Hello All.  I would like to pose to you an interesting point that hopefully will interest and inform you.  I want to discuss "wellness care."  I will make this short and sweet;  I look forward to your feedback.

Alright then.  When we think of wellness care typically we think of mammograms, urine tests, blood tests, colonoscopies, etc...  Now while tests of this nature can be important in screening for disease/ health problems, they are not improving your health.  If disease is found it is important to treat it appropriately, certainly.  However, does your regular blood pressure test and peeing into a cup make you healthier?  Does the act of having blood drawn make you healthier?  Of course not. 

The point that I am making is it is important not to just get screened for diseases and wait until you have one.  While screening for disease can be very important, it is not what I consider true wellness care.  Wellness care is designed to make even a person with no visible symptoms healthier.  I am talking about excercise, nutrition, chiropractic care and massage, etc... 

Don't forget to put the emphasis of your time on health building activities such as the above mentioned things, and not worrying about illness.  Philosophically speaking, when health improves sickness abates.  In many cases when the body loses its health, symptoms and health problems set in.  Now instead of treating all the many symptoms that come with poor health, its better to just get healthy.  After all, someone is not healthy and sick at the same time, right?

Now I'm not saying to throw away your heart medicine or blow-off your dialysis treatments.... No, no... I am not saying that.  I am not saying that some symptoms don't require certain tests and treatments, perhaps medications, etc...( I hope you know that, or you've got bigger problems to deal with!)  However, I do want you to consider the point I am raising, and look to increase the health in your life.  When your body is functioning better, you are likely to have improved health!!

That's it for now folks. I hope you found this interesting, or at least less than borring.  I look forward to hearing from you with a blog comment or at drfitzer@fitzerchiropractic.com 

Adios!

06/28/2011

     Hello Everyone.  Actually there are different types of arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis...  Most of the time if a doctor implies that your neck pain, for example, is from arthritis, what he is doing is referring to degenerative changes in you neck which he is likely seeing on an X-ray or MRI.  You are then left with the idea that the reason your neck or back hurts is due to arthritis, or degenerative changes, in your spine.

     I would like to dramatically change your way of thinking and understanding of this situation.  I propose to you that in many cases the pain or problem is coming from joint dysfunction in your spine.  That is, the problem is actually a spinal problem.  In chiropractic, often times we use the term vertebral subluxation to describe just such joint dysfunction.  Now, joint dysfunction can produce pain and over time will likely produce degenerative changes or damage (arthritis).

     So, in fact, the problem you are having is not the arthritis, but it is in fact the joint dysfunction.  The arthritis is not the cause of the problem...quite opposite it is the effect of the problem over time. 

     Yes, my friends...That is the reality of the situation.   But that's good news!!  That means that if we correct your joint dysfunction your pain/problem will be fixed.  You may be thinking but what about the arthritis.  Well what about it?  As long as your neck is functioning well again, it doesn't really matter, it is clinically insignificant.  It will likely not get worse to any significant degree over time to the point that it would be a problem. 

      Now let me just say that in some cases if the arthritis or degenerative change is very significant it COULD become a problem in itself.  Even if it is the result of a joint problem over time and even if we correct the joint problem that caused it. 

      However, in most cases of neck and back pain when the degeneration is not very significant or severe we can correct your problem  rather easily.  Imagine that! Life without pain!  Even if you have degenerative or "arthritic" changes.

     If you have any questions or comments, or if you want to know how we correct joint dysfunction in the spine, then please respond to this   blog or email me at DrFitzer@FitzerChiropractic.com

     Thank you.  I am looking forward to hearing from you!!

Benjamin Fitzer, D.C.