Often, by the time I sit down to do a consultation with someone who is considering becoming a patient in my office, they have already sought out the care of multiple other doctors, therapists and health care providers. In most cases they have had some success, yet have not had the sustainable, long term results they desire.

Typically these patients have had their muscles addressed through some form of therapy, exercise and stretches. Many have had the alignment of their bones addressed with structural adjustments and posture exercises. Many others have also had guidance in regards to their nutrition.

All of these approaches can be excellent and in many cases need to be addressed to provide long term results with any symptom or secondary conditions such as pain and dysfunction.

Most of the people I see in my office have had a very important body system either passed over or completely ignored and that is why I refer to the NERVOUS SYSTEM as the forgotten body system.

Why is the nervous system so important? Essentially the TONE of the nervous system will determine the tone – and therefore function – of the tissues and organs of the body.

The messages travelling along the nerves determine the tension (or lack thereof) of the muscles. Let’s say you have a tight muscle. You can take a warm bath, get a massage or take a muscle relaxant to get some temporary relief. The fact of the matter is that if the nervous system continues to tell the muscle to be tight, nothing will produce a long term change in that  muscle until the nervous system is addressed.

If you had electricity surges causing the light bulbs in your home to burn out you can change all the bulbs you want, but the problem won’t truly be solved until the electrical system is repaired. It is the same with the nervous system.

How does the nervous system impact the structure or posture? Muscles move bones and therefore determine the position of the skeleton. What controls the muscles? NERVES! In our office we objectively measure and monitor our patient’s structure and it is amazing how consistently and how profoundly structure improves when the function of the nervous system is normalized.

At Nexus Chiropractic, we focus on what is called Neurospinal Optimization which aims to correct a primary condition called a Neurospinal Shift. There are added benefits to addressing the underlying shift in the nervous system when looking for relief in the common secondary conditions that people see chiropractors for, such as back and neck pain and headaches. In addition to setting the tone for the muscles and structure, the nervous system also contributes to the function of our internal organs and to the tone of our mental and emotional state.

So, while as chiropractors we do not treat organic diseases or act as psychotherapists, it is not uncommon for people to notice that they digest food better, have better energy levels, and handle mental and emotional stresses more effectively when their Neurospinal Shifts are normalized.

We live in a world where our nervous system is bombarded with stimuli that have the ability to create an unhealthy state with far ranging consequences in many areas of our health. There are many great interventions to address the effects of an abnormal nervous system. Don’t forget to get to the underlying cause and take care of the forgotten system.

From time to time I will be working on someone and as usual, according to my analysis and technique system make contacts on the person’s pelvis, neck, or both and the patient immediately will point to a different area of their spine and say, “No, no doc, it hurts right here.” As if I needed to be reminded or didn’t know what I was doing!

In spite of the fact that we take plenty of time to explain why we do things the way we do them, and offer our patients complimentary workshops to help them get the most out of their care, this response is quite understandable given the traditional approach to health care in general and chiropractic specifically.

Most traditional chiropractors and health care providers focus on reducing the secondary condition, or symptom the patient is experiencing. Commonly these secondary conditions show up as muscle spasm, back pain, headaches, postural distortions, and a myriad of organic conditions. So, if your back hurts at L4, they treat you at that spot. Most doctors do a great job of this.

In our office, instead of focusing on each secondary condition, we focus on correcting a condition called Neural Resistance which often underlies many secondary issues. While pain and muscle spasms are usually specific to a particular spot, Neural Resistance is condition of the entire nervous system and therefore requires a non-local, systemic approach.

Imagine an unprotected and uninsulated water pipe in your home (in Canada). Winter arrives and the water in the pipe freezes and expands, increasing the pressure within the entire pipe. The result or secondary condition will be that the pipe will split in a specific place, causing a leak in your home. Treating the split and leak (a simple, and necessary step) is great, however if this is all you do you would expect the problem to reoccur and the damage to your home to continue.

This is the reason that simply treating secondary health conditions usually leads to relapses and eventually an overall worsening of health. Clearly, in the frozen pipe example the logical course of action would be to first warm the ice to decrease the overall pressure, and then take whatever measures necessary to insulate and protect the pipe so it does not continue to freeze.

Neural Resistance is like a frozen pipe with enough pressure built up that cracks are about to occur. Different people crack in different ways depending on their history and predispositions, just like different pipes will crack in different spots. When the pressure builds, some people will develop back pain, some will develop numbness in their limbs, others will have headaches. Because the nervous system also coordinates our organs a variety autonomic secondary conditions may result as well.

