Anxiety and depression — alongside other mental health issues — have become the scourge of the 21st century. Millions of people worldwide, whose livelihoods are affected by symptoms of excessive worry and fear, sadness, hopelessness, and disinterest in life, turn to expensive medical treatments to bounce back from their rut of joylessness and rediscover the beauty of life, and relationships, and work productivity. But bottles of medication and endless psychotherapy sessions are not the only paths to recovery, as more and more patients turn to alternative therapies like chiropractic care for natural relief!
How Many Americans Deal With Anxiety and Depression?
The prevalence of mental health disorders in the United States is a matter of grave concern. According to the statistics gathered by Johns Hopkins University, 1 in 4 adults has received a mental disorder diagnosis in a given year, with anxiety disorders co-occurring with depressive illnesses in numerous patients. Moreover, 1 in 10 American adults will deal with a depressive illness in their lifetime (e.g., major depression or bipolar disorder), whereas almost 1 in 5 American adults receive an anxiety disorder diagnosis in a given year. The numbers speak for themselves, proving there are never enough avenues to alleviate anxiety and depression symptoms.
What are the Most Common Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression?
The most common physical symptoms of anxiety and depression are:
- Constant fatigue
- Inability to relax or sleep
- Muscle stiffness or tension
- Severe pain
- Tension headaches and migraines
These painful symptoms gradually affect the patient’s quality of life, engendering feelings of sadness, loneliness, and disinterest in life. The more these physical symptoms are allowed to persist, the harder it will be to alleviate them. That is why more and more patients combine established treatment avenues with less invasive alternatives, such as chiropractic treatment!
What are the Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Anxiety and Depression?
Chiropractic adjustments offer a noninvasive alternative to traditional treatment approaches for anxiety and depression, such as medication and psychotherapy. While in no way acts as a replacement, chiropractic care helps alleviate physical symptoms of anxiety and depression while improving signs of spinal misalignment. Not all cases of anxiety and depression are the same, and what works for one person may not work for another, so check with your medical professional before including chiropractic care in your treatment.
Improving Spinal Misalignments
The primary goal of chiropractic care is to promote the body’s natural ability to heal itself. By correcting spinal misalignments, chiropractors aim to reduce nerve interference, which can affect bodily functions. Since the central nervous system controls all bodily functions, including the release of mood-regulating hormones, it’s no surprise that some patients choose chiropractic care to relieve their anxiety and depression symptoms.
Relieving Your Stress
One theory behind how chiropractic care helps with anxiety and depression is related to the body’s stress response. 
Stress is a natural response to challenging situations by triggering the release of hormones like cortisol, oxytocin, and adrenaline. These hormones prepare the body to respond to stressors by increasing heart, blood, and breathing rates. However, chronic stress can lead to an overactive stress response, contributing to anxiety and depression. Studies have shown that spinal manipulations can reduce cortisol levels and improve the body’s stress response. By reducing stress levels and alleviating pain, chiropractic care alleviates anxiety and depression symptoms.
Improving Your Sleep Patterns
Another way that chiropractic care may help with anxiety and depression is by improving sleep quality. Disturbed sleep patterns are common in people with mental health conditions, affecting their overall health and well-being. Spinal manipulation can provide promising results toward improving sleep quality by reducing pain and muscle tension. Better sleep quality will better your mood while alleviating anxiety and depression symptoms!
Bettering Your Overall Health
All-natural chiropractic care will also help with anxiety and depression by improving overall physical health. Exercise is known to have mood-alleviating effects, and chiropractic care boosts joint mobility and reduces pain, allowing patients to engage in physical activity more freely. Furthermore, exercise releases endorphins, i.e., natural mood-boosting hormones that reduce anxiety and depression symptoms.
Lowering Your Blood Pressure
Lower blood pressure is another key benefit of chiropractic care. High blood pressure goes hand in hand with elevated stress levels in patients with anxiety and depression. Multiple studies have concluded that chiropractic adjustments and massage therapy help bring blood pressure levels within healthy parameters, empowering patients to manage their own anxiety symptoms and stress through an all-natural solution.
Let Chiropractic Care Improve Your Mental Health!
At the Bergen Chiropractic and Sports Rehabilitation Center, our chiropractic team, led by Dr. Gregory Doerr, follows the highest and most professional medical standards to provide superior chiropractic help. Our mission is to provide unparalleled patient care through chiropractic sessions and services in a comfortable healing atmosphere. Access our contact form or call us at (201) 945-4075 to learn more about our chiropractic services! Our chiropractic offices at 532 Anderson Avenue, Cliffside Park, NJ 07010, and 62 Summit Ave, Hackensack, NJ 07601, are ready to welcome you as we proudly serve New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, PA, and Baltimore, MD, areas. Also, feel free to access our blog, Facebook, and Instagram pages for more information on chiropractic treatments!
References
- Depression, Anxiety, Mental Health and Chiropractic Care, www.rtor.org/2019/02/21/mental-health-and-chiropractic-care/. Accessed 3 Mar. 2023.
- Aicaos. “Does Chiropractic Care Help with Anxiety and Depression?” AICA Orthopedics, 29 June 2020, aica.com/does-chiropractic-care-help-with-anxiety-and-depression/. Accessed 3 Mar. 2023.
- “Mental Health Disorder Statistics.” JHM, 1 Feb. 2023, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/mental-health-disorder-statistics. Accessed 3 Mar. 2023.
