Why We Don’t Guess

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Why would you guess when you can be accurate? Guessing or jumping to conclusions will result in more consequences than positive actions. Take for instance a home inspector who found mold on some drywall in a house. When the inspector begins sampling the rest of the house for mold to find the cause, he does not put the sample strips directly on the area where the mold is exposed. Why? Just because it is the most obvious area doesn’t mean it is the source. So, the inspector begins to “inspect” other areas that are not EXPOSED.

In Gonstead Chiropractic one of the most important criteria is to eliminate guessing when it comes to your body by use of x-ray analysis. With x-ray analysis we are able to specifically locate subluxations (misalignment’s within the spine creating nerve dysfunction) and eliminate compensations. 

What’s a compensation? In Chiropractic we adopt universal laws that have sustained the test of time. Take for instance Newtons Third Law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite re-action. When a subluxation occurs it changes the normal condition of pressure, tension, shape, size and length of the surrounding structures. In other words the subluxation creates compensations elsewhere that are not the area of concern. Finding the right area to adjust becomes the name of the game. 

The body is designed to be intelligent and accurate for the sustainability of life. This is no different when you take care of your spine with Chiropractic care. You want accuracy. When you eliminate guessing, you allow the body to be intelligent and make accurate decisions when healing. If things aren’t moving the way they are supposed to move, other areas will begin to become affected as well. Remember the body is a unit altogether. It wants to be healthy. So, be accurate when making healthy choices and eliminate the guessing.

Correct Digestion Issues

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Digestion issues unfortunately, in our society, are becoming the new “norm.” It’s almost to the point that if you do not have any digestive issues you are considered “weird”. Digestion, aka gut, is an important topic of concern due to the fact that it is known as the second brain. The rational and reasoning behind this is because approximately 70% of the immune system is housed in the gut.

A healthy gut starts at birth. Normal vaginal deliveries help inoculate the newborn with an overabundance of microbes. This begins the learning process of the immune system. To keep the learning process clear and functioning begins with working on the upper cervical neck region. Often people hear of the “Brain Gut Connection” phrase passed around when talking about digestive issues. This is due to the fact that the upper cervical nerves control, regulate, and made the gut.

A subluxation (misalignment in the spinal column) places undo stress upon a single nerve fiber, thus creating a chemical cascade of events known as dis-ease. Which means that literally your body is not at “ease.” What occurs first will be dysfunctional gut problems, better known as symptoms. What have we been told to do when symptoms occur…suppress them with drugs. Suppressing a symptom never corrects the cause and never allows the body to heal. Looking to the spine first and foremost by correcting subluxations will enable the brain – body connection to be fully established.

Don’t treat symptoms. Chiropractic can get your digestive system working by focusing on the cause. Research, published in the November 2002 issue of the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research (JVSR) demonstrates that chiropractic care may be effective in helping patients with allergies and Crohn’s Disease. What’s considered an allergy in the gut? A chronic hypersensitivity of an over-stimulated immune response. The response coming from the brain via a nerve to the tissue cells of the gut. Once again, the focus of chiropractic care is to remove any physiological blocks to the proper expression of the body’s innate wisdom.

Early Detection: Proper Structure = Proper Posture

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Early detection is key to prevention of postural decline. A posture analysis is eye opening for many and can lead to changes that correct improper posture. The KEY to understanding posture decline is accessing x-ray analysis. X-rays give us the ability to see what is actually going on with the spinal column that directly impacts how easy or hard proper posture can be for you. To see is to actually know, and x-rays give us that valuable tool to see the structure of the spine which directly correlates to your overall HEALTH and well-being.

To understand what health is, is to understand the role of the brain and the nerves, your central nerve system (CNS). The spinal column protects the CNS… literally. The spinal column is the only boney structure that surrounds the most important component of your body, the CNS. The beginning of the disease process begins with posture distortions – Dr. Hans Seyle, Nobel Laureate.

