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!
]]>Actually, no.
Chiropractors come in all shapes and sizes, but for the most part, our philosophy is united around the central understanding that our job as chiropractors is to remove the interference to the flow of the messages that travel along the nerves in the body. This interference could come in the form of the more common ‘pinched nerve’ syndrome or something more insidious, like adverse mechanical cord tension. We’ll get back to this point shortly.
The point is, the only reason that we really are concerned with your back – you r spine actually – is because this is where your spinal cord lives. The spinal bones protect the spinal cord as your skull protects your brain. In fact, the only system in your body with its own bony protection is your central nervous system. It’s that important to life!
So, what are you doing to maintain its function and optimum level of performance for your health and well-being? What’s that you say? You aren’t doing anything. You see, this is where chiropractic has really dropped the ball with regard to educating the public at large as to what we do.
There are many ways that we can go about helping your nervous system function more effectively. Studies have shown chiropractic to improve immune function (because it is intimately interwoven with the function of the immune system itself), energy levels (because tension in your spine and body will drag your energy levels down), enhance your sense of well-being. Then, with Network Chiropractic, the style we offer at Infinite Healing Arts, there are further benefits associated with overall quality of life, emotional well being and breathing.
So, you’re ready to get started now. Great! The move toward more holistic and personal-centered care is something that has been on going for many years. The last several have seen marked increases in these visits, a trend that is likely to simply become the norm for healthcare.
It has many names, but integrative, holistic and complementary are all ways of saying that the medical community wants to be a part of it. If you were in a dying or fading field, you probably would be, too. Can’t really blame them for coming on board.
Back to the topic, more specifically. The reason that we often feel back pain or get migraine headaches is because our bodies are trying to tell us something. Upper back pain can be the result of some recent trauma or sport injury, but without some event it can be confusing to figure out why you hurt.
This is where your chiropractor can help you figure out what these back pain symptoms are all about. They are the only trained professionals in the health care industry who look to the relationship between the spine, nervous system and the rest of your musculoskeletal system. Sure, there are specialists in cardiology, neurology, and orthopedics, but do they tie all your symptoms together? Do they provide you with a non-drug or surgical choice to help you heal? Will physical therapy be a long term solution or a temporary relief?
These are all questions that I’ve heard multiple upon multiple times and it seems that the people that come to Infinite Healing Arts Center are looking for something else. We’re happy to be helping provide people with the means to change the way they feel, improve the way their body is functioning and doing it all with smiles and hugs. Isn’t this how all offices work?
If this sounds like the type of care you are interested in or you’ve heard about the amazing benefits of Network Spinal Analysis and want to experience them yourself, contact us today to get started.
]]>What is happening as a result of those gentle Network Chiropractic Care entrainments or contacts is that his nervous system – brain and spinal cord – are more effectively coordinating the information being sent through all the cells and tissues of his body.
All stress in the body – stored as vibrational tension is literally unwinding and dissipating during the beginning course of care. This beginning level of care is known by several names, but the term “Basic” or “Discovering” care are the most common terms that reflect what is happening during this stage.
In the next level of care, your body begins to develop a more refined and rhythmic way of dissolving long held, chronic patterns. These patterns are part of what has kept you feeling stuck and limited in your expression of ease and freedom in your health, body and life. This is the beginning of a possible transformation in the way that your body – how you – adapts to life.
As you continue to live this newly transformed life, both in regard to your health and your overall well-being, you’ll notice that you feel other things changing in your life. Where you once might have been more focused on yourself, you can now more easily feel the connection with others. You can begin to experience your inner human spirit expressing itself!
You can enjoy a greater sense of ease, less pain and more life enjoyment within the first month of beginning care! The only way to get started is to fill out your paperwork and call us at 480.558.1560 to schedule your initial consultation and evaluation. As your Gilbert chiropractor, it would be an honor to help you heal and regain your vitality and zest for life, free of pain and frustration. The sooner you call, the quicker we can help. See you soon…
]]>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
]]>“I had been thinking about beginning Network Care for a few years, not for any specific reason, but because I wanted to feel my best. With the chaotic schedule of families today and no “real” reason to make time for myself to go, I didn’t.
Several months ago I began having low energy, brain fog, weight gain, joint pain, hearing problems and skin changes. A blood test determined I had hypothyroidism. While researching alternatives to taking thyroid medication for the rest of my life, I came across The Hypothyroid Sourcebook by M. Sara Rosenthal which, to my amazement, cited The Association for Network Chiropractic as a healing alternative to taking a pill. Soon after my diagnosis, my daughter’s gymnastics coach suggested she seek chiropractic care. Now, as a busy mom, I had a “valid” reason to begin chiropractic care.
