One of the most common questions I receive from my chiropractic patients is, ‘What is the CAUSE of my symptom (secondary condition)? Is it a muscle thing? Is it my bones? Are my nerves the problem?’

     This is a fair question, and one that understandably comes with a lot of confusion. By the time we see most people at Nexus Chiropractic, they have already tried multiple other approaches to their problem and been told multiple different things.

     Structural chiropractors and orthopedic surgeons tend to focus on the alignment of the bones and therefore see the bones as the cause. Massage therapists tend to focus on the muscles and therefore communicate that to their clients. Obviously, neurologists and some chiropractors focus on nerves.

     The reason this can seem so confusing is that they are all correct but each focus through their own lens. The reality is that the BONES, MUSCLES and NERVES are all intimately connected and cannot be separated from one another.

    BONES, in addition to providing structure, serve as protection for the spinal cord and NERVES that pass within the spinal canal and between each vertebra (spinal bone). The spinal cord and nerves are extremely fragile structures that are quite sensitive to pressure, and more importantly – stretch.

     If the bony structure of the spine is significantly altered or abnormal, the NERVES can be pinched, pulled, and damaged, leading to altered function in our bodies (including pain).

     The job of the spinal cord and NERVES is to relay information from our bodies to our CNS (central nervous system – including the brain) and from our CNS back to the organs, tissues, and cells of our bodies. We have sensory nerves – which include pain, autonomic nerves that coordinate organ and gland function, and motor nerves that determine the tightness or laxity of our MUSCLES.

     A damaged or compromised NERVE (perhaps caused by a misaligned spine), could potentially lead to MUSCLES that are either too tight (spasm) or too lax (weak).

     Here is where it all ties in. If a MUSCLE that attaches to the BONES of the spine is too tight or too loose, it will cause that BONE to be misaligned which will then compromise the spinal cord and NERVES, which then give a faulty signal to the MUSCLES, which then……….You see the loop that is created.

     At Nexus, we always assess the BONES, MUSCLES and NERVES on every visit. Not only do we look at each one separately, we assess how they are interacting with each other. A spine and body with a high level of INTEGRATION between these systems creates a person who functions at a high level and is extremely adaptable in life.

     Once the assessment is complete, we INTERVENE at the level of the NERVOUS SYSTEM. This is why our intervention is so gentle compared to those who intervene at the level of BONES and MUSCLES.

     As the NERVOUS system returns to normal, the signals to the MUSCLES normalize and as they normalize, they return the bones to their proper position and normal function is restored.

     So, the next time you ask, ‘What is the cause of my problem, doc? Is it the BONES? Is it the MUSCLES? Is it the NERVES?’ The answer is, ‘Yes.’

P.S. Greg, thank you for asking the questions many people have, but do not ask!

P.S.S. Happy 125^th Birthday to Chiropractic!

Getting better at anything requires an increase in awareness. The faster and more completely our awareness increases, the faster we will improve at whatever it is we wish to get better at.

     What does an increase in awareness mean? First, it requires that the SENSITIVITY of our perception is enhanced. We pick up greater subtleties with our senses.

     I was recently watching a Netflix series on some of the greatest BBQ pit masters in the world. Instead of using thermometers to know if the grill is the correct temperature, they simply place their hand on the grill and instantly know if and how many more coals must be added to the fire. This is subtle awareness.

     The second part of increasing awareness is being able to hold multiple perspectives. This means that we can be aware of more and more variables at the same time. This is essential in learning how to drive a car. At first we place all of our awareness on each piece of driving (gear, then clutch, then mirrors, then steering, etc) but after a bit of practice we can hold awareness of all of these perspectives at the same time (and be much safer and more effective at the same time). A NASCAR driver must be able to hold many MORE perspectives at once in order to succeed in a race.

     One of the key features that is distinct about the Neurospinal Optimization care we provide at Nexus Chiropractic is that we know that increasing awareness is absolutely required for long term success. In my opinion, awareness is a too often ignored piece in many forms of health care. In fact, many health care interventions actually look to DECREASE awareness, which over time, can be quite detrimental.

     When we intervene without increasing awareness – or worse, deadening awareness – we leave ourselves vulnerable to repeating the same problems over and over again.

     When we increase awareness, not only are we less likely to end up in the same predicaments, we will be more adaptable and have greater resourcefulness when problems do arise in the future.

