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.

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.

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.

…and Why it is a Good Idea.

In my last article we looked at the pitfalls of focusing too heavily on treating secondary health conditions (or symptoms). This is the approach of most people, and while it can be very effective in the short term it inevitably leads to long term pain, suffering and frustration.

This article will focus on what happens when we address what is primary to the symptom and how this approach leads to sustainable, long term results and even provides a path to improvement and growth over time.

Imagine a teenage child is struggling in school. They are failing and it is painful to them and those who care about them. If things don’t change they are going to lose the credit and there will be real, undesirable consequences.

Let’s say this teenager is your child. What would you do?

You have some choices. You could go and speak to the teacher and if you were either charming or forceful enough you could have the grade changed to a pass. You could complete the rest of your child’s assignments to get them the credit. You could even turn a blind eye as they conspire to cheat on their next examination.

On the other hand, you could sit down with your child and recognize that whatever they have been doing (regardless of intent) just isn’t working. From that recognition you could strategize and come up with a new plan. Different study habits, getting more sleep, perhaps a tutor, a family field trip to understand the topic in a deeper way. The possibilities are endless.

Can you see how different choices in this case will lead down very different paths? Can you see how the first path leads down a very slippery slope that will likely result in some serious long term pain? The second path, while requiring a bit more work initially, has the potential to create long term success for that child actually as a RESULT of today’s challenge?

The first path is based on chasing secondary conditions or symptoms. The second, on addressing what is underlying the secondary pain.

Almost everyone recognizes the wisdom of this concept when it comes to school, finances and even relationships – if you don’t address the underlying cause you are setting yourself up for future pain.

Perhaps the most difficult area of our lives to apply this is in our health – yet it is likely the most important place to do so.

It seems so easy to just cover up our health challenges as the solutions are typically readily available to us and quite convenient. What we need to remember are the benefits we actually gain by taking the time and energy to address the primary condition behind our challenges.

When we address what is primary, some new results happen. First we get long-term sustainable results as opposed to the typical fleeting changes that frustrate people so much. Cheating on one test won’t help you on the next one.

In addition, when the underlying problem is addressed quite often we see that other secondary conditions either improve or go away all together. New study habits improve all subjects just like a normalized spine and nervous system improve a variety of functions.

Finally, taking care of the primary condition creates opportunities for the future. Never getting to the root of a problem means you will never develop past that problem. You are a slave to it. Taking care of business allows you to evolve to the next level, and the next and the next. Most people don’t even know that is possible. It is.

At Nexus Chiropractic we focus on addressing a primary condition called a Neurospinal Shift that often underlies secondary conditions such as back and neck pain, headaches, low energy, restlessness and a variety of others. Neurospinal Shift also stunts learning, growth and development.

‘Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.’

–       William Arthur Ward.

PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST

For those of you who were wondering how Habits 1 and 2 were going to actually help you to become a healthy and successful person, Habit 3 is where the rubber hits the road.

Habit 3 – Put First Things First – is the physical creation that evolves from first being proactive and then deciding what life we inevitably want to live. Now that we know what is truly important, it is time plan our lives and expend our energy and time accordingly.

The old time management systems of to-do lists, checklists and schedule book are incomplete when it comes to putting first things first. Instead of focusing on things and time, we must shift our attention to results and relationships.

Central to this form of life management are the 4 Quadrants. The quadrants are defined as follows:

Quadrant I – Urgent and Important. These are activities that are crises and demand immediate attention. If you severely cut your hand and it is bleeding profusely, it is essential that you stop the bleeding NOW!

Quadrant II – NOT Urgent and Important. These are activities that will create positive results, yet are not an emergency at the time. Exercise, eating good food, planning your meals, meditating and seeing professional who not only prevent problems, but enhance health are Quadrant II activities.

Quadrant III – Urgent but NOT Important. Are activities that are essentially distractions in the moment that really are not important to our desired results. Responding to social media or responding to a phone call, when it is time to exercise is an example.

Quadrant IV – NOT Urgent and NOT important which is essentially time wasting procrastination. Watching junk TV or playing angry birds are PERFECT examples.

This is what the quadrants ARE. We all spend some time in all of them and that is fine. Whichever quadrant dominates our time will produce very different results from the others and that also applies to our health.

QI will produce stress, burnout, ever growing crisis management and constantly putting out fires. Is this not how most people manage their health? Most people go from treating one problem after another and inevitably the problems continue to get bigger over the years because the underlying causes were never addressed.

