One of the best things of being a chiropractor is having the remarkable ability to have people reach their goals. Whether it is simply be headache or back pain-free, or to help someone potentially sleep, concentrate, function and perform better. By improving the health of their nervous system we can see all of the above happen. One of the biggest frustrations on the other hand, is having the latter ability but people not realizing it is ok to ask for help.
Dr Ritza’s Stressor Continuum
In Stressors Part 1 we discussed how chemical, physical and emotional stressors shape the function of our bodies (our health) by determining how our trillions of cells function. More good stressors than bad stressors push us towards greater health. When repeated day after day, we function and usually, move and feel better. We realize more of our potential when we are functioning properly. If you have headaches, a stiff back or trouble sleeping because your nervous system won’t calm down, it is tough to realize any potential.
We talked about, how spending time on exercise, meditation, with people we care about (friends + family), doing meaningful work, putting nutritious food in our bodies, and sleep, which provides our body and its cells with the “fuel” to function well. It pushes us towards the right on your health continuum and keeps us functioning close to our best.
Even if this is your life, you are going to have stressors in your body that need to be balanced
This is like putting WD-40 on a door hinge that is working properly. It has the potential to move properly and the oiling and maintenance ensures that it does.
If we continue with this analogy, our bodies, like a door hinge is constantly exposed to stressors that might stop it from functioning properly, whether it be bad weather, over-use, getting slammed into, or having something stuck in it. If we didn’t manage these stressors and care for the hinge, it will be broken down over time. So every time you align the hinge and apply some grease, we keep the hinge working well – this maintenance is the “fuel” that our body needs.
And like failing to maintain a door on a daily basis, most people do not come into a chiropractic office for some help until they are rusty, creaky, or completely “misaligned”. And at this point, which is different from when your body needs an antibiotic to help fight off an out-of-control infection it can no longer self-sustain , some external care is needed to give a good push in the healthier direction
A crooked hinge on a door door leads to excess wear on the door and no amount of door grease can correct its poor mechanics. The hinge needs to be fixed
If you have a door hinge that is misaligned, no amount of WD-40 is going to help it work properly. Its potential for optimal function will remain limited until its function is aligned and restored.
Think about the idea of “Potential for optimal function”. It is why parents spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to send a kid to private school – so that a child can realize their true potential if they put the hard work in to achieve it
In terms of your spine and nervous system not functioning properly, which you might experience as poor sleep, a tendency to be fatigued no matter how much you rest, poor posture, back pain, headaches, and somethings you might not even realize, it might be difficult to change any of these patterns until you can actually correct how it is functioning. As an example
- You will not be able to correct and improve you posture with stretching and exercise if it is painful, or impossible for your spine joints to actually achieve the correct position
- Headaches and back pain will persist even with massage and physiotherapy exercises if the nerves that are causing this pain continually to be over-excited and not function properly
- It will be difficult to motivate yourself to exercise if your nervous system is impeded by interference from your spine or you are continually sore / injured because the joints and muscles you are using do not function as they are meant to
Even with daily dedication to our health, there are stressors in our lives that we need help managing. I am blessed that I get to spend lots of time and energy on my health and do not have to sit at a desk all day. That being said, I still see my chiropractor(s) at least every two weeks so that my body continues to have the potential for optimal function. Whether it stays there, depends on how much I hit the gym, eat nutritious food, sleep well and generally control the stressors it is exposed to. I get adjusted to give my body (and mind) a big positive stressor push in the right direction so that I function, feel and move better.
Do you know if your spine and nervous system are holding you back? Why don’t you let me check!
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