Health, Love & Music

As I sit and my office I glare out the window. It’s finally come, winter has arrived in Minnesota. It’s cold. Even though the pleasures of summer have left us for another 6 months (give or take) this is my favorite time of year. The time when I feel very productive in the office. Today gives me a feeling of happiness to have a few moments to enjoy some of what I love: coffee, music, and writing.

The coffee is freshly brewed and Van Morrison, Robert Plant, Roger Waters and the like are rocking through my speakers. I start to get the “creative juices” flowing by writing down a few words that struck me over the course of the week. Two of those words in particular were “love” and “health.” My mind immediately reverts back to a brain teaser a good friend and fellow chiropractor used to try and stump one another during downtime. We would randomly pick different objects or words and tell the other person to relate those words or objects back to chiropractic and health. The idea was to improve our ability to think on our feet when people would ask us questions in the office or in public. I love this task and encourage people to use it. Relate words and objects to whatever it is you love and it will make you better at explaining clearly and thinking quickly!

ANYWAYS, the music playing triggered something in me. Health and Chiropractic care are similar to music and love in that none are tangible entities. That is we can’t hold music, we can’t grasp love, and we can’t have health! Additionally health, music, and love only exist when action is taken. If you don’t strum your guitar there is no sound. If you don’t express your feelings there is no love. And if you don’t make positive choices you won’t be healthy.

In my experience most people can grasp the first two concepts rather easily, but we struggle as a society to understand that health is not a tangible entity. Health is a process and which direction you move in that process is dependent upon your choices. We cannot move towards health by utilizing just one resource much like music cannot be made with just one note, and love does not occur just because you hug or kiss.

Far too many of us base our health simply on how we feel. But viewing health on warning signs is like waiting for the low fuel light to turn on before you fill up your car. If that light turns on in your care you have a few choices. The first is to do nothing, but you’ll run out of gas. You can also put a few dollars in making the light go off, but for how long? Lastly, you can fill your tank until it’s full which turns the light off and ensures you have enough fuel to allow your car to perform at its best. Which makes the most sense? So why then do you suppose we believe health comes in a bottle when all it does is turns our low fuel light off…briefly.

The endless reasons we create for wanting to believe that health comes in a bottle are not important. What is important is to understand health comes from making daily choices that illicit the innate healing powers the body. Those choices are to eat healthy, exercise regularly, and maintain a proper nerve supply. It’s not a complicated system, but it requires proactive work rather than reactive crisis control. The best part of being proactive in making health choices is that it not only helps you feel good and be healthy, but it’s also beneficial for your wallet as well!

In 2009 the average American (children included) spent nearly $9,000 out of pocket for “health care.” Of that average expenditure, the vast majority of the problems being focused on were lifestyle related (obesity, heart disease, diabetes (type II), and chronic pain). And recently a Harvard Economics study showed for every $1 companies and individuals invested (on the three things I listed above needed to be healthy) received a $3 return. This return came from the fact that people were more productive, missed fewer work days and were happier. This in return profited the companies and lowered health care costs. Those companies then passed those savings on to their employees with more pay incentives, more PTO and other freedoms! So making healthy choices not only makes stronger, it makes you richer!

With the coming season of stress and travel what better time than now to start taking care of yourself! Be regular in your adjustments for health, not for pain management. Eat healthy because it makes you stronger. Exercise regularly so your body becomes a temple of power!