The Sydney Chiropractor to see - Chiropractor Sydney

Laugh It Up!

Stress reduction image.

For years, Readers Digest has featured the column “Laughter, the Best Medicine.” It contains jokes, riddles and humourous musings designed to tickle the funny bone. But just how important is laughter to our everyday health?

Turns out that when we laugh we produce natural killer cells which destroy tumours and viruses. Plus there’s an increase in the production of Gamma-interferon (a disease-fighting protein), T-cells (important for our immune system) and B-cells (which make disease-fighting antibodies). Besides lowering blood pressure, laughter increases oxygen in the blood, which also facilitates healing.

Laughter helps us to deal with stress, cope with loss, work through tragedy, hide our embarrassment and calm our fears. Laughter helps the body relax. It lowers blood pressure, increases immune system functioning and assists in warding off disease.

In terms of mental health, laughter:
  • Helps us connect with others – humour is often used as a means to help us collectively cope with grief, fear or loss

  • Makes us more productive – happy people have more energy

  • Releases negative emotions such as anger, fear, sadness, resentment, depression

  • Increases the likelihood that we will feel happy

  • Releases endorphins in the brain that help you to feel good

Did you also know that laughter is a form of aerobic exercise? You may even feel fatigued if you laugh continuously for any length of time! Just remind yourself to laugh well and often in order to experience the aerobic benefits of laughter.

What steps can you take to increase the amount of laughter in your life?
  • Surround yourself with positive upbeat people who laugh a lot – laughter really is contagious!

  • Find out what makes you laugh – is it funny movies, watching the comedy channel, reading funny material? Whatever it is – do it more often!

  • Don’t take yourself, or anyone else, or even life so seriously.

Always remember, happiness is your birthright… so laugh and when you do, laugh loud and often!

Search:

Dr. Bec Asks some important questions of interest to Sydney residents - Chiropractor Sydney Dr. Bec Asks...

What controls every cell, tissue and organ of your body?
DNA? Wrong. Immune system? Wrong? Hormones? Wrong. It's your nervous system, consisting of your brain, spinal cord and all the nerves of your body. When a chiropractor sees a Sydney patient with say, stomach problems, we want to know why the brain is unable to properly control and regulate the stomach. Which prompts us to examine the nervous system—the focus of chiropractic care.
Why are chiropractors wary of the germ theory?
Louis Pasteur originated the idea that germs caused disease. Yet, on his deathbed he recanted, declaring, "It's not the seed, but the soil." Meaning, it's not the germ that causes disease, but the condition of the body that allows the germ to thrive. Chiropractic care in our Sydney office is designed to bolster your resistance so germs don't see you as a good host.