Does your life suck?

Seems like everywhere I go, there’s always someone talking about how bad life is.  I know you hear it, too.  “My job sucks!  My spouse sucks.  This economy sucks.  My life sucks!”

You could really get depressed listening to that nonsense all day long.  Imagine if you were a psychotherapist.  Man, THAT would SUCK!  But, it really is amazing how in a country as affluent and rich with resources, opportunities and freedoms that virtually anyone could be depressed.  Yet, the Unites States consumes more psychotropic drugs than the rest of the world COMBINED!

How could this be?  Amid the affluence and freedom available to every American, we each should be far enough up Maslow’s ladder that depression or anxiety simply would not exist in America.  Even the poorest of American’s are RICH (not just well off) compared to most of the rest of the World.

Maybe we’ve just grown so accustomed to “Easy Street” that we’ve become self-absorbed as a nation and a people.  Seems like we’re either feel guilty because we have more than the rest of the World or inadequate that we don’t have as much as our neighbor.

What would happen if instead of comparing ourselves to everyone else, we simply compared ourselves to what WE each could do or be?  Then, the only anxiety in a person’s life would be that they are not living up to their own potential.  That realization should free anyone and everyone from depression and anxiety because once you realize that your only competition is yourself, you can correct virtually any problem you have.

Sure, there are some problems over which you have little or no control,  However, you DO have control over how you see those problems and how you deal with them.  That’s when you quit being a victim and become a participant in life.  The more you participate the less time you have to be merely a spectator in your own life.  Talk about adding meaning to life.  Wow!

A mentor once said “Comfort arrives as a guest, lingers as a host and stays to enslave you.”  Don’t become a slave to your own comfort zone.  Get off the bench and onto the field.  Taking the hits and making the hits add a whole dimension to the game of life that is never apparent from the stands or in front of the TV or PC.

Make life worth living by living it!

Chiropractic Maintenance: If It Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix It, Maintain It!

One of the most misunderstood and misused concepts in healthcare is that of “chiropractic maintenance”.  Let me explain.

Some folks go to the chiropractor because their back went out or their in some sort of pain.  And because chiropractic adjustments are so effective in taking pressure off nerves that cause pain, symptoms clear up pretty quickly.  Well, relatively quickly depending on how long symptoms have been apparent.  This usually takes a few weeks to a month.  Most folks that use chiropractic care simply for pain relief end up coming back sooner than later because the problem was not fully corrected before they stopped care.

And then, some folks go to the chiropractor not only to get rid of the pain but to do what they can to keep the pain from coming back.  This process can usually take anywhere from 3-6 months.  There’s a good chance in some cases that the pain never returns and the person thinks everything is OK.   And as long as the symptoms don’t return neither does the patient.  And, as long as symptom relief and prevention is concerned that’s probably a reasonable outcome.  Most chiropractors that accept insurance would probably say that is perfectly fine.  It’s great (sort of) for everyone.  Patient knows where they can go for relief and the chiropractor always has a source of insurance reimbursement.

But then, there’s maintenance care.  Some folks look at maintenance care as a preventive measure to keep that serious problem from coming back.  And, you know what?  It IS great for that.  But, maintenance care always presents a problem.  Insurance doesn’t pay for it and Americans expect to use their insurance if they have it.  Many times, patient and chiropractor alike tell little white lies to the insurance carrier so that their patient can continue their maintenance.  Ongoing care is GOOD.  But, having patient and doctor lie to have insurance pay for it is NOT good.

There’s a bigger reason why chiropractic maintenance is a good idea.  In fact, I think “chiropractic maintenance” is a better idea than crisis or corrective care.  While some view “maintenance” as a preventive measure, that’s only a small part of the benefit that “maintenance” affords you.

