Good Morning All! Thank you again for supporting our website and visiting this blog. We are about to start a new season so all of our summer posts will be coming down and today let’s work on a classic! The Law of Maintenance. (No those aren’t my teeth, I don’t wear braces I have an invisalign.) I learned this way back when I was a wee little intern from my first mentor. This classic concept was written all over her practice.
Whether we are talking about cars, teeth, the roof on your house, or the countless relationships in your life- none of them can run the course of a healthy long life without maintenance. It is a law of life. True one hundred percent of the time. Consider this: when you buy a car would you even think about not changing the oil or checking the tires? Not if you are responsible and paying for the car yourself. Common among young women under the age of (eh, I’d say 24) who forget to check oil or never take the vehicle into the shop because they can get by, will always find out what happens. You end up with no wheels, or an upside down auto loan you can’t get out of. However once learned, nearly impossible to unlearn thankfully!
Now think about your dental care. Most people start taking their children now days to a dentist when they turn 3. Parents know that dental expenses cost an arm and a leg when problems exist, so they go out of their way to teach good oral hygiene, take out loans to put braces on their teeth, or save relentlessly as their own expense to make sure those wisdom teeth come out before any risks go up of keeping them into their 20’s or later in life. Why do we spend so much of cars and teeth? Because we value them. If we don’t have a car we fear being stuck, or having to walk, or use public transportation which is less convenient. A smile is part of your identity. If you don’t like your smile you may not like the rest of your reflection as much. You may be less confident. Problems or concerns with teeth can be very painful in an emergency.
Why then do people not value their spine? Think about it. Your central nervous system is the only system in the human body completely encased in bone. Your skull protects your brain, your spinal segments encase the actual cord. You literally live your life through your nervous system- can think those thoughts, see the words on this page, hear background noise etc. If you remember what happened to Christopher Reeves when he suffered the tragic accident he did resulting in a C1-2 burst fracture. When the nerves are severed they are dead, so your body is created to protect your central nervous system. The average new dental patient: 3 years of age, the average age of a first time chiropractic patient: 37 years of age. If you visited a dentist for the first time at 37, how do you think it would go?
Yet each week, people are surprised when I tell them the time that it will take for them to heal. The problem has been there for years, (chronic headaches, stress, fatigue, depression, neck pain, low back problems etc) can you give me a few months to return you to wellness? If you visited the dentist only when your teeth hurt- what would the outcome of the treatment plan be? The lesson is, whenever things are not maintained they are destined to catch up to us. Look at the posture of your children- carrying backpacks, looking at their TV or tablet playing video games. How far do they carry their head over their shoulders, are their hips level, are their shoulders rounded? Poor posture or developing postural imbalances puts pressure on nerves and changes the way the segments are aligned. Without chiropractic care or proper stretching with postural exercises damage begins to accrue. But it doesn’t hurt, so why should I go? Have you ever heard a child say that about visiting the dentist? Go back to the value. The auto industry and the american dental association in my opinion have done an incredible job educating their consumers. Their customers value their product or service so there is a need for the information. As a chiropractor I think that education comes before care. Spinal alignment just like a tooth cavity is not felt, only the effects are felt when the damage has been done. Spinal problems are visible through posture, early detection is key. Keep in mind, you never know what you prevent if you were successful in preventing it.
It’s been great guys thanks for enjoying my blog post. Stay tuned for more interesting case studies and information on how you can keep yourself healthy and well! -Dr. R
P.S. If anyone has any suggestions about what they would like to learn more of you can leave a comment in the submissions form on the website.