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

Part 4 – Holistic vs. Isolated

In the last two articles, we looked at principles lived by the minority of our society that are truly healthy. The first was that they focus on building health as opposed to fighting symptoms and disease. The second was that they seek to enhance awareness instead of sedating.

This article delves into the third principle of healthy people, which is that they see things in a holistic way as opposed to an isolated way.

Holistic is defined as, ‘characterized by comprehension of the parts of something as intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole.’

What this means from the perspective of health, is that something happening in one part of our bodies is impacting, and being impacted by other parts of our bodies, and even lives.

I learned this very early in my chiropractic practice, almost 18 years ago. At the time I was practicing a very mechanical technique that understood that the spine was an integrated whole. So, I took full spine x-rays on almost all my patients. What I noticed was that very often, when someone would come in with low back trouble, their low back would look good on the x-ray, but their neck was messed up. The opposite was also true.

What this means is that where we have a problem (secondary condition or symptom) is not necessarily where the problem is. This also means that it is important to assess and address the entire system HOLISTICALLY in order to create a solution.

If you have light bulbs burning out too quickly in your house and appliances shorting out, you could go around replacing the parts, OR you could have an electrician go down to the electrical box and address what is more likely to be the main problem.

Unfortunately, many common health care approaches spend too much time replacing light bulbs and not enough time seeing the big picture. In this case changing light bulbs just delays the inevitable.

A holistic approach to health also involves a lot more than just the physical/mechanical. Healthy people look to their lifestyle and observe how it affects their physical health and perhaps plays a role in their symptoms and diseases.

In my chiropractic practice, it is my observation that as people become healthier, they can see the connection between their symptoms and their diet, emotional state, mental state and even how they are doing spiritually. With this awareness comes the ability to change much more effortlessly.

Research shows us that one of the most accurate predictors of back pain is how satisfied people are in their jobs, financial situation, and relationships. There is a neurological explanation for this beyond the scope of this article but when was the last time you considered how what you were feeling inside may be impacting your physical health?

Healthy people understand this and look to all aspects of their lives when faced with a health problem. When someone with back pain not only addresses what is happening with their spine and nervous system but also assesses what they are eating, how they are moving, their emotional state, their interactions with others, and even assess if they are on the correct path in life, not only does it drastically improve their chances of recovery, it also improves the overall quality of their lives. Isn’t that what we truly want, anyway?

The care at Nexus is set up and delivered in a holistic way. We assess the entire spine and nervous system because we know that a symptom in one part of the body is usually not solely caused by that spot, but by stress on the entire system. We teach our patients specific exercises that increases their somatic – or body – awareness. We give presentations that teach patients how to care for their spine and nervous system at home.

While I am no psychotherapist, I often point out how what is showing up in a person’s spine may be connected to what is happening mentally and emotionally in their lives. The state of the spine and nervous system also leave clues about how a person can best go about making the necessary changes in their lives.

So, where in your health and life have you been too caught up in the isolated parts? Where have you been running around the house changing light bulbs, when the electrical system really needed to be updated?

Now, how can you assess and address this in a more holistic manner?

Keep it up! See you next article.

Thorin Gault, D.C.

Ideas can be powerful things. Ideas often lead to actions that can either transform our lives in the most profound way, or if chosen poor can destroy what we most cherish. The key is to be consciously aware of what ideas are influencing our behaviours and decide if they are serving or harming us.

It is an interesting time in healthcare. I know a small group of people whose health is thriving in every possible way. They seem to get healthier every year in spite of their age. They receive great joy from feeling great and being productive. They are loving life!

Unfortunately, this is not the reality for most people. Most people have the experience of a sinking ship – their level of health and life enjoyment is declining and it is just a matter of slowing that decline as much as possible. Beneath this resignation of declining health is also frustration. Many of these people have done what they were told by the experts and this is what they are left with?

There are many, well documented lifestyle reasons for people’s failing health. Behind many of these behaviours is what I believe to be the most dangerous idea in health care. That idea is, “If I successfully treat my pain/symptoms/diseases I will be healthy.” That is it – one little idea.

What are the consequences of this idea that has become a belief for many? First, we have a multi-billion dollar ‘healthcare’ system that focuses almost solely on pain and disease treatment. Am I suggesting we stop treating pain and disease? Of course not, however it is important to understand that it will not make us healthy.

