Chiropractic and Mental Health

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Chiropractic and Mental Health

Research supports that vertebral subluxations may result in altered autonomic nervous system activity. How does this affect mental health and behavior? We will look specifically the vagus nerve “fight or flight” response and “rest and digest” response. The vagus nerve is a major component of the HPA-axis which coordinates neural, behavioral, endocrine, and immune/inflammatory responses. This is why we check heart rate variability in the office to gauge how well your vagus nerve is functioning, therefore how well your HPA-axis is functioning.

There is a theory called the Polyvagal Theory (PVT) that was proposed by Porges in which nervous system regulation affects our emotional expression, communication, and social behavior. Or in other words the neural pathways supporting behavior are involved in maintaining health.

In a study by Williams et al, “There was some evidence that spinal manipulation improved psychological outcomes compared with verbal interventions.” A different study by Holder et al, looked at patients who received instrument assisted adjustments, the test group who received adjustments showed a significant decrease in anxiety compared to the control group.

Chiropractic care a whole is concerned with totality of the human experience. By correcting subluxations, patients are more optimally able to adapt to the world around them and build resilience. When an adjustment is delivered, a patient’s nervous system immediately responds by altering the body’s ability to function at it’s fullest potential again.

Holder JM, Duncan Robert C, Gissen M, Miller M, Blum K (2001) Increasing retention rates among the

chemically dependent in residential treatment: auriculotherapy and (in a separate study)

subluxation-based chiropractic care. Journal of Molecular Psychiatry 6.

Williams NH, Hendry M, Lewis R, Russell I, Westmoreland A, et al. (2007) Psychological response in spinal

manipulation (PRISM): A systematic review or psychological outcomes in randomized controlled

trials. Complementary Therapis in Medicine 15:271-283.

March Of Spines

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Marching towards your health goals begins with owning the certainty of what you would like to achieve. Defining these health goals helps retain focus on performing positive actions over and over again. Take, for instance, the path deemed to be “best” to sustain a healthy life.

 To be “healthy,” we are often persuaded by external stimuli that have given someone else some relief. While changing and maintaining health may begin with a transitional day, for instance, New Year’s Day, being present in health is a constant march that requires your time and energy on a routine basis.

Exercise…check. Food…check. Mindset…check. Spinal care….often left un-checked. Your spine protects the most crucial system in the human body, the central nerve system (CNS). Think of your spine as the body of your vehicle and the CNS as the engine, which is necessary for your vehicle to run properly. Without constant check-ups to your engine and regular care the engine begins to suffer, thus leading to early problems that could have been prevented.

The march towards health is a ever changing game. Being healthy and not healthy is not a black and white picture. In between these two states there are several different shades of gray that you must transition past in obtaining whichever state you would like to be in. You are either marching towards the health state or away from it, either way you must march to your own beat, towards your own goals.

The Chiropractic adjustment is the one thing that fine tunes your engine to do exactly what it needs to do when you need it most…naturally and specifically. The great news is that not all engines are the same and with our system of Gonstead Chiropractic this enables us to perfect your mechanizing to generate results that allow you to perform the march of health on a consistent basis without limitations.  

How The Law Of Fear Works

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The stressful SHIFT is and has been occurring for some time since the COVID. We are talking about the emotional cascade of events that comes as extra baggage with everything associated with the COVID. The message is clear and with it comes the fear, with fear comes STRESS. When fear manifests it SHIFTS the trajectory of ones health for an instant or forever, depending on how well you adapt to the stress. We need to implement specific tactics that allow us to sustain our health.

You might not have FEAR during this time. Fantastic. Your body still begins to shift when your waiting in line at the grocery store and next to you is the person with the Hazmat suit. Be honest, it alters your perception and “can” trigger a stress response.

