Chiropractic treatments can help reduce the uncomfortable symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. In addition, regular chiropractic adjustments can soothe the nervous system, and lessen the flight or fight response most people experience when under stress.
There is a connection between our physical state and the chemical connections in our body that science is only just beginning to discover. The new chemicals scientists have identified in the spine over the years are now in the dozens: endorphins, adrenaline, serotonin, dopamine, and opiates – these chemicals are called neuropeptides. Neuropeptides are small proteins that pass information throughout the nervous system. The chemicals create a particular recipe that drives your emotions. Fear, anger, sadness, happiness – all of our emotions are influenced by this “neuropeptide soup.”
Mention the word “neuropeptides” and most people would presume that these chemicals live inside the brain.
We’ve come to assume that emotions originate and stay relegated to the brain. However, new evidence is coming to light at a breakneck pace that suggests many of these neuropeptides live inside our spinal cord – and some of which even surround the cells of our body. This throws the theory that emotions are born and thrive only within the brain out of the water. What we’re finding is that when you feel an emotion, this emotion is coursing through your entire body – from head (or brain) to toe!
About this service
Your Spine as a Neuropeptide Switchboard
As a chiropractor, what I’m particularly interested in is the spinal cord’s role in all of this. When it comes to neuropeptides, the spinal cord acts as a switchboard for passing information and emotions throughout the body. What does this mean in terms of chiropractic?
1) Your emotions are tied to the physical health of your spine.
Did your back go out, yet you can’t think of anything you did that may have caused the injury? The culprit may not be of physical origin. Emotions may be the cause. Next time you throw your back out, consider your emotional life of late. Perhaps you’re worrying too much, or overstressed at work. Examine your life and think about potential sources of emotional distress, such as bills or relationship issues. There’s a chance that once you find a solution to the problems causing your emotional distress, your back will recover.
2) Your spine influences your emotions.
In my practice, I’ve seen dozens of patients with a miscellaneous “chronic pain syndrome.” That is, after experiencing a physical injury, their previous “emotional stability” was thrown for a loop. Now depressed and emotionally volatile, they are ping-ponged from doctor to doctor, prescribed various antidepressants, and told that their emotions and pain is “all in their head.” This is of course, bogus. The physical injury has set their “brain reward cascade” into a tailspin. The spinal injury has disrupted the normal emotional ”chemical reactions”. For these patients, their emotional issues will not be resolved until therapy incorporates healing of the spine.
3) TRT and emotions.
Some of my new patients are surprised at how a spinal adjustment can inspire a transformation in their emotions. Most of the time, the emotions are positive. However, there are certain cases – when years of tension have been locked away in your spine – where a spinal adjustment can “release” old memories and emotions that haven’t been addressed in a long time. In these cases, additional support and psychological therapy may be needed.
To sum this all up: if your spine is tight, then your nerves and emotions are tight. When your spine is out of whack, likely your emotions will be out of whack too. Only once we appreciate the spine’s role in chemicals once thought to live only in the brain, and we take a holistic approach to physical and emotional health, can we get the spine and chemicals in sync and begin to feel better emotionally.
Pat P. ★★★★★ It's not easy to lose weight any time, but at 60+, it seemed harder than ever! Then I found Apex and their Dahlia Red Light Therapy, and this was just the support I needed! In 90 days time, following their plan, including diet, supplements, and red light therapy, I lost 17+ lbs and 26"! I couldn't be happier with the results, and the support of the entire team at Apex!Response from the ownerAww Pat, thank you so much for the kind words and for recognizing how much we care! We are so grateful you are part of our Apex family! Laura W. ★★★★★ I highly recommend Apex Chiropractic’s red light weight loss program. There are so many other benefits I have seen in my physical and mental well being as I went through this program including increased energy and easement of aches and pains. The staff is also very wonderful!Response from the ownerThanks so much for the great review! It was great to see your results each time we checked in with you and it is even better to hear that you have been feeling the mental and physical benefits as well! Karla P. ★★★★★ It was very good 😊 I enjoyed all of knowledge and my counselor was amazing and explained everything to me I really like this place!Response from the ownerThank you so much for the five-star review, we look forward to being a part of your wellness journey! Kirsten N. ★★★★★ I really enjoyed