“Stress symptoms may be affecting your health — even when you don’t realise it.” – Dr Michael Maeder (Chiropractor)
Do you feel stressed? Could some of your health issues actually be caused by it? Stress is a vital physiological response — it evolved to help us survive perceived threats. The challenge is that today’s stressors are rarely brief. Work pressure, relationship strain, financial worry, and loss can stretch on for months or years.
When stress is prolonged, the body’s survival response begins to cause real, measurable damage across multiple systems. As a chiropractor practising Applied Kinesiology, Dr Michael Maeder’s approach begins here — identifying and calming the stress pathway before anything else. Click here to find out more about Dr Michael Maeder: Michael Maeder – Barefoot Health Co
01 Brain Function
Stress hormones over-activate areas of the brain fuelling negative fixation and obsessive thinking. Midbrain overactivity can trigger migraines and tinnitus.
02 Immune System
Chronic stress compromises immune defenses, making you more susceptible to infections, frequent illness and slowing recovery time.
03 Thyroid hormones
Stress disrupts thyroid function, impacting your ability to handle seasonal changes, sustain motivation, and maintain energy levels.
04 Cell Communication
Stress hormones interfere with chemical cell messengers, blunting immune sensitivity and impairing the inflammatory response — particularly critical after concussions or injury.
05 Gut Health
Stress drives leaky gut, dysbiosis, and reflux. These create absorption problems that affect the brain through poor vitamin, mineral, and neurotransmitter production. Allergies and histamine levels are also affected.
06 Liver
A stressed gut introduces foreign particles into the bloodstream, placing a significantly heavier workload on the liver as it filters the blood leading to reduced or impaired toxin clearance.
07 Hormone Balance
Stress hormones share a chemical pathway with sex hormones. Elevated output alters testosterone, progesterone, oestrogen, and fertility markers.
08 Blood Sugar Level
Long-term stress hormone output predisposes the body to type 2 diabetes and hypoglycaemia.
09 Cardio Risk
Elevated stress hormones raise triglycerides and drive systemic inflammation, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease
“Assessing and calming the stress pathway is, in my view, the first and most critical step in every patient’s care.”
— Dr Michael Maeder, Chiropractor
How Applied Kinesiology differs from manual chiropractic (spinal manipulations or adjustments)
Most people think of chiropractic as spinal adjustments — a manual approach focused on bones and alignment.
Applied Kinesiology (AK) takes a broader view. Developed in the 1960s by Dr George Goodheart, AK combines chiropractic principles with elements of nutrition, neurology, and acupressure to evaluate the whole person — not just the spine.
Dr Maeder’s approach
Applied Kinesiology
- Assesses structural, chemical and emotional stressors
- Uses muscle testing as a neurological diagnostic tool
- Identifies organ and system dysfunction through the body’s own responses
- Integrates nutrition, nervous system, and stress pathway assessment
- Every session is tailored to your body’s needs on that day
The key distinction is that muscle testing in AK is a neurological test, not a strength test. A change in muscle response signals where the nervous system is under load — whether from physical tension, nutritional deficiency, or stress. This is why AK can uncover patterns that X-rays and standard assessments miss entirely.
For patients dealing with the whole-body effects of stress — gut issues, hormonal disruption, fatigue, brain fog, and more — this approach allows Dr Maeder to find and treat the underlying drivers, not just the symptoms.
If you recognise these patterns and want to understand what’s driving them, reach out to Dr Michael Maeder to book an assessment.
Dr Michael Maeder — Chiropractor & Applied Kinesiologist
📞 07 210 33993 or Text Dr Michael directly on 0414 755 258