The diagnosis of hypothyroidism motivated me to not only begin Network Care, but also be more diligent with healthy nutrition choices and ramp up my exercise and Yoga program. My good intentions faded during the holidays and exercise went to the bottom of the to-do list. Thankfully, I continued Network Care. I have been receiving Dr. Mike’s therapy for about 6 months. Since beginning I’ve noticed ease in my breathing and a higher energy level. The most remarkable change can be seen in my lab results. After 5 months of care my thyroid level dropped to the normal range. This outcome can be attributed to Network Care alone!
What I enjoy most and what I would like anyone to know about Network Care at Infinite Healing Arts Center is Dr. Mike’s commitment to the treatment and healing of his patients. His positive attitude and genuine dedication to his patients’ health inspires me to approach life with the same posture. “
~Heidi B., Chandler
]]>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
]]>Some medicines work great for this but not for that. In any case, as a Gilbert chiropractor, my philosophy is to help you find relief from your headache pain. And, not only that, but we’d like to do this by helping your body to develop its own ability to unwind the tension that is so very often at the root of the issue you’re experiencing.
“Network Spinal Analysis is beautiful work that apparently works on many levels. A friend recommended I try it when I told her of my headaches, stiffness, and pain in left shoulder and neck, and depression. Soon after beginning entrainments – maybe the second or third week – the stiffness and pain lessened. Headaches were less frequent. And I always came away from a session feeling mellow and at ease. With my first progress consultation I was impressed with the changes in body posture, confirmed by before and after pictures. The after photos showed generally more presence or energy. Shoulders were less round and tailbone less tucked.
Now 2 months later I no longer have the neck pain or the headaches. I have a growing awareness of tension as they happen: I catch myself with a tight jaw and clenching when there is repressed anger. I am often aware of how I walk with my head thrust forward and shoulders raised when I am “thinking up a storm”. I notice this, pause to take a breath and feel at ease walking upright.
I notice a change in relationships. Being more at ease myself, I am less defensive with others. And suddenly (it seems) I am not afraid to share true feelings with my husband and to express my desires and wishes even if they go against his.
I like my body now and more often honor and listen to it.”
~G.G., Tucson
]]>All this to say that the symptoms of carpal tunnel can be mimicked in a variety of ways, too. Part of being a chiropractor in Gilbert or any other area, for that matter, is helping patients to get their lives back – regardless of your belief about the underlying factors leading to the problem. However, one thing is remarkably clear – chiropractic care helps people suffering with symptoms of carpal tunnel. If you or someone you know is suffering with this, contact us today and see if we can help you. Now, here is a story from an actual patient of ours…
What had you been diagnosed with and/or how were you feeling before you began care?
“I was told by my doctor that I had “carpal tunnel” in my wrists and to wear these braces and take with aspirin and wear them at night. Not only were they uncomfortable to sleep with, but they never helped me. I was having numbness in my fingers also. My neck and shoulders seemed to always “ache” because I’d been holding stress there for years. The doctor told me that surgery on my wrists would be the only answer.”
What was your first impression with our office and the care you received?
“Honestly, I’ve been totally “scared” of chiropractors since I was 19 - I was in a car accident and was told to go to one and he made me hurt lots worse than I was. But Dr. Mike’s voice on the phone was very calming and reassuring and I felt better once i met him and he explained the whole process before he ever touched me. The office is very quiet and he plays really relaxing music that calms your soul.”
How are you currently feeling and what do you think has contributed to this new quality of life you are feeling?
“I no longer feel I have “carpal tunnel” – my fingers are no longer numb. I feel really healthy and I can somewhat help myself in stressful situations to become more really aware that I’m “becoming stressed” and Dr. Mike has been helping me work on that. I feel that I’m a “new woman” without surgery and I feel that if I’d never met Dr. Mike, I’d have probably still had the carpal tunnel, because I don’t like surgery of any kind.”
What would you tell others regarding how you feel or your experience at our office?
“Whenever I see someone with those braces on I tell them about Dr. Mike. I give out his cards to people he may be able to help. He does a computer test on your spine that doesn’t even hurt one bit and it tells him where your “problems” are. He works “one on one” with you and explains it all and is always there to answer any questions you may have. You never feel like he’s rushing to get you out of his office either, because he TRULY CARES. I think everyone needs Dr. Mike!”
~Gina W., Mesa
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