The term “stress” was coined over 50 years ago by Hans Selye, an endocrinologist. Selye states, “Stress is the body’s nonspecific response to a demand placed on it.” Stress is a good short term response of the body. It gives a boost of energy and is motivating in situations where we need to act quickly and efficiently. Unfortunately we often function under prolonged stress or our body fails to return to a non fight or flight response.
Common Statistics about the negative effects of stress:
- 70 to 80% percent of all visits to the doctor are for stress-related illnesses.
- People who experience heightened levels of anxiety are 4 to 5 times more likely to have a fatal heart attack or stroke.
- 50% of all illnesses are caused by stress.
The Three Stages of Stress:
The Alarm Stage:
The body goes into a flight or fight mechanism in response to a situation in life. For example, a police car behind you puts on its siren.
The Response Stage:
The body either adapts to the threat or successfully resists it and returns to normal. As in the earlier example: You slow down, the police car passes and you relax.
The Exhaustion Stage:
Your body fails to return to normal. This can occur from a prolonged upsetting experience, lowered body resistance, or some form of body malfunction. In the exhaustion stage, your nervous system overreacts by continuously reacting as if your body has to run away or fight. It is here that long term physical effects are noted such as adrenal and hormonal problems, chronic fatigue, immune disorders,
Common Physical Symptoms of stress include:
- High blood pressure
- increased heart problems
- grinding teeth
- TMJ, insomnia
- neck pain
- weight gain particularly in the chronic stage around the hips
- sexual dysfunction
- decreased immune function
Our team will work with you to assess the cause of your condition and then provide the best course of treatment. The most effective treatments, depending on the cause of your individual problem, are:
- Chiropractic
- Entrainments/Adjustments
- Network Spinal
