The Basler Blog

Oct 29
1

If You Don’t Start Right You Won’t End Right

By | Benefits of Chiropractic, chiropractic adjustment, Chiropractic Myths | No Comments

If You Don’t Start Right, You Won’t End Right

Much like anything in life, it’s all about the beginning and maybe a little bit about the end.  How so? Let’s use this example: how do you build a house? Would you start building the roof first and put all of the shingles up and THEN start with your foundation?  I hope not! It’s all about the start, the building of the foundation to establish a strong structure in the end. In Gonstead chiropractic, we cannot stress the importance of establishing a balanced and healthy pelvis, a.k.a the foundation of the spine.

It’s A Solid Chunk Of Bone

You have two pelvic bones; left and right.  Early on in development each pelvic bone initially starts off as three separate bones.  It’s not until we mature and fully develop that each pelvic bone becomes one solid chunk of bone individually.  When the pelvis is subluxated, there is a direct relation to other subluxations in the spine; a domino effect. In Gonstead chiropractic, we cannot stress enough this relationship within the body.  It just so happens to be that this idea did not originate with Dr. Gonstead. It’s been around for a long period of time. Why stress the importance of starting at the pelvis? Newton’s third law is: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.  By starting with checking the pelvis for imbalances we are able to ignore compensations that might ensue following a subluxation.

The Downward Spiral Begins At The Start

The first compensation that will occur for people who suffer from a pelvis subluxation will typically be in the lumbar spine.  The lumbar spine has nerve roots that regulate and control certain parts of the body. What will happen? Visceral problems will begin to occur.  Damaging the lumbar nerve roots will effect every tissue cell of any organ that is regulated in that particular root. Fast-forward some odd years later living with GI problems. Then the superficial pain occurs.  Enter the chief complaint “lumbar pain” or “lower back pain” (which ever you fancy). Start at the beginning and foundation of the spinal column. Chiropractic care seeks to turn on the natural healing ability, not by adding something to your system, but by removing anything that might interfere with the normal healing process within your system. #getchecked

Oct 22
0

Crisis In Healing…Why Natural Healing Is Still Growing

By | Benefits of Chiropractic, chiropractic adjustment, Chiropractic Myths, stress | No Comments

Crisis In Healing…Why Natural Healing Is Still Growing

There is an age old conflict between treating the disease itself vs. the patient as a whole.  These opposing viewpoints have not changed, relatively, since 460 B.C….why? The current trend in emphasizing the disease puts our money, time and energy in the magic pill.  While this might be efficient for some in times of a crisis, the magic pill does not heal the body as a whole. How about utilizing the most non-invasive form of healing on your body?  Natural healing.

The Science Of Natural Healing

In chiropractic, we utilize inductive reasoning.  Neuroanatomy and neurophysiology has everything to do with the cause of disease.  If you disturb the structure of the human frame, you disrupt the nerve system. We deny that disease “just happens”.  The disease process must have a cause and chiropractic seeks that cause. The cause is attributed to a disturbance (subluxation) in the normal flow of neural communication.   The chiropractic profession is pretty advanced and continues to make more advancements to understand the reasoning of subluxations. These disturbances create a anatomical dis-relationship with the rest of the body, a.k.a dis-ease.

It’s In The Literature

Show me your evidence of natural healing.  Research has and always will provide insight on how the body heals.  The truth is that the day to day action of the body and what it is capable of is research within itself.  In Collected Papers Of Mechanico-Therapeutics, Dr. Edgar Cyriax  states “Every displacement of a vertebra changes the normal condition of pressure, tension, shape, size and length of the surrounding structures.  If nature is able to set up compensations, no evil effects ensue.” This statement means that subluxations will create dysfunction and produce symptoms of the body relating to the visceral (internal organs) or non-visceral.  Eugenics, Dr. Herman Rubin, M.D. – ” It may never occur to them (medical colleagues) that the headaches, stomach trouble, neuritis or nervous irritability they are attempting to cure may be due to nothing more serious than a displaced vertebra which any competent chiropractor can restore in ten seconds.”

Oct 15
0

Shoulder, Knees, Hips, Ankles…It’s Still A Spine Problem

By | Benefits of Chiropractic, chiropractic adjustment, inflammation | No Comments

Shoulder, Knees, Hips, Ankles…It’s Still A Spine Problem

Extremities….aka, shoulders, knees, ankles, wrists or whatever extremity you want to throw in the mix is all related to the spine.  “Look well to the spine for the cause of disease” – Hippocrates. When extremity problems present themselves in our life, we forget about the structure that provides life to those parts of our body; the spine.  Now, what about incidences that occur like with Nancy Kerrigan. For those who don’t remember, Nancy Kerrigan was an Olympian struck in the knee by an individual who wanted to cause her harm. In these cases, this is a simple cause and effect situation.  For everything else, pay attention to the spine and what it offers in your healing abilities.

