Our Wonderful Bodies
(Yes, even yours!)
Today, we have become so concerned with surface values that we often fail to appreciate our wonderful bodies. We become obsessed with ideas that we’re too short, too tall, too fat, too thin, too old, too uncoordinated. We fail to recognize the millions of things our bodies quietly do for us in an orderly and intelligent fashion so that we can function and express ourselves to the world.

Because our bodily functions are a source of embarrassment and fear, we have a tendency to ignore or not trust the messages our bodies give us. When we experience a symptom, we either take something quickly to make it disappear, or we make the dangerous assumption that “it’s all in my head” and decide to live with it.
In fact, many of the symptoms we try to suppress are actually signs of a normal, healthy response to a challenge. In some infections, the body produces heat (fever) because it manufactures antibodies better at a raised temperature. Tears contain stress chemicals which are flushed from the body if we allow ourselves to cry when upset.

And pain is our protective warning signal of malfunction or injury. Taking medication to cover up pain is like turning off a fire alarm and assuming the fire has been put out. When we ignore or mask signals, we allow the underlying condition to worsen, or we may cause more trauma to injured tissues by continuing our usual activities.

Chiropractic is based on the principle that our bodies are intelligent, orderly, and that they have the inherent ability to heal themselves. It is the function of the brain and nervous system to control and coordinate, all the tissues, organs and systems in the body and to adapt the organism to its environment. Every muscle, organ, blood vessel, even every tiny cell is constantly receiving messages and sending information to the brain.

Chiropractors work with the spine because it is the framework which houses and protects the spinal cord. From the brain, nerves pass down the spinal cord and out to different parts of the body through openings between the spinal bones. When the spine is in proper alignment, the nerve flow, can travel unrestrictedly to its destination. But when one or more vertebrae become misaligned, normal nerve flow may be altered. This, in effect, causes an interference or “short circuit” in the communication system, resulting in malfunction, discomfort, and lowered resistance to disease and injury.
How do we get vertebral misalignments (known scientifically as “subluxations”)?

Even birth can be traumatic to the spine, especially if the baby is hurried by pulling manually or with forceps. Then there are the trials of learning to walk, contact sports, minor and major auto accidents, occupational and environmental stress. Although we tend to forget many of the bumps and bruises in this journey called life, the body always remembers!

Our wonderful bodies include the following danger signals to warn us of vertebral subluxation and nerve irritation:

• Headaches
• Scoliosis
• Nervousness
• Allergies or asthma
• Insomnia Sciatica
• Stiff neck
• Depression
• Painful joints
• Athletic injuries
• Pain between shoulders
• Digestive disorders
• Backache Symptoms due to pregnancy
• Pain in arms or legs
• Numbness in hands or feet

Often considered to be “ordinary aches and pains”, “old age”, or “normal tension”, symptoms like these continually rob you of energy, well being, and peace of mind. If you have any of these warning signals, listen to your body. See your Doctor of Chiropractic for a thorough examination to find out if modern spinal care can help your body reach its full potential of health.