Have you ever had one of those days? The one that starts out with you oversleeping, rushing the kids to school with no breakfast, and being late for work. The fiasco continues as a business deal falls apart, and you suffer the wrath of an angry boss. Just when you think you’ve weathered the storm by settling in on your couch to “relax” in front of the TV, you are aggravated all over again by news reports of war, the economy, and horrific crimes both locally and worldwide.

All of us have had “one of those days”, or at least something comparable with which we can relate. Each of these events may be classified as stressful and more accurately described as a “stressor”. A stressor is defined as something which causes stress to something or someone else. Stressors are too numerous to count, differ in severity, and come in two basic forms: mental and physical.

MENTAL STRESS: Mental stress is what we all think of when we say “I’m stressed out!”. Examples of mental stressors include money troubles, unfulfilling relationships, job dissatisfaction, worry, and fear of failure. Medical studies report that more than 75% of ALL illness is caused or made worse by mental stress. The effects of mental stress on the body can be devastating and even deadly. Symptoms of long-term mental stress may include headache, neck pain, indigestion, stomach problems, ulcers, skin problems, T.M.J., hypertension/high blood pressure and chest pain.

PHYSICAL STRESS: Physical stressors include trauma (slips, falls, and accidents), overuse injuries (where the body performs a repetitive activity so frequently over a period of time that musle and tendon damage results), postural imbalances (such as rounded or uneven shoulders or a forward carrying of the head), and a body which is overweight. Symptoms of physical strss may include pain, numbness and tingling throughout the joints of the arms and legs, headache and neck pain, and a constant ache across the upper back and shoulder blade area.

While eliminating stress completely is impossible, many of the serious effects of stress can be significantly reduced through the use of a sound stress management plan.

Some simple steps to reduce stress include:

Exercise: Exercise is proven to reduce stress levels and increase brain activity resulting in an enhanced sense of creativity and well-being. Exercise can be any activity that you enjoy doing for at least 20 minutes at a time a minimum of 4 times per week. In additional to the obvious choices of aerobics, weight training, etc., activities such as dancing, gardening and walking provide excellent opportunities for exercise.

Keep a Journal: When you face challenges in your life, write them down. Focusing on solutions to your problems will result in the unfolding of incredible answers which have been inside you all along.

Talk: Sharing your feelings about stressful situations with a qualified listener allows you to express yourself while opening up another avenue for solutions to come from your stress reduction partner.

Maintain a Strong Structure: Keeping the muscles and joints of the body in correct balance and alignment will prevent most of the symptoms of physical stress. Chiropractors have the responsibility to ensure the proper movement and balance of the spine, pelvis, extremities and supporting soft tissue structures.

Because the effects of physical and mental stress are cumulative, getting worse as time goes on, it is important to receive regular check-ups to assure that your body is functioning correctly. If you are suffering from any of the symptoms of stress described in this report, call our office and scheldule an appointment to treat them as soon as they appear.

Remember, it’s your future... Be there healthy!