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

 

Patch, Fix, Protect, or Optimize?

April 17, 2018 by

When it comes to health problems, we have 4 ways in which we can approach them. All four have their own benefits and are appropriate at different times. Which we choose for a given situation is not only important in having short term success, it is also paramount to achieving the health we want long term.

Let us take a look at each of Patch, Fix, Protect and Optimize.

     Patching is what we do when we know there is a larger problem, but we need to buy ourselves some time in the short term. Your old springs a leak and you know it will need to be replaced, but you need to finish watering the garden. So, you wrap some duct tape around the hole, so the flowers don’t die today.

The Patch strategy is a great one when we are in crisis and if something is not done immediately, disability and even death may result. If someone were shot with a bullet inside them, yes, the bullet will eventually need to come out. However, in the short term, compressing the wound with a bandage will keep them alive long enough to be properly fixed.

Antibiotics can be a great patch when faced with an infection that may kill you. They buy you the time (save your life) so that you can make changes that will strengthen your health and immune system in the future.

Patches can become a problem when they are used as fixes. Antibiotics used unnecessarily will harm your long-term health. Pain medication used simply to cover up a secondary condition(symptom) actually allow people to continue to damage their bodies without knowing it – leading to more serious problems down the road.

Most people truly only need patches (hopefully) a few times during their lives when in serious crisis. When we need them, they are wonderful. When we over use them, we suffer needlessly.

 

The Fix strategy is one that looks to get to the cause of the problem. It looks to correct the primary condition leading to the secondary effects. If faulty electrical was leading to burned out light bulbs and malfunctioning appliances the patch solution would be to replace them. The Fix solution would be to hire an electrician to correct the wiring.

When we Fix something we typically gain parallel benefits as well. Corrected wiring improves the function of EVERYTHING requiring electricity. Perhaps the electrical bill goes down as efficiency increases. Safety also improves as the chance of a devastating electrical fire decreases.

The Fix approach works the same way with our health. Taking a pain pill may make us feel better for awhile but correcting abnormal spine structure and nervous system function is not only more sustainable but leads to a myriad of health benefits besides.

 

The Protect strategy begins to move beyond being focused on problems or symptoms. Once we have corrected what was abnormal we have a choice to do some regular work to keep it that way. Protect recognizes that maintaining proper function is better than waiting for the next crisis. Once we get the old piano in tune, it is much less work more enjoyable to have it retuned on a regular schedule than to let it get back to it’s previous state and start over again.

A health crisis can be a time, energy and resource draining thing to face. They are certainly not convenient. Some attention to Protection is a great way to stay healthy long term and avoid future problems.

 

Finally, we come to the Optimization strategy. This is where exceptionally healthy people spend most of their energy and attention. Instead of focusing on patching, fixing and preventing problems, they look to optimize and improve their health, function and performance regardless of problems.

They know that the best way to be healthy is to continually improve their adaptability and efficiency. Does it mean they will never have a crisis or problems? Of course not, but they will sure be better equipped to handle them when they occur.

 

Unfortunately, most people spend most of their lives in Patch, and Fix modes when what they truly want are the benefits of Protect and Optimize. Fortunately, changing that only requires a few simple decisions.

At Nexus Chiropractic we are not interested in patching people up. Very few people entering our office truly need patching and if they do, a trip to the ER is probably in order.

We begin seeing most people from a Fix perspective, which is what we do during the Initial Phase of Care (IPC). By addressing abnormalities in the spine and nervous system (Neurospinal Shift) and objectively measuring those changes we know our patients are going back into life healthier.

Once the system is normalized, people may now choose to enter either a Protection or Optimization program. This is where we see people really create long term health strategies that spill over into not only physical benefits, but mental/emotional well-being, greater energy and vitality and an over all greater quality of life.

 

After reading this article, take some time to look at where you are perhaps frustrated with your health, or not getting the results you would like. Maybe a small shift in your approach is all you need to get what you want?

 

Thorin Gault, D.C.