People have private ‘health insurance,’ that is based almost entirely on crisis intervention. A great example is chiropractic care. Most workplace insurance covers perhaps enough for some short-term crisis care. Regular visits to enhance over-all health? Sorry, out of luck. In my opinion this is not what insurance is for anyway. Your home insurance doesn’t pay for you to hire an interior designer, make your house more energy efficient or maintain a beautiful garden! Insurance is for crisis, not health.

Finally, the idea that treatment will make us healthy can have a detrimental impact on the choices we make. Unfortunately, humans respond more readily to the stick, not the carrot. We are much more motivated by pain than pleasure. If I believe that treatments will make me healthy, I am much less motivated to eat well, buy organic food and high quality supplements, purchase a gym membership or god forbid pay out of pocket for services such as regular chiropractic care that enhance health.

Do you see how a simple little idea can have such a profound impact? Treating life threatening and crippling diseases is a necessary thing at times. We are pretty good at it and should continue to strive to get better. It was natural for this to be the focus of health care when people only lived a few decades, hygiene was suspect, and many people died of acute infections. Today, it is no longer enough.

People want more than just survival. They want to live to be old and grey with vitality, enjoyment and still be able to contribute in the way they were destined. If the time comes when you need treatment, it will be there. In the meantime, focus your time and energy on enhancing your health. It is possible to have it all.

Our upcoming Fireside Chat with Dr. Gault, on Dec. 3^rd is already full. We are compiling a wait list in case of cancellations and may add another evening if there is interest. See Adele or Cindy to be placed on the list.

I would like to preface this article by emphatically stating that I am in NO way commenting on the quality of the other chiropractors in my community. In fact, I think Cornwall is lucky to have a nice complement of chiropractors who do good work. I frequently refer potential patients and practice members to other chiropractors if their goals do not match the objectives of my office. Okay, on with the story.

This past Friday I hurt my neck during an Olympic weightlifting training session. No big deal, but it left me with a stiff neck that I could not turn very well and moving a bit like the Frankenstein monster. I was running some errands yesterday and ran into an acquaintance who commented that I looked kind of stiff for a chiropractor and we joked that it would be difficult for me to adjust myself.

I realized in that moment that I had not even considered phoning another chiropractor in town to get care. It had not even crossed my mind. The reason that I am writing this article is that I think most people would find it very strange that a chiropractor wasn’t seeking chiropractic care for himself after injuring his spine. I will tell you why.

First of all, I do not use chiropractic care as a reactive tool. My sore, stiff neck does not mean that my body isn’t healing. I had 265 pounds of weight crash a little too hard onto the front of my shoulders – some pain is understandable. In fact, the pain and stiffness restricting my range of motion are probably exactly what my neck needs to heal quickly and fully. Why would I want to get rid of that?

Why am I so confident that my body is healing well, even while I am in pain? In addition to taking good care of my health, I see my chiropractor in Gatineau for 2 entrainments every week. I have been doing this for 11 years. Because of this, I heal better than last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.

So why do I take every Wednesday afternoon off from the office, get in my car, fill up with gas, sit in Ottawa (the most inefficient drivers in the world!) traffic, pay big city chiropractic prices and wait in a busy reception room? All of this when I could probably drop in to an office down the street, be out in 10 minutes and have it all done for free. As I mentioned earlier, it is not because the doctors in town aren’t good – they are.

The reason that I go to all of the hassle and expense for my care is that what I want from my care is NOT to react to health challenges. What I want is to develop ever evolving strategies to live a healthy, happy, adaptable, and a forever increasing quality of life. I want reorganization, NOT restoration. Network care is the only health care system I am aware of that has this as a direct objective. If I ever find anything better at creating this result I promise I will learn it and provide it.

As a side effect of this care, I do have fewer occurrences of pain and disease, and heal much faster when they do arise. Bonus!

It is my belief that most people hunger to reorganize, step up, and evolve yet settle for comfort because they don’t think the former is possible for them. People want a life that becomes richer, fuller, healthier and more vibrant with each passing year yet don’t take the steps to achieve it. You can.

In any endeavour in life, be sure your actions, effort and the people you work with support your highest vision for what is possible.

