We're trapped! Trapped by stress, that is. Stress at work, stress at home, it actually is the new epidemic.

Stress is a standard part of life and a certain amount of stress is the stimulant we want to achieve our goals. It’s when stress becomes constant that our bodies become overwhelmed and strained.

When stressed, our bodies release adrenalin and a collection of reactions take place. Heart rate increases, muscles tense, blood pressure rises, pupils distend, your body jumps to order making ready to fight or retreat. The body also shuts down functions not needed for instant survival, for example the immune and digestive systems, selecting instead to funnel all available energy to the situation at hand.

This response is crucial to surviving any perilous situation; nonetheless the body reacts to physical, emotional and chemical stress in all the same way—regardless of whether you are in the trail of a speeding car or wrestling with a conflict at work, your body jumps to order preparing for your next reaction. If stress continues over a time period, the body gets locked into this defense reaction and it’s this long-term stress that causes you body to evolve in ways that are unhealthy. The Centers for Illness Control cites a major link between stress and the number 1 causes of death; coronary disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide.

Most likely, you've never considered chiropractic for stress relief. Many individuals think of chiropractic doctors as back and neck doctors when we are really doctors of the nerve system. To completely comprehend the connection between chiropractic, the nervous system and stress relief, we first must understand the way the body works.

Each of us is born with an inborn intelligence that keeps us functioning every minute of our lives. This intelligence is far better than our educated minds. Although you didn't consciously tell your body how it wanted to perform today, among its detailed list of accomplishments, it will digest your morning breakfast, provide the energy for your morning run and heal yesterday’s paper cut. All this is accomplished through your nerve system, which is the master system of the body, controlling and coordinating every function.

One major cause of physical stress is vertebral subluxation complex, the technical term used to refer to misalignments of the backbone. Spinal misalignments interfere with the nervous system, causing stress on the body, as well as compromising the body’s capability to adjust to stress. Untreated, they can end up in any amount of conditions including headaches, digestive problems, back and neck pain, reduced immunity and a lot more. The task of the chiropractor is to remove these subluxations with an alteration, relieving the stress to the nerve system and permitting the body to function at its actual potential.

While many people resort to treating symptoms with medicine, this does nothing to correct the fundamental root of the problem. Chiropractic itself does not treat these conditions, but instead removes the stress from the nervous system, allowing the body to function better. Then, we watch as the body amazingly heals itself!

When this happens, we see miracles. We have had patients that were told they were infertile who managed to conceive after correcting subluxations in their spine. Kids suffering from chronic ear infections no longer required antibiotics. Migraine sufferers were able live an active life without pain medication.

Regular chiropractic changes are the ultimate stress-relieving technique. Removing subluxations guarantees that you are not only getting relief for your symptoms, but are correcting any underlying conditions that might be impedeing your body’s performance.

Scott Seborg is a consultant in hyperbaric oxygen therapy San Diego and drug rehab Organge County advocate.