Primary Location

6475 Belding Rd. NE

Rockford, MI 49341 US

616-874-2225

Is this menopause?

Hormones and Menopause

 

Hormones are such an important part of our bodily functions. We all know they are there, but it is very important to understand what they do and what they actually are? When hormones are working in harmony, they help the body to thrive, but when imbalanced, they can wreak havoc and cause some serious and life-altering symptoms.

 

Hormones are delicate chemical messengers carrying information to every part of the body. They are created in the endocrine glands and control most major bodily functions. Every cell of the body has hormone receptors for one or multiple hormones. Those receptors function to either stimulate or slow down a specific function based on the message sent by the hormone. Hormone molecules are extremely small! For someone with higher hormone levels, there is one hormone molecule for every 5 BILLION blood molecules!! For someone with lower hormone levels, there are 5 ZILLION blood molecules for every one hormone molecule! So imagine putting one drop of food coloring in a swimming pool the size of 660 boxcars stretching six miles in length; this is similar to the ratio of hormone molecules to blood molecules.

 

As women get older, hormone levels start to naturally become imbalanced. The two main hormones affected are estrogen and progesterone, which are drastically depleted during menopause. Most women start experiencing menopausal symptoms in their early 50’s. Some of these symptoms include: “rollercoaster” emotions, bodily temperature changes, changes in appetite and thirst, trouble sleeping and loss of bone mass.

 

The hormonal system is greatly affected by the stressors of everyday life, both environmental and lifestyle. Today’s days, our fast paced lifestyles, environmental stressors and the added hormones to everyday foods are causing menopausal symptoms to be more intense and last longer than necessary. This is also causing women to start experiencing menopausal symptoms as early and their 30’s and 40s!

 

So, how do you treat this hormonal epidemic? The best way to help regulate hormones are through Chiropractic Adjustments. As many already know, chiropractic focuses on the relationship between the spine and nervous system with the rest of the body. A subluxation of the spine is when stress, physical, environmental or emotional, causes the spine to be misaligned. When you have a subluxation, your nervous system is affected like a kinked water hose. The subluxation, or kink,  must be removed for the nervous system to properly send out the signals that control your body. So, as you can see, when you have subluxations, it makes it difficult for hormones to deliver messages properly to your body.

 

Other natural ways to help regulate hormones include: change your diet, reduce stress, regular exercise, and some herbal remedies. As stated before, many foods today are injected with hormones, which are causing our bodies to be on hormone overload. Avoiding those foods along with processed foods, alcohol and caffeine will help your adrenal glands function properly when dealing with stress. Reducing stress might sound stressful in and of itself, but having a more positive outlook on life situations will help your spine stay aligned and therefore your nervous system functioning properly. A great way to deal with stress is to meditate for 30 minutes each night before bed, this will also help your body get more restful sleep.

 

For more help regulating hormones naturally, please do not hesitate to ask Dr. Chris any questions at your next adjustment!