The Impact of Stress

I’m sure it goes without saying, the impact of stress has affected society more than ever before; and it doesn’t matter whether it’s physical, chemical, mental or emotional. The sheer volume is having a huge impact on our brain and nerve system function. We all know that stress, especially chronic stress, is bad for our health in many ways but did you know that it can also be generational? Stress, if left unchecked, can be passed down through generations! I know that might sound strange but let me unpack this from a neurological perspective. 

I have often heard throughout the years, “Oh ya, my whole family has a history of having “bad backs”, or “My mom and my grandma both had terrible posture, so it must be in my genes.” While there can be morphological differences/tendencies within ethnicities or even genetic orthopedic conditions, it’s definitely not the case the majority of the time. The biggest factor in familial tendencies starts with the proper, or in many cases, improper function of the nerve system. For most of you reading this, you understand that the birthing process can cause misalignments in a newborn’s spine. However, it may be hard to believe, but neurological stress can even start in-utero! If a mom is living in significant stress while pregnant, the nerve system of the child within, will also be stressed.

When mom is stressed, her fight-or-flight response is activated which increases the activation of the amygdala. When amygdala function is elevated, especially over the long term, it causes underdevelopment of the thalamus and frontal lobe which causes an increase in anxiety, distress, confusion and aggression. We all know and understand how certain things can harm a baby in-utero, such as drinking and smoking, sustaining falls and physical traumas, but the cascade of stress outlined above can also be harmful to the baby’s neurological development. If left unchecked; the impact of stress can create generational patterns over time (stressed moms give birth to stressed kiddos, who give birth to more stressed kiddos). 

So why does this matter? When a baby starts life with increased amygdala function and consequently an under-developed thalamus, their ability to coordinate movement as well as activate and develop strong postural muscles will be impeded (delay in hitting developmental milestones, inability to sustain tummy time). When it comes to development, motor precedes cognition, meaning proper cognitive function depends first on proper movement patterns. It’s a cascade that if left unchecked can result in developmental delays and ultimately chronic and degenerative illnesses down the road.

Obviously, we are looking at this from a 30 000 ft view and there are many factors in each subjective case, but the literature is becoming more and more conclusive that stress creating neurological dysfunction precedes the vast majority of conditions. 

So what can we do? Thankfully, there are many things that can help and regular chiropractic care is one of the biggest things we can do to influence proper nerve system regulation, function and development, and reduce the stress that leads to dysregulation. Not only does an adjustment immediately break the stress response in the body no matter your age, but an adjustment activates the prefrontal cortex (frontal lobe) which inhibits the primitive brain (amygdala), allowing for proper neurological function as well as promoting optimal motor and cognitive development. This is why we always recommend that kids (as well as their parents) get regular chiropractic care and check ups to ensure optimal development because a healthy child turns into a healthy adult and healthy adults then raise healthy children. Chiropractic care, when used as it should be, is about so much more than just a couple of cracks to get out of pain. It ultimately allows you and your family members to express full neurological function and development which leads to living an abundant life for generations to come.

If you haven’t gotten your family members checked, now is the time! It is Chiropractic Opportunity Month which means $19 checkups for the whole family and which lays the foundation for a healthier next generation. Get started today.