Chiropractic Care: A Natural Way to Combat Addictive Behaviors
When you hear the word “addiction,” you might automatically think of alcohol or drug abuse, but people can actually be addicted to things other than substances, like stealing, lying, exercising, and disordered eating. Addiction is an umbrella term that refers to an action or substance that you can’t stop thinking about or wanting to do and that slowly begins to disrupt your life. Many addictive behaviors develop out of trying to manage pain, anxiety, or depression by seeking out substances or activities that temporarily make you feel better. However, these addictive behaviors can have significant negative effects on your life.
How Your Brain Responds to Addictive Behaviors
The brain is part of your central nervous system and communicates to the rest of your body through your spinal cord and nerves. When you participate in something that makes you feel good, your brain translates this as a reward and the messages it communicates to the body makes you want to feel that good and receive those rewarding messages again. Addiction can actually affect how your brain reacts to certain behaviors and ones that feel good and seem rewarding at first can turn destructive.
Another contributing factor to your brain’s response to addictive behaviors has to do with interferences in the way your brain is able to communicate to your body. Misalignments in the spine can actually interfere with the messages your brain is trying to send, so instead of feeling calm and relaxed you might get mixed signals that cause you to feel anxious or depressed. These misalignments, also known as subluxations, can put pressure on nearby nerves or even block certain signals from transmitting through your body. This can lead to more negative responses and feelings, which might make you turn to an addictive behavior in order to feel better. Misalignments can also hinder your progress in overcoming addictions and other unhealthy lifestyle habits, resulting in you feeling stuck for longer than necessary.
How Chiropractic Care Can Help with Addiction Treatment
Chiropractic care is a natural and effective way to correct misalignments in the spine and restore proper communication flow from your brain to the rest of your body. Gentle adjustments and other chiropractic techniques relieve pressure on nerves and the spine in order to help the right messages get through. Chiropractic care is also relaxing, both physically and mentally, and can help produce natural chemicals in your body that reduce anxiety, depression, and stress. While chiropractic care alone may not be enough to overcome your addiction, it will certainly help by helping your body function more optimally. It can also help you feel healthier and encourage a more positive outlook on your addiction treatment.
A variety of treatments are available for addictive behaviors, including counseling, medication, and rehabilitation programs. Chiropractic care can be a great, effective supplement to these treatment approaches without the risks of any negative side effects. By reducing stress and strain on your spine and nerves, a chiropractor can help support your overall functioning and health as part of the recovery process. Your chiropractor will use gentle adjustments and will encourage positive lifestyle changes, improved diet, and increased exercise so you can experience full healing and recovery.
If you or someone you know struggles with addictive behaviors, then Dr. Paige Roth at True Roots Chiropractic can help. If you live in the Des Moines area, call or visit us online to book an appointment today and learn more about how to combat addiction in a healthy and safe way!