This month we discuss the stress cycle and how it can lock into our nervous system laying the foundation for the perfect storm of sickness and disease. While it can seem far fetched to think that simple chiropractic adjustments can help someone with things like anxiety, depression and chronic pain, we've seen it happen time and again and the science doesn't lie.
Meet our Friend Simran. When Simran came to our clinic in the spring of 2022, she was at a really low point in her life. She had spent the previous 6 YEARS stuck in a cycle of pain and depression and had quickly become a of shell of the person she once was. She had been to many doctors and specialists searching for answers and help but kept struggling and falling deeper into pain and despair.
At my first meeting with Simran she was full of smiles which didn't really match her intake documents and history. As we sat together and discussed exactly what had been going on, she started opening up about her pain, frustration and despair. I knew we could help her, but it would take time.
After the initial assessment, our Chiropractic Doctors sat down to examine the results of Simran's neurofunctional scans. It was easy to see that Simran's autonomic nervous system was completely out of balance and had been that way for quite some time. The state of dysautonomia that her scans revealed explained why she was having such a hard time healing and feeling better. Her parasympathetic nervous system (aka The Brake Pedal) was no longer working the way it was intended and therefore her Vagus Nerve wasn't activating.
The Vagus Nerve has been nicknamed the “wandering nerve” because it originates from the brainstem, and then travels down along the cervical spine and spreads out throughout much of the upper body. It’s long been known to control vital functions of the heart, lungs, and digestive system, but we now know the Vagus Nerve does even more important work.
Recent research on the Vagus Nerve shows us that it’s also crucial in helping regulate our mood, emotions, and behavior. And still, other research continues to show how influential the Vagus Nerve is in regulating our immune system, especially in lowering inflammation.
No one could identify what the real issue was. With time it impacted my mental health as well. Honestly I lost hope that I’d ever get better but the thought of living with this severe back pain scared me.
We started Simran on an intensive Restoration Care Plan designed to turn on the inactive areas of her nervous system and rebalance her autonomic nervous activity - including her Vagus Nerve. We let her know that the years of built up physical, emotional and biochemical stressors would require more frequency in adjustments to get things unlocked before they could unwind and stabilize. Based on her neurofunctional scans, we knew exactly where to start and showed her the areas where stress had built up the most and was interfering with nerve flow.
The Health Scans helped me to better understand what’s going on with my body. What are the areas I need to work on that no doctor could ever help me with. I got a clearer picture of whenever I’m stressed it shows in my scan how it’s affecting my health. So it’s easier to work on yourself.
After a few weeks Simran started to feel much better and her scans started to improve. Her pain levels started to improve and she started noticing other improvements in her daily life that she didn't expect.
My pain level used to be at 9. It was excruciating. It has been decreased to a 5 and that’s a huge change since I tried many treatments in 6 years but nothing could ever help me.
My energy levels are up now. Before I couldn’t even cook or clean without triggering pain. I have noticed a huge change in my confidence too - I go out more. I don't suffer from panic attacks and I'm not afraid of meeting people.
I can see clearer as well after every adjustment and it’s such a relief. My sleep is improved a lot as well.
Watching Simran stick to her care plan and achieve all her benefits and improvements has been such an enjoyable process. Each day that she arrives for her appointment she is full of authentic smiles and her joy is infectious. We are truly blessed to have Simran in our lives and part of our community. When we asked Simran what her favourite part of Advanced Vitality is here's what she said:
I’m really grateful for the support. There was not a single day that I wasn't listened to. I must say if they weren't there for me I wouldn’t be able to come out of the darkest place of my life physically and mentally.
A huge congratulations to Simran for your commitment to the completion of your Restoration Care Plan and your Graduation into Wellness. You are truly an inspiration!
If Simran's story resonates with you and you want to find how our unique neurofunctional approach to chiropractic care can help you and your family, we invite you to reach out via email or DM - we have some wonderful Care Coordinators waiting to help you change your life too!