If you’ve ever felt unable to focus on a task because you’re stressed out or in pain, then you’ve experienced a disruption of the relationship between your body and brain. Why does this happen, and what can you do about it? Natural therapies, such as chiropractic adjustments, can heal pain and restore your nervous system and brain health.
How Your Brain Communicates with Your Spine
Your nervous system runs your life. Working together, your spinal cord and brain make up the nervous system. Your every movement and thought depend on how well your brain communicates with your body through the nervous system.
Your spine’s vertebrae protect the nervous system. Dr. Travis Ring, a Broken Arrow Chiropractor,says that when the spine is in alignment and working well, your brain gets the stimulation it needs to think clearly and move you through your daily life comfortably.
When your nervous system is disrupted, the opposite occurs. Your brain doesn’t receive the high-quality messages it needs to direct your thoughts and movements.
The Effects of Stress on Your Body and Brain
Lots of things we do in daily life can harm our health without our even realizing it. We let stress build-up, setting us up for anxiety, depression, and other brain problems.
We sit too much and in the wrong positions, resulting in a poor posture that puts pressure on the spine and throws it out of alignment. Additionally, too much repetition of tasks, such as typing and texting, can cause muscle imbalances, strains, and pain.
Stress often causes people to overeat the wrong food, leading to blood sugar imbalances and weight gain, affecting the spine’s health. People under stress may not sleep well and then suffer additional health effects like lowered immunity and exhaustion, making them more prone to injury.
The cycle of stress can also lead to distraction. Many injuries, such as trips, falls, and car accidents, are caused by inattention because people were focused away from the task at hand. They end up with pain that prevents them from getting the regular exercise that’s so important to good brain and overall health.
How Chiropractic Care Can Influence Brain Health
When your spine is healthier, your brain is, too.
In a 2016 study, researchers found that chiropractic adjustments benefited the pre-frontal cortex area of the brain. This part of the brain is vital for sending commands to the rest of the body. It affects your emotions, decision-making ability, social behavior, and capacity to perform many important tasks.
A chiropractor will provide an assessment of your spine and identify any misalignments that can interfere with the communication between your brain and spine. Chiropractic adjustments alleviate pain, promote healing, and allow your spine to function in the healthy way it was meant to do.
Regular chiropractic care, along with lifestyle changes, can go a long way toward keeping your spine, nervous system, and brain-healthy—so you can live your life to its full potential.
