Beat the Winter Blues: Exploring Chiropractic Care and Mood Support
Now that we are in the swing of winter anyone feeling a bit down in the dumps? The shorter days with less sunlight and the cold, wet weather means we might not be getting into nature as much as we usually would, and this can affect our mood.
Did you know that serotonin is your “happy hormone” and dopamine is your “motivator hormone”. It’s these two main hormones working together that make us feel good!
One of the first symptoms of low serotonin is fluctuation in your moods. A lack of serotonin also results in sugar cravings, constant worrying, insomnia and a sense of sadness. You may also exhibit obsessive thoughts, compulsive behaviour or aggression. Serotonin has long been recognised as a factor in anxiety disorders.
Those with low dopamine may suffer from a foggy brain, difficulty thinking, have poor memory, mood swings and slowed reaction times. They may also experience decreased energy but have no motivation to exercise which can lead to feelings of “what’s the point?” and not being good enough. These people often struggle to start and/or complete tasks and sleep a lot because they literally have no energy.
This may lead to using stimulants to get some energy to make it through the day, unfortunately caffeine, alcohol and sugar cause further dopamine deficiency resulting in the subsequent crash. Dopamine is also involved in your nerve conductivity so you may experience restless legs if you have decreased dopamine! Low levels of zinc, magnesium and iron can cause dopamine deficiency.
A 2008 study [1] found that a chemical called tumour necrosis factor (TNF) that is present during acute inflammation is linked to the amount of neurotransmitters in the brain like serotonin. Serotonin transporters are proteins that mop up serotonin inside the brain, this decreases the amount available for use and they are affected by inflammatory factors. When there are increased inflammatory cytokines, it can negatively affect the serotonin balance by getting rid of too much leading to low mood and/or depression. Low serum vitamin B and iron levels may also affect serotonin levels as a reduction in these can suppress the progression of serotonin synthesis [2].
So where does Chiropractic fit in?
There is evidence that Chiropractic adjustments may modulate the bodies inflammatory response. One study found that high velocity low amplitude adjustments (a type of adjustment we do here at Bespoke Chiropractic) increased neurotensin which has an anti-inflammatory role by down regulating pro-inflammatory markers [3]. Other studies have found that chiropractic adjustments reduce TNF [4], generate significant differences between experimental and control group inflammatory cytokines and pro-inflammatory markers [5], and that inflammatory markers normalised after lower back adjustments [6]. Of course, further research is always needed but this is a great start!
References
1. Himmerich. H., Fulda. S., Linseisen. J., Seiler. H., Wolfram. G., Himmerich. S., Gedrich. K., Kloiber. S., Lucae. S., Ising. M., M.Uhr. M., Holsboer. F., Pollmächer. T., (2008), “Depression, comorbidities and the TNF-α system”, European Psychiatry, 23(6): 421-429, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2008.03.013
2. Mikawa Y, Mizobuchi S, Egi M, Morita K (2013), “Low serum concentrations of vitamin B6 and iron are related to panic attack and hyperventilation attack.” Acta Med Okayama, 2013; 67(2): pp 99-104 http://www.lib.okayama-u.ac.jp/www/acta/pdf/67_2_99.pdf
3. Haavik,H.;Niazi,I.K.; Kumari, N.; Amjad, I.; Duehr, J.; Holt, K. The Potential Mechanisms of High-Velocity, Low-Amplitude, Controlled Vertebral Thrusts on Neuroimmune Function: A Narrative Review. Medicina 2021, 57,536. https://doi.org10.3390/ medicina57060536
4. Teodorczyk-Injeyan. J. A., Injeyan. S., Ruegg. R., (2006), “Spinal manipulative therapy reduces inflammatory cytokines but not substance P production in normal subjects”, Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 29(1): 14-21, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmpt.2005.10.002
5. Mohammadian. P., Gonsalves. A., Tsai. C., Hummel. T., Carpenter. T., (2004), “Areas of Capsaicin-Induced Secondary Hyperalgesia and Allodynia Are Reduced by a Single Chiropractic Adjustment: A Preliminary Study”, Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 23(6): 381-387, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmpt.2004.05.002
6. Roy, R. A., Boucher, J. P, and Comtois, A. S. 2010. Inflammatory response following a short-term course of chiropractic treatment in subjects with and without chronic low back pain. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine. 9(3): 107-114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcm.2010.06.002