A teenagers journey from exhaustion, anxiety and frequent panic attacks to finally be able to experience normal life, health, healing and resilience
Exhaustion. Sluggish immune system. Extreme anxiety. Chronic pains. Unable to attend school and frequent panic attacks. This was what one of the teens that we take care of at Advanced Health Chiropractic was experiencing.
However, she actually sought care for very different reasons. She came with a back injury from the weekend prior and was wanting help to feel better. Yet between all of the above issues and challenges she was facing, this teen and her family believed the back pain to be the one to sort out as they had all but lost hope their lives could get any better dealing with the other stuff going on.
When we dug a bit deeper, we discovered this family was working with councillors, social workers, school support and their GP to find a way forward. She was newly medicated and had no idea the power chiropractic care could have in restoring life for her and their family.
What they also didn’t know is the potential role that prenatal stress and the birth process could have also played in current health outcomes, along with all sorts of ‘usual’ life stressors up until this point.
We got straight to it, scanning and assessing this teen knowing full well that a connected brain and body would be essential in un-winding any dysfunctional patterns in the nervous system, and building up the ones to bring about health, healing and resilience.
Lucky for this teen, the commitment from her and family meant we were able to get to the bottom of what was driving such diminished levels in her health and start helping.
As you’ll see in the bottom of this article, life for this family completely changed. Be sure to listen to our Podcast Episode 54 to get the full story.
What is the nervous system
The nervous system is responsible for coordinating all functions of the body, it does this through clear communication between the brain and body and vice versa.
When working well, this system allows for usual physiological function and enables our body to bring about self-healing and regulating qualities. These qualities are innate and allow our bodies to always strive for health and wellbeing.
Such examples of this could include growth, sleep, movement, and learning. Our nervous system responds and adapts constantly to stressors, the three areas of stressors are:
- Chemical Stressors
- Physical Stressors
- Mental, or Emotional Stressors
In our daily lives our nervous system must constantly respond and adapt to the food we eat, what we put into or onto our bodies (think medications, body products etc), the positions we occupy, sports we play, to-do lists, friendships, exams and the list goes on.
Additionally, some of the less thought about stressors are those we would have been exposed to at the very beginning. The prenatal environment and birth process can have a profound impact on our nervous system and the way in which it regulates our body going forward.
What happens when it is working well
Health!
A well-functioning nervous system is designed to handle and adapt to stress. We tend to find that when our nervous system is functioning optimally, it is able to adapt and have great resilience. We are then better equipped to heal and recover from coughs or colds, experience less injuries, enjoy better sporting and physical performance, or simply feel more ourselves.
The way in which your nervous system is working can be measured in our practice by using the Insight CLA scans. They will tell us about your
- Capacity for stress
- Energy efficiency and/or exhaustion
- Communication between the brain and body
Those families seeking chiropractic care with Advanced Health Chiropractic are doing so for optimal nervous system function, and better health outcomes for themselves and their children for years to come.
What happens when it is not working well
You simply cannot experience life as you were designed to do.
A dysregulated or stressed out nervous system is less able to bring about usual function in the body. You may notice signs of this across all stages from newborn right up until adulthood, however the funny thing is many people miss the common signs and wait until breaking point before seeking help. It’s when the small things become big things and suddenly life and wellbeing just isn’t what it used to be.
If you’ve heard about our birth and newborn series on the podcast, you will understand how colic, difficulty latching, chronic constipation and immune challenges all set the scene for future health challenges to come.
Kids do not grow out of these issues, they simply grow into them in a different form. For our family we mentioned at the beginning of this article, those challenges had now taken form as ADHD, anxiety and exhaustion.
How does chiropractic help
Chiropractic care allows for proper communication between the brain and body, meaning the nervous system can function as it was intended to do.
With regular checks and adjustments, your body’s function and capacity for stress is continually measured to make sure your momentum for health is greater than the stressors bringing you down.
The families who seek care at Advanced Health Chiropractic are doing so because they continue to experience the benefits of healthier, happier families.
Whether you are starting with a problem, or simply focusing on optimal health and wellbeing – this is the place for you.
So back to our teen story……
She is thriving, and so is this whole family!
They have recently been able to celebrate a full term at school, feeling confident in public places, reduced medication, better healing from coughs and colds and the best thing… ? A happier teenager, and therefore a happier family!
In their own words “She is back!” and finally able to experience normal life and all the fun that being a teenager can bring. Hear the rest of this success story on the podcast here.