Maximising Your Health - The Benefits of Chiropractic Care

The continued rise in the usage of chiropractic care has been ongoing. Studies continue to demonstrate the numbers rising and the increase of people using chiropractic health care. In one issue of American Journal of Public Health, a study was published entitled "Use of Chiropractic Services from 1895 through 1991 in the United States and Canada". The conclusion of this study was that the number of visits to chiropractors has more than doubled in the past 20 years. Many recommend this particular treatment method due to the non-invasive approach and its insistence on awakening the body's natural ability to heal and become healthier, stronger and more resilient.

The Healing Benefits Of Chiropractic

Most people in their everyday lives have things happen that effect their bodies. Dysfunction in their musculoskeletal system can benefit from chiropractic care. From pain relief, injury rehabilitation, optimal athletic performance, aging and improved immune function. These are all some the benefits a person may undergo when they have misaligned spine, back, or neck. For people who need to be physically active for their work, sport and daily responsibilities, the presence of such dysfunction disables them from performing well. This is due to the fact that any form of movement on the traumatized area of the body can result in stress and possibly more damage causing more pain and discomfort.

Regardless of the cause of your initial pain and problems, among the many benefits research shows you may enjoy as a result of chiropractic care are as follows:

• better movement and improved circulation

• lower levels of lactic acid

• higher oxygenation and better nutrient delivery to cells

• increased flexibility

• improved comfort and decrease or elimination of pain

• Faster recovery time

• Reduced muscle spasm

• Prevention of future injury and improved immune function

• More relaxed feeling

The Overall Approach

If you want to enhance the benefits of chiropractic care, it is best to combine your efforts with an overall approach to your health and well being. Health is not merely the absence of pain and symptoms. If you have ever had a cavity, you know that by the time the pain shows up, the damage to your tooth is already there. The healthier you are, and the healthier you become the greater the potential benefits of your chiropractic care. Minimise dis-ease and maximise your health. The relief from any pressure or source of discomfort and irritation will allow your body to attain maximum mobility and better performance.

Some general recommendations to develop a routine and get the maximum health benefits are the following:

• Keep your body properly hydrated.

• Follow a healthy nutritional plan, including lots of raw organic foods and leafy greens.

• Do some stretching exercises or develop a healthy exercise routine.

繚 Maximise your oxygen intake through some forms of aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

Additional Benefits of Chiropractic Care

There is still a small percentage of the population who have misconceptions about the benefits of chiropractic care. However, research continues to be done, changing these perceptions and gradually more of the scientific community are showing greater interest in the healing potential that chiropractic may represent. One of the misconceptions being that it is not a valid form of treatment and is used only for mild cases of back pain, headaches, and the like. However, chiropractic adjustments are being researched to investigate the benefits even to those suffering from extreme cases of spinal or vertebral misalignment and other health problems.

Many chiropractors have patients who have benefited beyond musculoskeletal problems, these include:

• women may have improved comfort during pregnancy and labour

• minimise the risk of scoliosis in an infant and improve their postural development.

• Improved immune function and resilience possibly preventing asthma, ear infection, bedwetting, among other things.

• more energy, productivity and physical stamina in adults

• For senior individuals, they attain better balance, improved sleeping and prevent injury from falls.

Some of the results and benefits reported from patients who have undergone chiropractic care include the following:

• Improved immune and nervous system function

• greater vitality

• improved breathing and exercising

• improved digestion and bowel function

• improved vision

• Improved overall health.

Study and research continues as we look at the cause of health and the benefits of chiropractic care!

Following chiropractic adjustments, your body may start to improve movement and alignment of the spine and spinal structures. In many cases, a patient will immediately experience relief for a problem soon after undergoing chiropractic care. Restoring and building health from the inside is one of the advantages of opting for chiropractic care over surgical or medical procedures that often require a long recovery period. In other cases if the damage or misalignment is more severe, a person may be sore and still achy after care. Some people may take longer to heal and demonstrate improvement, they may also need to make other lifestyle improvements to maximise their health and wellbeing along with improved pain free movement.

If you approach your health from the perspective of a way of life, and give your body and mind the essentials for maximising your health, chiropractic care may be a key ingredient.

Help My Back Pain - Therapies to Ease the Misery

Therapy to help back pain
Lower back pain sometimes known as Lumbago or Sciatica is a common disorder affecting some 60% of the adult population, seeking to get rid of back pain. So great is the problem, that in the UK alone, some 150 million man days are lost each year in industry, as a result of absenteeism attributed to lower back pain. Generally, the symptoms of low back pain are due to benign musculoskeletal problems often arising from strains in the lower back muscles or soft tissue, and these ease considerably within a few weeks using common sense measures to address.

To help back pain, establishing of the fundamental origin of the back pain with a GP is usually made through a combination of a medical history, physical examination, and, when necessary, diagnostic investigation, such as x-ray, MRI, or CT scan. Usually, low back or lumbar pain can be treated conventionally, with one recommendation being physical therapy which may help alleviate the symptoms, and give back pain relief. A summary of some of the more common therapies used to provide back pain relief are listed below:-

Acupuncture
Acupuncture treatment originated in China over two thousand years ago. It is reputed that the first observations were of soldiers, wounded in battle by arrows, and how the arrow 'punctures' caused therapeutic effects in different parts of the victims body well away from the wound area. The general theory behind traditional acupuncture is based on patterns or meridians of energy flow through the body that are essential for health. This is referred to as Qi or Chi and sometimes Xue (blood). Disruptions of this flow are thought to be the primary causes of pain and disease. Acupuncture attempts to correct imbalances of flow, thus helping to restore the patient's health.

How acupuncture works
Broadly, acupuncture involves stimulation of points along these energy flows through a range of techniques. Stimulation is typically performed using very fine needles that create gentle sensations. Each of these needles are inserted into specific points along these 'energy pathways' or "meridians".

