How stress affects your body and health

Dr. Theresa L. Smith, D.C.

Stress can make us feel sick and even shorten our lives. How we react to things around us affects every part of our body. Think about when you get mad, where do you feel that in your body? Are you the person who gets sick to your stomach? Tightens your neck? What do you do?

Our nervous system controls all our organs and glands. It's protected by a strong layer called the dura mater and is nourished by a special fluid called cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). This fluid gives our nerves the nutrients they need and helps remove toxins. It's very important to keep our spine free of blockages. We use seven gateways in the spine to find out what's causing problems. These gateways are places where nerves help our organs and glands work properly.

The base gateway: the coccyx

The first gateway is at the base of your spine, called the coccyx or tailbone. Think of how a dog tucks its tail when it's scared, that's similar to what happens to your coccyx when you go through something stressful or traumatic. This puts your body into "fight or flight" mode. In this mode, your body is just trying to survive, not grow or thrive. Thriving means doing well and growing, while surviving is just about getting by with basic needs like food and water. When the base gateway is blocked, you might feel ungrounded, like you can't relax.

When this gateway is blocked, it can affect the other gateways, too. This puts stress on your nervous system and can change how your body handles things like your immune system, blood flow, digestion and even your ability to express yourself or be creative.

How the base gateway affects breathing

Try this: squeeze your glutes (your butt muscles) and take a deep breath. Now, relax them and take another deep breath. Do you feel the difference? When the base gateway is blocked, it can even affect how well you breathe.

Your body can't heal properly if it's stuck in fight or flight mode. Fight and flight mode is great when a tiger is chasing you, but not so much when just sitting behind a desk.

How much stress can we handle?

Stress is a part of life, but how much can our bodies take? How many problems like anxiety, depression and nervous system issues come from being in fight or flight mode for too long?

How spinal flow helps

Spinal Flow Technique is a team effort. The practitioner gently touches certain points on your spine to help your brain find and fix blockages. This helps the CSF flow better, clearing blockages and helping you feel healthier. Your job is to notice where stress affects your body and what things in your life might be making you feel stressed.

The issues are in your tissues! Visit http://www.spinalflowtehachapi.com or call (661) 749-4015 today. Wishing you a joyous day!