Every three months, I attend a gathering of several hundred of my chiropractic friends to help us stay focused on our mission to help improve the lives of as many people as we possibly can. Since I’ve been doing this for over twenty years, you can imagine that it’s both enjoyable and inspiring. The world can wear you down and drag you down if you let it. Knowing that what we do as “DE chiropractors” can have profound effects on people’s lives way beyond back pain should be enough to keep you going. But, it can be tough.
Anyway, at a recent DE meeting a friend from Canada used a metaphor that has so many implications that I simply had to share the message. In a meeting with a new client, my friend held up an acorn and asked “What do you see?” Obviously, the answer was “An acorn, of course. Why?” My friend’s response was “I see an oak tree, a forest of oak trees, a home and furniture and tools all built from the wood of the oak tree. I see endless possibilities.” Wow! What a concept!
My first thoughts were from my perspective as a chiropractor that a person’s health could be fantastic without interference in how their body is designed to work. Even further, that just as their health could improve, so could their vision of their own life, world and opportunities.
How do you see yourself? Is it as a single little acorn amongst billions of other seemingly meaningless other acorns or as a potential mighty oak tree providing shade, comfort and opportunities for yourself and countless others. You were Designed for greatness but delivered as a tiny seed. You really need just a few things to reach the potential of your Design. You need to SEE your own potential. You need to be firmly planted in rich soil. You need no interference in pursuing that potential. And finally, you need to actively pursue that potential not necessarily knowing how great you can be but always moving toward your greatness.
Think of the lowly little squirrel. We all know the squirrel scurries around burying acorns throughout the forest. ?Does he do this just to be hoarding food for the winter? Or is he investing in his (and others’) by spreading his own vision of oak trees and forests?
In all you do, whether it’s losing weight, exercising more, finding a good DE chiropractor, reading more, investing more wisely or creating meaningful relationships pursue your potential. See your bigger picture. Plant forests. Most of all, do it daily in every aspect of your life.
Then how can we fix an old one?hat’s a reasonable question. hat’s a reasonable question. Isn’t it?
It never ceases to amaze me how “scientific” Medicine purports to know how to treat all kinds of conditions of the human body. Yet, these “scientists” don’t even know what has caused most of the problems they claim to “fix”. In virtually every case, the best they’re able to do is affect the symptoms of whatever the real problem is. Shrink the tumor. Stop the sinus drainage. Suppress the immune response. lower blood pressure.
Yet, “something” takes one sperm and one ovum (egg) and makes a baby in just 9 months in the case of humans WITHOUT help from “science” or Medicine or even the Government. Personally, I consider that quite miraculous.
When I think of two cells becoming a complete functional living being with all its cells and tissues and organs and systems working together in perfect harmony, I have to ask the question “Wouldn’t the process that made that happen also not also have provided a functional immune system capable of dealing with any malady likely to confront it?” I’m sure you know the answer. Yes, of course!
Maybe it’s time we open our minds to the possibility that we living things typically arrive complete and that we don’t as much need to be “fixed” as much as we just need to make sure the system is allowed to function as it was designed with as little interference as possible.
That’s actually, what the chiropractic profession was designed to do. Those of us that practice from that perspective have seen what some would call “miracles” because without drugs or surgery because we respect that Design, remove interference and step back and watch.
Sadly, we get bogged down trying to explain it in a really technical way. But, the truth is that just like gravity works every time, taking stress off your nervous system works every time, too. And just because “science” or Medicine can’t explain it in their terms does not mean it doesn’t work. It does work, just not the way they want it to.
Principled chiropractic works because it works WITH the same wisdom that took those two cells and made it a living functional human being. It is that same wisdom that strives to make you healthy and able to adapt to virtually any situation or circumstance that you may encounter.
Some people just don’t like Walmart. But, LOTS of people obviously DO like Walmart. In fact, in less than 50 years Walmart has become the largest corporation in the world.
Walmart is the world’s largest corporation for one reason, value. Sam Walton’s little business became a BIG business because their prices were just a shade lower than their competition’s. As a result, the average American family shops at Walmart EVERY week for the typical stuff you could buy at any grocery store or hardware store or clothing store. Granted, no one goes to Walmart for specialty items or designer clothing.
While the typical prejudice is that Walmart serves only low-income families, actual research shows that the retailer has a growing high-income clientele that shops there for their store brand items for even greater savings. In other words, intelligent, informed consumers shop there to save money on items they purchase on a routine basis where name brands are not necessary and the saving sis appreciated.