April 17, 2018

 

The 4 Ways of Healthcare – Part 1

February 7, 2017 by

Over the next several articles we will be exploring – in detail – the 4 Ways of Healthcare. Each Way has a different approach to how we treat our health, different outcomes or objectives, and different ways to measure success. Above all else, which Way we focus on will certainly determine how healthy we are – or are not.

We all spend at least some time using several of the Ways of healthcare, yet most of us do so unconsciously – unaware of exactly what we are doing and why. The unfortunate, yet all too common, impact of this lack of understanding and awareness is desiring one health related outcome and acting in a way that cannot produce it. This is not due to a lack of discipline or will power – it is due to an ineffective approach.

It is my experience and belief that the major cause of frustration with our own personal health, as well as the ‘healthcare system’ is this lack of understanding. We spend too much time, effort and resources on approaches that cannot create the result we desire.

The purpose of this series of articles is to help you to define PRECISELY what you want in regards to you and your family’s health and then to CONSCIOUSLY choose a Way to get there. Included in this will be some suggested practices and interventions in each of these ways.

 

Something very important to understand is that each of the  4 Ways are good and appropriate at specific times. Each is effective at producing its own result. I have seen some health ‘gurus’ promote one Way as the only way and I believe this to be folly.

Each has a time, each has a place. The key to great results is to apply the appropriate approach at the appropriate time. The only way to do this is to understand what you want and how to get it.

 

So without further delay, the 4 Ways of Healthcare are:

 

Symptom Treatment – This approach seeks relief from pain, symptoms, or crisis. I prefer the term secondary condition over pain or symptom because it more accurately reflects what is actually going on. Pain and symptoms don’t typically exist on their own – they are secondary to something more primary underlying the problem.

The Symptom Treatment Way of healthcare is considered successful if the immediate secondary condition is relieved – by any means possible. If a person with back pain or headache takes a narcotic and feels better, the treatment is deemed successful and we move on our way.

There are many treatments and practitioners who are very good at Symptom Treatment. This is NOT our focus at Nexus Chiropractic.

An easy to understand analogy is that of a lawn covered in dandelions (I kind of like dandelions but my neighbours do NOT). Using the first Way of healthcare we would simply chop the heads of the flowers off with a lawnmower and call it a day. Quick, easy, effective…..until?

 

The second Way of Healthcare goes a bit deeper than symptom treatment and Addresses the Primary Condition that may have led to the symptom. This is the baseline type of care we provide at Nexus and where most people start with us.

This Way of healthcare may monitor symptoms in the background but does not primarily use symptom relief as a measure of success.

Obviously this second Way of healthcare requires a bit more work than the first and absolutely requires baseline objective indicators (an examination beyond symptoms), a reasonable plan of correction (beyond symptom relief), and an objective follow up to determine whether the primary condition was handled.

To go back to our dandelion analogy, in this Way of healthcare, we have to get down on our hands and knees with a tool and start pulling weeds out by their roots. More work? Yes. More time? Yes. More sustainable and long lasting results? Absolutely.

 

The third Way of healthcare is Prevention/Adaptability. The focus here shifts away from fixing anything to preventing problems in the future. This includes tuning things up before they get turn into pain or disability as well as helping the body to be more adaptable to future stress and trauma.

At Nexus, people using this third Way of healthcare are what we call our protection patients. We have already done the work to normalize the primary condition and now do regular tune ups to keep things in tip top shape.

Going back to the dandelion story. Prevention may include pulling a few weeds from time to time or feeding the lawn special nutrients twice a year to prevent future dandelion overgrowth.

 

The fourth and final Way of healthcare is Optimization. Optimization goes beyond correction and prevention and focuses on making things better and more efficient over time. This Way is extremely rare in healthcare today.

The folks who use this Way of healthcare at Nexus are our optimization practice members – different from patients looking to treat or prevent something bad. These people desire continued improvement in spine and nervous system efficiency and evolving levels of health.

In our lawn analogy, the focus now turns on the health and beauty of not only the grass, but the entire grounds. Planning, time, and effort go into making the yard more functional and brilliant every season.

