Pain is not your problem!

Pain is not your problem!

It is quite common for patients to visit a chiropractor because of pain or pain. It seems logical right? Patients get the idea that they will feel better once their pain is gone. The funny thing is that patients don't really come for pain. They seek care because pain prevents them from doing something they love to do. So they're not necessarily motivated by pain, but motivated to get back to a certain quality of life. As the wellness revolution continues to expand, we deepen our understanding of human potential and life expression. Studies of isolated populations have found members in societies that live between 120 and 150 years without evidence of disease.

Dr. Eric Plasker said it best: "Many people spend the first 50 years of their life ignoring their health while accumulating wealth, only to spend the next 50 years losing their wealth to buy back their health. Knowing that your longevity potential is 100 years gives you the opportunity to place your health at the top of your value scale." Most people will spend more money on their “health” in the last two weeks of their life than they will spend their entire life!

The drug and surgical boat sinks when it comes to pain therapy. As a society, we are tired of the powerlessness that often comes with pain. Being a doctor makes us feel like our hands are tied. Your attitude is to either live with the pain, take a medication to relieve the pain, or roll the dice and undergo surgery. “Maybe” it will help you feel better. You are missing a great opportunity to educate the public. Perhaps the medical profession sometimes “misses the forest for the trees.” Don't be confused, this is not a medical bashing article.

They do incredible work! There are many heroes in medicine. This article examines the philosophies of two models of healthcare delivery. In particular, we discuss the first branch of philosophy known as metaphysics. Metaphysics means, what is the nature of reality? The medical study of the nature of health separates the human body into organ systems, cells, tissues, biochemical pathways and asks: Is there too much or too little of something? Their solution is often medication. You ask, what can we chemically put into this person's body or surgically remove so that homeostasis can return?

The nature of the chiropractic model of health is that the body is a self-regulating and self-healing “organism.” We are much more than just a collection of cells, organs and tissues. We are a thriving, complex and dynamic living being. Our nature cannot be reduced to a double-blind randomized control trial. Due to the complex nature of our existence, we do not fit into this paradigm. We belong to a holistic model and for good reason. The nature of holism takes into account the entire being.

Holism looks at the dynamic interaction of the body at the structural (cells, muscles, organs, tissues, nervous system, etc…), biochemical (macro and micronutrients, enzymes, cofactors, air quality) and emotional (thoughts, circumstances) levels of life, also known as “stressors”, 2500 words per minute that run through our brains telling us who we are and what our potential is is.) The health of the human body cannot only be broken down into systems. One system cannot be considered without considering the other. They are one and each system depends equally on the health and function of the other to sustain human life. If each system is doing its job appropriately, would you say the organism is dying or thriving? Obviously thriving!

What happens when one of the three areas of human health becomes stressed (structure, chemistry, or emotions)? Do you think it has a direct impact on another system? Absolutely! An emphatic YES! Can emotional stress in the body have a detrimental effect on the body and affect the structure of the musculoskeletal system? You bet! This often manifests itself as pain. The medical profession metaphorically puts a band-aid on the pain. They mask this pain with anti-inflammatory pills, painkillers, and life-numbing, life-sucking medications. However, the root of the problem for this example was emotional stress!

The drugs rip the batteries out of the smoke detector and make the patient believe that nothing is wrong! Meanwhile the house is still burning! Any surprise why the pain keeps coming back? The diagnosis was broken! The emotional stress was the root cause of the problem. Do emotions affect biochemistry in the body? Has someone ever made you so angry that it felt like your blood was boiling? Does this increase your blood pressure? SECURE! If a person lives in a chronic state of emotional overdrive, is they likely to have high blood pressure? YES INDEED!

Pain is NOT your problem! It is the title of this article and it is the fundamental answer to the confusion and frustration about the chronic pain pandemic in this country. Pain is NOT the problem. Pain is a symptom and an invaluable protective mechanism built into your body to prevent further damage. Pain accounts for a small percentage of the nervous system, about 10%. The other functions of the nervous system work silently and thanklessly. Pain is a warning to listen because the health of the body is threatened. Because of society's demand for productivity, we are trained to ignore or numb pain so we can keep moving forward. Our mothers, fathers, teachers, preachers, trainers, and big pharmacy have always taught us to “shake it off, don’t worry, leave it, don’t rub it, be tough,” etc…

We were lied to! What if we were taught to notice every little ache and pain and question where it came from? Does pain appear out of the blue? Absolutely not! They seem to be just for an externally driven person. The person controlled by others is always the victim. They blame circumstances, bad luck, bad germs and bad genes for their health. Pain is an expression of what is going on in the body. They are progressive sirens that beep louder and louder the longer you ignore the root cause of the alarm. If we were trained from a young age to value and appreciate pain, we would not get to the point of chronic pain. By living internally and being self-motivated, we would now understand that everything we get in life is the result of our efforts and investments. Good or bad!

If you are a person suffering from chronic and “unexplained” pain, I am sure that you are not well-educated when it comes to diet, proper exercise, and the effects that emotional stress has on your body. You've almost certainly made a small investment and effort to take responsibility for your health. Most likely, you live on the outside and have never realized the root of your problems because no one told you! I'm telling you to start challenging yourself. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and make dramatic changes because you deserve to live life at its best, just like your friends and family who don't suffer like you do.

Your pain is the wake-up call that demands that you change your life and take control. As you work to isolate the “why,” you will be forced to change your environment and behavior. This expands your understanding of health and will never allow it to contract back to its original size. You can't pick up a bell! You will become a stronger and more internally motivated person the more you commit to the process. This creates knowledge. Knowledge plus experience equals personal power!

If you decide to invest in chiropractic care, it is a proactive and preventative measure. You consciously choose to live within and free yourself from the belief system you previously clung to. When you pay for a gym membership, there is no guarantee that joining will make you leaner and stronger. You know that purchasing the membership card does not come with a clean bill of health. You intuitively understand that you have to show up, sweat and participate! Just like life! You are either the “observed” or the “observer.” The “observed” live internally and consciously. This is exactly why 100% of my patients pay cash for their care.

They value their lives and choose to live optimally for as long as possible. Not unlike gym memberships, my educated patients value this to get the most out of care; they must be committed to their health and the path to wellness. Wellness has no peak. There is no point at which you have “made it.” The value and results last as long as you are on the journey. Only life has an absolute goal. What we do before our impending doom is human potential. Whether or not we choose to live internally and hold ourselves accountable for achieving that potential is free will!

Inspired by Dr. Shaun Stuto