It is for this reason that when we look after the Neural Resistance present in a person’s body that not only the secondary condition they wanted help with improves, conditions they did not even know were related change also. When you look after what is underlying, a ripple effect occurs downstream.

Future articles will more specifically explore the mechanics of Neural Resistance and how it can result in different secondary conditions and symptoms. For now, know that the reason I don’t necessarily contact where it hurts is not that I don’t know or care. The reason is that we are playing a bigger game with the potential for a much bigger and sustainable impact on your health and life.

Last week we reviewed and celebrated all of the incredible accomplishments, events and milestones at Gault Family Chiropractic in 2012. In this article I will give you a peek at what will be new and exciting in 2013.

The first and most exciting announcement I have to make is that effective April 2^9th, Gault Family Chiropractic is changing its name to Nexus Chiropractic! We made this decision for several reasons, including that we are looking to add another doctor to the practice and it would not be fair for them to practice in an office with my name. We are very excited about this change and will be unveiling our new logo, letterhead, cards and signs between now and April.

At GFC our focus is Neurospinal Restructuring Technique with the goal of reducing and correcting Neural Resistance which is essentially like having your nervous system out of tune like a guitar or piano string. When the nervous system is out of tune it can lead to a variety of secondary conditions such as back pain, headaches, poor posture and even a change in mood.

In addition to providing world class clinical care in the office to address that Neural Resistance, I am always on the look-out for ways to complement our care to make it more sustainable for our patients. Early in 2013 we will be adding 2 new programs to provide you with that support.

First, Tyler Touchette, owner and head trainer of Caveman Strong has offered to give movement workshops in the office to small groups each month. Tyler has been studying with some of the world leaders in movement and has put together a ground-breaking program in his gym that produces profound results for all ages. Poor and restricted movement patterns affect almost all aspects of our lives and without proper movement, correction of Neural Resistance is more difficult.

Next, I have recently discovered an excellent posture exercise program that we will be teaching patients to further support their Neural Resistance correction. Stay tuned for both workshops. Registration and dates will be posted shortly.

I am also in the process of revising our Discover Workshop with a more efficient format and updated information. Even if you have attended one in the past, now would be a great time to do a refresher. The next discover workshops are Jan. 14^th and Feb. 5^th.

I am very excited to announce the addition of a brand new advanced program to our twice a year Clear Day schedule. On Friday, January 25^th we will be holding our first ever Breakthrough Evening Program. This will be an intensive evening done in a small group (10-12) and will consist of 2 advanced entrainments with me, integrated SRI and all workshops conducted by me. This is the most advanced program we have ever offered that will not only boost your care, but be applicable to real life transformation. The January event is already full so stay tuned for future evenings.

I will be speaking to 3 outside groups in the New Year. In February I will presenting to personal trainer extraordinaire, Tom Irvine’s fitness class at Saint Lawrence College. Later in the month I will speak as a part of the Encore Senior’s program on the meaning of pain. In March I will be keynote speaker at the Arbor House’s Interesting People series in Vankleek Hill (which means I only have two months to become an interesting person)!

This article is a part of the weekly articles I have been writing for over 8 years and we have decided to change things up a bit. Starting soon I will instead be producing a longer, multi-article monthly update. In addition I will continue to blog shorter posts more frequently. Together the blog and update will provide even better support to your health and care in our office.

Finally, I am excited to announce that in conjunction with the Association for Reorganizational Healing Practices (ARHP), of which our office is a Quantum Member we will be setting up a community project to assist and provide care to those less fortunate and in need. We may require some volunteer help from within the practice so please keep us in mind. I will update you on detail as soon as they are set.

This is what we all have to look forward to and more. Thank you so much for your trust and support which allows Adele, Cindy, and I to continue to search and implement new and better ways to serve you. We love our jobs and plan on 2013 being the best year yet.

Don’t forget that our Best Year of Your Life Workshop is Jan.29^th at 7pm, which is also open to guests. Sign up at the front desk.

On Thursday, Jan. 17^th I will be in Denver attending the advanced technique seminar. Dr. Tony Sandorfi of Ottawa will be entraining in my place. Dr. Tony is an excellent practitioner who entrains at our Clear Days.

This article brings us to the end of our 8 part series on winning the game called your life. Is there any other game more worth winning? Winning your own game will not only provide you with a healthy, vital, rich and fulfilling life, but also allow you to inspire and contribute to everyone around you. Yes, winning the game of your life helps others win theirs.

In previous articles we outlined the 6 keys to winning the game of life. We also identified the 6 traps that most people fall into, robbing them of the ability to win the game. Finally, we learned the solutions to winning the game. These are the secrets that the small minority of the population winning the game of life use to get amazing results in the same 24 hours and environment we all have.

