Back to school

It’s back to school time and every parent that has school age kids is getting themselves and their kids ready to face another year dealing with the educational process. Books, supplies, clothing, back packs and a myriad of stuff that seems to be unending. There is always a great deal of stress associated with the back to school process; mostly mental stress from trying to get it all together and accomplished by starting day.

Mental stress is what brings a high number of people into my office at any time of year, but back to school time increases that number. If a person has been having some neck or back pain but they have learned to “live with it”, stress can exacerbate the pain and make it a lot worse.

Mental stress can be managed in a lot of cases if you know where it is coming from. The best thing you can do is to not let everything go till the last minute.

Procrastination is your worst enemy.

If you put things off and don’t get things done, you begin to feel fearful that you won’t have the time to do everything, thus increasing your stress levels. If you don’t get things done by the deadlines, you begin to feel guilty, again increasing your stress levels. So, you can help manage your stress by getting things done on time and trying not to procrastinate so your stress levels will diminish.

Can you eliminate all the stress that comes your way?

The answer is a resounding NO. But do the best you can.

How can chiropractic help?

Stress causes muscle tension and tightness which often leads to misalignment of the vertebrae. When vertebrae are misaligned it can cause pain, which will add to the stress levels. Chiropractic can help much better than medication by realigning the spine and relaxing the muscles to allow the body to be more balanced. A better balanced body equals better body function and less stress.

There are other types of stress that can contribute to the overall levels in a person’s body. Chemical stress comes from the air we breathe, the food we eat, medication we take and the general environment in which we live. Emotional stress comes from things that affect us emotionally, such as a sickness or a death of someone close or in the family. A person doesn’t have much control of this type of stress. Another type of stress is physical stress. Almost every activity you get involved in places some level of stress on your body. The harder the work the more physical stress you endure. You have a lot of control over this kind of stress. Lift correctly, use good body mechanics, make sure the tasks you engage in are ergonomically correct and within your personal abilities to perform.

Stress cannot be eliminated but it can be managed to a certain extent.

Chiropractic treatment can help you cope with whatever stress levels you exceed in your everyday life, including this “back to school” time of the year. See my ad below to make if you would like to make an appointment.