One of the most confusing topics in health is the topic of feeling.

For a majority of us, we choose not to engage a health care provider until we “feel sick, have pain, or have a certain aspect of our life reduced.”

However, in all of the years of study we have performed on the human body, we know that feeling is the FINAL stage of the disease process.

Take a heart attack for an example.

Heart attacks take several years to develop in the body.

Sure, we can run a blood test and see if we have elevated levels of circulating factors or markers that may let us know we are a prime candidate for a heart attack.

However – the for the most part – we don’t feel that anything is wrong with our heart.

In fact – I dare say that we have the exact opposite.

We feel normal.

Until we don’t.

The first sign of a heart attack is the heart attack itself.

Feeling is the end stage of the disease process letting us know that our heart is damaged to a point that can lead to death.

Now…let’s apply this to everyday life.

Person develops a disease condition – lets use headaches for this analogy.

They suffer from them for several months and decide that they are sick of taking drugs.

The key point is that the headaches didn’t just spontaneously develop. 

The disease condition has been working on being developed for years at this point.

They decide to go against the mainstream and check out the “alternative field” because they heard “it helps.”

This is where things get interesting.

In the field of Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic, how you feel has very little weight in the clinical decision making process of delivering a chiropractic adjustment.

In fact, the only reason a doctor will actually listen to a patient about how they feel is to be empathetic to let them know that they actually give a damn about the person (imagine that).

That is a different story for a different day.

Yet, we know that feelings are the end stage of disease right?

So if this is the end stage, what process does a Chiropractor work through to help reverse the process and restore health?

Simple: health is a combination of two very important constants – structure and function.

Or in the case of the patient suffering from headaches…

How well does his or her nervous system function?

And…

What does the underlying structure look like?

You see – we are sold this belief that if I feel good than everything has to be alright!

Right?

Nothing could be further from the truth.

If you have an underlying structure that is damaged to the point of compromising the function of the master system of your body – Your Central Nervous System – then the likelihood of your issue every being resolved for the long run is questionable.

This is where Upper Cervical Specific helps you meet realistic expectations of health.

There is no process that does not require time.

Furthermore, when it comes to your health, HEALING as a process takes time.

You break a bone – you’re in a cast for 6-8 weeks.

You tear an ACL – surgery to game play is roughly 1 year.

You have a traumatic brain injury – you can expect years of investment in your health to restore balance and optimal function.

Just because you don’t have a symptom, doesn’t mean you are healthy.

Furthermore – just because you have a symptom, doesn’t mean you are sick!

So, back to our person with headaches.

Patient A is suffering from headaches and decides to entertain a visit to the local chiropractor because he or she heard it will help them get rid of their headaches.

Upon evaluation, patient has a grade of 60% function of their central nervous system and 60% structure health because they have cervical degeneration and stenosis.

When this is brought to the patient’s attention, they understand that their body has been suffering for quite sometime and that they are finally ready to see some changes.

It is of utmost importance here to recognize that cervical degeneration and stenosis are a medical condition that is diagnosed and not treated in any chiropractic office. Ever.

So – these two conditions will not spontaneously resolve or reverse themselves because you finally decide to invest in your health.

That automatically means that the 60% grade your structure has is there to stay.

This also means that your structure can only get worse if you choose to do nothing to help it maintain its current state.

However – the 60% function is what we seek to address.

In studying the central nervous system, an Upper Cervical Chiropractor understand that by assessing the upper cervical spine (C1 and C2 – or your atlas and axis) we can restore normal joint positioning to improve the function of your central nervous system.

Thus, while patient A is navigating his or her headaches, the Upper Cervical Doctor is working on restoring optimal function to the central nervous system.

A person with a grade of 60% on their central nervous system will typically take 6-8 months to move back to optimal function.

So, lets play this out.

Patient A starts with the upper cervical chiropractor.

They attend for 2 weeks and all of a sudden they feel better.

Their headaches have stopped for the most part.

THEY ARE CURED!

They can stop care and take a break because they feel better all of a sudden!

Right?

WRONG!!!!!

So what happened?

They have simply started to benefit from a change in the performance of their central nervous system!

Is this change permanent?

Absolutely not.

Will their headaches come back – more than likely yes.

Remember – restoration of function takes 6-8 months.

Not two visit.

Not two weeks.

Not two months.

It takes a commitment of both the doctor and the patient to make the best clinical decision for their health.

It requires a commitment to a schedule of constantly checking the integrity of the central nervous system until the system is stabilized for several weeks.

When this commitment is broken, you might as well move on.

This path is not for you.

Just because you “feel better” doesn’t equate to a restoration of function.

The truth about health is that it is a combination of optimal structure and optimal function.

If you have one area that is not optimal, the likelihood of disease developing in your body is rather high.

So understand this.

The journey of health is not easy.

It is not for everyone.

If you are the type of person who breaks commitments, then the path of Upper Cervical is probably not for you.

However – if you are more like Patient B – who is committed to seeing the process through, than Upper Cervical Specific is definitely for you.

It is about helping you achieve your goal of becoming the best version of yourself.

All it takes is a call to Hope at 972-638-0994 and the journey to becoming the best version of you can get started.

It’s not about how you feel.

It’s about how well your body will perform regardless of circumstances.