Getting Adjusted to Healthier Living

Lately, I’ve had green juice, personal training, whole foods and chiropractic care on my radar.  And it’s a goal of mine to get back into yoga before the year is over.

I’ve always worked out and have tried to make good food choices — which has been difficult at times — but it’s only in recent years that I’ve started to think more holistically about my overall health and wellbeing.

Why now?

Part of it is because I’m in my mid-30s.

Part of it is because of the sober realization that I’m genetically predisposed to a host of health issues that could arise if I’m NOT more proactive about my wellbeing.

And a BIG part of it is because of my son – and wanting to be the strongest and best I can be to take care of him and our family.

About seven years ago, I was introduced to chiropractic care when I was experiencing issues with my lower back, and frankly, didn’t think much of it beyond seeking relief from the pain. The adjustments helped, but I didn’t truly feel like I was getting holistic care from the practice, and just stopped going once my symptoms subsided.

In the meantime, I got married, and would often hear my in-laws speak of this amazing chiropractor that was not only gentle in his adjustments (no sudden cracking of the neck), but also genuine in his approach to the big-picture scenario of the health of his patients.  The only thing that stopped me from checking him out was that he was a considerable distance from my home, and his schedule didn’t jive with my tricky commute in/out of Manhattan.

But a few years later, we moved right around the corner from none other than Dr. Noel Plasker – the brother of my in-laws infamous chiropractor! Dr. Plasker and his brother both practice the same form of holistic, gentle chiropractic care and both have a focus on overall family wellness, as chiropractors that follow The 100 Year Lifestyle methodology.

My husband and I have been under “Dr. P’s” care for several years now, and our bodies have thanked us!  I have a new appreciation for chiropractic care because I’ve witnessed firsthand how it can be centering and stabilizing for the mind and body alike.

I found this below blog post on Dr. Plasker’s website, and received his permission to pass it along here to mom a la mode readers.

I’d also be curious to know what type of proactive measures you take to keep yourself healthy.  Are you a chiropractic devotee?  Please share in the comments below:

The Benefits of Lifestyle Care
As seen on PlaskerFamilyChiropractic.com 01/2013

As common sense and world-renowned chiropractor, Dr. Ernie Landi has stated so eloquently, “If you prevent it, you don’t have to treat it.”

Lifestyle Care is about keeping your spine and nervous system aligned, balanced and functioning to its full potential throughout your lifetime. This allows your brain and your body to communicate efficiently, without interference, so that they can function at their highest level and you can enjoy life to the fullest.

People will frequently ask, “This makes a lot of sense. How often should I come and get my spine and nervous system checked?”

-Life Can Be Intense

The answer is quite simple and depends a lot on you. The intensity of your Lifestyle Care will depend on the intensity of your lifestyle as well as the underlying condition of your spine and nervous system. People who live stress-free lives and have no underlying deterioration in their spine or nervous system require much less Lifestyle Care.

On the other hand, people with moderate amounts of stress and deterioration require more frequent visits and people who are under severe stress or have a lot of severe deterioration in their spine and nervous system require much more frequent visits to keep their body functioning at high levels of health. You and your chiropractor will determine together the frequency that is best for you based on your personal health condition and goals.

As the intensity of your lifestyle changes from month to month or from year to year you may find that the intensity of your Lifestyle Care also needs to change.

For example, if you have found that an adjustment every two weeks has been ideal for you and you change to a more stressful job with a lot of sitting or a long commute you and your chiropractor may find that one adjustment a week works better.

-Chiropractic and Exercise

If you are a casual exerciser and decide to start participating in triathlons, the increased intensity of your training might require you to increase the intensity of your visits to multiple times per week. On the other hand, if your life becomes less stressful, you begin meditating three times a day and your underlying spinal conditions have already been corrected, you may find that your Lifestyle Care frequency may decrease in its intensity.

-Lifestyle Care is Not Based on Symptoms

The most important thing for you to understand is that Lifestyle Care is not based on symptoms. Your frequency is not determined by how you feel but instead is determined by whether or not you have a subluxation, a spinal imbalance with nerve pressure, that needs to be adjusted. Since additional research has revealed that nerve compression can exist without pain, waiting until you have symptoms to get checked is not a good idea. Only your chiropractor can determine whether you need an adjustment or not through a chiropractic check-up.

Ask around and you will find that there are millions of people who have been under chiropractic care for decades not just because they have had a problem but also because they have experienced the benefits of Lifestyle Care. These people may be some of the healthiest people you meet. Too many people in our society are suffering because they are crisis oriented when it comes to their health. Don’t let this happen to you. It is easier, less expensive and more fun to stay well than it is to have to get well after you become sick or injured. Make Lifestyle Care your top priority.

© 2012. TFP, Inc and www.100yearlifestyle.com. All Rights Reserved.

{I was not monetarily compensated for this post.  All opinions expressed here are solely mine.  “The Benefits of Lifestyle Care” blog post was reposted here with expressed permission by Dr. Noel Plasker.}