Chiropractors Are Not Hinge Doctors

Chiropractors Are Not Hinge Doctors

Chiropractors are Body Guards

of the Brain.

Image Courtesy: What Happens When the Brain Looks at Itself?

Because: You Are Not a Machine. You Are a Masterpiece.

Embrace the Masterpiece that You Are

Chiropractic is the Springboard to your Energetic Life

The whole point of chiropractic is to adjust the spine so it can unwind the stress of your life, giving you a refreshed energy to live the whole human experience  --- regardless of pain, whether you are in pain or not in pain.   

The brain is constantly reorganizing itself.  Chiropractic enhances the process.  

You're Not a Machine - You're a Masterpiece - Embrace It - Live Like It

 
The #1 challenge for all of us is to understand how amazing we are and to embrace it.  The sophisticated innate intelligence is always taking care of the body.  But then we stop short and switch over to the disease model.  The body is amazing, yet it can't be trusted.  Not very productive. 

Everything the body does is correct for the situation, even if it makes us uncomfortable. A better understanding of this can reduce the anxiety that makes pain more intense.  I expect inflammation and swelling if the body needs time to repair and replace tissue.  We don't want to interrupt the process.  We want to work with it, in a partnership.  

The nervous system coordinates all body functions, and we must remember that every system is involved with every injury or rebuilding process. Nothing in the body happens independently.  This is the masterpiece.

If you are injured or fatigued, your circulation responds, your heart beat responds, your endocrine system such as the thyroid and adrenals responds,  your lungs respond, your body temperature responds.  Your skeletal system responds. Your digestive rhythm changes.  Even your hearing and eyesight respond.  

When coming to the chiropractor, I hope we aren't compartmentalizing the body.  We do ourselves a disservice.  

I adjust the spine in order to beef up the brain's attentiveness to the situation.   The first step is to calm the fight or flight response so the body can get back to the essential process of repair. That may mean spiking a fever.  It may mean reducing a fever.  It may increase inflammation, or decrease inflammation.  It may speed up the intestines or slow down the intestines.  It's all based on the brain's focus on immediate needs to get the job done. 

Many people come to me and say, "I hurt here," and point.  That's the sensation that gets the most attention, but there's so much more going on in the body that we take for granted.

It may appear that I am a "hinge doctor." Adjusting the spine helps improve motion, but the brain gets a whole lot more information from that adjustment.  

So much happens with your masterpiece.  

You are a Masterpiece!  Live Like It1  Be Proud!  Be Unstoppable!

How the Adjustment and the Brain Work Together:

(Studied and Measured)

The Adjustment Influences the Prefrontal Cortex of the Brain

(the conductor of the whole brain)

movement coordination

thinking focus

behavior goal directed tasks

decision making memory attention

intelligence

pain processing emotional response to pain

autonomic function (just about everything)

motor control eye movement spacial awareness

fall prevention muscle strength

pelvic floor control mental rotation of objects

(www.spinalresearch.au)

*Normalizing Blood Pressure

*Mood and Attention Improvement

*Blood Glucose efficiency– decreases insulin resistance

*Improvements and/or Reversal of neurodegenerative brain physiology (HUGE!)

*Epigenetic Changes – this changes fertility and short & long term offspring physiology

*Increase ATP – which is a “game-changer” for many reasons

*Telomere shortening – one of GREATEST “anti-aging” strategies in health today!

*Heart Disease – #1 contributor to heart disease in men and women is increased sustained sympathetic tone

*Immune System – Radically affects the immune system. Better than any marketable strategy medicine has to offer

Brain Changes

*One study noted the changes made in brain patterns and activity was more in one session than multiple weeks of standard psychological treatment made to brain!(You should know that brain-based neurophysiologists get their mind blown when they get to see the power of an adjustment on the brain!)

*Chiropractic was also shown to improve muscle strength, stability, and fatigue more in one session than 3 weeks of weight training! (Mind-Blowing!!)

