“Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.”
― Anthony J. D’Angelo
Seasons change and adapt – how about you? As we welcome the hint of autumn in the air, it’s a great time of year to celebrate the system that controls all the others. Our nervous systems are constantly – and often quietly – allowing our body, soul and spirit to adapt and respond to the world around us. Whether (or weather!) it’s getting used to sunsets happening early enough to enjoy them again, regulating the excitement and challenge of new school activities, or simply channeling blood flow away from our arms and legs to keep our core warm on a chilly morning, the nervous system is responsible for coordinating the rest of your body’s systems. One major way it accomplishes this balancing act is by tuning the 2 branches of the autonomic nervous system, the division of our nervous system that regulates the functions we don’t consciously control. The sympathetic branch is like the “gas pedal,” stimulating stress responses, keeping blood pressure from dipping too low, providing a burst of adrenaline for your upcoming exam…or dealing with that grizzly bear on the trail! The parasympathetic branch is like a “brake pedal,” helping us relax and digest our food, enjoy bonding moments with family, or lower our heart rate when relaxing by the lake. This happens without us thinking about it.
Sometimes though, as the body responds to the various stresses of life it can get stuck in an excess of sympathetic response. This may lead to high cortisol and adrenalin, causing a variety of symptoms such as depression and anxiety, or difficulty sleeping or thinking clearly. Chiropractic care doesn’t put anything into or removing anything from the body, but focuses on caring for the nervous system by removing any interference to the “innate intelligence” or programming we all have from the womb. Often this is through decreasing sympathetic activity and stimulating the parasympathetic response. The body is very smart! It may just need a little adjustment to keep us adapting and changing optimally with the seasons, stresses, and joy of life. Rather than staying “in shorts” when the days get chilly, we all naturally adapt to the changes around us. Likewise, getting adjusted allows our highly responsive nervous systems to regulate the less obvious functions of the body so we can function at peak potential – whatever the season.
Welcome the CHANGE!
