Vitalism

How do you handle your health & wellness? Do you take a proactive stance & focus on prevention? Or, do you wait until you are expressing symptoms to take action? If you are having a health challenge, do you focus on treating only the area that hurts, or do you support your entire body so that you may heal more effectively? Your answers to these questions help identify which health care paradigm you value. There are two main paradigms within health care; vitalism & mechanism.

Vitalism, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary:

is a doctrine that the functions of a living organism are due to a vital principle distinct from physicochemical forces; a doctrine that the processes of life are not explicable by the laws of physics and chemistry alone and that life is in some part self-determining.

Vitalism stands in contrast to mechanistic thinking, which is the basis of traditional allopathy. Mechanists believe that life can be explained in strictly physical terms. Traditional medicine is based on the reductionistic approach, explaining health in terms of purely physical & measurable phenomena. When there is a problem within the body, the focus is on treating that one area & the approach is outside-in, meaning either you must take something (drugs), or you need something removed (surgery).

It is clear to see the differences in these two health care paradigms. Through understanding these differences we may better understand the application of chiropractic & how it can bring us closer to optimum health and wellness.

Chiropractic is a vitalistic approach to healthcare. There is more to life than simply the sum of all body parts & processes. The laws of science do not fully explain life. There is an innate intelligence that resides in the body. This intelligence is responsible for the organization, maintenance & healing of the body. The body is a self healing & self regulating organism. Healing is modulated through the function of the nervous system, the master control system of the body. Thus, healing occurs from inside-out. Vitalists recognize & trust this inborn intelligence of the body. They acknowledge that only the wisdom of the body can heal. Doctors do not heal. As chiropractors, we remove the interference from the nervous system, so that the innate intelligence of the body can function as intended & the body can heal itself.

An interesting fact to share is that the first object to form in utero is the neural tube, which develops into the nervous system (brain, spinal cord & nerves). The nervous system functions as the master control system of the body, through which all other processes are directed. It helps us to grow, repair & heal from conception to death. The innate intelligence of the body is able to communicate with the body through the nervous system.

I am reminded of the amazing innate capabilities of the human body in watching my 13 month old son. Since I learned that I was pregnant, I have been in awe of human development. Throughout our pregnancy, his body developed & grew at a remarkable rate. He was born a gorgeous little man, with every cell, tissue & organ functioning, perfectly. How did his body know how to do this? How do cells know how to replicate & differentiate into the heart, lungs, digestive tract, etc? From the moment he was born, this inborn intelligence helped him to eat, sleep & eliminate. Within a few weeks, he was holding his head up. By six months, he began crawling. We did not have to teach him how to crawl; he simply did it. This soon progressed to pulling up & eventually walking. If you have ever watched a child develop, perhaps you too have been amazed. These developments are not chance, rather they are the mark of inborn intelligence.

This intelligence doesn't leave us as we grow up. We may fail to recognize it as we grow older, but it is always there. Start trusting your body & its inborn intelligence. It was able to guide you through your life, to where you are today. Pretty amazing if you ask me. The body needs no help, just no interference. Think about this next time you are having a health challenge. Ask yourself, is my body functioning at 100% right now? If your answer is not yes, you may consider having a chiropractor check your spine & nervous system for interference. Why not support the system that constantly supports & regulates you?

Vision

In the past 2 years, I have read numerous books that have discussed vision. What is vision? It is our ability to see the future through our own eyes. To me it is a necessary part of every successful person’s climb to the top. Often times it is a key ingredient that is missing in every failure. We are born with 5 senses; touch, sight, taste, hearing, and smell. We are never taught about our 6th sense, the ability to visualize the future.

According to the movie The Secret “thoughts become things.” Napoleon Hill stated that, “All the breaks you need in life wait within your imagination. Imagination is the workshop of your mind, capable of turning mind energy into accomplishment and wealth.” Maxwell Maltz, a renowned plastic surgeon found that, “The human mind can not distinguish the difference between what is real and a thought imagined vividly and in great detail.” Henry Ford was quoted saying, “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.”

