5 Ways Chiropractic Care Supports Mental Health

Chiropractic Doctor Shawnee KS

Over 40 million adults face mental illness each year. With this epidemic level of stress, anxiety, depression and more, there continues to be a lack of effective, comprehensive resources to support those suffering. Chiropractors have focused on the whole body for hundreds of years, aiming to bring balance, resilience, and wellness to all people.  The fundamental foundation of chiropractic care is spinal adjustment. This is the correction of misalignments in the spine. Misalignments prevent the proper flow of blood and nutrients through the body. While chiropractors are not mental health professionals or a substitute for mental health care, the addition of chiropractic care to your wellness plan will support your mental health in multiple ways.
 

Chiropractic care supports good mental health in 5 fundamental ways:

1. Boosts immunity

The role of the immune system is to protect and fight against infections and prevent those things from entering the body. When the immune system is not able to function optimally, you are at risk for an illness that drains energy and prevents you from achieving your daily goals. When battling mental illness, staying physically well is a necessary part of the process. Colds, flu, chronic illness, and gastrointestinal distress put you and your mood at risk for further decline. The added stress and increased anxiety from missed days of work, fatigue, and loss of sleep further complicate mental and emotional well-being. Chiropractic adjustments align the spine to allow the immune system and nerve system to properly communicate which is how the immune system can continue to fight, protect and work for you.

2. Reduces pain

Mental health and pain are so tightly linked because of the emotional toll that acute and chronic pain has on mood and emotions. Additionally, the link to mental illness and opiate pain medications continues to be skyrocketing in the US. Any and all pain-relieving methods that do not include prescription drugs can benefit your mental health. Reducing pain is one of the most common uses of chiropractic care and should be your first line of therapy when in pain.

3. Improves wellness

For decades those who utilize chiropractic care who have been surveyed and studied most commonly report they: feel better, hurt less, are sick less often, and are able to move more freely. Anxiety and depression, for example,  come with many physical effects that over time take their toll on your overall wellness. Common physical effects of anxiety include fatigue, inability to sleep, muscle tension and stiffness, headache/migraines, body aches, and inability to relax. Chiropractic adjustments support the alleviation of each of these physical issues related to mental health.

4. Lowers blood pressure

Studies have shown that blood pressure is significantly decreased after chiropractic adjustments. Anxiety and stress are key root causes of high blood pressure. Even in the midst of what can be very intense emotional healing and mental health treatment, it is important to address physical imbalances like high blood pressure. Regular chiropractic adjustments will help.

5. Supports positive hormone responses

Hormones can actually be the root cause of some mental health issues. Hormone balance can be positively affected by chiropractic adjustments. After adjustments, the body has an increase in positive hormones like neurotensin, oxytocin, and cortisol. While many may associate cortisol only with a stress response, cortisol is actually a very necessary hormone at the right time in the right amounts.

When in the darkest moments of mental illness, it can be difficult to navigate the varying aspects of daily life. Taking care of your physical health can seem daunting when emotional and mental health is taxed. However, it is very difficult to have the energy and capacity to do the emotional work that a mental health illness requires when physical health is suffering. A simple way to strongly support your physical health and mental health at the same time is to commit to regular chiropractic adjustments. The compounded, prolonged effect of regular adjustments is pivotal in making forward strides in your wellness.

To learn more about how chiropractic care can help you with mental health, contact the chiropractic doctor Shawnee, KS residents recommend from LifeWorks Integrative Health.