Specific tactics to enhance your bodies adaptability start with the central nerve system (CNS).  Resilience is our top concern.  Allowing the body to enhance its resiliency in times of chaos begin with a functional and coordinated CNS.
The difference between a bodies immune system that is resilient vs an immune system that is depleted is in the limitations of matter.  And what limits matter? The vertebral subluxation (misalignment within the spinal column) disrupts the communication from brain to body altering and shifting every system within the body (immune system as well) to a dysfunctional state!
The vertebral subluxation-itself a limitation of matter-which occludes an opening producing pressure upon nerves reducing the supply of the producer to the product (limits your brain to body connection and versa).
If there were no vertebral subluxation

  • no occlusion of any verterbal foramina
  • no pressure upon nerves
  • no reduction of supply between producer and product
  • no LIMITATION of product to reproduce the producer

To adjust the subluxation is to advance mankind, up his efficiency, increase his ADAPTABILITY, make him more natural and more at peace within himself. – Chiropractic Philosophy Science And Art

Ensuring health from within begins with addressing your spinal column. Create a new law of health by looking towards your health from within first and foremost. 

How Much Are You Worth?

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How much are you worth? What’s the criteria we are measuring? Your health. How much is your health worth to you? Invaluable should be the answer you are looking for. A sense of urgency is what keeps your health ESSENTIAL all the time. Not just during seasons of life when something “bad” happens like the COVID. Invest in your health on a daily basis and the outcomes will be reaped for the long-term.

How much is your health worth to you? Unfortunately we have raised a society where bad health is really expensive, and price tags begin to add up when we neglect our health. Especially during this season of our life and everyone being directly impacted by the happenings of our world.

If this season of life is your wake-up call, fantastic then! Use it to your advantage and begin a life of health. Start with your central nerve system. It controls and made every part of you. Sound like your worth enough now?

In the study of Chiropractic we cannot emphasize enough the concept of prevention. From the minute of conception to the minute of death your life is run and controlled via your master control system – the central nerve system. Chiropractic ensures optimal efficiency and coordination with the central nerve system by adjusting specific areas of interference.

When spinal imbalances occur, a subluxation (misalignment within the spine placing stress upon a single nerve) lowers the body’s adaptability threshold. Your bodies adaptability is referring to how you respond to stressors and how you are able to overcome health problems that arise.

Instead of waiting for things to happen, why not take the stance of being PRO-active. Be honest with yourself and own your health now instead of attempting to “get” it back later. An old adage of health is as such – ” Young man who spends his time to gather wealth will neglect his health, and later in life will spend his wealth to gather his health.” Own your health now and invest in what you were born with.

 

Stay True To Health – Staying Normal During These Times

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Handshakes, high-fives, and hugs have all too quickly transitioned into “elbow bumps” and social distancing – which we totally respect. There is no denying that in this current situation is unpleasant. However we see this as an opportunity to flip the script, and see this as an opportunity to empower our community even more. No matter what is occurring – our health is our most valuable asset. Having an abundance of health means we can take care of those that matter most to us and simply get back to doing the things we love most.

So, what does being “Healthy” mean. Health isn’t found in blood pressure numbers, temperature ranges, or in prescription medication. Put simply, health is the body having the ability to respond correctly, accurately, and the ability to ADAPT to our ever-changing environment. Now in correlation with the hysteria of the Coronavirus, bugs find their way into those whom are already sick or mal-adaptive, not individuals with proper immune resiliency. BJ Palmer said it best, “If the ‘germ theory of disease’ were correct, there’d be no one living to believe it.” You can only be a host to a virus if your perfectly made neuroimmune response is not functioning well. We all touch the same door knobs, shopping carts, breathe the same air… why do some people get sick and others simply will not? It is all about how well you ADAPT to the environment around you. It’s as simple as that. This is at the foundational core of Chiropractic and its history as well as success.

