What is Anxiety?
If you’re frequently feeling stressed out, tense, or panicked, you might be suffering from anxiety. One of the most common mental health issues in the United States, anxiety can be triggered by any number of circumstances and can range from a feeling of mild discomfort to severe panic attacks.
Anxiety Signs and Symptoms
Anxiety is experienced differently by every individual and the symptoms will differ on a case-by-case basis. Whether you suffer from generalized anxiety, social anxiety, or a specific phobia, there are some symptoms that are usually present. These symptoms include excessive sweating, difficulty concentrating, a racing heartbeat, lethargy, insomnia, tachycardia, butterflies or nausea, and involuntary trembling. If you suffer from severe anxiety, you may also be prone to panic attacks that include episodes of extreme panic and hyperventilation.
How the Upper Cervical Spine Affects Anxiety
Anxiety is typically attributed to a combination of environmental and genetic factors. However, one cause of anxiety that is often overlooked is a vertebral misalignment in the upper cervical spine. Because of the upper cervical spine’s position at the top of the spinal column, vertebral misalignment can produce inflammation and irritation in the nerves and musculature around the brainstem.
This kind of inflammation has knock-on effects in the central nervous system and can lead to the irregular release of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. Left untreated, disrupted neurotransmitter production can lead to a range of anxiety symptoms, including panic, poor mood regulation, excessive sweating, difficulty concentrating, and a racing heartbeat.
How Our Anxiety Treatment Works
Our treatment regime for anxiety focuses on correcting misalignments in the upper cervical spine and reducing inflammation around the brainstem and CNS.
During an upper cervical chiropractic appointment, our expert chiropractor, Dr. Bello will perform a series of gentle, non-invasive assessments to locate potential misalignments in the upper cervical spine. During this process, Dr. Bello may use X-rays and/or cone-beam computed tomography scans to pinpoint the exact location and angle of the misalignment.
Following your initial assessment, Dr. Bello will perform a series of low-impact adjustments along the upper cervical spine, correcting misalignments and restoring the upper cervical spine to its natural alignment. This, in turn, will remove the underlying source of CNS inflammation, thereby alleviating, if not eliminating entirely, the frequency and severity of your anxiety symptoms.
If anxiety is starting to impact your quality of life, get in touch with Dr. Bello for an upper cervical assessment – he services patients in Los Angeles, Westwood, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Brentwood, Marina Del Rey, West Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and the surrounding areas.