Which brings me to The Membership Practice, a concept in chiropractic that provides individuals and families with access to chiropractic care at affordable fees without the need for insurance. In fact The Membership Practice model offers unlimited chiropractic care at a low monthly fee deducted from your credit/debit card. The business model is based on long-term maintenance and wellness care. The assumption is that the average user of wellness-based chiropractic care will get checked an average of once a week. At Langley Chiropractic Office (in Marietta, GA) the monthly fee is $69 for an individual and $129 for an entire family.
While some practitioners complain that the fees is too low and cheapens the profession’s image, my response is “baloney!”. The concept actually enables chiropractors to help more people get the regular care that helps families stay healthy and out of the doctor’s office. Fewer trips to the doctor’s office means money saved that can go to other needs the family may have like vacation, retirement, braces, etc. Just like Walmart’s new slogan ““Saving people money so they can live better lives”, The Membership Practice aims to lower the barriers to families having affordable access to routine chiropractic care anywhere in the United States.
Heck, I can even see The Membership Practice in all 6000 or so Walmart stores across America! What a great deal for Walmart, chiropractors and the public. Imagine getting the family adjusted once a week when they go to Walmart or 500-1000 new customers going shopping at Walmart when they go for their weekly adjustments. Imagine 12-15,000 fully employed chiropractors earning a good living as they adjust hundreds or thousands of folks each week. And, imagine the money and lives saved because of the number of Americans taking fewer drugs and making fewer visits to the doctor’s office because of their new-found health.
The vision of The Membership Practice is that every man, woman and child in America has access to quality, affordable chiropractic care. Insurance is hardly affordable for chiropractic care these days. IF the average American is to have ready access to regular chiropractic care, it is imperative that the profession find ways to make it available. And honestly, I’ve always believed the free market is where the solution to rising health care costs would be found.
Look for The Membership Practice near you. If you don’t have one, let me know. I’ll help you find one. And, maybe one day you’ll even find them in your local Walmart store.
“Can chiropractic help arthritis?” That’s a question every chiropractor is asked on a regular basis. Depending on the chiropractor, the answer might be “It depends”, “I don’t know”, or “Yes! Of course!” This is where you ask, “How can that be? My doctor says arthritis can’t be reversed.” Well, let’s take a look and see how chiropractic can help arthritis.
Before we go too far, it’s important to know that there are actually TWO different conditions known as “arthritis”. By definition, “arthritis” is inflammation of the joints. But as I said before, there are actually two kinds of “arthritis”. First, there’s osteoarthritis, sometimes referred to as “wear and tear” arthritis. This includes DJD or Degenerative Disc Disease. Then, there’s several variations of rheumatoid arthritis. Let’s look at each of these separately.
Osteoarthritis or “wear and tear arthritis” is just that, a sort of wearing away of the joint. It usually shows up as we age OR after years of excessive use or wear on a joint. I can’t tell you how many folks tell me “The orthopedist told me the disc in my neck or low back is worn down because of my age.” My response is “Well, how old are the other discs in your spine?” Obviously, I see more of these problems in the spine because the spine is the focus of my practice as a chiropractor. DJD or osteoarthritis in the spine, is usually caused by a (or several) bones in the spine that are not in perfect alignment. And just like your car being out of alignment, these areas wear out quicker than the rest of the spine. The discs wear away and the wisdom of the body tries to stabilize the area. On x-ray, this reaction looks like little bone spurs. It’s actually the body trying to fuse these vertebrae in order to protect you. Usually, the problem is not noticed until the disc is about gone and the spurs (or osteophytes) start to press on nerves, causing pain.
The typical medical approach to dealing with this type of arthritis is self-medication with over-the-counter painkillers and NSAIDS, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Tylenol, Advil, etc. If not resolved, you can end up on steroids or prescription painkillers that can lead to addiction. The eventual medical solution is surgery, sometimes very risky surgery with long-term consequences.
The other kind of arthritis, called rheumatoid arthritis, is an inflammatory autoimmune condition that causes pain, swelling and disfiguration, usually easily seen in the hands. As with most autoimmune conditions, the cause is unknown. Yet, treatments start with over-the-counter painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, then prescription painkillers, then immunosuppressant drugs. That just means that the drug you’re taking actually retards your immune system. The mandatory warnings on these drugs warn you of infection, disease and even death. Hmmm. Since we don’t know the CAUSE, should we be treating the effect with potentially lethal drugs?
I know you’re saying, “Alright, already. How can chiropractic help either of these conditions?” Since you asked, I’ll tell you.
