Tag Archives: stress

The #1 Killer

If you ask what the number one killer is, most people would say it’s heart disease or cancer but the real killer that tops the list is STRESS! Particularly unadapted STRESS.

A little stress is no big deal; some stress is enjoyable and even good for you–riding an amusement park ride, getting a new house, starting a business, going out on a first date, getting married, having a baby, and many others. After all, life is full of stresses that challenge us, teach us and help us develop.

But some stress is bad. Chronic, unrelenting stress that stays with us, that seems to never end, that we can’t recover from – that’s the kind of stress that ruins minds and bodies.

It’s the real silent killer. You’ll find stress-weakened tissue that cancers develop in; you’ll find it in the recesses of the heart inflaming blood vessels and valves; you’ll find it upsetting the immune system, setting the stage for autoimmune diseases; and you’ll find it slowly weakening your nervous system and mental health: it is chronic unhealthy stress.

Stress can be physical overwork or overplay. Stress can be toxic caused by pollution, pesticides in our food, GMO (genetically modified) foods, dental/oral infections, not enough sleep, constant worry –the list is long. To be alive is to be under stress.

Chiropractic addresses serious silent stress that weakens you on many levels and prevents your body from functioning at its optimum subluxation. Subluxation is a distortion in your body that prevents you from functioning at 100%.

Chiropractors spend many long hours studying how to locate and correct (release or adjust) subluxations. Because most subluxations are painless you may never know that this stress is building up inside you affecting you physically and mentally.

Freed from the stress of subluxations, your entire being will function closer to its ideal; you’ll have more energy and a healthier immune system that is better able to deal with the many challenges life throws at you.

Call us today to make a chiropractic appointment. 517.627.4547

Chiropractic and Stress: How it helps!

What do chiropractic and stress have in common?

Life is full of ups and downs that are stressful. Even good events such as marriage, the birth of a child, buying a home, family reunions, vacations and many other joyful activities register quite high on the stress meter – as high in stress as when really bad things happen.

The difference is whether you hold on to your physical and emotional stress or you let your stress go once the event is over. If you had a bad event (getting fired, losing a big game, a bad relationship) it’s totally understandable that you experienced a lot of stress. But if you always carry around the hurt (stress) then it’s chronic stress and that ultimately wears you down.

If only the good feelings, the happy events, the exciting times stayed! But we’re not supposed to be high all the time, that too would be draining! We’re not meant to be on highs and lows all the time.

Many people are walking around with lots of painful memories – layers and layers of emotional and physical traumas they don’t need to hold on to anymore. One of the powerful miracles of chiropractic care is that it interrupts painful stress responses. Sometimes a chiropractic adjustment is referred to as a “pattern interrupt.” That is, the memory may continue to exist but it doesn’t eat you up inside. Technically speaking, you are no longer somaticizing your emotional stress. This frees up energy for healing and happiness.

When chiropractors address your body for subluxations, they are locating and ultimately releasing deep mind-body stress that can have powerful healing repercussions. The emotional benefits of chiropractic are so powerful that in the US alone many mental institutions were founded that used chiropractic care.

For that reason alone, everyone should have a periodic chiropractic checkup (and adjustment) in order to release stress that’s burdening them and affecting their physical and mental health.

517.627.4547

Happy Patient Jaimie reports that she has noticed that her feeling of stress in the body has dropped dramatically since starting chiropractic care and that she actually finds herself have GOOD days at work!!!!

Stress and Chiropractic Care

Q: When should I come in for care?

A: There is no “one size fits all” schedule but there are general guidelines you can follow.

Under Stress

Definitely come in when you are under a lot of stress. Why? Because stress – whether it is physical (from accidents or falls), chemical (toxicity in our foods and environment) or emotional (family stress) – causes subluxations in your body. You may not feel any pain, but they are there and sapping your energy.

Did you know there is macro-stress, for example, getting hit by a car or falling, and micro-stress, for example, using a mouse or sitting in a bad position. Both can cause damage – micro-stress takes longer of course – but in time both cause subluxations. It’s the same with emotional and toxic stress.

That’s why we will often tell you to come back even if you have no pain or other symptom so we can find subluxations before the pain and suffering and before real damage has occurred.

DE-STRESS THE HOLIDAY SEASON

With the gift-giving, the cooking, the decorations and the parties, the holidays can seem to be more like work than a vacation. Here are some ideas how to make the most of your holiday season.

Seek a fresh perspective

Make a change. Take one task that drives you crazy during the holidays and tackle it in a new way. A fresh approach just might make a difference. For example, if you dread having to send out holiday cards, enlist your spouse and split the list/send e-cards or send a photo card of a great memory.

Be satisfied with “good enough.”

“Don’t always go for bigger and better,” when planning your holiday, advises Loretta LaRoche, author of Life Is Not a Stress Rehearsal. “Does the tree have to be bussed in from the hinterlands of Alaska?” she quips. “Isn’t a little bush enough?”

Do you have to cook 12 dishes of “traditional foods” because everybody expects it? Think back and remind yourself about the barely touched/ignored dishes and don’t cook them. If you get any grumbles suggest the “grumblee” make that dish next year. Split the load and assign tasks ahead of time so that you can be a party to the party.

Drop Expensive, High-stress Rituals

If you’re dragging your kids off to see The Nutcracker—it’s a tradition!—but they’re whining every step of the way, make a switch. True, families thrive on traditions, but it’s less about the event itself, which your kids may have outgrown, and more about time together. If your kids are complaining, drop expensive, high-stress rituals in favor of something simple and universally appealing, like a Christmas Eve chocolate-chip pancake feast.

Remember to Have Fun

As you take part in trimming the tree or preparing the cookies with your kids/friends, take a deep breath and savor the moment. Give yourself permission to forget about all those tasks still left on your to-do list. Focus on being present and in the now!

Pack Smart

Tuck everyone’s sleepwear and toothbrushes in one easy-to-reach bag. That first night when you arrive at Grandma’s house or another destination, you won’t be fumbling through every suitcase before bedtime.

Hold on to Daily Rituals

If you like to read for half an hour before bed, don’t give it up in favor of yet another holiday chore. Our everyday practices help calm and center us.

Schedule

During the busy holiday season, Brenda DeHaan of Wagner, South Dakota, and her husband seek out one afternoon of serenity. Each year the couple embarks on a leisurely drive, with a stop to observe the eagles that winter alongside the Missouri River. “It’s a peaceful time, when we don’t worry about rushing anywhere,” says Brenda. Can’t escape for a whole afternoon? Then head outdoors for a refreshing change of scene- bundle up and take a starlit nighttime stroll through your neighborhood to view the holiday lights.

What do you do to de-stress during the Holidays?

We want to know. Maybe it will help another reader avoid the crazy-making this time of year.

Lanjopoulos Chiropractic

Chiropractics, Yoga, Tai Chi, Healthy Living