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Can Holistic Intervention Treat Mild Depression?

Can Holistic Intervention Treat Mild Depression?

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Are you or a loved one suffering from mild depression? Holistic intervention treatments may provide the relief you’re searching for. Read on for answers.

Is someone you love struggling with life at the moment? Are you?

The truth is, many of us will suffer from mild depression at some point in our lives. And, as the incidence of mild depression continues to increase, more and more people are looking to holistic intervention to help provide a solution.

Mild Depression and Holistic Intervention

On average, throughout our lives, one in four of us will suffer from a mental health issue. This, of course, includes mild depression.

Traditionally, mild depression has been treated with a pill, or it has been left untreated altogether.

But, what if there was a treatment that could not only ease the symptoms of depression but could actually enhance the quality of our lives as well?

Holistic intervention treatment may be the answer we have all been looking for.

Mild depression is a disorder of the body, mind, and spirit. Doesn’t it make perfect sense then, to treat that disorder with a body, mind, and spirit program?

Interested to know more? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

It’s time to take a closer look at mild depression and holistic intervention.

Mild Depression – What is it?

Mild depression is an insidious disorder because it can take from us without us even realizing it. Because it can sneak up on us gradually, it can be difficult to notice that something is wrong until someone else points it out to us.

The symptoms of mild depression are complex and they vary widely between people. Unlike the occasional unhappy spell, mild depression symptoms hang around for weeks and months.

For most people, those symptoms come in psychological, physical and social forms.

Here are some of the symptoms of mild depression:

Psychological Symptoms

  • Feeling tearful
  • Continuous low mood
  • Losing interest in things or lacking motivation for things you love
  • Feeling irritable
  • General intolerance of others
  • Feeling anxious or worried

Physical Symptoms

  • Decrease or increase in appetite
  • Low energy levels
  • Speaking and/or moving more slowly than normal
  • Continuous unexplained aches and pains
  • Changes in sleep habits – disturbed sleep, insomnia, sleeping excessively

Social Symptoms

  • Avoiding people and friends
  • Not wanting to socialize or engage with others
  • Losing interest in hobbies you enjoy

Treating Mild Depression with Holistic Intervention

What is Holistic Intervention?

Holistic intervention treatment for mild depression recognizes the multidimensional aspects of every human being – our body, our mind, and our spirit.

In this way, holistic intervention is concerned with treating the whole person and not just part of the problem. It integrates a variety of different aspects, some of which include the following:

  • Physical and Manual Therapy
  • Exercise
  • Nutrition
  • Strength and Conditioning
  • Yoga
  • Mindfulness Practices

Let’s take a deeper dive into holistic intervention treatments that may be able to treat mild depression.

1. Nutrition

Our diet is a super important aspect when it comes to protecting our mental health. We really are what we eat, and the food we intake on a daily basis has a very important effect on our mood.

The typical American diet is overloaded with overly processed food. It is heavy in refined carbs and processed meat. Such a poor diet has strong links to higher rates of depression.

Nutrition can be one of the most important aspects of any holistic intervention in the battle against mild depression.

After all, good food equals good mood.

Here’s a quick guide to help ensure that we eat the right types of food:

  • Reduce sugar intake to the recommended daily limits
  • Reduce stimulants – caffeinated drinks
  • Increase fruit and vegetable intake, ensuring a wide mix of all types of fruit and veg across the week
  • Eat plenty of mood-boosting healthy fats rich in Omega 3 (oily fish provides the best source of Omega 3)

2. Physical Activity/Physical Intervention

Exercise

Regular exercise has been proven to be a very effective form of treatment for mild depression. In some cases, the positive effects of exercise can last longer than taking anti-depressant medication.

Exercise helps with mild depression for three key reasons:

  1. It releases happy-making endorphins, nature’s natural anti-depressants
  2. It reduces immune system chemicals that have been found to worsen depression
  3. It increases our body temperature, which may have a naturally calming effect

Physical activity can come in many forms. Think walking, running, biking, swimming, strength, and conditioning, among others.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture has been found to alleviate the symptoms of mild depression and in some cases, it can be just as effective as anti-depressant medication.