Can acupuncture help my back Pain
Acupuncture is considered useful in treating such conditions as lower back pain, sciatica, stiffness, and strains. In traditional acupuncture theory, pain arises due to blocked energy along 'energy pathways' or "meridians" of the body, which are 'cleared' when acupuncture needles are inserted. In modern medicine, scientific reasons have been put forward for the apparent benefits that acupuncture provides for the sufferers of lower back pain. One observation is that acupuncture stimulation causes the releases neurochemicals and hormones, regarded as producing signals that soothe the sympathetic nervous system and release natural opioids which provide back pain relief.

Alexander technique
The Alexander Technique is a method that works to change (movement) habits in our everyday activities. It is a simple and practical method for improving ease and freedom of movement, balance, support and coordination. The technique teaches the use of the appropriate amount of effort for a particular activity, giving you more energy for all your activities. It is not a series of treatments or exercises, but rather a re-education of the mind and body. The Alexander Technique is a method which helps a person discover a new balance in the body by releasing unnecessary tension. It can be applied to sitting, lying down, standing, walking, lifting, and other daily activities

How Alexander Technique works
The Alexander Technique shows its students how to learn to do whatever they currently do as easily and efficiently as possible. It is concerned almost exclusively with process - how an activity is performed not what it is. Although there are no exercises, Alexander technique shows how to exercise more efficiently, with reduced risk of injury. Many, seeking back pain relief are drawn to the technique because of its reputation to help back pain or lumbago, stiff necks and shoulders, and other conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Alexander teachers are not doctors and do not diagnose diseases.

Can Alexander Technique help my back pain
By becoming more aware of how the body works and learning how to "undo" bad body practices, those suffering with long term or chronic back pain are able to soothe and ease their symptoms. Pupils of Alexander technique can learn how to pupils how to liberate needless muscle tension and, freer means of movement which impose less strain and therefore back pain relief.

Bowen Therapy
The Bowen technique is a soft tissue remedial therapy, named after its innovator Tom Bowen. This therapy is not considered massage, but as a non-invasive muscle release and integration technique, but similar to massage, it releases muscular tension. Its clients describe experiences of significant relaxation after a session.

How does Bowen Therapy work
The technique involves the therapist using fingers or thumbs to move over muscle, ligament tendon and fascia in various parts of the body. The work is very subtle, relaxing and gentle involving no hard or prolonged pressure. During a session the client will lie on a therapy table or bed, although the work can be effectively carried out with the client in a chair.

Can Bowen Therapy help my back pain
The most common presentation is for back pain relief and here Bowen excels. The average number of treatments would be two or three for most therapists. There are always going to be exceptions to any rule, and certain people will need further or even on-going treatments. Sports injury is a field of remedial therapy that is becoming very aware of The Bowen Technique. The Bowen Technique is being used at high levels of sport in this country, with rugby clubs and premiership football clubs showing interest. Bowen therapists advocate that this can reduce or eliminate or help back pain and promote general health
Source: European College of Bowen

Chiropractic
Chiropractic is a technique which focuses on the musculoskeletal and nervous systems. The principal of Chiropractic is that the key to health is the nervous system with the spine at its centre. If the spine is aligned correctly, then optimal movement can occur and the patient can achieve improved health.

A chiropractor will generally address "subluxations"- misalignments to the spinal bones responsible for reduced movement or or loss of normal posture, causing impairment to the nervous system or nerve irritation.

How does Chiropractic work
In seeking to help back pain, a chiropractor would usually examine the patient's spine and review any patient history to determine any previous injuries, accidents, or tensions that may be impairing normal function. Sometimes the Chiropractor will order an X-ray to help determine this. A common form of Chiropractic treatment is a spinal manipulation or adjustment. This is generally carried out by hand manipulating the spinal joints affected in an attempt to increase or unlock the joints mobility.

Additional tools are sometimes used to promote healing including rehabilitative exercise, nutritional and lifestyle improvement programmes. The amount of, and frequency of the treatment required would vary according to the nature and severity of the condition.

Can Chiropractic help my back pain
A chiropractor will attempt to focus on the fundamental mechanical and neurological trouble in the spine to decrease the back pain and other symptoms caused by reduced spinal function. He will concentrate on natural health care working to encourage the body to self repair back towards improved health. Chiropractic care as a therapy for back pain in general is safe when employed skillfully and appropriately. Manipulation is regarded as relatively safe, but as with all therapeutic interventions, complications can arise, and it has known adverse effects

Feldenkrais
The Feldenkrais Method is a somatic educational system designed by Mosh矇 Feldenkrais (1904-1984), based on physics, neurology, and bio mechanics. The Feldenkrais method is designed to improve movement repertoire, aiming to expand and refine the use of the self through awareness, in order to reduce pain or limitations in movement, and promote posture, and general well-being. The Feldenkrais Method is often regarded as falling within the field of complementary medicine, and is a means of re educating the neuromuscular system, redefining movement to increase efficiency and reduce stress

How does Feldenkrais work
Feldenkrais Method is taught in two complimentary formats - "Awareness Through Movement' taught through classes and Functional Integration taught on a one to one basis.

In teaching 'Awareness Through Movement' classes, the teacher will lead the class through a sequence of movements involving standing, sitting in a chair or sitting or lying on the floor. One of the key aims is to instruct pupils how to decrease unwarranted muscular exertion and develop understanding of their whole self during movement.

In a Functional Integration lesson, a trained practitioner uses his or her hands to guide the movement of a single pupil, who may be sitting, lying or standing. The practitioner uses this "hands-on" technique to help the student experience the connections among various parts of the body (with or without movement). Through precision of touch and movement, the pupil learns how to eliminate excess effort and thus move more freely and easily. Lessons may be specific in addressing particular issues brought by the pupil, or can be more global in scope. Although the technique does not specifically aim to eliminate pain or "cure" physical complaints, such issues may inform the lesson. Issues such as chronic muscle pain may resolve themselves as the pupil may learn a more relaxed approach to his or her physical experience-a more integrated, free, and easy way to move Students are taught to become aware of their movements and of how they use themselves, thus discovering expanded movement options.

