Are You Just a Mechanism?
In school you learned that human body was divided into different parts. The mouth, esophagus, stomach and intestines made up the digestive system. The bones made up the skeletal system. And so on. This has contributed to the widely-held belief that you and I are merely a collection of parts, a belief that stands in the way of better health. It’s responsible for:
Isolation: Incorrectly thinking that organs and tissues operate independently of each other rather than together as part of an integrated whole.
Mechanism: The belief that we’re simply a collection of parts in which identical inputs (drugs) should produce identical results in all subjects.
We chiropractors go beyond mechanism to embrace what’s called vitalism:
Wholism: Each “part” has a purpose that contributes to the whole.
Intelligence: You and I can learn, create and adapt to our environment.
Self-healing: Cut your finger and your body can heal it. Mechanisms can’t.
Since the nervous system regulates these vital processes, chiropractic care is the centerpiece of the growing interest in vitalism.
Do Kids Have Bad Backs?
“I couldn’t help but notice there was a child out in your reception room. Why would a child need to see a chiropractor?” The idea that children, even newborns, would see us to get adjusted is a stretch for some. How would a child benefit?
Birth trauma. All childbirth methods can take a toll on a baby’s spine.
Colic. Many babies experience extraordinary relief with chiropractic care.
Ear infections. Tension in the upper spine can affect the inner ear.
Children enjoy adjustments, and most respond quickly. They rarely have the scar tissue that we often see in adults with long-standing problems. And resolving problems early can avoid problems later on.
Coasting
When it comes to your health, do you keep on top of it or are you just coasting?
After recovering your health, it’s tempting to coast. But that’s a surefire way to invite a relapse of your original problem. Why?
Imagine that your goal is to participate in a 10K run. To get in shape, you run every day. When race day arrives, you’re able to run the full 10K without stopping. If you were to stop training, would your ability to successfully run a 10K race remain with you the rest of your life? Of course not.
Spinal health is like that. Discontinuing your care once you feel better (coasting) interrupts the healing process. In fact, the most lasting changes occur with continued care after symptoms subside.
Are you coasting? Do you know someone who is? No problem. Just remember, we’ll be here to help when you’re ready to start pedaling again!
In This Issue
The Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease
We all recognize this old saying, and it’s never truer than when it comes to our health. If we shut down the awareness to our body’s own cries for change, our body cries louder.
And Louder.
AND LOUDER!
Until we finally listen and take the action to make some important changes.
That’s often what we see when new patients begin care in our practice with an obvious ache or pain.
First, they try to grin and bear it, figuring the problem will go away on its own.
When the problem doesn’t self-resolve, they often up the ante, suppressing the pain with over-the-counter medications.
While this may seem convenient, it merely prolongs the day when the underlying cause must inevitably be addressed.
Just as Einstein observed that problems are never solved at the same level that created them, they call us.
Wise move.
Funny how so many people claim they don’t have the time for healthy habits and preventive measures, but when they lose their health, they somehow find it!
Listen to your body. What’s it telling you?
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