The Nerve Of That Extremity

To understand that healing begins in the spine, you must understand the importance of the central nerve system.  Every tissue cell that makes up any extremity, whether it’s your shoulder, knee, wrist or whatever, is originated and can be traced back to a specific spinal nerve.  For example, think about the wrist and carpal tunnel. The concept is that the large amount of time spent typing causes inflammation in the wrist. What most fail to realize is that the wrist and any muscle movement used for typing is controlled via your lower cervical spinal nerves.  Sure, the person is typing for hours upon hours, but what about the position of the monitor.  What about their neck posture…etc? Are they constantly looking down and then back up and creating constant flexion and extension in the lower cervical part of the neck?  Most of the time…YES!  Specifically for the wrist, it’s called double crush syndrome.  The first “crush” (irritated nerve fiber) will occur at the cervical spinal nerve and then the second “crush” will occur in the shoulder, elbow or wrist.

It’s No Coincidence

Every tissue cell of your body traces back to a specific spinal nerve.  Take care of the spine first and foremost and extremity dysfunction will cease to exist.  With a healthy spine, the tissue cells in your extremities will increase its adaptability and perform at peak potential.  The most important project you’ll ever work on is yourself. Technology has become a literal “pain” in the neck. Don’t forget to mind your posture and look to the spine first.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Oct 08
0

What Actually Is A Chiropractic Adjustment?

By | Benefits of Chiropractic, chiropractic adjustment | One Comment

What Is A Chiropractic Adjustment?

To understand what a chiropractic adjustment actually is you should first understand what it is not.  What is different between an orthopedic manipulation or osteopathic maneuver? The difference is the dynamic thrust in the spinal column that is performed.  This is the identifying feature of a chiropractic adjustment.  A sudden motion of force in a specific manner distinguishes chiropractic from other healing disciplines.

What To Adjust?

The specific procedure applied to a subluxated vertebra is deemed an adjustment.  In order to know what vertebra or vertebrae have become subluxated, a full spinal analysis must be performed.  Thorough spinographs (x-rays) are used to detect exactly which area(s) need to be adjusted. Special instruments are used along the spine to detect temperature differences at various levels.  These temperature differences help to see if the area that is subluxated needs adjusted during a check-up. Also, active or passive palpation along the spine has its own role to play during assessment, when necessary.  With these components being utilized an accurate and precise procedural plan can be set in place to apply restoration of the subluxated vertebrae.

Does The Vertebra Just “Go Back In”

Without diving too much into the concept of the vertebra “going back in”, you must understand that the noise created via an adjustment is made by the surrounding joints and disc space.  The vertebra itself does not snap, crackle or pop. It is not bone on bone. This sound is caused by small pockets of air or bubbles which are in the fluid that surrounds your joints. When joint tissues are stretched during a chiropractic adjustment, the pockets of air/gas “pop” which creates that cracking sound you hear.  The dynamic thrust that is used to restore a vertebra’s position must be followed by sequential multiple adjustments.  With time, innate intelligence will utilize these motions of specific force to make the ultimate correction. Then… guess what?  You have to retain it with check-ups and accurate adjustments to ensure the nerve is in proper tone. There is no such thing as the magic adjustment that your spine “holds” or one that creates proper alignment for the rest of your life.  We understand muscle memory works in two fashions. Either you have positive muscle memory or negative.  Train the muscles well by having a central nerve system free of interference. #getchecked

 

Sep 27
0

Learn About ‘Allergies’

By | Allergies, Benefits of Chiropractic | No Comments

Learn About ‘Allergies’

Allergies.  What is really  happening to your body?  The immune system becomes confused by some sort of foreign substance or object and creates a response.  A HEALTHY response is one that occurs for a limited amount of time. The term allergen only becomes involved when your body does not adapt to the foreign invader.  Don’t become confused with what your body innately knows and what the commercials tell you. Just because “allergy medicine” is readily publicized as the “natural remedy” doesn’t mean that your body doesn’t have it’s own innate ability to adapt.  A hypersensitivity is a learning exercise for your body. Don’t suppress it with over the counter medication. Your body won’t learn from it.

