Survial can Never Lead to Thrival

January 29, 2021 by

In the summer of 2107, I was a part of the greatest experience I have ever had in sports. I was an assistant coach and trainer with my eldest son’s lacrosse team at the Ontario championship tournament. We were one of the lowest seeds in the 16 team ‘B’ division, which was a higher calibre than the ‘C’ that we had been used to.

     The team really gelled during that tournament and we advanced through our pool play and the quarterfinals and wound up facing the runaway favourites to win the tournament from Burlington. The only reason Burlington was not playing in the ‘A’ championships was a glitch in the ranking system. They were clearly in a class by themselves.

     While we were clearly outpowered, our boys did what they could very well, our goalie was ridiculously great, and we got some timely scoring from a couple of our talented majors.

     We were well into the third period and we were ahead 4-3. They came at us with everything they had in those final minutes and we just held on for dear life. Trying to score was completely out of our minds, we were just trying to survive in our defensive zone.

     After what seemed like an eternity, the final buzzer sounded, and we had done the unthinkable. Our bench was silent, their bench was silent, the entire crowd was silent in disbelief about what they had just witnessed.

     We went on the win the first ‘B’ championship for a Cornwall lacrosse team in 50 years.

     Going into SURVIVAL mode for a few minutes served us very well in this case. We were clearly overwhelmed and outmatched. Had we tried to match their skill and talent in that third period it would have led to slaughter.

     SURVIVAL mode can be a valuable tool for a short period of time…..when our survival is at stake. As a long-term strategy, it is a nightmare.

     Everybody in that arena knew that had the game gone another few minutes they would have tied it up and likely won shortly thereafter. We were in no position in those last minutes to expand on our lead or even express the talent we did possess. All of our focus and energy went into one thing only – surviving elimination.

     This is a lesson that can be applied to life in general. Hopefully for most of us, we spend extraordinarily little time with our survival actually at stake. We experience this when we have serious physical trauma or a major disease, our job or business is at stake, or perhaps a close relationship is on the brink of collapse.

     The value of SURVIVAL mode is that it buys us some time until we can gather ourselves and take action. Unlike lacrosse games, an arbitrary buzzer doesn’t go off to signal the end of the game in real life. At some point we must figure out the threat in front of us.

     The C-19 situation has clearly created lots of SURVIVAL mode in people. In some it is literally a matter of physical survival. In others it is about financial survival, academic survival, and unfortunately mental and emotional survival.

     The initial response in March for most was to lock everything down – just like our lacrosse defense locked down. Stay home, close your business, stop working. Survival. We were initially told 2 weeks and almost everyone agreed that this was a reasonable trade off.

     Here we are over 10 months later and many in our population are still locked in survival mode. Some by their own choice and others as a result of restrictions placed upon them.

     Regardless as to whether we agree or disagree with what has transpired, it is clear that there have been massive deleterious impacts of this prolonged survival mode. Physical illness, mental illness, loss of education, financial hardships, destroyed relationships and lost opportunities.

     This once in a lifetime situation illustrates what happens when we remain in SURVIVAL mode for extended periods of time. When we are focused in SURVIVE, it is impossible to THRIVE. If we are stuck in SURVIVAL we cannot grow, learn, expand, or create – all the things that make life joyful and full of meaning.

     People just trying not to die, will not do things to create abundant health (have you noticed the C-19 authorities recommending a healthy lifestyle to combat the virus?). A business doing everything it can to keep its’ doors open will not build long term success strategies. A person on the verge of mental/emotional collapse is not focused on building mental health, just not succumbing to a lack of it.

     The key to success in any area of life is to be able to enter survival when appropriate, take the lessons from within it, and then use the pain, fear, and dread to move into thrival.

     When we are able to do this, we can actually use our mortal fear of a virus to create a greater level of health than we had before. We can take the pain of the loss of money or a job or a business to take actions that will make us wealthy. We can develop strategies for increasing our joy and happiness BECAUSE of our mental health crisis.

     The key is adaptability.

     One of my focuses at Nexus throughout the last 10 months has been to help people’s nervous systems to be as adaptable and flexible as possible. To help people to become ‘unstuck’ from the SURVIVAL state of a nervous system locked in fight or flight. To give their physiology a glimpse of rest, relaxation, and ease so that instead of just getting by, they can start to THRIVE.

     Ten months into this thing, ask yourself, ‘where am I THRIVING and where am I just SURVIVING?’

     ‘How can I use this crisis as a catalyst to THRIVAL, both now and in the future?’