Massage

Massage is well-known for increasing serotonin and dopamine levels in the body and these neurohormones ward off depression.

It has also been found to reduce cortisol, the stress hormone by up to 53%.

It’s also one of the most relaxing, enjoyable experiences out there. A total win-win, right?

3. Mindfulness Practices

Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy

Throughout our lives, many of us try to avoid feeling negative emotions. Sometimes we struggle against them.

Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy is a form of cognitive therapy that teaches techniques to cope with negative emotions as they arise in life.

Researchers at Oxford University have found that Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy stopped as many people from sliding back into depression as any medication did.

Yoga

Yoga is the ultimate mind-body exercise and it has been found to reduce our stress response systems.

It reduces perceived stress and anxiety, thereby modulating our stress response. This, in turn, reduces the heart rate, lowers blood pressure and eases respiration.

A typical yoga routine moves through a series of poses that help to improve flexibility, balance, strength and focus.

These poses help to provide mental clarity, they rejuvenate the nervous system and promote emotional wellness.

Holistic Intervention Treating Mild Depression

So, there you have it.

Consider yourself well versed in some of the ways that holistic intervention is helping to treat mild depression.

Holistic intervention is important in all aspects of life.

We are all human beings. We are complex and multi-faceted and a one-size-fits-all approach is no longer good enough.

It’s time we started to treat the entire person, not the disorder. And fun, strategic holistic wellness programs can do just that.

How Physical Treatment Increases the Chance for Long Term Sobriety

How Physical Treatment Increases the Chance for Long Term Sobriety

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Physical Treatment’s Impact on Long Term Sobriety

For those looking to overcome addiction and find a path to long term sobriety, physical treatment treatment might be the solution. Find out how here.

It’s time to be the best version of yourself that you can be. Commit yourself to giving yourself a better life, the life that you’ve always wanted, of long term sobriety.

Maybe last time, you let yourself go a bit. You didn’t commit all the way through.

That’s okay. You learned from last time.

Let’s make this time something different. Let’s make this time something long term.

Incorporating physical treatment into your recovery plan will increase the chance for long term sobriety. Here’s your second chance to a better and long term sober life.

Want to know why physical treatment can make such a big impact on your sobriety process? Here are our top 6 reasons why physical treatment is so beneficial for long term recovery:

1. Exercise Will Make You Happy

Part of beginning a physical treatment for long term sobriety also includes adding exercise into your daily routine.

You can choose any type of exercise that you want. Make sure that you are putting in enough energy into your exercise.

When you exercise, you release a chemical in the brain called Dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical that makes people happy.

You used to rely on substances to give you that happy feeling, but what if now, you can rely on exercise?

While you exercise and your heart rate goes up, your happiness levels will increase as you release dopamine. In addition, exercise gets rid of the negativity that comes with substance abuse, including anxiety and sleep problems.

After exercising daily, you will start getting better sleep every night.

2. Physical Treatment Will Give You a Release

Physical treatment can be used for more than just making you a little happier. You can exercise to get a release of any negativity, anger, or bad mood you may be feeling.

Let all of your feelings go, as you’re working out.

Moreover, for a more spiritual release, try yoga classes to calm yourself down. If you’re feeling frustrated with the long term sobriety process, you’ll want to let all of that emotion out.

However, you must try to let it out in a healthy way. Exercising is a great and healthy way to get rid of unwanted anger and frustration.

Don’t let the negativity back into your life. Commit yourself to long term sobriety using physical treatment in the right way.

3. Add a Holistic Approach for Long Term Sobriety

A holistic approach for long term sobriety focuses on physical, mental, and spiritual health.

Holistic therapy attempts to tackle not only the physical motivation but also the emotional causes of addiction.

Some types of holistic therapies include art therapy, yoga, and meditation. The holistic approach adds a bit more spirituality into your physical treatment.

