Stress
Stress and tension
When your body hasn't had a chance to settle and unwind, it shows up in many ways.
Stress isn't only in your head. Part of your stress response is physical: your muscles tighten, your breathing gets shallower and your body stays ready for action. When pressure is ongoing, your nervous system can stay in that state, and over time it affects how you feel, sleep and cope.
How stress can show up
Neck, shoulder, jaw and back tension
Headaches
Trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep
Feeling tired, wired or on edge
Clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth
Digestive upsets
Feeling overwhelmed, or that your body isn't quite right
These can all have other causes, and any one of them on its own may not just be due to stress. When several show up together, though, we find that stress becomes a more likely cause.
How we work with it
Spinal Somatics is a gentle, precise approach to chiropractic that uses quite light, brief contacts to work with the tension your nervous system is holding. We pay particular attention to the upper neck and pelvis, which are rich in sensory input to your nervous system. The aim isn't to talk you out of stress. It's to reduce the physical load your body is carrying, particularly when stress has been ongoing, so it can settle more easily. There are no forceful techniques involved. In our experience, when your nervous system responds, the change tends to last and builds from visit to visit.
Honest advice
We explain what we're finding and what we recommend. If someone else would serve you better, we'll tell you and happily refer. In the case of mental and emotional stress and overwhelm, we regularly work alongside therapists, counsellors and psychologists.
What your first visit looks like
We start by listening: what's going on for you, where you feel it in your body, and how your sleep and day-to-day life are going. We check how you hold tension and breathe, then explain what we find and what we recommend. Your first visit is typically 1 hour., and regular visits are around 15 minutes.
Common questions
Do I need to talk about what's stressing me? Only as much as you'd like to. We'll ask about your life because it's relevant, but you choose what to share.
How will I know if it's working? We check in on how your body is feeling every visit, how you sleep and how you're coping day to day, and we review this with you regularly.
Meet Dr Stephen Foster [here]