QIII is characterized by short term focus, the lack of any plan or goals, no follow through, disappointment in results and the feeling of being victimized. People living mostly in Q3 will often be heard saying, “I have tried everything and nothing works for me.” In reality they have not really committed to anything and done a bunch of things half way at best due to constant distraction.

QIV is usually mixed with QIII activities and produces total irresponsibility and dependence on others and institutions for basic survival. Luckily this is not common.

QII on the other hand produces individuals and families that have a vision for their health and wellness, are balanced, disciplined and over time tend to have fewer and fewer crises. The people who truly focus on moving towards their vision of health typically get sick very rarely and are often considered ‘lucky’ by the folks living in the other quadrants.

So, as you can probably guess, the key to being a highly healthy person lies in shifting as many as your Q3 and Q4 activities into Q2 activities. Obviously we all have crises (Q1) from time to time and they must be handled on the spot. As we said earlier however, the more time spent in Q2, the less Q1 will be required in the future.

Your homework for now is to look at how you spend your time and categorize it into the quadrants. BE HONEST with yourself! Nobody will see this but you. Then start to replace the unimportant with non-urgent important stuff. It will take some discipline, but the results will be worth it.

In the next article we will continue with Habit 3 and will go deeper into Putting First Things First a part of your weekly routine.

Speaking of Quadrant 2 activities, our 19th Clear Day has been officially booked for Saturday, April 12 at the Boys and Girls Club in Cornwall. Ask for an application at the office to see if you are ready for this full day intensive event designed to take your health and life to the next level.

We also have several special workshops booked for the spring including for the first time my Nutrition Workshop. Learn how to eat in a way that optimizes nervous system function, reduces pain, boosts energy levels and helps fat loss.

Many of you know that I just returned from a weekend NSA technique seminar in Gatineau with my chiropractor and mentor Dr. Pierre Bernier. For those of you who have been around Gault Family Chiropractic for awhile know that I attend programs like this on a regular basis. In fact, I have been to so many technique seminars and workshops that it has become a bit of a joke to ask me “haven’t you got IT yet?”

So, in case you were wondering no, I am not slow or stupid! Actually, I pick up technique quite well and quickly which for me makes attending regular seminars even more relevant and exciting.

Why Do YOU Keep Going?

I know some of our long term practice members get the same inquiries from their friends, family and coworkers. “Aren’t you fixed yet?” This brings up an important point about our health and life. Don’t the most important aspects of our life deserve constant attention and refinement? Do you show your significant other love and affection for a little while and then stop because they are “good?” Do you get your teeth really clean and white one day and then stop brushing? Do you learn the basics of a musical instrument you love and then stop practicing? I hope you are starting to get my point.

Sharpen Your Saw

Stephen Covey, in his bestselling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, talks about sharpening the saw. This means that we consistently take the time and energy to practice, improve, nurture and refine those parts of our lives that are most important to us. For me, the ability to deliver Network care to as many people as I can at a high level is extremely important. It is part of my mission in life. As a result I consistently invest my time and money into attending programs that will help me to always be improving. When will I stop this? Never, obviously!

What is Important in Your Life?

What is important in your life? What is your mission in life made up of? Where do you need to consistently improve and what do you need to invest to make sure that happens? Perhaps it is as simple as focusing on being a better and better parent. Maybe a relationship could use consistent TLC. If finances are important to you, constant attention is required to be successful. If you are an athlete truly dedicated to your sport you must continue to sharpen your saw.

Health is Wealth

Health is an area that can undermine all other parts of our lives if it is not optimal. That includes physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. When we are not healthy it makes it extremely difficult to refine anything else. In order to be healthy in the above realms we must have an excellent ability to be aware of our internal and external environments and then be able to respond effectively.

Network Care

Network Spinal Analysis entrainments – through the body – help you to become more aware and more resourceful at responding to the world. Because the focus is on greater awareness and developing new strategies that you never had before – as opposed to fixing something – there appears to be no limit in how refined you become.

People who receive regular NSA care over extended periods of time do so because they think it is important to refine their ability to respond to and experience life. I can’t think of anything much more important. This is the same reason I go to lots of seminars – not because I am stupid.

I invite you to decide what is important to you and commit to sharpening your saw. You will quickly see that the effort is more than worth it.

Thank you for reading this far. Click Here to see a funny 20 sec. video.