Transcript Stress and Chiropractic

Beating Stress &
Living A Healthier
Lifestyle
Presented By:
Dr. Steven Mitchell
Tulare Chiropractic Clinic, since 1994
Stress affects everybody every day, and for
the most part, stress offers the push we need
to respond to a pressing situation. From
trying to get out of the house on time in the
morning, to starting a new job or giving a
presentation, stress is your response to
physical, chemical, emotional or
environmental factors.
 Stresses can help keep our bodies strong
and minds alert, but chronic stress can have
devastating effects.

Some Statistics:
The American Medical Association stated that
stress was involved in 80-85% of all human
illness and disease, or at the very least had a
detrimental effect on our health.
 Every week, 95 million Americans suffer
some kind of stress related symptom for
which they take medication.
 American businesses lose an estimated
$200-$300 billion dollars per year to stress
related productivity loss and other costs.

How Big of a Problem?
The American Institute of
Stress in Yonkers, New York,
estimates that 90 percent of all
visits to doctors are for stressrelated disorders.
 Stress has been linked to
fatigue, hair loss, skin
problems, allergies, insomnia,
back pain, neck pain, digestive
disorders, etc.

There Are 3 types of Stress
1.
Physical stress: Falls or accidents, or cumulative
trauma that have occurred in the past, causing
stress on the nervous system.
2.
Emotional: Prolonged emotional stress leads to
an imbalance of the major stress hormones, which
can lead to high blood pressure, weight problems,
digestive trouble, etc.).
3.
Chemical: Pollutants in our environment. There
are 82000 chemicals that can enter our bodies
weekly, and cause stress on our systems.
1. Physical Stress
 Overt injuries cause obvious stress to our systems
immediately, but there are possible long term
repercussions worth looking at as well…
 If one has developed uneven biomechanics, or
sustained injuries, there is a good chance that
“subluxations” may develop. Subluxations are
misaligned or fixated vertebra that end up pinching on
the surrounding nerves. If the nerves are not pain
sensitive, pain does not result. However, tissue stress
will slowly develop as the nerve which regulates that
tissue is choked or irritated over time. This stress on the
nervous system can be relieved with spinal
manipulation, which helps to remove pressure on the
nerves.
2. Emotional Stress

Our autonomic nervous system is stimulated when we
are stressed. It is designed to allow us to keep up with
stressful situations for survival. For example, when we
see a bear in the woods, our adrenal glands increase
levels of adrenaline. Adrenaline is a hormone that will
dilate the pupils, shunt blood from our guts out to the
legs so we can run, our heart rate increases, etc. All
things that will help us survive the moment.
When high adrenaline levels are
sustained due to constant stress of
modern life, our adrenal glands begin
to weaken and we become fatigued,
crave caffeine or other stimulants, and
may have trouble losing weight.
Some Long-Term Effects…

High blood pressure, depression, skin
problems, allergies, headaches, back pain,
neck pain, insomnia, digestive disorders,
fatigue, heart disease, obesity and stroke
have all been related to extended periods
of stress.
3. Chemical Stress

As our bodies main filter,
the liver accumulates a
build up of toxins. This
impairs the liver’s ability
to function properly. The
liver’s lymphocyte
population constitutes our
“innate immunity”, and
therefore when the liver
does not function well,
we are more prone to
disease and illness.
Effects On The Immune System…

Research findings
indicate that stress
(physical, chemical, and
emotional) can have a
negative effect on the
immune system and the
way the body functions.
Therefore stressed
people get sick more
often.
Stress Relief: What Can I Do?
Fortunately there are a variety of natural,
drug-free approaches to help with stress
relief.
 There is no one solution to handling
stress. Everyone must focus on allowing
their body to function properly so that
they are better able to handle the stress
they encounter.
 The following are ways to address the
three different kinds of stress:

Give Up Control!
Easier said than done…but if we allow a power
greater than ourselves to “take the wheel”, we
would rid ourselves of a tremendous amount of
life’s stresses.
Each individual will have a different religious or
spiritual method for achieving this goal, therefore
this is beyond the scope of this talk, however it has
to be mentioned, and is ultimately up to each
individual to pursue.
Address the Stress!
 If chronic stress is serious, please seek
counseling from a qualified health
professional. At times, there may be an
underlying psychological issue which
needs to be resolved! Don’t be shy about
asking for help if you feel you need it.
However, most cases of stressed people
do not fall into this more severe category,
and are likely to respond to a more gentle
approach:
Address The Physical Stress
Chiropractic Care. A variety of studies have
shown that regular chiropractic spinal care can
provide relief for irritated nerves and muscles,
therefore reducing a major source of stress on
our systems.
 Massage. Massage can help to relieve tension in
the muscle system, and also help stress
emotionally, and help rid the body of toxins.
 Regular exercise. Exercise (if you enjoy it even
only a little bit!) can be a great stress reducer,
and help to avoid injuries. It actually produces
endorphins naturally, which have been shown to
be more effective than antidepressants to
elevate your mood…without any side effects!

Support and Repair The Stress
Hormones
As discussed earlier, emotional stress causes our adrenal
glands to over-work.
The adrenal glands secrete
Adrenaline, DHEA, and Cortisol
(simplified version)
Chronic stress leads to an excess of
these hormones, and eventually
weakens their ability to produce and
balance normal levels.
The resulting weak adrenal glands
can easily be tested with a
sitting/standing blood pressure test.
 Nutritional means can be used to repair and
support the adrenal glands.
 We must strive to repair the glands themselves,
rather than to replace the hormones artificially (as
with coffee) in order to achieve regular hormone
balance. This will help energy levels, weight loss,
sex drive, depression, and sleep patterns.
 Supplements are available to support adrenal
health, and include pregnenolone, DHEA, adrenal
gland cortex, and high doses of the whole B
complex, among many other ingredients.
 These are easy to chew tablets, which usually
provide the patient with an abundance of energy.
 A healthy diet, however, should always be at the
core of any plan to improve health.
Reduce “Toxicity”
 Liver Toxicity can be a source of stress on our systems.
 Reduce “toxicity” exposure: Having a diet free from (or
very limited to) processed foods will reduce a large
amount of foreign chemicals used in packaged foods.
 A diet rich in a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables will
actually encourage the cleansing of the liver.
 Drink bottled water, or filtered tap water from a good
filter system. Try for 1/2 body weight (in oz.) per day!
 Stop smoking or drinking.
 A “Liver cleanse” program, which will help to detoxify
the liver through a diet and supplement regimen.
Stress Can Be Managed!
Stress is a normal part of life.
Actually, life is stress!
Once our bodies are free of nerve
interference, and we can maintain a
proper balance of stress hormones
naturally, we will be better able to manage
stress. Then instead of wearing us out,
stress can actually make life more
interesting in the long run.
Our purpose is to help you!
Just call our office at 685-9391,
mention this website, and ask for
the free consultation. A
consultation will give us a chance
to evaluate your health situation,
and make a recommendation to
help. There is no charge…you’ve
got nothing to lose.