Bones and Muscles and Nerves, OH MY!

September 18, 2020 by

One of the most common questions I receive from my chiropractic patients is, ‘What is the CAUSE of my symptom (secondary condition)? Is it a muscle thing? Is it my bones? Are my nerves the problem?’

     This is a fair question, and one that understandably comes with a lot of confusion. By the time we see most people at Nexus Chiropractic, they have already tried multiple other approaches to their problem and been told multiple different things.

     Structural chiropractors and orthopedic surgeons tend to focus on the alignment of the bones and therefore see the bones as the cause. Massage therapists tend to focus on the muscles and therefore communicate that to their clients. Obviously, neurologists and some chiropractors focus on nerves.

     The reason this can seem so confusing is that they are all correct but each focus through their own lens. The reality is that the BONES, MUSCLES and NERVES are all intimately connected and cannot be separated from one another.

    BONES, in addition to providing structure, serve as protection for the spinal cord and NERVES that pass within the spinal canal and between each vertebra (spinal bone). The spinal cord and nerves are extremely fragile structures that are quite sensitive to pressure, and more importantly – stretch.

     If the bony structure of the spine is significantly altered or abnormal, the NERVES can be pinched, pulled, and damaged, leading to altered function in our bodies (including pain).

     The job of the spinal cord and NERVES is to relay information from our bodies to our CNS (central nervous system – including the brain) and from our CNS back to the organs, tissues, and cells of our bodies. We have sensory nerves – which include pain, autonomic nerves that coordinate organ and gland function, and motor nerves that determine the tightness or laxity of our MUSCLES.

     A damaged or compromised NERVE (perhaps caused by a misaligned spine), could potentially lead to MUSCLES that are either too tight (spasm) or too lax (weak).

     Here is where it all ties in. If a MUSCLE that attaches to the BONES of the spine is too tight or too loose, it will cause that BONE to be misaligned which will then compromise the spinal cord and NERVES, which then give a faulty signal to the MUSCLES, which then……….You see the loop that is created.

     At Nexus, we always assess the BONES, MUSCLES and NERVES on every visit. Not only do we look at each one separately, we assess how they are interacting with each other. A spine and body with a high level of INTEGRATION between these systems creates a person who functions at a high level and is extremely adaptable in life.

     Once the assessment is complete, we INTERVENE at the level of the NERVOUS SYSTEM. This is why our intervention is so gentle compared to those who intervene at the level of BONES and MUSCLES.

     As the NERVOUS system returns to normal, the signals to the MUSCLES normalize and as they normalize, they return the bones to their proper position and normal function is restored.

     So, the next time you ask, ‘What is the cause of my problem, doc? Is it the BONES? Is it the MUSCLES? Is it the NERVES?’ The answer is, ‘Yes.’

P.S. Greg, thank you for asking the questions many people have, but do not ask!

P.S.S. Happy 125th Birthday to Chiropractic!

HITTING SINGLES

September 3, 2020 by

     Everybody likes homeruns. They are exciting. They are rare. They are special. They are fun and sexy. Yet, it takes much more than homeruns to win games, let alone championships.

     When it come to health it is no different. People love detoxes, hacks, 30 day challenges, fasts, cleanses, Russian squat programs, special secret supplements….and the list goes on. All of these are homeruns and get people quite excited.

     While there is certainly nothing wrong with homeruns and many of the above health strategies can be beneficial, it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking they are all we need. This is a catastrophic trap to fall into.

     In twenty years of chiropractic practice, I have noticed that the people who most readily jump on board with the health ‘homeruns,’ also tend to be the least healthy people.

     Does this mean you shouldn’t use those strategies? No, they can help to kick start you into your next phase of health. The key is not to see them as an end all and be all. What happens AFTER the homerun is the most important factor in long term health.

     One of my favourite baseball players when I was a kid was Pete Rose (before the gambling allegations). Pete Rose was not the most talented, biggest or fastest player in the league, or even on his team. What Pete was was CONSISTENT – consistent in his approach, preparation, training and play. THAT was what he did better than anyone else.

     Pete Rose – a mediocre talent – ended his major league career with 4,256 hits, an all time record. He also led his team to 3 World Series championships. How did he do this? He hit singles, every day.

     What does ‘hitting singles’ mean? It means doing the little things consistently. Simple things. Boring things. ‘Unsexy’ things. Over and over again. Daily, weekly, monthly. Doing the work.

     I love the thrill of weightlifting competition. I love breaking personal records and winning titles.