Understand that your brain communicates to your body and vice versa through your spinal cord (which is protected via spinal bones). When a subluxation (misalignment within the spinal column placing undo stress upon a single spinal nerve) occurs it creates a constant roadblock of communication that creates chaos from the brain to body and vice versa. To understand a subluxation and how it impacts your health, think of it as road construction. Imagine your spinal cord as a four-lane highway. When a subluxation occurs the four lanes reduce to one lane. Not only does your posture begin to suffer and become harder to perform, your health becomes impacted as well.

The only way to correctly find and locate a subluxation is through x-ray analysis. Then proper construction (adjustments) can occur to reestablish proper connection between the brain and body. Correcting the structure of the spinal column brings about a posture that is easy to accomplish. Ideally, our bones stack up one upon the other: the head rests directly on top of the spine, which sits directly over the pelvis, which sits directly over the knees and ankles. Good posture is critical for maintaining a healthy body and mind. 

Yep, You Might Have To Come Back To Get Better.

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Be weary, once you go to the Chiropractor you might have to go back… DUH. You will want to go back. Often times we hear this with new patients who have no understanding of Chiropractic care other than reading a blog or hearing something a friend said passing by about what Chiropractic is. “Time has and always will perpetuate those methods which better serve mankind. Chiropractic is no exception to that rule.” – B.J. Palmer.

Why would you want to come back? It’s called neuroplasticity. It’s enabling your body to adapt and heal itself. It’s not a new concept, it’s actually been around FOREVER. Your brain is designed to protect you and create a healthy living environment. Just like how a dis-ease process begins to appear or something bad happens in the body… it takes time. With neuroplasticity, the brain can learn to be in a chronic state of sickness and pain. No different than the brain creating a positive life of health.

To change the input and output of the brain takes time. When a subluxation (misalignment in the spine) places undo stress upon a single nerve fiber the entire body will become overexcited. In time this over-excitement when left uncorrected uses more than it should, consumes more tissue cells than it should, and creates a state of dis-ease in the body. Your brain begins to learn this state of living. A new reality is created in a negative presence.

Coming back to the Chiropractor ensures the right subluxations are corrected and adjusted to enable your body to build on the positive. Coming back ensures neuroplasticity is creating a positive reality with open channels throughout the central nerve system with no interference. The simplest way to think about creating positive change is to incorporate orthodontics into the equation. When is the last time you ever heard of someone asking for a “tooth adjustment” in one day to correct changes that have existed for years? Come back, it’s great for you in more ways than you can even imagine. You are 100% in control of you.  

5 Components Of A Subluxation

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Breaking down a subluxation begins with the context of the word. “Sub” is derived from “less than” or “under” and “luxation” stemming from luxate which is to “dislocate”. So the proper meaning of subluxation is less than a full dislocation. Often times you may hear people say that they have a “pinched nerve” or they have “thrown their back out” which is the farthest thing from the truth. They are only expressing one component (muscular component) of the subluxation. Let’s break down the subluxation to gather the real insight.

The skeletal component: when a subluxation occurs the vertebrae above and below will be involved. The actual subluxation will create uneven displacement on the disc (the cushion in between the vertebrae) creating a bio-mechanical shift. Structurally, think of it as a kink in a bicycle chain, eventually everything becomes troubled as a result.

The muscular component: since nerves control muscles that establish proper position of vertebrae they are an integral part of the subluxation. When a nerve becomes irritated the surrounding muscle will become overexcited and inflamed as a process. People don’t feel their bones misaligned, they feel the pain in muscles. 

The soft tissue component: the subluxation will affect the surrounding tendons, ligaments and blood supply to which the nerve controls. The soft tissues can become stretched or scarred leaving the spine with either chronic instability or restriction.

The degeneration component: this is a result of neglecting the subluxation. When a subluxation exists uncorrected for years degeneration and decay begins within the spine. Mistakenly referred to as “normal” is the farthest thing from the truth. 