On our journey through life it is important to remember we will make mistakes, wrong turns, poor decisions or bad choices. Thomas Edison failed thousands of times before he actually invented the light bulb. With each mistake or wrong turn, you are one step closer to inventing your light bulb. It is okay to make mistakes and wrong turns. However, it is a grave mistake to lose sight of your goals. When rockets are deployed often they are not aimed at a target, per se. They are deployed into the sky preprogrammed with coordinates of a target. If the rocket starts to veer off from its destination it corrects. Through a series of corrections, it finally reaches the target; its final destination. Without a vision of the final destination (coordinates), the rocket could have never left the launch pad and most certainly would have missed the target. The coordinates kept the rocket on a path to success.

Do you have a vision? The best world leaders have had a vision. Visualization is a mental exercise that some do more than others. The “dreamers” out there have a knack for this, since they use this skill frequently. But those like me, who may consider themselves a “realist” or “analytical,” may need some exercise to work out their visionary muscles. Exercises to enhance our 6th sense include, meditation, visualization, making a vision board or creative writing. When doing these exercises it is always important to be as descriptive as possible. Make your goals seem real and evoke emotion. Don’t just picture yourself reaching your goal. Use all of your senses, see it, smell it, hear it, taste it and touch it. For example, if a beach is involved, see the sand, bright sun and clear blue waters, feel the sand between your toes, smell the fresh air and sunscreen, hear the waves crashing, etc. Did you just get a feeling of being in a tropical paradise? Were your emotions stirred up?

Like all exercises, they must be done regularly to see the best results. In creating your vision remember, your thoughts are the limit. You govern how big or small your vision is. No one can tell you “no, that isn’t realistic.” No one can take your vision from you.

Choosing Happiness

Picked up a new book at the local library this week. "Choosing Happiness" caught my eye, as I am always looking for inspiring quotes & positive thoughts to pass along to our practice members & friends. As I flipped through, I came across a passage that made me think:

" How many people are genuinely happy? I don't mean happy because they've just met the man or woman of their dreams, or because they've got a new car, or a new house, or the job they've always wanted. I'm talking about being inwardly happy. I'm talking about having a wellspring of inner joy and peace...How many people do you know like that?"

Wow. And I began to wonder, am I inwardly happy? Are my friends & family inwardly happy? Or do we allow the outside world to dictate how we are feeling daily? It's far too easy to let ourselves get caught up with the outside world & believe that it can make us happy. Do you ever say to yourself, if I only get ______ then I will be happy.

I believe that happiness comes from the inside. We have the opportunity to wake up each day & be happy, regardless of what is going on in the outside world. We can face challenges with a spirit of joy and peace & choose not to let them effect our state. What a difference that could make in our days, weeks, months & years.

I invite all of you to think about this. Are you truly happy? What can you do each day to remind yourself that happiness comes from inside & is not controlled by the external world? We know that our thoughts can affect our health. What effect could pure happy thoughts each day have on our lives? Why not try it & see what happens.

Unlimited Health

Recently after an 8 mile run (my personal best) I had an ah-ha moment. During the long run, which did not seem so long thanks to my running partners, I was in disbelief of my accomplishment. I crossed a line mentally that I had drawn; a block if you will that I made up in my own head. It was a true testament to the fact that we have unlimited potential. Although I was already a subscriber to this idea, I realized that I still limit myself in many ways. It opened up the question if I can run 8 miles, how bad could 9 miles be? I guess I’ll find out this Sunday.

Other questions that it raised include, how many other times have I limited my powers and not explored just based on the little box I had put myself in? How many times have I missed a life changing moment because I played it safe? How many people did I miss out on touching because I did not speak up? Have you ever asked yourself this? Have you ever feared something and then realized it was not scary? We often do this to ourselves. It is a safety mechanism that we developed somewhere in our childhood. For example, mom always instructed us not to talk to strangers. This is sound advice for a child, but what about an adult? This same advice has catastrophic effects on people everywhere because meeting new people and building relationships is instrumental in achieving success.

Taking it one step further, I tried to envision a larger box. How far could we go? The answer is as far we think we can. Brings new meaning to Henry Ford’s quote, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, your right.” Or going by the children’s book The Little Engine that Could, “I think I can, I think I can….”

In terms of health, how healthy can we get? On one end of the spectrum, there are those who are close to death while some have diseases that will take years to die from. Others are sick; and of this population some will recover, others health will slide quickly. Some are just not sick. They have no symptoms, they get by every day. They consider the day as a grind; get through it so you can do it all over again. Others see the day as a chance to learn a lesson. Today’s mistakes will help us make better choices and decisions tomorrow so we can be our best self. To be healthy you must go get health every day, actively pursue it and if you think you reached it make your box bigger, think of something better because there is untapped potential that can be unleashed. This weekend it's mile nine for me. For others it may be mile 29 while others it may involve eating less, more frequently, while others decide to smoke one less cigarette tomorrow. Your health is yours for the taking, unlimited; without limits; limitless.