     For those of you who have had care at Nexus, you know that we ask you lots of questions. All of these are designed to enhance awareness  What did you notice happening during the visit? What changed after? Did you feel what just happened? Are you aware of how your spinal structure just shifted? What do you think that pain/tension means? Is there a larger pattern involved in your condition? Did you feel how your breath got deeper and moved through your entire spine?

     We also give periodic questionnaires so that we can more specifically know if your awareness is matching up with clinical observations and if more or different coaching and cuing is required.

     The SomatoRespiratory Integration (SRI) exercises we teach are also designed to increase body awareness. First they improve our ability to notice more subtlety of breath, movement and energy. Next, they expand our awareness of multiple perspectives as we can pay attention to all of these factors (and more) at once.

     How can we start to increase the awareness of our bodies and health at home? I use this exercise with many of my patients and you can do it too.

     Use the moments of transition between pain and less/no pain, or feeling crappy and feeling good as an opportunity to develop more awareness.

     When you find yourself feeling bad, whatever that means for you in the moment (physically, mentally, emotionally), catch yourself and STOP.  Now notice as many things as you can about yourself in that moment of feeling bad.

     What is your posture like? Are you breathing shallow or deep? Is the breath in the nose, out the nose, or something else? How are you moving (slow or fast, smooth or rigid)? What have you been doing recently? What have you been eating and drinking? What is your emotional state? What have you been thinking about? What was your last thought before you noticed you felt ‘bad?’

     You get the idea. The point of this exercise is to notice as many subtleties as you can (be creative). Create the clearest and most detailed picture of what you feeling ‘bad’ looks like. I have found this exercise works best when you write it down.

     Now comes the fun part. When you notice that you feel better, good or even great, do the same exercise. Go through the exact same questions as above. Write them down.

     Once you have those two descriptions of you ‘good’ and ‘bad,’ you can use this new awareness to your advantage.

     If you find yourself feeling ‘bad’ and you want to feel ‘good,’ look at your contrasting lists. Change your posture to the one that is associated with ‘good.’ Shift your breath to the one that works best for you. Move your focus to something that energizes you instead of bringing you down. Perhaps you can exercise or move your body in a way that changes your entire experience.

     This is only the beginning of the process. As you apply this exercise more and more you will start to become UNCONSIOUSLY aware of when you start to move towards ‘bad’ and UNCONSIOUSLY start to shift back to ‘good’ automatically. This is when profound, long term results start to show up.

     Awareness is a powerful and necessary tool in creating long term health, and to achieve lasting results in any endeavour. Unfortunately it is rarely harnessed and often ignored.

     How and where can you seek out greater awareness in your life and health?

Thorin Gault, D.C.

Sept. 11, 2020

     Everybody likes homeruns. They are exciting. They are rare. They are special. They are fun and sexy. Yet, it takes much more than homeruns to win games, let alone championships.

     When it come to health it is no different. People love detoxes, hacks, 30 day challenges, fasts, cleanses, Russian squat programs, special secret supplements….and the list goes on. All of these are homeruns and get people quite excited.

     While there is certainly nothing wrong with homeruns and many of the above health strategies can be beneficial, it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking they are all we need. This is a catastrophic trap to fall into.

     In twenty years of chiropractic practice, I have noticed that the people who most readily jump on board with the health ‘homeruns,’ also tend to be the least healthy people.

     Does this mean you shouldn’t use those strategies? No, they can help to kick start you into your next phase of health. The key is not to see them as an end all and be all. What happens AFTER the homerun is the most important factor in long term health.

     One of my favourite baseball players when I was a kid was Pete Rose (before the gambling allegations). Pete Rose was not the most talented, biggest or fastest player in the league, or even on his team. What Pete was was CONSISTENT – consistent in his approach, preparation, training and play. THAT was what he did better than anyone else.

     Pete Rose – a mediocre talent – ended his major league career with 4,256 hits, an all time record. He also led his team to 3 World Series championships. How did he do this? He hit singles, every day.

     What does ‘hitting singles’ mean? It means doing the little things consistently. Simple things. Boring things. ‘Unsexy’ things. Over and over again. Daily, weekly, monthly. Doing the work.

     I love the thrill of weightlifting competition. I love breaking personal records and winning titles.

