An estimated 40 million people in the U.S. struggle with mood disorders. Anxiety, depression, and stress-related mood swings can devastate your health and harm your relationships. Fortunately, chiropractic care can play an important role in alleviating these issues, as you'll see from the following questions and answers.

Why Do Physical Imbalances Contribute to Mood Disorders?

Physical imbalances can create all kinds of problems that disrupt or alter your mood. For instance, chronic back or neck pain may interfere with your ability to sleep, leaving you feeling irritable, exhausted, or anxious during waking hours. Imbalances of testosterone, estrogen, cortisol, and other hormones can also cause mood problems.

How Can Chiropractic Adjustments Help?

Any treatment that restores normal communication between the brain and body can prove helpful for issues such as mood disorders. Chiropractic adjustments achieve this goal by removing obstacles to the normal flow of nerve signals. A skilled chiropractor can perform precise adjustments to the spine that relieve abnormal pressure on nerves.

If you suffer from chronic neck, back, or joint pain, your chiropractor's adjustment techniques may allow the troublesome joints to move more easily and comfortably. These improvements can then allow you to get more restful sleep and feel more relaxed during the day, which in turn can help normalize your mood.

Chiropractic adjustments that support proper nerve function also help your glands obey instructions from the brain more normally. At the same time, these adjustments can boost the production of hormones that promote a positive mood, such as oxytocin. Improved spinal alignment can also ease musculoskeletal tension.

What Other Mood Treatments Can Chiropractors Provide?

Chiropractic care often takes a holistic approach to healing by employing a variety of non-surgical treatment methods that naturally complement each other. For instance, your chiropractor may prescribe a combination of chiropractic sessions with sessions of massage therapy to enhance relaxation and relieve emotional stress.

Other lifestyle changes can also help you get the most out of your chiropractic treatment for a mood disorder. Your chiropractor may recommend dietary changes such as getting more omega-3 fatty acids. You may also want to add daily meditation and physical activity to your mood disorder treatment regimen.

If you suffer from a mood disorder and would prefer on-pharmaceutical solutions to the problem, schedule an appointment with a reputable chiropractor in your area. You may find that a personalized combination of conservative care methods can help you on the path toward a happier, healthier life. For more information, contact a chiropractor near you.