09/23/2026
"I've spoken about stress in the 3 flavors chiropractors typically describe. For the most part, I discuss physical stress as something chiropractic can help with, while giving tips on how mitigating mental and chemical stress can translate into less physical stress. This morning, while dealing with my own mental stress, I was reminded of the interplay between the 3 Ts. As I was on the side of the road, changing my flat tire, I thought, I need to be adjusted. I was stressed, late for work and a lot of cars weren't moving over for safety. In the last 7 days, I have had 3 different patients comment on needing to be adjusted because they'd been having increased stress and they could feel it in their upper back and neck.
Now, I can't promise chiropractic can cure your mental stress. I can tell you getting adjusted can help with the ramifications your body experiences while dealing with mental and emotional stress. Like many in my profession, I do believe chiropractic can disrupt the stress loop. Some research suggests an adjustment may influence the autonomic nervous system, which helps regulate the fight-or-flight response. Whether that translates into less stress for a particular person is less certain. If you're experiencing increased stress, maybe we can break the stress cycle, maybe we can't, but if you're having physical manifestations stemming from an increase in stress, we can help get you situated." - Dr. Erick Thompson