this experience, whole body approach, to healthy eating and weight loss. I increased my muscle mass and lost inches, really happy with the results! The team at Apex are welcoming and friendly, the process easy and relaxing. Thanks Apex team!Response from the ownerThanks so much for the great review, it was great to see your results from start to finish! danette H. ★★★★★ ‘I highly recommend Apex Chiropractic’s red light weight loss program. I lost 23.5 inches and 14 pounds in just 8 weeks. There are so many other benefits I have seen in my physical and mental well being as I went through this program!”Response from the ownerThank you so much Danette, we appreciate you and your trust in us! Kim T. ★★★★★ Dr. Shane is amazing and helps my TMJ! Would highly recommend him!Response from the ownerThanks Kim! Ruta R. ★★★★★ Dr. Shane and Staff are outstanding and compassionate, and just plain fun!Great attitudes and very professional. Dr. Shane has helped me with my reduction in anxiety and daily stress levels. I highly recommend their chiropractic services!!!!!Charity D. ★★★★★ So thorough and great for athletes not servws by traditional medicineResponse from the ownerHi Charity, thanks so much for the five stars! We are so excited to work with you more in the future. Grace F. ★★★★★ I’d highly recommend Apex to anyone looking to alleviate chronic pain! The combination of massage therapy with Jasmine and adjustments with Dr. Ray over the past 6 months have significantly eased my neck and back pain.Response from the ownerThanks so much for the five-star review Grace! It has been an absolute pleasure being a part of helping you to feel better! Krissy G. ★★★★★ Always an incredible experience.Response from the ownerThanks so much for the 5-star review! Jenny T. ★★★★★ Love the dog, love the people and love the improvement I’m feeling.Response from the ownerDjanga thanks for the five star review Jenny! Heather A. ★★★★★ After completing a series of red light sessions at Apex, I noticed greatly improved skin tone, tightening in my neck and décolletage, and 10” lost. The staff is wonderful, the atmosphere is comfortable, and scheduling was a snap. Their chiropractic services are top-notch and I’ve experienced less pain and a greater range of movement. I can’t recommend this business enough!Response from the ownerThank you so much for the 5 star review, Heather! We look forward to seeing you after the holidays! Jessie P. ★★★★★ Amazing staff!! Amazing results!Response from the ownerThanks so much for the five-star review! It has been a pleasure being a part of your journey to feeling better! JoAnn V. ★★★★★ Wonderful and they really want to get you betterResponse from the ownerThank you for the 5 stars, JoAnn! We are so excited for what is next for you! Kenneth G. ★★★★★ Always friendly & well accommodating!Response from the ownerThanks for the five-star review! Barb E. ★★★★☆ Careful adjustmentResponse from the ownerThank you for the five stars, Barb. We are excited to see what is in store for you next! Jeanne M. ★★★★★ Great staff that did scans and radiology - both very knowledgeable! My meeting with Dr. Shane was frank and informative. Great visit.Response from the ownerIt was great to meet you Jeanne! Hopefully we will be seeing you soon! John P. ★★★★★ I’ve had my consult, signed up for the full package and had my first appt today. My experience has been perfect so far and I'm so glad I found Apex.Response from the ownerWe are so happy to be a part of getting you feeling back to yourself! Thanks for trusting us in your wellness journey! James G. ★★★★★ Shane is a great guy and I loved the place I had fallen on my neck and he took me right in and took care of me. I walked in a huntched back man and walked out after the first time with more movement and feeling better. That place is amazing and I recommend them to anyone thanks guys.Response from the ownerThanks James! We are so glad you are feeling better. Thanks for the 5 stars and we will see you Monday! Steven L. ★★★★★ Enjoyed that Darcie walked me through each step and explained each process or machine. It made my first treatment experience a great one.Response from the ownerStevo! We enjoyed chatting with you through out the treatment yesterday! Tiffany B. K. ★★★★★ Amazing staff and an approach to chiropractic care that you can't get just anywhere. They are getting to the root of the problem.Response from the ownerIt was great to meet you this week and we look forward to being a part of your health journey! Josh L. ★★★★★ Dr Ray is the bestResponse from the ownerThanks so much for the 5-star review Josh! You have been amazing to work with!!! Carol K. ★★★★★ professional and I now understand my issuesResponse from the ownerIt was great meeting you yesterday Carol! We look forward to following alongside your wellness journey! Clayton B. ★★★★★ They have a wonderful team at Apex who are genuinely concerned about you as a person and as a patient! I strongly recommend Apex to everyone who needs either chiropractic or massage!!!Response from the ownerThank you for the 5 stars, Clayton! Jerry C. ★★★★★ Apex is an excellent team of healthcare providers. Apex uses state-of-the-art techniques and equipment for the regeneration of peripheral nerves. I am extremely pleased to have placed my healthcare in their