     Do you know what I love even more, though? It is the secret to whatever success I have had in the sport. I LOVE hitting singles. I love going into the gym and putting in the work when nobody is watching. I love finishing all of my prescribed sets – especially when I don’t feel like it and the only person that would know if I quit early was me.

     Consistently exercising everyday is going to give you far greater results than any 30 day challenge. Healthy daily eating habits will make you much healthier than any juice cleanse. Daily meditation will do more for you than a weekend retreat with a guru.

     At Nexus Chiropractic, most people start with an initial, more frequent plan of care because frankly, that is what is required to get most people’s spine and nervous system back on track. We see some phenomenal results during this initial plan of care.

     While critically important, I don’t believe it is THE most important. What is most important is what happens afterwards. How are you caring for your spine and nervous system afterwards on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

     It may seem counter intuitive, but the folks who get the greatest value and the most profound results from our care are the people who in the long term continue to show up regularly for their visits and do their prescribed exercises.

     Very simple, kind of boring. Doing the required work. Hitting singles. Reaping the rewards.

New Focus, New Results

March 23, 2020 by

Yesterday, we talked about how when a state of fear becomes locked in, it has a laundry list of negative effects on our body, mind and spirit. We also gave you a couple of quick ways to break that pattern.

Today, let’s go a bit deeper. Because our mindset and emotional state have a massive impact on our health, we have the opportunity during this crisis to actually train ourselves to focus differently.

When our routines are shaken up (in my case pretty significantly) we can choose to curse the circumstance (which I HAVE done) or take the opportunity to notice what it is we have taken for granted and maybe not appreciated as much as we should.

APPRECIATION and GRATITUDE produce a much healthier state in our bodies than FRUSTRATION, ANGER and FEAR. Healthier structures, healthier nervous system, healthier biochemistry.

2 more exercises:

1. Notice what you DO have right now that you are especially grateful for BECAUSE of the current situation. Make a list. I am personally especially grateful to have our dog to play with, my home gym to train in, the last 2 steaks I found in my chest freezer and the extra time I have to practice playing guitar. That is just off the top of my head. Keep adding to your list over the upcoming days.

2. Notice what you currently DON’T have that you appreciate more because you don’t have access to it and you were certainly enjoy more when you have it back. Again, make a list that you can continue to grow.

Believe it or not, I am really going to appreciate SHOPPING when this is over, because right now I don’t have the freedom to do that. I am going to appreciate my gyms more than ever. I certainly will have an even greater appreciation for freedom to do the work that I do and help the people I see in my office everyday.

The key take home here is that while we may not control our current circumstance, we DO have control over our state and our focus. Exercise these muscles now and not only will it improve your health now, you will have built powerful strategies you will take forward in life.

Talk soon!

Holiday Thrival Guide

December 9, 2019 by

As the holiday season approaches, we have noticed two patterns emerge over the last 19 years of chiropractic practice. The first is that we see our highest rate of missed visits and people falling off from care as the perceived stress of the season builds through late November and into December. The second pattern is that we see more ‘emergencies’ with people in crisis during the month of December than at any other time of the year.

     It is not a coincidence that these two phenomenon happen together and it gives us some insight as to why so many people end up spending the holidays overwhelmed, sick, and in pain when it really should be one of the most cherished times of the year.

     So, how do you not only survive, but actually thrive this holiday season? There is a simple formula to help you to make it happen.

     The first step is to acknowledge and accept that there WILL be greater stresses on you. When I talk about stresses, I am referring to not only mental/emotional stress, but also chemical stress (food and drink), and physical stress (shoveling, lack of sleep).

     We know going in that we are going to have some late nights, eat some cookies, drink some bubbly and have to deal with dear aunt Sue’s passive aggressive insults. We know we will have the ‘normal’ time and money stress inherent of the season. Acknowledging this will allow us to create a plan to mitigate this stress. By doing this we can enjoy the fun without losing our health or our minds.

     The common denominator amongst these stresses is that they consume our energy and leave us depleted. If we become too depleted, we move into what is called an ‘energy poor’ state and that is when we get sick, have our back ‘go out,’ develop headaches and experience complete overwhelm.

     The solution to an energy poor state is very simple – add energy to the system! How do we do that? We do things to build up our energy reserves before we reach a crisis. Because we know that we are heading into a season of energy depleting stress, we can actually plan practices in advance that will keep us out of an energy poor state.

     Here are some ideas to build your energy reserves both leading up to and during the holidays.

