Dear Future Doc, I started reading your column over the summer and felt inspired to take better care of myself. Lately though, I have felt sluggish and out of balance. I am 35 years old, have a husband, 2 children (one teenager and the other is 10 years old), work a full time job, I run a few times a week, and volunteer for my church regularly. Everyday, I go to bed about 11pm and I’m up at 6am. Almost without fail, I get super tired around 2pm. I find myself drinking about 4-5 cups of coffee just to keep me going. One thing that changed this year was the death of a loved one. I was so sad and stressed that I started getting headaches and feeling lightheaded. I haven’t felt 100% since. Please share your thoughts. – Possible future patient, Kim in Union, WV.

Hello Kim, What you are experiencing is quite common in today’s hectic world. In my Future Doc practice I can nearly assume that a patient entering my office has a “balance problem,” that is, unable to efficiently handle their stressors. These stressors may be self-imposed or imposed by others. Additionally, the stressors may be unknown, such as chemical toxicity, food sensitivities, hidden immune challenges, etc.

Stress in any form will activate a stress response. This response is an intelligent physiological adaptation to balance the body against a perceived threat. At the forefront of the body’s response to stress are the Adrenal Glands. These “stress glands” are paired and are located on top of the kidneys. When the stressors are greater than the body’s adaptive response we become out of balance. This may occur in an acute stressful situation (such as the death of a loved one,) or more slowly by prolonged stress “exposure.”

One of the first signs of Adrenal insufficiency is joint pain. Another is a feeling of “wired and tired.” A common red flag for adrenal weakness is the desire for stimulants like caffeine, nicotine, and/ or chocolate. Additionally, adrenal insufficiency is often the underlying cause of disrupted sleep, light headedness, and dizziness.

Using Future Doc methods we are able to measure the relative strength of the Adrenals. The Adrenals work similar to a car battery whereby the adrenals respond favorably to acupressure techniques that “recharge the battery.” On the other hand, many Adrenals are so weak they require or need direct nutritional support to restore them. I hope that you have found this helpful Kim.

If you have a question, email me at greenbrierchiro@gmail.com or call: 645-6080.

– Dr. Tim Pence. LBSPY #60. Dec 2014.