John’s Story
We’ve had many patients over the years who have been referred to our office and become curious about why their friend or family member has been under Chiropractic care with us for so long. What we tell them is that many of our patients initially come to us at Clarity Wellness Chiropractic for pain relief. Still, as they recover, they choose to incorporate Chiropractic care into their healthy lifestyle.
John, for example, is one of our patients who has been receiving Chiropractic care for the past nine years, since Clarity Wellness Chiropractic opened its doors. We first met John at a talk that Dr. Clarise Chan, our family wellness Chiropractor in Etobicoke, gave on The Importance of Posture about your Spine and Running Form. Beyond the known benefits of reduced pain, improved posture, and enhanced mobility with Chiropractic care, Dr. Clarise Chan shared about the impact of spinal misalignment/subluxation on nervous system function. She explained that this could result in various health issues, including sleeping problems like Insomnia/Sleep disturbances, digestive issues, and respiratory issues. John shared with Dr. Clarise Chan that not only did he have lower back pain, but he also suffered from problems with his sleep, stress management, and poor posture. John had never seen a Chiropractor before, but once he understood how Chiropractic Care could help improve the issues he was struggling with, he decided to come in for a Chiropractic assessment to have his spine and Nervous system evaluated.
What is the Nervous system?
Your Nervous system is made up of your brain and spinal cord. It controls every cell, tissue, and organ in the body. It is the master circuit of your body! Your spine, which is made up of twenty-four vertebrae, houses your spinal cord. Generally, from the side, you should have three curves like the letter ‘S’, and from the front and back, your spine should be perfectly straight like the letter ‘I’. In addition to your twenty-four vertebrae, you have thirty-one pairs of spinal nerves that run from your neck (cervical spine) down to your tailbone (coccyx). When your spine is in its normal and correct position, all of these nerve channels will be able to function freely without any nerve interference. However, when there is a shift in your spine, this puts pressure on these surrounding spinal nerves, creating nerve interference and ultimately, nervous system dysregulation (an imbalance between the sympathetic “fight or flight” and parasympathetic “rest and digest” parts of your nervous system). These misalignments or shifts are referred to as Vertebral Subluxations.
Subluxations break down your spine, leading to degeneration/arthritic damage to your joints and discs. If left uncorrected, over time, this can cause not only poor posture, pain, and mobility issues, but also, as mentioned earlier, interfere with vital health functions such as sleep, stress management, digestion, and focus.
What causes subluxations/misalignments in your spine?
Subluxations can be caused by three major areas, or in Chiropractic, what we call the “Three T’s”:
- Thoughts – childhood trauma and/or negative thought patterns that cause fear, anxiety, and/or depression impact the physiology of our body and ultimately our spinal alignment/nervous system functioning
- Traumas – falls, sport injuries, car accidents, postural stress (work and school), and the birthing process are some of the significant areas that can lead to subluxations/misalignments in your spine.
- Toxins – ingredients in our skin care/household products (i.e., laundry detergent, body lotion), additives/preservatives in our food, and pesticides sprayed in our environment are lifestyle stressors that can cause chemical stress to our nervous system
What are the signs and symptoms of Nervous system dysregulation?
Nervous system dysregulation due to subluxations can show up in your health in a variety of ways, including:
- Chronic Stress/Mental Health issues – Anxiety, Depression, Fatigue
- Sleep disturbances – Insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, and/or sleeping through the night
- Digestive issues – Acid reflux, Constipation, aggravation of symptoms related to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Cognitive issues – Difficulty concentrating, brain fog, memory impairment
How Chiropractic Can Help
Chiropractic adjustments help to gently re-align your spine to take pressure off the surrounding nerves. This, in turn, allows your Nervous system to operate more efficiently, allowing your brain-body connection to be optimized. When your brain-body connection is optimized, your innate healing capacity allows your immune system to become resilient against any stressors that it faces.
In our clinic, we have observed that it is even more powerful when families work together as one, as one nervous system impacts the other. Pregnant mothers, kids, toddlers, infants, adults, seniors, and athletes can all benefit from receiving Chiropractic care regularly.
Chiropractic Care as a Lifestyle Choice
Going back to John’s story, since starting his care with us, he has shared that not only has he no longer suffered from lower back pain, but his sleep has also improved, and he has better posture. He has better stress management, particularly given the high demands of his job. John is one of our oldest patients (he has been with us since our clinic first opened!) and continues to commit to a weekly frequency of care to optimize his nervous system function and keep mobile to do the things that he loves with his growing family.
As in John’s own words: “I would highly recommend trying out Chiropractic care. You may notice the differences within a month or several months. However, I think we all need to perform some preventative maintenance on our bodies. We do it for our teeth, why not do it for our back [spine]?”
At Clarity Wellness Chiropractic, we believe that your body was made to heal and thrive. And that the choices we make every day either support our health goals or detract from them. Chiropractic care is a safe and natural solution to pain relief and is a key part of maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle. If you have never seen a Chiropractor before and think you may be suffering from nervous system dysregulation, contact us today. You may be one step away from becoming the best and healthiest version of yourself!
Your Etobicoke Family Chiropractor
Dr. Clarise Chan
