How Chiropractic Care Can Help with Anxiety and Relieve Stress

The link may not seem obvious, but chiropractic care can be a very effective way to treat and manage anxiety and stress. Millions of Americans suffer from mental health issues. They often don’t make the connection between mental health and physical health.
 

Chiropractic care can provide many proven benefits to both occasional and chronic anxiety sufferers. It’s not just for sports- or accident-related injuries. Poor mental health can cause an imbalance in other parts of the body, and these imbalances can, in turn, negatively impact mental health. Here are some ways that chiropractic care can help restore balance and improve both mental and physical health.
 

Relieving Tension

Stress affects the body in many ways, including causing muscles to tense up. Chronic stress can cause those muscles to stay tense for long periods, causing discomfort or pain. Tension headaches are by far the most common type of headache. Tension from the shoulders or neck causes it. Other areas of the body can also hold tension in the muscles related to stress.
 

Chiropractors work with the patient to identify ways to let go of or lessen the effects of stress. This holistic approach can include mindfulness or meditative exercises. It can also include in-office adjustments and massage therapy.

Lowering Blood Pressure

Maintaining high levels of anxiety makes it difficult for many people to relax and rest. Untreated or uncontrolled anxiety can elevate blood pressure levels. If blood pressure rises too high or stays high, it can cause serious damage to the body. For patients who struggle with anxiety, relaxing massage and nutritional adjustments can lower blood pressure to a healthier level.

Symptom Management

For some patients, specific events trigger anxiety or stress. Chiropractic care can help those patients move through the event and help the stress dissipate over time. Other people need to manage anxiety symptoms long-term as part of their ongoing mental health care. A chiropractor can tailor care to either situation. For those managing long-term mental health, care at the chiropractor’s office can become part of the plan of care along with taking medication and seeing a primary care physician. Symptom management with a chiropractor may also reduce the amount of medication needed. Patients should always discuss any possible medication changes with their doctor.
 

Whole Body Care

Mental and physical care work together. Chiropractors will explore many avenues to promote health and ease symptoms of stress and anxiety. They can work with patients to create a nutritional plan.
 

Musculoskeletal adjustments can bring pain relief. They can trigger the body to produce hormones that make people feel happier and more content. Massage therapy can reduce tension and promote better sleep, which will affect mood.
 

Neglecting mental and physical health can produce a negative cycle. Care that supports mental and physical health can bring about a positive cycle.
 

Find out more about how chiropractic care can help with anxiety and relieve stress, contact Integral Chiropractic in Foster City, CA at (650) 212-1414