“People don’t know that pain can lead to something GREAT. If they did they would not try to kill it.”                     Donny Epstein

In the last article, we looked at the first 4 Keys to Winning the Game of Life, and the reality behind each. This week, we will delve into the final 2 Keys and discuss the most common traps people fall into regarding their lives.

Key #5 – Raising Great and Thriving Kids. I’m sure some of you are saying, “but I don’t have kids?” This is important whether we have children and grandchildren or not. Having healthy and happy kids is one of the best indicators as to how we are doing as a society. Sick kids – sick society.

Like the reality of our previous Keys, time is a major factor in our children’s development. 70% of working parents report that they do not have enough time with their kids. As work demand increases, it is often the kids who lose out the most and unfortunately, the adults don’t always notice until something goes wrong.

The result? 3.2 million teens in Canada are at risk of developing depression and Canada’s youth suicide rate is 3^rd highest in the industrialized world! Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in 15-24 year old Canadians. This is just sad.

Perhaps even more troubling, our kids are being affected by OUR stress before they are even born. Children whose pregnant mothers experienced a stressful event are 71% more likely to be hospitalized with a severe infectious disease. If the event was experienced 11 months PRIOR to conception, they still had a 42% increase in risk.

We also know that our high divorce rates affect our kids. Children of divorced families are more than twice as likely to suffer serious social, psychological, emotional or academic problem.

Key #6 – Contributing to Others. Research has shown that in order to be truly happy and fulfilled, we must feel that we are contributing to something bigger than ourselves. Winning the Game of Life certainly requires it.

Social activity that includes giving and helping others is a powerful tool in creating happiness. Is most of your energy used to only look after yourself and your needs, or nurturing others as well?

The scope of your contribution is unimportant – for some caring for one other person is enough. Others are driven by a more global vision.

The Traps!!! Most people are aware that the keys are important to them winning the game of life. Most are also aware of the areas that they have been lacking in regarding these keys. So, why don’t we change? There are common traps or stories that we learn to tell ourselves that keep us from ever stepping up into our best lives.

These traps all have a common thread and that is the fact that we think because our problems and shortcomings are so common that they must be normal. Nothing could be further from the truth! Average is not normal! You do not want to be average because average sucks – just look around!

Are you falling into one of the 6 common traps that are causing you to lose the game of life?

1. “I’m healthy for my age.”

2. “No one has any time for leisure these days.”

3. “It’s normal to feel tired and unmotivated.”

4. “Everyone fights with their families sometimes.”

5. “All kids get sick – school is just a petri dish of germs.”

6. “I don’t have time to worry about others.”

Do any of these sound familiar to you? If so, that is great because it means a change can be right around the corner. Next article we continue on our journey to Winning the Game of Life

Most people think that they go to see chiropractors (and many other health professionals) because of pain. In my experience this almost NEVER the case. After asking a couple of simple questions it becomes obvious that it is not the pain ITSELF that is the concern, but how that pain or symptom is – or may in the future – impact their lives.

Unfortunately, because people think that the pain is the actual problem, they will often undergo treatments that may be successful in relieving their symptoms, yet actually negatively impact their quality of life in the short or long-term.

This is evidenced by the high rates of death and injury caused by “healthcare” interventions that are overtaking the rates of almost all diseases! Beyond death and injury, this approach has left many individuals and families frustrated that their health has actually become their greatest obstacle to a fulfilling and joyous life.

So, the question I have for you is, “Are you winning the game of life?” This series of articles will help you to answer this question, learn to keys to winning the game, and give you some tools to make it happen.

There have been 6 Keys the winning the game of life identified. These keys are:

1. Living Old and Vibrantly Healthy

2. Being Able to Do What We Enjoy

3. Feeling Energized and Passionate

4. Nurturing Fulfilling Relationships

5. Raising Great, Thriving Kids

6. Live a Life Contributing To Others

Don’t all of those things sound great? Over the next several articles we will help you to make all 6 keys a reality. While very few people truly achieve a great life, some have and by observing and learning how they did it allows us the opportunity to do the same.