     Do you know what I love even more, though? It is the secret to whatever success I have had in the sport. I LOVE hitting singles. I love going into the gym and putting in the work when nobody is watching. I love finishing all of my prescribed sets – especially when I don’t feel like it and the only person that would know if I quit early was me.

     Consistently exercising everyday is going to give you far greater results than any 30 day challenge. Healthy daily eating habits will make you much healthier than any juice cleanse. Daily meditation will do more for you than a weekend retreat with a guru.

     At Nexus Chiropractic, most people start with an initial, more frequent plan of care because frankly, that is what is required to get most people’s spine and nervous system back on track. We see some phenomenal results during this initial plan of care.

     While critically important, I don’t believe it is THE most important. What is most important is what happens afterwards. How are you caring for your spine and nervous system afterwards on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

     It may seem counter intuitive, but the folks who get the greatest value and the most profound results from our care are the people who in the long term continue to show up regularly for their visits and do their prescribed exercises.

     Very simple, kind of boring. Doing the required work. Hitting singles. Reaping the rewards.

Hi Everyone, I have been sharing tips and insights to help everyone through this crisis via our email list and Facebook group (Nexus Chiropractic). While those are the best places to our up to date posts I thought I would share them here just in case we were missing anyone.

I will add a couple per day so if you are coming in late just look back at the previous blog posts to get caught up.

Keep well, everyone!

Ok, here is the first post to help you all navigate the circumstance we all find ourselves in.

What I want to talk about today is FEAR. There is a lot of that kicking around presently. There is absolutely nothing wrong with FEAR – it serves a very important purpose in our survival. It keeps us safe by giving us the energy to take action when our lives are in imminent danger.

There is a lot we could be afraid of right now. The virus, our health, the health of our loved ones. Our finances, our jobs, our kids sports. Uncertainty does breed fear and I share several of these fears with you.

The problems with fear arise when we remain suspended and stuck in a state of fear, even when the immediate danger has passed.

The state of suspended fear negatively impacts us in a myriad of ways. Physically, our nervous system stays locked in a sympathetic state (fight or flight). This state is not designed for prolonged use. Staying there is like revving you car’s engine at 40,000 rpm while sitting in your driveway. You simply cannot do it forever without damage expected.

Our body and spinal structure is altered and becomes rigid while we are in fear. What does a scared dog look like? Our muscles stay tense. Our heart rate and blood pressure are higher. Our digestion is impacted. After awhile our immune system function decreases. Not good, especially when facing a crisis of health.

Suspended fear also inhibits our ability to make good decisions, especially those with long term consequences. In a crisis, sound decision making is more important than ever for you and your loved ones.

I have 2 exercises to help you to break the cycle of fear and this will allow you to reverse the negative physical, chemical and mental/emotional effects it may have had on you up to this point.

1. Change your breathing pattern. Simple, easy, and very effective. When you notice fear arising, breathe in and out your NOSE, slowly. It doesn’t have to be a deep breath. NOSE/NOSE, slow and shallow. When you really have it, it will look like you are not breathing at all.

Gradually make it a habit to breath this way as a baseline. If you are really good you will even breathe like this while you sleep.

2. Bring some certainty into your life. There is going to be uncertainty, that is a given. What can you do that you know will help you regardless of the circumstance.

Because this is being called a health crisis, why not create some extra certainty around your health? Choose some things to do that will make your healthier.

Some ideas are, daily exercise, eating healthy, meditation, sauna, fresh air, etc.

Start with one action and go from there.

As always, if you have questions I am here to help.

As the holiday season approaches, we have noticed two patterns emerge over the last 19 years of chiropractic practice. The first is that we see our highest rate of missed visits and people falling off from care as the perceived stress of the season builds through late November and into December. The second pattern is that we see more ‘emergencies’ with people in crisis during the month of December than at any other time of the year.

     It is not a coincidence that these two phenomenon happen together and it gives us some insight as to why so many people end up spending the holidays overwhelmed, sick, and in pain when it really should be one of the most cherished times of the year.

     So, how do you not only survive, but actually thrive this holiday season? There is a simple formula to help you to make it happen.

     The first step is to acknowledge and accept that there WILL be greater stresses on you. When I talk about stresses, I am referring to not only mental/emotional stress, but also chemical stress (food and drink), and physical stress (shoveling, lack of sleep).