The holistic therapy aims to help you release your stress, anxiety, and frustration.

Other effects of a holistic approach to long term sobriety are increasing dopamine levels, controlling impulses, and adding more positivity into your life.

The holistic approach is for healing and restoring one’s self into the positive person they were before battling addiction.

4. Physical Treatment Will Help You Love Yourself

Exercising helps build self-confidence and increases levels of self-esteem.

If you’re just a beginner when it comes to exercise, it might be frustrating in the beginning trying to get going. But, if you keep practicing and working at it, you will only get better.

Start with an easy exercise, like taking a walk every day. Eventually, you can build up to jogging or running a bit quicker.

The more you exercise, the more benefits you will begin to see.

You’ll begin to look better physically, and then you will instantly feel better. You’ll feel stronger and prouder of yourself.

You’ve already taken on such difficult challenges, and now you’re achieving all of your goals.

Every time you complete a challenge, even if it’s just an obstacle course, or walking a little longer than you normally do, you will begin to feel more confident in yourself.

When you feel better about yourself, you will also appreciate yourself.

You should be proud of all of your accomplishments and love everything you’re doing to get to where you want to be. Love yourself for getting up and moving.

You’re taking care of yourself, and that is super important!

5. Physical Treatment Will Improve Your Mental Health

The more you incorporate physical treatment into your long term sobriety plan, you will soon see the positive effects the treatment will have on your mental health.

Taking care of your mental health is just as important as working on your physical health.

Studies have shown that working out helps reduce the negative effects of substance abuse on the brain.

Furthermore, starting to exercise while in treatment will give you a new hobby. You can find something that you love.

It can be any type of physical activity, such as running, walking, biking, rock-climbing, swimming, and more. When you go back home, you’ll be able to take that hobby with you.

Your new hobby will give you something awesome to focus on instead of substance abuse.

6. Physical Treatment Takes Up Time in Your Day

When you exercise, you’re taking the time out of your day to do so. Physical treatment is more than just a distraction. It can give you something to work for and look forward to.

There’s no more need to be bored. Now you can use your extra time to exercise and do the things that you love.

You won’t even have time anymore to think about substance abuse or any other negative thoughts coming into your mind.

Physical treatment lets you get rid of stress. Even if it’s not your favorite thing to do, once you finish a workout, you will feel healthier, stronger, and be in a better mood.

Physical treatment is extremely beneficial for long term sobriety. Be open to adding something new into your long term sobriety treatment plan.

Even though sometimes exercising can be daunting and exhausting, you know that you’re going to feel better afterward. Let yourself get back to positivity and happiness.

The first step to getting there and make it last long term is to include physical treatment into your daily life.

How Corporate Wellness Plans Benefit Mental and Physical Health

How Corporate Wellness Plans Benefit Mental and Physical Health

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Corporate Wellness Plans Impact Mental, Physical Health

Those considering implementing a corporate wellness plan for the office should read this post. The benefits are well-documented and varied. Read them here.

Corporate wellness plans are more than just a popular buzzword. Sure, they have been around for a while, but as researchers get a better picture of the tangible ways that wellness plans benefit companies, employers are taking them more seriously.

Corporate wellness plans are a win-win for both employees and employers. They make employees happier and healthier. This benefits the employer through less sick days, better job performance, and higher productivity.

They also save employers tons on their health insurance programs. A study found that under corporate wellness plans, workers comp costs declined 50 percent!

Companies are becoming more aware of the links between the mental and physical health of their employees and the health of their organization overall. That is why more and more companies are investing in solid wellness plans for their employees.

But how exactly do these plans work? In this article, we will show you what makes for a good corporate wellness plan.

What is a Corporate Wellness Plan?

Basically, a corporate wellness plan is any company’s strategy to look after its employees’ health.

These plans can include company sponsored exercise, diet advice, weight loss programs, activities like yoga and meditation, stress management workshops, and mental health programming. Really, their only limits are the creativity of their planners and the company’s investment.

