Oh My God! You Have Subluxation!
By Gene Clerkin, D.C.
A couple of years ago I had a booth at a local town festival. At one point, a girl who looked to be in her mid twenties came up to me and said, “I already know what's wrong with my spine. I have subluxation.” She assumed, of course, that because I was stationed at the booth with a spine model that I was there to find out what was wrong with hers. In fact, I was actually out there to tell people how they could enhance their lives regardless of what, if anything was “wrong” with them. That's when I stopped bringing my spine model out to trade shows and festivals.
I had to chuckle to myself though. Apparently, the chiropractor she had gone to told her she had a condition called subluxation that would be a detriment to her health and wellness. While that was most likely true, the reality was and is that everybody has subluxations. Her chiropractor and every other chiropractor practicing could find the same condition in almost every single person that walked through their doors.
The fact is, that when you seek health practitioners' advice about symptoms you're experiencing, no matter what type of practice they have there's a pretty good chance they'll find what they're looking for within their own practices model for diagnosis and treatment. For example, if you see a medical doctor, s/he will find an imbalance in body chemistry. The acupuncturist will find blocked energy channels and a disturbance of chi, and the chiropractor will find misalignments of the spine altering nerve function and so on. There is nothing inherently wrong with this.
Our Decatur office is located very close to the ever expanding Dekalb Medical Center . While driving by the other day, I noticed a sign out in front of the new maternity center that read “patients in labor.” Seemed normal enough at first, I guess, but it certainly speaks to a matter of perspective and brings up an interesting point.
By definition, the word “patient” refers to someone who, based on presenting symptoms and perhaps following a battery of tests, has been diagnosed, and is being treated for a disease or ailment. By using the word patient to describe women in labor, the implication is that having a baby is equivalent to having a disease or ailment. (This, by the way, is why I prefer to use the word client instead of patient.) In our culture, even birth and death have been pathologized when in fact they are as natural as natural can be. In fact, most symptoms that the body displays are not about what's “wrong,” rather they are created by the body to serve its own purpose and to convey information. One of the reasons I like offering a wellness approach is that it's not based on eliminating symptoms or having to find something wrong in order for it to be applied.
Most “health” modalities look at a symptom as an enemy that must be controlled and vanquished. Here's what author Donald Epstein has to say about our predisposition to avoid taking responsibility for our own health and listening to our bodies in his book “Healing Myths, Healing Magic”:
“If we have a physical symptom or psychological distress, traditionally our goal is to battle it, cure it, or control it. Unexplainable and uncontrolled expressions of emotion, symptoms, breath, or body are considered problematic and require intervention by a specialist. Once the specialist applies her magical treatment to assist us in achieving comfort, this allows us to continue living our life as we normally do, without making changes to our story: attitudes, beliefs, or lifestyles that may have contributed to the problem in the first place.”
The application of both Network Spinal Analysis and Somato-Respiratory Integration is based on enhancing the parts of the body that are working well. Most times, people in this type of care find resolution of their symptoms and the insight and strength to help them create the change that their body so desperately needs.
Three Trains In, Three Trains Out
By David Ross, N.D., CNHP
You'd think that once you've heard something several hundred times, you'd get used to it, but that's not always the case.
One question I used to ask of my clients and patients is "How regular are you?" Even though more than a few women thought I was inquiring into their menstrual cycles, I still preferred asking the question this way instead of a more direct question like "How often do you poop?"
To provide health advice knowing the answer to the second question is important, but knowing the answer to the first question is even more important, as it provides a window into the mindset of the person with health issues.
It seems many people have no idea what "regular" should be, so they think that whatever is currently normal to them is "regular." I haven't had many people, even those who knew they were chronically constipated, say there weren't "regular." They would answer the question with, "Oh, I go every other day," or "Once a week."
