Chiropractor Overland Park KS

This morning I had to go to the courthouse because of a traffic ticket I received for “improper backing.”  I’ll spare you the details, but I still feel like I was “not guilty,” given the circumstances.

Regardless, when I was walking toward the courthouse, I felt like a criminal.

Standing outside the doors, waiting for them to open at 7:30 a.m. with a bunch of other “guilty people,” I felt like asking, “What are you in for?”

When an officer finally opened the doors, they herded us in like cattle to sign confusing paperwork, wait in lines, talk with an attorney about our “plea,” pay the fines and the court fees, etc.

The whole process only took about 45 minutes.  I thought about how silly the whole thing was all the way home.

But when I got home, I suddenly felt a little light-headed, shaky and weak in the knees.  I even had to sit down and eat something so that I wouldn’t pass out.

Sometimes we don’t realize how stress is affecting our body until after we get through the situation.  During periods of stress, our bodies release cortisol to keep us going.

The problem is that many of us have become “cortisol junkies.”  

Whether your kids won’t stop fighting, your boss is constantly breathing down your neck, or you’re juggling too many things to count, the daily grind can cause us stress.   But living in a constant state of chronic stress can cause serious health problems, making stress much more dangerous than you think.

Sure, everyone experiences stress, so what’s the big deal?

When you’re stressed, your body releases adrenaline (cortisol) to help you cope.  So, whether you’re being chased by a bear in the woods, you’ve just lost your job, or you’re going through a divorce, the physical effects of a sustained amount of adrenaline on your body begin to wear it down.

It’s as if you’re constantly being chased by a savage dog.

So what really happens when the body begins to wear down?

1. Stress Causes Headaches, Neck Pain and Back Pain

When we stare at a computer screen for long periods of time, our bodies pay the price.  Headaches and neck pain often result when we’re working on a computer all day, but if your job environment also causes stress, you’re probably not taking the micro-breaks you need to take to keep your joints healthy and pain-free.

2. Stress Causes You to Gain Weight

During “hunter-gatherer” times, difficult situations caused humans to eat more when the food was available so that we could make it through the tough times when food was scarce.  Even though we no longer face times in our life when food isn’t available, stress hormones trigger weight gain.  Stressful situations also cause us to make poor food choices.  The spike and drop in our blood sugar can also leave us tired and less likely to exercise.

3. Stress Causes Poor Sleep

Weight gain and sleep depravation seem to go hand-in-hand.  Studies show that people who sleep fewer than 8 hours of sleep each night are much more likely to be overweight.  To get the most out of your sleep, take a closer look at your sleep position.

4. Stress Causes Gastrointestinal Problems

If you’re experiencing frequent diarrhea or heartburn, this could be evidence of stress in your GI tract.  Our GI tracts have their own nervous system, and if we don’t manage the stress in our lives, it can take a toll on our intestines.

5. Stress Can Weaken Your Immune System

There’s never a good time to get sick, but if you seem to get sick when you’ve got the most things to do and places to be, you’re under more stress than you realize.  Stress is so taxing on the body that it causes your immune system to suffer, leaving you vulnerable to sickness and disease.

6. Stress Can Damage Your Teeth

Sometimes we respond to stress by clenching our jaw or grinding our teeth unconsciously while we sleep.  If your dentist finds evidence of this, ask if you should consider wearing a mouth guard at night to protect your teeth from more damage.

7. Stress Can Harm Your Heart

Stress increases your blood pressure by increasing your heart rate and constricting your blood vessels at the same time.  This increased pressure can be severely damaging to the heart muscle, making you more susceptible to a heart attack.

8. Stress Can Affect Your Love Life

Stress has been shown to decrease sexual desire and, in rare cases, can even lead to impotence.  Extreme levels of stress in pregnant women can have a negative effect on their babies – even causing developmental problems.

9. Stress Can Make You Age Faster

Recent studies show that stress shortens telomeres.  These chromosomes are necessary for new skin cells to grow.  The result?  Skin cells can’t grow as quickly.  This increases signs of aging such as lines, wrinkles and bad eyesight.

10. Stress Can Make You Lose Control of  Your Emotions

Most of us have experienced how stress can cause us to have a short temper.  Research shows that even moderate stress levels can make it difficult for us to have self control.

Tips to Reduce Stress

Simple changes can help you manage your stress levels.  If you’re experiencing some (or quite a few) of these symptoms of stress, establishing some new habits can drastically change your quality of life.

• See a Chiropractor  – Chiropractic adjustments relieve tension in your spine and joints.  This eliminates the neck pain, back pain and headaches caused by stress.
• Laugh – Laughing relieves stress, prevents depression, boosts your immune system, lowers blood pressure and improves your mood.
• Go for a Walk – Going for a walk or hike, especially out in nature, lessens the effects of stress on your nervous system.  We’ve compiled a list of the best places to go for a walk in Overland Park, Shawnee, Kansas City, Lenexa, Leawood, and Gardner KS.
• Exercise – A regular practice of exercise and movement has been a proven way to reduce stress.
• Get Plenty of Sleep – When you know you’re experiencing stress, establish a sleep routine.  Try to go to bed at the same time each night and read or drink decaffeinated tea before heading off to bed.
• Drink Decaffeinated Tea – Research has shown that drinking tea for 6 weeks lowers stress levels.

Add joy to your day and years to your life by learning to manage your stress levels.

Regardless of what stress-relief techniques you choose, make them a part of your daily life.

Sydney Harris said, “The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.”  Pick one or two of these methods, and make them a regular part of your week, especially when you begin to experience symptoms of stress.

Chiropractic care is very effective in relieving stress and tension from your body.  As the leader in Overland Park chiropractic care, the chiropractors at Fulk Chiropractic regularly treat the symptoms associated with chronic stress.  Learn more about our chiropractic treatment options by contacting us at 913-764-6237 and speaking with one of our chiropractors about a specific question you may have.  We’re always glad to talk with you!