You been there before – PAIN – you do something about it. “Sunny skies” and NO PAIN – you do nothing.
Out of sight and feel, then out of mind. But at Broadway Family Chiropractic, we most often have a “baseline blueprint”, your SPINAL X-RAYS, in which we have an inside view of what’s going on with your spine. They are not the end all be all, but are a fabulous tool in helping you learn how to maintain your spine. A picture is worth a thousand words, no? Listen and learn from what you are taught about these inside pictures. It will help you in understanding why I give you the customized tips that I do.
Drumroll please … the Number One Mistake made in taking care of our spine is that we base what we do on our PAIN level; that is HOW WE FEEL. This can lead us to only moving from one crisis to another. I’ll tell you, there is more mileage in healthcare when we pay attention to what we do in our daily lives, based on WHAT WE KNOW about our body. I always show patients how THEIR body HEALS naturally best. Remember, that how we’re healing is often different than how we’re feeling. So we need to pay attention, on some level, and daily do positive things for our body and structure. Remember that you are CEO of this masterpiece you own. Perfection is not necessary or attainable, but a willingness to learn, try and try again, is. Sad to say, we all have to “scrape our knees”, but if you let me coach you around your Subluxations and your posture, then you will have this down and your health will shine for it. You’ll have a less painful journey, no pun intended!
Ok … let’s get down to “brass tacks”.
When patients start getting sloppy regarding their spinal health, I find that there are 3 major categories. Read these and see if you have ever fallen in the land of “spinal oblivion”, and not doing all that you can do.
#1. Spinal Awareness. You’ve forgotten about the Do’s and Don’ts of a healthy spine. Good sitting/standing/sleeping posture has gone out the window. You’ve gone back to carrying a purse on your shoulder or a wallet in your back pocket. You’ve gone soft on proper body biomechanics at the gym, when you pick up the kiddies and when you work at home or on the job.
#2. Spinal Exercises/Stretches and your Traction. You know longer think that it’s important because your back/neck/shoulder/knee/etc. no longer are bothering you. Remember that these customized exercises are for you to help correct the real problem … posture distortions and Subluxated areas of your spine/extremities that are not functioning correctly. These maneuvers are going to save your spine from being negatively “trained” by compensating for YOUR LIFE AND THE MOMENTUM OF TIME AND AGING. They will help us slow down the breakdown and collapse that gravity and spinal habits have upon us. In most cases, a patient’s posture and structural problems have been brewing for years. Spinal maneuvers and traction only take a fraction of your time. Put them on your schedule!
#3. You’ve started to miss your adjustments. This is completely the worst category to be in of the three. Remember your doctor recommended care is based on the condition of your spine and disfunction and NOT YOUR PAIN! If we take care of the former, the latter will be on it’s way ‘otta here! Most of the time if this happens, I hear two things: “I was too busy” or “I’m feeling fine”. That’s usually where I say “Don’t forget what your x-rays tell us! They don’t lie!” Spinal distortion makes us unhealthy … pain now or pain later. Remember that STRUCTURE ALWAYS DETERMINES FUNCTION. You are the master of your body. You have me as a determined doctor and coach. I am doing what I do to help you be the best and healthiest that you can be. After all these years in practice, I’m not going anywhere for a long time. STAY IN THE RAFT WITH ME!
Until next time, remember to take care of your spine as if your life depended upon it, because it actually does.
My question to you is “Where do you find that you struggle with consistency in your care?” Let me come up with some strategies to make the wheel turn smoother for you. Just ask!