20 Years as a Chiropractor: What I've Learned About Taking Care of Your Body (And Why You Shouldn't Treat it Like a Duct-Taped Car)

20 Years as a Chiropractor: What I've Learned About Taking Care of Your Body (And Why You Shouldn't Treat it Like a Duct-Taped Car)

Imagine this: you're driving down the highway, wind in your hair, tunes cranked up, and suddenly, your car's dashboard starts lighting up like a Christmas tree. You've got warning signs flashing left and right – the oil light, the check engine light – it's like a disco in there! 

What do you do? 

Well, most of us would pull over and call for help, right? 

Now, imagine if we treated our bodies the same way.

So, I've spent two whole decades as a chiropractor, and you wouldn't believe the things I've seen. One big realization? We often take better care of our cars than we do our own bodies. But hey, can you blame us? 

Cars come with manuals, diagnostics, and mechanics who can tell us what's wrong. Our bodies, on the other hand, well, they're a bit more cryptic.

Let’s Break It Down…

Your brain is the control center, the boss of your entire operation. It's the one sending out signals to every nook and cranny of your body, making sure everything runs like a well-oiled machine. 

Your spinal cord? Well, that's just an extension of your brain, helping to relay those important messages. When something's off, your body doesn't send you a text message; it gives you symptoms – things like indigestion, headaches, back pain, or sciatica. It's your body's way of waving its arms frantically and screaming, "Hey, something's wrong!"

Why Do We Bypass The Symptoms?

Our society has this dangerous habit of slapping a Band-Aid on the symptoms instead of addressing the root cause. It's like duct-taping over the check engine light in your car and pretending everything's fine. You pop a pill, and poof, the pain's gone – or so you think. Fast forward a few miles down the road, and your engine's sputtering, leaving you stranded on the side of the road.

In my practice, I've seen folks who've had more bottles of painkillers stashed around than snacks in their pantry. Why? Because they'd been masking those little symptoms for so long that they didn't realize how much duct tape they'd slapped on their body’s dashboard. 

But here's the kicker: it's not your fault; it's just how we've been trained.

Pay attention to those body signals! Treat your body like the precious thing it is, and don't be so quick to duct-tape over the warning signs. 

Address the root cause! This is the entire philosophy of chiropractic.  whether it's through chiropractic care, lifestyle changes, or a combination of both. Your body deserves more than a quick fix; it deserves to run like a well-maintained, top-of-the-line sports car. 

And if you want more secrets that I’ve picked up over the years, tune into today’s podcast episode where I’m sharing 20 things that I've learned in the 20 years since I graduated from graduate school as a chiropractor.

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