Stress and Back Pain: How Gordon Family Chiropractic Can Help

Stress comes at us from every angle; it could be financial troubles at home, pressure from your boss at work or at school, or the very real struggle to just find enough time in the day.  It could be the exhaustive fight to give everybody your best and realizing that someone has to be short changed, many times we just chose to short change ourselves.  You might just be dealing with routine family stress or just having to muster the courage to face daily fears and stressful situations.  Perhaps you are managing a medical crisis or dealing with an unpredictable loss.  Stress can be constant and unrelenting, but it must be addressed or it will create devastating symptoms.

Every time a patient asks what caused this, the answer can always be a one-word answer - STRESS. Sometimes it is a physical stress like a car accident, a slip and fall injury, sports injury, bad work ergonomics, unhealthy sleeping position, or even just repetitive poor posture. Sometimes it is a chemical stress like eating too much sugar or salt, eating too many processed foods, depriving the body of the most basic nourishment like water, vitamins, minerals, or oxygen, exposing yourself to chemicals like lawn, cleaning, or pool chemicals, or something as prevalent as gluten or MSG. Sometimes it is mental/emotional stress that is creating a physiological response in the body. In all of these situations, stress is causing a problem that can produce disorders in the body, and treatment by the chiropractor can likely help.

As humans, our mental state directly affects how the body functions. According to the ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America), back pain and muscle pain is more common in people who have anxiety or mood disorders.

Those who experience regular stress typically experience aches or stiffness along the spine, sharp or localized pain in the neck and pain in the upper or lower back. Those who are stressed may also get knots in their muscles that amplify the pain.

How can a visit to your local chiropractor help you combat this? 

Here at Gordon Family Chiropractic, in Ponte Vedra Beach, we offer the services to help alleviate the joint pain and muscle soreness that results from everyday stress as well as chronic stress. Stress is not easy to avoid, but luckily there are ways to deal with it. Regular adjustments from a chiropractor can support the nervous system, and lessen the flight or fight response most people experience when stressed.

The spinal column controls the nervous system. Messages from the brain make their way down the spinal cord. From there, the messages are sent to various parts of the body. Due to this important role, the adjustments that a chiropractor performs on and around the spinal column can help alleviate the common ailments associated with stress.

Adjustments to the neck and spine move the bones back into the most ideal position, which helps the nervous system to function at its optimal ability. Proper alignment is important in removing the pressure placed on muscles and bones, and eradicating nerve pain. For many patients, the relief of pain can immediately reduce emotional stress. Also, proper alignment can provide relief from tension headaches and other physical pains.

What about massage therapy?

When someone is experiencing muscle pain, the first type of therapy they turn to tends to be massage therapy. Here at Gordon Family Wellness, in Ponte Vedra Beach, we offer various types of massage therapies for all of the major muscle groups.

Massage is a relaxing and an effective way to get away and deal with the symptoms of stress. Massage helps address the body's pH, biochemistry, dysfunction, tension, and stiffness. Not only does receiving regular massages alleviate the symptoms of stress, but it can help improve overall wellness.

Stretching, especially after a massage therapy, can help further release the tension in your muscles caused by stress. The healthcare providers here at Gordon Family Wellness in Ponte Vedra Beach can show you stretching techniques to release the tension in specific muscle groups. For example, Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching relies on reflexes to produce deeper stretches that increase flexibility and strengthen the muscles.

This is just a small example of how the chiropractic team at Gordon Family Wellness can help you.

Please call or visit our website at www.gordonfamilywellness.com/request-an-appointment/ to request an appointment today!