Is it all in my head?

As a Chiropractor & Applied Kinesiologist (AK), I see each day the battle of trying to ‘get back on track’ and reset habits.

Commonly, I have women presenting, they’re exhausted, struggling to find motivation, and feel like ‘something is wrong’ or have been told ‘its all in your head’, but every test they’ve had, has come back clear. Your hormonal system plays a major role in helping you regulate and find the motivation for life! But commonly, I see hormonal changes that are left unresolved. 

Trust your intuition. Do you believe there is something more going on? Period pain, headaches prior to your cycle starting or when your cycle starts? Stuck in bed for days due to pain. Irregular cycles, low back pain during your cycle, the list goes on. These symptoms are extremely common, BUT this is a sign of dysfunction!

Regulating your nervous system, we are working at a cell level to help your cells respond and act appropriately without the extra stressors on your system, to help you function optimally!

Where to begin?

At Chermside Chiropractic, we understand hormones fluctuate during stages of our lifetime. They are dependent on many factors of our lifestyle - stress, routine, food, movement, and environmental toxins.

The more you worry, the more you throw off the delicate balance of hormones required for health.

Barry Bernstein

There are numerous factors that influence your hormones, ranging from physical, chemical, food or emotional stressors. Tips to help you begin - 

Physically stressors may play a major role on our system, consider how long you sit or stand for each day? Do you exercise regularly? Have you noticed your posture when you’re feeling overwhelmed? Shower your soul with love, try - 

• Meditate: Find time to slow down your mind and body. High levels of cortisol (AKA stress hormone) alter your hormones, including your thyroid and how they function.
  
• Find time for daily sunshine: Early morning sunshine is a great time to kickstart your body clock and build a routine. For increasing vitamin D levels, sunlight between 9-11am is the perfect time! (Aim for a minimum of 5 minutes without sunscreen or products on your skin)
• Re-ground yourself: Sit in the grass, go for a picnic, or bush walk! Recenter your energy with mother earth.
  
• Set a wind-down routine: Create a routine that prepares your body to end the day, helping you switch off and get a restful night's sleep. Whether this be meditation, a cup of tea (caffeine-free), or journalling, find activities that help your mind settle and relax your body, ready to get a restful night's sleep. A reminder to avoid devices or blue light at least 1 hour before bed. You may have noticed when you’re feeling overwhelmed, you have trouble falling or staying asleep.

Many personal care products contain endocrine disrupting elements that can be easily absorbed by the human body. This leads to issues with our reproductive and development systems. Easy swaps to begin -

• Deodorant: Swap to a paste, ideally an aluminium-free option (Our current favourites Black Chicken, La'Bang Body 'Pitty Party')
• Tampons/ Pads: Swap to either period underwear or check out the Tom Organics range!
• Skincare (facial cleanser/ moisturiser, sunscreen, makeup), shampoo & conditioner: Check your ingredients, try avoid BHA, BHT, paraben, formaldehyde, sodium lauryl, perfum, titanium Dioxide. These are commonly found in a majority of supermarkets or mass-produced produced products. They have been found to alter our hormone homeostasis. Try find smaller businesses & check their ingredients list!

Have a look around your home; this can be an area of many of our disruptors. During your next clean, check for mould! Mould can appear in places with limited airflow, or low light. For starters, check in your bathroom, kitchen or corners of your house that don't receive much sunlight. Also, check in your water bottle!! To help remove the mould, let fresh air in, open the windows, or consider a salt lamp, air diffuser.

Other considerations

• Filtered water: Heavy metals are commonly found in our water. Try adding a filter to your home water system.
• Cleaning products: Contain a number of toxins that may disrupt our endocrine system. Swap to a natural alternative that is less harmful to you.

We understand this can be overwhelming and difficult to make a start. Unsure where to begin? Our team are here to help you, 

Chermside Chiropractic

Chiropractic   +   Applied Kinesiology    +     Massage

262 Rode Road, Wavell Heights, QLD 4012