We can’t equate our health with the absence of symptoms, specifically pain. How can this be? If we look to the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) and their definition of health, it states:
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
From a physiological standpoint, our health can be measured by how well our Nerve System is functioning. Why is that? Our Nerve System does 4 main things: It controls all movements we make, senses everything we feel, regulates all body organs, and relate us to the outside world.
The Nerve System is considered the master control system for these reasons. When nerves get stressed, it effects their, sensitivity, perception and behavior. There are 3 main types of stresses that we encounter in our day-to-day life: They are physical, chemical and emotional in nature.
The job of the brainstem is to adapt to those stresses and bring the body back into balance. When the brainstem and Nerve System are functioning at their optimal levels, our health can express at its greatest potential. With optimal nerve sensation, perception and behavior, we can have healthy function.
If the stresses are too great for the brainstem to adapt, an abnormal compensation occurs. A vertebral subluxation is a physical presentation of this abnormal compensation. A vertebral subluxation creates spine imbalance and nerve tension. This then creates a disruption in the sensitivity, perception and behavior of the nerves involved.
A subluxation can be painless. How can this be? Only 10% of our nerves sense pain. This means that a subluxation can effect 90% of nerve sensitivity, perception and behavior without causing pain.
If we just use the absence of pain as our benchmark for health, a subluxation might go overlooked. We will continue on with our lives at a sub-optimal level. And sub-optimal health results in abnormal function.
Over time, abnormal function creates abnormal tissue. Abnormal tissue creates more abnormal nerve sensitivity, perception and behavior. Abnormal tissue can also be painless.
If abnormal tissue is left alone, over time, it creates damaged tissue. Damaged tissue results in even more disruption in nerve sensation, perception and behavior. Damaged tissue can still be painless.
Damaged tissue, if left alone, can create pain symptoms. Here is where the major alarm bells start to signal. Enough abnormal nerve sensitivity, perception and behavior have sounded the alarm bells of pain.
In general, what is the medical approach to pain? For the most part, medicine aims to suppress pain symptoms with the Big 3: shots, pills and/or surgery.
Does the suppression work? Yes. About 10% of the time. How come? Because only 10% of nerves sense pain. Eventually, shots, pills and surgeries wear off that aim to suppress pain.
If and when the pain suppression wears off, the person enters crisis mode. Here, the pain is even greater. Again, the medical approach is to focus the suppression of pain. Now with different shots, pills and surgeries or more of the same shots, pills and surgeries.
If all medical interventions fail, this is often the point where people will “try” Chiropractic for the first time and as a last-ditch effort.
But what if we start with Chiropractic?
Chiropractic looks to a root cause and aims to corrects a vertebral subluxation. If we correct the vertebral subluxation, we cut down on abnormal tissue and damaged tissue.
Preventing damaged tissue cuts down on unnecessary pain. Instead of being reactive to a disease crisis, we can be proactive in our health and well-being. Chiropractic aims to be proactive when it comes to health and wellness.
So, my question then is this:
Why wait to try Chiropractic?
- Jarek Esarco, DC, CACCP
Jarek Esarco, DC, CACCP is a pediatric, family wellness and upper cervical specific Chiropractor. He is an active member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA). Dr. Jarek has postgraduate certification in Pediatric Chiropractic through the ICPA. Dr. Jarek also has postgraduate certification in the HIO Specific Brain Stem technique through The TIC Institute. Dr. Jarek is happily married to his wife Regina. They live in Youngstown, Ohio with their daughter Ruby.