Stress and the Holidays

By William A. Cox, DC

It’s officially the holiday season. Of course, this can be a very exciting and fun time of year, but for many people, it can also be an extremely stressful and hectic time. Making preparations for holiday meals, planning parties, coordinating schedules, shopping for gifts must be accomplished on top of everyday tasks.

All of these things add up and can really take a major toll on our minds and our bodies.

These emotional stressors don’t just affect our heads, but also lead to physical tension, pain and a wide array of other health issues. When we experience stress, our bodies react by releasing the stress hormone cortisol.

Cortisol is a hormone related to our fight or flight response. Although this response is our body’s way of protecting us in potentially dangerous situations, when activated repeatedly over a period of time, a vicious cycle is thrown into motion. When we experience repetitive stress, the protective responses in our bodies actually become harmful.

When cortisol levels in the blood are chronically high, inflammation in your body skyrockets. This causes all sorts of pain and muscle tension throughout the body.

One example of this that you may be familiar with is tension you might experience in the neck, shoulders and upper back when you are stressed or tense. Many people “hold their stress” in these or other areas. Then, to make matters worse, these aches and pains create even more emotional stress. Not only are you stressed out mentally, but now you are in pain. The vicious cycle begins.

Chiropractic can be a very effective means to relieve chronic pain, muscle tension, aching joints, headaches, and other related problems. During this stressful time, receiving chiropractic treatment can break this cycle, ensure your body is working properly, and get you back on the track of feeling healthy and less stressed.

Your chiropractor may not be able to do your shopping, planning, cooking or the thousand other things on your to-do list, but at least you can feel better and healthier so you can survive the holidays.