Why you ALWAYS have the same, chronic issues in your health.
Has this ever happened to you?
You “tweak your back” putting on your shoes, and feel a shooting pain down your leg. Then, you google what you have, and Dr. WebMD can’t seem to decide whether its cancer or sciatica, and so you google, “back pain doctors”, and then book an appointment with a chiropractor. They adjust you, maybe give you an exercise or two, and your pain gets better. Hooray!!
But then…..
You stop doing the exercises, don’t see the chiropractor anymore (because you think they are only good for pain relief), and don’t change anything about your life.
And then….3 months later…..
The same thing happens again. You start to believe that you are broken, and even feel a little ashamed because you “can’t even put on a shoe without hurting yourself.” You may even start to slow down your life, being “careful” while moving, and you have more fear during movement than joy.
If this describes an experience you have ever had, or an experience of someone you know, its because it is this: life in the pain cycle. The pain cycle is never fun, always frustrating, and unfortunately, how many approach healthcare. That is, as a solution to our symptoms, and something that we only need when we are in pain, feeling sick, or otherwise “not ourselves.” But healthcare should be more than that. It should be an awakening of who we are, how we were created to function, and an evolution of our awareness towards what our bodies are telling us.
What I just described is what healthcare should be, and is also what happens in a wellness cycle. Where stress still exists in our lives, but we have the understanding to adapt and adjust our lives to it, so we can function as optimally as possible. The difference between the pain and wellness cycle is what happens after we feel a symptom and the symptom resolves. In the pain cycle, nothing changes in our lives, we don’t learn about what our body is telling us, and then we have the same ole problem as before. In the wellness cycle, we use it as an opportunity to learn, adapt, and grow. This allows us to CHANGE our habits, which changes our ability to adapt, and makes us better for it. So, here are the 3 steps to get into the wellness cycle and stay in it.
Learn what the root of your symptoms are. No matter what your “issue”, there is almost always something that is a trigger to it. In the story above, putting on the shoe wasn’t the root, there was most likely something else going on in their life and the twisting from putting on the shoe was the climax, not the cause.
Engage in ways to help relieve your issue, and don’t stop something that is working. Pain, or other symptoms, are usually the tip of the iceberg. They aren’t the real issue, they are just what finally manifested. So, understand that, and change the way you think about healing and wellness. Then, engage with what you are learning, and continue to learn, grow, and be empowered with what you know about how your body functions. Remember, your healthcare should adapt as you do, but it can’t adapt if you don’t engage with it.
Implement what you are learning to change your habits. If we are stuck in our health, stuck in a pain cycle, or can’t seem to gain ground in our health, then clearly something needs to change. So, take that seriously and change some habits in your life. We are creatures of habit, and our habits dictate our results. Those who exercise often stay in shape, those who eat mainly whole foods don’t feel bloated or sluggish, those who prioritize good sleeping habits feel energized. If we want change, we must change our habits.
By learning the root cause of our symptoms, engaging in our health, and implementing changing habits, we can enter into better health that is sustainable and empowering. Sometimes the best things in our health aren’t the most mysterious or mind blowing, but are the ones that are simple and consistent. I hope this helps you, and is an easy way you can teach your family how to live a healthier life. If you have any questions, please reach out, and if you or someone you know wants to invest in their health, you know where to find me. Have a great day!
-Dr. Kevin
