Too much stress, as most know, is bad for your health. Unfortunately, we all experience stress. Some scientists differentiate between “normal” stress, also known as “eustress,” and harmful stress, or “distress.” I'd like to say that at Tannenbaum Chiropractic in Ann Arbor my staff and I never feel distress, but of course, that is not the case. For this discussion, I will just use the word “stress” to mean “distress.”

In general, the more one stress, the less healthy one will be. There is some evidence that eustress can benefit your health, but in general stress is not good for you. Adults become stressed for any number of reasons. Some of the main stressors are ill health, family/relationships, money, and work. Children can show signs of stress, too. As a matter of fact, studies show that children these days show more signs of stress than in the past. Some symptoms of stress include feeling irritable, fatigued, anxious, or depressed, as well as a change in eating or sleeping habits. The body reacts to stress with increased blood pressure, tight muscles, back pain, neck pain, headaches, and overall body inflammation (swelling). Also, stress increases the likelihood of a stroke and a whole range of other serious health conditions. Finally, it is known that stress generally shortens one’s life expectancy.

Chiropractic can help reduce the symptoms of stress. Chiropractic treatments (adjustments) have been shown to reduce blood pressure. In addition, chiropractic treatments have been shown to cause an overall body-calming effect by triggering the body’s parasympathetic system, which reduces the “fight or flight” reaction that people often experience when stressed. Finally, ill health can be a major stressor for many, and chiropractic can work wonders improving one's health and thus reduce the stress associated with ill health.

If you have any questions about this blog post, chiropractic, back pain, neck pain, or headaches feel free to contact me at my Ann Arbor chiropractic office at [email protected].