     Knowing you will be eating some not-so-good for you food – make sure you continue to eat plenty of healthy food too. If you are going to eat those butter tarts, make sure you are loading up on high quality meats and produce as well. During the holidays I really focus on eating a healthy breakfast as a way to build up energy.

     Supplements can also be an advantage at this time of year. Vitamin D, high quality fish oil, magnesium, zinc, and a greens supplement are a great idea.

     Daily exercise is an excellent shield against stress. It is easy to fall out of a routine – especially while traveling – but it doesn’t take much to get massive benefit. Some push-ups, burpees, and air squats can get you what you need in less than 15 minutes. I keep a kettlebell in my car at all times!

Even a brisk walk (bonus points for getting fresh air) can keep you on the right track.

     Meditation or even just some quiet time set aside each day is crucial for dealing with the mental stress and chaos of the season.

     Those familiar with the Neurospinal Optimization care we provide at Nexus Chiropractic know that what we do works by allowing the nervous system (and thus the spine and body) to move from a fight or flight state to a normal relaxed state that is required for healing and restoration. Staying on track with your visits and at the very least doing your SRI exercises is a great weapon to have in your arsenal against the stress of the season.

     The take home message is to make sure you continue to do the things that fill up your fuel reserves so that you can get the absolute most out of what can be a magical time.

     Because we understand this, Nexus will have office hours over the holidays. We will be open on Monday the 23rd and 30th and then will be back to normal starting Thursday, Jan. 2nd.

Happy Holidays!

Better or Worse? How will you enter the Holidays?

November 4, 2019 by

Halloween is over, which means the countdown to the holiday season is officially on.

     The holiday season is full of fun, food, parties, connecting with loved ones and of course – presents! It is also a time of late nights, stress, worry and unfortunately for many people, sickness and burn-out.

     Having observed my patients and practice members go through 19 holiday seasons, I have become aware of some patterns that drastically effect people’s health and well-being during this time of year. The most obvious trend we see is that we look after far more acute crisis patients during the holidays – and no, it is not from shoveling snow.

     I have also observed the behaviours that lead to either a healthy holiday or a crash and burn holiday. Typically, those behaviours start now.

     So, how do you set yourself up for success this holiday season. It really is very simple.

     In the fall, most people are busier than they are during the summer. It is for that reason they ‘fall’ back into a routine. Some people use that routine to include things that add to their health. They structure a healthy diet, schedule 4 workouts a week and meditate on their noon hour. They see a health practitioner like me regularly – not because they are messed up, but to care for and enhance the function of their spine and nervous system. In other words, it is part of their routine to things that ADD to their overall level of health.

     On the other side of the aisle, people use the ‘busy’ness of the fall as an excuse to not do the things that keep them healthy. They eat more fast food as they rush around, skip the gym due to a hectic schedule and generally get lost in the overwhelm of life.

     We have all been there, so we all know how that pattern ends, don’t we? CRISIS. We get sick, develop headaches, throw our back out…or worse. Fortunately, or unfortunately, most people are pretty tough, so the crash typically ends up happening sometime around or during the holidays.

     There is some good news here, though. The first is that you are reading this now and have time to get yourself on the right track if you start right away. Ask yourself what you can schedule into your life that will ADD to your health in a positive way (not the same as treating a problem)? What habits can you tweak so that you will be healthier in 6 weeks than you are today?

     The other half of the good news is that even if you do find yourself in the midst of a crisis (pain, sickness, burn-out), know that the purpose of that crisis is to interrupt the life you have been living to create a change. Knowing this you can use the crisis as a wake-up call to get back on track as opposed to just treating the symptoms (secondary conditions) and going back to what created the problem in the first place.

     Perhaps the most obvious difference between healthy and unhealthy people is that the former focus on building health while the latter focus on treating symptoms. Having worked with thousands of people over the last 20 years there is no question that the people who get the best results with Neurospinal Optimization are those who use it on a regular basis as a way to enhance their health, well-being, and performance.

     Don’t fall victim to the challenging side of the holiday season. Take control and get better, not worse this year. It will be a great gift to both yourself and your loved ones.

Thorin Gault, D.C.

Carrots are Tasty, Sticks Leave Bruises

September 13, 2019 by

Just like you can make a horse move by using both the carrot and the stick, humans are motivated by both pain and pleasure. Which one of those two that acts as your primary motivator will have a dramatic impact on the results you achieve and the quality of your life?

