Adjustments are commonly known to relieve musculoskeletal pain and tension. But did you know that they can also contribute to the recovery from other dangerous side effects of stress- including high blood pressure and nervous system dysfunction - thus improving the health of all tissues and organs in the body?

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Chronic stress disrupts nearly every system of your body. It leads to high blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. It suppresses the immune system, leaving you prone to chronic illnesses. It also produces a very tense musculoskeletal system, leading to increased headaches, backaches and joints that are exposed to premature wear and tear (osteoarthritis).

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So, how can chiropractic care help?

DD Palmer, the founder of chiropractic, said, "Life is the expression of tone. Tone is the normal degree of nerve tension...the cause of disease is any variation of tone --nerves too tense of too slack."

When you're under stress, it leads to an increased sympathetic tone in the nervous system. This response causes muscles to tighten, and as a result joints become compressed, restricted and painful. When it affects the joints of the spine, stress creates vertebral subluxations. Another side effect of increased sympathetic tone is the constriction of blood vessels and nerves as they pass through muscles. This can contribute to dysfunction of the organs and tissues that these vessels supply.

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When a chiropractic adjustment results in a "popping" noise, this signifies that an immediate decompression of the joint has just occurred. With less pressure in the joint, relative motion is improved, and any pain caused by the joint compression is decreased. With less restriction in it, the joint require fewer muscles to move it. This generates relaxation in these tissues as well.

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Chiropractors are neuromusculoskeletal specialists. For over 100 years, chiropractic adjustments have helped millions of patients to reduce body aches and pain. By correcting subluxations, your chiropractor also helps restore a more natural tone in the nervous system, resulting in an improved function in many organ systems of the body.

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One of the most dangerous side effects of chronic stress is the increase in blood pressure. According to the American Heart Association, high blood pressure is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease (including heart attack and stroke), the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. In an article, researchers showed that chiropractic adjustments applied to the first cervical vertebra (the atlas) were more effective in significantly reducing blood pressure when comparted to medications and placeboes. Other studies have shown similar changes when applying chiropractic adjustments to the neck.

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So you can see that the chiropractic adjustment is an ideal tool to help reduce the pain and damage caused by stress!