Let me throw a few musculoskeletal benefits in here:

*Increases mobility and reduces Spinal Degeneration – degeneration shown to set in within 10-14 days with reduced mobility.

*5x better at musculoskeletal pain reduction than celebrex and vioxx combined (sad part here is that celebrex and vioxx together gross more $ per year ALONE than the entire chiropractic profession….the world desperately needs what we do!)

 (www.chiropracticadvocate.com)

What else happens when you release subluxations with adjustments:

Decrease pro-inflaming cytokines (bad guys)  ***            

Increase neurotensin

Increase pro-regulatory cytokines (good guys)  ***           

Increase oxytocin

Increase CD-4 helpter T-cells (good guys)    ***                

Increase orexin A

Block TNF (bad guys)    ***                                        

Better cortisol response

Decrease CRP (bad guys)   ***

Increase DNA repair with maintenance                    

                                             

**** I don't follow the good inflammation/bad inflammation belief.  Inflammation is a purposeful form of repair.  Higher levels of inflammation indicate the repair has been ineffective  due to higher stress levels, higher toxin levels.           

Doctors Who Jumped Ship (More in 2024)

 I came across this neurosurgeon who entirely left the medical profession.  He gave a long but very insightful explanation.  Much of what he said is relevant to today's ongoing "health care crisis."  I really felt empathy for him and I understand exactly where he is coming from.  

I encourage you to listen to his story.  LISTEN HERE.

He belongs in my Doctors Who Jumped Series that I began writing in 2020. You can revisit the entire series here. 

There are a few take home messages with this gentleman.

#1- There are certain life style habits that help you not need surgery.  Many of his patients who had a date of surgery scheduled managed to do some self care and then cancel the whole thing. 

#2- I would venture to say there are certain personalities that do not need surgery.  Looking at number there are people who have a particular mind-set that helps them get through these kinds of challenges.  And listening this man's story he met a number of folks who quickly adopted this mind-set when push came to shove. 

#3- Watching surgery fail so many people is absolutely disconcerting to health care professionals who went through extensive training.  Imagine being led to believe your education will make a difference but once you are so deep in the time and money you realize it was a mistake. 

This gentleman is now taking a major retreat, time out for himself, so he can rest his brain, and figure out a way to make a come back without the long term effects of trauma.   Now, it does sound dramatic when I say "trauma"  but it is a considerable demoralization when reality did not meet expectations.  I believe we all have a similar experience when something was a huge disappointment.  After all, we want to be optimistic and trusting.  As I mentioned in by book, You Don't Have a Disease You Have A Nervous System, I wanted to show respect to my teachers.  You need a bit of humility when you're learning from those who have been in the field a whole lot longer. 

The beauty of life is that each of us is incredibly different.  We each have our unique dreams, talents, and experiences.  We don't want to be carbon copies of each other.  Innovation comes from creativity and looking at things from a different perspective. 

This gentleman is facing uncertainty, but I bet he'll do just fine. As he has realized that a person's mind-set plays so much more in person's state of health, which most of medicine ignores, he'll make the most of his authentic mind-set paving a new way in the world. 

If you remember from your chiropractic orientation packet that each new member receives on day one, studies have shown chiropractic enhances cognitive therapy, psychological therapy as well as in pain perception, mobility, and endocrine function. 

Read more: 

Chiropractic and Mental Health

Dr. Peter Breggin, Psychiatry Reformer

Chiropractic is a neurofeedback training exercise.  This enhances your ability to rewire how your brain perceives the world and nurtures your body.

Chiropractic as a maintenance practice rewires the brain.  It takes time and repetition, which is how your brain has learned all your life.  This time we are more deliberate. 

Welcome to Empowerment. 

See you at the table....the chiropractic table.

---Dr. Lisa

A May 23, 2020 PubMed article, Medical Error, sites medical mistakes as one of the leading causes of death in the United States.  Statistics from different years show it has ranged from number 6 to the third cause of death.   Choose carefully.  Get multiple opinions.

