What is Stress?
When most people think of stress, they picture deadlines, work pressures, or daily worries. But stress, at its core, is a normal physiological response. It is a built-in survival mechanism designed to help the body adapt to an ever-changing environment. Stress can be triggered by emotions such as anger, grief, anxiety, or even prolonged sadness, each of which activates the body’s stress response.
At the heart of this response is the nervous system, the master control centre of the body. It oversees everything from breathing and digestion to movement and posture. One of its key roles is activating the sympathetic nervous system, commonly known as the fight-or-flight system. This response prepares us to handle threats by raising heart rate, tightening muscles, and sharpening alertness.
While this short-term response is helpful in our daily lives, our modern lifestyle keeps many of us stuck in a chronic stress response. Constant connectivity, busy schedules, and emotional strain mean the body often struggles to switch back into the parasympathetic nervous system—the rest-and-digest mode. Without this balance, the body remains on high alert, and its natural ability to rest, repair, and heal is compromised.
Chronic Stress:
Chronic stress affects the body in several different ways:
- Muscular tension: Increased blood flow to the muscles leads to heightened tension throughout the body, as if preparing for action that never comes.
- Postural changes: The fight-or-flight response encourages a “closed” posture—rounded shoulders, forward head position, and slouching—which, over time, strains the spine.
- Spinal stress: Prolonged tension and poor posture can contribute to subluxations that interfere with the nervous system’s communication pathways.
- Symptoms of disharmony: When the nervous system can’t adapt properly, the body often signals distress through various symptoms such as neck pain, low back pain, headaches or even digestive problems.
This creates a vicious cycle: stress fuels physical dysfunction, and dysfunction adds even more stress to the nervous system.
How can Chiropractic Care Help with Stress?
The good news? As chiropractors, our focus is on removing subluxations to restore clear communication between your nervous system and the rest of your body.
We don’t treat or diagnose specific conditions, but by improving the spine’s function and reducing interference, we help your body do what it’s designed to do—heal, adapt, and thrive. That means more energy for recovery, better resilience to stress, and ultimately, the freedom to get back to doing the things you love.
If this resonates with you, we invite you to reach out to our practice. Our team would be glad to discuss how chiropractic care may support your health and wellbeing.
Dr. Ryan Lian (MChiro)