Healthy Inside = Timed Response

When the central nerve system is in a healthy state, inadvertently the spine is in a healthy state.  Hence, the ‘healthy inside’. When the spine is placed under duress and a subluxation manifests, it puts the body in a constant state of dis-ease.  So, automatically, your CNS is stressed out which will alter the function and the precise coordinated attack of the immune system. When a nerve becomes inflamed sometimes it fires too much.  Sometimes it fires too little. In either case, whenever a nerve becomes irritated the body cannot function correctly. The immune system keeps attacking the foreign substance and keeps feeling threatened over and over again.  It’s like ‘saying uncle’ over and over and no one listens or stops what’s happening. Your immune response should be precisely timed to learn from the foreign substance and ADAPT.

Reducing The S Word… Stress

Symptoms such as sneezing, runny nose and watery eyes can cause added stress for allergy sufferers and may even be the root of the stress for some.  With regular spinal check-ups, you can ensure that your CNS is functioning in an optimal state and reduce and minimize the amount of spinal strain that it places on your CNS.  There is an intimate connection that exists between your CNS and your immune system. There are measurable improvements in immune function within minutes after a spinal adjustment.  This is measured by antibodies in the saliva. Don’t wait to get your spine checked. Eliminate the possibility of foreign substances creating a foothold in your immune system. Fire back and heal!

Sep 10
0

Do You Have Patience To “Get Better”

By | Benefits of Chiropractic, Chiropractic Myths | No Comments

Do You Have The Patience To “Get Better”?

Do you have the patience to get better?  As Americans we have a ‘fast-food’ mentality.  We want and need things NOW. Anything that takes time has to come with a warning label!  Who would enforce the warning label though? There are entire industries out there hoping that you are looking for the ‘quick fix’ and will feed on your need for speed.    We are becoming a society that expects the ‘quick fix’. However, we will almost always become disappointed with the results. What happened to patience? We must learn the virtue of patience.  With patience comes results…in everything.

Do Not Neglect The Time

Once you go to a chiropractor you will have to keep going for the rest of your life.  Have you heard this before? In a way, it is true. Your chiropractor should explain to you why this is.  Chiropractic care allows the body to heal and adapt to both external and internal stressors without taking medication, invasive shots, surgeries or other forms of western medicine.  Chiropractic care enables your body to accomplish this by focusing on the central nerve system (CNS). With a healthy CNS you will have a healthy body. It’s a fact. It’s proven. It’s science.  It’s the truth and no one can dispute the significance of a healthy CNS. What is required with chiropractic care? Patience and time. The body requires time to heal. For example, Think of how much damage is done to your tissue cells when you break a bone or get a cut on your hand.  Anything that damages the TISSUE CELL requires time to repair and heal. There is a lot to rebuild.

Patience Is Needed, Oh Tissue Cell

The tissue cell requires your patience.    Want to build muscle by lifting weights? Change the tissue cell.  Want to learn to play the guitar? Change the tissue cell. Want to change improper curves in your spine?  Change the tissue cell. We can keep going on and on about other examples, but what all of this points back to is the word patience.  When your CNS is not adapting correctly, the tissue cell learns negative memory. Change the memory with positive repetitive actions, e.g., chiropractic care.  This is why your chiropractor will tell you to come back again. #getchecked

 

Aug 29
0

Cough, Sneeze, Fever Much? Learn Why Your Child Is Healthy.

By | Benefits of Chiropractic | No Comments

Cough, Sneeze, Fever Much? Learn Why Your Child Is Healthy.

Cough, sneeze, fever much?  Would you say that these are symptoms of someone who is healthy?  Sounds like a trick question doesn’t it. These “common” symptoms are reminders that the body is functioning correctly.  Health is about how the body operates and functions accordingly. Coughing, sneezing and fever has everything to do with a “normal” healthy response in your child… in moderation.  That is the key word here…moderation.

What Does Moderation Have To Do With It?

Moderation has everything to do with everything.  For example, on Monday your child is having symptoms.  Tuesday, your child is still having symptoms. On Wednesday morning your child’s body should be back to almost full capacity.  What if your child exhibits these symptoms for days, weeks or months? Then your child’s body is not exhibiting a normal healthy response and is failing to adapt and heal.  When the body fails to adapt to a stressor then moderation is taken out of the equation.

Eliminating Confusion – Fire For Effect

When the body is failing to adapt, the central nerve system is not performing at its optimum potential.  When the CNS becomes dysfunctional it confuses other systems that it regulates and controls, e.g., the immune system.  It’s a domino effect. One thing leads to another. An unhealthy CNS leads to a confused immune system which in turn leads to a child constantly being sick over and over again.  When an immune system is constantly being bombarded and never gets an opportunity to heal, the cycle just keeps repeating itself. We begin to feel sick all the time and it becomes our new normal.  We start believing that this is just how life is! Not true! Fire for effect and get your child’s CNS checked for dysfunction. With a healthy and properly functioning CNS the immune system is able to combat and adapt a cough, sneeze or fever in an adequate and healthy time frame.