Accurate Vocabulary -- Better Health Outcomes

 A few weeks ago I wrote about the 2 conditions that worry my practice members the most.  Here is the link. 

However, the above concerns are just superficial and our focus is on the wrong area of health. 

X-rays and blood work are not predictive. 
X-rays show bones, but do not give you any insight to the activity of your nervous system, which changes minute by minute.  Lab work also can be different day by day, as well.  You can't really get a clear picture of the body's deliberate responses to stress.  

I keep emphasizing that a better use of words offers you a better outcome.  Disease labels are only minutely descriptive.  It explains what is happening to certain organs, well, our best guess.  The brain and body are so sophisticated, we have yet to fully appreciate it.  Disease labels do not provide information on the cause or outcome.  With this poorly defined process, we often apply treatments that are actually counter to what the body truly needs. 

Because everything the body does is correct for the situation, we should not rely on a diagnosis label.    I was taught in chiropractic college that the history is much more informative.  Also, we should allow the diagnosis labels to be changed, updated, or modified over time.

I am aware that the electronic medical systems with comprehensive coding systems used in hospitals and clinics is how doctors share information.  However, it is still lacking.  I suppose it is the best there is, but completely relying on it can lead to ineffective care.

My goal is to keep you out of the hospital and chronic care clinics.  My perspective is to assess the nervous system appropriately in order to avoid inappropriate and excessive medical approaches. 

The common denominator often ignored is the state of the nervous system.  After all, the brain detects survival need and appropriately commands the body to go into protect mode.  This is perfect and proper.  Our problem is we are out of the habit to replenish the body before the next stress, depleting event. 

Misinterpreting the body's responses leads us to an overused, overused medical system, particularly hospitalizations. 

When we are more accurate in our vocabulary, we can feel more in control, more confident with less fear.  Fear is a health thief.  Better information is the solution. 

To me the most concerning situation for the body is what I call programmed hibernation.  If you look at all disease labels given to hospital patients, they are are direct result of an overburdened, depleted nervous system.  It is a severe level of freeze or faint.  How someone gets this severely depleted can be traced back to an over-protective, preoccupied nervous system.  

Because everyone's nervous system is uniquely programmed by a lifetime of experiences, no one really fits the medical textbooks' disease labels.  Being herded through a computer system based on statistics robs us of the individual attention truly needed to help  promote empowerment and health freedom.  

We have many steps that can get us away from the programmed hibernation.  

You can't teach a drowning person to swim.  If you are in the hospital, you are drowning.  It is necessary to get discharged and back to the land.  The problem with programmed hibernation is that someone is too depleted of energy to think clearly and adopt an energy recovery program.

Is it too late?  No, but it will take longer to reestablish a vibrant nervous system. 

Are you in a state of programmed hibernation? Let's find out.

Chiropractic is a neurofeedback training exercise.  This enhances your ability to rewire how your brain perceives the world and nurtures your body.

Chiropractic as a maintenance practice rewires the brain.  It takes time and repetition, which is how your brain has learned all your life.  This time we are more deliberate. 

Welcome to Empowerment. 

See you at the table....the chiropractic table.

---Dr. Lisa

When Pain Turns to Brain Fog and Laziness

Brain Fog & Laziness - Your Brain Did It On Purpose

Chiropractic is a neurofeedback training exercise.  This enhances your ability to rewire how your brain perceives the world and nurtures your body.

*  *  *  *  

I came across an interesting mouse study from 10 years ago. 

READ HERE   

     

IMAGE COURTESY: https://neurosciencenews.com/mouse-learning-cognition-23927/  Why Mice Are Cool...

They studied mice who suffered chronic pain after teaching them how to obtain food.  They were good at deliberately sticking their heads into a hole to snatch a food pellet.  When they were induced with inflammation or nerve damage it appeared they lost the will to seek out the food pellets.  The "unnerving" part of the study was when the mice were relieved of the pain they still lacked the motivation to demonstrate the  initiative to feed themselves.  

Does this apply to humans?  Can you relate to the mice in the study?

