Why do we carry on about spinal alignment so much?

Posture or spinal alignment is more than the result of habits or lifestyle. Spinal alignment is neurological in origin. One of the signs your nervous system is not doing its job well is a loss of correct body alignment. This is long before any symptoms appear.

We have a number of built in safety measures which work in a similar fashion to how you pull your hand away when you touch a hot object. If this protective system breaks down, we start to see injuries during trivial movements (that people make every day). To that extent all injuries are neurological in origin. Remember the nervous system is responsible for all parts and systems of the body so a deteriorating nervous system is going to deteriorate your health and wellbeing. Therefore as a chiropractor we look at movement and alignment as an indicator of neurological health.

When we see an improvement in movement and alignment what we are really seeing are the results of changes in the system that controls these things...your nervous system. Adjustments, traction and stretching are just some of the tools we use to affect your nervous system. Of course there are affects on the joints, muscles and surrounding tissues, but these changes are more representative of what is going on at a neurological level as your nervous system starts to regain control of your body and restore health.

So when someone comments their vision/hearing/digestion/clarity of though/menstrual cycle/ (insert your complaint here) has improved since they started chiropractic, you now know why.

Spread the good word

I love hearing the testimonies of those who have benefited under chiropractic care. It is a constant reminder why I chose to become a chiropractor and the amazing capacity the body has to heal and restore health. If you have had a great experience or have a story to tell, please share it. Your story may be just what we need in the office to brighten our day, or it may inspire someone around you to take charge of their health.

We see a number of husbands and wives as well as parents and their children who all get adjusted, but there are many who are married or in a relationship, and others that have children yet come in by themselves. I am proud to say my parents and sister, and many of my friends are all getting adjusted regularly and have been for years. They know how chiropractic has improved their lives and it is a regular part of their lifestyle. My parents can’t even claim to get free adjustments from me!

I have heard it said that one adjustment in a child is worth ten in an adult. It may well be an understatement. It could also be said that one maintenance adjustment is worth 4 adjustments when you are in poor health. Please don’t wait for problems to appear before you do something about your health!

Give the gift of health to someone you love this Christmas (it may well be yourself). Get those who are important to you under chiropractic care. If they are with you in Spain we’d love to see them. If they are in England, Belgium or Sweden...where ever they are; find a good chiropractor for them and live a lifestyle of wellness or maintenance visits. If you need assistance finding a good chiropractor we’d love to help.

Bleak economic outlook, travel plans ruined, relationship problems?  Looking for that perfect Christmas gift?

Everyone recognizes that stress plays a major role in nearly every disease. Even the conservative American government´s public health agency Center for Disease Control states that 85% of all diseases have an emotional element. Watching The Apprentice series, the team that succeeds often showed unity under pressure, and avoided a blame culture, as one contestant was labelled recently and pressed on seeing the bigger objective.

How we handle problems says more about us than the problem we are in. Anthony Robbins has said something like our problems will never disappear, but we can hope for better quality problems. I hope that makes sense to you. But what does all this have to do with the perfect Christmas gift this year?

For me I would have to say the perfect gift this year is gratitude (apart from getting your loved ones under chiropractic care). There are problems or rumours of problems wherever we look but we have a lot to be thankful. This is often forgotten with our tunnel vision, inward focus and small mindedness. My time in Indonesia constantly reminded me just how blessed my life has been despite countless hardships. How different would it have been if I was born outside of the western world or in poverty? To be deformed physically or mentally? To have no access to education? To have different coloured skin? To be born 200, 500 or 1000 years ago? Below are some words about gratitude by William Young.

Gratefulness connects us to the heart, for it is here that all relationships in longing, love, sympathy, and compassion resolve in a point of unity. We still maintain the distinctions between 'you' and 'me', 'I' and 'world', but not the walls of separateness that keep us isolated and disconnected. Our disharmonies, brought back to the magnetic pole of the heart, realign with life’s rich wholeness, which is what authentic healing is all about.

Here then, we discover gratitude's healing power, seeing opportunity for growth in the midst of troubles, embracing the wisdom of beginnings and endings, and tolerating limitations while striving for better ways. In these and a thousand other ways we see the unity of life articulating its sanctity in myriad dynamics of relationship. We begin to breathe with the universe.

Give the gift of gratitude to yourself and those around you this Christmas. We look forward to seeing you after the Christmas break.