Finding Balance Again: Understanding Adrenal Fatigue, Hormones & The Healing Path
You’ve probably heard the phrase “running on empty.” For many of us, that’s more than just a figure of speech—it’s our daily reality. Whether you're juggling family, career, workouts, or simply trying to show up fully in life, there’s a hidden system behind how we stay energized and resilient: your adrenal glands.
What Exactly Are The Adrenal Glands?
These two little glands sit on top of your kidneys, and while they’re small, they’re mighty. They help regulate your body’s stress response, energy levels, blood sugar, electrolyte balance, and sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen. Think of them as your body’s command center for staying steady under pressure.
Your adrenal glands create several classes of hormones from one humble starting point: cholesterol. From there, they produce cortisol to help manage stress, aldosterone for blood pressure regulation, and androgens like DHEA, testosterone, and estrogen to support mood, energy, recovery, and libido. They also produce epinephrine and norepinephrine—your fast-acting “fight or flight” hormones for focus and emergency response.
But here’s the catch: these hormones don’t work in isolation. They’re part of a finely tuned orchestra—and when one section is overworked, the whole system can fall out of sync.
How Adrenal Fatigue Can Affect You.
In today’s world, stress doesn’t show up once in a while—it’s constant. Our bodies aren’t built for that kind of load. Over time, we shift into survival mode, and our adrenals become overworked. This isn’t a disease—it’s a functional imbalance, often called “adrenal fatigue.” It shows up when your body has been borrowing from tomorrow to get through today for far too long.
One of the most important processes affected is something called "Pregnenolone Steal." Your body reroutes resources away from hormones like testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and even thyroid hormones in order to keep producing cortisol. The result? You might still be making hormones, but they’re coming at the wrong time, in the wrong amounts, or not being cleared properly.
If you find yourself needing multiple cups of coffee just to feel human, crashing mid-afternoon, staying up late even though you're exhausted, or dragging through your workouts—it’s not laziness or aging. It’s your body trying to cope.
In MEN, this often looks like
reduced testosterone
stubborn belly fat
muscle loss
poor sleep
A dip in confidence and performance.
In WOMEN, it may show up as
irregular periods
PMS
infertility
low libido
skin and hair changes
signs of thyroid imbalance—even when labs say everything is “normal.”
The Pathway For Wellness
So how do we know what’s really going on? That’s where functional lab testing comes in. It takes the guesswork out of the equation and gives us a clear picture of what your body needs.
One of my go-to tests is the DUTCH Complete. It’s an at-home urine test that gives us a map of your daily cortisol rhythm, sex hormones, melatonin, and even how well your body detoxifies hormones. Depending on your symptoms, we might also look at saliva testing for cortisol, serum blood tests for testosterone, estrogen, and DHEA, a full thyroid panel, or GI testing to see if inflammation or leaky gut is contributing to the stress load. Inflammatory markers and micronutrient testing can also reveal deeper patterns.
Once we understand what your body is telling us, we can create a personalized plan to help you heal—starting with your nervous system.
How Chiropractic Helps
As chiropractors, Mackenzie & I see firsthand how stress shows up in the spine and nervous system. Every adjustment you receive—especially to the upper cervical spine and sacrum—stimulates the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that helps regulate your stress response. This “reset” sends a clearer signal through the body, helping the brain better communicate with the endocrine system, including your adrenals, thyroid, reproductive organs, and immune system.
When the nervous system feels safe, the healing begins. Hormones regulate. Sleep improves. Digestion steadies. Your whole system begins to shift from “survive” to “thrive.”
What YOU Can Do
From there, we support your body’s natural rhythm by focusing on the essentials: consistent sleep (7–9 hours a night), regular mealtimes with nourishing foods, morning sunlight, and nighttime light hygiene. We scale back on overtraining and lean into restorative movement—like walking, stretching, or mobility work—until your energy stabilizes.
Supplements can help too, but they’re just part of the bigger picture. Adaptogens like ashwagandha or rhodiola can help recalibrate cortisol. For some people, carefully guided hormone support—like DHEA, progesterone, or pregnenolone—can be useful. Gut and liver support is key as well, especially for clearing excess estrogen and helping you detoxify efficiently.
It’s not about doing more. It’s about doing what matters most for your recovery. When we combine chiropractic care, functional testing, strategic nutrition, and nervous system support, we’re not just chasing symptoms—we’re helping your body remember how to heal.
You’re not broken. You’re out of rhythm. And together, we can get you back in tune.
Reset the signal. Reclaim your rhythm. Thrive again.
