In last month's column I described chiropractic as a natural upgrade that builds a better body. The basic premise is that the health of the nervous system reflects the health of the body.
Chiropractic is based on the structural integrity of the spine as protector of the nervous system. Nobel Prize winning researcher Roger Sperry, Ph.D, discovered how 90 percent of the body's energy is spent maintaining balance within the gravitational field. Distorted spinal posture forces the brain to steal precious energy from the body's metabolism, immune system and healing functions.
Research like this may seem far removed from our lives, but lack of energy is an everyday problem that can be addressed through chiropractic. As often as the public concentrates on prevention screenings, nutrition, exercise and stress reduction, if the nervous system is not properly regulating body functions, true health cannot be experienced. While the body needs proper nutrition to replace tissues and fuel the body, if the spine is under stress, nutrient absorption and waste elimination are impaired. The benefits of exercise are hindered if the body has to endure repetitive motion on misaligned joints. A good night's sleep is rare when muscles become rigid due to weakened posture.
For people interested in living the wellness lifestyle, their efforts will be amplified when chiropractic is added to their health routine. The nervous system acts like a radar, receiving information so the brain can direct traffic. If that information is not interpreted correctly, much like an air traffic controller letting planes land and take off, disastrous consequences can occur.
Because chiropractic is a hands-on health care approach without drugs and surgery, it provides a natural upgrade to the body's “innate hard drive” by interrupting negative patterns so better ones can be established. A chiropractic adjustment adds new information to the spine influencing brain health. A 2004 study of chiropractic in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research showed improvement in the following areas: heart rate variability, breathing, reaction time, anxiety, muscle strength, reproduction and endocrine, immune and neurocognitive functions. The participants in the study were considered asymptomatic, meaning they had had no observable health problems or injuries at the start of the study.
We like to upgrade our computers with the latest hardware, usually doing so when our computers are already in working condition. This is the same idea with wellness chiropractic. Because life is constantly changing and we cannot live completely stress free; chiropractic as a routine health practice allows us to mentally and physically keep up.
Another way chiropractic builds a better body is seen in a 2005 Swedish study that showed that people under chiropractic care demonstrated higher antioxidant levels and DNA repair activity. Anti-aging scientists are showing people can reach the age of 100 regardless of family history. The theory that genes are unchangeable blueprints predicting future disease is also being discarded by the scientific community.
Studies like these show there doesn't need to be a health care crisis when there is confidence in the body's ability to heal. When chiropractic care is included with good health habits, we can give ourselves the natural upgrade that enhances our human potential.
Lisa Ann Homic, M.Ed. D.C., may be contacted at www.DrHomic.com
Research like this may seem far removed from our lives, but lack of energy is an everyday problem that can be addressed through chiropractic. As often as the public concentrates on prevention screenings, nutrition, exercise and stress reduction, if the nervous system is not properly regulating body functions, true health cannot be experienced. While the body needs proper nutrition to replace tissues and fuel the body, if the spine is under stress, nutrient absorption and waste elimination are impaired. The benefits of exercise are hindered if the body has to endure repetitive motion on misaligned joints. A good night's sleep is rare when muscles become rigid due to weakened posture.
For people interested in living the wellness lifestyle, their efforts will be amplified when chiropractic is added to their health routine. The nervous system acts like a radar, receiving information so the brain can direct traffic. If that information is not interpreted correctly, much like an air traffic controller letting planes land and take off, disastrous consequences can occur.
Because chiropractic is a hands-on health care approach without drugs and surgery, it provides a natural upgrade to the body's “innate hard drive” by interrupting negative patterns so better ones can be established. A chiropractic adjustment adds new information to the spine influencing brain health. A 2004 study of chiropractic in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research showed improvement in the following areas: heart rate variability, breathing, reaction time, anxiety, muscle strength, reproduction and endocrine, immune and neurocognitive functions. The participants in the study were considered asymptomatic, meaning they had had no observable health problems or injuries at the start of the study.
We like to upgrade our computers with the latest hardware, usually doing so when our computers are already in working condition. This is the same idea with wellness chiropractic. Because life is constantly changing and we cannot live completely stress free; chiropractic as a routine health practice allows us to mentally and physically keep up.
Another way chiropractic builds a better body is seen in a 2005 Swedish study that showed that people under chiropractic care demonstrated higher antioxidant levels and DNA repair activity. Anti-aging scientists are showing people can reach the age of 100 regardless of family history. The theory that genes are unchangeable blueprints predicting future disease is also being discarded by the scientific community.
Studies like these show there doesn't need to be a health care crisis when there is confidence in the body's ability to heal. When chiropractic care is included with good health habits, we can give ourselves the natural upgrade that enhances our human potential.
Lisa Ann Homic, M.Ed. D.C., may be contacted at www.DrHomic.com
