We talk about stress a lot in the office and for good reason, stress plays an intricate roll in how healthy or unhealthy you are. When I attend seminars, conferences, or read health books, the message is always the same: “Reduce or minimize your stress.” While reducing your stress is important, it is not what is MOST important. Nobody has zero stress. Stress is all around us and it’s not going away any time soon. What is MOST important is how we respond to stress.

The image below holds the key to dealing with stress. The left side with all of the colors on it is an MRI performed while stressors were being applied to the tests subjects. The areas that are lit up are the areas of the brain being recruited to help the person adapt to and respond to the stress.

What happened next is revolutionary!

They took the person out of the MRI and gave them a chiropractic adjustment. The person was then put back into the MRI and the same stresses were applied as before. The picture on the right is the same person responding to the same stress AFTER an adjustment. The scan clearly shows less areas being recruited to deal with stress.

Chiropractic adjustments do so much more than relieve pain and tension in your body. Adjustments bring balance, harmony and organization to the body. It is a key component to dealing with stress.

Many times after someone receives an adjustment in my office, they involuntarily give a “sigh” when we are finished. This is what I call the “sympathetic sigh.” This is the nervous system relaxing and releasing all the tension and stress from the day. This is my favorite part of what I do. I know the person who just received the adjustment will be more relaxed, happier, have more energy and experience more health because their body is adapting to the stresses of the day in a healthy way.

Are you stressed? Do you know someone who is stressed? If so, chiropractic WILL help! Get adjusted!