How Chiropractic Care Positively Impacts Mental Health
Many people separate the mind and the body, but this separation is far from accurate. The two work in conjunction and the health of one affects the health of the other. All you need to do to realize this is think about how you feel emotionally when you’ve hurt your back or have a headache.
The reverse is also true. When your mental health is less than optimal, it can eventually take a toll on your body. Many people experience nagging physical symptoms and sometimes severe physical disabilities due to untreated mental health issues.
Treating physical health conditions can go a long way in restoring mental health. Dealing with mental health issues prevents physical issues from arising. Chiropractic care is an effective treatment for dealing with both sides of this coin, improving physical and mental health.
How Mental Health Affects the Body
Your mental health affects your body. Caring for your mental health can help you prevent various health conditions. There are even studies that show that positive mental health reduces your risk of cardiovascular health problems.
Mental health challenges can also cause poor physical health to develop. Struggling with a mental health issue can:
Disrupt sleep
Cause elevated levels of cortisol, which disrupts your immune system, digestion, reproductive health, and cardiovascular system
Cause persistent fatigue
Contribute to obesity or excessive weight loss
Makes you less likely to engage in physical activity
Reduce your motivation to make healthy dietary and other health choices
The Role of Chiropractic Care in Mental Health
Chiropractic care plays a vital role in restoring and supporting good mental health. Chiropractors recognize the connection between the mind and body. Chiropractic care can:
Improve overall mood and well-being
Reduce stress
Improve sleep quality
Reduce anxiety
Increase energy
Alleviate symptoms of depression
Promote relaxation
Boost mood
Common Mental Health Issues Addressed by Chiropractic Treatments
The most common mental health issues addressed by chiropractic treatment include:
Anxiety
Chiropractic treatment helps treat anxiety by:
Releasing tension in the body, especially in the shoulders, neck, face, chest, and stomach
Reducing the adverse side effects of an anxiety disorder
Improving spinal health, which can reduce muscle tension that triggers headaches and other body pains
Depression
Chiropractic treatment helps depression by:
Reducing blood pressure, which is often associated with depression
Improving sleep
Reducing chronic pain
Instilling an overall sense of well-being
Increasing feelings of being in control
Addressing the issues that might be causing neurological imbalance, which disrupts endocrine function
ADHD
Chiropractic treatment helps treat ADHD by:
Reducing skeletal and muscular imbalances
Enhancing brain and body communication
Supporting overall nervous system function
Alleviating hyperactivity, inattention, and impulsivity
Calming the nervous system
Improving overall well-being and quality of life
Sensory Processing Disorder
Chiropractic treatment helps treat SPD by:
Decreasing overall symptoms
Improving sensory processing issues
Increasing the body’s ability to deal with environmental stressors
Retraining the senses
Supporting better body and brain functioning
Stress
Chiropractic treatment helps treat stress by:
Reducing muscle tension
Offering relaxation tips
Restoring function to the body
Inducing a sense of relaxation
Adjusting posture, which reduces stress on the body
Triggering the release of feel-good hormones
Reducing cortisol levels
Offering nutritional counseling
Benefits of Including Chiropractic Care in Your Mental Health Regimine
Chiropractic care is natural and non-invasive. It takes a whole-body approach, which treats the mind and the body. It also takes into account the health of the former on the latter’s and vice versa.
Chiropractic adjustments are used to treat a variety of conditions. They are used with massage, stretching, nutrition and fitness counseling, and supplements to improve health.
The benefits of chiropractic care for treating mental health include:
Relieving Tension
Chiropractic patients enjoy relief from the tension caused by anxiety and depression. Common tension problems include stiffness, headaches, and lack of mobility. Improving spinal and musculoskeletal health is one of the best ways to relieve muscle tension, which leads to improved mental health.
Release of Feel-good Hormones
Spinal adjustments cause the release of feel-good hormones, including oxytocin. This helps improve overall health and well-being. These hormones improve your mood and make it easier to deal with stress, improve social bonding, and alleviate pain.
Balancing Mental and Physical Health
Balance is essential in all areas of life. Balancing your mind and body improves your quality of life, especially when dealing with mental health issues. Correcting spinal misalignments makes your body function better. You’ll feel more comfortable in your body, so you’ll be less tempted to “be in your head” too much or to focus too much on your discomfort. Chiropractors help patients find a balance between their physical being and their mental being.
Promoting Quality Sleep
Not getting enough quality sleep can be one of the most detrimental factors to good health. Whether your lack of sleep is caused by stress, anxiety, physical discomfort, or any other reason, chiropractic treatments can help you sleep better. Treatments improve sleep patterns, so whether you are struggling to sleep or sleeping too much, chiropractic care can help.
Improving Mental Clarity
Mental clarity is a problem for people with mental and physical health challenges. When you’re focused on misery, it’s difficult to think clearly. Sometimes, they struggle with the inability to focus and brain fog. These problems might be mental, physical, or both. Chiropractic treatments relieve imbalance and muscle tension. They promote relaxation and make it easier for you to think clearly.