“Stress Wrecking Your Neck and Back?”
Uncover the surprising link between stress and spinal health—and how to fix it!
Stress Leads to Muscle Tension and Pain in the Neck and Back
This constant mental or emotional tension leads to mechanical tightening of the muscles of the head, jaw, neck and back. Continued muscle tension leads to malfunction in the spinal joints. Chronic muscle tension and spinal misalignment results in pain and even more dysfunction. A remedy is to release tension as it builds throughout the day. Try doing mini 1 minute breaks to move your neck, shoulders and back several times each day. This prevents the build up of tension.
When You Feel Stressed Release it Through Breathing Exercises
Breathing Exercises for Stress Relief: Deep breathing techniques can calm your nervous system. Practicing mindfulness and controlled breathing, like the 4-7-8 technique, eases muscle tension and supports spinal health.
4-7-8 Breathing was pioneered by Dr. Andrew Weil. Simply breath in through your nose for 4 sec, hold your breath for 7 sec and finally, exhale for 8 seconds. This slow rhythmic breathing activates the Vagus nerve to calm you down and relax muscles.
Lack of Physical Activity During the Day Causes Tight Muscles and Spinal Stiffness
Stay Active to Reduce Stress and Stiffness: Regular physical activity releases endorphins that combat stress. Even simple exercises like walking or yoga keep your spine flexible and your mind relaxed. A simple, low impact way to stay active is to take 2 walks a day. One walk at lunch for 15-30 min after you’ve eaten. Take your second walk after dinner. A nice 30 min stroll with some arm movements will help unwind pent up stress and tension. You will find this helps digestion and sleep quality as well!
Reduce Stress Hormones by Getting More Sleep
Adequate Sleep Aids Recovery: Quality sleep allows your body to repair itself. Proper rest reduces stress hormones and gives your spine time to heal from daily strains. The fad was to say adults don’t need much sleep. However, recent research says 7-8 hours is the recommended amount of sleep to properly regulate your hormones and body repair.
A Sure-fire Way to Reduce Spinal Stress is Chiropractic
Chiropractic Adjustments Manage Stress: No shock that regular chiropractic care can alleviate physical stress on your spine. Adjustments help your nervous system function optimally, reducing overall stress levels. Patients who get routine adjustments report feeling better and having less stress and tension. Make it part of your regular self-care program.