Stress has been implicated in over 90% of all illness and disease. Chronic Stress can worsen a wide range of both physical and emotional conditions like:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Personality Disorders
- Heart Disease
- High Blood Pressure
- Heart Attacks
- Strokes
- Sleep Problems
- Muscle Tension and pain
- Headaches
- Digestion problems
Stress is much more than we’ve been led to believe and as you can see has a wide ranging impact on body and mind.
I like to break stress into 4 categories that I call the 4Ts:
- Thoughts: this is the stress we all think about when we consider stress. This is the emotional stress that comes from work, health, finances, and relationships.
- Trauma: this is the physical stress that comes from sitting too much, repetitive movements, and injuries.
- Toxins: this is what I would call chemical stress from chemicals in the air, water, and food. Medications, poor diet, sugar, alcohol are all examples of chemical stress.
- Technology: this is electromagnetic stress from electronics and screens that emit a very narrow bandwidth of light. Phones, tablets, computers.
HOW STRESS IMPACTS YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM
As a way of understanding the profound impact stress has on us I like to share with people just how much the world has changed in a short time. For most of us there have been dramatic changes in our lives, never mind in the past 150 years.
Genetic Changes to environmental stresses usually takes many generations to become widespread in a population.
The world is changing so fast that the human nervous system cannot keep up. The sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system is tasked with survival and it responds to both real and perceived threats.
The key here is “perceived” threats. With our world changing faster than we can adapt our nervous system is responding as though there are daily threats to our survival. When the sympathetic system gets over activated some of the many consequences are:
- Elevated heart rate and blood pressure
- Impaired digestion
- Impaired sleep
- Impaired immune response
- Increased muscle tension
This all happens due to overactivity of the Sympathetic “fight or flight” System. Another important consequence of sympathetic activity is inhibition of the Vagus Nerve. The Vagus Nerve can be thought of as the foundation of wellness.
A healthy Vagus Nerve supports:
- Lowered heart rate
- Restorative sleep
- Rest and recovery
- Healthy immune response
- Reduced inflammation
- Healthy digestion
- Human connection
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION TO AUTONOMIC IMBALANCE?
Very simply it is both restoring balance and building resilience by strengthening the Vagus Nerve. In my practice, Life Chiropractic in Grass Valley, every single person coming in with chronic neck and back pain, anxiety, fatigue has autonomic imbalance characterized by increased sympathetic activity and lowered vagus nerve function.
Here is the basic outline of how I support people in achieving greater autonomic balance:
#1 Corrective Chiropractic Care: there is an intimate relationship between the autonomic nervous system and the spine. The vagus nerve passes right in front of the top vertebrae in the neck.
Misalignments in this area cause irritation to the Vagus which lowers its function. The first step is balancing the upper neck and pelvis as these two areas impact the Vagus Nerve.
In the mid and lower back misalignments tend to cause increased activity of the sympathetic “fight or flight” system. Restoring balance and alignment helps lower sympathetic overactivity.
#2 Vagus Nerve Activation Practices: unfortunately it is not enough to remove irritation from the autonomic nervous system. Over time the vagus nerve activity is lowered and it benefits from practices that help to activate it.
Polyvagal theory offers ways of how to view the Vagus Nerve and different ways to activate it. In my practice I mostly use breathing practices to activate the Vagus Nerve.
Restoring balance to the autonomic nervous system has profound effects on body and mind. It restores the body’s ability to rest and recover, helps with sleep and digestion and much more.
If you would like to schedule a visit to Life Chiropractic go here: Schedule Here.
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.