The company sponsors this program and covers the costs of employee participation.

How Can a Corporate Wellness Plan Impact Physical Health?

The impacts of a good corporate wellness plan on physical health are easy to notice.

This is because most corporate wellness plans focus pretty heavily on physical health. Mental health, which we will discuss next, is sometimes overlooked but is no less important.

The physical benefits that can come from a corporate wellness plan are far-reaching and depend on the plan’s offerings.

A plan that includes diet and nutrition advice can lead to employees eating healthier. This, in turn, increases their energy levels and reduces the frequency and severity of illnesses like colds and the flu.

Meanwhile, a plan that includes activities like yoga, are an easy way to get employees of all fitness levels involved in exercise. They increase flexibility, balance, and flexibility. They also improve muscle strength and toning, making participants healthier overall.

There are some major health impacts that many different types of corporate wellness plans can provide. They can improve blood pressure, Body Mass Index (BMI), cholesterol, glucose levels.

They can also target behaviors that cause health problems such as smoking.

How Can You Involve Employees in Physical Health Wellness Programs?

There are many great ways to motivate your employees to participate in physical wellness programs.

Offer Classes

Offering classes, such as yoga or strength training, are a great way to get people involved. Employees will be excited to have the opportunity to take a class for free, or even at a reduced rate.

It also provides a time for employees to bond and get to know each other. This makes the class, and exercise itself, more enjoyable, increasing the chances that employees will stick with the program. This means they will be more likely to make meaningful change in their overall health.

Run Competitions

Sometimes, a sense of competition can bring out the best in people.

Offering a small prize for participation in the wellness program can increase participation rates and get employees excited.

Host Expert Seminars

What better way to get employees to learn about healthy nutritional habits than a lunchtime seminar?

By having experts in to talk to employees, you can ensure they learn a great deal in a relatively short amount of time. They can take the information that they learn, and apply it to their habits.

How Can a Corporate Wellness Plan Impact Mental Health?

Oftentimes, it is harder to measure the impact of a mental health wellness plan. You cannot calculate pounds lost, or how much faster someone can run a mile.

Even if they are more difficult to quantify, mental health wellness plans are just as important as physical health ones.

Just like with physical health, the costs of mental health distress are high. Stress, depression, and anxiety can lead to higher rates of absenteeism.

Employees dealing with mental health difficulties are less focused, less productive, and less likely to stay with the company over the long term.

Clearly, the same amount of focus should be put into mental health wellness programs because they can be incredibly effective.

There are a number of ways that a company can look after its employees’ mental health. Seminars offering stress reduction and management techniques can help employees gain control of stress both in the workplace and at home.

Workshops on mindfulness, skills like organization, and meditation can all help employees improve their mental and emotional health. Holistic intervention plans, which incorporate physical and mental health treatments, can be effective against mild forms of depression.

A company can also consider adding mental health benefits to their overall health coverage plans.

Tackling Mental Health Issues Within Your Organization

When adding mental health care to any corporate wellness plan, it is a good idea for employers to take stock of their organization.

Are there particular issues in the work culture that could lead to mental health problems for employees? For example, if employees tend to work long hours, they will likely be stressed and have difficulty finding a healthy work-life balance.

Or, if your office set up is keeping employees from socializing, people may feel isolated and lonely.

The best way to build an effective mental health corporate wellness plan is to figure out the unique needs of the employees in your organization. Then, you can tailor it directly to them, making it more likely to be effective.

Wrapping Up

A good employee wellness plan looks after each employee’s physical and mental health. Programs that target nutrition, fitness, stress reduction, and overall mental wellness can make employees happier and healthier. This, in turn, leads to great benefits for the company itself.

The benefits of a holistic employee wellness plan are clear. Need help getting started? Contact us for more information on ways you can implement a successful wellness plan in your organization.

How Does Physical Therapy for Addiction Treatment Work?

How Does Physical Therapy for Addiction Treatment Work?

