Most people associate chiropractic with back pain. That’s understandable: chiropractic has a great track record helping those who struggle with back pain. But what people don’t always know is that chiropractic can treat so much more.
Chiropractic is a great tool to help maintain your overall wellness, and a good first response if you do get sick.
Chiropractic is all about getting your body in alignment. If you’ve heard this term, but aren’t quite sure what it means, here’s an analogy I like.
Imagine the system of pipes in your house. Every day, they carry water to your sink, shower and toilet, and carry away wastewater. We don’t think about them much, but they’re critical to keeping our home running smoothly and us feeling comfortable and happy.
Now imagine those pipes get bent out of shape. All of a sudden, the water isn’t flowing, the waste is getting backed up, and there are leaks everywhere. Uh-oh! You’d be pretty quick to call a plumber, right?
The thing is, your body works the same way. When your spine is in alignment—with vertebrae literally lined up and positioned properly in relation to one another—energy flows freely through your body like water through the pipes, nourishing all your organs and systems.
How does this work? The spine houses the spinal cord, a bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that carry messages from your brain to the rest of your body—to every cell, tissue and organ. The spine itself is made up of 24 vertebrae that protect these delicate fibers—which is why a well-functioning spine is key to health!
In other words, it’s a good idea to schedule regular visits with your chiropractor :). Doing so keeps your body running smoothly, often preventing illness in the first place.
If you do start to feel sick, chiropractic can help as well. Getting aligned even after you come down with something can help reboot your immune system. When patients come in with colds, they are often surprised to find how much better they feel almost immediately after our session.
Doctors in imperial China had a practice we would find strange today—their patients only paid them if they didn’t get sick. This was because people then didn’t go to the doctor only after they became sick; they went regularly when healthy in order to stay well. I suggest a similar approach to chiropractic today: find a chiropractor you like and go regularly in order to support and maintain your health.
Health care doesn’t have to just be about healing the sick, but about keeping you well.