 

In the upcoming articles we will be digging deeper into each Way of Healthcare, the results they produce, and how you can choose which one is appropriate for you at any given time.

 

 

The Best Year of Your Life – Take a Different Approach

January 9, 2017 by

At Nexus Chiropractic one of the things we are most proud of – and our most fun challenge – is that many of the people we work with have already been to a number of other health care practitioners, without the success they are looking for. In many ways we are a last resort after a series of perceived failures.

It is for this reason that most of the patients we meet at an introductory presentation or one-on-one consultation are excited by the prospect that we have a different focus and therefore do things a bit different from both other chiropractors and other types of health care offices.

Once in a while we encounter someone surprised by our approach and wonder why we don’t run our office and make recommendations the same way their last office did. The simple answer is that we focus on and expect DIFFERENT results…and DIFFERENT results require a DIFFERENT approach.

This is an important concept to consider not only in choosing a chiropractor or health care provider, but in life in general. If you are not happy with your current results in any aspect of your life, you MUST employ a different approach in order to get what you want. More of the same will get you more of the same.

The New Year is a great time to examine this. If your weight is not where you want it, how can you change your approach this year? If your finances are below your expectations, how can you do things differently starting in 2017? How about your relationships? How about your career?

When it comes to most people who seek our care, the approach they have taken to their secondary conditions (pain and symptoms) is to focus solely on treating that. While this can be effective in the short term, it is akin to chopping the heads off of the dandelions on your lawn. If you are prepared for the problem to be back in a few days, this approach is fantastic. If you really want a green lawn that will stay that way you will have a little more work to do.

At Nexus, instead of focusing on pain and other secondary conditions, we want to know what is underlying those problems. This is why we conduct an objective neurospinal evaluation on all of our patients and follow it up with a reevaluation after the Initial Phase of Care.

The value of addressing the primary condition underlying the symptoms goes beyond just achieving a more sustainable result. When there is abnormal function and structure of the spine and nervous system and you get that handled, a variety of other secondary conditions often resolve as a result.

Often when we ask people in our office what they are happiest about with their care, it is an unexpected result that they did not even come to us for.

 

Again, I invite you to employ this concept to your life this New Year. How can you take a different approach that will not only solve the surface problem, but the deeper ones as well.

Do this, and 2017 can truly be the best year of your life!

Also, to help you get the most out of 2017, we have put together a series of complimentary workshops throughout the year. Keep an eye out for the full schedule which will be posted here.

In January, we will be both a Head to Toe, Neurospinal Show, and 12 Stages of Healing presentations. Phone 613-932-8111 to reserve a seat.

 

Clean Your Windshield

April 14, 2015 by

When I sat down and started the car to drive my kids to school this morning I was a little stressed out. There had been a disagreement with one of my sons, we were running late and just as I was about to pull out of the driveway I realized that my windshield was covered in ice.

My initial instinct was to just start driving and hope that I would be able to see well enough until the defroster did its job – after all, I was in a hurry. Of course I did NOT do that. I got out of the car, retrieved the scraper from the trunk and proceeded to clean the windshield.

What would have happened had I not taken the time and due diligence to clean my windshield before departing? Certainly a series of less than desirable outcomes could have occurred. Minor consequences such as getting a ticket from the police or perhaps bumping into something and damaging my car would certainly be possible. Hitting a person or other vehicle and hurting either my children or someone else would have had much more severe consequences for all involved.

Obviously, the smart thing to do and the only REAL choice was to stop and clean the windshield BEFORE leaving my driveway. Convenient? No. Necessary? Yes.

 

I see several parallels between my windshield and your health. Very often the bumps and bruises, aches and pains, diseases and challenges we end up with are secondary to dirty windshields.

Regardless of how careful we are, life throws a lot of mud, and crap – and in Canada, ice in April – at us. Things can get pretty dirty over time and it makes navigating difficult at first, dangerous after a while and then next to impossible if it goes too far.

Trouble happens when we focus on what usually begins as bumps and dents in our car. Like aches and pains these small secondary effects are quick and easy to handle. A little paint or a new signal light will do the trick just like an aspirin, massage or good ‘crack’ will.

