In Tuesday's Citizen:
In last month’s article I covered some of the reasons why chiropractic doesn’t always work. For this article I will describe what makes chiropractic work so well. The simple truth is the body will always strive toward healing and restoration when given the chance.
Chiropractic assists the body by clearing out the “junk footprints” that get in the way of normal function of organs and organ systems. We know about junk food, junk email, and junkyards. Junk is a term used to describe anything that is waste, useless, or trash.
Junk accumulation starts the body on a downward degenerative path. We can categorize junk into three types: mechanical junk, chemical junk, and emotional junk. We can stop the junk with improved lifestyle habits, however the “junk footprints” still persist causing harm.
When we expose the body to junk it is like getting kicked in the spine. A “junk footprint” remains. My dad put my footprint in a freshly cemented step when I was two years old. Over time that cute little indentation of my foot took on water, snow, ice and dust particles. Erosion eventually reshaped the step making it unsafe and requiring repair.
A similar process takes place when junk footprints remain in the spine. The delivery of information through the brain, spinal cord and nerves are changed. The body’s future responses will become inappropriately hyperactive or underactive.
This is why people injured in car accidents still have pain long after the initial swelling of whiplash has gone down. This is also why people have digestive discomfort even though they have improved their eating habits. Anxiety attacks and depression can occur because minor stressors connected to past memories can be extraordinarily reinforced by the nervous system.
Take the saying, “Garbage in, garbage out.” It describes a nervous system that has learned negative patterns from repeated junk exposures. For people in back pain who just want to feel better, this explanation may not be interesting. However, it shows why similar people of the same age can have very different states of health.
Chiropractic works by untangling nervous system networks that have gone bad. The adjustment introduces a force into the spine and modifies body responses. Healing becomes more efficient as junk footprints are reduced.
It takes time for the body to heal so it makes sense to help chiropractic work better by avoiding unhealthy habits. People who reduce stress on the body through diet, supplementation, and exercise will notice faster results from their chiropractic care.
Progress is also greatly impacted by mental stress. Patients who demonstrate an inability to commit to their care by blaming work, personal obligations, and time constraints are waving red flags that indicate they will continue to create junk footprints.
Ultimately, chiropractic can make it easier to incorporate healthier changes into lifestyle. The relaxation response, endorphin release, and more normalized brain activity resulting from each chiropractic adjustment will help people feel more inclined to stick with better health habits.
