Anxiety can come from many different sources and can affect people in many different ways. General Anxiety Disorder(GAD) is not only emotional distress as it has a number of physical symptoms that can interfere with normal daily activities. Many of the physical manifestations of anxiety are common complaints that Chiropractors will see in their offices every day. Complaints like feeling constantly tired, headaches, numbness in the extremities, tingling in the scalp, muscle stiffness/aches, insomnia, nausea, heartburn, and high blood pressure are all just a few possible physical presentations of anxiety; while also being common for people to consult their Chiropractor. To actually be diagnosed with GAD these symptoms generally have to consist for approximately 6 months. It is estimated that 3% of population suffers from GAD but most people will have experienced anxiety as it is a normal reaction from your sympathetic nervous system in your “fight or flight” response with the increase in a steroid hormone called cortisol.

Cortisol is commonly called “the stress hormone” and it is good for certain situations and bad for others. A sustained high level of cortisol can lead to health problems like high blood pressure, high levels of LDL(bad cholesterol), decreased mental function, hypothyroidism, hyperglycemia, lower bone density, decreased muscle tone, increased abdominal fat, and a decreased immune response. A number of Chiropractic studies lead to the conclusion that consistent Chiropractic care has been shown to lower abnormally high cortisol levels and the overall feeling of anxiety. More and more research is being performed to understand more about the benefits of lowering cortisol levels and Chiropractic’s role in helping people with anxiety, depression, stress, and immunity issues.

There are no negative side effects to having a healthy spine and seeing a Chiropractor may help you with more than you realize; so call a Chiropractor and schedule an appointment.

Dr. Kyle M. Owsley, D.C.