This same principle and truth can be applied to an old adage about rats in a dump… If there was a huge pile of garbage and rats all over the smelly trash, what caused the infestation? Was it the rats that caused the dump to occur, or were the rats a result of a dump already there? Which in turn attracted the rats to the delicious pile of trash. The truth is germs are opportunists – looking for an easy meal or place to harbor. With an immune response that is less than optimal or weakened, rats will arrive. The same applies to our health and Nerve System response to whatever infectious antigens cross our paths. We are on a mission to keep this nation well, and it all starts with proper Nerve System adaption and maybe a solid high-five. It is more important now than ever to Get Checked.

Are Safety Pins Really Safe?

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Are safety pins really safe? Without spreading to much controversy on this thought process. The obvious and only answer is YES. Safety pins are designed to be safe. Hence the amazing name they are warranted. Just like our body and how it is designed, its safe and works correctly when everything is working the way it should. In a closed circuit. We are not talking about cuts, bruises, contusions, lacerations, broken bones etc, we are talking about the inside of the body and how it controls your life.

Your bodies most intelligent system (the central nerve system) works in the same fashion as a safety pin does. It works to its best ability when its completely connected/closed. The nerve system works best when there is no interference in the connection from the brain to body and body to brain. If there is any disturbance within these pathways then is the nerve system safe… is the body? The safety pin is not considered ‘safe’ if it is not fully closed to complete the connection of ‘safety’.

When a disturbance exists in the spinal column it is called a subluxation. The subluxation is a misalignment within the spinal column placing stress upon a single nerve fiber. As a result it will disrupt the communication between the brain and body and create interference. A subluxation opens the safety pin, and as a direct result is no longer safe.

A great analogy to use with justification to explain the merits of what Chiropractic aims to accomplish. Some would ask why the ‘safety pin’ opens in the first place? In order to use it you have to expose it to the world and the external stressors that comes with using something. Just like your nerve system. In order to live life you must expose yourself to the elements that comes with LIVING. You do not prevent it by living in a bubble isolated from life. So, get your central nerve system checked for any imbalance that can exist. 

Why A Spinal-Check Up Is First, Then The Adjustment

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Why wouldn’t you want to access something first before making a change? Accessing the damage before alterations are made sounds pretty smart to us. In Gonstead Chiropractic we utilize the initial X-rays every spinal check-ups coupled with our tool of choice, the Neurocalometer (Scope). The Scope allows us to see inflammation along the spinal column and then to match it accordingly with your X-rays to see if this is an actual subluxation that needs an adjustment or if this is a compensation that is created via a subluxation that does NOT need adjusted.

Often times when it comes to your body and more specifically the spinal column, we assume that the area of pain is the area of correction. This is more often NOT the case. When a subluxation (misalignment within the spinal column placing undo stress upon a single nerve fiber) exists it disrupts the communication between the brain and body. Meaning? It changes the outcome of every tissue cell that is supposed to be in ideal function for that specific moment. A subluxation disrupts your body’s ability to be properly adapt and changes the course of your health. It doesn’t allow your brain an accurate reality of what is really happening.

Why in Gonstead Chiropractic do we use Neurocalometer before we adjust the spinal column. This is our tool of choice that we use for daily visits to access the spinal column looking for minute differences in temperature from one side of the spine to the next. Neural relationships to skin temperature offer a noninvasive method of quantifying neural function.

No other metric of healthy function has been used for as long as skin temperature. Nearly 2,500 years ago Hippocrates was said to have used a slurry of mud over the skin to identify those areas that dried fastest due to heat levels of the skin. As current research explains, thermal variability in humans is a sign of a healthy system (Adaptability Textbook).  

Out Of Sight…Out Of Mind?

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While the phrase “out of sight, out of mind” works for some aspects of life that you would like to change, when it comes to taking care of your overall health, this phrase does not apply. The reason being, is that your spinal column protects the most important part of your body, the central nerve system (CNS). The CNS was not designed to be seen, unlike our teeth. It is exactly where it is supposed to be; central. Your health begins and ends within your spinal column. We take for granted our health often because we cannot see. Out of sight…out of mind comes into play.

