The body is an amazing machine, with the ability to self heal. This is a true statement, yet millions of dollars are spent each year for hospital care and medications. So if the body can heal itself, why doesn’t it?
The body does heal itself day after day, and when it needs help to do its job it signals for help. Too often, however, we ignore that signal and just keep pushing the body until it succumbs to our mal treatment.
Look at it this way, when any other machine signals that all is not well, for the most part we listen and do something to correct the situation. For example, when the oil light in your car comes on. Most people will, within the hour go and have the problem rectified. On the other hand, you get a pain, or other symptom and what do you do? Most people will take a pill to turn off the warning pain and never think about it again until the symptom returns.
A symptom, defined by the Concise Oxford Dictionary as “a feature, which indicates a condition of disease”, is the body’s way of letting us know that all is not well and there is something that needs our attention. Symptoms can occur for many reasons ranging from acute injury to nutritional or chemical imbalance in the body. A symptom can be likened to a smoke alarm. You would not cut the wires to your smoke alarm and go back to bed. Similarly, you should not turn off the body’s alarm and continue pushing it to function.
Symptoms may present in such a way that they demand your attention. Severe pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and severe rash are examples. There are those, however, that are less demanding on our attentions and so we tend to adjust our lifestyle to accommodate them. The headaches, occasional numbness, cramps, constipation and early signs of aging are just a few.
Symptoms are our friends. They let us know when something is going wrong with our bodies. Regardless of the form they take, they should not be ignored. When symptoms present themselves, it is essential to see your health care provider for an evaluation. Always remember to have your nervous system checked by your chiropractor, and remember that you have the responsibility to find a health care provider who listens to you and really get to the root of your problem instead of giving you a tool to turn your alarm off. Your first symptom may be one that causes dis-ease. Do not let it become a disease.
Roslyn Thompson, D.C.
Dr. Roslyn Thompson is a chiropractic physician and owner of New Hope Chiropractic Wellness Center in Orlando, Florida. She can be reached at 407 293 8890.
Great information. I think everyone should listen and pay attention to their bodies more.