(I must now recall the Taub Monkey Studies.  Dr. Taub damaged their arms so they couldn't retrieve bananas from the ceiling, yet the monkeys were able to get their arms working again.  So, I hope we can be more optimistic about our own personal growth.  READ A SHORT SUMMARY HERE)

This makes us think about the brain's effort to protect us and sometimes the Freeze/Faint response takes over. 

As humans we tag every event with an emotion so it gets stored in our brains for future reference because the brain wants to work efficiently. However, we can learn how to disconnect the emotional tag and neutralize the response. 

I work with a lot of people who have pain long after an injury has occurred, even years.  I have to help them understand that the brain chose this stuck-ness as a survival response.  The cognitive approach called Pain Reprocessing Therapy has been used help people understand that they are no longer injured, despite the insistence of the memory of pain.  It is a form of PTSD.

Chiropractic helps speed up the process of reteaching the body to down grade pain signals. 

Chiropractic studies have shown it changes how we process pain.  If you want more information, please ask me.  I have a brain training module and a number of good books to help you jump start the rewiring of your brain.

Chiropractic as a maintenance practice rewires the brain.  It takes time and repetition, which is how your brain has learned all your life.  This time we are more deliberate. 

You're not hard headed. You are hard-wired.  But we have the tools to do things better. 

Having a Hard Head -- Is It Your Fault?

On this Independence Day, I wonder are we really independent?  Life has become so limiting and we barely blink.  Do you agree?  Do you feel limited?

I need to turn this around into a positive message, but at times I feel we are stuck. 

Chiropractic is a Neuro-Feedback Training Exercise. Let's use chiropractic in this manner for the best experience of energy & vitality. 

Not sure what I mean?  Stick with my thought process here.  I'm getting to my point. 

The biggest block for most of my practice members is their unwillingness to give up old beliefs about health.  They are not really unwilling, but it is a very difficult wiring in the brain to loosen up for good. 

When we grow up believing certain health theories, it impacts our brain's resilience.

We have been told many accepted yet contradicted theories by our parents, schools and colleges.  

I'm not going to delve into these health theories now, others have already done it in very good detailed books.  Such is this one by Dawn Lester and David Parker. What Really Makes You Ill.

For some strange reason, we ignore the contradictions and continue to suffer poor health feeling demoralized.  

Let me throw out a few curve balls:

If cancer spreads, why don't we get cancer from blood transfusions or organ transplants?

And if only 15% of smokers get cancer, how come the other 85% don't?  Why should we blame smoking at all?  I realize smoking is a gross habit, but these are still worthy questions. 

Why does a cavity form on one tooth rather than every tooth?  Isn't the entire environment of the mouth the same?

Why do people with terrible spinal Xrays have no pain, but people with straight, pristine bone alignment live in painful agony? 

* * * 

But, stinkin' thinkin' persists and people fear getting a bad diagnosis.  We don't have to live like a cloud is hanging over our heads.  We do have options.  We are entitled to second opinions, however many are banned, censored, and now called misinformation.  I don't know, but do you feel insulted when the media accuse you of not being able to discern information on your own?

In time, as we get older, we see enough suffering in others and assume that we're next.  Maybe there's a guilt that creates a self fulfilling prophesy? 

This inspires me to look into studies on the placebo / nocebo effects. Also, spontaneous remissions are more frequent than the medical journals want to let on. 

Here's my problem.  Persistent negativity is demoralizing to me.  People tell me what's wrong too much.  Even Dr. David Hanscom tells patients to keep their descriptions of pain brief.  He especially emphasizes not telling your friends.  He says their pain levels are worse, becoming memorized by the brain. This constant reinforcement needs to be broken. He gave up his surgery career because he realized mental practices to relieve anxiety were better than surgery.  

Back surgeries still have a high failure rate.  Studies show 70-95% are not completely satisfied after a back surgery.  And with the social pressure to experience results, I bet there is a high rate of negative psychological repercussions on patients or they hide their true feelings. 

