Your nervous system is the “master computer” of your body, controlling it’s many functions and complex systems seamlessly to keep you healthy and functioning correctly in Gilbert AZ. It is devised up of the Somatic Nervous System (SNS) and Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), the former which you are under the control of and the latter which you are not. The Autonomic Nervous System, or “ANS”, does basically everything that you can not consciously do yourself and dictates many aspects of our health. While we cannot control it, we can influence our ANS to allow our body to function at it’s best.

Stress: The Key Driver Of ANS Function in Gilbert AZ

The ANS is divided up into two parts: the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic nervous system, or “fight, flight, or fright” response, is exactly what it sounds like. If a lion ran into your room and let out a loud “ROARRRR!”, what would your heart rate do? What about your blood pressure? Would you be breathing fast or slow? You see, we are all familiar with this stress response and how it makes us feel. We don’t sleep well, we feel agitated, fatigued, and many times we are hyper-aware of our normal aches and pains. Our body has focused all of its resources on one thing: Survival.

Reducing Sympathetic Tone for Optimal Health

Sympathetic tone has often been used as a term for our baseline state of stress. The lower our sympathetic tone, the more we dive into our parasympathetic state, also called the “rest and digest” response. Exactly as you’d think, this is when our body is healing, recovering, digesting food, and sleeping. Our body does not detect that it’s survival is at stake and therefore moves its resources toward a long, healthy, and prosperous life. This state makes us feel GOOD, makes us feel relaxed, and helps our body recover from exercise or injuries.

How Chiropractic Care Can Help Reduce Nervous System Stress

Your spine plays an integral role in protecting your nervous system both physically and neurologically. When the structures of the spine are irritated due to dysfunction (lack of mobility OR too much mobility) this can cause an increase in sympathetic tone and big problems for your health. Chiropractic care improves the function of your nervous system by diagnosing and treating dysfunctions in your spine. When your body manages stress on the nervous system properly, you can see improvements in your sleep quality, your energy levels, your immune system function, and an overall sense of well being. Schedule an evaluation today and find out how you can take back control of your health!