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Addiction affects more people than most of us truly know. In 2011, there were around 20.6 million people in the US, over the age of 12, with an addiction.

Let’s put it this way, roughly ONE IN TEN Americans are addicted to alcohol and drugs.

Only 11% of those ever receive any addiction treatment.

Keep in mind, that doesn’t even cover the biggest killer of them all, tobacco/nicotine use. An estimated 22% of US citizens are current cigarette smokers.

Shocking, isn’t it?

With those kinds of statistics, it’s easy to see the importance of addiction treatment.

Drug & Alcohol Addiction Treatment Options

There is no simple solution to an addiction problem, and it’s rarely as easy as just detoxing and discontinuing use.

Rehab centers are typically what come to mind when considering addiction treatment options.

What do these facilities typically use when treating drug and alcohol abuse?

Likely aspects to programs might include support groups, behavioral therapy, individual psychotherapy, and of course medicine.

While all of these are important features in addiction treatment, successful recovery isn’t just about changing behavior and medicating away the symptoms.

In recent years, addiction treatment professionals have been turning to a more holistic approach.

Holistic Intervention in Addiction Treatment

Most people have heard the term “holistic,” but it is often misunderstood. Particularly when it comes to addiction treatment.

“That’s hippie stuff!”

That sentiment is a common misconception when people hear the word “holistic.” So, what exactly does a holistic approach to addiction treatment entail?

As a general rule, holistic rehab treatments look at a complete physical, mental and spiritual model for treating alcohol and drug abuse.

Some types of holistic options include:

  • Massage
  • Chiropractic care
  • Yoga and meditation
  • Herbal medicines
  • Acupuncture and acupressure
  • Biofeedback and neurofeedback
  • Nutritional therapy

This is just a small sampling of holistic treatments. What binds them together is the intention to treat the wHOLe individual instead of focusing only on a single element such as behavioral therapy or medicine.

A truly effective program must address all aspects of a person, including the underlying issues which led to the addiction originally.

Physical Therapy: An important part of holistic recovery

Not mentioned above, and something that many do not consider when thinking of addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery is physical therapy.

It can be an extremely effective addition to any addiction treatment program.

The Benefits of Physical Therapy

Our bodies have extremely negative reactions to alcohol and drug abuse. It leaves people weak and often lethargic. It can also lead to various forms of disease.

Combined with initial detoxification and a program, like a 12 step, behavioral therapy, etc, physical therapy provides an important layer to successful recovery and prevention of relapse.

Without a strong body, addiction has a much easier chance of taking hold on a recovering patient.

Think of a time when you were very sick.

Did you feel sluggish? Did you have a lack of energy?

If it lasted any length of time, you may have found yourself in poor physical condition.

Were you happy? Were you productive? Were you motivated?

This is the same problem for drug and alcohol addicts. Physical therapy give the addict a healthy, positive method to recover physically and begin to lead a healthy lifestyle.

This is an important factor in creating lasting sobriety and avoiding “falling off the wagon.”

Opioid Abuse and Physical Therapy

Sadly, one of the fastest growing issues in America is prescription opioid abuse.

As reported by the US. Center for behavioral Health Statistics and Quality Data Review the number of accidental overdose deaths from prescription opioids has more than quadrupling since 1999.

Over 2 million people are estimated to be addicted to painkillers. It has developed into an epidemic.

The path from pain to pills is a dangerous one, leading to non-medical abuse and increasingly to heroin addiction.

Managing Pain to Prevent Addiction and Relapse

This spike in opioid abuse has led to an important related discussion dealing with non-drug related pain treatments.

For those who have had injuries, or surgery, or other forms of physical trauma, it may be necessary to use painkillers to aid in recovery. Unfortunately, this is the most common way people become addicted.

Physical therapy can be an effective way to manage pain without, or at least minimal, use of prescription drugs.

Even the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has been urging health care providers to reduce the use of drugs for pain, in favor of safer alternatives including physical therapy. And the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy has recognized PT as a possible wall against abuse.

