“But I Didn’t Do Anything.”

How could the simple task of bending over to tie your shoes, cause your spine to lock up? How could reaching for the newspaper, produce pain down the back of your leg? How could looking over your shoulder to check traffic make your neck stiffen?

We hear this all the time.

With the exception of recent trauma, many of the health problems we see are the result of circumstances that have been around for months, sometimes years. After the incident, there may have been some initial soreness. But the body had enough “margin” or capacity to adapt, and the pain went away. Problem fixed.

Or was it?

True, your body is self-healing. But like many “do-it-yourself projects,” the attempts can be less than elegant. Plus, scar tissue is a poorer quality tissue that tends to be more fibrous and less flexible. This can make our efforts to correct the body’s original attempts more difficult.

In this way, many spinal problems resemble cancer, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and countless other “lifestyle” diseases. These health problems are usually present for years, quietly worsening in the background, before symptoms become obvious. And then all it takes is the littlest things to set it off. Like reaching over to pick up a pencil.

Is Laundry Detergent a Chiropractic Subject?

Last month’s Women’s Health article briefly explored the subject of deodorants. It mentioned that it contributed to what I called the chemical “load” on our bodies. I observed this in the context that there are three causes of subluxations, physical, mental and chemical.

Accommodating chemical toxins is a major job for your liver, kidneys and lymphatic system. So, consider a source of significant chemical assault: the laundry room.

You probably have a favorite laundry detergent. You’ve probably used it for years. If they supplied a list of ingredients it would require a chemical engineering degree to decipher, and never mind trying to pronounce their list of compounds not found in nature!

It gets worse.

After your “whites are whiter than white” many people add still more chemicals to their clothing by adding a fabric softener. When your clothes are dry, these additional chemicals have attached themselves to your favorite shirt and lucky socks. Many of them are known to cause central nervous system disorders.

Don’t forget the clothing you dropped off at the dry cleaners from which you can still catch a lingering whiff of cleaning solvent!

Better living through chemistry? We’re not convinced. We think better living comes from less chemistry. Give some thought to the potential carcinogens, allergens and chemical stressors in your life. See what you can do to reduce them—improving your health in the process.

Overdraft Protection

Think of your health as a check account. You can make deposits (good nutrition, exercise, proper rest, chiropractic adjustments, etc.) and you can make withdrawals (neglect, stress, pepperoni pizza, over doing it, etc.) Like your check account, if you make more withdrawals than deposits, you get bounced checks and overdraft notices from the bank.

Low back pain and pain down your legs? It’s an “overdraft” your body is sending you. Headaches? A bounced check. Numbness and tingling down your arm? A service charge from your health “bank.”

Many folks who begin chiropractic care do so because they’re overdrawn. They’ve got bounced checks and their health bank has levied some rather harsh fees. These penalties serve as a reminder that they haven’t been making adequate deposits to cover their withdrawals.

Getting a clear “audit” of your health account balance is the first place to start. That’s the purpose of a thorough examination. Then, you’ll probably need to make some immediate deposits into your account to get yourself out of the red. We call that Relief Care.

Then you have a choice. You can neglect your check book and suffer a relapse and more service fees later. Or, continue making deposits into your account, building up your balance and giving yourself some breathing room. Think of that as Corrective Care. The smartest option is to continue making still more deposits, opening up a savings account that can serve as a buffer you can call upon in moments of stress. We call that Maintenance or Wellness Care.

What’s the balance in your health check account?