The neurological component: the most important factor involved with a subluxation. When a subluxation places undo stress upon a nerve the result is that all the tissues fed by that specific nerve become distorted from the brain and are unable to function normally. Overtime this will lead to a whole host of other conditions (signs and symptoms). Think of this as your organs, glands, and tissue cells receiving poor cell phone reception from the brain because they cannot accurately understand what to do.

Chiropractors focus on correcting the cause of your problem, not just on suppressing your symptoms. #getchecked



Disc Disc Disc, The Importance Of The Disc Within The Spine

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Disc Disc Disc, The Importance Of The Disc Within The Spine

Let’s talk about disc spacing and why it often gets left out when discussing spinal hygiene.  A disc acts as a cushion between each single vertebra and is your shock absorber for every action that you encounter in life.  Think gravity!  Not only does it function as a shock absorber, it allows proper spacing between each spinal bone to form a canal in which the spinal nerve exits through.  This canal provides protection and open communication for the spinal nerve to be a two way communicator from the brain to the body and the body to the brain.  This makes it vitally important to your overall health.

Understanding the disc space comes from utilizing x-ray analysis.  As a Gonstead chiropractor we study and analyze the x-ray films to calculate and adjust “through” the disc space.  It is the analysis of the disc and the changes it undergoes that gives the most reliable information for locating the subluxation.  To judge the level and condition of the subluxation is to access the surrounding disc space.  When a subluxation occurs it creates a displacement within the spinal column which will place stress upon the disc.  As a result the disc will produce undo stress upon the spinal nerve exiting through the canal.  This in turn will create health problems.

Subluxations that remain uncorrected will cause calcium deposits and bone spurs to occur.  Nerve and soft tissue damage will ensue.  The subluxated vertebrae will become rough and uneven on the surfaces compressing the disc and resulting in the loss of its natural cushioning.  The process accelerates causing the disc to collapse and fusion begins.  The final stage of disc degeneration from an uncorrected subluxation is when the bones are fused together creating immobility and even more severe health problems.  Keep the disc space alive and mobile with specific adjustments and you keep the channel open for the nerve to express your life through.  Happy disc = happy nerve = healthy you.

Ever Hear Of A Spine Transplant?

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Ever Hear Of A Spine Transplant?

Have you ever heard of a spinal transplant?  The answer should and will be NO. However, our society consistently leans toward that kind of answer.   Let’s cut, snip, stab, and basically remove, fuse or bolt together anything that is not doing what it should be.  Once something wears out or is no longer working like it did when we were 18, we automatically lean toward replacing it.  We live in a one and done type world. What happened to the art of maintaining and taking care what you have? Now enter the words… hard work.

Why Are The Spinal Bones So Important?

The spinal bones not only protect your spinal cord but they also have just enough space between them to allow two nerves to exit out to each side of your body.  These nerves control, coordinate and transmit messages to the rest of your body so it can accomplish EVERY action in your daily life. That means every tissue cell in your body is controlled by your nerves through your spinal cord from the BRAIN!   Henry Winsor, M.D. said it best to understand the importance of spinal health – “Organs supplied by impinged nerves exhibit pathological changes and the more serious the impingement the more serious the damage.”  What’s the takeaway from this statement?  You are able to objectively judge someone’s health based on their spinal structure and integrity of their curves.  Healthy spine = healthy central nerve system = healthy body.

Will My Spine Wear Out?

What happens when you neglect your teeth?  Eventually you will lose what you do not take care of.  With the bones of the spine you are not going to “lose” them and they won’t fall out like your teeth.  What will happen is the disc spacing in-between the vertebrae will become less than it was. Even with a healthy spine the disc spacing is going to wear down.  That is NORMAL wear and tear in a human body. The spine will even lose a couple inches. It’s inevitable. It’s the way we are designed. However, when spine health is NEGLECTED  spine DEGENERATIVE changes occur. Degeneration is NOT normal. With degeneration, your spine will begin to wear out at an exceedingly faster pace. This means your health begins to wear out at a faster pace.  Take care of your spine. It’s the only health you have.

 

My Back’s Out…And That Means What Exactly?

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My Back’s Out…And That Means What Exactly?

