Hello all! So this is my first blog post. Ever. I never thought I would be blogging, honestly. But I’m actually excited to start helping everyone learn more about chiropractic and living a healthier, happier life!

So as I’m trying to think of something to talk about, I think about Christmas being just around the corner. Then I start thinking of everything I have to do: finish my Christmas shopping, wrapping the gifts, all the traveling, and the list goes on. And my stress levels start to rise. I’m sure I’m not the only one! Although the holidays are my favorite time of the year because I’m able to spend time with all my loved ones and it’s a great time to be thankful for everyone and everything in my life, it can be very stressful.

Any kind of stress and negative thinking can actually affect your body. Have you ever noticed when you are stressed out, you might all of a sudden get neck pain, muscle soreness or even an upset stomach? Or how about when something terrible happens, one bad thing seems to lead to another bad thing? This is due to the mind-body connection. Don’t know what this is? Well I will tell you!

The connection between your mind and body is not visible, but it is crazy powerful! And the effects it has on our bodies can be pretty intense.  It’s pretty easy to understand, basically it’s that positive thoughts lead to positive effects and negative thoughts lead to negative effects. So the negativity of stress and terrible situations can lead to pain, and vice versa, pain can lead to negativity.

In our office, we experience the mind-body connection every day! We have patients that come in with extreme pain and can be very unpleasant (but who wouldn’t be if they are in pain!), but after a few treatments their pain is decreasing and they are a whole new person! This is one of my favorite parts of my job, improving the quality of life of my patients!

Check out this chart on how negative thoughts and emotions can affect your body! And remember to try to stay stress-free and think positively, your body will thank you for it!

Dr. Jess

Dr. Jessica Stensland is a busy family wellness Chiropractor in Urbandale, Iowa. She spends her weeks taking care of dozens of families.  Not only does Dr. Jessica specialize in pediatric and pregnancy chiropractic care, but she’s a board certified Acupuncturist.  Dr. Jessica believes that a healthier community means taking care of all ages.   She is a Minnesota native and enjoys seeing family and friends in her free time, in addition to staying active and reading the many books she has on her kindle