What will happen if the windshield stays dirty and then continues to accumulate filth? The bumps get bigger until someone really gets hurt.

 

At Nexus Chiropractic we know that to really get healthy the first thing that needs to happen is that the windshield needs to be cleaned. In fact, most of the people we work with have already spent years treating secondary conditions (symptoms) and know they need a different approach.

Our Initial Phase of Care (IPC) is focused on normalizing a primary condition known as a Neurospinal Shift (cleaning the windshield) that commonly underlies the secondary conditions people suffer from.

As your windshield clears up suddenly there are less bumps, bruises, aches and pains. And…because your body is not made out of steel and plastic it has the opportunity to heal old wounds.

Once the windshield is clean some people choose regular, less frequent care to make sure it stays that way. Others love their clear view so much that they continue more frequently in order to navigate towards the best life possible.

Click HERE to read another article I wrote about addressing the primary cause.

 

If you would like to know more we have an introductory presentation at our office on Tuesday, April 21th at 7pm. We will also be having our Level 2 – Transform workshop on Tuesday, April 28th at 7pm, which I encourage all current patients to attend. Both workshops are at no cost and you can reserve a seat by calling the office.

Chasing Secondary Conditions (Symptoms)….

September 2, 2014 by

     …and Why it May NOT be a Great Idea.

     Whether we like it or not, the focus of our health care system is the treatment of secondary conditions, or what most people refer to as symptoms. This is certainly the case in most chiropractic offices where the goal is typically to alleviate as much pain and discomfort as possible.

For the most part, our system is quite successful at treating secondary conditions. Very often drugs do the job. Traditional chiropractors and therapists are very good at treating pain.

Why is it then, that so many people are frustrated when it comes to their health? Why do we hear so many stories from people who have had their symptoms (both pain and organ dysfunction) re-occur again and again over a period of years or even decades? Why are most people not getting long term, sustainable resolution?

The reason is that while we are spending all of our energy treating what is secondary, we are very often missing the primary issue that is underlying the symptom, and in some cases a variety of other secondary conditions. We have become so good at treating the surface, that the actual cause is never addressed.

I currently have some pain in my wrist stemming from using some weightlifting equipment I wasn’t accustomed to in Toronto. It isn’t too severe but I have to be careful while training and it actually hurts quite a bit doing certain things at work. There are a variety of both pharmaceutical and non-drug measures I could take to relieve that pain. I COULD, but I choose NOT to.

Why? Because I know that treating the pain will not take care of what is behind it and may lead to even more trouble down the road. I could numb it with ice or Tylenol before work but then I wouldn’t feel the pain that is telling be to back off because I am causing damage. By leaving the secondary condition more or less alone, it will allow me to know if the primary injury requires rest to heal, a change in my diet to reduce inflammation or hopefully not, but orthopedic intervention if necessary.

Most people completely understand this concept of primary and secondary conditions in other areas of their lives. They know that they have to address the cause when they have trouble with finances, relationships, children or even their automobiles. When it come to health? Most people just chase the symptoms and pay for it down the road.

Now, I am not suggesting we should never treat symptoms. When our lives are in danger it certainly makes sense and I suggest you find someone very good at it. Most of the time, however we would be much better off by asking “what is primary to this symptom?” Of course, sometimes taking care of underlying causes takes a bit more effort than patching up the surface. It sure is worth it, though. Wouldn’t you rather change the faulty wiring in your house than have to buy all new appliances every 6 months?

 

At Nexus Chiropractic we focus on detecting and addressing a primary condition known as a Neurospinal Shift which is very similar to having faulty wiring in your house. When a Neurospinal Shift is present, a variety of secondary conditions may arise such as pain, poor posture, muscle spasm, and organ issues as all of these functions are mediated by the nervous system.

Our care is designed to address the NS Shift, which when successful it stands to reason that what is secondary often resolves as a result.

DOOM Revisited!

