The holiday season is here and for many families that means lots of busyness and stress. It also often means sniffles, sickness, sweets and changes in regular routines and rest. These seasons of stress can affect not only our physical health but mental health as well. By focusing on healthy habits, specifically the health of our vagus nerve, during seasons of stress, we can better manage stress, improve healing and properly adapt and regulate our nervous system. This allows us to have a better stress response during a season that we want to be able to fully embrace and enjoy.
During seasons of stress, specifically chronic stress, our body goes into a sympathetic (fight or flight) response leading to a multitude of health concerns such as anxiety, mood swings, sleep disruption, illness, gut and digestive issues and so much more. The good news is that other than trying to limit the stress during the holiday season and keep good healthy habits, we can also tap into one of our biggest body’s superpowers, the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve acts to counterbalance the sympathetic (fight or flight) response and triggers a parasympathetic (rest and relaxation) response in our body. By doing so, it settles our physiology and allows us to better adapt, heal and recover from the results of chronic stress.
The power of the vagus nerve is one of the reasons many of our regular wellness patients at Tree of Life Chiropractic report fewer illnesses and sicknesses and experience faster recovery. It’s also one of the reasons we believe one of the best times to come in for boost adjustments is when you are feeling under the weather. By stimulating the vagus nerve, we can speed up the healing process and help the body get back to balance faster. The reason why chiropractic is so effective at stimulating the vagus nerve and the healing that comes with it is because the vagus nerve is a cranial nerve that exits the upper cervical spine. By adjusting the upper cervical spine specifically, especially on a regular basis, we are able to help promote its response and ability to rest and heal. A great example is after kiddos (and some adults) get adjusted and parents report that they sleep better and often have larger than normal bowel movements which are both examples of the body moving towards a parasympathetic response and getting the rest and digest and healing response it craves.
So as we enter one of the most amazing times of year but also a hectic and stressful season, I want to encourage you to think about chiropractic as a way to better adapt and prepare to be as healthy and happy as possible for not only you but your entire family. If you are currently under chiropractic care, I recommend getting boosts or extra adjustments when feeling stressed or worn down. If you and your family don’t currently see a chiropractor, I highly recommend thinking about seeing one and we at Tree of Life Chiropractic would love to be a part of your family’s health journey.
Be Blessed!
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