The Power of Prevention

The Power of Prevention 

Many people believe that they should only go to a doctor when their sick. This is an example of “Sick Care”.  That myth has created a growing economic problem which helped drive up healthcare costs.  The cost of  “Health problems are a major drain on the economy, resulting in 69 million workers reporting missed days due to illness each year, and reducing economic output by $260 billion per year” (CDC, 2014).  Increasing the use of proven preventive services can encourage greater workplace productivity. is paid by individuals and their employers.   Preventative medicine is becoming the new standard for keeping good health or “wellness care.”  It is better to prevent diseases from happening then to have to manage and treat it after the damage is already done.

Chiropractic care is a great place to start a journey with your own personal wellness.  Some people believe they should only get treated if they are having pain. This is a common misconception because pain is the last reaction that the body will feel in response to dysfunction, degeneration and biomechanical misalignment.  I use this analogy in my office: Just as brushing and flossing are important to maintain healthy teeth and gums, regular adjustments of the spine are important to maintain healthy joints and nervous system.              

Preventative care or wellness care prevents degeneration, osteoarthritis also known as spondylosis or degenerative joint disease (DJD) from effecting to your spine.  If the spine is left untreated, case studies show that “degeneration can start as early as 2 weeks” (Lipowitz & Newton, 2014).

                             

Degeneration happens due to a lack of movement, or restriction, in a particular spinal segment, which causes it to degenerate.  As they say “if you don’t use it you lose it.”  For example DJD can lead to problems in posture such as straightening of the spine or lose of the curve. 

The BEST medicine is the one that you control the outcome to!  They key to wellness starts with prevention, the key to better health starts with the Wellness Drs.  

Sources:

Yoga tree pose

http://imgkid.com/yoga-tree-pose.shtml

CDC quote

http://www.cdc.gov/healthcommunication/toolstemplates/entertainmented/tips/preventivehealth.html

cervical curve

http://www.fieldsfamilychiro.com/pettibon-chiropractic-2/what-are-the-spinal-curves/

DJD quote

 Date referenced 7/30/14

http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/projects/saortho/chapter_87/87mast.htm

Degenerative Joint Disease and Traumatic Arthritis

Chapter 87

Alan J. Lipowitz

Charles D. Newton

Neck straightening Spine pic

http://www.clinic-hq.co.uk/article_59_Cervical+Osteoarthritis++