The word health means different things to different people, depending on the situation. If somebody says “I was worried about my wife’s health after hearing about her car accident”, it’s clear that the man is referring to his wife’s physical health. On the other hand, if you hear the phrase “With having to meet these deadlines, long work days and working weekends, I wonder how this is going to affect my health”, most likely the word health refers more to mental health than physical health. None the less both mental health and physical health can affect your body in many ways.

What Is The Definition Of Health?

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”  – The World Health Organization (WHO)

Poor health can be linked to three causes of stress. Stress is the body’s reaction to the demands of life. Stressors are external events that cause an emotion, physical reaction and/or chemical reaction. The three types of stress most of us experience is physical, chemical and emotional stress.

Physical Stress can be caused by poor posture, poor biomechanics when performing a physical task, poor ergonomics, traumas (slip and falls, car accidents, sporting injuries) and being overweight. Chemical Stress is added if you have poor nutrition, smoke, use alcohol or drugs. Toxic chemicals in our food, water, air and personal care products accumulate in our bodies over time and put excess stress on the cells. Emotional Stress is caused by our external environment and how we respond to it. Emotional stress is often caused by work, relationships (family, spouse, children, etc.) and how happy or unhappy we are with our lives.

Your Doctor of Chiropractic understands the three causes of stress and how they can directly affect your health and well-being. Chiropractors treat the body as the whole and understand that pain can be due to not only physical stress (vertebral subluxations) but also chemical and emotional stress. Your Chiropractor will often address your pain by recommending proper treatment for your condition, nutrition, exercise, and meditation.