The headline to this blog post may seem strange to you. After all, what does the economy or news outlets have to do with your back?
According to the Johns Hopkins Health Alerts, quite a bit.
The Health Alert entitled, “Back Pain and Osteoporosis Special Report: The Mind Body Connection,” reads “A growing number of studies affirm that the mind-body connection also plays a role in back pain, both in setting off an initial ‘back pain attack’ and in contributing to ongoing chronic pain.”
The Health Alert went on to say psychological distress increases the risk of developing back pain, followed by a slow recovery.
This is what’s very interesting: One study found “catastrophizing” increased the risk of getting back pain.
This, the writer explained, is largely due to the ‘fight or flight’ mechanism. During this stress response, your body produces chemicals to make you hyper-alert. This causes muscles to tense up and even go into spasm.
It is important to understand this today, because every time you turn on the television, radio, or cable news station, someone is reminding you our economy is a catastrophe; the worst economic times since the great depression… and that the world may be on the verge of a financial collapse. This is not to say the situation is not bad; but, “catastrophizing” may be giving you a life of aches and pains.
There are many thing you can do to stop this cycle. Breathing exercises, stretching, prayer, meditation and exercise will all help.
CHIROPRACTIC CARE CAN OFTEN BE A GREAT STRESS REDUCER AND A TIME TO JUST RELAX AND GET AWAY FROM IT ALL.
The bottom line is: There may be nothing YOU can personally do to change our economy, so it makes no sense to constantly stress over it and get sick. If you find yourself listening to news channels and talk radio, and feeling angry and helpless, perhaps it is time to take a break from the negativity. Listen to classical music, read uplifting books, go back to the hobby or activity you most enjoy. Take care of the things that you can personally influence, and this shift away from the negatives can have a positive influence on your health!
