You may have heard that Stress has a direct impact on our Health and Well-Being. Did you know that it’s not actually the stress, but how we respond to it? Let’s explore how stress impacts our bodies and what determines if it harms us or helps us.
Stress is a normal part of life. It is a change in our environment or circumstance that requires us to make a change and ADAPT. We experience this every day. Whenever we experience a stress, there are 2 basic ways we adapt. The first is that when we experience a stress that we have the physical and mental/emotional resources to handle, we GROW. We get stronger, wiser, and even more adaptable. An example of this is working out. We use a controlled weight to stress the muscles and the muscles grow and get stronger. However, if we use too much weight, we could injure ourselves…which leads to the 2nd way we adapt.
When we experience a stress that overwhelms our resources to physically and mental/emotionally to adapt, the brain detects danger to our survival and it initiates the stress response, also called Defense Physiology or Fight-or-Flight. This is an automatic, primal response that protects us in times of danger. Below is a chart of what happens when the Fight-or-Flight Response is triggered:
When we look at this list of responses, there are 3 things we must understand:
- The increased blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, blood sugar, muscle tensions and dilation of the pupils is produced to give us more oxygen, energy and faculties to confront the danger or run away in order to SURVIVE. We’ve all experienced this when we are on the highway and suddenly the car in front of us slams on their brakes. You know the feeling!
- Immunity, digestion and sexual function are turned off, because they require a lot of energy and they are not required when we are fighting or running away from a threat. This explains a few things. We often get sick when we are stressed because immunity is suppressed and if the threat is great enough we may even soil ourselves.
- And third….and the most important thing to understand…the first thing that happens when we perceive a threat is an increase in SPINAL CORD TENSION. It is this Spinal Cord Tension that triggers the signal to release adrenalin which initiates the Fight-or-Flight response. Could this be why we emphasize the importance of having a healthy spine and nervous system free of tension? It is THE reason!
The next thing I want to show you is a list of the top 10 medical diagnoses, which will lead to my profound realization:
If you look at this list and compare it to the list of the components of the Fight-or-Flight response, you will see what I saw 20 years ago. They are the SAME LIST! Look below:
What does this mean? That these health issues are nothing more than the Long Term Effect of the body being stuckin the Stress Response. The body never recovered from the stress you experienced and is still functioning as if it is still happening….even if it happened decades ago!
In conclusion, the most important thing you can do for optimum health and well-being is to recover from past stresses and increase your Adaptability. The 2 most effective strategies I have found to accomplish this is chiropractic and meditation. The most effective methods of chiropractic and meditation I have found are Network Spinal and Self Discovery Life Mastery. These 2 things are my health-care system for myself and my family and what I promote to my clients for optimal health and well-being.
Make your spinal and nervous system health your top priority and learn some method of meditation to quiet the mind and be present and you will see long term effects that will ensure optimal health and well-being throughout your lifetime.
If you have any questions or would like to make any appointment for an initial consultation or to get adjusted, gives us a call at (954) 848-4325 or e-mail us at info@placeforhealing.com. Please visit our website www.placeforhealing.com and view our audio/video page for more information.
With Love and Appreciation, Dr Barry
A Place for Healing 