Physical therapy pain management is an excellent method to help prevent opioid abuse before it even happens!

The High: Physical Therapy Feels Good

Physical therapy, exercise, and other holistic methods provide addicts with many benefits.

Besides just pain relief, physical therapy releases endorphins in the body which simulate the types of feelings produced by actual drug use.

These positive biochemicals help produce a sense of calm and wellness that is vital to both physical and mental health.

Addicts who receive physical therapy and exercise as a part of their recovery program are much more likely to complete their programs, as well as avoid relapse.

A Healthy Life After Addiction Treatment

Years of drug abuse can lead to a tremendous regression in a body and mind.

Addicts in recovery using physical therapy not only feel stronger, they ARE stronger.

This helps a person develop the state of mind needed to have a successful recovery, giving them a strong body and healthy mind. It provides a true sense of confidence and independence.

These benefits will hopefully lead to a new way of life for the addict, looking to themselves and not to drugs for their personal wellness.

Physical therapy and exercise can fill that gap that the addicts feels once they are free of their substance abuse, and help give them a bright and healthy future.

Can Chiropractor Help the Recovery Process of Physical Therapy?

Can Chiropractor Help the Recovery Process?

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Addiction is a complex and difficult condition. It affects the body mentally, emotionally, and physically.

When someone is recovering from addiction, it causes a deficiency of well-being neurotransmitters in their brains, which can lead to withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and physical cravings for mood-altering substances.

These neurotransmitters are directly connected to the alignment of your spinal cord. So when your spine has misalignments (or subluxations) the proper delivery and function of the neurotransmitters are interrupted, making these withdrawal symptoms worse.

Though addiction recovery is a long and difficult process requiring determination and willpower, finding a good chiropractor to align your back can be a massive aid to the recovery of a former addict.

So if your treatment center is looking for new cost-effective ways to keep patients sober for the long haul, a trained chiropractor might just be the answer you’re looking for.

How Does a Chiropractor Help Addiction Recovery?

Trying to overcome addiction is an extremely stressful ordeal to go through, complete with a variety of symptoms. And because drugs, alcohol, and other addictive substances are often used as a way to counter stress for addicts, it prevents the body and brain from being able to handle and control stress without the aid of substances.

Emotional stress builds tension in the neck and back, which can then lead to actual physical pain.

Spinal adjustments and chiropractic care can be used to release these buildups of tension, aiding in both the physical symptoms and emotional symptoms of withdrawal.

The Symptoms of Withdrawal

When a former addict enters into a recovery program, the first 30 days are often the hardest.

Withdrawal from drug use can lead to physical symptoms such as:

  • Sweating
  • Back pain
  • Headaches
  • Racing heart
  • Palpitations
  • Muscle tension
  • Tightness in the chest
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Tremor
  • Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea

Withdrawal can also lead to emotional symptoms such as:

  • Anxiety
  • Restlessness
  • Irritability
  • Insomnia
  • Poor concentration
  • Depression
  • Social isolation

However, in severe cases, withdrawal can lead to medically dangerous or even life-threatening conditions such as:

  • Grand mal seizures
  • Heart attacks
  • Strokes
  • Hallucinations
  • Delirium tremens

Many of these symptoms require a supervised detox with a medical professional, but a chiropractor can perform adjustments on the spinal cord that will lessen physical pain, headaches, muscle tension, and anxiety.

Preventing Self-Medication

One issue that recovering addicts often have to overcome when trying to complete a recovery program is self-medication to lessen the symptoms of their withdrawal.

Though physical pain is often an issue, anxiety and depression can often lead to the urge to use painkillers, alcohol, or narcotics to “take the edge off” and make it easier to continue through the anxiety.

Chiropractic spinal adjustments do not have the negative side effects of drugs and alcohol, nor do they lead back to addictive tendencies, but they do provide enough of a calming effect that patients can overcome the more difficult side-effects of recovery.

