Going through traumatic accidents that result in injuries can cause injury-related stress and anxiety for individuals. Understandably, stress and anxiety are high as individuals figure out how to navigate through the situation. Therefore, it is very important to find ways to manage stress and anxiety because if they go unchecked, they could become chronic, leading to poor health and quality of life.

Stress/Anxiety Affects Health

Injury-related stress and anxiety can be exacerbated through different factors. These can include:

• Medical bills
• Employment
• Relationships
• Independence

The causes/reasons can vary; however, the physical response the body goes through is the same. A stress-inducing situation can leave an individual feeling threatened and generate a physical stress response. The body responds to stress by releasing hormones that shift the body into survival mode. This requires a lot of energy, placing massive strain on the body. This is an important mechanism for healthy living. However, if it begins to present on a regular basis, it can lead to negative health issues that include:

• Depression
• Chronic anxiety
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Abnormal heart rhythm
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Personality disorder

The body needs time every day to recover and rejuvenate. This is not possible when the body is constantly entering a heightened state of stress. Traditional treatment can lead to the over-prescription of medications that come with their side effects. Effective injury-related stress treatment addresses issues like:

• Proper stress management techniques
• Promotes optimized body health
• Proper exercise
• Diet
• Sleep
• Spinal alignment

Health problems

Injury-related stress and anxiety affect mental health and can lead to physical symptoms and disease. These include:

• Chronic pain
• Sleep problems
• Gastrointestinal issues
• Obesity
• Asthma and breathing problems
• Alzheimer’s, dementia, and memory loss

Chiropractic Treatment and Care

A healthy brain and spinal cord are vital to the body’s optimal health. When nerve energy and blood flow get blocked, it can worsen injury-related stress and anxiety. Chiropractic delivers results helping to better manage mental health by addressing underlying issues with spinal misalignment. When the spine is properly aligned, neural health is optimized for everyday functions. This increases vitality and an overall sense of well-being. With brain function improved, adjusting to the injury and its effects no longer cause intense stress. Individuals cannot remove all the stressors and anxiety-inducing events from their lives, but proper spinal alignment can help build resilience for whatever situations life throws.

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Body Composition

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Recovery and Swelling

Recovery is an essential part of maintaining optimal body health. This goes for regular work, working out, athlete’s training, and just participating in physical activity. Swelling is a significant sign that the body has gone through intense physical exertion and needs recovery time. Swelling presents for different reasons. The body’s response to tiny, microscopic tears in the muscle happens from constant and intense use. Running or lifting heavy objects are two examples that cause swelling. Swelling can be seen in body composition analysis results. An increase in Lean Body Mass reflects an increase in water. Recovery is about giving the body a chance to:

• Relax
• Recuperate
• Recover from the swelling with the end goal of resuming physical activities

References

Pickar, Joel G. “Neurophysiological effects of spinal manipulation.” The spine journal: official journal of the North American Spine Society vol. 2,5 (2002): 357-71. doi:10.1016/s1529-9430(02)00400-x

Coleman, Brian C et al. “Factors Associated With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Veterans of Recent Wars Receiving Veterans Affairs Chiropractic Care.” Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics vol. 43,8 (2020): 753-759. doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2019.10.016

Jamison, J R. “Stress management: an exploratory study of chiropractic patients.” Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics vol. 23,1 (2000): 32-6. doi:10.1016/s0161-4754(00)90111-8