Growing up, chiropractic care was not a part of my life. My parents used medical care when necessary, but relatively speaking we didn’t need much interaction with the health care world. My introduction to chiropractic came when I was in my 20s and my roommate’s girlfriend was trying to stir up business for her boss… a chiropractor. This initial introduction began an interest in chiropractic due, in part, to the effects that I experienced physically under chiropractic care, as well as a peaked interest in the idea of body health in general. The process took time to develop, but has now manifested with the result of a career change, a move across the country, completion of chiropractic school, and commitment to practicing and honing my skills as a chiropractor; all in the pursuit of ‘what is chiropractic?’ and ‘how can it help my family, friends, and others around me?’
In the last couple years, I’ve been learning more and more the effects chiropractic can have on my family’s life. In specific, the benefits of upper cervical adjusting. My son, now 3 years old, showed us the power of keeping his spine healthy. Since birth he has always been relatively healthy but he never did sleep very well or for very long periods of time when he was younger. It was the night of his first adjustment that had the first noticeable impact. That night he slept 3 times longer than any previous night since birth. I remember that night so well, because it was also the night that his mother and I had 3 times more sleep than any other night in the past year. All that had changed that day was having his spine adjusted.
More recently he received his first upper cervical adjustment. Again, I remember that adjustment so well because it also affected our family’s ability to get needed rest. A doctor at the clinic did an upper cervical evaluation and adjustment on a Friday. For the next 3 days my son ran endless circles around the living room, only taking breaks to rest (very briefly) and eat. He had always been an active boy, but this was a new level. Somewhere in his brain was another higher level of activity, and the adjustment unlocked that place; sometimes to the detriment of my ability to get sleep.
Joking aside, it became very clear to me the effects of an adjustment on those that I care about and want to see healthy and successful. Moving forward, making sure that my son’s brain and body are connected with a fully functional nervous system is crucial in his development; but at what age does that importance stop? The answer to that is that it never stops being a priority. Meaning, I need to make sure my nervous system is functioning, and my wife’s, and my family’s, and my friends and loved ones. If the difference between health and lack of health is the function of the nervous system, it only makes sense to prioritize making sure ours are good to go.