October 16, 2013 by

While I had planned to move on to a different topic, I had an interesting conversation last week that prompted this article. I think that looking at this example of weight-loss may aid in helping many people shift their focus when it comes to their health and therefore avoid being doomed in that area.

I was speaking to a friend (who is extremely fit) at the gym who was telling me about their sister. The sister has been over-weight and unhealthy her whole life and had really struggled with weight-loss. My friend was very happy to report that her sister had begun a group program (which I am not criticizing here) focused on weight loss and had made more progress than she had in a long time. The program included exercise and coaching on diet – both great things for your health.

After acknowledging her success and asking a few more questions, I said to my friend, “The thing is that if a person is solely focused on weight-loss…they are completely doomed (only I used a harsher word than doomed).” My friend’s jaw dropped and I could tell that she thought I was a bit crazy!

Here is the thing. If the sole focus is weight-loss (and I am not saying that it is in this program), what is the best possible outcome for this person? That’s right, to lose the targeted amount of weight. Total success would be reaching the target weight. Most people won’t get there but the ultra-successful and most dedicated likely will.

What now? What happens after all of that weight that had been a cause of suffering in her life is gone? Now she has to focus her efforts in keeping it off! The elephant is still in the room and now she won’t even have the motivation of the pain of being fat to keep her in line. Even though she is now thin, she will still be controlled by the weight that she does not want to put back on. This is suffering and this is a lifetime of doom – unless she can learn to shift her focus.

I completely acknowledge the power and value of starting the journey using weight-loss as a motivator to get you started. However, if this focus does not change quickly, it results in the yo-yo doom we see so many people struggle with.

What if the focus instead shifted to having amazing and sustainable energy and vitality? That focus could certainly include weight-loss, but would provide so much more. How about to age gracefully so I can lift weights with my grandchildren? Do you see how weight-loss creates a prison, where a shift in focus creates freedom?

 

I see the same dilemma in health care. People focus on being pain or symptom free. First of all, some pain is a necessary part of life and being completely pain free for any length of time is impossible so you are failure before you even start!

Also, pain and symptoms are always SECONDARY to something else (like being overweight is secondary to something else) and focusing on what is secondary won’t help you address what is PRIMARY. Fighting pain leads you to a lifetime of fighting pain. It will never end. DOOM.

Instead, why not focus on creating great health, performing and functioning well and expressing life to the fullest. Will you have less pain if you do that? Very likely and when symptoms do inevitably show up, you won’t care so much.

In our office, we focus on Neurospinal Optimization. As the spine and nervous system are optimized a whole host of secondary conditions improve or disappear – often some conditions that the patient did not even tell me about.

I encourage you to implement this way of thinking and living to any and every important part of your life. Parenting, relationships, finances, career, etc. Life is too short to live in our own self imposed prisons and it is a lot more fun to be free.

 

If you would like to learn more about how we help people in a fun and comfortable setting, you are welcome to attend one of our Introductory Presentations on select Monday and Tuesday evenings. Phone the office for details.

While we are on the topic of weight loss, check out this interesting article and pictures comparing the average man’s body in different countries around the world by clicking HERE.

Go Deeper to Get Better…Or Else You are DOOMED – Final

September 8, 2013 by

In the final article of this series we will shift the focus away from being DOOMED to a lifetime of frustrating secondary conditions and worsening health and onto the HOW of going deeper to get better. While many of you found the last article rather negative, I disagree. Once we are AWARE of what is not working, we now have a choice to do something different in order to obtain a better result. What could be more positive than that?

The first key in Going Deeper to Get Better is to begin changing the questions we ask of ourselves and our doctors when faced with a challenge. This definitely takes some practice as our habitual questions are usually so ingrained that we aren’t even aware of them.

Let’s say you wake up one morning with a nasty headache or backache. What questions do you start asking? Most people would say, “What is wrong with my ___? What is wrong with me? How do I get rid of this pain?” Or some combination of those.

Now, what is the best possible outcome from these questions? The best outcome would be some kind of treatment that would successfully get rid of the pain for the time being. Seems great except….we now know that this will eventually lead us to….DOOM.