     For the most part, humans respond more readily to the stick than they do to carrots. Most people would do more to prevent money being stolen from them than they would to earn the same sum. What moves you more? Carrots or sticks?

     The reality is that life will always give you both carrots and sticks. Tasty pleasures to pursue and painful sticks that will leave bruises and scars. We can, however set up our lives in a way that provides us with MORE carrots (which are also healthy) and as a result reduce how often we need to be hit by sticks.

     Let’s use health as an example. The predominant approach most people take to their health is that they only respond to sticks. When they have pain, symptoms, or a disease they seek a diagnosis and the appropriate treatment to manage the bruises from the stick. The bigger the stick, typically the more extensive the treatment. If the treatment is successful and the blow from the stick is no longer hurting, they go back to normal and wait for the next stick.

     This is how the vast majority of our health care and health insurance system is set up also. Have a problem, get fixed, repeat. While ‘Prevention’ is a wiser approach and definitely a step up, it is still about avoiding the stick and not about earning carrots (getting healthier).

     The healthiest people I know typically don’t spend much time or energy worrying about sticks. They enjoy carrots and focus their efforts on their tasty goodness. Sure, some sticks show up from time to time and they deal with the bruises, but because they are so healthy, they are few and far between and can deal with them much faster when they must.

     Being hit with sticks is not a fun way to live our lives, and as the hits accumulate, we become battered and bloodied. Eating carrots, on the other hand make us stronger, fitter, happier, more energetic, more fun and to some extent immune to stick attacks!

     Ask yourself what it is that you focus on in life? Do you wait for pain in order to act or do you get after the good things in life? Do you move from one health problem to the next, or do you see your level of health improve each year? How about in your finances? How about in your relationships?

     The care we provide at Nexus Chiropractic – believe it or not – is based on getting you carrots. Yes, most people come in bloodied by sticks and some of that must be corrected. Most of our results though, come from IMPROVING the health of the spine and nervous system and helping them to become more AWARE and ADAPTABLE, so that not only are they more functional – they are more able to navigate around the sticks.

     Eat more carrots – they are healthy and taste so good.

September is Time for Transformation

September 6, 2019 by

Like Ecclesiastes – and the Byrds – said, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”

For many of us (me included), summer is the season for slowing down and taking it easy. We take holidays, we relax more, we drink more beer. I think this is great as we all need some down time and I believe that there is something about the warm weather that is conducive to the restorative effects of rest and relaxation.

I don’t know about you but I notice that when September rolls around I start to naturally move into more of a Transform mode. I start thinking about and focusing on what I want to learn, create, improve upon and accomplish. I research and plan what I will be doing for the next bunch of months.

What we do in September can set the stage for massive transformation and accomplishment in what remains of the year and send us into the holiday season and new year on a high.

At Nexus, we know that a healthy spine and nervous system are not only important for transforming your health, but the other areas of your life as well. We also know that as your spine and nervous system become healthier you often have the energy and desire to make positive changes in your life.

It is for that reason we provide our patients and community members opportunities to learn how to take things to the next level with our Head to Toe Neurospinal Show introductory presentations, as well as our Special Presentation Series throughout the year. These presentations are done as a service to our patients and their guests, so there is no charge to attend. We do have limited seating so please phone the office to reserve places and show up if you do.

The next presentations are:

The Head to Toe Neurospinal Show – September 17, October 8

The 12 Stages of Healing – A Path to Health and Happiness – September 24

Super Immunity – October 22

Hope to see you this fall and enjoy the music!

The Hierarchy of Health – Part 5 and Final

April 1, 2019 by

In this, the final installment of the Hierarchy of Health series, we will be reviewing each of the approaches. Each has their benefits, and each has their costs. In order to be satisfied with our health, it is imperative that we match our goals and values with the approach most likely to meet them.

The first approach is Symptom Treatment. Symptom Treatment is about getting rid of the superficial pain or secondary condition. Success is determined when we feel relief, or at least more comfortable.

The benefit of this approach is that it can buy us some time until we can get to true healing. If we break a bone, we know that the pain killer is not healing us – but provides some comfort while the healing work is done. Symptom treatment is also typically rapid and not time consuming (relief occurs quickly).

The cost of symptom treatment is that it does little to improve – and often impairs – overall health. A comfortable person taking Tylenol is not healthier than they were 20 minutes earlier when they had a headache – in fact one could argue they are now less aware and not as healthy. A lifetime of mere symptom treatment may lead to a significant decrease of health and serious health problems and disease.