Are we hard headed?  Did we give up on the possibilities of good health because this is as good as it gets.  Have we become hard wired to give up?

Is it too difficult to put in the time for better health habits?  Are we too financially strapped to reduce our work hours which plays a huge role in negative stress? Is it just a lost cause to find food that is not jacked up with chemicals, preservatives, and antibiotics? Do we feel our only solution is to go live in the wilderness? It's a stretch, but stress is getting out of control. 

I see the demoralization every day.  As much as people love to get adjusted, they still have that nagging feeling that they don't deserve to function better. I know it's wired into the brain.  It is a useful survival response even though it bogs us down. READ WHY HERE: What is the Negativity Bias. People actually get offended when I tell them they can switch off a belief that is wrecking their health. I know.  It's a challenge. 

I also know beliefs can be changed with practice over time. 

READ HERE: Change Your Beliefs with Neuroplasticity

Getting to the Punch-Line:

Chiropractic as a maintenance practice rewires the brain.  It takes time and repetition, which is how your brain has learned all your life.  This time we are more deliberate. 

You're not hard headed. You are hard-wired.  But we have the tools to do things better. 

Chiropractic on the Brain

Chiropractic, Stress Management, Body Chemistry and Pain.

Stick with chiropractic.  It will serve you well.

---See you at the table

---The chiropractic table

-------Dr. Lisa

        Your Health Freedom Advocate

I Hate Fear & Lies So I Became a Chiropractor

 

(NYCC graduation, July 30, 2000)
My calling is to help you live your calling. 

(This is a repost from June 13, 2020.  Enjoy!)

When we are motivated to take on a personal mission, it's typically not simple.  Sure, when I wanted to be a school teacher I was positively impacted by a stern teacher and it took me by surprise.  

READ THE ENTIRE POST HERE

Thoughts, Toxins, Leave More Scars Than Injuries

                           

Thoughts and Toxins

Leave More Scars

Than Injuries

The public "saves" chiropractic care for injuries and sore muscles.  This is a mind-set I am trying to change. Why wait until you are in poor shape? Chiropractic is your partner in everyday living.  

A stressed out / burned out nervous system won't catch up to your desired level of functioning.  It is not a disease, but it is an energy crisis

Don't you want to be at your best everyday?  Stress is here to stay, and even if you don't feel stressed, your body is working behind the scenes 24/7.

Would you insure your home after a fire destroyed it? 

No, of course not.

So, let's regard the nervous system the same way.  Plan ahead so you're body is always ready no matter what life throws at you. 

The nervous system thrives on regular maintenance.

Today's nervous system is tomorrow's health.  Once you understand how the stress response works for you everyday, you want to pay it back for being so dedicated. 

Stress is sneaky, but now you're ready.

#1 – Mental Stress	Prolonged Fight or Flight blocks rebuilding and recovery. Stress is inevitable, stressed thinking is not. Retrain your Fight or Flight response
#2 – Chemical Stress	Fight or Flight hold ups toxin release, causing pain and sluggish organs. Stress is inevitable, poor replenishment is not. Consider dietary changes and toxic effect of drugs/medicines.
#3 – Mechanical Stress	Injuries heal efficiently when #1 and #2 are are properly addressed long before the injury occurs. Stress is inevitable, weak tissues are not.

The Lie You Believed - Until Today

 Today is Day 1 -  Right Now !

This is your fresh start.   A new outlook. 

Brain First Is Body Freedom

Thank you for visiting my office website.  You are probably here to seek answers to why you are feeling the way you do.  The best thing you can do is pick up the phone and speak to me.  I don't bite.  I am actually very nice.  315-277-1362 

But in the meantime, read about the lie you can stop believing right now.

I want to say I never believed this lie, but the deep rooted paradigm is drilled into us at a very young age.  You can look at your health differently and empower yourself. 

PAIN   ---   That's why people call me.  I want to help them understand why their bodies are expressing the pain sensation.  Most of the time folks already tried pills, exercises, massage, resting, and waiting.  