Usually I'd pry just a little bit further, and discover that their infrequent eliminations were indeed "regular" for not only them, but also their entire household. Each time I talk to someone, who thinks having a bowel movement every three to five days is "normal," I'm amazed, no matter how many times I hear it.
I know... modern medical authorities play down the need for regular, consistent bowel movements, and instead offer the "warm fuzzy" advice that "Whatever is regular with you is okay -- if you feel you need help, try [insert name of over-the-counter laxative] for a few days."
But that's just not right. One early mentor of mine put it this way: "Three trains in... three trains out." If you eat a meal, you need to eliminate the remains of a previous one. Otherwise, eventually, you're gonna have a back-up in the "train yard." When those trains get backed up, the toxic load that they're packing spills over, back into the bloodstream. Those food remnants that your body needs to eliminate end up poisoning you, over and over again. Its no wonder cancer is rampant, and colorectal cancer is the third-leading cancer-killer of women in the U.S.
Just think of all the chemicals, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, colors, etc., that most people consume each day. Soft drinks, doughnuts, coffee, hormone-saturated meats and milk... each item carries not only a "food value" (if it has any value at all), but also a toxic factor that your body was never meant to have to deal with.
Simply put, if you don't move that toxic sludge out of your system quickly, it is reintroduced through the colon wall back into your bloodstream, where the toxins are then carried throughout your body to lay siege against your organs and tissues, before finding their way back to the colon via the liver, your body's now-overworked poison-processor.
As you can imagine, it doesn't take long for constipation to cause your body to go into toxic overload.
Diets high in fiber and increased water consumption are the keys to avoiding constipation and toxic overload. If you're already constipated, you can begin to reverse the damage by using herbs for detoxification and by increasing your fiber and water intake. Avoid toxic foods, which, for starters, you should consider anything you can buy through a drive-through window.
Changing your lifestyle will change your bowel habits, which in turn will change your life for the better.
David Ross, N.D., CNHP can be found at drdavidRoss.com and herbshop.com and can be reached for phone consultation at 706-635-5798 or 800-760-0733
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Community; An Important Aspect Of Healing
By Gene Clerkin, D.C.
Every few months, the Network practitioners from the Southeast will get together and offer a “Clear Day”. Participants can do some yoga, SRI and have the opportunity to get entrained three times. Basically, it's a wonderful and gently structured day that is dedicated to peace and deepening your inner connection. Each time we have a Clear Day, I'm reminded of another important aspect of healing; building community. Sometimes, when we are on a personal healing journey, our friends or families don't really understand what we are engaged in so it's nice to connect with other individuals who do.
Seeing everyone interacting with each other at the last Clear Day, I was reminded about this very important aspect of a connected life - community. There is a banner posted in the bathroom at the Center that reads “How to Build Community”, followed by a hodgepodge of various community building ideas. I thought I would share them with you.
Turn Off Your TV, Leave Your House, Know Your Neighbors, Look Up When You Are Walking, Greet People, Sit On Your Stoop, Plant Flowers, Use Your Library, Play Together, Buy From Local Merchants, Share What You Have, Help A Lost Dog, Take Children To The Park, Garden Together, Support Neighborhood Schools, Fix It Even If You Didn't Break It, Have Pot Lucks, Honor Elders, Pick Up Litter, Read Stories Aloud, Dance In The Street, Talk To The Mail Carrier, Listen To The Birds, Put Up A Swing, Help Carry Something Heavy, Barter For Your Goods, Start A Tradition, Ask A Question, Hire Young People For Odd Jobs, Organize A Block Party, Bake Extra And Share, Ask For Help When You Need It, Open Your Shades, Sing Together, Share Your Skills, Take Back Your Night, Turn Up The Music, Turn Down The Music, Listen Before Your React To Anger, Mediate A Conflict, Seek To Understand, Learn From New And Uncomfortable Angles, Know That No One Is Silent Though Many Are Not Heard,
Work To Change This.
Author: Syracuse Cultural Workers