Can Feldenkrais help my back pain
The theory behind Feldenkrais is that inefficient movement behaviour may lead to avoidable tension and movement constraint leading to back pain. The Feldenkrais technique provides for expanded movement alternatives and enhanced posture which can provide backache relief or back pain relief, whilst developing greater efficiency and freedom of movement

Massage therapy
Massage is the manipulation of superficial layers of muscle and connective tissue to improve the function and encourage relaxation, well-being, and improve posture dysfunction. It involves acting on and manipulating the body with pressure - structured, unstructured, stationary, or moving tension, motion, or vibration, done manually or with mechanical aids. Target tissues may include muscles, tendons, ligaments skin, joints, or other connective tissue, as well as lymphatic vessels, Massage can be carried out using the hands, fingers, elbows, knees, forearm, and feet. There are over eighty different recognized massage techniques with many used to help back pain.

Massage manipulates the soft tissues of the body by rubbing, kneading, stretching and other methods for therapeutic effect. As a result, muscle and tissue is made more pliable, energising lymph circulation and promoting blood flow. Therapists will employ a range of techniques and methods during treatment sessions.

How does Massage therapy work
Massage manipulates the soft tissues of the body by rubbing, kneading, stretching and other methods for therapeutic effect. As a result, muscle and tissue is made more pliable, energising lymph circulation and promoting blood flow. Experienced therapists will employ a range of techniques and methods during treatment sessions to help back pain. There are many types of massage therapy for back pain in addition to acupressure or Bowen (see above) such as:-

Deep Tissue Massage
Used to relieve severe tension in muscle or fascia, often used where the patient suffers consistent lower back pain caused by specific muscular-skeletal conditions. It concentrates on the underlying muscles rather than those at the surface in order to help back pain.

Swedish massage
(or Classic massage in Sweden!) can be used to help back pain, by improving circulation and easing joint stiffness. Swedish massage uses five styles of strokes to massage: Sliding, kneading, tapping, friction, and vibration

Hilot
Hilot is a traditional healing and massage technique originating in the Philippines that can be employed to relax stressed muscle and joint manipulation to treat muscular-skeletal conditions as a lower back pain therapy.

Trigger point therapy
Can be used to help back pain and poor posture, by helping to release muscles in spasm, employing techniques to release 'knotted' muscles, and freeing up circulation in the affected area.

Traditional Chinese massage
There are two types which can provide back pain relief and - Tui na (the Chinese equivalent of physiotherapy) which concentrates on pushing, stretching and kneading the muscle, and Zhi Ya which utilises techniques of pinching and pressing at acupressure points. These originate from Traditional Chinese Medicine. Although Tui Na is described as massage in the West, in TCM it is not. In TCM massage is called Anmo, which forms the basis of Japan's Anma.

Can massage therapy help my back pain
Carried out effectively by experienced practitioners, knowledgeable of the human body and conversant with muscle imbalance massage therapy can be a useful therapy for back pain. Massage can also assist in relieving lumbar pain by reducing tension in turn alleviating poor back posture caused by muscle imbalance. Relief of mental tension and stress by using massage is also useful a useful therapy for back pain helping those within sedentary occupations involving hours of sitting in front of VDU's. Although massage is undoubtedly useful for back pain relief it may not address the underlying condition so GP advice should be sought.

Osteopathy
Osteopathy is a non invasive holistic drug free manual therapy that centres on total body health by treating and strengthening the musculoskeletal framework, which includes the joints, muscles and spine. Its aim is to positively affect the body's nervous, circulatory and lymphatic systems, enabling an environment of self healing. Osteopaths do not simply concentrate on treating the problem area, but use manual techniques to balance all the systems of the body, to provide overall good health and wellbeing. The practice of Osteopathy was established in the late 1800s in the United States of America, by. Dr. Andrew Taylor Still with the aim of using manual 'hands on' drug free techniques to improve circulation and correct altered biomechanics.

How does Osteopathy work
Osteopathy employs manual therapies for the treatment of many neuromusculoskeletal pain syndromes, such as lower back pain and tension headache, alongside exercise and other rehabilitative techniques. An osteopath will utilise a range of gentle hands-on techniques such as soft tissue stretching, deep tactile pressure, and joint mobilisation or manipulation.

The key principles of osteopathy are based on all parts of the body functioning together in an integrated manner. If one part of the body is restricted, then the rest of the body must adapt and offset this, which can lead to inflammation, pain, stiffness and other health conditions. When the body is free of restrictions in movement, Osteopathic treatment helps to reduce pain stress and enhance mobility, creating an environment of self healing for the patient's body.

In some cases, Osteopaths can complement the GP's advice on back pain by for example, by easing the pain caused by joint and muscle stiffness, by improving joint mobility and the flow of blood to the joints, to supplement maybe a pain killer prescription issued by the GP

Can osteopathy help my Back Pain
Osteopathy is recognised by the British Medical Association as 'a discrete clinical discipline' which can compliment mainstream medicine, and trials demonstrate its effectiveness in treating back pain, with GP's often referring patients to osteopaths for private treatment. Osteopathic technique is believed to be effective in providing back pain relief by:-

Reducing of herniated or bulging discs and correcting any internal displacement of disc fragments
Inhibiting nerve impulses
Releasing adhesions around prolapsed discs
Calming tenses muscles aggravated by sudden stretching
Providing respite for muscle spasm
Providing advice on exercises for the lower back, posture, safe lifting, workplace or workstation ergonomics, stress, and diet

Physiotherapy
"Physiotherapy helps restore movement and function to as near as possible when someone is affected by injury, illness or by developmental or other disability. It uses physical approaches to promote, maintain and restore physical, psychological and social wellbeing, taking account of variations in health status. Physiotherapy is science based, committed to extending, applying, evaluating and reviewing the evidence that underpins and informs its practice and delivery. The exercise of clinical judgement and informed interpretation is at its core" Ref: The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

Lower back pain can be treated by Orthopaedic physical therapists who diagnose, manage, and treat disorders and injuries of the musculoskeletal system including rehabilitation after surgery. Orthopaedic therapists are trained in the treatment of back pain and spinal conditions, joint and spine mobilisation or manipulation and therapeutic exercise, in order to enable backache relief.