There are two (at least) ways chiropractic helps those with arthritis. The first way is biomechanically. If you do, indeed, have spinal misalignments (we call them vertebral subluxations) that can cause the discs to wear down more quickly, we help correct those misalignments with gentle, specific adjustments. As your body stays in its proper alignment, pressure is taken off nerves AND your nervous system. When that happens, your symptoms tend to clear up. If you maintain that proper alignment, you become stronger and help keep them from coming back.
The other way chiropractic helps is neurological. Anyone that has ever suffered from an autoimmune disease knows that it’s made worse by stress. Chiropractic adjustments help take stress off your nervous system allowing your body to rest, relax and heal. By taking stress off your nervous system, your body functions better and is less likely to attack itself. When your body is restored to proper function, healing and health happens naturally.
So from both a biomechanical and neurological standpoint, chiropractic helps your body deal with both the causes and effects of both kinds of arthritis. If you suffer from either of these conditions, find a good Principled chiropractor and learn more about the chiropractic lifestyle. If you do, I promise you more and better health and life.
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!
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.
There’s a mechanism in all living things that we chiropractors call Innate Intelligence. Don’t let it scare you. It’s a name that we use to communicate about the concept that you were Designed to be healthy and powerful and there’s something that guides you toward your greatest good, at all times. That’s why a great mentor called it “The Friend Within”.
Many of us falter in life because we fail to listen to and obey our “Friend Within”. We know we should eat right, exercise, work on our spiritual life, say “I love you” more and simply doing the right thing. Your “Friend Within” guides you along that path. It also works on your body without you even knowing it, innately communicating instructions to the body from the brain, conducting the orchestra of life to and through EVERY cell in your body. It’s that mysterious thing that is present in a living being that leaves the moment one dies. At that point, cells act independently of the body and starts the decomposition process.
If that Innate Intelligence (or your Friend Within) is disturbed, you actually begin the decomposition process WHILE you’re still alive. That process leads to dysfunction and eventually disease.
The MOST important thing a chiropractor can do is to teach you about your “Friend Within” or Innate Intelligence and THEN adjust you to allow that mechanism to express itself as closely to 100% as possible. The better able you are to hear that “wee small voice within” and then act upon its instructions, the more powerful your life becomes.
The world needs for each of you to live as close to your God-given potential as possible. When that happens, we become less prone to disease, strife and war. We think higher thoughts and make better decisions. Come join me on this journey toward your own greater good. Let me introduce you to your “Friend Within”.
I talked with a lady yesterday whose son is suffering from a seizure disorder. The doctors have come up with some exotic name for the problem. But the long and short of it is that the boy has a problem and they don’t know what to do.
Apparently, his seizures started about two years ago. In that time, both the strength and amount of drugs being administered this child has steadily increased to the point that he can no longer function normally in school. As a result, his mom is no longer able to hold a steady teaching job and his older brother has started exhibiting signs of being OCD. In her search for something that might help her son’s suffering, she ran across one of my videos on YouTube and called a chiropractor near her home for help.
Now, I know firsthand that chiropractic care can help seizure disorders. And, I recommend anyone diagnosed with epilepsy consult with a chiropractor. While I’m glad she sought a chiropractor, I’m not so sure SHE was glad. Sure, she liked the chiropractor. But having never gone to a chiropractor before, she was somewhat taken aback by the amount and cost of the care recommended. She was also taken aback by the doctor’s insistence that the entire family get under care.
Don’t get me wrong. I AM a family wellness chiropractor and I DO recommend lifetime wellness care for the whole family. However, I DON’T like the practice of scaring people into ANYTHING! It’s THAT, specifically, that has made this little boy sicker and is destroying his family’s health and finances.
The “Doctor Business” has done more to make America weak and its citizens sick than anything else I know. The fear of disease and infirmity costs us TRILLIONS of dollars in terms of medical insurance, doctor and hospital bills, malpractice lawsuits, defensive medicine, productivity and taxes. It REALLY is time for a change.
IF chiropractors REALLY believed what we say about health and wellness, we would talk about the power of living things, especially humans, to be healthy, whole and vital from cradle to grave. Instead, we tend to focus on the lessening effect of that thing called a “vertebral subluxation”. Certainly, subluxations DO diminish normal function. But a chiropractor scaring someone at a spinal screening is no different than an MD pushing blood pressure drugs simply because someone’s blood pressure reading was 140/90.
The wellness mindset is NOT about prevention of cancer, heart disease, diabetes or whatever. It’s about being as healthy as possible and living as full a life as you can. THAT is what chiropractic is and can do, too. In fact, IF chiropractors focused on and TAUGHT you about the Law of Life, we could revolutionize healthcare in America. If you KNEW you were designed to be healthy and that drugs tend more to make you sicker than better, wouldn’t you look at a different approach? of course you would!
