BODY HEALTH
By Danielle Warner DC
The other day I woke up on the wrong
side of the bed. I was late getting the kids
off to daycare, the house was a complete
disaster and I completely forgot about an
early morning meeting I had committed
to. I could not shake my irritation all
morning long. I even started to bring up
in my mind old irritations and grudges
I thought I had let go of. The last thing I
wanted to do was exercise. I did it anyway.
A quick run followed by a yoga class. At the end of the class I
was struck by how great I felt and I knew that the rest of my
day was going to be much better.
The body needs to move to feel good. Movement allows the
sensory system to interact with the external environment
which sends feedback to the central nervous system to
regulate, coordinate and optimize bodily functions. When
parts of our body stop moving the feedback that the
nervous system is receiving is compromised. In short, the
more parts of the body moving, the better. Also, when we
exercise endorphins (happy hormones) are released into
the bloodstream which helps with tissue repair and that
wonderful feeling of well-being.
The same is true for newborns. The rapidly developing
nervous system of a newborn is subject to a myriad of
stressors that can impact how the nerves get organized into
functional units. These stressors can include the emotional
state of the mother before the baby is born, labour and
delivery, chemical stress from medication, and sensory
stress from under or over stimulation, Even the efforts of
holding the head up can create significant changes in tone
and function of the neck that have an impact on how the
brain develops. These stressors can impact and restrict
spinal motion which has an effect on the nervous systems
ability to self-regulate. This can look like a fussy or irritable
baby, constipation, reflux, colic, anxiety, and tantrum
among other common childhood ailments.
As a chiropractor, part of my goal is to get the body moving.
By improving how the nervous system is working at the
spinal level, you can impact how effectively the central
nervous system controls and regulates the rest of the body....
at any age. Optimizing the tone of the central nervous
system at the spinal level also releases those wonderful
hormones that make us feel so good when we exercise.
We live in a fast paced world and we are very busy, but
most of us don't move enough. Think about it. Consider
finding activities that get your heart rate up and, if you are
not already, consider getting adjusted... and remember...
children have a nervous system too.
fall issue 2014
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Living Well Naturally with Nature’s Emporium
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