Stress is defined as an imbalance of bodily system(s) due to excessive stimulus. Strees leads to an increase in the rate of wear and tear in the body. Medical research has suggested that up to eighty percent of all illness is stress related!

The most common symptoms naturally include headache, backache and fatigue as well as cardiovascular disorders (high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, etc.) digestive problems (ulcers, colitis, etc.) and sleeping difficulties.

There are two principles that uniquely bind chiropractic and stress management care.

The first is MOVEMENT. In stress management care, it is imperative for the patient to realize that emotional issues cannot be fully resolved in one day. Stress management strategies are directed at providing for positive emotional movement in resolving issues. Chiropractic's goal is to increasing range of motion and decreasing muscular restrictions.

The second principle is REFLEXES. A reflex occurs when one body system is unbalanced and causes another system to function improperly. It is well accepted that our mental! emotional condition affects our physical state. Perhaps the best known reaction of the body to emotional stress is the neck muscle tension and headache occasioned by emotional stress. This mechanism is known as a psychosomatic (muscle) reflex. A similar mechanism occurs when emotional stress causes a stomach ulcer. This is a psychovisceral (organ) reflex.

Chiropractors have long observed that organ or muscle disorders can cause mental/emotional stress. How does this happen? The spinal cord is the switch board of the nervous system. The message from the diseased body part communicates to the brain via the spinal cord. This irritated nerve signal, ending in the brain, causes mental agitation. This is known as a somato-psychic or viscero-psychic reflex. Under chiropractic care, the effects of stress on the body are considerably reduced.