Chiropractic is a Science, Art, and Philoosophy

Chiropractic is a science, art, and philosophy and all have equal importance

Chiropractic is a science. The body, and all its intricate processes are governed by physical laws, many of which man has discovered and applied to make sense of our workings and our problems.

We understand the physics of gravity and the impact of its forces imposed on the body. Just as the tires may wear on an automobile when it is out of alignment, so too can our joints; our mechanical system is subject to the stresses of the environment in which we live.

Science has also delineated the importance of proper body chemistry. We are constantly rediscovering how the body needs the right nutrients, the fuels to run optimally, at the right time. What fuel are you filling your tank with? High performance machines don’t run on diesel fuel! What raw materials are you bringing to the job site to build your home? Without proper body chemistry, your energy will be sapped, your muscles weak, your bones brittle; your house may fall down.

The influence of the mind is far-reaching. We can see in our everyday lives, in our interaction, the impact a positive or negative mind-set may have on one’s life. The nervous system is the composer of a very large symphony; every cell in your body! The brain is the hard drive, the spinal cord is the fuse box and individual nerves are the terminal wiring that keep the lights on. Without the nervous system, picture your computer crashing, your lights out!

Chiropractic is an art. As every craftsman has his medium, the chiropractor's is the human form. With chiropractic literally meaning “practice of the hand,” we are manipulating the physical tissues of that form and working to stave off the stresses that one accumulates throughout the course of time. Much in the way a sculptor creates a form from clay, the chiropractor kneads the muscles and mobilizes the joints of the body to appreciate a better more balanced physical state - a more efficient machine.

Chiropractic philosophy is the why of what we do. To me chiropractic is a pure truth, a tangible reality. The body requires proper fuel to run it. The bumps and bruises incurred over time are saved in its memory much like accumulated radiation of the sun. These do not go away on their own, someone must remove them. Even where there is no pain, there is a problem. Only a fraction of the nerves in our wiring transmit pain (approx. 10%). The rest of that symphony of nerve activity controls function (approx. 90%). So, you have a 10% chance to actually feel pain. Think heart disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia; these and all disease processes don’t arise overnight. The symptoms do, but the problem evolved years, and likely decades before any pain was felt.

It is a reality that the chiropractor is a problem-based practitioner, not one focused on the removal of symptoms only. Health is not merely the absence of disease or pain, it is optimal bodily function. People must learn to change before they have to.