One afternoon, a man went to his doctor and told him that he hadn’t been feeling well lately. The doctor examined the man, left the room, and then came back with three different bottles of pills. The doctor said, “Take the green pill with a big glass of water when you first wake up. Take the blue pill with a big glass of water after you eat lunch. Then just before you go to bed, take the red pill with a big glass of water.” 
Startled to be put on so much medicine, the man stammered, “D-doc, exactly what is my problem?” The doctor replied, “You’re not drinking enough water.”
There are so many different types of health care providers and specialties to choose from when looking for treatment or just trying to maintain your health. In the next several months I thought I’d do a series of short, informative articles on some of the different health care options when seeking assistance with achieving or maintaining optimal health and just overall feeling good. The first installment is on chiropractics mainly because that’s been my background and training for many years.
Chiropractics is the science and art which utilizes the inherent recuperative powers of the body and deals with the relationship between the nervous system and the spinal column, including its immediate articulation, and the role of this relationship in the restoration and maintenance of health.
Every organ, tissue, and cell in the human body is controlled by the central nervous system whether directly or through communications of the peripheral nervous system. Organs and tissues do nothing on their own, but carry out their function only when directed to by nerve impulses from the brain.
Communicating networks of nerves emit from between two adjacent vertebrae of the spinal column which houses and protects the spinal cord. If two or more of the vertebral segments are misplaced or subluxated they may impinge upon these nerves, blocking or altering the nerve flow to the organs and tissues, thus causing dysfunction, discomfort, or disease; it’s basically a structure to ensure a functioning body.
The modern doctor of chiropractics, armed with approximately 4,500 hours of professional training and having passed national and state boards for licensure, is an expert in locating and relieving nerve interference by the use of the chiropractic adjustment, thus restoring function.
As a primary health care physician, the Doctor of Chiropractics utilizes case history, physical examination, instrumentation, x-ray, and other diagnostic procedures in analyzing the specific problem and cause, and then determining the best care for his patient.
Though the mere definition is pretty sterile sounding, most chiropractors are extremely excited about what they do. It is an enthusiasm born of a solemn respect for the human body and a basic understanding of a system which is extremely effective in assisting the body to return to and maintain a healthful state.
Everyday stresses, strains, and minor traumas have a slow, insidious effect on the body, especially the nervous system. Many acute and most chronic health problems begin with these stresses and strains.
I sincerely believe that health is more than merely an absence of symptoms or pain. To me health is a dynamic state wherein the body systems have the resilience and resistance to deal effectively with environmental stressors, whether they be microbes, extremes of temperature, toxins, or physical exertion. Modern chiropractics frees the nervous system, giving the body greater ability to respond. The longer the spinal structure is left out of 
alignment, impinging on the nervous system, the more chronic and severe the problem becomes, and the more difficult to correct.
It goes without saying that the relationship of a doctor and patient is important and requires a great deal of trust. I heard about a patient who went in and complained to his physician, “I’ve been to three other doctors and none of them agree with your diagnosis.” The doctor calmly replied, “Just wait until the autopsy, then they’ll see that I was right.”
