09 Dec Feeling Low on Energy?
There are many causes to fatigue and flat mood:
Food intolerances, allergies, sleep deprivation and stress just to name a few. From a Chiropractic perspective, spinal dysfunction is a big factor. When your spine is out of alignment, you may feel stiffness, discomfort, and this saps your body of energy. The reason for this is because your body works overtime to try to compensate for the imbalance. Tension in your body from imbalance can also affect blood and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) flow to your brain and other internal organs.
I often use the analogy of the bowling ball, in reference to our head carriage. Imagine holding a bowling ball close to your body at the chest – pretty easy right. Now imagine holding it with out-stretched arms in front of you – your arms will most likely fatigue and ache within 10 seconds! This is what it’s like for your head and neck when our head carriage starts to move forward with poor posture. Our neck muscles and spine fatigue and ache. Over the long term, postural damage, headaches, concentration problems, brain fog and energy depletion may occur.
Thanks to ATonalBalance.Com and Erik Dalton, Ph.D. for the use of this picture.
According to Kapandji (Physiology of the Joints, Volume III), for every inch your head moves forwards, it gains 10 pounds in weight! The muscles in your upper back and neck have to work that much harder to keep the head (chin) from dropping onto your chest. This also forces the suboccipital muscles (they raise the chin) to remain in constant contraction, putting pressure on the 3 Suboccipital nerves. This nerve compression may cause headaches at the base of the skull. Pressure on the suboccipital nerves can also mimic sinus (frontal) headaches. Fatiguing muscles, joints and ligaments can contribute to overall fatigue in the body and flat energy.
Chiropractors are specially trained to locate areas of imbalance in your body that are causing unnatural pressure on your skeletal structure and nervous system.
I’m also trained in Neuro-Emotional Technique (NET), which can be effective in alleviating cumulative stress in the body, as well as identifying contributing triggers to your fatigue.
As the weather starts to improve, it’s great to get outdoors into nature and get moving!
Backyard cricket, swimming, bike riding and playing around with the kids are all enjoyable ways we can stay active. 
Research suggests regular exercise can increase energy levels even among people suffering from chronic medical conditions associated with fatigue, like cancer and heart disease.
A lot of times when people are fatigued, the last thing they want to do is exercise. However if you’re physically inactive and fatigued, being just a bit more active may help. Even a 15-minute walk gets your blood pumping. Oxygen and nutrients move through the body to muscle tissue improving their ability to produce more energy. The most important thing with starting an exercise program to combat fatigue is to establish a regular pattern of exercise. Not only will it improve energy levels, it will also improve strength, stability, fitness and posture for your body.
We want to make the most of this time of year with family and friends, great weather and time at the beach. So if you’re struggling with your energy levels, book in an appointment with myself so we can figure out a care plan to get you back on track.
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