The document discusses stress and its impact on health. It states that stress has become a major health problem and most doctor visits are related to stress. It then discusses various causes of stress, both external (e.g. pollution, diet) and internal (e.g. smoking, drugs). The key point is that while stress itself cannot be avoided, chiropractic can help increase one's ability to adapt to stress and maintain overall health and well-being.

1. The Stress Epidemic Chemical Organic Stress and Your Health

2. Stress-A Leading Health Problem Time magazine's June 6, 1983 cover story called stress "The Epidemic of the Eighties" and referred to it as our leading health problem; there can be little doubt that the situation has progressively worsened since then. Numerous surveys confirm that adult Americans perceive they are under much more stress than a decade or two ago. A 1996 Prevention magazine survey found that almost 75% feel they have "great stress" at least one day a week. An estimated 75-90% of all doctor visits are for stress related problems…

3. Mission Statement We are committed to helping people develop a better understanding of how to tap into the vast innate potential that resides in each of us for preventing disease and promoting health. Good health is more than just the absence of illness. It is a state of physical, chemical and emotional well-being that acknowledges the importance and inseparability of mind/body relationships. Join us in the pursuit of learning how to increase your ability to constructively adapt to stress, so that it can work for you, make you more productive and insure your future health.

4. Which Of These Is Stress? You get a bad case of hay fever You start smoking You try to quit smoking You get a hangover You eat “fast food” You change your diet There is a family history of heart disease You are tired all the time

5. All Of These Are Stress! To your body, stress is CHANGE. Anything that causes a change in your life can be stressful. If it is a “good” change it is called Eu-stress. If it is “bad” stress it is called Dis-stress. Even imagined change is stressful. Imagined change is called worry.

6. Causes of Chemical & Organic Stress Cigarette smoking is the #1 Cause of Preventable Death. Smoking as well as second hand smoke have both been clearly demonstrated to cause health problems.

7. Causes of Chemical & Organic Stress Alcohol is the #2 Cause of Preventable Death. Addiction to Alcohol & drug abuse are linked to 84% of all crimes (abuse, assault, theft, murder and traffic fatalities.)

8. Even coffee is a culprit. While no one is sure about caffeine’s effects, coffee is a stimulant and all stimulants and depressants are used to deal with stress but… Causes of Chemical & Organic Stress

9. Over-the-counter drugs like Aspirin, Tylenol & Ibuprofen may not just kill pain, they may kill you. More than 16,500 people die each year and 103,000 are hospitalized for serious complications caused by pain relievers known as (NSAIDs), says the National Consumers League (NCL). Causes of Chemical & Organic Stress

10. Causes of Chemical & Organic Stress Prescription drugs are no better. 51% of all deaths among the elderly are from prescription drug reactions. 200,000 older adults are hospitalized due to adverse drug reactions annually. 63,000 elderly experience serious mental impairment caused/worsened by drugs.

11. Causes of Chemical & Organic Stress “ Vaccinations are highly noxious. They erode the immune system and alter the immune response to disease…” -Vaccination, 1993, Vera Scheibner, Ph.D.

12. Junk food, fast food, fried foods, over processed foods and altered foods with pesticides and chemicals are finding their way into our diets more and more every day. Still we wonder about obesity, heart disease and cancer. Causes of Chemical & Organic Stress

13. Air pollution, once confined to major cities has found its way to even the smallest of towns. This also affects our water, soil and food supplies to say nothing of our lungs and health. Causes of Chemical & Organic Stress

14. Water pollution is on the rise. More and more waterways (both major and minor) are being poisoned beyond repair. This affects our health through our food and water supplies. Causes of Chemical & Organic Stress

15. Examples Of Stress-Caused Health Problems: Heart disease Stroke Reduced immune response Cancer Digestive disorders Diabetes Sexual and reproductive dysfunction Allergies Skin disorders, And then some…

16. The Science of Stress According to molecular biologist, Dr. Bruce Lipton, changes in the environment generate a need for “new” perceptions on the part of organisms that inhabit those environments. Positive perceptions (Eu-stress) produce a growth response while negative (Dis-stress) perceptions activate the cell’s protective response. Growth and protection are mutually exclusive behaviors.

17. So, Is Stress Good or Bad? It’s Neither. Is Stress Ever Going Away? Stress May Change But It Doesn’t Go Away. If It’s Not The Stress, What Is It? It’s Your Ability To Constructively Adapt To The Change. What Governs Our Ability To Adapt?