 

Aug 17
0

Learning From The Leading Cause Of Death

By | Benefits of Chiropractic, Chiropractic Myths, High Blood Pressure | No Comments

Learning From The Leading Cause Of Death

The number one leading cause of death in the U.S. is heart disease.  The western lifestyle and diet left unchecked encourages the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD).  In most cases, the first symptom of CVD that is physically very obvious is a heart attack. That is one heck of a first symptom!  When we hear the story about the “57 year old man who ‘never’ had a sick day in his life dies from a heart attack”, we wonder what happened!  In actuality, it takes YEARS to develop CVD before the first noticeable symptom appears.

What Should We Learn From CVD

When one’s health is being neglected, there are other subtle symptoms that occur prior to a heart attack that we normally don’t notice.   Learn to recognize these symptoms before the root cause begins to spiral out of control. Many symptoms are painful, but we think it is a normal part of our lives and try to just get by. A more practical approach would be to gain control of your health, improve on it daily, and not take it for granted.

Health Is Hard-Work

Taking care of your body begins with your spinal health. Regular check-up’s by your chiropractor will ensure that there is a proper connection between the brain and body.  Healthy spine = healthy body. How so? Your central nerve system created the spine to be an external protection . Keeping your spine aligned and happy keeps your central nerve system happy as well.  People assume that you should only see a chiropractor when you have back or neck pain. WRONG! That is equivalent to only eating healthy food when you are sick. Just like a heart attack being the last noticeable symptom of CVD, back or neck pain will sometimes be the last symptoms to appear when your spinal health has been neglected.

Basic Anatomy 101

When a nerve is irritated by a misaligned spine and has unnecessary stress, the nerve does not send proper signals to the cells, organs, and glands that it controls.  That is Basic Anatomy 101 in Chiropractic and Medical Studies. What does this mean? Imagine that the very nerve that made your heart, controls your heart and sends electrical impulses to make it beat is irritated.   In this case, the messages to the heart will be either HYPER or HYPO (aka High Blood Pressure or Low Blood Pressure). Look to the spine in order to get the messages clear. Be preventative and act now. #getchecked

 

Aug 09
0

Heating Up…Why Fevers Are Controlled Burns

By | Benefits of Chiropractic | No Comments

Heating Up…Why Fevers Are Controlled Burns

Wildfires!  Forests in the Northwestern part of the Unites States are susceptible to wildfires.  When wildfires occur, they must be controlled and managed safely.  A short burn can be beneficial in some cases, but let it get out of control and the whole forest will be destroyed.  Like wildfires, when your body temperature rises and a fever occurs it also must be controlled.  A fever that is too high and too long will do more damage than good, but a fever that is short and within the ‘safe’ range can be beneficial to the body.  Neither are 100% preventable, but both are sometimes necessary.  Your body is ready to fight and protect itself and it is heating up for a reason.     

Fighting Infections Naturally

A fever occurs for a specific reason.  Your body’s innate intelligence detects that there is an underlying problem and causes your body to enter protection mode by adapting to the stressors that are occurring within the body.  It is important to let your body’s innate intelligence do what it is meant to do.  Your immune systems natural reaction is to burn out the bad.  A simple fever of 104 degrees and below is natural and is protecting the body from harm. 

Needs To Be A Quick Burn

When your body heats up and a battle ensues, it begins to activate and develop white blood cells (WBC’s).  WBC’s are your body’s soldiers.  Bacteria and viruses are slowed down by WBC’s, and when WBC’s are activated your body enters an ‘acute phase’.  When threatened, a healthy body will typically get a fever, adapt and overcome and eventually exit the ‘acute phase’.  In most cases this will only take a couple of days.  It is not a healthy response if your body does not exit the ‘acute phase’ and enters a ‘chronic phase’.  In a ‘chronic phase’, the fever is not controlled and your body is not adapting.   

Fevers Do Not Cause Harm

Most of us have been misinformed about fevers our whole lives.  We’ve been told that fevers are bad thing, but they do not cause harm.  Remember, your body is performing a controlled burn and it is doing this so that your body may recover quickly and effectively.  The body has an amazing ability to heal itself.  If you attempt to suppress the fever, you discredit the bodies innate process of healing, and your body will not learn to retain the proper immunity response for the next time.