How does Physiotherapy work
Physical movement is seen as a key important therapy in treating lower back pain. Physiotherapy can be described as a drug-free technique or therapy employing a range of procedures, such as joint manipulation and mobilisation, physical stretches and exercise routines, massage therapy, ice and heat therapy, ultrasound, and breathing exercises. Although a GP may refer a lower back pain sufferer to a physiotherapist, a patient can go directly to the latter, although in some instances, the physio may require a formal GP referral.

Can Physiotherapy help my back pain
Physiotherapy can identify several factors as potentially leading to incidences of lower back pain, including trauma or injury, arthritis, poor posture, muscular strains and weaknesses, ligament strains, sciatic conditions, and disc trouble.. Dependent upon the root cause of lumbar pain, a physio can treat these issues with a number of procedures. These could include posture and ergonomics guidance, advice and remedial movement courses, where, manipulation, stabilisation training, stretching and exercise routines to give backache relief.

Pilates
Pilates is a holistic exercise technique, intended to stretch, strengthen and condition the body to balance, engaging both mind and body, through an anatomical comprehension of the body's muscular-skeletal systems. Through a comprehensive exercise or programme, the patient or student can concentrate on focus area whilst carrying out for the client. Classes will focus on specific areas individually whilst carrying out routine that incorporates into an environment where optimum muscular- skeletal function and mobility can be restored

How does Pilates work
Pilates is carried out through slow controlled exercise, usually on an exercise mat, or sometimes on specific apparatus, either in classes or one to one. It's a system of exercises that take the body and mind and body through sequence of proscribed movements. These controlled movements integrate the concept of Dynamic Tension (self-resistance) which is the act of exercising muscle against muscle Pilates is taught one on one or in a class.

Can Pilates help my Back Pain
Pilates theory is that imbalance in strength and flexibility of the body may cause back pain. Pilates attempts to build strength and flexibility to help restore mobility and avert further back injury. Pilates claims to improve posture, muscle tone, mobility, and flexibility in the spine, alleviate backache and pains, and reduce stress. It is considered therapy for back pain for some medical conditions affecting the back but those suffering from Osteogenesis imperfecta, Osteoporosis, Paget's Disease, Osteomalacia should seek medical consultation. Whilst there have been recent concerns expressed over the effectiveness and safety of Pilates especially relating to strengthening the core muscles, it's accepted that it can be useful for some people in some instances for back pain relief.

Rolfing
'Rolfing Structural Integration' is the trademarked name for the system of hands-on connective tissue manipulation and movement education aimed at releasing stress patterns, and helping the client move and function with greater freedom, and effortlessly maintain a more upright posture. Rolfing seeks to realign and balance the body so that the head, shoulders, chest, pelvis, and legs work in improved vertical configuration

How does Rolfing work
The concept of Rolfing is that injuries, poor movement function and muscle taughtness through stress cause the myofascia (connective tissue) to stiffen, inhibiting free and relaxed movement. By applying deep pressure and other massage techniques to ease tightened myofascia, therby allowing greater flexibility and balance between muscles, tendons and bones. Practitioners of Rolfing teach awareness of those habits restricting movement and how to transform these patterns

Can Rolfing help my Back Pain
By reducing tension, softening the myofacsia, and restoring natural balance and body use, Rolfing practitioners believe the release from the above techniques can relieve back pain caused by muscle tension and help the back to realign itself, promoting improved back health and giving backache relief. Rolfing practitioners address lower back pain, including disk herniation usually by focussing on relaxing, releasing, and manipulating the muscle tissue, and forming space between the intervertebral disks.

Shiatsu
The name Shiatsu is derived from Japanese from shi, meaning finger, and atsu, meaning pressure) is a traditional hands-on therapy originating in Japan. There are two main Shiatsu schools; one based on western anatomical and physiological theory where it soothes an overactive sympathetic nervous system, improving circulation, relieving muscle tension and reducing stress, and the other based on a holistic system of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Shiatsu is regulated as a licensed medical therapy by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan), and elsewhere by various governing bodies set up by Shiatsu practitioners. Shiatsu is an evolving form, and its various styles incorporate (to differing degrees) aspects of Japanese massage traditions, Chinese Medicine practice, and "Western" anatomy and physiology.

How does Shiatsu work
Shiatsu is an uses pressure applied with thumbs, fingers and palms to the same energy flows or meridians as acupuncture and incorporates stretching. It also uses techniques such as rolling, brushing, vibrating, grasping and in one particular technique developed by Suzuki Yamamoto, pressure is applied with the feet on the persons back, legs and feet (special set up is required for the "foot" shiatsu). The principle theory is similar to that of acupuncture whereby illness is brought about as a result of blockages or imbalance in the meridians or energy lines. The Shiatsu practitioner seeks to clear or remove these blockages by applying finger, thumb, palm, or even foot pressure to the affected areas using a variety of massage techniques

Can Shiatsu help my Back Pain
Lower Back pain results for a number of reasons: Poor ergonomic posture, Physical injury, occupational (such as lifting), recreational (eg golf or gardening) related to poor muscle tone, or in Traditional Oriental Medicine (TOM), blockages or imbalances in energy flows through the patients meridians.. It is likely that back pain relief for back pain for back ache or sciatic conditions can be provided by a shiatsu practitioner. Shiatsu is complementary to mainstream Western medicine, not an alternative to it. Though therapy back pain will be administered according to Oriental practice it is important that a modern Western diagnosis is obtained as well, and the practitioner will attempt to establish the origin of the condition. \through the techniques outlined above the practitioner will strive to create an environment of 'self healing' whereby the patients body will revert or return over time to a more healthy condition. By understanding how the condition arose the practitioner will advise on changes in posture, exercise, or physical habits which may help prevent reoccurrence of the back pain,

Yoga
Yoga dates back to over 5,000 years, and originated in India as a form of a spiritual practice. In the West, Yoga as an alternative medicine has evolved from its founding philosophy into a form known as Yoga Therapy, often considered useful as a therapy for back pain. In the UK this has taken the form of a National Occupational Standard, (NOS) for the delivery of Yoga Therapy to clients with impaired health, such as back problems or compromised well being. Yoga is usually taught in classes or groups, sometimes as a lower back pain therapy
Yoga is believed to calm the nervous system, create harmony, and balance the body, mind, and spirit. It is thought by its practitioners to prevent specific diseases and maladies by keeping the energy meridians open and life energy (Prana) flowing. Over time many different branches of yoga have involved from the original meditative states to the emphasis on physical pose or position, breathing, bodily alignment, or flow of movement.

