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We live in stressful times. The economy is tough, global conflicts rage, severe weather events are affecting people in every corner of the globe, and our numerous technological devices don’t seem to be making things any easier. Of course, this is nothing new. Every generation thinks theirs is the best of times and the worst of times. But the result is that people everywhere have high levels of stress.This is your year to lower stress!
Sometimes stress is a good thing. Mechanical stress, such as exercise, causes your muscles and bones to become stronger and your nerve system to become smarter. Taking on a new assignment at work or taking a challenging class in school may be stressful, but the effort involved in achieving a successful result will cause you to grow and develop in ways that you might not have imagined. After all, the great philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche famously said “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
But chronic, ongoing physical and mental stress, the kind that affects us every day, is not good for us physically or chemically. Chronic stress causes real psychological and physical problems. People undergoing chronic stress may develop anxiety, which if not managed effectively may lead to depression. Chronic stress may lead to a variety of disorders and diseases, including arthritis, inflammatory conditions such as Crohn’s disease, gastrointestinal problems such as peptic ulcer, diabetes,1 high blood pressure,2 and even heart attacks and stroke.3 As we are all subject to numerous stresses every day, both personal and work-
related, it’s very important for us to develop strategies that will be successful in helping us manage ongoing stresses. In as such as stress manifests in many types of diseases, there are many intricate body systems and processes which should be evaluated to truly help you manage and heal from your stresses.
The most important method for managing stress is to attempt to focus your point-of-view, your frame of reference, on the present moment. Our minds are constantly in motion, constantly at work creating new thoughts and new scenarios regarding some potentially stressful situation, or rehashing old conversations, old conflicts, and old problems. The result is that we’re almost never at peace. When we try to sit down and relax for a bit, it’s never too long before our minds start bringing up the exact things we’d like to be able to forget or ignore, at least for a little while. Most of us can’t flip a metaphorical switch and shut off our incessant stream of mostly negative self-talk. But we can learn to remind ourselves to return to the present, to come back to this moment, the one that’s happening now.
The best way to do this is to ask yourself, “is this [what I’m thinking about] happening right now?” If you can see that what’s happening now is that you’re sitting in a chair reading the newspaper, you have a good chance of being able to let go of what your mind is talking to you about. Say to yourself, “I’m right here, right now, and none of that other stuff is actually happening right now.” This will help you create some distance from your self-
talk, and the self-talk may even recede into the background for a while. The feeling of calm you might then experience is one you can build on. The more you practice returning to the moment, the more power you gain in being able to manage the stress in your life.
Because all stresses affect the function of your nerve system and hormones your doctor should use various techniques and methods to restore proper nerve function as well as body chemistry. The direct result is improved functioning of your nerve system, which directly improves the functioning of all your other body systems.
One of the structural problems addressed by NUCCA care is a “Upper Cervical misalignment.” This is a section of your lower brain that can being bombarded by too many nerve signals. These nerve signals arrive at the wrong times and in too great a quantity. Physical pain and other diseases and disorders can develop as a result of a Upper Cervical misalignment.
Stress makes Upper Cervical misalignments (and their effects) worse. By aligning your spine, your doctor is helping to reduce and resolve these irritated segments of your spinal cord. As a result, the stresses in your life have less physiological impact. You become better able to interact with people and situations, and become better able to manage stress.
Do you have questions about staying stress free this new year? For more tips or to address any concerns about your heart health, call Dr. Vallabhan at 352-750-2040 today!
Source:
1 Bener A, et al: Association between psychological distress and gastrointestinal symptoms in diabetes mellitus. World J Diabetes 3(6):123-129, 2012
2 van Dijk, AE, et al: The association between prenatal psychosocial stress and blood pressure in the child at age 5-7 years. PLoS One 7(8):e43548, 2012
3 Pereira VH, et al: Stressed brain, diseased heart: A review on the pathophysiologic mechanisms of neurocardiology. Int J Cardiol 2012 Apr 20
Dr. Vallabhan
352.750.2040
Rolling Oaks Professional Park
929 N. US Highway 441, Suite 201
Lady Lake, FL 32159