But eventually their patience wanes and frustration begins to build.   At this point, they feel helpless or confused and start to imagine that they really messed up their bodies.   

Well, why not?  This is the underlying message we've been taught since we were small.  First, we watched our elderly relatives suffer with the message that old age is terrible.   We absorb their fear.  We watch how our parents react to health challenges in the family. It is disconcerting at times.  These memories shape your nervous system.

We assume the body needs major help beyond our own abilities. The body has a very low threshold of self healing.  We think we need a lot of intervention.  We're grateful for professional help, but they tell us, we need to be on the lookout for more health problems lurking around the corner.  

Now we have PAIN, with a nice helping of ANXIOUSNESS which increases the pain INTENSITY.  This intensity then spills over into the other organs/systems. (Let's prevent this domino effect.)

I'm not downplaying the reality that we get sick from time to time.  I'm aware that we get injured, fall down, do silly things that cause pain. 

But the brain picks up on the negativity and goes into ultra-survival mode.  Your brain can't relax.  And this does us more harm than good. 

It can be a ripple effect leading to the big name diagnoses the medical arena deals with: IBS, diabetes, heart disease, depression, dementia, migraines, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, etc.

You don't have a disease.  You have a nervous system. 

The brain also, memorizes these patterns, which is very draining. The body is at greater risk for injury, mental fatigue and poor resilience.

This festering belief that the body fails leads to energy burn-out then the body fails.    Self fulfilling prophesy....

If pills, massage, exercises, rest don't work, what's the solution?

Chiropractic helps you pay back what stress takes.

I'm here to provide a different approach. 

First of all, I do not want to copy other health care professions.  Chiropractic is not medicine/drugs.  Chiropractic is not physical therapy.  Chiropractic is not massage therapy. 

#1- I do not subscribe to the belief that the body fails.   The brain is very deliberate and the body responds appropriately.

#2-I'm on a mission to retrain our brains to resist energy depleting patterns.  The brain is a fast learner and we taught our brains to memorize stress patterns.  Sometimes too well.  Life saving stress responses are essential, but a pre-occupied, over-protective brain can take its toll on the body's energy system. 

#3- I'm super passionate about the chiropractic adjustment because it's like hitting a switch. Adjusting the spine switches the brain from fight or flight to calm. The spine is  like a telephone switch board.  The adjustment can reset the brain's patterns, to the more desirable patterns that initiate healing, relaxation, productive sleep, etc. 

What about pills, exercises, massage, rest, and waiting?

While they are helpful, there is one big reason why they don't work: The Brain.

Pills don't work because the brain is hyper-focused on protecting the body. The pain sensation serves a purpose.  The brain will not give in. It's in charge, ferociously in charge and survival is essential.  We must approach it from the brain's point of view. 

Exercises don't work because the brain is already primed to prevent excessive movements. We must approach it from the brain's point of view. 

Massages don't work because the brain is still not convinced the survival response should be diminished. We must approach it from the brain's point of view. 

Rest doesn't work because the brain is locked in a survival pattern.  Even when you avoid activity or sleep, the brain is preoccupied by a stressor.  You might sleep, but it's not productive, deep sleep. We must approach it from the brain's point of view. 

Waiting doesn't work because there is still an unrecognized stressor preoccupying the brain.   We must approach it from the brain's point of view. 

You Can Retire These Lies:   The body fails you. The body is defective.

Your body is not failing you, it's not defective. Your body is actually acting intelligently, even if it's uncomfortable.  

The disease approach does you a disservice by not acknowledging how the brain is trying to deal with your stress.  The mainstream approach has actually misinterpreted the body's responses, then we typically utilize treatments that are risky, adding more stress to the body. 

When we acknowledge the logical responses of the body, we are less afraid.  We make better decisions that are more in sync with the body, not against it. 

You don't have a disease, you have a nervous system.   

Why are you choosing chiropractic? Because adjusting the spine interrupts a pattern and opens up the brain to a new pattern. What patterns do you want to work on?

