Did you know that evidence is showing that anxiety appears to increase the risk of dementia? As if having anxiety by itself was not motivation enough to solve this debilitating issue.

While dementia is not reversible, anxiety is. I have no idea, nor do I think the researchers do either why there is a link. It really doesn’t matter.

What does matter is that if you suffer from anxiety this is even more motivation to take measures to correct the underlying imbalance.

WHAT CAUSES ANXIETY?

Anxiety is caused by an imbalance between the Sympathetic Nervous System (the stress response division) and the Parasympathetic Nervous System (the rest, digest, recover division).

There are many different stimuli and events that trigger activity of the Sympathetic System. The more often the system gets activated the easier it is for it to get triggered. Over time many people begin to live in a state of Sympathetic overload or what I like to call Sympathetic Dominance.

The more the Sympathetic System is activated the less active the Parasympathetic System is and this becomes a self perpetuating cycle. The Sympathetic System can be thought of as the accelerator of the nervous system and the Parasympathetic System is the brake.

SYMPTOMS OF HIGH STRESS

Anxiety is not the only symptom of an overactive Sympathetic Nervous System. This is associated with the vast majority of chronic illness and disease. Common conditions associated with an overactive Sympathetic System are:

• High Blood Pressure or Hypertension

• Headaches

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease like Irritable Bowel Syndrome

• Sleep problems

• Systemic Inflammation

THE KEY TO SOLVING ANXIETY

The key to solving the challenge of anxiety and many other health challenges is to restore balance to the Autonomic Nervous System – Sympathetic and Parasympathetic. The science of neuroplasticity offers keys to making this shift. The brain and nervous system learn through time, focus, and repetition. That’s how anxiety developed.

We just need to reverse engineer the process so that the nervous system learns how to easily shift into rest, relaxation, and recovery.

HOW CAN CHIROPRACTIC HELP SOLVE ANXIETY?

In my office I use a number of approaches but the two most powerful involve a combination of removing stress from the nervous system and increasing the activity of the Vagus Nerve of the Parasympathetic System.

How do we do that?

#1 Corrective Chiropractic Care: this is not traditional chiropractic care concerned only with restoring movement. The focus of corrective care is to restore balance, alignment, and motion of spine and pelvis. There are a couple areas of the spine that are critical.

The upper cervical spine is important because misalignment here can interfere with the function of the Vagus Nerve. The pelvis and sacrum are also important to the function of this division.

Mid and low back have more of an influence of activating the Sympathetic System if they are out of balance. Adjustments here have the effect of calming down the Sympathetic System.

#2  Vagus Nerve Activation: By the time anxiety is an issue the autonomic system has been out of balance for years, maybe decades. It’s not enough to remove the irritation and imbalance. Most of the time the Vagus Nerve needs help in restoring it to a healthy level of activation.

Conscious breathwork structured specifically to activate the Vagus Nerve is important. Changing dysfunctional breathing patterns is also important. There are also a number of other strategies to support healthy Vagus Nerve function.

If you suffer from anxiety and live in Nevada County, Life Chiropractic of Grass Valley offers a program to support you in your recovery from anxiety and other stress related conditions.

About Dr. Berkowitz  

Bringing more than 3 decades of practice experience, Dr. Bill Berkowitz focuses on balancing and corrective care, applying his expertise to provide patients with predictable, repeatable and measurable results.

Dr. Bill consistently strives to enhance the well-being of his patients by addressing the root imbalances of their problems and promoting optimal balance, alignment, and function of the spine and nervous system.

Bill’s wealth of knowledge and experience has allowed him to develop a nuanced understanding of the human body and its intricate connections. With each adjustment, he supports the body in returning to a state of balance that goes beyond mere symptom relief, focusing instead on long-term correction for his patients’ well-being.

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