I am often asked this question. Or better yet I am asked, “why should I see a chiropractor if I feel fine?” The latter question is the most frequently asked, so I’d like to explain a little more and hopefully give you a better understanding of why chiropractic should be a part of your healthy lifestyle, just as it is a part of mine.
Before I do, it is critical to understand exactly what health is and where it comes from. Dorland’s medical dictionary defines health as state of “optimum physical, social, mental and spiritual well-being – not merely the absence of disease or infirmities.” It goes on to state that health is a state of optimum function, when every part of your body is functioning at one hundred percent.
As you can see from the above definition, “function is the key to health.” We are led to believe that being healthy is having no pain or symptoms. Through the media, we are told that the definition of health is feeling great, with no pain or other symptoms. This is a poor indicator of how healthy we are, considering most disease processes are silent until the body is overwhelmed. In cases such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure, we do not experience physical symptoms for months, sometimes years after the disease has begun to take over the body. Having symptoms is no fun, believe me I know, but its all part of your body’s innate wisdom, letting you know there’s a problem. What needs be done, regardless of the doctor you choose to visit, is to stop, access and make a change in order to get to the underlying cause of the problem and work with you to correct it.
Our health mentality today is analogous to the oil light going on in your car and responding by putting a piece of tape over it, so you won’t have to deal with it. Obviously your engine will eventually break down and your can will no longer run. When we ignore our health problem by taking drugs that fix our symptom but not its cause, our body continues to breakdown until it becomes a chronic condition affecting the overall quality of our health and life. Just look at the current state of health in our country. Our high obesity rates coupled with the many people suffering from heart disease, cancer, and chronic pain, despite the best that medicine can provide, show that eliminating symptoms does not make us any healthier.
How is Chiropractic Care Different From Standard Medical Care?
So, what does chiropractic do differently? Chiropractors address the underlying cause of your problem and work with you to correct it. Remember, function is the key to health. Your brain, spinal cord and the nerves exiting your spinal cord control every organ, gland and system in your body. If there is interference to the nerves, you have a “subluxation,” or a spinal misalignment. Subluxations keep your body from functioning properly, which eventually leads to symptoms and disease. The more interference to your nerves, the harder it is for your organs, glands and systems to function, allowing for disease to make its way into the body. Getting adjusted by your chiropractor corrects your subluxations, allowing for better nerve flow, and better nerve flow equals better health and function. All my patients know that I get adjusted regularly, not because I have aches or pains, but because I want to give my body the best chance to stay healthy by functioning properly. And do not misunderstand, chiropractic is great a reliving pain and other symptoms of ill-health, so when my shoulder bothers me from and old injury, I get adjusted and feel much better. But more importantly, I get adjusted regularly to stay healthy, just as I eat well and exercise. Chiropractic is simply another aspect of living a healthy lifestyle. Being proactive with your health is essential to keeping you not only living longer, but living longer and being able to do all the things you love to do. To keep your body functioning at its best, start getting adjusted. You will notice the change in yourself, not only in eliminating your symptoms, but in your overall quality of life.
See what a difference chiropractic care can make in your life. Contact us at 804.740.3434 to arrange for a consultation, or use our convenient appointment form. If you find the information in this article valuable, please recommend it to your friends and family.