MRIs and Xrays: Not All That Helpful?

 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. 

........

An Xray shows you bones, spaces between bones, and some thicker tissues.  You will see the shapes of bones, the density of bones and how well they line up.  An MRI gives you more detail if you want to look at the spinal cord or brain for example.  Spinal discs are viewed, as well.   

In chiropractic college I was taught to assess the structures, identify each bone, organ, or tissue.  We looked at the size, shape, and consistency of tissues. 

Certain descriptions are supposed to verify a possible diagnosis.  When we take a history and conduct an examination, we come up with a working diagnosis.  The additional information from the imaging helps you confirm the diagnosis. If things don't match up according to diagnostic criteria, you rethink the diagnosis and go in a different direction.  Now, you probably already know I'm not a fan of diagnosing if it places you stuck in  a box with no room to grow. (Check out older posts on my opinion on that.)

Most people in my office assume a Xray or MRI will confirm their pain.  They want to feel justified.  They want to feel understood, not belittled. They want things to make sense to them.  

However, when you're told your body is your enemy and that it's going to fail, you feel completely helpless.  

Here's the problem, unless you have a major anatomical injury such as a broken bone or crushed body part, the Xray or MRI is not a predictor of pain.  

People who are pain free are very likely to have terrible looking Xrays and MRIs.  It's actually been studied. Not too useful at times, is it?  Well, it tends to be very useful when an insurance company wants to cut off your treatments. 

The problem is insurance companies have the belief that there must be tangible evidence to explain a body symptom.  The reality is that we've been sold some pretty crazy theories.  

Xrays were super exciting when they were a new invention. Remember?  And when new technology is developed, we want to make use of it.  Health care has been built up to be so revolutionized. Do you feel revolutionized?  Do you feel liberated?  Do you feel healthy?  Do you feel accomplished at the end of every day?

The most important message I want to share here on this blog post is that Xrays and MRIs represent one moment in time.  And more importantly, they do not tell us the state of the nervous system.  When imaging is done, it never tells us what the nervous system is dealing with at that moment.  Is the nervous system dealing with fight or flight?  Is the nervous system in a depleted state of freeze or faint?  Is the nervous system ready to heal and rebuild?

With many of my practice members their pain is chronic.  This type of  pain comes from the the brain, not the body part shown on the Xray or MRI.  So, a normal Xray or MRI should not be a reason to discount your pain or discomfort.  Injuries can heal physically, but there is still some kind of activity in the brain. Why? There are numerous reasons.  

Just remember, imaging only tells part of the story.  If we're going to understand vibrant health, we have to translate the nervous system's processing of your daily functioning.  It is unique to you, and takes a bit of time to unravel.  This is the Brain First Protocol.  

Brain First Is Body Freedom. 

......

Chiropractic was birthed out of a different philosophy.

You can't mix it with the paradigm that already failed you. 

If you're living with frustration and feel as if we're all destined to have sickness and disease, please leave that mind-set at the door.  

You are invited to walk through the door with a fresh set of eyes. 

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

** ** **

2 Steps to a Radical Healing Experience

 

2 Steps to a

Radical Healing Experience

1: Discard Deceptive Disease Definitions

2: Embrace the True Gift of the Nervous System

This requires igniting the  Pre-Frontal Cortex for energized thinking.

Brain First is Body Freedom

Brain First Coaching: Bounce Off Old Ideas * Reprogram your Brain

Harness Chiropractic to 

Move Your Brain, Feed Your Brain & Talk to Your Brain.

Diagnosing and treating, the modern medical approach, does not acknowledge how you have been programming your nervous system your entire life.    This is why people feel as if nothing improves with their health no matter how many doctors they visit.   When your nervous system is left out of the equation, you're just a number passing through through the medical assembly line.   When your nervous system is left out of the equation, nothing seems to make sense. 

When the "standard of care" approach leaves you feeling empty and used, it is because it is assumed we are all the same.  It is assumed the body will respond to drugs and surgery.

