In today’s hectic world it is easy to become stressed. Work and school are fast paced and competitive and in the current financial climate it can be difficult to earn the amount needed to give your family the lifestyle you want them to have. Teenagers seem to be more ‘hormonal’ at ever decreasing ages with mood swings, irritability and a string of high school romance crises. Working moms have to try to balance their career with the needs of their children, often with hilarious results and stay at home moms have to work 24 hours a day with few breaks, no pay and may feel isolated through lack of adult company.
Parents of older children or young adults may feel displaced after their children leave home, suffering ‘empty nest syndrome’, made worse by approach of the menopause. Boredom is common in mid-marriage and this can lead to conflict and stress as both parties try to re-define their lives. This is why divorce is more likely when you’re 40 plus.
Stress in the Elderly
By the time you get to your twilight years, you’d be mistaken for thinking you can now sit back and relax or spend your retirement going on world cruises. Retirement is eagerly awaited by many as a time when you can reap the rewards of your working years, enjoy the money you have tirelessly saved and finally get to do the things you really want to do, but advanced age is also a time of change and challenges that are often not faced earlier in life and some elderly people may get depression. Some problems that cause depression in the elderly are:
- Chronic illness and pain that is more common in later years
- Loss of a spouse
- Loss of members of a peer group
- Loss of independence, progression of disability due to age
- Financial problems after retirement
- Change of their home, for instance, having to go into a residential home
Sooth Your Troubles Away
All of these issues are normal problems of life but they can sometimes be difficult to navigate through without help. Before you reach for a bottle of anti-depressants, there is a safer and more natural alternative to relieving your stress. Chiropractic adjustments are a drug-free, non-invasive way to ease stress and depression.
Chronic stress causes long-term muscle tension and this can put pressure on your bones, leading to a misaligned spine and painful joints. High tension can also pinch nerves and cause backache and even headache disorders like migraine and occipital neuralgia. Stress also influences hormones and so can affect every function of your body.
A doctor of chiropractic can give a thorough examination to discover any misalignments and correct them, which should strengthen your nervous system and help your body in the first step to healing itself. Adjustments can be combined with massage to help reduce the amount of stress you are feeling, improve your circulation and ease tense muscles so that they won’t pinch your nerves. After the first treatment, patients often find they are so relaxed they go to sleep for several hours. Chiropractors can also give self-care advice on reducing stress and other lifestyle changes.
Chiropractic Care and General Anxiety Disorder – A Case Study
A 19 year old girl who had a history of headaches and psychological symptoms and had been diagnosed with general anxiety disorder after a two year period found that she obtained some relief from her illnesses following a four month course of chiropractic adjustments, including an 80% reduction in her anxiety and a 90% decrease in her headaches. She had had a complicated history which included lots of visits to the emergency room and specialist doctors and the use of prescription anti-depressants. Despite extensive medication, nothing worked in alleviating her symptoms. After visiting a chiropractor, some spinal distortions were discovered that she had previously sustained in three motor vehicle accidents. These distortions were treated and she was able to discontinue the use of prescription and over the counter drugs.
Chiropractic Care to Treat Depression
In another case, a 71 year old elderly woman with depression and back pain sought help from a chiropractor. She was treated with chiropractic adjustments, interferential therapy (directing a mid-frequency electrical signal to the muscles and spine to treat muscle spasms and strain) and moist hot packs to ease pain. While undergoing the treatments for her back pain, she recovered from her depression totally. This was thought to be because her pain reduced and because of the therapeutic effect of touch.
A 41 year old man also suffered with back pain, low mood, insomnia and anxiety. He was diagnosed with neurotic depression and given medication which made his symptoms worse. After a year of treatment with negative effects, he had a single chiropractic adjustment for a minor spinal deformity. His chiropractor used a traction technique and he experienced immediate relief from pain. By the next day, he was also relieved of all his additional symptoms including anxiety and insomnia.
If you have been suffering in silence or your anti-depressants are just making you sick, chiropractic care could help you, so give us a call today!