You can tell a lot by someone's cortisol rhythm," says chiropractor Stacey Smith. She noticed that some of her patients improved and some didn't despite the same treatment and wanted to understand why. The answer centered on adrenal fatigue and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis). She discusses this and how to achieve stress recovery, explaining

• How stress-related dysfunction actually starts upstream from the adrenal glands in the brain and nervous system,
• Why this stress cascade affects everything from blood sugar control to circadian rhythms via the HPA axis dysfunction, and
• What four key stressors she identifies and how their Lifestyle Matrix Education System addresses these issues.

Stacey Smith is the SOS Clinical Brand Manager of Lifestyle Matrix Resource Center and is a practicing chiropractor. After observing the variety of recovery efficacy among her patients, she started researching stress-related dysfunctions and our HPA axis. This brought her to functional medicine and a better understanding of the stress recovery adaptation cycle. She explains the roles cortisol plays in many facets of our physiology, from blood sugar control and our sleep patterns and immune system function to our baseline energy.

She says that patients need to "get into a routine of something that's going to activate their passion," and in turn, their parasympathetic nervous system. She describes their mostly saliva-based testing, what it indicates, and how they treat patients accordingly. Their recommendations include lifestyle management, diet, and nutrition support, and "adaptogens," which help the body return to a state of homeostasis and balance. She also explains why too much cortisol can be harmful, from tissue breakdown that weakens the immune system to excess blood sugar. While most of her work is local, she adds that they offer their training and program guide to other practitioners. Listen in to find out more about their program.