If your spine were on your face, you’d take better care of it, guaranteed. How come? Most people have to see a problem to believe a problem exists. Believe this. You live your life through your CNS, every human experience you have is processed, coordinated, and controlled via your CNS. Take care of it. Taking care of the problem before the problem begins enters in the world of prevention.

Gonstead Chiropractic analysis allows a closer look at the story of your spine. Out of sight does not apply to us. To see is to know and not to see is to guess. X-Ray films, when necessary, allow our doctors to visualize the entire structure of your spine, joint and disc integrity, and ruling out any pathological findings. This allows us to be as specific as possible and eliminate all guessing when it comes to your care.

Don’t take for granted the most important thing you were born with…your health. Own your health, and start with spinal check-ups. Just because you cannot see your health does not make it an entity that cannot be measured. Keeping your body in peak performance is what Gonstead Chiropractors do. We help you prevent health problems and keep you functioning at your best.

Subluxation…It’s Like Bad Wi-Fi

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Ever have bad Wi-Fi? We have come along way with technology advances, and it has almost become second nature that we should ALWAYS have great Wi-Fi service, wherever we go. Yet, the fact remains that all too often we get stuck with bad Wi-Fi connections in our daily routine. With a bad connection to our Wi-Fi, we are unable to perform our tasks at that accelerated and accurate rate that we are used to performing at. Be honest, we love to have spot on service and use our connection at lightning speed. A bad connection is not a full disconnection: it can still get the job done, it’s just not productive to be around.

The brain-body connection is fundamental in establishing and maintaining your overall health and well-being. Without this proper connection, your health would cease to exist. The central nerve systems (brain, spinal cord) sole responsibility is to make all the other systems in the body, and to regulate their function on a day to day basis. Sound important?

A subluxation (misalignment within the spinal column, creating interference on a single nerve) exists when our body is unable to adapt to the loads of stress that we acquire regularly. When a subluxation exists for a period of time uncorrected, it automatically disconnects the brain-bodies potential to be optimal. Fortunately, it’s not a full disconnect. It’s like having bad Wi-Fi. The connection is weakened and messages still come and go, just not in the ideal state that we are used to performing.

Regular spinal check-ups by your Chiropractor examine the spine to find subluxations, adjusting if necessary. In doing so allows the brain-body connection to become optimal and enables your body to heal from the disconnection that was established. You can replace a bad wireless router; you cannot replace your central nerve system. Don’t settle for suppressing a symptom. Get to the cause of the problem.

Stop The Insanity…Look For The Cause

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Stop the insanity. Expecting the same results over and over again is not an ideal situation to be in. When it comes to your health, there will always be the latest and greatest health trend to emerge and last for a short while. Why? Often times, the things that are the hardest and yet simplest to perform, are overlooked by public interest growing a new trend. When it comes to your health, the foundation starts and ends with the central nerve system.

A teacher and a student were walking along a riverbank talking about life. When both of them noticed someone in the river drowning. The student immediately jumped in to save the drowning individual and pull them to safety. As the teacher and student continued their walk they noticed another person in the river drowning, once again the student jumps in to save the person and pull them to safety. As they continued their walk this event continued to happen and finally the teacher kept walking to find the cause. The teacher, instead of saving the drowning individuals, searched for the cause and found that these people were jumping off a bridge.

This is a simple story to gain insight on addressing the cause instead of performing the same actions over and over with little to no results. Rescuing drowning people is a noble quest, yet addressing the cause and educating before they jump is even more noteworthy.

Everyone should know something about the spine which protects your central nerve system. That knowledge would give all people a much better understanding of one of the marvels of the body. It would enable each individual to reason the “how and why” of ill health. When it is understood that every tissue cell, and every organ of the body is connected to and controlled by the central nerve system, then one can more readily grasp the importance of maintaining a spine free of dysfunction.