What are some different questions we could ask that will start the process of going deeper? The possibilities are endless, but some examples are: “What is going on here? Why is this pain showing up now? What could this condition be related to? What have I been doing that may have contributed to this?”

These questions move us away from ‘fixing’ the secondary condition and towards seeing what is behind it. This is the EXACT purpose of pain and symptoms – to get us to pay attention, look deeper and then make a change!

These questions may lead us to make some lifestyle changes that will not only help the pain, but make us healthier and happier. They may help us to discover and then address a primary condition behind the secondary that will have a profound impact on our well-being. Perhaps we will become aware of a pattern of behaviour or thought that has been having a negative impact on our quality of life.

Can you see that a lifetime of asking these questions will lead to better awareness, better choices and better outcomes?

Naturally, this approach can be used in other area of your life. If your child (or spouse!) are screaming, you can turn up the TV volume or dig deeper to see what is going on. If a student is getting bad grades they can cheat on the next test or develop some new strategies. If you can’t make your rent you can try to find the $ you need, or make whatever changes are necessary to be sure to have it next month and the months after that.

 

Make going deeper a new habit. Ask better questions and you will get better answers. I promise that it will change your life.

 

At Nexus Chiropractic we focus on looking deeper and we help our patients to learn how to do so as well. An excellent resource is our complimentary workshop that we present every month at the office. The next one is Sept. 17th at 7pm. Just phone our office to reserve a seat.

Go Deeper to Get Better…or Else You Are Doomed! (Part 1)

July 15, 2013 by

Unlike many of today’s health ‘experts,’ I believe that people truly WANT to be healthy. It is for this reason that ‘health’ products fly off the shelves, many people are members in health clubs, and we are willing – as a society – to pay high taxes in order to fund public ‘health care.’ Eavesdrop on conversations in any coffee shop and it won’t take long to hear people talking about their health.

So, how is it that something we spend a tremendous amount of money, time, energy and worry on be such a source of challenge, pain and suffering for people? Shouldn’t we be a population brimming with energy and vitality?

The truth is that most people are NOT healthy and this lack of health is a major frustration.

I certainly don’t pretend to have all of the answers to this problem, however having observed thousands of people over the years I have noticed a pattern that is central to whether or not a person is successful in creating health in their life. This pattern also seems to be present when a person is successful in other areas of their lives such as their career, personal finances, relationships and hobbies.

The pattern healthy people follow is that when faced with a challenge….They Go Deeper.

     What does this mean? It means that when problems arise (and they always do, btw) healthy people don’t just look to patch up the surface. They recognize that there is likely something underlying the surface problem that needs to be addressed and their primary focus will be on correcting the underlying cause.

How does this look in real life? Let’s say someone is obese – this is now a medical diagnosis in the United States. So the surface problem is that the individual has a Body Mass Index(BMI) that is too high. If the focus is solely on reducing BMI then there are many different ways to address this problem. Liposuction would be one approach that would handle things quickly, as would bariatric surgery(stomach staple). While I don’t wish to judge either of these procedures – they are what they are – you can see where this will lead if they are the only actions taken. Will this person turn out healthier? Is it likely other – perhaps more serious – conditions will be inevitable in the future?

A healthy person on the other hand would look at the diagnosis of obesity and realize that it is likely secondary to something else. They will look for the deeper cause behind the problem. It may be as simple as a poor lifestyle that needs to be corrected. Perhaps there are some hormonal issues that need to be addressed.

What happens when we look deeper to correct our problems? Two things – first we are much more likely to achieve long-term and sustainable results on the surface problem. Second, we actually improve our overall level of health and, improve performance, correct other secondary conditions, and we may even prevent other secondary conditions from showing up in the future. THIS is where true health comes from!

While many health care practitioners primarily look to address secondary conditions like pain and muscle spasm, at Nexus Chiropractic we focus on addressing Neural Resistance, which can underlie a variety of those conditions.

I will continue this series of articles over the following weeks, looking more deeply at how we can apply GOING DEEPER in a way that can provide solutions to you health and life challenges.

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