The body does respond to drugs and surgery.  The body responds as if they were traumas and the fight or flight reaction can be more than the body can tolerate.  That is the logical functioning of the brain.

How do we learn to cooperate with brain rather than hinder it?

We focus on the brains's ability to move back and forth between Fight or Fight and Rest/Rebuild.  We nurture these stages once we recognize them.  

Check it out!  Dare to Thrive!

See you at the table....the adjusting table. 

--Dr. Lisa

Your Brain First Coach

Brain First/Body Freedom

 

New Year's Resolve: Impact Coaching 2023

 

It's a play on words.  Resolution is a "firm decision to do or not to do something."  (Dictionary.com)   Also, in Latin = release

Resolute = admirably, purposeful, determined, unwavering.

We can "release" a negativity.  But in order to make a real change, it takes new knowledge, otherwise you may just be unwavering and determined about something that is based on old information.   

Resolve = find a solution

We can release and replace.  That's the whole point of chiropractic!

Welcome to Impact Coaching 2023 

This Year → Discard the inaccurate definitions that do not serve you.

This Year → Give your brain/body credit for the

real work it does for you.

This Year → You decide the patterns that you prefer to live with.

** Your brain learns everything you teach it. ** Chiropractic re-wires the brain, but you reinforce what patterns get re-wired. ** The adjustment “clears the slate.” What you introduce or follow up with matters.

IMPACT COACHING * 2023* Brain First Is Body Freedom

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.   

......

Chiropractic was birthed out of a different philosophy.

You can't mix it with the paradigm that already failed you. 

If you're living with frustration and feel as if we're all destined to have sickness and disease, please leave that mind-set at the door.  

You are invited to walk through the door with a fresh set of eyes. 

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

Brain First Is Body Freedom

Stop the Presses --- Because It's Not Relevant

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.   

That's it.    Now, enjoy my musings.  You may relate. 

.......................

Another rant, here.  But this is when I really get into deep thought. 

The local newspapers and TV news stations everywhere report the high flu count.  But don't forget, they began warning you months ago that a tough season was on its way here.  So .... a self fulfilling prophesy.

The local paper reported on the how full the hospital was.  And, I am perplexed, because a hospital is full of sick people.  Imagine that.  It should not be news.  But yet it is.....for a special reason, and that is to get you hyped up and afraid.  And for 99% of people, they never get sick, but the media wants you to have the fear festering in the back of your head, wearing out your nervous system. 

This highlighted sickness that is given a special name, (even though the symptoms are not special at all,) is apparently on the rise and you need to be ready for it as if it is a burglar trying to break down your front door. 

Yet, there is no news alert if heart attacks are on the rise.  Cancer jumps haven't made the headlines. Diabetes is increasing every year, but it gets ignored. 

I am pointing out a huge disparity in health reporting, or awareness.  The squeaky wheel gets the grease.  The repeated message becomes your nocebo.  If it's on the  news and you believe it, you will be at risk of joining the statistical pool of sick people. 

You don't have to join. 

Especially when the information is wrong.  Yes!  I said it.  It is not the way you should be viewing your brain and body. 

We've been told a sad story.  We've been told that symptoms are bad and lead to disease.  Even in chiropractic school when I thought I was taking a different journey, the message was very similar. While chiropractic used natural  methods to "get people well," the teaching was still the same. I was taught there is bad health and good health.  We were taught how to detect "abnormal."  In the end I was taught how to write a fantastic treatment plan.  But, does that mean the person "gets well?"

I was taught to look for "red flags." I'm still haunted by my relentless search for "red flags."  Let me say here that this vocabulary is part of the nocebo effect. 

If someone says, "I don't want to give you my cold," you have a decision to make.  Because no one gives you a cold.  You create the runny nose and sneezes within your brain.  Maybe you don't want to be left out, excluded from the symptoms....Hmmm.   Maybe you feel empathy for someone..... Maybe you are sharing the same feelings of rejection or unappreciation.....  We share beliefs and experiences.  But do we really share germs and endanger each other?  That's not my world.  In fact, the last two years supports that.  You'd think in my office where I am touching people all day long and "breathing down their necks" I would have been in the hospital every two weeks!!