To me this is the true concept of wellness. Wellness is never reached its only pursued. Wellness is infinite health. Wellness is the journey. Wellness is the philosophy that says your health is unlimited.

In order to get healthy we must think about what it means to be healthy. We must picture it and compare this picture to our reality. We must take a mental snapshot and work toward it. The beauty is that this snapshot can be edited and replaced with new snapshots that depict an even healthier you, a new level of health.

Chiropractic is for Children Too!

We are often asked by our practice members, "When is a good time to have my child's spine and nervous system checked?" Our answer is always the same, "Now!"

If you have ever watched a child develop, you know that they are susceptible to physical trauma almost daily. These traumas may subluxate or misalign the vertebrae and cause stress to their nervous system. Why is this such an important issue for children? The nervous system is the master control system of the body and controls all other systems of the body, including the immune system. If there is stress placed on a developing child's nervous system, this may impair the childs ability to function optimally.

Ideally, children should be checked by a chiropractor right after birth. Even natural births can place considerable stress on the infants spine. Research has shown that children suffering with ear infections, colds, asthma and allergies often have spinal subluxations that are impairing the function of their nervous system. If it is determined that your child does need a chiropractic adjustment, you can be sure that the techniques used are gentle and proven to be safe.

As children are constantly building their immune systems through the things they are exposed to, it is crucial for their nervous systems to be functioning optimally. By removing stress to the nervous system, the healing power of the body is unleashed: the immune system functions more efficiciently, resistance to disease increases, and your child's body functions more efficiently. This results in an increased ability to respond to common stresses such as germs, temperature changes, humidity, toxins, pollen, etc.

More and more parents are searching for natural cures to common childhood health concerns. While chiropractic does not treat any disease, it removes interference to the nervous system and allows your body the ability to heal itself. Many parents have found that chiropractic care has had positive results in dealing with common health concerns such as colds, sore throats, ear infections, colic, asthma, fevers, allergies, bed-wetting, infections, falls, and spinal pain to name just a few.

Remember, all children function better with 100% nerve function. All children deserve the right to express their fullest potential. Chiropractic care for children is safe, gentle and effective. For more information on chiropractic and children visit: http://www.icpa4kids.org/

The Chiropractic Lifestyle

Welcome to Rhinebeck Chiropractic's blog! As a chiropractor, it is no secret that chiropractic has changed my life. It has changed my life, my family's lives, even those who are close friends of mine; it has changed their lives as well. In fact, to me chiropractic is not a profession or a job. It's a lifestyle. Since it is my lifestyle and a lifestyle for many of those we love, there are certain principles we live by that help us make decisions about the way we live. Here are some of the principles of the chiropractic lifestyle.

• The human body has its own natural ability to heal itself. It needs no help, just no interference.


• The master control system of the body is the nervous system. If this master control system isn't working at 100%, it is impossible for the body to run at 100%.


• Functioning at less than 100% leaves the door open for disease or a decline in health.
  We are what we eat, literally. Every 5-7 years every cell currently in your body will be gone and replaced by new ones from the food you are eating today.


• Our thoughts affect our physiology and much more. If we desire a healthy body, we must be nourished with healthy thoughts. What types of thoughts dominate inside your head? Do you watch the news every night knowing that 98% of the stories will be about someone else's misfortune? The news has gotten old and you know it.


• Exercise is a nutrient, so those who don't exercise are malnourished.


• The human body is capable of improving everyday. What ramifications would your life have if you improved a little everyday?
  
  Are you living the chiropractic lifestyle? What are you doing to ensure your spine and nervous system are working at 100%? Are you looking to get healthy or just not sick? Did you know that Americans spend more on healthcare than any other nation, yet the World Health Organization ranks the United States 37th on their list of healthy countries? Have you tried to "Get healthy" and failed before. Not sure where to start? Subscribe to this blog or check back soon as Drs. Jessica and I (Dr. Josh Burckhard) post articles pertaining to your health and living the chiropractic lifestyle.
  
  Want to know more about us? Visit our Web Page at http://www.rhinebeckchiropractic.com/