"The only real education comes from what goes counter to you."

Andre Gide

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June 2001

Hello and welcome to summer! Whenever you have a discussion with someone, it is always important to define what you are talking about. This month's newsletter is dedicated to giving you definitions and explanations about what we do in our office so you can receive the most from your care. 

Contents

1. Frequently Asked Questions 
2. Question of the Month
3. Health News
4. Office Happenings

FAQ's: Frequently Asked Questions

What is chiropractic or chiropractic care? Chiropractic is the analysis and care of the spine, making sure it doesn’t interfere with the most important system in the body, the nervous system! 

What do chiropractors do? Chiropractors find and release areas of the spine that are out of balance and putting tension on the nervous system. These areas are called subluxations. By restoring the balance to the spine, called an adjustment, the nervous system works with greater ease and you perform and function better. 

What is a subluxation? (Rhymes with subway station) It is an out-of-balance area of your spine that puts tension on your nervous system. It is a bad habit in your spine that interferes with the expression of your inner intelligence and you being your best. Also referred to as a vertebral (relating to the spine) subluxation. 

What causes subluxations? Stress! When there is more stress than the spine and nervous system can handle, from physical, emotional or chemical sources, it weakens. In this weaken state, the spine is more likely to misalign and put tension on the nervous system.

What is a chiropractic adjustment? A gentle, specific and controlled pressure that restores the spine’s balance and relieves tension in the nervous system. It releases the subluxations in your spine. 

Once I start seeing a chiropractor, how long do I have to go? It depends on how you want to use it. It can be used as a treatment of a certain ailment or you can choose to use it as a way of maintaining and improving your overall health and wellness. The first choice limits your time and your benefits. The second choice gives you the opportunity to experience greater health and well being over a lifetime. 

At what age should you begin to see a chiropractor? Since stress is the main cause of subluxations in your spine, the earlier the better. The birth process can be stressful with a journey down the birth canal, interventions like C-sections and forceps or the drugs used during labor. Having an infant’s spine checked shortly after their arrival is ideal for a healthy start on life.

Question of the Month

Everyone talks about wellness these days. Can you define that for me?

Most people think of wellness as feeling good or having no symptoms. It’s the quiet time between bouts of sickness. Sometimes prevention and early detection of disease is thought of as wellness. These definitions focus on avoiding symptoms and disease rather than taking direct steps to wellness. Wellness is the process of being more alive in each day. Having a full life experience, being fully aware of your surroundings and being able to respond appropriately to them is the essence of wellness. It does not mean covering up symptoms or numbing yourself down. Since you live your life through your nervous system, a healthy spine and nervous system gives you the foundation to build from to explore wellness. Start your journey today.

Health News

From Back Pain To General Health 

Many people initially visit chiropractors for problems relating to pain. But what happens to them as they continue their care? 
Two studies (1) of 153 and 311 chiropractic patients who initially suffered from back, neck and other pains and chose to continue their care revealed continual improvements in their quality of life. Patients that continued care after their initial complaints cleared up reported they began to experience an improvement in their perception of health which included improved general health, more vitality, and better social functioning. 

These findings confirm other studies and over a century of chiropractic observations - chiropractic is not for disease but for improving physical and mental health. Yes, millions of people see chiropractors for various health problems but chiropractic is not for diseases, it is for you. It is a procedure that locates, and releases vertebral subluxations (remember the definitions above!). 

No matter what condition or health problem you may have, a chiropractic adjustment is beneficial. It has made the difference between suffering and wellness and between health and disease for millions. 

Drug Fuels Women's Health Debate

This article can be read at www.msnbc.com/news/566147.asp. The focus of the piece is that the development of a new psychiatric disorder is being linked to the repackaging of the antidepressant Prozac.

PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) is said to be a severe version of premenstrual syndrome said to afflict millions of women. The trouble is, psychiatrists haven't decided whether PMDD is real. But there is a solution: Sarafem, a renamed and repackaged pink and lavender version of Prozac.

It is time we stop and look at what is going on with causes and solutions in our current definition of health care. Is PMDD (?!) a lack of pink Prozac in a woman's bloodstream? Something to think about and be aware of.

Office Happenings

1. Be a part of our 24 Hour Relay Team!! This is really shaping up well. The event is on June 23 and 24 at the Red Deer College grounds. We are asking people to run or walk for one of the 24 hours and collect pledges for their time participating. In return, team members will receive T-shirts, products from EAS, complimentary adjustments and massages, water bottles, a chance to dunk Susan or myself and a sense of giving back to the community. How can you beat that! Call the office or e-mail us to be a part of the best community event of the summer.

2. Join us for Inside-Out Day. On Friday, June 15, we will be having an inside-out, upside down day in the office. Where does true health and wellness come from? Where does healing come from? Stop by the office to find out the answers to these questions and have a lot of fun in the process.