Chiropractic, a healing tool against stress at work

Work-related stress is an increasingly widespread condition, with effects on health, both physical and mental, but also on performance and productivity at work. According to Eurostat data, stress is the second most common health problem among workers, after musculoskeletal disorders. As a result, awareness of the need to take action against stress is also increasing. 

Good stress

The human body has the ability to regulate itself automatically according to the stimuli it perceives, both from the body itself and from the external environment. It is controlled by the Autonomic Nervous System, with two antagonistic but closely connected parts: the Sympathetic System and the Parasympathetic System.

Under stress, the hypothalamus, a small part of our brain, sends a series of neurological and hormonal signals that activate the adrenal glands, releasing hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. This reaction is associated with the Sympathetic Nervous System, which sends the whole body the message “focus your energy on the systems that allow you to survive and forget the rest”. As a result, functions that are not essential for survival, such as digestion, reproduction, immunity, rest or emotional well-being, are stopped until further notice. This stress allows us to use all our resources in order to survive in a situation that is potentially dangerous for us.

The problem is that our body is unable to differentiate, and therefore responds in a similar way, between a lion that might attack us or a boss who calls us to his office…

Bad stress; when it becomes chronic

The body’s stress response system usually and should end once the threat has ceased, so that normal values are restored. But when you feel constantly “under attack” or under pressure, at least subjectively, when stressors are always present, the body’s “fight or flight” reaction remains active.

Long-term activation of the stress response system and overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones can disrupt almost every process in your body. This increases the risk of many health problems, such as anxiety, depression, heavy or slow digestion, reduced fertility, headaches and back pain, osteoarticular injuries, muscle tension, heart and vascular diseases, insomnia, impaired memory and concentration, and so on.