When chiropractic was discovered in 1895, a lack of health would often bring the administration of harsh patent medicines containing alcohol, cocaine, mercury or arsenic. In the midst of this, a healer, experimenter and freethinker by the name of Daniel David Palmer in Davenport, Iowa asked a simple, yet profound question:
“I desired to know why one person was ailing and his associate eating at the same table, working in the same shop was not. Why? What difference was there in the two persons that caused one to have pneumonia, catarrh, typhoid or rheumatism, while his partner, similarly situated, escaped? Why?”
Great question. Palmer went on to discover that it’s smarter to focus on the person with the disease, than focus on the disease in the person. That’s still true today. We start with the assumption that good, vibrant health is normal. Our second assumption is that if you’re not experiencing optimal health, something must be interfering with your natural, inborn ability to self-heal and experience life to the fullest. Yet, our tendency is to look outside ourselves to some of the more common culprits:
Bad luck. Accidents often fall into this category—being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Germs. Blaming a cold or the flu solely on germs overlooks one essential ingredient—being a hospitable host!
Genetics. The newest fall guy is having a “bad gene.” Yet, DNA expression is often a reaction to our environment.
We consider a much more significant influence to your health: the integrity of your nervous system.
These days, stress is so common it’s often seen as “normal.” Since it’s unlikely that we can eliminate stress in our lives, improving our ability to withstand and accommodate it is important for our health.
There’s good stress and bad stress.
| Positive Stress | Negative Stress |
|---|---|
| A workout at the gym | Lack of adequate sleep |
| One-day water fast | Daily diet of fast food |
| Learning the piano | Paying the bills |
| International travel | Airline seats |
| Trying new foods | Getting food poisoning |
| A glass of wine | Ten glasses of wine |
Generally, stress falls into three categories:
Physical Stress – Repetitive motions (painting the ceiling), postural distortions (falling asleep with your neck twisted) and whiplash injuries from a car accident are physical stresses. So are slips and falls. Even a difficult birth or learning to walk.
Emotional Stress – Ever face an impossible deadline at work? Or grieved the loss of a loved one? Notice the posture of someone who is depressed. Anger, or a sense of hopelessness, are common forms of emotional stress that may affect the spine.
Chemical Stress – Today’s environment constantly assaults us with chemicals. Drugs, preservatives, tobacco, alcohol, pollen, pet dander, detergents, fabric softeners and a host of other substances that can affect our nervous system and muscle tone.
Stress produces a reaction in your body. Besides increased levels of stress hormones, the fight or flight response may produce spinal joint dysfunction. Think of it as your body’s circuit breaker.
After a thorough examination, a chiropractor adds energy to your spine at an opportune time and place to help your body “right” itself. Think of a chiropractic adjustment as a gentle “nudge” to help restore better movement to the spine.
While the word chiropractic comes from the Greek meaning “done by hand,” there are many ways to adjust the spine.
Whether done with actual hands, various types of handheld instruments, blocks that harness the effect of gravity or by other means, a chiropractic adjustment is distinguished by the chiropractor’s intention.
It surprises many to learn that the intent of chiropractic adjustments is NOT to treat a disease, reduce pain or any other symptom.
Granted, that’s a frequent result, but that’s not the purpose of chiropractic adjustments! Instead, the intent of chiropractic adjustments is to help revive your spine’s ability to function more normally.
Helping your spine and nervous system to function to the best of its ability is the century-old basis of chiropractic. Treating symptoms and curing various diseases is the practice of medicine. Both have their place.
What do chiropractic adjustments feel like? Usually quite pleasant. Often patients mention that not only do they move better, but that they feel more “connected” and report a pleasant sense of ease and well-being. That’s important.