After 17 years of practice my treatment approach is somewhat different to what it was when I started out. My love of sports and the competitive environment has helped shape the way I treat my patients by giving me an intimate insight into many of the common and not-so-common injuries found on and off the field. Whether it’s in my treatment of patients or in other areas of my life, I don’t expect anyone to do what I’m not willing to do and because of my numerous injuries over the years in various sports I’ve been able to very quickly recognize what treatment techniques work and what is just fad or hyperbole.
Due to the sometimes subjective nature of Chiropractic care, many of the treatment techniques used in our profession are packed with farce and junk-science and serve only the practitioner’s bottom-line and not the patient’s well-being. I focus my attention and study on objective and quantifiable techniques that have measurable and reproducible outcomes…and are based in sound fundamentals. To tell a patient that his or her back is “out” and needs to be put back “in” every few weeks is basically fraud. Your body is not a simple machine and an oversimplification of our profession with a statement like that is simply irresponsible. Our bodies are wonderfully engineered organisms of which we have only a glimpse of an understanding. What we do know is that the body works together as unified unit so to strive for Optimum Health is to get all parts of your body talking to each other….and speaking the same language. Unfortunately, a simple adjustment is not going to do that.
I feel that my patients should take an interest in their health, educate themselves and with the help of my guidance be empowered to make the right decisions for their unique situation. Part of this approach is to understand that there is more to your health than meets the eye. Our real health is rooted in things like our Relationships, Stress, Nutrition, Exercise, Micro-organisms and our Genes (I’ve listed Genes last for a reason)…And it’s only when we manage these factors properly and equally will we be able to restore or improve our health.
How do you define health and fitness? I’ll explain how I answer that question and it should help you understand why I treat my patients the way I do, why I personally follow a Ketogenic Diet, the CrossFit fundamentals and therefore why I’m a huge advocate of functional exercise and proper nutrition as part of a total solution to any physical (or psychological for that matter) ailment or injury. Health is not static it’s on a continuum that ranges from Sickness to Wellness to Fitness. All measures of health can be plotted on a sliding scale that range from poor to normal to above normal whether it’s bone density, heart rate, blood pressure or flexibility for example. So it makes sense then that being “above the curve” will provide you with a greater margin of protection against the consequences of time. If you’re an investor, think of health as a hedge against age related degeneration. It’s going to happen to all of us, but the further you are on the “good” side of the line the longer it’s going to take to fall onto the “bad” side. If you’re already on the border (over weight, poor diet, no exercise, low muscle tone, high blood pressure, diabetes, stress, poor relationships etc) all it takes is a small change in your physiology and you’re headed in the wrong direction. “Super-Wellness” is achieved through proper nutrition, proper exercise and a healthy mind. Note: I didn’t just say exercise, I said proper exercise. Exercise done incorrectly is sometimes as detrimental as doing none at all…sometimes worse.
Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.
Practice and train with weights but also train to master the basics of gymnastics. Ride a bike, run, swim, row, etc, do all these things and do them with intensity.
Exercise five or six days per week. Mix and match as many of the fundamental movements as possible to constantly vary your workouts. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense.
Challenge yourself regularly.
I understand that not all my patients are interested in “super health” or living an active lifestyle although it seems a bit silly to seek me out if you’re not interested in living a healthy lifestyle.
I understand that some of my patients just want the pain gone and as soon as they feel “better” they’ll disappear and I’ll only see them when the problem comes back weeks, months or years later (often worse) once again with a puzzled look asking the same questions.
I understand that some of my patients are elderly and aren’t necessarily able to do the gymnastics I speak of, I get it. If you’re 90 years old I’m not asking you to do back-flips, but you can learn how to squat properly, if nothing else to help you stand up off the toilet.
For the rest of the population out there there’s no excuse…you have your youth, you have the ability and if you really want to improve your quality of life there is a way.
Through Chiropractic care grounded in a Functional Medicine approach that’ll teach you to better manage your own body, I promise you that there is a very clear path to a better way of living. The first steps can be difficult, but I’ll tell you this, if you take an interest in your own health, if you decide to start moving your body, give up the sugar, cigarettes, medication or whatever… then I will be right there to support in whatever way I can to help make the journey less difficult. I can’t do it for you and I can’t turn back the hands of time, but I’ll show you a way to function better in the body you have.
This is my commitment to you.
“If it’s important to you,
you’ll find a way.
If not, you’ll find an excuse.”
Your turn to make a move ...
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