How Should We Look at Health? | Shanghai chiropractic

How Should We Look at Health?

Hello everyone, Dr. Cho here!

Today, I want to discuss a topic that’s incredibly important for all of us: health. When many people think about health, they often focus on appearances—like having a chiseled physique or glowing skin. However, let's face it, that's just scratching the surface.

Take a moment to consider two individuals who, despite appearing fit and vibrant, sadly passed away from cancer. Do you think they developed cancer overnight? Absolutely not! They likely dealt with health issues for a long time, even when they looked perfectly healthy. This serves as a powerful reminder that health is far more than just how we look; it encompasses something much deeper.

Health Beyond Appearances

Before we dive deeper into what true health means, let’s talk about fire alarms. What do they do? They warn us! When smoke is detected, the alarm alerts us to potential danger, prompting immediate action to prevent disaster. Our bodies have a similar alarm system. Symptoms like headaches, high blood pressure, and back pain are like fire alarms going off, signaling that something isn’t right.

The catch is that we often learn to silence these alarms with medication or procedures. It’s akin to turning off your fire alarm while a fire is raging in your kitchen and ignoring the danger. Sounds crazy, right? Yet, that’s exactly what we do with our bodies. Just because everything seems fine on the surface doesn’t mean it’s okay for our health.

For instance, if you have high blood pressure, it’s common to receive prescriptions to manage it. But this is like removing the battery from your fire alarm instead of addressing the fire. Instead, we should be asking ourselves, “Why is my blood pressure high? Why are my cholesterol levels elevated?” These symptoms provide crucial clues about our health that we cannot afford to ignore.

What is True Health?

So, if health isn’t just about appearances, what is it really? According to the World Health Organization, health encompasses complete physical, mental, and social well-being—not merely the absence of illness. It’s all about optimizing how our bodies function. To achieve this, we need to understand what controls these functions.

Let’s refer to Gray’s Anatomy, a classic text in human anatomy. It tells us that the nervous system is the body’s master coordinator. Every thought, action, and sensation is a reflection of its activity. Your nervous system, including the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS), controls everything—even while you’re reading this article!

Your heart, breathing, hormones, and digestion are all managed by your nervous system, with your spine playing a crucial role in protecting it. If your spine becomes misaligned due to trauma, it can put pressure on your nerves—a condition chiropractors refer to as subluxation. This is similar to dimming the lights on a dimmer switch; your brain and body are not communicating effectively.

The Importance of Proactive Care

It’s important to note that not all subluxations cause immediate pain. Our bodies are resilient and can endure a considerable amount of stress. However, when that stress becomes overwhelming, pain often sets in. So, is it wise to wait until you feel pain to take action? It’s a straightforward question, and the answer is no. You don’t want to wait until things go wrong inside your body.

This is why I often see families coming in together. They want to ensure their bodies are functioning at their best. In my Gonstead chiropractic practice, I utilize various examination tools like visualization, palpation, and X-rays to assess spinal health. We have specialized tables for different situations, and I also incorporate rehabilitation techniques based on chiropractic biophysics.

Conclusion: The True Measure of Health

So, what’s the takeaway? How we feel and look doesn’t always equate to good health. The key is to optimize your bodily functions, which begins with a healthy nervous system and spine. If there’s a subluxation in your spine, it can lead to dysfunction and eventually cause problems in connected tissues.

I hope you found this discussion helpful! This has been Dr. Cho, and I look forward to seeing you in the next video!

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