X-Ray Vision: Structure is Function

In the next few weeks, we will be adding a low-radiation, digital x-ray system to our office! Many of you have been with our practice for some time and remember the x-ray analysis we had as a part of our new patient exam.

We are so excited to be adding this service because it has up to 25% less radiation that most systems you will find out there and the image quality is going to be second-to-none!

Why is x-ray so important?

That’s the theme for February……… STRUCTURE IS FUNCTION.

Chiropractic has a fundamental focus on the spine. Why?

First, it’s the first system that develops in-utero. No other system forms until there are cells that have differentiated into the neural tissue that inspires the intelligence in the body to build all other systems. This all happens within the first couple weeks in-utero.

Second, the nervous system is the only system surrounded by bone. This is not by accident. Neural tissue is by far, the most delicate in all of Mother Nature and She knew, that it ought to be protected. Studies have shown that a weight of dime will disrupt nerve flow by 60%!

Third, the body’s self-healing capacity (its Innate Intelligence) is governed by the nervous system. Any interference to that system, whether physical, chemical or emotional in nature is going to impede NORMAL function in the body.

The biggest problem in our society today is that we have normalized mediocre or downright poor health. I cannot tell you how many times in our initial consultation I hear patients tell me their doctor says that “(insert health problem) is ‘normal’.” I have patients that come in and say “oh I just have ‘normal’ headaches.”

There is no such thing as NORMAL HEADACHES!

Our research focus for this month is also another old study that if society knew, would change the face of our planet in one generation. Back in the early 1920s, a medical doctor by the name of Henry Winsor conducted autopsies on 50 cadavers, 49 of which showed a lateral curvature of the thoracic spine (the middle and upper back region).

The one cadaver with a minor curvature only showed “minor visceral pathology” meaning the body showed very little disease in the vital organs of the body.

“All [other] curves and deformities of the spine were rigid, apparently of long duration; irreducible by ordinary manual force: extension, counter-extension, rotation, even strong lateral movements failed to remove them or even cause them to change their relative positions.”

“Therefore, in 50 cadavers with disease in 139 organs, there was found curve of the vertebrae, belonging to the same sympathetic segments as the diseased organs 128 times, leaving an apparent discrepancy of 10, in which the vertebrae in curve belonged to an adjacent segment to that which should supply the diseased organs with sympathetic filaments.”

Here is where he found disease and related curvatures in the spine!

What the heck does this mean?

In EVERY new patient visit and report of findings, we identify areas of your spine that have disturbed your brain-body connection. We measure how your muscle stress patterns hold your spine in place and we measure resulting circulation and inflammatory patterns.  These are the scans we do in the office!

We also discuss the difference between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic is your ‘fight or flight’ stress response system and the parasympathetic is your ‘rest and digest’, growth and development system.

We do this because we can identify patterns of underlying dis-ease patterns long before they actually manifest. I cannot tell you how many times some of you say,

“Oh, your scans showed almost exactly what was on my lab results”.

So why x-ray?

Remember the nerve chart, we send everyone home with?

Because we are identifying arthritis in kids as young as 12. This is a major public health issue!

Because so many of my patients want to have a baby one day and when new mommas-to-be come in to see me and they have distortion in their pelvis that has been there since childhood, a ‘vaginal, unmedicated delivery’ is tough to come by. We can identify issues long before you even try to have a baby.

Because too many patients come in a say “oh I think someone mentioned scoliosis when I was a child but it wasn’t too bad. It’s not related to my chronic back pain is it?” It is… AND it’s related to your chronic digestive problems, asthma, poor menstrual cycle and thyroid issues.” Digestive problems, asthma and hormonal issues are common but NOT NORMAL.

We are adding x-ray because Structure is Function.

Many of us know to go to the dentist twice a year, brush our teeth twice a day and will do so forever. We know we have to take care of our teeth. In fact, many of us wake up in the middle of the night to brush our teeth because we forgot!

My dentist tells me, “If you have teeth and you eat food, you need a dentist!”

So I will put it this way, “If you have a spine and live on earth in gravity, you need a chiropractor!”

Quite honestly, we love being the office that looks at things no one sees or sees things everyone looks at with a different lens. It’s a new year everyone… we are so excited!

Stay tuned for promotions on your first X-ray with our new system