Key #1 – Living Old and Vibrantly Healthy. The great news is that we are living older. From 1960 to 2005 the Canadian life expectancy increased from 71 to 80 years. That was good enough to rank us 11^th out of over 220 countries. The problem is that while we live longer, we do not live better. Our healthy years end before we turn 70! That means a person retiring at 65 can expect less than 5 years of healthy retirement. We all know that as health declines, so does our quality of life.

Consistent with this, we know that our elder’s health is on the decline. The average senior takes 2.9 prescription drugs each day and more than 20% take more than 5 daily. People over 75 take an average of 7.9 drugs per day!

In spite of all these drugs (or perhaps due to) chronic pain affects over 25% of Canadian seniors living at home. Half state the pain interferes with MOST of their activities. In institutions it is even worse: 40% have chronic pain with 64% stating it interferes with activities.

If you still have some years before becoming a senior and wonder how this has anything to do with you, the top 6 diagnoses in Canada mostly affect those UNDER 65. Hypertension, diabetes, depression, anxiety, respiratory trouble and high cholesterol are all seen mostly in non-seniors. As you probably know, these problems start before we get old and simply worsen with age.

While it sounds nice that we are living longer as a country, the reality is that our health and quality of life is declining.  This is clearly not winning the game of life.

The next article will continue with the keys to winning which will set the stage for the solutions to creating an outstanding life!

It’s All About Mickey Mouse

I just returned from a week-long family holiday at Disney World in Florida. Surprisingly, I returned refreshed, relaxed, and recharged heading into the Christmas craziness. Being away from work and in a different setting always helps me to think and see things a bit differently. So, this article is essentially my “What I learned on my Disney vacation assignment.”

Health Obsessed

The first thing I noticed reading the newspapers, watching the news, and eavesdropping on conversations is that Americans are even more obsessed about their health than Canadians are. This is interesting because we also know that overall Americans are a bit LESS healthy than we are. It was obvious to me that people’s waist lines were significantly larger (kids included) and the quality and quantity of food consumed poorer than what I am used to observing here.

What does it mean that we have 2 extremely health obsessed countries, yet poor levels of health? My only answer is that while we do all of this obsessing and debating and arguing over health care, most people aren’t actually doing anything about it!

BE – DO – HAVE

It is really quite simple – if someone wants to BE healthy, they have to DO healthy things. This is true of any aspect of life. If you want to be wealthy you must conduct yourself as wealthy people do. If you want to be a good student you have to do the things good students do. Same goes with relationships, hobbies and athletics. How have we missed this universal truth when it comes to health?

Treatment does NOT equal Health

One of the reasons is that we have fallen under the illusion that having treatments available to us will make us healthy. This is particularly true in Canada where there is an unsaid feeling that universal access to medical care will save us. No disease treatment can ever make you healthy. No drug, no surgery, no MRI, no herb, and no chiropractic “treatment” will ever make you healthy and it is not their job to make you healthy. Of course, any of those things may save your life or get you out of a crisis – which is great – but it is not their intent to create health.  In fact, most pain and disease treatments actually decrease your overall health, sacrificing it to save you from the crisis. So, if your health care plan is high quality disease care you are unlikely to experience great health in the long term.

What are you REALLY willing to Do?

Another reason health obsessed North Americans aren’t very healthy is that I really question how important health is to most people. What are you willing to do to be healthy? Are you willing to change your lifestyle, or would you rather just wait until you get sick and get someone to fix you? There is no wrong answer but I think it is important for everyone to acknowledge this for themselves.

I see some people in my office who truly don’t care about their overall health and only come in for episodic care when they have pain or a health challenge. These people tend to experience a slow decline in their health over time, but they understand and accept this fact and our relationship is great. Sometimes they change their minds and turn their health around.

Other people are really committed to a healthy life and their reasons for receiving NSA care are much different. While they may sometimes have a health challenge they get regular care to enhance their health, vitality and quality of life. These individuals also tend to make healthier choices in other aspects of their lives and I have observed that in contrast to the first group their quality of life tends to continue to increase over time – even into their golden years.

Know What You Want, Then Act!

How do you want your life to be? What do you want it to look like? These are important questions everyone should answer for themselves. Once you know don’t waste your time debating and arguing over it – take ACTION! It is the only way to get there.

Just in case you need some motivation to get started, Click HERE to watch a great 1 minute video.