How Health Issues Should Truly be Addressed: Physically, Emotionally, and Chemically

As we approach the new year, I urge you to take stock of your health now. Don't wait until January 1st and then try to drastically change dissatisfying habits.  Take time to evaluate what is and isn't working. This year has posed many challenges that can affect health. Sometimes, creating awareness over what is and isn't working is enough to get the ball rolling towards health. 

When looking at your health and wellbeing, please know there are 3 categories of interference to health that can create issues. As a chiropractor, I work diligently to facilitate healing from the "inside-out," (improving physiological function and internal healing) meaning, I am not just looking to mask a symptom while the real issue brews, isn't addressed, and eventually leads to a health crisis. When we work with a patient, we look at what could be contributing to a problem or even taking away from optimal health on a chemical, physical, and emotional level. Each facet is important and cannot be overlooked.

On a chemical level, I am referring to interferences to health such as consuming processed foods, too many carbohydrates or too much sugar, not drinking enough water, not eating consistently enough or too much at one time, taking consistent over-the-counter medications, etc. On a physical level, health interferences may include unresolved or chronic injuries, misalignments that are uncorrected, osteoarthritis, or nerve dysfunction with or without pain. On an emotional level, health interferences include being stuck in emotional patterns like anger, depression, anxiety, or past traumas that play out emotionally in one's current reality. 

The reality is that healing is available. When the right tools for healing are applied on a consistent basis, one can gently and gradually move into a renewed state. The key is that true healing and creating health takes time and consistency. Our American health care system lacks the ability to look at the whole picture and fails to educate people on what steps should be taken to truly heal issues versus disguise them. Let me give you an example of meeting a patient with chronic headaches. After discovering her health history, we find the patient's diet relies mainly on quick meal choices of refined carbohydrates causing inflammation and blood sugar spikes and crashes. The patient drinks about 1/3 of the necessary water for her body size. The patient's alignment of the first and second vertebra of her neck have been chronically impacted due to computer work for 5-7 hours daily for years. All of these factors create headaches, need to be addressed, and are root causes of the issue. 

The American medical system may prescribe a drug and send her on her way. That drug may be relied upon multiple times per week or even daily with the root causes of the headaches never addressed. If we were working with the patient to address the causative factors, would the root causes of the headaches be resolved in a day or a week? Most likely not, but addressing the causative factors consistently with repetition and awareness would allow the patient's whole physiology to heal. Being committed to the process is the game-changer and often looked down upon by traditional medicine, but is a key to long-lasting, ever-improving health.  Patients’ expectations may be that they should feel better immediately. This is sometimes the case, but typically the healing process includes gradually improving symptoms with a bumpy journey in the beginning. 

This holiday season may look different for us all. It is my hope that you claim this season as a time to evaluate and start/resume/enhance your healing journey. If anything is missing in the message of COVID, it is that by committing to your health and making improvements, your chances of staying well and healing are exponentially higher.       

We want to be a resource for you. In the month of November, we have 2 virtual events to provide our community with powerful information to maximize health. On Wednesday, November 18th at 6:15 pm, Jenn Evon, MS, CNS, BIB's Functional Medicine Nutritionist, and I will virtually present "Maximizing Digestive Health." Gut issues are a major source of inflammation, interfering with quality of life, and whole-body health. Learn strategies for healing and staying well (important for immune function and brain health). On Wednesday, December 9th, at 6:15 pm, Dr. Scott will virtually present "The Vital Shift." In this high demand class, Dr. Scott will cover how to function well, thrive, and create a foundation for healing in a stressful world. Register at BodyInBalanceChiropractic.com or call us at 303-215-0390. 

Remember, Create Health by Choice, Not by Chance.