How does Yoga work
Yoga engages movement, stretching, posture and breathing to achieve overall wellbeing of body and mind. The different types of yoga often focus on specific facets such as Fitness, flexibility, meditation, rehabilitation, relaxation, and strength.Yoga engages movement, stretching, posture and breathing to achieve overall wellbeing.

Restorative yoga is often associated with healing disease, and is practiced in a very relaxed state by using supports instead of muscular tension to maintain the pose alignments. These poses help relieve the effects of chronic stress in several ways. First, the use of props provide a completely supportive environment for total relaxation. Second, each restorative sequence is designed to move the spine in all directions. Third, a well-sequenced restorative practice also includes an inverted pose, which reverses the effects of gravity. Because we stand or sit most of the day, blood and lymph fluid accumulate in the lower extremities. By changing the relationship of the legs to gravity, fluids are returned to the upper body and heart function is enhanced. Fourth, restorative yoga alternately stimulates and soothes the organs. With this movement of blood comes the enhanced exchange of oxygen and waste products across the cell membrane. Finally, yoga teaches that the body is permeated with energy. Prana, the masculine energy, residing above the diaphragm, moves upward, and controls respiration and heart rate. Apana, the feminine energy, resides below the diaphragm, moves downward, and controls the function of the abdominal organs. Restorative yoga balances these aspects of energy within the practitioner. Most yoga classes usually comprise a combination of physical exercises, breathing exercises, and meditation. These characteristics make yoga a particularly beneficial kind of exercise for certain health conditions, including back problems

Can Yoga help my Back Pain
Yoga can help back pain through the teaching balance, flexibility, strengthening muscles and promoting body awareness. By progressively structuring the complexity of movement, yoga teachers advocate that its practice can educate the back in distributing its mass more efficiently and improve back posture and balance naturally. For practitioners of yoga, an amalgamation of yoga positions reduces weakness, improves the alignment of the spine and reduces muscle tension, creating an environment of self healing for the back. Many yoga positions can be adapted to address particular back conditions as part of a therapy for back pain or to afford greater stretches.

Can Chiropractic Treatment Cure Chronic Back Pain?

The purpose of this article is to go into some detail about my experience of chiropractic treatment as an effective cure for chronic back pain.

After my doctor told me to go home and take painkillers for my bad back of several years, I decided to take matters into my own hands and look at ways of fixing the root cause of my pain, not just the symptoms.

The first idea that popped into my head was to go and see a chiropractor. I imagine this is hardly a huge revelation for many of you. Of course you go and see a chiropractor when you have a bad back.

Where I live, there are several chiropractors dotted around the main drag. I did a bit of research on them; we have a good local online forum where people post their experiences of various local businesses and one of the chiropractors got consistently positive reviews. Well that was that decision made, a quick phone call later and I was booked in for the initial consultation.

When I got down there later that week I remember sitting filling out the registration form and looking at this poster in the reception. It was of a huge iceberg. The smallest tip of which was the only thing above the surface. Below the surface however lurked the huge bulk of the 'berg. There were two arrows, one pointing to the tip and one pointing to the hidden monster under the water. The caption next to the arrow pointing to the tip was "your symptoms" and the caption next to the arrow pointing to the rest of the iceberg read "your problem". This immediately made all sorts of worse-case scenarios flooding through my mind. What if my sore back was actually the symptoms of spinal cancer or some such other horror?!? It's like that chapter in Three Men In A Boat by Jerome K. Jerome (by the way if you haven't read this, the funniest book in the entire world then get yourself onto Amazon and get a copy) where J starts reading a medical dictionary and realises with dismay he has every condition in there apart from, it appears, Housemaid's Knee!

Just as I was beginning to fear the worst my unassuming chiropractor ushered me into his office. I told him about my bad back and he made me do the same sorts of stretches my doctor had done before sending me home with a bottle of Tylenol. He even rolled a small sharp metal wheel a bit like one of those things you cut pastry with across my thigh. Eventually after a lot of scribbling on his chart he told me that what I needed was a few X-Rays. Only then he said, can we see what is happening. So off I went to the local X-Ray man which funnily enough was in another chiropractor's office across town. An hour later and I had my X-Rays and was heading back to iceberg-central to hear the bad news.

What my chiropractor told me was quite surprising. He said that there was nothing really the matter with my back. The problem, he said, was my neck. But my neck is fine I replied, are you sure there is no spinal cancer in evidence? No he was quite sure the issue was with my neck and to prove it he popped up my neck X-Ray onto the screen. The problem is that you neck has been pushed forward from years of stooping and looking down. Being as tall as you are (6'6″) your neck has, for years been under the tremendous force of your head pulling forward and down. It was, he went on, one of the worst cases he had seen, being some 8 centimetres away from where it should be. He said that I was lucky to have caught it so young as in another 10 years I would have been in a lot of trouble.

After all this had sunk in and I had looked more at my X-Ray with its china marker drawings of angles and lines added by the chiro, I enquired what was to be done. Traction is your best bet. Traction and manipulation but we can do it all here and you are looking at at least 4 months of regular visits. When do we start? Right now.