Here's something cool: Chiropractic helps you do things better.  It makes your exercise better, makes your massages feel better, makes your sleep better!  Chiropractic gives you confidence, energy, and you think better.  You definitely live better!

The brain is constantly reorganizing itself.  Chiropractic enhances the process. 

The neat part of chiropractic is that is adds nothing to the body and takes nothing away from the body.  

How do we approach it from the brain's point of view?  You tell me your story, your stresses.  We determine how your unique nervous system is reacting to the world.

I can't wait to hear from you. 

Also, check out the New Member Orientation Video

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Chiropractic is Not About What Goes Away; It's About What You Become

From the chiropractic point of view, your nervous system responds to stress and promotes your survival.  (Constantly reorganizing itself) These survival responses are often perceived as a disease or dysfunction.  If you are manipulating this response (with drugs, or surgery) in order to numb or diminish the  effects of a working nervous system, you may never address the underlying stress. 

What are the underlying stresses?  Well, that is completely unique to you and how your nervous system learned from your past exposures. 

Chiropractic adjustments reset your brain so you can clear out your stress better.  When you get adjusted, your brain is ready for a new learning experience, so whatever you expose it to next matters. Especially in the first 20 minutes after your adjustment. It's a special refreshed time for your brain. 

If you're used to going to the chiropractor to feel better, (which is fine, nothing wrong with that) be sure you understand that you need to get yourself into a true restful healing state, not kicked back into fight or flight.  

When you are getting on the table to receive a chiropractic adjustment you set the intention in your mind.  How do you want to celebrate and support your nervous system. With fear and tension or with a liberating outlook.  It's part of the process.  To learn more, read here about the Brain First Protocol.   What Will You Become When You Put the Brain First

The Worst Health Problem: Do You Have It?

(Image: Dr. Ford Brewer, YouTube)

When I talk to folks, I notice their concern and fear with certain health problems.  And it's not always cancer, even though it is assumed to come with an inevitable death sentence.  (Here are different perspectives on cancer:   The Cancer Culture  &  Is Cancer on the Rise? )

The top of list seems to be arthritis and clogged arteries. 

People are especially frightened of arthritis.  I was a bit freaked out when I had neck Xrays at age 29.  I was not in any pain, but the early formation of spurs were evident. Today, I do not have pain, and I have no desire to get new Xrays. (It is common knowledge that imaging findings do not correlate with pain levels or predict pain.)

The media has endless commercials for slow release pain medications. When many of us watched our grandparents live in a tiny world because their activity levels were restricted by pain, we all cross our fingers and say: "Not me.  Please, not me."

I'd like to be hopeful that hip and knee replacement surgeries are not as prevalent as they appear to be.  It seems as if every other person over age 60 has some type of artificial joint.  I realize it's fairly easy to get approved for the surgery.  So, what are the stats?

AI Summary from Google:

In 2010, 0.83% of the US population had a total hip replacement. This number increased with age, reaching 5.26% for people aged 80 and older. Women are more likely to have hip replacements than men, and the prevalence is expected to increase in the future as the population ages and demand for improved mobility grows. 

Hip replacements are one of the most common and fastest-growing procedures in the US, and are considered one of the safest and most reliable treatments in medicine. They can last for 20 years or more, and are often a lifelong solution for hip arthritis. About 95% of patients experience relief from hip pain after surgery, and 90–95% of implants remain viable 10 years later, and 80–85% remain viable after 20 years. However, hip replacements can fail due to reasons such as instability, infection, loosening,  or implant failure, which can be a burden for patients and the healthcare system.  NIH article

What did we do for folks before hip replacements were popular?  Did we just ignore people's pain and tell them to suck it up?  Perhaps we were healthier back then before the our food supply turned into franken foods?  We were more inclined to exercise back then? These are fair questions. 