The Scientific Evidence

Dr. Jay Holder, a chiropractor from Florida has recently published a study in Molecular Psychiatry on the connection between spinal alignment and drug recovery.

In the study of 100 participants, part of the group received treatment involving chiropractic adjustments, while the another part of the group received only traditional non-chiropractic treatment methods. The third portion of the group received “fake” chiropractic spinal adjustments.

The study found that during a 30-day program, when specified chiropractic spinal adjustments were given in addition to traditional addiction recovery methods, patients had a 100% completion rate of the recovery program.

These patients also reported that the treatment helped lessen their emotional withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety and depression.

Meanwhile, the groups who received no chiropractic care or “fake” spinal adjustments had just a 55% rate of completing the program. This rate is typical among typical drug recovery patients in traditional programs.

Torque Release Technique

The method of spinal adjustment Dr. Holder focused on in the study was the “Torque Release Technique” which releases pinched tissue trapped between the vertebrates of the spinal cord and tailbone area.

When these tissues are pinched in the spinal cord, it limits the release of certain endorphins from releasing into the limbic system. It also affects the release of neurotransmitters to the set of brain systems believed to be responsible for emotions, preventing them from performing properly.

An Enhancement, Not a Replacement

Spinal adjustments from a chiropractor alone are not an all-encompassing cure for addiction and recovery. It still requires willpower, supervision, behavioral therapy, and possibly supervised detox recovery.

Chiropractic adjustments should instead be viewed as a complement to existing recovery methods and programs to aid in the completion of the programs, and to lessen painful physical and emotional symptoms.

Conclusion

The early stages of addiction recovery are often the hardest part, because it is a time of uncertainty, unmedicated stress, anxiety, and even physical discomfort and pain. Without finding a way to relax, patients in recovery will just become more and more stressed and anxious, which often leads to a relapse.

Patients recovering from an addiction are also usually dealing with a range of overwhelming emotions that they have been using the drugs or alcohol to numb or avoid for a long period of time. Part of which will be the effects that their addiction has had on their lives and the lives of the people around them.

Chiropractic spinal adjustments can bring about an inner stillness and a clear mind, so the patient can properly deal with these overwhelming emotions in a way that is positive and healthy.

Finally, the use of some addictive substances can cause physical pain, either psychosomatic or related to other conditions. Chiropractic therapy helps align the spine in a way that allows stress-relief neurotransmitters and pain-relief endorphins to be released into the emotional centers of the brain.

This means that the chiropractic spinal adjustments take the place of the patient’s former stress and pain relief methods.

So if you’re looking for ways to cut costs for your addiction recovery center, and if you want to aid your patients in completing the recovery program and staying clean and sober for life, then a chiropractor could be the aid to addiction recovery that you’ve been looking for!

Acupuncture for Addiction: A Natural Path to Recovery

Acupuncture for Addiction: A Natural Path to Recovery

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Acupuncture for addiction can help reduce cravings, ease physical pain, and decrease anxiety and stress. Can this holistic treatment help you?

There is more than one way to treat addiction.

So, if you’re suffering from addiction, you may have more options than you know. These can include things like exercise, psychological therapy, and detox.

But, one of the oldest and most effective treatments for addiction is acupuncture. Now, you might be scoffing right now. How could anyone expect poking needles into their body could help with addiction?

But it does. And that’s why we’re going to talk about why acupuncture for addiction works.

1. Acupuncture For Addiction: What Is It Anyway?

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical art performed for centuries by natural physicians.

In The Matrix, when Morpheus and Trinity pull Neo from The Matrix, his body goes through an extreme withdrawal from virtual reality. This is not unlike addiction withdrawal. And in one montage scene, Morpheus is shown pulling very large needles out Neo’s body.

Now, the needles in acupuncture are not nearly as large as they are in The Matrix. In fact, they are smaller than most anything your doctor uses to administer shots.

In acupuncture, the doctor inserts very small gauge three-inch needles into your skin. These needles stimulate very specific points on your body.

