In the last article, we looked at the first Proactive approach in the hierarchy of health – Protection. Instead of reacting to problems as they arise, in protection we proactively take steps to prevent problems in the future. The benefit to this approach is that we have fewer costly and inconvenient health crises AND generally our overall health (and perhaps other problems) will improve at the same time.

The limitations of protection are that it is impossible to prevent any and all potential problems from arising (if you want to make God laugh, tell him/her your plans!) and protection does nothing to take you to the next level of health and well-being (it just keeps you where you are).

This leads us to the final rung on the hierarchy of health – Optimization. Optimization is where the healthiest and most vital people spend the majority of their time, focus and energy.

In Optimization, the focus is not on fixing problems (reactive), or even on preventing future problems (protection). The focus of optimization is on increasing our level of health and becoming more resourceful over time. Instead of focusing on what we DON’T want (problems), we shift towards seeking what we DO want (health, energy, vitality, resilience, performance, etc.).

Why does the approach of Optimization produce the healthiest people on the planet? It does so because it is the only approach that has actual health as the outcome!

If you take a pill and your headache goes away, it does not mean you are healthier – in fact you are probably now a bit less healthy. If you correct a structural abnormality and your back pain goes away you are probably somewhat healthier, but for how long? Regular self care to prevent a relapse of pain or disease likely improves overall health levels, but if you are only focused on whether the problem comes back or not, how do you know?

Optimization has the goal of moving forward and getting better. A maestro doesn’t ask ‘how little do I have to practice in order to stay as good as I already am?’ A maestro asks, ‘how can I refine things so that I am a little better today than I was yesterday?’ I have a friend who is a retired concert musician and he told me that even as his physical skills have diminished with age, his discernment and enjoyment of the same music continues to improve.

People who approach health from the perspective of Optimization are maestros of their health. Success is based on vitality, high energy levels, clear headedness, mental and emotional fulfillment, physical and mental performance, the ability to learn and carry out new things, and having the energy and ability to contribute to others.

It is not that these individuals never have health problems that need to be treated in a reactive way (although they tend to happen much less in these folks). What you do see is that they learn from these crises and often come out the other side better. Optimizers also tend to miraculously get better as they age.

Many of you know that I receive the care I deliver at Nexus Chiropractic on a regular basis from my personal chiropractors in Gatineau. Even though my back hurts sometimes, I don’t go there to get my back pain fixed. I also don’t go there to prevent any future problems. I take the time out of my crazy schedule to make the 5-hour return trip because I literally see each entrainment as an opportunity to improve the efficiency of my nervous system and thereby increasing my level of health. That is what our Optimization programs at Nexus are designed to produce.

The next article will be the final installment in this series. We will summarize the Hierarchy of Health and give you some practical ways to evaluate what outcomes you desire for your health and determine what changes you can make to get there.

     I recently had a conversation with a white-haired weekend warrior who years ago had benefited from the care I provide. He was complaining of sore and stiff muscles around his shoulder blade that just weren’t going away this time. He asked if I thought I could help. I told him that we see conditions like his improve every single day because they are often SECONDARY to what is called a Neural Shift, which is what we focus on correcting in our office.

While this man trusts me, he seemed skeptical that Neurospinal Optimization(NSO) could help him. Why? Because he knows how gentle NSO care is and felt like he needed something more invasive or ‘harder’ to fix the problem.

This is a common belief amongst non-elite athletes and a misconception that not only gets in the way of them getting the care that can get them back on the field (or rink, court, golf-course) but creates a missed opportunity to perhaps increase their performance and health to a new level.

A few days after I spoke to this man, I was on the phone with a chiropractor colleague whose approach to care is very similar to mine. He mentioned that he had been providing care to a high-end athletic trainer who works with many professional athletes who fly significant distances to work with him. The trainer was so excited about what my colleague was doing  that he asked him to work with his athletes as part of his services. These athletes, who have access to the best-of-the-best doctors and therapists absolutely loved the work, understood the value, and knew they had found a unique edge.

Why did the athletes love NSO so much? Because it delivers so much more than temporary relief of pain, muscle spasm and other secondary conditions. In fact, some of the athletes refer to their care as their “steroids” due to the fact that it allows them to do things they could not otherwise accomplish (drug-free by the way).

So, how does Neurospinal Optimization, by focusing on the detection and correction of a Neural Shift affect athletic performance? Here are the top 5 ways:

     1. Increased Body Awareness. Somatic, or body awareness is essential to any athlete. A keen sense of where body parts are in space, how they are moving, and the ability to adapt in an instant is what makes great athletes great. A Neural Shift caused by trauma and stress decrease our awareness by design. Freeing the body of a Neural Shift can produce a powerful improvement in body awareness very quickly. I have had multiple weightlifting patients consistently make record lifts shortly after starting NSO care.

     2. Increased Flexibility and Range of Movement. A Neural Shift is like having too much current running through the wires of your home. Those wires (nerves) connect to every part of your body, including the muscles. Neural Shifts produce tight, inflexible muscles and restrict the range of motion necessary for high performers. When the Neural Shift is addressed with NSO care the athlete becomes more flexible not only through the large muscles, but actually is able to increase their range of motion in the small muscles that precisely move each joint. This range and precision could be the difference between victory and defeat.

3. Increase Efficiency of Movement. The best athletes are the most efficient athletes. A study featured on the cover of the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, compared functional MRIs of subjects performing a simple movement before and after care. The result was that after care the parts of the brain involved became much more specific and precise, indicating much greater efficiency.

This study also indicated that the brain was more efficient post entrainment, which has phenomenal implications for both sports and other areas of life.

4. Injury Prevention. Nothing can impede athletic progress more than injuries. Obviously, if you are more aware of your body, more flexible, have a greater ROM and more efficient with your movements a great number of potential injuries will be prevented.

5. Faster Healing and Recovery.  A Neural Shift indicates the body is locked in a fight or flight, or defensive state. In this state all of our resources are directed towards survival – even if we aren’t in danger. This means fewer resources are available for healing, repair, recovery and growth. NSO allows the body to move from survival to ease and healing. I have personally recovered from injuries in literally a tenth of the time predicted by orthopaedic surgeons. A few years ago I tore my hamstring playing baseball. The surgeon prescribed intensive physiotherapy and no running for 10 weeks. With no treatment I was running full speed in 5 days!

There are many ways to have aches, pains, injuries and muscle spasms temporarily relieved. Top athletes know that this is nowhere near enough to ensure top performance in their disciplines. Neurospinal Optimization provides an opportunity to not only get past challenges, but take you to the next level.