We discuss the common question: is a chiropractor good for you? People visit our site and sometimes ask about natural treatment for anxiety or even seeing a chiropractor for ADHD.
I have been seeing a chiropractor for several years now. I didn’t go to the chiropractor for anxiety. My motivation was a back injury. In addition to my back pain, though, I have actually found her quite helpful and knowledgeable about wellness in general.Now I’m not suggesting that you go to a chiropractor for your anxiety or panic attacks as a cure-all for these conditions. But some fundamental lessons arose that I definitely want to share.
My chiropractor explained that there are many adjustments that can help conditions in a very practical way. For instance pain from an injury or bad alignment can bother you and contribute to your anxiety and irritability, so alleviating such pain will eliminate at least one possible source of your anxiety. Interesting but not ground breaking. However there’s more…
So, is a Chiropractor Good for You?
You see my chiropractor not only helped with my back pain, she also helped alleviate my headaches (which was an added bonus), and also, as mentioned, she has provided additional tips along the way, for example, if I take Tylenol for my headaches, I should take the herb Milk Thistle (which helps liver function which is impaired by this drug) and I should drink more water, etc. Please note: this article is not about recommending Milk Thistle, which should always be discussed with your doctor…there is a broader fundamental at work here
Another important fundamental my chiropractor embraced. She taught me various exercises to help with my chiropractic care. She tells her patients that she can only help them so much and that they need to do their part too (referring to exercises, taking care of themselves). This illustrates another fundamental of recovery: you have to be proactive in your own recovery. This applies to all conditions. Mr. Paul Huljik who authored an article on the Psychology Today website indicates that the change in mindset is vital and the gateway to progress.
Of course such sage advice might be obvious to some, but I think sometimes people (anxiety and panic attack sufferers included) don’t consider how the practical and fundamental things can help their overall wellness and even problems like anxiety and panic attacks. For instance, while I’ve mentioned many times that a holistic response makes the most sense for panic attack sufferer, (by holistic I mean overall and comprehensive, not something far out there) I think it’s easy to get off track and miss the basic fundamentals such as taking care of the practical problems in life and being proactive which can be a huge boost for your wellness.
So … in a sense these principles go beyond a chiropractor for anxiety…
Here are just some basic things I’ve previously shared in this website (which have been helpful to me and others with panic attacks):
– Walking
– Breathing / meditation exercises to relax your body
– Working on your thoughts with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to find the distortions and then substituting a healthier and more realistic thought.
– An exercise to reverse your panic attacks by calming your physiology
One question: have you consistently been doing these things? If not, why not?
While an individual exercise may not seem like much on its own, when done collectively and comprehensively (as mentioned this is what I mean by holistic) these exercises can be quite effective.
I’m not trying to be obnoxious or arrogant here at all. But I do want to raise a point though. Not only do you need to carry out these proactive exercises: you need to do them CONSISTENTLY! Such fundamentals are quite universal in their application.
Here’s where I’m headed with this: have you ever noticed that when you’ve really had to do something with your work, for example, you sometimes have to force yourself through the process, but in the end you got the job done? Had you not pushed yourself to follow through, you would have been completely ineffective (not to mention probably fired eventually if it happened often enough).
Well the same consistent, proactive, follow-through is essential to getting better. If you’ve just been reading information from this website or from other sources, without being proactive, then this will be ineffective for your own recovery from anxiety.
However, once you consistently do things to expand your wellness habits in an overall fashion I think you’ll not only notice an improvement with your anxiety but life in general! Bottom line: embrace a chiropractor for anxiety? Maybe. But most importantly: embrace the fundamentals of recovery.
Reference (Chiropractor for Anxiety)
Arcadia Health and Wellness Chiropractic. Retrieved July 1, 2017 , from:
The Mental Health Benefits Associated with Chiropractic Care
Canadian Chiropractic Association. Retrieved July 1, 2017 , from:
https://www.chiropractic.ca/
Huljik, P. Psychology Today. 2012 August 21. Retrieved September 2, 2012, from:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mind-wellness-awareness/201208/take-charge