The needles are so small, they don’t hurt. They are typically made of sterile surgical steel and are never re-used.

2. How Does It Work?

Acupuncture for addiction usually involves a special kind of acupuncture called auricular acupuncture. This is acupuncture on the earlobe.

This kind of acupuncture was invented by a Canadian Neuroscientist named Dr. Penfield. His theory was that the sensory parts of the brain are mapped to different parts of the body, especially the ear.

If you stimulate those particular points on the body, you will change how the brain feels, and how you feel.

He found that the practice of inserting a needle only a millimeter into the skin, a practice Chinese physicians have performed for ages, helped alleviate various neurological symptoms in patients. Among these symptoms were the symptoms of addiction. Cravings. Withdrawl. Profuse sweating. Nervousness. Irritation. Etc.

If you notice, the ear resembles an inverted fetus. And, according to acupuncturists, this is how you can tell, minimally, which part of the ear will treat which part of the body.

Another interesting correlation between acupuncture and the body’s reaction is the change in a person’s pulse. They discovered that certain parts of your ear directly affect your heart.

3. Can It Really Treat Addiction?

It really can! In 2002, a team of researchers conducted a study on six hundred and twenty cocain-dependent adults in four different clinics.

They found through urinalysis of the users that there was a significant reduction in cocaine use. The same reduction as in patients who attended counseling sessions.

So, acupuncture for addiction is really just as effective as counseling and you don’t have to spill your guts to a therapist to do it.

Of course, acupuncture is not a stand alone treatment. It should be done in conjunction with other forms of therapy. You should always seek a holistic approach to treatment.

4. You’ve Said Acupuncture Works For Addiction, But How Does it Specifically Work?

When you are addicted to something, two things are happening. You are filling a void in your life, and you are falling out of balance with reality. Your body, specifically, is out of wack.

Counseling will help you with the first thing, but acupuncture for addiction helps you with the second.

How does this work?

It works by decreasing withdrawal symptoms. Managing cravings. Relaxing your mind and body. Balancing the chemicals in your brain. Enhancing your mental functions.

The chemical most likely affected is dopamine. Dopamine is the natural substance in your body you are most likely craving when you’re addicted. This is a feel good hormone responsible for keeping your attention on tasks and making life interesting.

If you don’t have a naturally high amount of dopamine in your system, you will probably self-treat your problem with drugs.

Acupuncture for addiction replaces drugs by stimulating dopamine production in the brain.

5. What Is It Like?

As we mentioned above, it’s a painless procedure. The doctor will assess your overall health. Check your pulse. Check your tongue. Ask you questions about your addiction. How long you have been addicted. What your symptoms are. What other health problems you might be experiencing.

You may not even realize what aspects of your health are compounded with your addiction. This is why it’s imperative you are honest with the doctor about your health and habits.

They will have you lay in a relaxed, seated, and reclined position. Relaxation is key when it comes to acupuncture for addiction. In order for your body to respond properly, you need to be comfortable.

This is why some acupuncturists will include a mild massage with ointments to the skin before performing their work.

The sessions usually last anywhere between ten to thirty minutes. Some therapists will twirl the needles or heat them to increase effectiveness.

Many people report a sense of well-being while going through acupuncture for addiction. A sense of peacefulness and some positive physical effects. Others report a renewed energy in their daily lives.

This is a completely safe and effective procedure. There is no need to be nervous or worried. If you don’t like the sight of needles, just close your eyes and relax.

Conclusion:

More people complete acupuncture for addiction sessions than they do counseling sessions. While we still recommend doing acupuncture in conjunction with other forms of treatment, you can continue to benefit from acupuncture for many years afterward. That is if you find it helpful and relaxing.

If you are suffering from addiction, find a physician who can help you. You really have nothing to lose by trying. The regret always comes in not trying something you know would have pulled you out of a bad situation.

If you’ve used acupuncture before, we’d love to hear about your experience. And, if you have any questions, please get in touch with us. We’re here to help you.