As the 4th of July approaches, I am reminded of the grit, hard-work, vision, and hope that many had to give. These values have given us the freedom we experience today.
In reality, that is all that man has ever wanted from the beginning of time..
Freedom to live a life of our own choosing.
Thank you for allowing us to help you live your life of freedom and independence this Fourth of July. Our wish for you this holiday is that you spend quality time with family and friends. We pray that you are free to pursue your wishes for a restful, peaceful day.
I just recently experienced my first fracture. I was diagnosed with an avulsion fracture in my ankle. An avulsion fracture is where the tip of a bone (where ligaments attach) pulls off in an extreme stretch in the area. Left behind is a piece of bone that can sometimes cause issues, depending what happens to it. I was informed that if I treated it properly, it would likely heal on its own. (Of course that is one of the functions of innate intelligence) Healing on its own is usually seen as the bone re-attaching to where it broke off, or re-absorbing into the body.
Isn’t it amazing to see a little glimpse of what the intelligence of the body can do? Of course, I had a job to do as well:
It wasn’t easy, mentally, to do the following for 4 1/2 weeks:
Non-wight bearing for 21 days
Wear a boot 24 hours a day to keep the ankle at 90 degrees.
Ice 20 minutes at a time 5-7 times a day or more.
Use a scooter or crutches to get around.
Take a nutritional protocol.
However, Innate intelligence had the largest task: To heal. The individual supports the processes. I have no idea how innate intelligence re-absorbs the bone in 4 weeks. Living creatures, like myself, do not need to know how to grow bone, re-absorb bone, or heal the area. Our job is simply to support the healing process in the best way possible. In my case, give it time to heal and follow some pretty simple processes.
Do you ever get 5 minutes into a conversation until you realize that you and the other individual are talking about something completely different? This is sorta what happened to me the other day, except it happened on a blog. Let me explain..
The subject of the blog was how the CDC is scaring the population with regards to the Ebola Virus. The blog went on to say that Ebola virus has been over-hyped, it is not as dangerous as everyone has stated, and that we should probably focus more on mosquito transmitted diseases.
From a pure “how relevant is ebola” standpoint, I completely agree. However, then the author hit us with this gem:
“The alternative crowd is in on the scare touting potions and lotions to protect the human population from Ebola as well. In fact, they believe that humans were meant to be healthy, and if they are not healthy, something is interfering with this natural normal health state. This is completely wrong. We are a weak species, easily killed by small diseases, viruses, and insignificant traumas all the time.”
As I read that last couple of sentences, I could not help to think, “what is wrong with this guy.” He really things we are a weak species! He is oblivious to the fact that there are more human beings on the planet than ever before. While other creatures become extinct, we thrive in any environment. From Alaska to the Sahara desert, human beings can and do live on, in an environment that seems to be ever-changing. As far as
“insignificant traumas”, I guess the term “insignificant” is up for debate. However, I can personally state that I have seen some pretty significant traumas that people walk away from. Just watching 15 minutes of America’s Funniest Videos is all the research you should need for this. LOL
The entire foundation of what chiropractic believes is based on this premise: “You were meant to be healthy.”
So naturally, I jumped from my computer when I saw the words “We are a weak species..” Of course we are not built with armor on our backs like a Rhino. Nor are we built with thick hair on our chests like bears in the winter months. However, we are supplied with a brain to help us take care of ourselves. One thing your brain does is to help you reason. It is this reason that has and will continue to make the human race the most advanced living thing on this planet. We don’t need the armor, we can create it. We don’t need to fly, we can build it and fly it. We don’t need to lift 10,000 lbs with our hands, we can build a crane to do that with a touch of a button.
Most importantly, we were NOT put on this planet to suffer, nor should we. YOU are meant to be healthy. Quite honestly, any thought otherwise is a pretty distorted view of life.
Adaptation means that you (without thinking about it much) are able to change to suit the conditions of the environment. Take the simplest of adaptation signs: shivering.
Assuming the temperature drops (as it did just this morning here), your body uses sensors that sense this temperature change. This information is then sent along the communication pathway within your body to alert your control system that temperature has dropped. The control system then makes a CHANGE to react to this temperature drop. In this case, you shiver. A shiver allows the muscles to contract and relax to the point where you actually warm up your body through your muscular system. This simple act can make your body increase in temperature enough to prolong your survival.
This is just one example of adaptation within you. We all adapt, some better than others, to “stuff” going on in our environment. Which brings up a very important question. The answer to this question can literally stifle a nation’s healthcare system if answered incorrectly:
How do we know if our symptoms are a proper adaptation response (healthy), or signs that our body is not adapting properly (sick)?
Lately there has been a lot of talk about preparedness: Survival training, bug-out bags, portable filtration systems. The list goes on and on…
When you think of what the core of chiropractic can do for you, it is really about being prepared: Prepared to fight the stress of life, whether that be emotional, physical or chemical in nature.