 

The next approach in the Hierarchy of Health is Addressing the Cause. This goes deeper than symptom treatment. This approach understands that in the majority of cases, symptoms are secondary conditions with an underlying, primary cause and that just treating the secondary effects will do nothing to solve the real problem.

At Nexus Chiropractic, our Initial Phase of Care (IPC) is designed to address the primary problem of a spine and nervous system locked in an abnormal state.

Does this take longer to correct than just treating a symptom? Of course. The benefit is that the outcome is typically much more sustainable and even better, when you correct the underlying pattern, very often there are other ‘side effect’ benefits as well.

 

The third approach in the Hierarchy of Health is Protection. Protection is the first approach that is proactive, as opposed to reactive. Instead of waiting for problems to arise, you take steps on a regular basis to ensure you stay in good shape, much like most reasonable people have the oil changed in their car whether their engine light comes on or not.

While Protection does require regular care, it can go a long way towards preventing major crises that are very inconvenient and very expensive to address in terms of time, energy, lost opportunity, and money.

 

Our final approach that sits highest in the Hierarchy of Health is Optimization. This approach doesn’t react to problems, or even try to prevent them. The focus of Optimization is continued improvement.

A person utilizing this approach uses their experience to look for new and refined ways to be better tomorrow than they were today. These individuals are maestros of their health and lives.

The more advanced care we provide at Nexus is designed to deliver optimization by helping the nervous system to become ever more adaptable and highly organized.

 

Where do you spend most of your time on the hierarchy of health? Be honest.

Are you happy with the results you are getting with your currently approach? If yes, keep doing what you are doing.

Do you want more out of your health? Where will you be in 5, 10, 20 years if you keep going the same way? Start by moving up one rung on the Hierarchy of Health, commit to it, and observe what happens.

There is perhaps nothing more rewarding in my work than watching someone choose a higher path for their health and life. It is never too late to make that choice.

 

Thorin Gault, D.C.

April 1, 2019

 

The Hierarchy of Health – Part 2

September 17, 2018 by

In the last article we identified a hierarchy of approaches to health. Success leaves clues and if you observe the healthiest people in the world, you see that they approach ‘health care’ much differently from those who struggle.

We also looked at the first rung on the hierarchy ladder – Symptom Treatment. The value of symptom treatment is that it can buy us some time to get through a crisis so that we can heal and regain our health at a later, safer time. The challenges with symptom treatment are that it does not consider the underlying cause of the problem and very often actually harms our long-term health.

Moving beyond symptom treatment, we come to the next level on the Hierarchy of Health. That approach is Addressing the Cause. An individual with this approach to health may experience the same back pain or headache as someone who just pops a pain killer but will take significantly different actions.

A person who addresses the cause understands that a headache isn’t caused by an Advil deficiency. That a muscle doesn’t just ‘spasm’ for no reason. That high blood pressure is a sign of something deeper going on.

While addressing the cause seems like a great idea to virtually everyone, it is not employed by nearly as many people as you would think. The reason for this is that it takes more work than just treating a symptom. It requires you ask different questions and it typically requires more action over a longer period of time. It is more work to pull out the dandelions by their roots than just chopping off their heads with the lawn mower.

Our office sees many people who first come to us with back pain, neck pain, and headaches. Most of them have spent a significant amount of time merely treating symptoms. After examining their spine and nervous system we often see significant structural distortions and a hyper vigilant nervous system leading to muscle spasms and/or weakness, organic issues, and even shifts in mental/emotional well-being.

Does addressing the abnormalities in the spine and nervous system take more time and effort than treating the individual symptoms? You bet. Is it worth it? I think so.

The added bonus to addressing the underlying cause is that people will usually notice that other, more subtle problems that they may not have even been concerned with start to improve also.  In our office, while most people first come to us with some sort of pain concern they quickly report more energy, better sleep, better athletic performance, faster healing, enhanced digestion, better mood and other conditions resolving. Why? A healthier nervous system leads to a better functioning body.

Unlike symptom treatment, when we address the underlying cause our overall health improves at the same time.

 

So, if you are not getting the results you desire when it comes to your health, perhaps there are some areas where you can look at addressing the cause, as opposed to – or in addition to – just treating symptoms? How might your health be different if in the past, when faced with a challenge you had taken care of the cause right then and there?

How much better would your lawn look today, had you pulled the dandelions by there roots 5 years ago?

 

In the next article we will take the next step in the hierarchy of health and look at Prevention.

 

Thorin Gault, D.C.

 

 

 

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