Got Chronic Holiday Stress? Chiropractic Can Help.

Bottom Line:

As the top chiropractor for chronic pain in Austin, Texas, we are well-versed in the effects that stress can have on our neighbors before, during, and after the Christmas season.

Additionally, stress has some positive effects.

An increase in heart rate, muscle tension, and concentration should help you avoid getting hurt if a lion were pursuing you.

Fortunately, you won't have to worry about a lion chasing you today.

Someone cutting you off when you're driving to pick up your holiday gifts can trigger the same fight-or-flight response in your body.

Remember the last time you saw a car veering into your lane, and your heart rate went through the roof?!

That is a manifestation of an acute stress response.

Negative stress affects how your brain and body react, whether it's real or imagined. Chronic stress, which includes Christmas stress, can have a significant negative effect on your health.

Why it Matters:

Once more, acute stress can be advantageous in the short run.

It facilitates rapid responses.

Your adrenal glands are instructed by your brain to release hormones and other compounds that enable your body to react quickly.

Your heartbeat quickens, your blood pressure rises, and your energy levels are boosted by adrenaline.

The main stress hormone, cortisol, boosts blood sugar levels, improves how well your brain uses glucose, increases the availability of chemicals that repair tissues, and inhibits bodily processes that would be unnecessary or harmful in a fight-or-flight scenario.

Additionally, this sophisticated natural alarm system has the power to slow the digestive system and modify immune responses.

The body's stress reaction and alarm system are generally self-contained.

You might feel yourself slipping into chronic stress mode, though, if the body's stress response persists uncontrolled for a prolonged period of time.

We're here to tell you that, indeed, chronic stress affects people of all ages and from all walks of life as the go-to chronic pain chiropractor in Austin, Texas.

(Yes, even your friend who practices yoga and meditation every single day and lives for it.)

It should also come as no surprise that chronic holiday stress can have a negative impact on your body and brain, leading to increased cortisol release and even a heightened physiologic stress response.

Additionally, the signs of both chronic stress and chronic pain frequently overlap and reinforce one another, perpetuating the vicious cycle.

Here are some key points to remember about the chronic stress cycle… 

• Chronic stress can cause headaches, anxiety, depression, sleep issues, and possibly other symptoms.
• The stress hormone cortisol links all three of these conditions: stress, pain, and inflammation.
• Your cortisol level may be lowered with the use of spinal adjustments.

Wait? Could chiropractic therapy help me manage my ongoing holiday stress?

It certainly can.

Chiropractic Care Can Help You Manage Chronic Holiday Stress

Recent research suggests that chiropractic care, particularly spinal adjustments, may assist to reduce the overall stress levels in your body.

According to a recent study, participants who got chiropractic care for their chronic, recurrent neck pain and headaches reported a significant reduction in their perceived physical and mental stress levels.

Additionally, they reported better physical function, which is assumed to be the mechanism by which chiropractic care works to lessen the recurrence of chronic stress and chronic pain, both of which can contribute to cycles of chronic stress.

Next Steps: 

As a result, to wrap up all you just learned, we advise checking your own stress levels daily during the holiday season.

We sincerely hope you would give us a call as soon as you begin to feel it increasing and schedule an appointment with the best chronic pain chiropractor in Austin, Texas, for a calming adjustment that will relieve your tension.

Together, our caring team of wellness specialists can assist you in overcoming your ongoing holiday stress and putting an end to your bothersome back and neck pain so you can genuinely take pleasure in the season this year and for many years to come.

Science Sources: 

Stress Management. Mayo Clinic. 2021.

Chronic Stress, Cortisol Dysfunction, and Pain. Physical Therapy. 2014.

Cortisol Levels and Chiropractic. Journal of Contemporary Chiropractic. 2020.