Dr. Martha’s Monday Morning Motivational

Monday, September 12, 2011

Health Is Expensive: Will You Pay At One Time or Over Time”

I often hear that being healthy is expensive.  Like anything else I guess it is all a matter of perception and because perception dictates reality, being healthy could be perceived as “expensive”.  A glance at others perceptions can allow us to shift our perception if we are open to it. There was a time when I lived with the perceived notion that being healthy was expensive until I really began to understand that much like anything a simple shift in perspective can open your eyes to a world or thought process unknown.

I once heard a quote that said, “A man spends all his health to get his wealth and then in turn spends all his wealth to get his health”.  So, it is not being healthy that is expensive but rather it is health in general that is expensive.  It’s deciding whether or not to pay the “expense” of health over time or at one time. It is not whether or not you will pay but rather when you will pay.  In society there are two major paradigms that we are presented with when it comes to lifestyle choices, the medical paradigm or the chiropractic paradigm. Understanding these paradigms will allow you to know if you will pay for your health over time or all at one time.

The medical paradigm is centered on waiting until symptoms and/or disease present themselves and dealing with the “crisis” at that time.  The medical paradigm believes that as humans we slowly break down over time until we die.  It is a crisis-centered paradigm that waits until symptoms present themselves and deal with them at that time.  There is no way of knowing what crisis will present its self or when? A crisis can vary from the flu to a migraine to an appendectomy to heart surgery and the list goes on.  Much like Russian roulette there is no rhythm to their presentation nor is there a way to gage the cost of the crisis.   Over an individual’s life span they can experience one to a few crisis or multiple crisis, with each crisis decreasing their overall quality of life.  There then comes a point when individuals are willing to spend all the money that they have to maintain the final ounces of their health.  In this paradigm the expense for “health” is paid for in one lump sum at the time of service and can vary in cost from thousands to 10’s of thousands or even 100’s of thousands.  An individual’s perspective on the value of money shifts when it comes down to health or wealth.

The chiropractic paradigm stresses the importance of living a healthy lifestyle, which allows an individual to invest on his or herself over time with the objective of maintaining health and achieving longevity.  The chiropractic paradigm is centered around maintaining optimal wellness throughout an individual’s entire life with hopes of remaining in homeostasis and avoiding dis-ease which leads to disease.  Similar to dentistry, chiropractic believes in the importance of maintaining the body’s level of health through maintenance.  Dental maintenance is composed of regular check ups, regular in office cleaning, twice to three times daily brushing, and proper nutrition. A principled chiropractor will urge you to follow a wellness routine though nutrition, exercise, maintaining mental and spiritual balance and being checked regularly by your chiropractor.  Both practices are similar in that frequency of care varies with personal history, whether health history or dental history. In this paradigm you pay small amounts over time with the intent of maintaining the God given level of wellness you were gifted at birth.  This paradigm is true “life insurance”, with low premiums and high dividends.

Each and every individual is given the choice between paradigms.  When choosing your paradigm it is important to define quality of life and get clear on what kind of a life you want to live. While I am a free spirit and thrive off adventure there are some things that are more of a gamble rather than an adventure.  Personally, I’ve never understood Russian roulette, because “what if’? Much like a parent can only raise up a child with “hopes of” but ultimately the child must live their own “hopes” my hope for you is that you will invest in yourself.  I will not argue that health is expensive; “Is it expensive?” is not the question but rather “When will you pay the expense?” Will you pay slowly over time with the mind frame of preserving your health or will you pay a large amount at the end in hopes of preserving your life? If you look at cars they are a considerable expense and we take care of them, in hopes of maintaining them, even though they are replaceable.  Yet, with our own human body we neglect it as if it were replaceable.  Simply shifting your perspective and realizing that you are your most valuable asset and deserve to live your life full out and with full expression of life. When you realize you are worth it, you will realize every dollar spent is worth.  Money can buy anything but a new you!

Love. Laugh. Adjust.

Dr. Martha Nessler, Innate Girl