Chiropractic Can Relieve Rising Economy-Related Stress

In addition, the survey showed that 68 percent of respondents identified work as a stress producer, as did 47 percent who pointed to housing and 34 percent to job insecurity. Moreover, the APA said, 46 percent of Americans are even anxious over providing for their families’ most basic needs.
    
This sort of stress and anxiety can be treated by chiropractors, who work to relieve not just physical pain but stress in the nervous system, which can produce terrible discomfort in the spine, nervous system, back and neck, according to Daniel Atwell, a chiropractor in Harrisonburg, Va. In fact, he said, emotional stress is one of the most underestimated common factors in pain.
    
“When it comes to any condition, we always ask our patients, ‘If you think back to when your back or neck went out, or when you had pain, you were probably under physical, nutritional or emotional stress,’” he said. “It’s almost always true.”

The APA confirmed that stressful daily-life factors tend to produce distinct physical symptoms. In its survey, 53 percent of Americans reported fatigue, lack of interest, poor motivation, feeling depressed, having headaches, experiencing muscular tension, and losing sleep.
    
Atwell offers cold and flu prevention seminars to his clients in which he urges them to pay particular attention to three areas – physical, nutritional and emotional. “You can also find an avenue for [relieving] stress, like journaling or meditation before you go to bed,” he said. “Exercise is also a great avenue.”