February is finally here and it’s the month we all know for Valentine’s Day, or should I say…ValenSPINES Day?! (I’ll get to that in just a minute) Yes, yes the time where if you haven’t been expressing as much love, gratitude and affection towards your significant other as you should have been up until now . . . then it’s time to kick into gear and make up for it!
The good news is that you’re not even two months into the New Year so you can be sure to ride that wave for at least another couple of months after February. However, the wise decision would be to carry that on into every day moving forward. I’ll give you one simple action step you can implement at the end of this blog post that will rewire and condition your brain into making this a weekly/daily occurrence as opposed to something you only do on special occasions.
While it is a time of love and intimacy, I would be remiss if I didn’t touch on the fact that February is recognized as American Heart Month. As a nation, we enjoy having access to some of the best doctors in the world. Medical technology has rapidly advanced leaps and bounds in even the past 20 years, and we spend the most on healthcare per capita compared to all industrialized nations in the world. However, Heart Disease is and has been the leading cause of death in the United States, and in 2017, took nearly 650,000 lives alone. According to the 2019 version of the Bloomberg Healthiest Country Index where they ranked 169 countries, the US didn’t even crack the top 25. This hasn’t really come to surprise you much at this point . . . has it? As a matter of fact, when I ask most people what they think we are ranked, intuitively they all seem to know that we are not doing so hot as a nation – so you’re not alone on that one.
You’ve probably heard of many things you can do to improve your heart health and that of your loved one such as:
- Go for at least a 30-minute walk/exercise at 3-5 days/week
- Consume less refined/processed sugar
- Eat more whole fruits and vegetables
- Drink more water
- Have a positive mental attitude
- Take fish oil
And this list goes on and on and on . . . and the reality is that those are all great things to incorporate for building a healthier heart. However, have you ever asked yourself, “How come my friend Karen never exercises and eats terrible food, yet she has a more ideal blood pressure than I do even though I exercise regularly and consume a more whole food diet?”
It’s frustrating, isn’t it? One vital component to optimal health and vitality that most people have not been educated on is the fundamental law of Adaptability. It could very well be that your friend Karen has developed a better ability to adapt to physical, chemical and emotional stressors and is more Stress Resilient, as opposed to being Stress Vulnerable.
The fact of the matter is that you live your life through your Nerve System and it not only controls, regulates and coordinates all parts of the entire body, including your heart, but it also is the system in which your body uses to orchestrate its ability to adapt to your internal and external environment. The brain does this by sending trillions of nerve messages down your spinal cord and out through your nerves to all parts of your body and back up to the brain each minute.
The spine, when in ideal structural alignment, protects this delicate system so that you can function optimally and express health. When one of the spinal bones cannot adapt to stress, it shifts and starts to obstruct the spinal nerve as opposed to protecting it and reducing the functional capacity of the nerve system. If that nerve is going to your heart either from your upper back or your upper neck, it impairs your brain’s ability to properly send and receive messages to your heart and limits your heart’s ability to adapt to stress.
Dr. Hans Selye, Nobel Laureate and member of the Candian Medical Hall of Fame and developer of the Stress Theory of Disease stated that, “The beginning of the disease process begins with postural distortions.”
As chiropractors focused on Neuro-Structural Correction, the objective is to make corrections to the spine to restore proper function to the nerve system so that your body can self-regulate and self-heal better. Posture is one of the first indications that structural shifts are likely present in your spine.
Has anyone in your lifetime ever taught you how to take care of your spine and nerve system? Well, February is a great month to consider having you and your loved one’s spine and nerve system carefully evaluated by a Chiropractor that focuses on Neuro-Structural Correction. To actually learn and see how ensuring that your spine and nerve system is functioning properly so that not only will it give your heart the best opportunity to adapt better, but that all of your body receives those same benefits. Maybe this is why cardiologist Dr. Jack Wolfson advises all of his patients to be under regular chiropractic care – to ensure that your body functions optimally.
Happy ValenSPINES Day!
References:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/282929.php
https://thedrswolfson.com/can-chiropractic-reverse-heart-disease/
