Michael (me, I, yours-truly), a 35-year-old chiropractor, visited his chiropractor in October, 2012 with a continued desire to maintain his body, improve his posture, and seek optimal wellness. Michael had no acute aches or pains but had been feeling the postural grind of relatively new fatherhood. Physical examination identified various postural faults: (i) Rounded shoulders, (ii) Anterior head carriage, and (iii) Head tilt to the left. It is always a humbling experience to flip the coin and become patient – rather than doctor. My presentation is not unlike many of my patients. My less-than-ideal posture causes muscles to work harder than they should and causes joints – especially spinal joints – to become misaligned and restricted. In turn, mobility and the body’s overall balance or alignment begins to suffer. These changes interfere with our nervous system leading to the potential for other health complaints – including complaints that would otherwise seem unrelated to posture or muscles or joints.
So what do I do? The answer is actually quite easy: Commitment to restoring the proper alignment and mobility to my spine and body, while engaging in physical activity that helps keep me strong, flexible and counter-acts the negative physical stress of daily living. I will achieve this through regular chiropractic care, massage, and exercise.
“How long will it take?” is a question I am often asked in my own office. I did not ask my chiropractor this question, but I understand why my patients ask. The answer is also easy: It takes as long as it takes until you’re satisfied with the results. The postural and spinal faults I, and many of my patients, possess took a lifetime to develop: falls, poor posture, stress, etc. So, naturally, it will take some time to reverse those faults. The good news for me, and you, is that the process works.
I used myself for this “patient-of-the-week” to illustrate how common it is to need a chiropractor and to explain that you don’t have to be suffering from a terrible pain to come in for a visit. Life is stressful – physically, emotionally, and chemically. It all takes a toll on our bodies. Eventually our bodies speak up and let us know with pain. But, pain is only the alarm bell. The fire had already begun. Come in for a consultation and examination. Let’s at least continue this conversation to see if chiropractic care is right for you.
Did You Know?
Some exciting changes are happening inside my office at Satori: Postural assessments, gait analysis, range of motion testing, and overall body balance are becoming core elements of my physical examination in order to give you objective findings to help measure your results. Not only will you feel better, but we’ll also be able to measure just how much.