How Chiropractic Care Can Help with Anxiety and Overall Health

Studies estimate that more than 40 million people suffer from some degree of anxiety and many of these people take medications to enable them to cope with their condition from day to day. Unfortunately, most of these medications simply mask the symptoms of your anxiety, rather than treating the root cause, meaning that if you wish to stop taking the drugs, your symptoms will return. Over time, many patients can become reliant on their anti-anxiety medications and will even start to feel worse if they fail to take them. Unsurprisingly, sufferers are keen to avoid this scenario, and thanks to chiropractic treatment, they can.

Chiropractic treatment refers to a range of safe, non-invasive techniques that focus on improving the alignment, strength, and health of the musculoskeletal system, which includes the spine and other bones, muscles, and connective tissues in our body. When the spine is out of alignment and affected by problems, it can have a direct effect on the spinal cord housed inside it. The spinal cord is an integral part of our nervous system – which in turn is responsible for all other body systems. When the nervous system isn’t functioning properly, it can cause all sorts of issues for our psychological and physical wellbeing.

Chiropractic treatments bring the spine back into alignment, enabling all of our other body systems to function optimally, reducing the effects of many health problems including anxiety.
 

Symptoms of anxiety

Some of the most common symptoms of anxiety include:

• Muscle tension

• Headaches/migraines

• Fatigue

• Lack of concentration

• Tight chest

• Rapid heart rate but shallow breathing

• Constant worry/fear

• Over-emotional / irrational responses

• Insomnia

There are a number of specific ways in which chiropractic care can help to overcome many of these symptoms and benefit your overall health and wellbeing. These include:
 

Reducing tension and pain

Patients who suffer from anxiety and other related disorders often suffer from muscle tension. Muscle tension occurs when the muscles remain semi-contracted for an extended period of time – something which is a response to our body’s nervous system. When we are stressed, the nervous system responds by constricting blood vessels and reducing blood flow to the soft tissues of the body, including the muscles. When these blood vessels constrict, less oxygen can reach the muscles, enabling biochemical waste products to accumulate within the muscle, causing tension and spasms.

Chiropractic treatment techniques increase the flow of oxygenated blood around the body where it can reach the muscles and reduce tension and tightness. They do this by aligning the spine so that the nervous system can function more effectively and eliminating any areas of pressure and tension that may be restricting blood flow. Increased blood flow is also proven to help heal any injuries and reduce areas of inflammation that could be causing discomfort and pain.
 

Lowering your blood pressure

Raised blood pressure is a health problem in its own right. Known as hypertension, it occurs when your heart has to work too hard to pump blood around your body. Occasional high blood pressure is normal, but persistently high blood pressure puts a massive strain on blood vessels, the heart, and other organs and this can increase your risk of developing serious and potentially life-threatening health problems including heart disease, heart attack, stroke, vascular dementia and more. High blood pressure is more common in people who suffer from anxiety and stress. However, chiropractic care has been shown to help lower blood pressure, reducing these risks, and decreasing symptoms associated with anxiety. 
 

Sleep more easily

Not getting enough sleep is enough to make anyone feel cranky, but if you suffer from anxiety, failure to nab enough shut-eye only exacerbates the mental symptoms associated with anxiety and stress. Fortunately, chiropractic care has been proven to help patients be able to relax more easily at night, and this can improve both the quality and quantity of sleep, reducing anxiety, and the symptoms it causes.

Chiropractic care is beneficial for whole-body wellness. If you would like more information about the benefits of chiropractic care, please don’t hesitate to contact our team to speak to us or to schedule a consultation.