Symptoms, although unpleasant, are signs that the body is struggling to adapt to stress and regain balance.
Disease is a lack of co-ordination between Innate, the source of power, and its expression. –D.D.Palmer, Discoverer of Chiropractic.
Adaptation = Health
To be truly healthy, you must be able to adapt to life’s stresses. As Nobel Prize winner Rene Dubos, Ph.D. says: Good health is a process of continuous adaptation to the myriad microbes, irritants, pressures, and problems which daily challenge man.
You’re Constantly Adapting
You must adapt to so many things: changes in the weather: the bacteria, viri and fungi that enter you as you breathe; cancer cells, with their deranged genetic instructions that constantly arise within; pollution and chemicals; cuts, bumps, and bruises; school, work, marriage, babies, bills, a mortgage—and you must deal with them all. For if you did not…
…a hot summer’s day would boil your brain; a winter’s night would freeze you solid; every inhalation would bring massive infection; tumors would overwhelm you; a small cut would drain your blood. Without adaptation alcohol and other drugs would never break down, a moment’s anxiety would not end…you’d remain intoxicated, or terrified, for life.
Shivering And Fevers
Thankfully, we usually adapt to life’s stresses because many mechanisms are built into us for that purpose. They’re as simple as shivering in cold and sweating in heat; as elaborate as our immune system engulfing a cancer cell or bacterium and a fever to “burn off” and infection; as dramatic as an adrenaline rush when confronting danger or as unpleasant as vomiting or diarrhea to discharge toxins.
They all say the same thing: Survive! What if we can’t adjust to change? As Hans Selye, MD, PhD, world-famous researcher on stress says: The secret of health and happiness lies in successful adjustment to the ever-changing conditions on this globe; the penalties for failure in this great process of adaptation are disease and unhappiness…many nervous and emotional disturbances, high blood pressure, gastric and duodenal ulcers, and certain types of sexual, allergic, cardiovascular, and renal derangement appear to be…diseases of adaptation.
For successful adaptation to life’s stresses, your body needs balance (homeostasis).
From This Perspective
Viewed from this perspective, symptoms such as fevers, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, skin eruptions, sneezing, inflammation and others—although unpleasant—aren’t a matter of bad luck or, as people once thought, curses from angry gods. Rather, they are signs that your body is struggling to adapt to stress and regain balance.
By lowering fever, preventing diarrhea or vomiting, pushing ourselves when we should rest, suppressing skin eruptions, fighting inflammation and in general not permitting the body to express symptoms, we interfere with the body’s adaptation mechanisms to reestablish our balance (homeostasis) and health.
An orthodox medical approach is often a suppressive form of healthcare. Medicine seeks to eliminate symptoms. Chiropractic and other vitalistic healthcare systems view symptoms as part of a healthy response to imbalance.
Empirical or vitalistic (natural) healers do not, as a general rule, suppress symptoms. Instead, they work with and enhance your body’s natural recuperative, self-healing and homeostatic (balancing) mechanisms. Vitalism is an expressive form of healthcare.
Medical care is, at times, necessary. Medicine has a place. But it must be seen as only one facet of healthcare, used when necessary and in conjunction with chiropractic and other natural health care systems.
Suppressing symptoms may cause chronic illness.
Imagine Three Dolls
One doll is made of glass. The second doll is made of plastic, the third of steel.
Strike each doll with a hammer (representing physical or emotional stress)—what will happen?
The glass doll will shatter. This represents those individuals who are unable to adapt to life’s stresses, get seriously ill and may die.
The plastic doll will scar. This represents those who will not be killed but who are hurt or damaged by the stress. They will recover, but will never completely heal.
The steel doll rings with a pleasant tone. This represents those who, when confronted by stress, adapt quickly and thrive.
Better Adaptation With Chiropractic
Your body’s wisdom uses your nervous system as a communications system to send messages between your internal environment (body chemistry) and your external environment (the world) to maintain homeostasis or balance between you and the world.
When the communications are flowing over your nerves without interference your body and mind are more sensitive and attuned to your life and your needs. You are a “steel doll”.
By keeping your spine and nervous system free of blockages you better adapt to life’s stresses and challenges.
Our Goal For You
Our goal as chiropractors is to keep your spine and nervous system free of blockages so your ability to adapt to life’s stresses and challenges is enhanced. You will be stronger, more stable and more secure; you will thrive, grow, better enjoy life and continue on your journey to be the best you can be. Life’s challenges will become adventures, stepping stones to help bring out the best in you so that you will be fulfilled, happy and in tune with the magic of life.contact our Edina chiropractor today.
Every organ and system in your body works to maintain you in internal and external harmony.