When thinking of preparation, the number one priority is to be as healthy as possible. Health starts with a healthy nervous system. If you are not utilizing chiropractic care, chances are very high that you are not as healthy as you can be. Without chiropractic, years are shaved off your life both in quality and quantity.
Be prepared, utilize chiropractic for a healthy life. You owe it to your loved ones to be prepared for life stresses.
In this day of advanced electronic communication, we seem to be busier than ever. There is always an opportunity to be interrupted. Someone can easily reach you in a moment’s notice to get what THEY need. However, who is taking care of you?
Unfortunately, I believe we give our phones more attention than we do our health. However, this will have terrible ramifications if left unchecked. I see this daily in practice. The truth is that not everyone that comes to me will be able to reach the potential they desire.
One of our questions we ask every single patient (we ask them multiple times throughout their care) is this:
“Where do you think your health is on a scale of 0-100, and where do you want to be?”
EVERYONE wants to be at a 100. Most realize they are not there. Yet, the next question we ask is telling of their value of health:
“How long do you think it will take to get there?”
Most believe they are able to reach perfect health in a relatively short period of time. I like big goals, with short timelines, however it is important to understand that if I do not reach a certain goal, I do not give up. Neither should you. Your health is your biggest asset. We work with the segment of the community shares this value.
The basic definitions of words that chiropractors utilize are often misunderstood by the general population. For instance, “wellness”. For a long time, I was not able to understand why my conversations with words such as these were misinterpreted by others. Unfortunately, there are some very large companies that have hijacked the very meaning of the term, wellness. Let’s go to a source. From dictionary.com, wellness is:
An approach to healthcare that emphasizes preventing illness and prolonging life, as opposed to emphasizing treating diseases.
*Notice that wellness is opposite of treating disease.
Right now there are pharmaceutical sales/marketing efforts that use the word, “wellness” in describing their approach to health, which is eradication of disease. I call this con-wellness.
Please note, this post is not intended to challenge the difference of treating disease and preventing disease. There are times for both forms of healthcare. However, using the word, “wellness” to mean something beyond it’s actual definition is an unethical marketing ploy that people need to acknowledge.
The issue becomes more serious than just a pet peeve, when you start to think about the customer that truly things they are practicing wellness, in an attempt to stay healthy and prolong a healthy life. Then, later realizes that they have been practicing emergency care instead of true healthcare. The visits to the hospital, the increased need for medications, the decreased life-expectancy will all bring this realization to light.
So, how can we learn before our health teaches us?
Try using a simple little intellectual test when it comes to your health decisions. One question might be:
Does this product or service alter me chemically, physically, or mentally beyond what is natural and normal?
This is not always an easy question to answer. However, a chiropractor, whose job is to remove interference to the innate ability you have with you to heal, is a professional that knows the definition between true wellness and con-wellness.
I’ve seen a trend on Facebook in the last year that asks if you are safe. I assume, a way to check on friends that are in affected areas of significant events. It is unfortunate that this has become even a question, especially with the advances our society has made over the past 150 years: travel, electricity, phone, farming methods. The list is exhaustive, and yet we still have to “mark ourselves safe”. However, this isn’t a political blog, so I will get to my point.
I can appreciate knowing how everyone is doing in the event of a true crisis, however maybe we can make a “mark yourself healthy” option on social media.
Thank for a minute a little deeper.
Unhealthy habits negatively affect most Americans today. One way to measure this, for instance, is use of the Heart Rate Variability (HRV):
Research has shown that an increase from low to moderate HRV, decreases mortality by 400%.
Pretty significant, right?
Please do not misunderstand, I am not suggesting that we should not be concerned about terrorists, stabbings on campus or riots on Wall Street. I am suggesting, however, that we concern ourselves more with items we have direct control: Your health.
The correct amount of oxygen is given to the correct amount of blood cells in the exact place that is most efficient in the correct percentage necessary for life. Truly, we could go on and on about the intelligent actions within you…and it truly is doing it yourself.
In fact, you are your own pharmacy. Your body distributes the drugs to the right places, in the right fashion and at the right time….and it does this by itself.
So what is our job?
Don’t interfere, interrupt, disrupt or harness the ultimate DIY within you, your own personal innate intelligence.
The word, “legacy” is very important to our clinic, Adjust. It is one of our core values that serves as a litmus test for our objectives. Simply put, we make decisions that have positive affects long-term. What would be the opposite of this?
Temporary
There are many health practices that provide temporary change, temporary relief, or temporary changes. Sometimes this is necessary. However, if you are looking to have a better life experience, then thinking about your health 20 years from now is the best decision you could make.
When making decisions for your health, think legacy. How will the decisions I make today affect me 5, 10, 20, or 50 years from now?
