It’s not a big surprise that right now most everyone is over stressed. But for many stress isn’t the primary reason for seeking a consult. Whether you come to me for insomnia, irritable bowel, chronic pain, fatigue, or headaches, the first test we order will be the functional adrenal stress test. Hands on treatments start with the autonomic system, and functional medicine diagnostics start with the adrenals. These two systems are intimately linked. When the autonomics start to come into balance during a treatment, what you feel is relaxed – our physiology needs to get to a state of balance to restore normal function. When the adrenal system is overworked, it’s nearly impossible to get to a state of deep rest. The body needs it’s natural rhythms and rest in order to heal.
Cortisol is the primary hormone released by the adrenals. It is a powerful chemical mediator, with activity throughout the body. It decreases pain and swelling and revs up your heart and allows you to get moving – especially in the case of an emergency. It breaks down tissue to release energy so you have fuel to escape. But when there is too much cortisol, or levels of cortisol aren’t rising and falling in a natural rhythm, it can wreak havoc on your physiology. Eventually, constant elevated levels of cortisol result in decreased capacity of the adrenals to respond adequately – it becomes hard to get through the day.
The most common symptoms of a stressed adrenal system are fatigue, depression, inability to lose weight, sweet cravings, decreased sex drive, insomnia, poor memory, anxiety, PMS, weakened immune response, recurrent infections, unexplained nervousness or irritability and joint or muscle pain. It’s a long list because at a physiologic level dysregulated adrenals result in, changes in immune function, inflammation pathways, digestive capacity and more. The adrenals impact most body systems. They need to be able to regulate and part of that is natural regular fluctuations in levels. Constant stress results in decreased fluctuations – levels or stress hormones stay high during times when they should be dropping and allowing for the system to restore and reset.
The most effective treatment for adrenal dysfunction is lifestyle changes – this includes reversing the most causes of stress – emotional, food or toxins and hidden pathogens. It also includes rest. However, most of us can’t simply walk away from the causes of stress. Therapy can help with emotional stress, but it isn’t going to solve everything immediately. In fact, many stressors are things we choose to cope with overwhelm, exhaustion and stress! Give up coffee? How would I get to my desk in the morning? Give up a glass of wine? I’d never be able to cook, clean and get through the evening. Stop eating dessert? I look forward to sharing that ice cream with my child, it’s the sweetest part of my day.
At some point we have to make choices, but using simple supplements and making small changes, can help the body heal and ultimately make the harder lifestyle changes more tolerable. ( Or even appealing)
If you are in a state of stress it’s very hard to heal. It’s really that simple. The body design, despite its intricacies has a simple plan for having a set of functions that happen during more relaxed times, and a set that happen during stress. It’s not an on/off switch, but just imagine trying to go for a run after a big meal. If you are a worrier that eats to soothe your worry, think about how it works? When you start to eat your body shifts gears and actually starts to relax because digestion works better when you are relaxed. If you are a worrier that can’t eat when you are obsessing, probably you’ve noticed feeling like your stomach is in knots or would be if you tried to eat. Again, with increased stress, there is increased cortisol, which makes it harder for the body to relax and digest. This is just one example of the many body functions that are impacted by stress.
So, the pandemic isn’t going away, the economy isn’t making a sudden recovery, stress appears to be here to stay. What can you do?
Lifestyle changes you can make: this isn’t news to you but I’ll say it anyway. Meditation, plenty of rest and of course decreasing food and alcohol that your body has to work hard to process. Healthy eating can start with small regular meals so your blood sugar doesn’t drop or spike,
Diagnostics: the Functional Adrenal Stress Test will reveal if your stress is impacting your cortisol and DHEA rhythm and levels. This test is easy to perform at home. Understanding the impact of stress through this physiologic test guides the treatment.
Supplements: The treatment for Adrenal dysfunction depends on what the diagnostic lab findings show and what is happening in your life and your physiology. Generally, supplements are given in a pulsatile fashion at low doses to mimic the body rhythm and help the adrenals re-set and heal.
Osteopathic Treatments: Regular biodynamic osteopathic treatments can help the adrenals re-set through the autonomic nervous system. Each time the body gets to a state of profound balance and rest the innate therapeutic forces are vitalized and able to restore health.
Schedule an appointment and get started on this healing pathway today.
