Teamwork

I just erased a "blog" that was entirely too long. I'll keep this short and sweet. Teamwork, that is the "buzz word" for this Blog. It takes teamwork to get the job done as the Colts have done not only this season but in seasons past. It takes teamwork for our families to get things done around the house, get kids to school, deal with financial obligations etc. It also takes teamwork to be heathy and well.

Individually we have a big job to do for health. Eat and think right, exercise and rest properly. Research is available for us on the internet to at least lead us in the right direction if we are somewhat clouded on a health issue. But for the most part teamwork includes the "professional" who has seen the health issues that we are concerned about hundreds and even thousands of times.

Hopefully, you can include chiropractic as part of that "team". We need the medical doctor, eye doctor, dentist and the many specialists if called upon. Yet none of them (other than myself) consider the spine significant enough to be examined regularly. Granted, if I were a barber I would expect everyone to get a haircut, so I am very biased towards spinal care.

The education for a chiropractor is a minimum of 3 years of undergraduate studies then 4 years at one of the 18 chiropractic colleges. Yet the best education is experience and that is where "teamwork" blossoms. We work together to come up with the best scenario for you path back to or towards health and wellness then we have a plan to maintain health and wellness much like the dentist does.

Don't wait for the pain to show up. Pain is the "last symptom to show and the first to go" and a good rule of thumb is, if the pain has not gone away within a 2 week time frame then it will most suredly not go away. Get regular check-ups! It is much cheaper preventing the problem than fixing it.

I think this Blog is longer than the one I erased?

Do I still need to brush my teeth?

I regularly go to the dentist twice per year. Having my teeth checked and cleaned keeps me away from the other part of my dentist's office where he uses needles and other utensils that make me nervous and want to run for my life. It's great when I leave and my appointment is not for another 6 months which means "look mom no cavities".

The dental profession has done a wonderful job of prevention. Along with the ADA and some great commercials on T.V. most of us rarely have cavities, their education system works! So why am I talking about my teeth and not my back? The answer is, education for spinal hygiene is limited or even none at all.

Our annual physicals rarely include inspection of the spinal area. If we have a complaint significant enough they will do a cursory exam and then prescribe medications of some type. This is not a complaint towards the medical profession. They do a wonderful job looking for things that are life threatening and I am very glad they do.

Yet, as we live longer our mobility is challenged significantly. We end up using walkers, canes and wheelchairs. Most of this could be prevented if we had an education system in place to help prevent these musculoskeletal impairments. So, what's my point?

Regular spinal check-ups along with musculoskeletal examinations should be part of the package for better health. You have your eyes, teeth, heart and blood-pressure checked regularly why not the spine? A spine without pain does not mean all is well, much like a tooth without pain is well (cavities are usually painless).

A spinal examination is inexpensive and far cheaper than some procedures performed on a spine that has not received regular spinal maintenance. I still brush my teeth daily so I won't need procedures that are expensive and usually painful and I do the same for my spine.

I have a cold am I really sick?

Being sick maybe a "good" sign for being healthy. I know that sounds odd but to me for the body to eliminate toxins is a healthy thing. You see having a cold or having the flu is a away for your body to eliminate "bugs" that could actually make you sick. I really don't want my body to keep those bugs even for a short period of time. So when my body goes into the "defense" mode I am very happy even though I don't feel good.

As a matter of fact I do not take medications to stop the symptoms of a cold or flu. The medications suppress the symptoms but the body must deal with the medication. Often times,the cold or flu will seemingly stop when taking the medications but will arise again once the body has eliminated the medications. Remember the medications can always be taken, give your body a chance to heal naturally.

The body is the "healer" within. If I scratch myself and put a band-aid on I know its not the band-aid that heals it's the body! Yet, I must do everything I can to take care of my body that takes care of me. Eat right, exercise, think right and receive regular chiropractic adjustments.
I will go into that on another blog. For now, if you get sick it maybe that you are healthier than you think.