The best comparison I can think of is your car.  Just about everyone maintains their car at some level or another.   We know to change the oil every 3-5000 miles, to rotate the tires on a regular basis, to have the front-end aligned, to check the radiator, the transmission fluid and so on.  Obviously, doing these things will help prevent breakdowns and maybe even accidents.  But what routine maintenance on your car REALLY does for you is to give you peace of mind.  Not only do you have the comfort of knowing your car is safer to drive it’s also less likely to have a breakdown.  You know that now your car will now run better.  And because it runs better and you worry less, you can enjoy driving and focus on those other things that make your life better.

Ongoing chiropractic “maintenance” care does that same thing for your body and your life.  As you and your chiropractor keep stress off your nerve system, your body functions better and helps prevent all sorts of problems in the future.  It also helps you be better able to handle future stresses.   In short, “chiropractic maintenance” will make every aspect of your life more effective and enjoyable.

Oh, here’s another great reason to choose ongoing “chiropractic maintenance” care.  It’s cheaper.  Just like a regular oil change is cheaper than replacing a burnt out engine, regular wellness visits take only a few minutes while the benefits pile up.  One of the aspects of my practice that I really enjoy is that folks come in smiling and leave smiling.  And because you pay monthly or yearly, you never have to deal with the hassle of insurance, copays and collections.

So, regardless of your health situation, whether sick and hurting or a finely tuned athlete, I encourage you to seek out a chiropractor who specializes in “maintenance” or wellness care.  Heck, you can even qualify them by looking for someone who doesn’t even take insurance.  Good luck in enjoying your new worry free body and lifestyle!

Life Lessons from Ft. Knox

The family and I visited my son at Army Basic Training at Fort Knox recently.  After 40 years, it was interesting to hear the stories about Basic Training.  While not quite as its depicted in the movie “Stripes” with Bill Murray and John Candy, it is amusing to hear the stories and compare to my own experience of long ago.  And ironically, there are lessons there that I had not perceived before.

I know that Basic Training is different for every military branch.  But still, it’s the same.  The purpose is to force a young person to leave the comfort of their teenage womb and give themselves to a higher calling.  My son tells me that since I only went through 6 weeks of Air Force Basic that mine didn’t really count.  But, he WAS amazed at how accurate I was when telling him what to expect when he got there.

One must understand that the job of the military is war, pure and simple.  The military is our defense against attack from forces that would seek to profit from our demise.  Every branch of the military has its job and every member of that branch has duties specific to that mission.  The ultimate goal, however, is to protect and defend the country and our way of life.  So while some training is specific, much of it is designed for the purpose of transitioning a young person into a dedicated member of a unified force whose calling is to put the mission before the man.

The young soldiers all lamented that the Drill Sargent always seemed agitated and that even the slightest transgression by just one troop would cause everyone in the platoon to have to drop and do push ups.  Sometimes, it seemed that “Drill Sargent” would say they were doing a 20K march when it turned out to be 26K.  Sometimes, it seemed that Drill Sargent’s purpose was to drive them to “break”.  In fact, a few tried to intentionally “wash out” to no avail.  And, Drill Sargent would never tell them they could NOT eat something at chow but was quick to remind them of the effect that indiscretion could have on their PT scores.

While the Family Day pass was only for two days, it seemed like my son was bored the whole time.  When I asked him why, he said “I’m used to getting up at 4am, going all day, having to know when different formations were scheduled, taking care of my weapon and even doing laundry.  I don’t know what to do with all this spare time.”  I was also struck at how sharp he and his “battle buddies” appeared.  When I mentioned that, he said that two things “Drill Sargent” impressed on them was teamwork and attention to detail.

I’ve spent many hours thinking about some of those little chats we had and on the profound meaning they have for all of our lives.  We do take plenty for granted these days, from our health to our freedom.  And many times, that comfort makes us vulnerable to sickness, disease, infirmity and attack.  What my son is learning is that we are capable of far more than we believe we are.  He’s learning that life is unpredictable and that strength, flexibility and adaptability to the situation at hand is VITAL not only in dealing with the matter at hand but simply survival.  One of the lessons that Chris is learning is that life is constant and constantly changing.  You must be ready on a moment’s notice, whether it’s awakening at 4am to go on a 15 mile ruck march or to answer a question about the UCMJ.

