Holiday Headache Relief and Stress Management

For most of us, the holidays are all about fun, family, and food. But for some, the holiday season also includes a bit of overwhelm and stress. And that’s not very festive.

Stress Can Cause Spinal Misalignment

In prehistoric times, stress would trigger a fight or flight response, which was useful when trying to outrun a saber tooth tiger. When the threat subsided, so did the stress.

Stress that doesn’t go away after a threat is eliminated, or when there is no threat, is known as chronic stress. This type of stress causes numerous problems, one of which is muscle tension. And that muscle tension can result in uneven pressure on the spine, and eventually misalignment.

Luckily, relief can be as simple as getting a chiropractic adjustment. An adjustment can ease muscle tension, and thus reduce that uneven pressure on your spine that’s causing your misalignment and the resulting stress associated with it.

Spinal Misalignment Can Cause Stress

Your spine and nervous system have a special relationship. When your spine is healthy and aligned, you feel good physically and emotionally. Your immune system operates as it should, and your body is able to combat stress.

But if your spine is out of alignment, this can cause a disruption in the way your nervous system communicates with the rest of your body. This disruption can result in feeling anxious, overwhelmed, and stressed out.

As you can see, the relationship between spinal misalignment and stress is a little like the chicken and the egg, as in which came first. And while that may be a fun nugget of information to ponder over, it matters little when you’re in pain.

Don’t Let A Headache Spoil Your Holiday Fun

Did you know that the majority of headaches are due to problems associated with your neck? Muscle tension and irritation of the nerves can both cause headaches, as can the constriction of blood vessels to the brain.

These problems can be caused by prolonged sitting or standing in one position, or by physical or emotional stress. Whatever the cause, the solution just might be the same – a spinal adjustment. In fact, a simple adjustment often provides immediate relief.

A recent study involving 87 adults with migraine headaches who were treated with chiropractic adjustments produced positive results.

Common migraines in 85 percent of the female participants ceased completely or significantly improved, while 50 percent of the male participants experienced similar relief. And when it came to classical migraines, those numbers were 78 percent (female) and 75 percent (male).

A 2011 study in Japan produced equally impressive results. Twelve adults with neck pain underwent PET scans before and after their adjustments. The post-adjustment scans indicated much lower levels of cortisol (stress hormone), as well as altered brain activity in the areas that process stress and pain. And most importantly, all 12 participants reported significant improvements.

Whether you’re suffering from chronic stress or severe headaches, don’t let it sideline you this holiday season. Relief might just be as close as your friendly neighbor chiropractor. Which will allow you to get back to what’s important, like making sure the dog doesn’t devour an entire tin of Christmas cookies again this year.

Suffering from tension headaches? In need of stress relief? Chiropractic treatment (and feeling better) is just a phone call away. Call today for an appointment. 407-423-1616.