The next thing I know I am lying face up on his table and he is slowly manipulating my bowling ball of a head which has been the cause of all this trouble. Deep breath, relax, CRACK. If you have ever had chiropractic manipulation you know what I am talking about when I said I nearly jumped out of my skin. When I had recovered sufficiently to realise I was not paralysed from the neck down I enquired whether this was normal. Indeed it was according to my assailant and I had apparently just had a very good "release". My neck actually did feel nice and loose and the manipulation itself didn't hurt per se, it just felt really really odd.

Anyway next up was the traction. For this part of the proceedings I was to lie on a contraption called a Gombali which is essentially a small stool-like affair that one lies down on, puts one's head in a harness which is in turn attached to a piece of elastic rope like a bungee cord for attaching parcels to motorcycles. Once your head is in the harness, the cord is pulled tight which stretches your head right back and keeps it there under tension. The goal here is to slowly pull the neck back into its proper position. Twenty minutes I had to lie in that thing. When the elastic was released I could not believe the the relief. I could also not believe how hard it was to bring my head forward, so used had it become to being in the pulled back position. After a drink of water I had another chat with my Spanish Inquisitor who told me that I needed to come for manipulation and Gombali traction 3 times a week for 6 weeks whereupon I would probably be ready for proper traction.

Proper traction? As opposed to the pretend traction I had just been enduring for the last twenty minutes? But what about my back I asked? His answer was that my biggest problem by far was the parlous state of my neck (this was my hidden iceberg). If I didn't fix that first then there would be no point in looking into the back pain. He said that the two may very well be related but that it was imperative that the neck angle was corrected. In any event I agreed to come back in two days time.

As I walked home I ruminated over everything that had happened in the previous couple of hours. The main thing that struck me was that I had submitted to the traction without doing any research into it. This worried me and I resolved to do a great deal of research into the subject before subjecting myself to more sessions.

The pulling of my neck backwards was pretty uncomfortable and this was certainly not the first time that 20 minutes felt like 20 hours while getting this treatment. According to my chiropractor I had vertebral subluxation of the bones in my neck. When I got home I did a bit of research on this topic.

The term Subluxation is used by chiropractors to describe an altered position of the vertebrae. This misalignment of the bones puts pressure on spinal nerves which causes a knock on effect of improper function to other parts of the body. The traction process is supposed to gently restore the bones to their proper position, thus relieving the pressure on the spinal nerves and thereby relieving the patient's symptoms.

There is definitely strong differences of opinion in the medical profession and even within some parts of the chiropractic community over whether the "subluxation complex" actually exists. Some argue that it is a made-up construct that was retro-fitted by chiropractors to explain the success of their treatments. Others maintain that it is a scientifically testable condition that left untreated leads to disease states in the body.

All I knew was that I had a bad back and my neck X-Ray did look terrible - no nice backwards curve for me, oh no. So after a lot of reading on wikipedia and other websites I decided to stick with the process and see what the results were. I knew that the particular chiropractor I went to had been in the same location for at least 10 years so I reasoned that if he had a track record of crippling people, he wouldn't still be there!

So back I went a couple of days later for my next stint in the torture chamber. This time I got some manipulation on my lower back. This involved lying on my side with one leg pulled up. The chiro then sort of twisted me by pushing down on the pulled up leg and the opposite shoulder at the same time. This gave the most amazing popping sound and all my pain in the back vanished. He warned me at the time that this would not last all day but over time would help with my overall condition.

Then it was time to get back on the Gombali. This time, because I knew what to expect it wasn't such an ordeal. Twenty minutes later I was back out on the street. And so it went on for about a month, at which time my chiropractor announced I was ready to graduate to some heavier traction. This would, he said start to pull my neck back from the base which would ultimately give the correct angle.

With a slight feeling of apprehension I took my seat in front of a pulley system. A harness attached to my head, and to this harness was attached a bag containing 5Kg of weight. The Gombali was a walk in the park compared to this. The pain as the weight was brought to bear was very intense and I had to support the back of my head to make it bearable. So we dropped the weight and this time it was merely very unpleasant.

After a week I was able to build up the weight again but it really was a very uncomfortable thing to go through. What made things worse was the radio in the clinic was tuned to a station that seemed to play the same easy listening music. Every day the same songs would come on and I would swear they lasted about an hour each! In the beginning I would always be checking the clock every few seconds for the twenty minutes I was subjected to the traction. In the end I used to force myself to wait two songs between each look at the clock. Sometimes two songs would go past and I would be very annoyed to see only five minutes had elapsed when I felt sure it would be more like twenty!

This went on three days a week for about 8 weeks. People did start to say that my posture looked a lot better and I looked at different photographs taken before and during the traction and you could clearly see a big difference in my posture. I actually grew half an inch over the course of the treatment.

After I had gone the prescribed time, the chiropractor asked that I get another set of X-Rays done so we could check my progress, so back I went to the X-Ray place. In the car when I was driving back I kept looking at the X-Rays, holding them up to the car window to see if I could see any improvement. Let's just say it was hard to tell!

However when I got back to the chiro's office and he put the before and after pictures up for me to see side by side, the difference was amazing. In the most recent picture you could clearly see a much healthier looking curve in my neck bones compared to the dreadful-looking slouched image from before the treatment.

So now that I had a properly re-aligned neck, was my bad back cured? The short answer is no. While I did get short-term relief from the adjustments that the chiropractor made to my back, I could not honestly say that my back pain was much better. When I brought this up, he said that there was still further work to do on the neck. At this point I decided to forego any more treatment - the traction was really too intense to face another round of 3 days a week agony. I felt that after three months of this I should try some other things and perhaps re-visit the chiropractic in the future. The chiropractor indicated that without regular maintenance traction, the neck would slowly go back to where it was originally. For a few weeks I did go back for a light stretch once a week but in the end I decided to discontinue the treatment.

So my feelings about chiropractic are definitely a bit mixed. That my posture was improved by the traction, there can be no doubt; however no real benefits to my original problem were realised unfortunately. However perhaps it was a very worthwhile exercise and I have fended off a problem I did not know I had. Time will tell I suppose.

