medcal paradigm Archives - Dr. Martha Nessler

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

Dr. Martha’s Monday Morning Motivational

Monday, September 4, 2011

Do Rx Drugs Work or Do They Just Make it Worse?

I often get asked, “Why would I go to a chiropractor?” Personally, I ask, “Why wouldn’t you go to a chiropractor?” But, that is because I understand what chiropractic can do to increase an individual’s overall quality of life. Because I know that it not only increased my overall quality of life but also has saved my life. I know that if everyone really understood what chiropractic would do to improve their overall quality of life and lives of their loved ones that they too would come to know what I know and love chiropractic like I love chiropractic. Believe it or not there was a day when I was not in the same boat I am in today and had no idea what chiropractic could do for me.

The Verve sang a song called “The Drugs Don’t Work”. The song’s objective is that the drugs don’t make the pain of a break up better and in fact make it worse, with the main chorus stating, “The Drugs Don’t Work They Just Make it Worse”. That same statement can be used to explain pharmaceutical drugs; while they make the symptoms appear better they often make your overall body function worse and decrease your overall level of wellness. It’s safe to say that when it comes to prescription drugs “The Drugs Don’t Work They Just Make it Worse”.

Prescription drug use is on the rise in America. It not only amazes me how many people take prescriptions but how many prescription drugs individuals take at one time. I was headed down the same road, so I not only have been there but also get the fear that is instilled by the medical model, the fear that you will NOT be better without the drugs and will not heal without the drugs. When in fact the opposite is true, our human body is designed to heal itself it, needing no help, just no interference.

At the age of eleven, I started my journey with acid reflux. Upon recommendation of my medical doctor I began taking chewable antacids. When those stopped working I was recommended over the counter antacids and when the severity of my reflux peaked I was placed on prescription drugs. Before I switched form the medical paradigm to the chiropractic paradigm, I was taking a concoction of two prescriptions, 3 over the counter, and carried a pack of chewable antacids with me at all times. I was a prisoner to the concoction that allowed me to enjoy my meals with minimal pain, burping, burning, and bloating.

For me my pivotal moment was my boyfriend at the time, Ryan. Very few people will say that their ex-boyfriend was an angel in their life but for me that is an understatement, Ryan was a lifesaver. Ryan explained to me that sick and dying was an option and that we were deigned to have optimal health. He explained to me what chiropractic could do to change my life. He explained to me that the Rx drugs I was taking were simply masking my symptoms and that I was actually getting worse. He then explained that we as humans were meant to produce acid to aid in digestion and that my spine was subluxated so it was over producing acid. He went on to say that the reason I went from chewable antacid to over the counter to prescription was because my body was doing what it was supposed to do and that the use of prescription drugs gave my body the perception it was being punished. He informed me that the subluxation was the problem and the overproduction of acid was the symptom. The oxymoron about the antacids was clear, my body is supposed to produce acid and the antacids were telling it to stop and because our innate will always balance us, in response to the antacids my body was in fact producing more acid. Therefore I was actually increasing my overall acid production and making the reflux and bleeding ulcers worse, I was actually making myself sicker, the drugs just gave the illusion that I was feeling better as opposed to functioning better.

Drugs really are an oxymoron; while we feel better we are in fact functioning worse. After becoming educated, I knew that it was time to switch my paradigm from medical to chiropractic. Within weeks, my life was completely different, not only was I antacid free but I was symptom free. I was amazed at how great I felt and enjoyed not “having” to take a pill to enjoy my life. I finally felt “normal” in terms of health. This was my pivotal “Ah Ha” moment. This was when I realized that the world needed the same paradigm shift that I had just had, switching from the medical paradigm to the chiropractic paradigm.

The medical paradigm supports the philosophy that we get sicker and sicker until we die, and follow the premise that through prescription drug use the sickness can be subdued. Many people are under the misconception that drugs “heal” their problem, when in fact they simply mask their symptoms. The interesting thing about symptoms is that they are our body’s way of communicating with us similar to how your oil light lets you know that it is time for an oil change, therefore preventing breakdown by throwing a rod in your engine. Without an oil light you would not know that you need to change your oil, the same is true of any symptom in the human body: high blood pressure, headaches, leg pain, incontinence, and a laundry list of other symptoms which are trying to alert you that your body needs attention. Most people perceive symptoms as “negative” when in fact they should be seen as a “positive” as they are keeping the body in homeostasis to maintain proper function and sustain life.

Prescription drugs do a great job of giving the allusion that an individual’s pesky symptoms are gone when in fact they are just being suppressed. Not only are the symptom not really gone, but the Rx drug often causes more symptoms and actually enhances overall body dysfunction. Just as the Verve said, “The Drugs Don’t Work They Just Make it Worse” and just like in the song, street drugs mask the pain of a break up; in life Rx drugs mask the problem not make it go away. Don’t get me wrong Rx drugs do alleviate the symptoms that an individual is experiencing but the underlying problem is still present just not noticeable via external perception. It is also important to make note of the vast array of side effects that are caused by Rx drugs. It is safe to ask, “Do Rx drugs really make it better or long term are they making it worse?” Rx drugs are not the only option, in fact, most people would are baffled that there is an option besides more prescriptions. I know I was in utter disbelief that I could live my life without Rx drugs. Rx Drugs are part of the medical paradigm not part of the chiropractic paradigm.

The chiropractic paradigm is unique because it respects the human body and it’s ability to functional optimally. While the medical paradigm says the body “can’t” the chiropractic paradigm says that the human body “can”. The nervous system, which is composed of the brain, brain stem, spinal cord, and nerves controls every single function of the human body. When the nervous system is functioning optimally, the human body functions at 100%, free of symptoms. The human body is under constant stressors: chemical, physical, and emotional that occur in our every day life and cause subluxations in the spinal column, which protects the spinal cord, these subluxations cause interference in normal body function. Chiropractors detect subluxations, which impair nervous system function, therefore removing the problem and not just the symptom. The chiropractic paradigm’s focus is optimizing overall wellness, where the medical paradigm is geared toward optimizing sickness.

I have never looked back on my decision to switch paradigms, not once in eleven years. I live a life where I fully express life because my innate is fully expressed. I am not sick and have no symptoms. I have not taken pills, whether prescription or over the counter. I get adjusted regularly and enjoy my life full out. We all have the opportunity to live a life free of sickness, symptoms, dis-ease, and disease; it is our God born right.

If you need a chiropractor near you, feel free to email me at drm@drmarthanessler.com! I will find you someone to help guide you as you shift your paradigm!

Love. Laugh. Adjust.

Dr. Martha Nessler, Innate Girl

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