capable hands and I believe I will regain full use of my hands and feet. Great people to work with.Response from the ownerJerry thank you so much for the review! We look forward to being the team to help you reach your health goals! Scot M. ★★★★★ Feeling so much better after just one decompression session! Thank you so much!Response from the ownerWe are so excited you are feeling better already! Thank you for the five stars and the mention of our awesome decompression tables! Paula C. ★★★★★ Yo, listen up people! I gotta tell you about this chiropractor I went to see, Dr. Ray. He's the real deal, man. I was expecting a good adjustment, but I left with a whole new understanding of what "holistic" means. My back feels WAY better and I'm seeing strong improvements in my overall health. Mentally, physically, all of it. And let me tell you, his adjustment style is not aggressive or painful like some other chiros I've seen. I've been going to him for a while now and I gotta say, he's my favorite doctor by far. If you're looking for a chiropractor who knows what he's doing and cares about your well-being, go see Dr. Ray. You won't regret it!Response from the ownerThanks for the great review Paula! It has been great to see your progress over the past few months and we look forward to continuing to work with you! Stacie A. ★★★★★ Very friendly, informative, clean and transparent.Response from the ownerIt was great to meet you yesterday. Looking forward to being a part of your health journey! Kay V. ★★★★☆ The staff is knowledgeable and caring.Response from the ownerThanks for the review Kay! Eleanor M. ★★★★★ Every person in that office was TERRIFIC!! So helpful and kind! I couldn’t believe how wonderful they were! Each explained what they were doing as they worked on me! I could only give the highest accolades for this office! And I really felt awesome when l left there!!!’Response from the ownerThanks so much Eleanor! We look forward to being a part of your healthcare journey! Stacey G. ★★★★★ Thank you for all the help in getting my son the care he needs. Thanks so much for taking care of me, too!Response from the ownerThank you for trusting us with your son's care and we look forward to continuing to give your family the best care possible! S “FiNding Adventureland” W ★★★★☆ First time here. Had a good experience. I expect good things and recommend others to experience Apex for better health.Response from the ownerThank you, Shane! We are looking forward to your next steps in here so we can change that four star review to a five star :) We are excited to get to know you better and get you feeling better in the process! Jenny D. ★★★★★ I have enjoyed being under the care of this qualified and compassionate team. From the minute you walk through the door, you are greeted with friendly faces and caring people. I love the ‘non-cracking’ approach to chiropractic care and always feel so good after my adjustments! I chose to address the neuropathy in my feet and saw improvement under their neuropathic program, which requires commitment both in office and at home. Totally worth it! Thank you Apex for bringing relief!! Highly recommend their massages and time in the sauna!!Response from the ownerJenny you are the best and we enjoyed being part of your healing journey! We are all going to miss you hear at Apex!! Please be safe and enjoy your time in Arizona! Whenever you are back in town come see us please!! Ben S. ★★★★★ We just started going here after our previous 10+year Chiropractor moved to the Free state of Texas. Dr. Shane and his staff do a great job making you feel welcome and valued as a customer. They are helpful, they are knowledgeable, and after even just one adjustment I feel better. Looking forward to years of working with them.Response from the ownerIt was great to meet you and family Ben. We look forward to working with you! Maggi Schultheis (Magnetik M. ★★★★★ Above and beyond! Excellent, knowledgeable staff. Thorough explanations. Really took the time with me. Greatly appreciated!Response from the ownerThank you for the awesome review Maggi, we love you so much! Jean B. ★★★★★ I am 80 years old, neuropathy had limited me from being as active as I would like to be.I now able to enjoy walking without pain for the first time in years. I have more energy and stamina.Response from the ownerThank you Jean! You are a joy to have in our office and we are so happy to be able to help you in your recovery as well as raising your quality of life! Michael S. ★★★★★ Feel positive that we will help my needs excited to get started.Response from the ownerThanks for the five star review! We are excited to get started with you! Susie Gager - C. ★★★★★ The first 12 weeks of my neuropathy program at Apex Chiropractic have been truly transforming and amazing. Apex Chiropractic provides the highest level of quality care I have ever experienced. The staff is wonderful, friendly and helpful. Dr. Kruth and Dr. Ray are very knowledgeable, caring and informative. The adjustments, program and equipment they have invested in this program has been designed to help you heal and be healthy. I'm thrilled to feel my feet again and not have pain in my back. Thank you Apex Chiropractic!!Response from the ownerThank you for the great review Susie! It was a pleasure to meet you!