Oh the power of words and what they actually mean.  The most common phrase that I hear with new patients is typically, “My back’s out,” or, “Outta whack,” or something along those lines.  Now, we could just let that slide by and everything would be okay, OR we could educate and tell you more.  Before we begin, let’s clear the board and announce that in Chiropractic school, training, clinicals, national board exams, preceptorships, etc. etc., not once did we Chiropractors learn about the phrase, “My back’s out.”

My Back’s Really Out…Right?

Listen to the words we are saying, “My back’s out.”  NO, the back cannot simply “go out”.  The back doesn’t randomly decide to leave your body and go hang out at Costco without you.  Too critical?  Let’s use the word misaligned instead.  A misalignment in the spine, otherwise called a subluxation, can and does happen.  Once it occurs it will stay in that misalignment until forces (Chiropractic adjustments) begin to correct it.  Still, you cannot simply just feel like “My back’s out” or even if you try and be witty you cannot just say “I just felt a subluxation occur in my back.”

If My Back Is NOT Out, What IS Happening?

Here’s another common phrase “Don’t kill the messenger!”   When a subluxation occurs, it places undo stress upon the Central Nerve System (CNS) and can specifically irritate a spinal nerve.  This spinal nerve made certain muscles and controls certain muscles.  Therefore, when the nerve gets irritated, the muscles become irritated.  The last messages to appear after a subluxation has been existent will be chronic muscle tension, knots, and irritation.  A subluxation that goes on uncorrected and neglected for years is equivalent to your teeth not being cleaned.  As time passes, your symptoms begin to appear, and eventually when your body is in a stressed state, the PAIN messages appear.  Now your muscles, tendons, ligaments and tissue become inflamed…thus creating an episode of, “My back’s out.”

Just Get Checked

It’s simple.  If you utilize your Chiropractor correctly, you will know him before you need him.  Understand the reverse of this phrase as well.  When you do decide to get adjusted, the bone does not just simply “go back”…  It requires time and repetition for your CNS to allow your body to heal and ADAPT from the neurological strain that it was under for so long.  Just get checked!

 

Learn Why Patience Is Key To Healing Your Body

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Patience is the Key to Healing Your Body

Teaching Patience to Patients

In this day and age the status quo is living in the fast-food lane, meaning we want things to happen NOW.  The age of patience is becoming a lost art. Industries will cater to this fast-food lane mentality and sell you products, trends, fads, and gimmicks, trying to convince you that something can happen in the NOW.  The “sale” that strikes a nerve with chiropractic care is emergency or urgent care.  Unfortunately my profession will sell you the quick “fix”.  Chiropractic care is not an emergency room or urgent care.  Chiropractic enables your body to adapt to the external stressors that plague it.  Feeling good just comes with the territory.  If you only come in to see the chiropractor when you’re in pain, then you should only eat healthy food when you get sick.  It takes time for your body to heal and adapt.  It takes patience.

The Truth about Patience in Healing

Nobody is too busy to heal, it just comes down to your priorities and choices you make in life.  Chiropractic care is not designed to make you instantly feel better.  It is actually designed to instantaneously begin the healing process and allow your body to adapt to your stressors.  Simple enough? Patience is fundamental with chiropractic because adapting to your stressors is a process, not an event.

The Father of Patience

“Healing is a matter of time, it is sometimes a matter of opportunity,” – Hippocrates.  Think of it this way.  If you work a 9-5 job Monday through Friday, and a good majority of that time you are sitting at a desk utilizing a computer, a substantial amount of physical and emotional stress is placed on your body.  Chiropractic care enables your body to adapt to the external stressors in your life.  If you have complete loss of patience you will just conform to the “status quo” and take medication.  Your body will always go through stress, but it’s your innate responsibility to promote adapting.  Adapting comes with understanding how patience is required in healing.  If you get a cut, a scab will form and you will heal.  If you break a bone, you will heal.  The same can be said for just about ANYTHING in your body when you give it time.  Chiropractic care paired with patience will promote adapting and healing within your body. #getchecked