Our bodies are virtually the same.  We ALL have our own personal “Drill Sargent” always pushing, always preparing us to be the best we can and the most we can, prepared to handle ANY situation that might confront us.  We chiropractors call our internal Drill Sargent “Innate Intelligence” because it knows what to do, when and how.  It goes when we think we can’t.  If you’ll listen and obey your inner Drill Sargent, you’ll become stronger, tougher and better able to handle whatever life brings your way.  Survival can then be assumed as you work toward the greater good for yourself and all around you.

Your body understands the concepts of “teamwork and attention to detail”.  If you will just understand that Drill Sargent is your friend and your protector, you will become a great soldier in life and in the war against weakness, sickness and frailty.

Seven Times Seven: How Will Your Health Be at 49?

Did you know that every red blood cell in your body is replaced every 120 days?  Did you know that your entire body is replaced on average every 7 years?  Wow!  Personally, I find that amazing.  I’m thinking, “If I clean up my act and start living according to some sound principles, I could have a whole new body…and life in just a few years!”

Since getting in the health business, I’ve noticed things I’d never even considered in the past.  I remember being in 6th grade and the teacher telling us how old we’d be when the millennium turned over and thinking “Dang.  I don’t want to be around if I’m gonna be like folks I know that age.”  Sadly, that’s even more true now than then.  Of course I’m 10 years older than that now and younger than most folks my age.

Enough nostalgia.  Let’s talk about regeneration.  Let’s assume that everything in your body and life goes according to God’s design.  By the time you’re 50 years old, you should be in pretty good health.  But, we all know folks that age that simply are not in good health, at all.  What happened?

Here’s one premise.  We know that the first system to form in our bodies is the Central Nervous System and that every aspect of our lives are either controlled by or filtered through our nervous system.  If someone had had any kind of difficult birth process, there could be damage (or at least stress) on the neck and brainstem.  Since the brainstem affects ALL of your body’s vital function, pressure there could affect your development and health.

Let’s just say that happened to you or someone you know and your nervous system (and body) was functioning at say 90%.  Since you’re growing so fast in your early years you might not notice any problems whatsoever.  Well, maybe some colic or seizures or ADD/ADHD.  But nothing “serious”.  OK.  Maybe you grew up with chronic colds and seemed to catch whatever bug was going around when none of your friends or family did.  But, nothing serious.

But, as newborn becomes seven, then 14 then 21, you start to notice a pattern.  Then about the time you turn 30, life begins to wear you down.   You might have developed chronic health problems like fibromyalgia,  migraines, high blood pressure, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, arthritis or some other kind or arthritic condition.  Then, by the time you turn 40, you’re wondering how you’re going to live as long as your parents and what the heck is your life going to be like.

Let’s do the math on that.  If you start out with your nervous system and body functioning at 90%, your blood cells and tissues and organs and systems don’t develop and function quite as well as they should.  At 14, it’s 90% times 90%.  At 21, it’s 90% times 81%.  By the time your 49 (the halfway point)  you’re functioning at 36% of the potential God sent you here with.  Your body is falling apart and your life sucks.   You begin to wonder if you’ll even live long enough to enjoy your retirement and IF you do, will you be able to afford to!  You purchase long-term care insurance so your family won’t be saddled with the cost of warehousing you in your waning years. Bleak picture, huh?

What if we could correct that problem that started at birth or during childhood?  Could we reverse all that was done or not done?  Maybe so.  What if you could help your body start functioning at 100% of what your potential is right now?  Would that help?  Of course it would!  Because your body ALWAYS strives to do ALL that it can with what it’s got to work with, you begin IMMEDIATELY toward better function and better health.  It’s like investing in a retirement account.  You can get a late start and still be way ahead of where you’d be if you had never invested in the first place.