Take control of your life and your health. Don’t allow ANY doctor to scare you into ANY treatment regimen. make them explain what they do, how and why. After all, YOU are the customer!
I have always been one of those crazy “positive thinkers” that believes anything is possible. Maybe it comes from my belief that we would not have been given the ability to imagine and dream if we weren’t also equipped to realize or actualize those dreams. But maybe, it also comes from the hundreds of examples in my own life of things (good and bad) happening AFTER having created the very situation in my own mind, FIRST.
It’s funny (in a sad way) that many of my Christian friends so readily and strongly dismiss “The Secret” and the “Law of Attraction” as being evil in some way. To me, they are absolute evidence of God’s Hand in all things. In fact, the Bible tells us to pray EXPECTING that what we have asked for HAS ALREADY been given AND that even the faith of a tiny mustard seed could push the mountain into the sea.
I like the Law of Attraction. It makes sense to me. It has proven itself to work for me in so many circumstances it’s almost hard to count. And, it’s pretty much as simple as “What you think about comes about”. If you think about it, every creation of Mankind from the first tool to the space shuttle was first an idea in someone’s mind. And the longer that thought remained in someone’s mind, the closer it got to becoming a reality. Eventually, the idea became reality.
OK, so you’re probably thinking, “So how does the Law of Attraction have ANYTHING to do with my health?” Well, I’m glad you asked!
In our culture, we have this obsession with disease. From birth, we’re taught to fear disease instead of how to build health. We inject our babies with all sorts of stuff to avoid childhood diseases instead of allowing their bodies to build lifetime immunity. Every year, millions of us get a flu shot even though many wonder IF it can prevent the flu. We label creative, active kids bored with sitting at a desk all day as having ADD or ADHD. What used to be considered a “normal” blood pressure reading is now considered “pre-hypertensive”. The mention of the word “cancer” strikes fear in the heart of almost any living person. And, everyone knows at least one person who takes “an aspirin a day” to prevent stroke when that habit alone cold CAUSE a massive stroke itself. It’s even gotten so ridiculous that now we even have a disease called “Restless Leg Syndrome”. Give me a break!
In other words, our hyper-focus on disease has made us one of the sickest nations on the planet. We’re sick because we THINK about sickness and disease. Probably the most profitable industries IN THE WORLD is the pharmaceutical industry. They spend BILLIONS of dollars convincing you that you’re sick and that THEY can ease your suffering with their magic pills and potions. Unfortunately, neither they nor the Government tells you adequately of the dangers related to their concoctions.
BUT, there IS a better way! That way is to simply BE WELL. Now, some of you are saying “This guy is crazy!” But, wait! This is where the Law of Attraction comes in. Think about how your life would be IF you were well. Instead of spending your time worrying about one disease or another, you’d be thinking of how to make your life better or what you were going to do this weekend with your kids or your special someone. You’d be LIVING instead of “not dying”. See where I’m going with all this?
My favorite author on the topic of the Law of Attraction is Michael Losier. One of the things Losier would tell you is to draw a line down the middle of a notepad. On one side, make a list of what about your life you don’t like or don’t want, like “I don’t want to be sick, any more” or even “I must exercise and watch my diet so I won’t get cancer or have a heart attack”. Notice where the focus is on these statements? Right! They’re focused on what you DON’T want. On the other side of the page, restate what you DO want, like “I LOVE being healthy and working toward even better health!” or “I LOVE working out and eating good food. It makes me look great and feel even better!” or even “You know, I’m a better lover because my health is so good!” SEE the difference?
Now when your focus is on good health, you start doing the same things healthy people do. You exercise because you LIKE it. You eat better because it makes you FEEL better. You go to the chiropractor because it helps you BE a better you. You even work on your spiritual life because it enhances your life. In other words, your focus on health and life automatically lead you to do those things that take you closer to that vision.
You can only run so hard and so long FROM something you fear. When you’re running TO something you want, you can pace yourself and run forever even enjoying the scenery along the way.
I can tell you that for me, it has made a world of difference. Between my faith and knowledge of where health REALLY comes from, I can LIVE today and look forward to tomorrow WITHOUT fear of what MIGHT, or might not, happen. When your thoughts are on wholeness, joy and peace within and without, life takes on a whole new meaning.
So, think good thoughts. See BIG things for yourself and those around you. Make your life a canvass on which you paint the biggest and brightest and most beautiful life you possibly can. Remember, EVERYTHING starts with a thought. Think BIG!
A Different Way 