STRESS - something that is more times than not, thought of as a pathology. This buzz word is being used as a cause & determining factor of various diseases. While too much of it can deteriorate our body, has anyone ever mentioned that you may NEED stress?
We're finding out now with new research using Heart Rate Variability that our body thrives on the RIGHT AMOUNT of stress. Positive stress, also known as eustress, is what we subject our bodies to when we are exercising. Humans thrive with challenge, it is one of the ways we allow continued physiologic flexibility, adaptation, growth and ultimately evolution.
What do parkinson’s, heart attack’s and seizures all have in common? The body's inability to adapt to change - too much regularity within the system. So when we aren't stressing our bodies in the right way, the body will respond in decreased efficiency to handle day to day challenges - leading to disease.
The issue we are seeing in today's "go-go-go" society, is that we stay in this stressFULL, hyper-vigilant state all the time. Never giving our body time to recover, rest, balance. This is where Living Adjusted Family Wellness Center is here to help.
Through the chiropractic adjustment we take your over-stressed, hyper-vigilant system and create space for integration. This nervous system focused care can balance the body in a way to be able to better adapt to daily stressors & more efficiently integrate eustress- such as exercise. It is like your "recovery day" on steroids. Here we are simply comparing “eustress” and “distress” not even considering the multiple types of distress our systems are placed under on a daily basis - more to come on that later.
One incredible way to measure the amount of stress your body is placed under is through Heart Rate Variability (HRV). As health care providers, we want to see an increased variability in heart rate, showing that your body is adapting efficiently. When we don’t see much variation (think sedentary lifestyle OR constant high cortisol mediated stress “flight or flight mode”) - again we’re seeing higher incidence of disease (Parkinson’s, heart attacks, Alzheimer’s). This increase in physiological phenomenon of variation for time interval between heartbeats (HRV) essentially allows positive stress to be used effectively.
More research is coming out every day, but Zhang studies have revealed individual's INCREASE in Heart Rate Variability simply by receiving regular CHIROPRACTIC CARE. Dr. Molly did her own little experiment this summer using the Whoop HRV monitor and noticed consistently better recovery scores on weeks where she received chiropractic adjustments. This tool also allowed her to enhance body literacy, knowing the actual amount of strain placed on the body with certain workouts. Surprisingly enough, 45 minutes of snorkeling took the cake for highest strain score (full body workout with restricted breathing & immersed in nature - SCORE) - we could all use more of this added to our weekly regimen.
While all of this is amazing, we don’t need science to reveal to us the impact chiropractic care can have. Many of you reading here, have had an experience with care that cannot be summed up in a blog post or conveyed modern metrics. But every single time we read research on how far reaching clearing the channel of communication between the brain and the body is - ins’t your mind blown? So unbelievably grateful every day to get to work with the most intricate, unknown, dynamic living system - the human body.
Thanks for geeking out with me.
Interested in learning more about the HRV I wore? Click here. Interested in finding a vitalistic chiropractor in your area? Reach out!