How to Find a Chiropractor Confidently

Chiropractors benefit the society in many ways. They can get rid of your pains, aches and in general help you lead a healthier life. In fact there are reports of quick results from chiropractic therapy where traditional treatments have been slow to show improvement.

However unlike traditional medicine, chiropractic therapy is not widely and deeply established. Therefore chiropractors are not as many as there are traditional doctors. So when you choose to consult a chiropractor you need to find one that is in your area.

To avoid a hit or miss approach you should look for an information source that has got close to exhaustive information about chiropractic practitioners. The information should be detailed and also updated regularly so that at the time you access the information, it is still valid.

Earlier this meant you had to browse through printed yellow pages and then look for further details elsewhere. However with the advent of the internet things have become simpler. You can go online and get a list of chiropractors in your area. For some of them you can also read reviews if you would like some additional information on them. Some sites allow chiropractors to add more details to their profile so that you can get more information that the practitioner feels would be useful for you.

Which online directory you should use requires you to check out how updated and detailed the information is. And if you are not finding a chiropractor close to your house, it maybe that the directory doesn't have information on some of them. Chiropractic therapy is getting quite popular both as a form of treatment and as a career and so you should be able to find one in your area.

The search functionality of the online directory is also important for making sure you have the best possible experience while searching. A good site will allow you to find a chiropractor by typing in your zip code and specifying the search radius. The directory will then present the results for chiropractors in that area.

Are You Thinking of Selling Your Chiropractic Practice?

You have built a practice, loved the patients and now you have decided to relocate, retire or sell a satellite office. You now must separate the emotional attachment you have with your practice and develop a rational calculated plan. What is your plan? Do you know the process that will bring back the greatest return with the least amount of effort? The following nine steps will give you insight of the tasks ahead.

Plan a Strategy
The process begins with developing a plan. Settle the major professional and personal issues as a starting point. Establish a timetable to coordinate all of the upcoming tasks needed to advance towards your next professional endeavor. As you write down these issues your new plan will start to become a reality.

Frequently the seller "tests the water" when selling their practice. They lack conviction to a plan and waste time and energy. Good energy is lost that may have been spent to further build a practice or search for a new opportunity. Many times a seller will go through the entire process negotiating up to the closing and then have reservations in the final moments. Be convicted to your plan. Set goals for sales price, time of transition and final departure.

Your vision should include your next endeavor. This sale may allow you to relocate, concentrate on a primary practice or start your retirement years. The sale of the present practice will give you the ability to reach for higher goals, new opportunities and a better lifestyle.

Gather Information on Your Practice
The value of your practice consists of two major parts. The tangible value, which includes hard assets such as equipment, lease and accounts receivables. This information is based on fact and can be generated through historical evaluation using basic accounting principles. The second part with possibly more value than tangible asset is the intangible value or goodwill. Goodwill, which is hard to see but strongly exists, is the aspect of your practice that you truly sell. This is where the value of the terms "potential" or "turnkey" holds their value. Generally, goodwill is the dollar value to the purchaser between tangible assets and the purchase price. It is the time and energy or "sweat equity" that you have put into your practice.

Tangible information is easy to gather and starts with the past three-year's federal tax returns. From this a base of factual information is gathered which must be presented and analyzed. The following categories represent an efficient overview of what should be derived from your practice for an accurate evaluation and presentation:

1. Gross service
2. Collections
3. Collection percentage
4. Patient visits per year and week
5. New patients
6. Case average
7. Per visit average in service and collection
8. Accounts receivable

An insightful tangible perspective is how the patient base is broken down by payment in percent. Dissect the gross income by source; major medical, Medicare, personal injury, workers compensation or cash. By evaluating these percentages one can interpret the personality of your practice. This is one of many important interpretations of statistical information that can be used to accentuate the strengths of your practice.

Equally as important is the presentation of goodwill; goodwill may be the greater value of the two. Some important variables that make up goodwill include: how long has the practice been in existence, new patients per month, patient retention and referral source.

Place a dollar value on your practice
Price your practice in accordance with a standard accounting equation. There are three classical approaches to determine a practice or business value, including asset approach, market approach or income approach.

The asset approach is used when a practice is not a "going concern". The goodwill has little or no value. Value lies in the office equipment, instruments, furnishings, leasehold improvements and supplies. The market approach is used when businesses are similar in nature and can be compared. Comparing one practice to another to determine the fair market value is difficult, if not impossible, due to the unique qualities inherent in each practice. For this reason the market approach is not often used.

The most applicable method for practice value determination is the income approach. This approach takes into consideration that the practice is an ongoing active office with a projected flow of gross income, expenses and net income. This relatively expected net income multiplied by a "capitalization of earnings rate" determines the fair market value of your practice. The capitalization of earnings rate is determined by taking into consideration all of the characteristics previously stated. The" fair market value" is the highest value an open market would bear for a typical practice given a willing seller, a willing buyer, and adequate time to market the practice.

The preceding evaluation methods are guides to value your practice and not hard and fast rules. When all is said and done the value is what somebody is willing to pay for it.

Develop a Sales Package on Your Practice
Compile all facets of the practice in one book for the prospective buyer. Include the statistical data as well as emotional "feel good" items. These items should be past promotional advertisements, past press releases, pictures of past office open house events etc. The prospective buyer will give a greater emotional value to your practice knowing that your past involvement has not been exclusively financially motivated.

When showing the prospective buyer your practice for the first time have them come during a busy hour where they can see patients, staff and doctor working in unison. Immediately after this experience, ideally after hours give a tour of the office and discuss your intention.

When a prospective buyer looks at your practice for the first time give them a sales package to review. Many times this sales tool will keep the buyer interested while searching for other practices. As they will compare each practice to yours possibly returning with a clearer view of your value.

Always have the prospective buyer sign a confidentially statement for your protection. As explained, goodwill has value and as more of your patients and staff know of your future plan that value of the practice will decrease.

Give the Office a Face-lift
Give your office an inexpensive face-lift. A clean and uncluttered office will give the appearance of stability. An inexpensive paint job or to have the carpet cleaned will allow the office to show better. Review your travel cards, office notes, patient files and financial statistics. The new buyer is looking for a "turnkey" practice with systems that are working and are proven effective.

