With the end of daylight savings (a reduction in daylight hours during the winter, many patients complain about the increasing impact the absence of light has on their mood and behavior. This condition, referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is described as a form of depression that occurs during the same season each year, most commonly during the fall and winter months. For some, this can mean a more drastic impact on their feeling of well-being and ultimately their quality of life.
If you’re experiencing a decrease in your normal activities, a lack of motivation, a change in appetite or sleep, or having any worsening anxiety, depression, or social withdrawal, the reduction in light and seasonal change might be affecting you. It is also important to know that there are alternative therapies that you and your healthcare provider can consider:
Massage Therapy– Massage therapy can affect physiological mood factors that often accompany SAD. According to the American Massage Therapy Association, massage can reduce anxiety and depression providing benefits similar in magnitude to those of psychotherapy. It can increase neurotransmitters associated with lowering anxiety and decrease hormones associated with increasing anxiety. And it can significantly decrease heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure.
Chiropractic Care-Patients who have been diagnosed with SAD may benefit from chiropractic treatment. Those suffering from mild to moderate symptoms of SAD may have additional mental, physical, and emotional stress that the illness perpetuates, which can be exacerbated by a spinal misalignment. Chiropractic treatments are a natural and medication-free alternative to correcting some of the issues which may increase the severity of SAD symptoms. Chiropractic treatments improve the functioning of the whole body and when the spinal joints are aligned the brain is better able to communicate with the entire body. Chiropractic treatment has been shown to improve energy, mood, sleep quality and patients’ perceived degree of pain felt on a daily basis.
If you or a loved one is experiencing some of the symptoms described above, you may be suffering from the incidence of seasonal depression. It is important to contact your healthcare provider if you notice these symptoms to discuss your treatment options. Please visit Amundson Chiropractic Health Services or contact us at 816-220-0660 for a consultation to see how Dr. Amundson can help bring your body back into optimal health and wellness.
Recent Comments