Are you struggling with low back pain, headaches or another physical problem? Or perhaps your energy levels are low or your strength has decreased? Whatever the health issue, understand that for most health problems your body has the power to heal itself.
Many people struggling with a chronic health problem get stuck believing in the current health model that health comes from an “outside source”. They believe that in order to heal they need to take a drug or pill or have surgery to make their body heal. Although that approach may be needed in circumstances like acute trauma, acute infections, or end of life care, it fails to address the underlying causes of chronic illnesses, prevent chronic illnesses, or to keep people healthy.
Chronic illnesses have been increasing since humans started farming (agricultural revolution).(1) This includes but not limited to: diabetes, obesity, heart disease and strokes, high blood pressure, cancer, dementia, Alzheimer’s, depression, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, and hypothyroidism. So even though Canadians are living longer on average than they used to (life expectancy of 77 years of age in 1990 and 82 years of age in 2012), the last 20-30 years of life can be a challenge because most of us are burdened or will be burdened by a chronic illness (65% at present and greater than 75% by 2030) (2,3).
So if we continue down this road in trusting that health resides from “outside” of ourselves, we will continue to see a rise in chronic illness. The last 20-30 years of most people’s lives will be lived in frustration and unhappiness. We will continue to struggle with low energy levels, less mobility, less strength, less focus, and more pain. This means we will not be able to partake in activities we enjoy or to function and perform as well as we would like. Furthermore, we will continue to stress the already burdened health care system.
What if we took a different approach and started to trust in our bodies inborn ability to heal ourselves? What if we were to trust that regaining and maintaining our health comes from an “inside source”?
There is a powerful intelligence “within you” that coordinates your healing. For example, when you get a cut or scrape your body puts forth various measures to ensure it repairs and heals the damaged tissue. It takes weeks to heal it, but your body does it without you telling it to and most of the time without needing stitches or antibiotics. Even when you do need stitches or antibiotics that same intelligence is still at work healing the wound. The same intelligence works for mending any broken bones, and even when you get low back pain.
There is a powerful intelligence “within you” that coordinates your healing.
When a patient comes into see me whether it’s for low back pain, headaches, or some other health problem, I try to get the patient to understand this principle of self-healing. I want the patient to feel empowered that their body is in control of them healing, not me. The chiropractic care I provide may speed up this healing, but ultimately it’s the intelligence within their bodies that is in charge of healing and restoring their health. This is important, because it’s the patient that has to create an environment within themselves that allows for optimal healing. The patient can start to take control and responsibility for their own health and become a partner with their health care providers to help them. This involves employing specific lifestyle strategies which I will discuss in a future article.
Know this…there is always an underlying source to your health problem. Don’t give up. Find the answers. Your body has the power to heal and make itself strong and resilient.
Know this…there is always an underlying source to your health problem. Don’t give up. Find the answers. Your body has the power to heal itself and make itself strong and resilient.
In the next article, I will discuss why there are times when we are unable to heal and why it can sometimes take a long time to heal.
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