Mailbag, September ’16

We often receive questions from clients and potential clients via our website.  Below are some of the questions we have received from viewers and patients alike.

“I don’t do “prevention”; I feel you are healthy unless you feel bad.  Why do you promote prevention in your office and to your patients?”

Because it works.

This is a great question and I appreciate the honesty, I hope you appreciate mine from the short answer above.  When was the last time you reported a missed accident?  Or that deer you didn’t hit in the road?  Or the sniffle that goes away the next day?  The truth is we don’t.  And that’s why we’ll never know how well our preventive measures improve our lives.  But down the road you’ll wake up one day and say to yourself, “I feel great” or ” I haven’t had _______ in so long.”  That’s why we promote preventive maintenance to all of our patients.  We want them to have that experience and it is one that Chiropractic provides.

Does it happen to 100% of the people?  No.  It happens with those who are consistent and regular.

“I heard once I begin Chiropractic I have to go forever.  Is that true?”

I haven’t heard this one in years…. The answer is yes and no.  It has to do with those words “have to.”  You don’t “have to” do anything you don’t want to do.  Just understand the consequences of your decision.

For example, discontinuing your care early has negative consequences because you haven’t fully healed and leaves patients wondering if Chiropractic “works.”  Yes, it is working; everyone heals at their own pace and our personal barometer often outpaces our reality.  Stick with it and you’ll get there.  Once you do, then ask the questions about continuing on with preventive maintenance….

When was the last time you asked your dentist if you had to see him/her forever?  No one ever asks their dentist that question.  Because people know they need to care for their teeth as long as they have teeth.  It is accepted that you brush your teeth twice per day for 2 minutes and have a dentist check your teeth and a hygienist professionally clean your teeth twice per year.

What would happen if you ever stopped brushing your teeth or seeing a dentist?  Your teeth would (begin to) rot.  With your spine, that “rotting” is called arthritis.  Many Chiropractic patients are able to prevent arthritis with proper maintenance.  Some are able to reverse the process depending on how early it is detected, just like tooth decay.  This is a positive “consequence” of your decisions.

What are you doing to actively care for your spine and nerve system?  When was the last time you had your spine and nerve system professionally evaluated?  How well do you want your body to work?  How often do you want your body to work that well?  What are your goals for your health?  These are all questions that we ask to develop a personal schedule for you.

Is Yoga good maintenance for the spine?

I get this one often.  I’d like you to build a house in your mind.  picture building it from nothing into a house.

Yoga is a great practice.  It helps with strength, flexibility, and mental clarity.  I practice yoga in my living room and fully support those who choose to utilize Yoga as a piece of their health care puzzle.  I’ve also discovered yoga practitioners who are subluxated as evidenced on X-ray and Tytron (computerized nerve scan).  These people often correct and heal relatively quickly and do well when they incorporate both Chiropractic and yoga as part of their health regimen.

Back to that house image…  Did you build your house from the roof -> down or from the foundation -> up?  With regards to your body, when you were in your mother’s womb, the first system to develop was your nerve system.  You had a fully developed and functioning nerve system before anything else was created.  In my book, that makes your nerve system the foundation of your life.  I likewise see Chiropractic as the foundational piece of the health care puzzle because we take care of the nerve system.

If you feel yoga is “your thing” go with that.  Add in a Chiropractor (preferably us :-), a nutritionist, a massage therapist, a personal trainer, etc because we all work in unison to achieve a better you while coming from different perspectives.

I checked your hours online, then when I came in, the hours posted on your door were different.  What gives?

Chances are you were looking at a search engine response such as Google, Yahoo, or Bing.  Our website, www.nardifamilychiropractic.com always has correctly posted hours.