I recently added CrossFit into my routine, something I once swore I would never do because of the stigma that goes with it, but alas here we are. I have been committed to regular fitness for the last decade or more, but this has presented a new type of challenge. Even as a climber with a preference for bouldering, which is not an easy sport, I have found that this new form of functional fitness is hard to do. And it has got me constantly negotiating with myself about how much I really need to do, if I can still reach my goals with fewer workouts, etc. I am sure we all know the drill- the conversations we have with ourselves because we are scared, or too tired, or somehow triggered by this new demand. And every time that we choose to make the commitment to stay consistent, amazing things happen.
This is an experience that I have had over and over again. What it has taught me, is that the part of myself that is frightened by growth, change, and doing hard things, will always be there. But it has also shown me that a willingness to show up and stay consistent, is where the magic happens. It is part of the duality of our humanness- the parts of us that want to turn away and hide from things that frighten us is just as much a part of the process as those parts of ourselves that are capable of creating the life and reality that we dream of.
This principle is perhaps most apparent in matters of health and wellness. If we want to change our health, we must commit to the process of making the change. Period. There is no way around this. If we don't show up and stay consistent, we won't see the changes that we are hoping to see.
There are two ways that we can look at our health- we can focus on what is broken and try "fix" it, or we can create change that will help the body heal and function better in the long term. At Sweeney Family Chiropractic, we focus on the latter. This process is more in depth than symptom driven care, and the outcomes are much more profound.
Just last week we had a patient that walked without crutches for the first time since February. The diagnosis they had received in February left them with very few options because those recommendations were based on symptoms alone - and we are so much more than our symptoms. True health comes from the removal of interference to normal function, and the optimization of our body's basic systems. In many cases, these systems have been ignored or given very little consideration, and our symptoms have been allowed to govern our lives.
When given the opportunity to be a part of this individual's health team, we assessed for vertebral subluxation and created a plan for how to remove these interferences so that the body could begin to heal and function the way it is designed to. And as is the case every time, when we remove the interference, the body functions better. No matter how big or small your symptoms are, make no mistake, that this profound change happens with every adjustment. In the case of the patient that got to walk for the first time without crutches, they got to witness just how well their body can still function even with a challenging diagnosis. There is always room for improvement, the human body is an amazing and powerful thing.
So when you are in the office, and you find yourself struggling with our recommendations, or you hear the voice in your head begin to negotiate with you that maybe you can get the same result with less consistency, money or time, remember that the miraculous changes come with a commitment to the process. Remember that your health is much more than whether or not you have symptoms, and that we are here to guide and coach you through the process of change you are embarking on. Know that it isn't always easy, but at least we can offer that it will likely be fun. We promise to keep the music on, the enthusiasm flowing, and that we are committed to the work of removing interference, so that you can have an opportunity to be the healthiest version of yourself.
