To be the healthiest you can be, you and your chiropractor must work as a team.

QUESTION:
I thought a chiropractor would cure me with spinal adjustments. Is there more to it than that?

ANSWER:
A chiropractor adjusts your spine to reduce the problem areas - called subluxations* - which cause so many health conditions. When your spine is correctly aligned, it allows your nervous system to function properly, and your body can heal itself. Spinal adjustments give your body the opportunity to heal.

* Ask your chiropractor for a brochure explaining subluxations.

Suggested reading:
Quantum Healing, Deepak Chopra Love, Medicine and Miracles, Bernie Siegel The Twelve Stages of Healing, Donald M. Epstein Passionate Longevity, Elaine Dembe Fit for Life, Harvey Diamond Spontaneous Healing, Andrew Weil

QUESTION:
What can I do to help myself?

ANSWER:
Here's a list to keep on the fridge:

1. Healing takes place during sleep. You must get a good night's sleep, and rest when you're really tired.
2. Healing takes energy, the kind that comes from proper nutrition. You may need nutritional supplements, which your chiropractor may prescribe, but you definitely need good, wholesome food, eaten calmly and regularly. Avoid foods that are preserved, packaged, or unnatural. Read labels and avoid those that contain chemicals, as well as fatty, salty, or sugary junk foods and excessive amounts of tea, coffee, colas, or alcohol. Learn to appreciate the taste of foods and drinks that are as close to their natural state as possible such as spring water, juices, fresh fruits and vegetables.
3. Your body was designed to move. Healing requires strong and supple muscles, and a heart and lungs that can send vital nutrients and oxygen to every single cell. Exercise - which is just another word for moving - is essential. Your chiropractor will recommend stretches and exercises to complement your treatment, but good health requires a permanent commitment to making your body move.
4. Laugh. Research has shown that a key to living long is to live happy. Attitude is hugely important, and the best attitude comes from living with joy in your heart. Surround yourself with family, friends, books and music. Treasure and enjoy the gift that is your life. Learn from your mistakes and make every day count.
5. Lighten your load. A body in pain, a sick body, may well be a body overcome by tension. Give yourself time to think, time to reflect, time to heal. Remember, in your struggle to achieve a better tomorrow, today is all you really have.
6. Write about it. Keeping a daily journal makes you stop and think. It can help you to understand yourself better and to grow, and that encourages healing.
7. Listen to your body. Illness is a normal response a healthy body makes to an unhealthy situation. It's a signal that something in your life needs to be changed. 8. Be patient. Keep your chiropractic appointments. Each adjustment builds on the previous one, so it is essential to maintain the schedule your chiropractor prescribes for you.