Belonging to a group is hardwired in our brain for survival.  But there are certain groups we need to separate ourselves from. 

I've chosen to separate myself from the "sick group."

But the negative programming is frustrating me.  It's everywhere and it's out there for a reason.  

When I say I offer you health freedom.  I am giving you a choice. 

You can pursue this further with the Brain First / Body Freedom Protocol 

......

Chiropractic was birthed out of a different philosophy.

You can't mix it with the paradigm that already failed you. 

If you're living with frustration and feel as if we're all destined to have sickness and disease, please leave that mind-set at the door.  

You are invited to walk through the door with a fresh set of eyes. 

----See you at the table.  The chiropractic table.

---- Dr. Lisa

      Your Health Freedom Advocate. 

Brain First, Body Follows.  Brain First IS Body Freedom.

Let's Overcome the Trend of "Too Little-Too Late"

 

Chiropractic: Why Brain Care Beats Pain Care

1- Pain is a Purposeful Pattern. Rather than interrupt it with artificial means, determine how the pattern is protecting so you can decide how best to support it.

2- Injuries repair themselves in days to weeks, provided the muscles are toned and organs are working efficiently.

3- Most of the time I am dealing with people whose bodies were not prepared for stress events. We are usually in “catch up mode.”

4- Fight-or-Flight is a valuable nervous system pattern but it can exhaust our reserves when we take it for granted.

5- Drugs and surgery do not alleviate prolonged Fight-or-Flight which is why we must pursue a different approach for our long term well being.

(Prolonged Fight-or-Flight is mistreated by mainstream health care because they are too narrowly focused on the effects rather than the cause and misplace the blame on inflammation.)

6- Calling nervous system patterns a disease or sickness ignores the true nature of the body's systems, incites a fear response that worsens the situation further exhausting the body. (More need for “catch up mode.”)

7- Chiropractic helps people in pain by re-engaging the prefrontal cortex. The adjustment interrupts a stress pattern like a switch and shifts the brain to repair/rebuild. However, cellular movement is painful as the body is rebuilding tissues and excreting waste. Appropriate repair avoids the disappointment of weakened or poorly re-formed tissues/joints. We can support this process with chiropractic maintenance, nutrition, and stress management.

Improving comfort is a more reasonable approach than stopping pain prematurely.

Let's move from “Catch Up Mode” to “Wellness Mode.” “Catch Up Mode” = Replenish Reserves “Wellness Mode” = Maintain Reserves

I ask my folks to look at their health differently.  I ask them to understand the innate wisdom of the body's self regulating system.  I ask them to work in sync with this system, and not against it. It foes require to replacing old vocabulary with new.  

Got questions?

Let me hear them. 

--See you at the table.  The chiropractic table.

Dr. Lisa

Your Health Freedom Advocate

Translate Pain/Anxiety Correctly

Still on the Fence about Chiropractic?

 

(image: girlicity.com)
You don't have to be unsure about chiropractic.  You only need the desire to live your best life.  While that is an over used saying, you can't be at your best if your brain's survival system is running on fumes.  

Chiropractic was birthed out of a different philosophy.

You can't mix it with the paradigm that failed you. 

If you're living with frustration and feel as if we're all destined to have sickness and disease, please leave that mind-set at the door.  

You are invited to walk through the door with a fresh set of eyes. 

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.   

That's it. 

See you at the table.

The chiropractic table. 

--Dr. Lisa

Your Health Freedom Advocate

Pain, low energy, and anxiety are learned?  What?  Click Here. 

Do You Know What You Have?

 

I have a desire to help people, not because they are lacking, but because they don't know what they actually possess. 

          

           Get reacquainted with your innate wisdom.