Simple chiropractic care focused on the original stress on your nervous system (NOT on back pain or symptoms) can help you move toward your potential immediately.  Sure, you can improve your health with diet and supplementation, exercise and a good spiritual life.  However, since EVERYTHING is filtered through or controlled by your nervous system, more of all (or any) of these is fruitless if there’s nerve interference.  So, the key is to locate and reduce interference to the proper function of your nerve system.  That usually happens at one place, the top of the neck.  So, it’s important to find the right chiropractor.

You were Designed to do great things and be productive your whole life.  If that’s not happening for you and with you, find yourself a good Principled chiropractor.  If you need help finding one, let me know.  I’m always glad to help.

Herpes and Chiropractic

Wait!   Herpes and chiropractic?  You thought chiropractic was for BACK PAIN, didn’t you?  Well, it’s NOT!  While reviewing statistics on my blog, I noticed that someone used “herpes and chiropractic” as their search criteria.

Sadly, some folks (including lots of chiropractors) think it is.  Over the decades lots of lazy chiropractors have taken the easy road and succumbed to back pain because lots of folks DO seek a drugless, nonsurgical way of dealing with their back pain.  Oh yeah, that’s where the easy insurance money is, too.

But, chiropractic is about much more than mere back pain.  It’s about helping you have MORE LIFE!  It’s about helping your body (hence YOU) functioning at a higher level and with much more ease.

OK, back to herpes.  If you’ve ever known someone with herpes (genital herpes or shingles) you know that it is made worse with stress.  In fact, stress is usually the reason it expresses itself.  We don’t need to get into the epidemiology of herpes. Everyone agrees that once you’ve got it, you’ve got it.

However, you CAN keep it from ruining your life.  You CAN control it somewhat by controlling how you and your body deals with the stress in your life.  That’s where chiropractic comes into play.  Conservative chiropractic care that deals with your autonomic nervous system, specifically your parasympathetic nervous system, helps keep your body calm under stress and helps you manage the effects of stress on your health.

BUT, don’t wait until you have an outbreak of herpes to go see your chiropractor. Find a chiropractor you can see weekly.  You might not get adjusted every week.  But, you should get checked.  It may be your best insurance for avoiding untimely bouts with herpes.

Niagra Falls and the Principled Chiropractor

Everybody knows about Niagra Falls.  Well, at least every American knows about Niagra Falls.  It’s the largest single source of hydroelectric power in America.  It’s also a source of amazement for anyone who’s ever witnessed it.  If you’ve ever seen it, you marvel at both its beauty and incredible natural power.  One thing is for sure.  Mankind has surely learned how to work with that power to improve our quality of life.  But, what if the flow of water to Niagra Falls was slowed or stopped?  The power generated would certainly be reduced and the quality of life for all those served by it would surely be diminished.

There’s a Power inside you that’s very similar to Niagra Falls.  That Power is limitless as long as there is no interference with its flow.  Your brain and Central Nervous System runs your body and is Designed to make you powerful and virtually unstoppable.  But just as it took someone to first recognize the potential power of Niagra Falls, you must recognize your own potential power. It’s only potential power UNTIL you decide to unleash it!

That’s where chiropractic comes in.  The Principled Chiropractor works from the premise that you were made powerful AND part of the Creative Force of the entire Universe.  Further, the Principled Chiropractor recognizes that any interference in the flow of that power can limit how well you perceive and realize that power in your life.  The Principled Chiropractor  locates the source of interference in the flow of that Power and makes a simple, yet powerful, adjustment.  When the correction is made and the Power flows freely again, you are better able to fully enjoy and benefit from your own Power.

Using chiropractic simply for symptom relief is like using Niagra Falls as a water fountain.  Find yourself a Principled Chiropractor TODAY and see how powerful your life can truly be.