When you find yourself in a stressful situation, you may be struck suddenly by a wave of panic. You may start to sweat or shake uncontrollably, and your heart might start racing. This is what’s called your fight-or-flight response. Because it’s a chemical process in the body, it requires a fair amount of effort to tame. But chiropractic care can be a big help when it comes to managing your body’s stress response.
What Is Fight-or-Flight?
As the name suggests, the fight-or-flight response is your body determining how to respond in a challenging situation. It’s a survival instinct that’s coded into our genes, giving you a rush of adrenaline that can help you flee from or fend off an attacker. In that sense, it can come in handy if you find yourself in a life-threatening situation.
But most people experience a stress response in non-life-threatening situations, like a heated conversation, stop-and-go traffic, or even when you’re feeling anxious about money. And that means it can be counterproductive, feeding into your stress levels and making it hard to relax or practice self-care. Some research even suggests that it can increase your risk of health problems like high blood pressure and depression. That’s why it’s helpful to take steps to manage your fight-or-flight response if it tends to be overactive.
Calm Your Stress Response with Chiropractic Care
There are several steps that you can take to manage your stress response and calm the symptoms of your stress response. This can include breathing exercises, practicing better nutrition, exercising regularly, and creating a routine for how to respond when you’re in fight-or-flight mode.
Chiropractic care is also an excellent way to better control your stress response. Regular adjustments relieve tension in your muscles and properly align your spine, which can increase the production and flow of calming chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. This is why patients tend to feel pretty relaxed after chiropractic care—your body is responding positively to the adjustment, and the benefits can stay with you well beyond your appointment.
Healthy Life Chiropractic Can Help You Feel Calmer
An overactive stress response can interfere with your day, slowing your productivity, changing your mood, and leaving you feeling overwhelmed. But regular chiropractic care from Healthy Life Chiropractic can help you manage your stress response better. Schedule an appointment and visit our offices in Newnan, GA, to get your fight-or-flight response under control. And speaking of flight, don’t miss our flip-flop sale this month! You’ll feel like you’re walking on clouds thanks to our custom orthotic flip-flops, and that means more springtime fun with less foot pain.