Chiropractic and Mental Health: Improving Anxiety and Depression
There is a ton of fascinating research coming out about chiropractic care and its ability to impact mental health. In this blog we will dive into what the research is showing, go over some case studies, as well as share about my personal experience with anxiety and what I’ve noticed with regular spinal care.
Mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression are a global issue, and have been increasing at alarming rates over the last few decades. In 2017 it was estimated that almost 800 million people lived with a mental health disorder worldwide. The World Health Organization considers depression to be one of the leading causes of disability in the world. There’s a good chance that you, a family member, or someone you know is struggling with mental health. Let’s dive deeper into what is known about mental health disorders and how chiropractic care can help.
The two most common mental health disorders are anxiety and depression. Mental health disorders play a huge role in our daily lives, and can make things such as sleeping, eating, working, socializing, and looking after our family really difficult. So how can chiropractic care help? Over the past few years, scientists have looked at how an adjustment to the spine can impact the nervous system. And the result of this research has been that chiropractic care undoubtedly changes the brain. Specifically a part of the brain called the Prefrontal cortex. The Prefrontal cortex is an area of the brain that is heavily involved in our emotional control, and it influences our behaviors by inhibiting what is called the brain’s Limbic system. The Limbic system is also called the emotional brain, and its job is to be on high alert for potential threats in our environment in order to protect us. The Prefrontal cortex calms the Limbic system and allows us to feel relaxed and safe. People with anxiety and depression, have been found to have an overactive Limbic system and a low functioning Prefrontal cortex. So when you receive a chiropractic adjustment, you are helping to bring these two areas of the brain into balance.
I have personally experienced the affects of regular chiropractic adjustments decreasing my anxiety and improving my mood and outlook on life. I began experiencing intense anxiety/worrying when I entered middle school. I was involved in highly competitive sports which would set off extreme anxiety. This carried over into my everyday life and I began to continually worry over little things. My anxiety tended to be over things in the future that I had no control over. I recognized that continually worry about things out of my control was not helpful and was hurting my health, however I could not break out of the cycle. This continued into my early 20’s. I tried taking medication, meditating, counseling, and all had a minimal impact and did not offer a lasting solution. It wasn’t until I began chiropractic school and discovered gentle, nervous system focused chiropractic care that I began to see a significant difference in my anxiety. I’ve been under regular chiropractic care for almost 3 years now and, and I continue to see improvements and an increased capacity to adapt to stress and regulate my mind and body.
In closing, if you are someone who is battling with anxiety, high stress, overwhelm, and you’re looking for a natural solution that has a lasting impact. Neurologically-focused chiropractic care might be an effective option for you. If you would like to learn more about nervous system focused chiropractic read our blog about Network Spinal. If you need help finding the closest nervous system focused chiropractor in your area, give our office a call. Also stay tuned for more blog posts about how your body works and how we can continue to evolve into greater health and well-being.
