Standing How You Feel

WYLD Health

Feb 4

The way we stand, sit, and move through our day both reflects and impacts on how we feel. There are 6 basic categories of emotion that are recognized in facial expressions across a wide range of cultures. But we don’t just wear our emotions on our faces, we also express them in the way we hold ourselves, and if we don’t feel good this can have a negative impact on our health over time.

As the pandemic drags on many of us feel quite literally weighed down with anxiety. This can manifest in the body as tension held in the shoulders and neck as the head shifts forward and the shoulders roll in, compressing the diaphragm and increasing the load on the lower back. Just as our bodies are not designed to sit at a desk for long periods, we do not thrive on anxiety. That is not to say that stress is all bad, for 400 million years our evolution has depended on our innate stress response, which fills us with adrenaline when faced with danger, allowing us to either fight back or run like the wind - the right amount of stress at the right time can be very motivating. Once the threat has passed, a normal stress response should end, returning the body to a relaxed state where more sedentary activities take place, like digesting lunch or healing a wound. As always, balance is key. Although we no longer have to deal with sabretooth tigers and wildebeests, we have evolved into complex creatures in an equally complex world filled with countless opportunities for stress: deadlines, money, relationships, traffic, pandemics…while these may not be life or death situations the body can become so accustomed to the stress response that we can remain stuck there, with sweaty palms, shallow breath and a racing heart and mind. Believing that we are under attack, the brain diverts precious resources to the muscles, leaving less energy for the thousands of vital tasks involved in maintaining good health; like absorbing nutrients from food, removing toxins and repairing damaged tissues. Overtime, this uneven distribution of energy can leave us feeling depleted and fatigued, with stiff muscles that we cannot seem to relax…sound familiar?

The goal of chiropractic is to get your spine moving properly, restoring the connection between the brain and the body so that your nervous system can react appropriately to the challenges in your life. Chiropractic adjustments can encourage a healthy balance of stress and relaxation, freeing your body from unnecessary tension and improving the way you stand, sit, move and feel.

Auckland acupuncture — Come and visit us at WYLD Chiropractic!

How Chiropractic Care Can Help

Postural changes are known to affect the structural integrity of the spine and cause nerve related issues. This means that the bones that make up the spine aren’t moving as they should. This affects the surrounding spinal muscles which contain sensory receptors that act as “eyes for the brain.”

Areas of spinal dysfunction will cause the surrounding muscles to act as protective muscles instead and will send incorrect signals to the brain about the body. The brain will perceive these signals as normal and adapt to it causing an inflammation process in that area. Chiropractors will find those dysfunctional areas and perform a high velocity, low amplitude adjustment. This will stretch the surrounding muscles and help re-establish normal processing within the brain. This will allow the brain to have greater awareness of what’s going on in the body, help in the prevention of muscle fatigue and help in the proper alignment of the spine. (Haavik et al, 2021).

What To Expect At Your First Chiropractic Visit

An initial Chiropractic exam for back pain will typically have three parts: a consultation, case history, and physical examination. Laboratory analysis and X-ray examination may be performed.

Consultation. The patient meets with the chiropractor and provides a brief synopsis of his or her lower back pain, such as:
- Duration and frequency of symptoms
- Description of the symptoms (e.g. burning, throbbing)
- Areas of pain
- What makes the pain feel better (e.g. sitting, stretching)
- What makes the pain feel worse (e.g. standing, lifting).
Case history. The chiropractor identifies the area(s) of complaint and the nature of the back pain by asking questions and learning more about different areas of the patient's history, including:
- Family history
- Dietary habits
- Past history of other treatments (chiropractic, osteopathic, medical and other)
- Occupational history
- Psychosocial history
- Other areas to probe, often based on responses to above questions
- Physical examination. A chiropractor may utilize a variety of methods to determine the spinal segments that require chiropractic treatments, including but not limited to static and motion palpation techniques determining spinal segments that are hypo mobile (restricted in their movement) or fixated. Depending on the results of the above examination, a chiropractor may use additional diagnostic tests, such as:
  1. X-ray to locate subluxations (the altered position of the vertebra)
  2. A device that detects the temperature of the skin in the paraspinal region to identify spinal areas with a significant temperature variance that requires manipulation.
    Chiropractors are trained in a variety of methods to assess the underlying cause of the problem, including:
    1. Evaluation and management services. Chiropractors are trained in examining the joints, bones, muscles and tendons of the spine, head, extremities and other areas of the body with the purpose of noting any misalignment, tenderness, asymmetry, defects or other problems.
      Neurologic and other common physical examination procedures. Chiropractors are trained to perform a variety of neurologic tests (nerve root compression/tension, motor strength, coordination, deep tendon and pathological reflexes, etc.) and are skilled in performing orthopedic, cardiovascular and many other common examinations.
      Specialised assessment. Chiropractors are trained to assess range of motion, stability, muscle strength, muscle tone and other assessments with the lower back.
      Common diagnostic studies. Chiropractors are trained in use of diagnostic studies and tools such as radiography (X-rays), laboratory diagnostics and neurodiagnostics.