More AI input: 

According to NCBI, 171 total hip arthroplasty (THA) procedures were performed between 1970 and 1980, which is 5.3% of the 3,219 THA procedures performed between 1969 and 2006. The University of Orthopaedic Department also performed 2,669 Charnley-Mueller THA procedures between November 1970 and February 1982

NIH link

The other scary diagnosis that has everyone stressed is metabolic syndrome/heart disease.  (Not to mention constantly worrying about it is not helpful.)

They are obsessed with their cholesterol numbers which can go up and down.  (Reasons for sudden increase in cholesterol) Cholesterol is not associated with heart disease but old habits die hard, especially when there's a lot of money to be made from statin meds. ($14.1B according to AI.)

Here's the funny thing, there are better lab numbers that correlate with heart function as they relate to the fight or flight response such as norepinephrine/catecholamines. 

What are the stats?  Well, 3.1% of American adults in the U.S. suffered myocardial infarction in 2010.   NIH article.  Does 3% sound like an epidemic to you?

Also, the American Heart Association reports that half (50%) of America has some type of cardiovascular disease. (Just having high blood pressure alone puts you in this group.  Interesting way of skewing the statistics.)

Now that I'm researching some stats regarding these two topics, I come across this: 

People with osteoarthritis are 3 times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease or heart failure.  ****  This blew me away. READ HERE

At least this article cites the serious problem of NSAID pain medications as a risk for heart disease.  The Mayo Clinic admits this side effect, but doesn't explain why. 

Some commonly used NSAIDs include:

• aspirin (such as Disprin)
• ibuprofen (such as Nurofen)
• naproxen (such as Naprosyn)
• diclofenac (such as Voltaren)
• celecoxib (such as Celebrex).

LINK HERE

I'd like to reduce people's fears by demonstrating the many incomplete assumptions that show there is no cut and dry explanation as to why the body does what it does. Also, we are all very different from one another and one size does not fit all.  If this was true 100% of us would have heart disease, or arthritis, or cancer, and that is just not the case. 

Our unique nervous systems shape our health.  Even though you may live in the same environment as your closest friend or live in the same household as other family members, no one has the same health presentation.  Hopefully you are all energetic and active, but we know life has its ups and downs.

The robustness of your nervous system impacts how your joints perform. 

The robustness of your nervous system impacts how your heart performs.      

----not genes, not heredity, not age, not gender, etc. but what you taught your nervous system by your experiences and emotions,

When you're under stress, the brain diverts its resources. If it goes on long enough, there is deprivation and depletion.  We want to avoid that extreme. 

We use chiropractic to modify the intensity of stress so the brain calms the fight or flight response. 

Fight or Flight: 

fast heart rate

fast, shallow breathing

cold hands, sweaty hands

thicker blood

digestion, elimination slows

hyper energy, anxious

insomnia

compulsive thinking, ruminating

emotions range from distrustful to fearful

tight muscles to the point of shaking, trembling

low or no pain may be risk of injury, or you take more risks

(the hyper-energy may make you feel indestructible)

These are normal survival responses when there is immediate danger, but they also wipe out your energy.  Without time for rest and replenishment, the body breaks down, performs poorly, and does not renew itself. 

Chiropractic shifts the brain's perception of its environment.  It can get stuck in Fight or Flight because of its efficient ability to learn from exposure. Chiropractic helps re-educate the brain and re-set the pre-frontal cortex (the conductor of the brain).

The worst most challenging health problem is a nervous system stuck in Fight or Flight.

Talk to me about your most challenging health concern, and let's see what the nervous system is doing about it.

See you at the table.....the adjusting table.  Don't Wait!

---Dr. Lisa

--- Your Fight or Flight Coach

The brain being a brain is not a disease

**     **     **

Chiropractic enhances the brain.  

Chiropractic is your springboard.  

Chiropractic offers something different.  It must be applied differently with its own different language and outlook. 

The whole point of chiropractic is to adjust the spine so it can unwind the stress of your life, giving you a refreshed energy to live the whole human experience  --- regardless of pain, whether you are in pain or not in pain.   

The brain is constantly reorganizing itself.  Chiropractic enhances the process.