first felt I was doing it wrong and felt laughter, then I felt I was holding tears back…then I sat up and was told to think about what I felt and as I told Dr. Mike I felt sad…I started crying. I felt those short quick breaths I take when I am upset. I always forget to breathe when stressed.”
What I enjoy most and what I would like someone to know about Network Care at Infinite Healing Arts Center…
“I think it made me aware of how I will not allow myself to breathe when panicked. It was strengthening in that I could allow myself to release the tension without the stress.
This made me feel open and ready for change in my spine. I felt I was pushing it to move before and now it is pushing me to stop my bad habits (breathing/posture).
It can change your whole attitude towards life.”
~G.W., Scottsdale
]]>Here’s what I’m noticing since receiving Network Care…
“I am able to feel tension start, when I do I’m able to breathe fully and tension decreases. I have some of my clarity back. I see and react to situations better. My pain level has decreases.”
Other people have noticed these things about me since receiving Network Care…
“They noticed I am able to deal with life’s up and down better. That my pain that I have dealt with for so long is getting better everyday. I am more positive about stressful situations.”
I tell other people to try Network Care at Infinite Healing Arts Center because…
“It could help them to deal better with stress, tension and aches and pains from our past experiences.”
~Sandy B., Mesa
]]>My reason for beginning Network Care was…
“My shoulders were so tight from stress and were curving in towards my chest. I had constant low back pain and pain and numbness in my legs.”
Since beginning Network Care (about 1 year ago), I’ve noticed these changes in my symptoms, my body and my life…
“I stand straighter. My shoulders are not as tight and are back. I have less pain in my back and legs.”
What I enjoy most and what I would like someone to know about Network Care at Infinite Healing Arts Center is…
“Dr. Mike is great to work with. I leave from his office very relaxed and feel good.”
~C.S., Queen Creek
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