The body needs consistent energy to get through the day. The central nervous system runs from the brain, down through the spine, and then towards every organ and region of the body. The central nervous system works by sending signals to the organs or the body’s moving parts. But when there is a kink, misalignment, damage, or injury in the spine or other joints, the signals don’t get sent or received correctly.

Pressure builds on the nerves causing the signals/messages sent from the brain to the body to start to slow down and the body’s responses. This includes not just physical reactions but the body’s metabolism. Slow metabolism causes the body to become sluggish and slow. Regular chiropractic adjustments can remove the kinks restoring proper energy flow. When the body’s cells and organs are sending and receiving the signals correctly, the body gets the full force of the energy that the body has stored.

Energy Drain

Spinal misalignments can cause a multitude of symptoms. The most common problem is pain. Misalignments can also lead to energy-draining problems. These include:

• Headaches
• Difficulty concentrating
• Joint pain
• Inflammation

The body absorbs toxins from the air, water, food, or direct contact. A buildup of toxins can make the body sluggish. Chiropractic adjustments release these toxins so that the body can rid itself of them. Being out of alignment and balance requires the body to use more energy to get anything done. Even easy to do activities, chores, tasks, etc. When the body’s natural balance is restored, the result is more available energy.

Stress Management

Stress management is vital as chronic stress increases the risk of developing health problems. Learning to manage stress can help increase energy. Therapeutic massage can help with stress relief. A chiropractor will determine the best type of massage for each individual’s situation. The physiological effects of massage to reduce stress include:

• Increased endorphins, serotonin, dopamine.
• Decreased cortisol.
• Increased tissue elasticity.

Endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine are neurotransmitters that are released by the autonomic system when stimulated.

• Endorphins are responsible for relieving anxiety.
• Serotonin prevents depression and gives a sense of well-being.
• Dopamine increases motivation and prevents self-doubt.

When the body lacks these positive hormones, an individual can become stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed. A therapeutic massage stimulates the autonomic system, increasing the release of positive hormones. Increasing the level of positive hormones reduces stress and anxiety and improves overall mood.

When a decrease in cortisol occurs, stress is also reduced. Cortisol is a negative hormone released from the adrenal gland when stimulated by the brain’s hypothalamus region. The adrenal gland is located on top of the kidneys. Cortisol is released into the blood and is transported around the body. Cortisol increases:

• Stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Responsible for the fight or flight response.

When large amounts of cortisol are released in response to pain, stress levels increase, and the immune system is suppressed. A massage helps flush out the cortisol from the blood and replace it with the positive hormone endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine, decreasing stress and increasing relaxation.

Central Nervous System and Chiropractic

Chiropractic looks for the root cause of the problem and addresses that issue. Individuals can keep their bodies stay in balance by:

• Getting the proper amount of sleep.
• Staying hydrated.
• Scheduling at least 30 minutes of exercise.
• Making healthy diet adjustments.

Chiropractic treatment can help improve quality of life and overall health.

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Body Composition

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Neglecting A Healthy Diet

Individuals might begin a weight loss journey by going to the gym, which is great, but neglecting a healthy diet is just wasting energy. Fat loss happens when the body is in a caloric/energy deficit. This means an individual has to take in fewer calories than the body is using. According to the CDC, individuals need to reduce food intake by at least 500 calories a day to lose around a pound of body fat a week.

• Individuals that start increasing exercise/workouts make the body instinctively want to increase calorie intake.
• Eating more calories than are burned means the individual is wasting the workout.
• For example, the body needs a 2,100 calorie diet to maintain its weight, and on average, an individual eats 2,100 calories.
• This means the weight won’t change much, if at all.
• If an individual burns 300 calories from a workout, the body needs 2,400 calories to maintain weight.
• If no changes are made to the diet, the individual will be in a negative -300 caloric deficit.
• Suppose an individual starts increasing their caloric intake because they think their metabolism is speeding up, which is not how it works, then the individual negates any energy deficit that they worked for, leading to no fat loss.

References

Carlson, Linda E et al. “Integrative Approaches to Stress Management.” Cancer journal (Sudbury, Mass.) vol. 25,5 (2019): 329-336. doi:10.1097/PPO.0000000000000395

Kültür, Turgut et al. “Evaluation of the effect of chiropractic manipulative treatment on oxidative stress in sacroiliac joint dysfunction.” Turkish Journal of physical medicine and rehabilitation vol. 66,2 176-183. 18 May. 2020, doi:10.5606/tftrd.2020.3301

Salleh, Mohd Razali. “Life event, stress, and illness.” The Malaysian Journal of medical sciences: MJMS vol. 15,4 (2008): 9-18.