Chiropractic Recognizes You Are a Work in Progress

Last month I wrote about the garden hose theory and why the nerdy science types hate it. Now I want to talk about the term manipulation which I personally cannot stand.

In the last few weeks, folks mentioned they liked the garden hose theory because it made sense. Some said my style resonated with them and they felt comfortable talking to me.

These recent encounters reminded me that each person receives information differently and has a unique learning style. Some folks are visual learners while others are more auditory, and others need to hear stories. Word choice also plays an important role

So, let's get back to my dislike of the word manipulation. The general media and peer reviewed journals use spinal manipulative therapy as a way to describe chiropractic techniques. It sounds simple enough, but it has a negative tone.

Scientists like to manipulate variables so they can report that specific things happened as a result. It is just like the courtroom saying, proof must be shown beyond the shadow of a doubt. Everybody likes precision.

People, however, are complicated and cannot be manipulated. Do you want to be manipulated? It happens to soap operas characters, but when it comes to health, the variables are numerous.

To say chiropractors manipulate the spine leaves a bad taste in my mouth because I work with people on their health goals. They decide to pursue health. No one is manipulating them.

Please use the word adjust. I adjust people's spines. Because everyone is different, the adjustment is applied differently from person to person. How someone responds to an adjustment is different, as well.

The adjustment facilitates a change that can unburden the body to boost healing. The spine is a gateway to the rest of the body. For this reason, manipulation does not give honor to the true magnificence of the body's capabilities.

There is no need to get bogged down in the details of anatomy and physiology. But it is crazy wild what the body does by itself. I am so glad I don't have to remind my heart to beat every second or tell my immune system when to fight an infection.

As much as we study the body, its innate and automatic functions are quite the sophisticated orchestration of events. There is no manipulation. Our cells are finely tuned to respond intelligently and appropriately to environmental changes.

We can feel manipulated by forces in our lives that are beyond our control. The world is full of stress and doles it out quite liberally. We have the power to adapt and build up resilience with chiropractic.

Spinal adjustments can influence your organs to work more efficiently. You can address how your brain and nerves communicate survival needs from breathing to thinking and moving.

If you are ready to adjust to a better way of living rather than feeling manipulated, work with your chiropractor on a step by step plan to rebuild and re-energize.