18. What Governs Our Ability To Adapt? The Vertebral Subluxation Process is a pattern of unmanaged stress caused by an overwhelm of physical, chemical and/or emotional stress ON THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. This causes a vicious cycle of stress which, in turn, causes a downward spiral in the health and vitality of the individual.

19. Nerve Stress A stress beyond the ability of the nerve system to adapt produces muscle imbalance which causes skeletal distortion which then negatively affects the nerve system which reduces our ability to adapt to stress and a downward spiral ensues. Muscle Imbalance Skeletal Distortion The Stress Cycle

20. What Governs Our Ability To Adapt? The Chiropractic Spinal Adjustment acts to begin releasing stored tension in the nervous system which improves our ability to constructively adapt to the stress in our lives. This contributes to a process of positive responses by the body causing an upward spiral in the person’s ability to be healthy.

21. Nerve Stress Chiropractic puts a constructive impulse into the nerve system resulting in muscle balance, skeletal integrity and positive feedback to the nerve system causing an upward spiral in a person’s health and vitality. Muscle Imbalance Skeletal Distortion The Health Cycle

22. Expanded (Healthy) Range of Stress Adaptability Reduced (Sick) Range of Stress Adaptability So, It’s Your Range of Adaptability That Determines Whether Stress Causes Your Body and Health To Break Down and Deteriorate Over Time.

23. Stress range during an hour, day, week, month, year or lifetime. Stress is Sometimes Unrelenting. Most Experience Stress As Bearable, Tolerable, Terrible or Worse. We All Experience Varying Degrees of Stress During An Hour, Day, Week, Month, Year and Lifetime.

24. Range of Adaptability to Stress is less than the stress level so health becomes compromised Gets Sick Stays Healthy Gets Sick This Person’s Range of Adaptability is Far Less Than Their Stress Level Much of the Time. Are They Likely To Be Healthy?

25. This Range of Adaptability is Average. Stress is Occasionally Greater Than Their Range of Adaptability. They Are Likely To Not Be Sick. But, Are They Healthy? Gets Sick Stays Healthy Gets Sick Range of Adaptability to Stress is less than the stress level so health becomes compromised

26. Range of Adaptability to Stress is MORE than the stress level so health is unaffected by stress. Stays Healthy This Range of Adaptability is Ideal. Stress is Rarely, If Ever Greater Than Their Range of Adaptability. They Are Likely To Be Truly Healthy With Their Health Improving Year After Year!

27. Would You Rather Be Healthy or Just Not Sick? Most people would answer, “Healthy.” But, what really is the difference? Do you know?

28. Healthy Just Not Sick No Symptoms Symptoms Sick The dots represent two people. One has symptoms, the other doesn’t. In order to have symptoms, health has had to deteriorate over time.

29. Healthy Just Not Sick No Symptoms Symptoms Sick Our objective is to turn the direction of your health around so it moves towards Healthy. With the relief of symptoms, is this person healthy or just not sick?

30. Healthy Just Not Sick No Symptoms Symptoms Sick Just because there are no symptoms doesn’t mean that the person is healthy. Healthy is the continuous movement of health in the right direction.

31. Solutions To Chemical and Organic Stress You are what you eat, breathe, drink and absorb. Are you UNconscious of your environment and diet OR Do you consciously create the healthiest internal and external environment for your health?

32. Solutions To Chemical and Organic Stress Chiropractic Weight Loss Massage Exercise Stop smoking Stop drinking 7.Detoxification 8.Reduce use of stimulants and depressants 9.Water and air purification systems 10.Nutritional evaluations and recommendations

33. Protecting Your Internal and External Environments What is your external environment like? Are you exposed to toxic materials like mold, pesticide, smoke, smog, asbestos, petroleum exhaust or vapor, unclean air, water or both? What is your internal environment like? Do you consume nitrates, nitrites, alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, aspartame, MSG, artificial colorings, preservatives, drugs-both pushed and prescribed? Take a step…make a lifestyle commitment to promote your body’s innate ability to heal itself.

34. What Did You Learn Today? Chiropractic Does Not Remove Stress From Your Life. Chiropractic increases your ability to adapt to stress because the balance between your internal and external environments is controlled by your nerve system integrity.

35. What Did You Learn Today? It is unlikely that you will have no stress in the future so… Your health future depends on your ability to constructively adapt to the stress in your life. Other lifestyle changes may be needed to insure continuous improvement of your health future.