     We know going in that we are going to have some late nights, eat some cookies, drink some bubbly and have to deal with dear aunt Sue’s passive aggressive insults. We know we will have the ‘normal’ time and money stress inherent of the season. Acknowledging this will allow us to create a plan to mitigate this stress. By doing this we can enjoy the fun without losing our health or our minds.

     The common denominator amongst these stresses is that they consume our energy and leave us depleted. If we become too depleted, we move into what is called an ‘energy poor’ state and that is when we get sick, have our back ‘go out,’ develop headaches and experience complete overwhelm.

     The solution to an energy poor state is very simple – add energy to the system! How do we do that? We do things to build up our energy reserves before we reach a crisis. Because we know that we are heading into a season of energy depleting stress, we can actually plan practices in advance that will keep us out of an energy poor state.

     Here are some ideas to build your energy reserves both leading up to and during the holidays.

     Knowing you will be eating some not-so-good for you food – make sure you continue to eat plenty of healthy food too. If you are going to eat those butter tarts, make sure you are loading up on high quality meats and produce as well. During the holidays I really focus on eating a healthy breakfast as a way to build up energy.

     Supplements can also be an advantage at this time of year. Vitamin D, high quality fish oil, magnesium, zinc, and a greens supplement are a great idea.

     Daily exercise is an excellent shield against stress. It is easy to fall out of a routine – especially while traveling – but it doesn’t take much to get massive benefit. Some push-ups, burpees, and air squats can get you what you need in less than 15 minutes. I keep a kettlebell in my car at all times!

Even a brisk walk (bonus points for getting fresh air) can keep you on the right track.

     Meditation or even just some quiet time set aside each day is crucial for dealing with the mental stress and chaos of the season.

     Those familiar with the Neurospinal Optimization care we provide at Nexus Chiropractic know that what we do works by allowing the nervous system (and thus the spine and body) to move from a fight or flight state to a normal relaxed state that is required for healing and restoration. Staying on track with your visits and at the very least doing your SRI exercises is a great weapon to have in your arsenal against the stress of the season.

     The take home message is to make sure you continue to do the things that fill up your fuel reserves so that you can get the absolute most out of what can be a magical time.

     Because we understand this, Nexus will have office hours over the holidays. We will be open on Monday the 23^rd and 30^th and then will be back to normal starting Thursday, Jan. 2^nd.

Happy Holidays!

Halloween is over, which means the countdown to the holiday season is officially on.

     The holiday season is full of fun, food, parties, connecting with loved ones and of course – presents! It is also a time of late nights, stress, worry and unfortunately for many people, sickness and burn-out.

     Having observed my patients and practice members go through 19 holiday seasons, I have become aware of some patterns that drastically effect people’s health and well-being during this time of year. The most obvious trend we see is that we look after far more acute crisis patients during the holidays – and no, it is not from shoveling snow.

     I have also observed the behaviours that lead to either a healthy holiday or a crash and burn holiday. Typically, those behaviours start now.

     So, how do you set yourself up for success this holiday season. It really is very simple.

     In the fall, most people are busier than they are during the summer. It is for that reason they ‘fall’ back into a routine. Some people use that routine to include things that add to their health. They structure a healthy diet, schedule 4 workouts a week and meditate on their noon hour. They see a health practitioner like me regularly – not because they are messed up, but to care for and enhance the function of their spine and nervous system. In other words, it is part of their routine to things that ADD to their overall level of health.

     On the other side of the aisle, people use the ‘busy’ness of the fall as an excuse to not do the things that keep them healthy. They eat more fast food as they rush around, skip the gym due to a hectic schedule and generally get lost in the overwhelm of life.

     We have all been there, so we all know how that pattern ends, don’t we? CRISIS. We get sick, develop headaches, throw our back out…or worse. Fortunately, or unfortunately, most people are pretty tough, so the crash typically ends up happening sometime around or during the holidays.

     There is some good news here, though. The first is that you are reading this now and have time to get yourself on the right track if you start right away. Ask yourself what you can schedule into your life that will ADD to your health in a positive way (not the same as treating a problem)? What habits can you tweak so that you will be healthier in 6 weeks than you are today?

     The other half of the good news is that even if you do find yourself in the midst of a crisis (pain, sickness, burn-out), know that the purpose of that crisis is to interrupt the life you have been living to create a change. Knowing this you can use the crisis as a wake-up call to get back on track as opposed to just treating the symptoms (secondary conditions) and going back to what created the problem in the first place.

