When I am out in public meeting people for the first time, one of the common responses to my profession is “Well, I don’t go to a chiropractor because once I go, I have to go the rest of my life,” or “I don’t want to get addicted.”

I have come from a Chiropractic background and having Chiropractic care throughout my whole life. That is the reason why I decided to become a Doctor of Chiropractic because i know of the benefits and how it can help you maintain a healthy body through your like. I have played numerous sports like rugby, soccer, baseball, softball,squash, skateboarding. A lot of these sports have a lot of impact and i have had a lot of injuries from them but through getting regular adjustments,my body was able to adapt and heal better without the use of drugs or surgeries. That is how powerful your body is when there is no interference with your brain to the rest of your body to allow all the signals to be sent so that every cell, tissue and organ in you body can function at its best.

It is important to step back from the context of what people are saying and really dissect these comments. I would agree that before I began to really value my life and truly live healthfully, I thought these same thoughts. However, I have shifted my mindset to living more proactively, so comments like these don’t make any sense to me now.

For example, people say they do not want to get addicted to chiropractic, but if we look at the rest of their lives, we will find other addictions or things they do regularly.  The goal of chiropractic is to empower individuals to make the healthiest decisions for their bodies and minds. This proactive way of living leads to a higher quality of life, so inevitably, many people desire for the best health, which includes chiropractic care. Therefore, these individuals are taking a strong interest in their health rather than developing an “addiction.”

Should we wait until we have problems before caring for things-which is the common U.S. American way of thinking-or should we be proactive and continually take measures to live proactively?

Some people associate chiropractic with medical doctors’ mindset of needing to go to their offices when there is a problem. Chiropractic is about living proactively, eating healthfully, working out, taking care of your body and mind.  Ideally, before symptoms present.  Even if symptoms are present, it always makes the most sense to correct the underlying cause first.  These actions are positive for a person’s life, whereas taking medicine to treat or mask symptoms is a negative. This is because, in fact, medicine tends to make people’s bodies sicker as years progress, while chiropractic makes the body healthier and stronger.  We are certainly not against drugs and surgery, as there are time when they are necessary too, but all too often it becomes the first choice, which is a mistake for long term health in most cases.

Look at your life, and note the positive and negative things you spend your time doing. Make two columns, and begin to figure out ways to convert the negatives into positives.

As an example, here is what my list looks like:

Positive                                                 Negative

Take supplements                             Not enough time with friends
Get adjusted                                        Too much time wasted on Internet on weekends
Workout
Acupuncture checkups
Take restful vacations
Meditate

The goal in our office is not to see you three times a week or even twice a week for the rest of your life but instead A) Correct your spine and B) Maintain the spine with whatever frequency you need based on your age, lifestyle, and spinal structure.

Remember one key point, when G-d created you, he created only one of you. You have one life in this amazing body with friends, family, and other people who love you. Do you want to do everything possible to maximize this life and make it your greatest while feeling and looking your best possible self? We are here to help you accomplish this goal.

Hope everyone has a very merry Christmas! Don’t forget to drop off toys if you have not already, or if you have a loved one who could benefit from chiropractic care, as we have that special promotion for them: we will gift our our examination, nerve & muscle tests and xrays if necessary.  For your toy donation and/or referral it also puts you in the raffle to win one of our awesome holiday gifts, two yoli better body transformation systems or 2 Chicago Bulls tickets with a 50 dollar gift card.

Dr. Ray