I Know the Value of Chiropractic Care
Recently, a practice member made the above statement in comparing
his regular care to another practice member who only comes in the
office when he is feeling bad. It is very rewarding to the chiropractor
to have a person acknowledge that chiropractic care has more value
than just making you feel better. But in thinking more about his statement,
I had to wonder whether any of us really knows the value of chiropractic
care. When nerve interference is removed from your body, the body
works better. That means your resistance is higher. Does that mean
that when a person coughs in your face, you will not get a cold, or
you will just get a cold instead of the flu? Perhaps. If your nerve
system is working at greater efficiency, will that make you think
better, concentrate better, or be more effective in your work? It
absolutely will. To what degree we cannot say. It may be noticeable
or it may not. Everyone is different. But it will make a difference.
It is like exercising. You do not necessarily see a reduction in your
waistline or bigger muscles after the first day of an exercise program
but you know there is a change in your body. Often you can feel the
change in the form of soreness or stiffness. The next time you exercise
and you do not feel it, does not mean there has not been change?
We really cannot perceive of all the positive things that are happening
in our body when we receive an adjustment. There are positive changes
taking place on the cellular level. Life giving energy is being restored
to starved and depleted cells. You cannot measure the value of that.
Conversely, we really cannot know the damage being done by a vertebral
subluxation that cuts off the nerve supply to the tissue and cell
in your body. It is robbing the quality and quantity of your life.
Someone once said that every cigarette cuts five minutes off your
life. He further suggested that it would be great if that five minutes
occurred right after a person finished smoking the cigarette. In other
words, they would drop dead for five minutes and then come back. It
would surely emphasize the harm of smoking. But because it is at the
end of ones life, it is not perceived as life threatening. I don't
know whether the five-minute figure is true but there is not doubt
there is harm to the quantity and quality of one's life by smoking.
Similarly, there is harm to one's life from vertebral subluxation
despite the fact that we cannot measure it.
What is the value to children receiving chiropractic care at the
earliest possible age? Again we many not be able to measure it because
every child's potential is different. But early and regular adjustments
must enable them to move closer to their full potential. What is the
value of chiropractic care? Sometimes we believe we can know it because
of an immediate change or because a long standing problem is resolved
after getting under care. But I would suggest that is only the tip
of the iceberg. That is only a small part of the benefit of getting
chiropractic adjustments on a regular basis. We really cannot know
what microscopic effects are taking place. We really cannot know what
immeasurable effects are occurring like higher resistance and improved
physical, mental and emotional function. Lastly, we cannot know what
life-extending effects are taking place. Like the commercial for a
certain credit card, there are some things that you can put a price
on and some things are priceless. Chiropractic care is one of those
things that you just cannot know the value of it.
© Strauss Chiropractic Center
2003