     Perhaps the most obvious difference between healthy and unhealthy people is that the former focus on building health while the latter focus on treating symptoms. Having worked with thousands of people over the last 20 years there is no question that the people who get the best results with Neurospinal Optimization are those who use it on a regular basis as a way to enhance their health, well-being, and performance.

     Don’t fall victim to the challenging side of the holiday season. Take control and get better, not worse this year. It will be a great gift to both yourself and your loved ones.

Thorin Gault, D.C.

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.

Like Ecclesiastes – and the Byrds – said, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”

For many of us (me included), summer is the season for slowing down and taking it easy. We take holidays, we relax more, we drink more beer. I think this is great as we all need some down time and I believe that there is something about the warm weather that is conducive to the restorative effects of rest and relaxation.

I don’t know about you but I notice that when September rolls around I start to naturally move into more of a Transform mode. I start thinking about and focusing on what I want to learn, create, improve upon and accomplish. I research and plan what I will be doing for the next bunch of months.

What we do in September can set the stage for massive transformation and accomplishment in what remains of the year and send us into the holiday season and new year on a high.

At Nexus, we know that a healthy spine and nervous system are not only important for transforming your health, but the other areas of your life as well. We also know that as your spine and nervous system become healthier you often have the energy and desire to make positive changes in your life.

It is for that reason we provide our patients and community members opportunities to learn how to take things to the next level with our Head to Toe Neurospinal Show introductory presentations, as well as our Special Presentation Series throughout the year. These presentations are done as a service to our patients and their guests, so there is no charge to attend. We do have limited seating so please phone the office to reserve places and show up if you do.

The next presentations are:

The Head to Toe Neurospinal Show – September 17, October 8

The 12 Stages of Healing – A Path to Health and Happiness – September 24

Super Immunity – October 22

Hope to see you this fall and enjoy the music!

In the last article we identified a hierarchy of approaches to health. Success leaves clues and if you observe the healthiest people in the world, you see that they approach ‘health care’ much differently from those who struggle.

We also looked at the first rung on the hierarchy ladder – Symptom Treatment. The value of symptom treatment is that it can buy us some time to get through a crisis so that we can heal and regain our health at a later, safer time. The challenges with symptom treatment are that it does not consider the underlying cause of the problem and very often actually harms our long-term health.

Moving beyond symptom treatment, we come to the next level on the Hierarchy of Health. That approach is Addressing the Cause. An individual with this approach to health may experience the same back pain or headache as someone who just pops a pain killer but will take significantly different actions.

A person who addresses the cause understands that a headache isn’t caused by an Advil deficiency. That a muscle doesn’t just ‘spasm’ for no reason. That high blood pressure is a sign of something deeper going on.

While addressing the cause seems like a great idea to virtually everyone, it is not employed by nearly as many people as you would think. The reason for this is that it takes more work than just treating a symptom. It requires you ask different questions and it typically requires more action over a longer period of time. It is more work to pull out the dandelions by their roots than just chopping off their heads with the lawn mower.

Our office sees many people who first come to us with back pain, neck pain, and headaches. Most of them have spent a significant amount of time merely treating symptoms. After examining their spine and nervous system we often see significant structural distortions and a hyper vigilant nervous system leading to muscle spasms and/or weakness, organic issues, and even shifts in mental/emotional well-being.

Does addressing the abnormalities in the spine and nervous system take more time and effort than treating the individual symptoms? You bet. Is it worth it? I think so.

The added bonus to addressing the underlying cause is that people will usually notice that other, more subtle problems that they may not have even been concerned with start to improve also.  In our office, while most people first come to us with some sort of pain concern they quickly report more energy, better sleep, better athletic performance, faster healing, enhanced digestion, better mood and other conditions resolving. Why? A healthier nervous system leads to a better functioning body.

Unlike symptom treatment, when we address the underlying cause our overall health improves at the same time.

So, if you are not getting the results you desire when it comes to your health, perhaps there are some areas where you can look at addressing the cause, as opposed to – or in addition to – just treating symptoms? How might your health be different if in the past, when faced with a challenge you had taken care of the cause right then and there?

How much better would your lawn look today, had you pulled the dandelions by there roots 5 years ago?

In the next article we will take the next step in the hierarchy of health and look at Prevention.

Thorin Gault, D.C.

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.