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.

Dr. Eric Neumann D.C.

Dr. Eric Neumann grew up in Alberta, Canada where he majored in Chemistry at the University of Calgary. During his time at University, he obtained licensure as a Massage Therapist. It was clear that hands-on healing would be his calling. After suffering multiple sport-related injuries he became interested in Chiropractic. Dr. Neumann graduated from Western States Chiropractic College in 2009. He has since specialized in the treatment and management of acute spinal injuries.