While simple, the fact is that I know it can still seem a bit overwhelming. Where should I start? I already feel so stressed, how could I add even more to my plate? This is where seeking help in the form of a coach, doctor, or professional can be the difference between bitter defeat and massive, sustainable victory. In this article I will provide some guidance for finding the right person or people to help you on your journey.

In seeking a professional to work with, a great start is that they are either a doctor or have a professional certification. This is not to say someone outside of regulated professions cannot provide benefit – it is just a bit harder to know for sure. A doctorate degree indicates a level of commitment and decision making ability that is crucial.

To win the game of life as we have defined it, it is essential to find a professional who is focused on wellness as opposed to fixing problems and symptoms. Restoring you to where you were is no longer good enough so be sure to find someone who can help you reorganize to a new level. It is a great idea to ask a potential coach what their highest vision for the care they are providing you is. For more information on Reorganizational Practices visit www.reorganizational.org.

Next, look for a professional who uses technology that can track your progress by monitoring several body systems. The nervous system impacts all body systems and is therefore important to measure. Posture is perhaps our most important structure and should be monitored over time.

It is valuable to look for a professional who is current and up to date on the latest research and techniques. A high quality website can be an excellent indication of this. I also personally seek out coaches and practitioners who are the best in their specific fields and train closely with the developers of the techniques they practice.

To win the game of life, you need to find a doctor or practitioner who will work WITH you, not just ON you. It must be a collaboration based on your specific goals. They should provide lectures, workshops and educational materials to support you over time.

Because the solutions to winning the game of life are Awareness, Behaviour and Structure, make sure the doctor works with and measures all three. This is essential to achieving sustainable, long term results.

Finally, once a detailed intake and assessment is completed (to determine your goals and establish your current baseline), you should be presented with several options to ensure you are in control. The choices should include both short and long-term options as well as predetermined re-evaluation intervals.

I hope you have found this series of articles beneficial and you are now inspired to take responsibility for winning the game of life. Now more than ever our communities and society need people to step up and start winning. Do it for yourself, but also do it for your family and loved ones.

If you need some help feel free to contact me, or attend any of our free workshops designed to teach you how to win the game of your life.

« Any person who contributes to prosperity must prosper in turn. »
E. Nightingale

I know it has been some time since the last installment of these articles – and I do NOT apologize! I have just returned from my family summer holiday and one of the ways I have learned to more effectively win the game of my life is to fully take regular holidays BEFORE I feel like I need them.

So, this week let us look at the 3^rd and final solution to YOU winning the game of YOUR life – Structures for Success! We know that successful and happy people set up their lives so that the game is winnable, exciting and effortless. Their schedules and rules for living fully support their awareness and behaviours (see the previous 2 articles). These people surround themselves with people who help them to consistently move forward. They also tend to live PROactively instead of REactively.

One of the most important structures we keep is our time schedule (if you don’t control your time it will certainly control you)! People winning the game of life plan their weeks ahead of time. This includes meals, exercise sessions and down time. Perhaps the biggest difference between successful people and the rest is that they know to schedule time for themselves FIRST (are you listening, moms)! This allows them to be much more effective and productive in everything else they do.

Another crucial – and often overlooked – structure is our physical body. We may not be aware of it, but something as simple as our posture tells the rest of the world so much about us before we even speak. Research shows that poor posture reflects a poor level of general health and well-being. It is also associated with less than ideal emotional states that other people sense whether we are trying to fake it or not. As a chiropractor who has seen thousands of people over the past 12 years it is obvious that optimal posture is essential to a healthy body and mind.

It would help anyone wishing to win the game of their life to consult with a doctor or health professional with the technology to measure and monitor posture over time and understands that posture is as much about our inner experience as our external expression.

Another structure essential to winning the game of life is our relationships. I know, some of you are saying oh sh*@! More than anything else in life, relationships define who we are. We also know that the relationship we have with our own bodies will reflect the relationships we have with others. Be sure to structure your life in a way that nurtures your most important relationships. Remember to focus your efforts on creating growth in relationships, not disaster control.

The magic of the solutions of Awareness, Behaviour and Structure is putting them all together. When we do this effectively, winning the game of life truly becomes effortless and fun. I invite you to now go back over the last 3 articles and commit to making at least some of this real. Start small, build the muscles, and then watch your life take off!

Next week we will conclude this series of articles with a guide to finding the right doctors, coaches and facilitators to help you accelerate the winning of the game of life.

« If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. »
W. Churchill