Promoting the "FOR SALE" Practice
Animosity is of high importance. Getting the word out and being secretive about this fact is the difficult job of the "for sale by owner" doctor.

To obtain a consultant or broker to assist in the transaction may be an alternative that lessens your involvement and due to experience brings a higher overall return for the sale. As you contemplate using a practice broker for you're needs please read what long time Chiropractic practice management consultant Dr. Whitney states.

"The fact is that if the deal is being brokered it has an excellent chance of being consummated and buyer and seller walking away happy. However in the deals where buyers and sellers try to do it themselves, 70% fail to consummate. When a broker is used, 95% of the deals close. That should tell you something. It's like selling your own house. It's possible but...Perilous".

Each practice has its own pallet of unique characteristics.
There are many quality-marketing programs to fit each unique practice. National and state publications are common areas to advertise your practice for sale. Chiropractic colleges also have bulletin boards for the soon to graduate chiropractor. A growing advertising medium for chiropractic is the internet; many new sites have classified sections with "practice for sale".

Negotiation
Negotiation with a prospective buyer should always be presented in a friendly but unemotional posture. You're emotional attachment to the physical structure, patients, and past good times have little value in the negotiation process. Develop a checklist of issues with your lawyer prior to any negotiation. Have your counsel prep you before this process begins. When negotiating the issues with the buyer document and date the process noting all agreement and differences within each issue. The checklist should include purchase price, payment terms, protective covenant not to compete, accounts payable liability, accounts receivables, buyer/seller indemnification and plan of transition.

Your legal council will plug in these resolved topics into a standard contract and modify where needed. Attempt to keep both lawyers at bay during this process. Many times lawyers make matters worse before they make things better. This is how they justify their fee.

Legal and Financial Consultation
Work closely with an attorney and an accountant when reviewing all contracts. The cost of good advice is an investment to avoid future expense.

Usually the seller's attorney produces the "contract of sale" for the future transaction. It is best to keep all issues in this contract simply written to avoid any misunderstandings. Chiropractors are not lawyers, have your lawyer understand that concept. All legal issues can be presented in an uncomplicated manor and have equal value to a difficult to read contract.

As the seller one of your biggest concerns is your tax liability on the proceeds of the sale. This issue should be discussed fully with your accountant during the negotiation process.

Transition
Work out a sound transition period. During this time period the goodwill of the practice is transferred from the seller to the purchaser. This is where the purchaser receives the intangible value of the practice. By acknowledging this fact the seller can justify a high value if the transition period is generous.
Depending on how frequently your active patients are seen, a four to six week time period of transition should be sufficient. On the
First meeting your patients should be introduced to the purchaser by you and adjusted by you with the purchaser observing. On the second meeting the patient should be adjusted by the purchaser with you in the room explaining each case. The purchaser should perform all future adjustments with the seller decreasing his/her presents and involvement.

Develop a marketing plan for all inactive patients to be informed of the transaction. A direct mail or telemarketing campaign will regenerate interest in chiropractic in many inactive patients. Another positive promotion is to throw a bonvoyage party for the departing chiropractor at the end of the transition term. This shows the entire practice, staff and community that all is well.

These nine steps to selling a practice are a basic outline to be followed. There are many nuances of each and every transaction and obstacles are to be expected. But always keep focused on getting the deal done.

Don't Disrupt Your Qi - Explaining Acupuncture and It's Benefits

What Exactly IS Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is an effective form of medical treatment that has evolved into a complete holistic health care system. Practitioners of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) have used this noninvasive treatment method to help millions of people become well and stay well. Acupuncture promotes natural healing. It can enhance recuperative power and immunity, support physical/emotional health and improve overall function.

What is Qi and How Does it Move?

At the core of this ancient medicine, is the philosophy that Qi (pronounced "Chee"), the vital energy, flows throughout the body. Qi animates the body and protects it from illness, quality, quantity and balance of Qi.

Qi flows through specific pathways called meridians. There are fourteen main meridians inside the body. The diagram below shows the meridian pathways in the body. Each of these meridians is connected to specific organs and glands. Meridian pathways are like rivers flowing inside the body. Where a river flows, it transports life, giving water that provides nourishment to the land, plants and people. Similarly, where meridian pathways flow, they bring life, providing Qi nourishment to every cell, organ, gland, tissue and muscle in the body.

How is Qi Disrupted?

An obstruction to the flow of Qi is like a dam. When Qi becomes backed up in one part of the body, the flow becomes restricted in other parts. This blockage of the flow of Qi can be detrimental to a person's health, by cutting off vital nourishment to the body, organs and glands.

Physical and emotional trauma, stress, lack of exercise overexertion, seasonal changes, poor diet accidents, or excessive activity are among the many things that can influence the quality, quantity and balance of Qi.

What Does An Acupuncturist Do?

During the initial exam, a full health history is taken. Questions are asked regarding overall health, symptoms and lifestyle. An appropriate physical exam may be conducted, which may include a pulse and tongue evaluation. Gathering this information enables the practitioner to effectively diagnose and detect any specific imbalances of Qi that may have contributed to a person's health problems.

Once the imbalances of Qi are detected, an acupuncturist will place fine, sterile needles at specific acupoints along meridian pathways. This safe and painless process, can unblock the obstruction and correct the balance of Qi. Once this is done, Qi can freely circulate throughout the body and provide nourishment to cells, organs, glands, tissues and muscles. This can be the perfect remedy for restoring balance and harmony to your overall health and well-being.

A Vibrational World View: The Five Phases of Network Care

We are vibrational beings living in a vibrational world. As such, we're really not separate from each other or our world. That's why we're so sensitive to our environment; especially so at birth. As newborns we're fully dependent on those around us and very focused on survival. One of the basic survival requirements is simply "fitting in." In order to survive we adopt the ways in which those around us distort their vibration. There are five vibrational distortions, or phases, as they are called in Network Care. Each of these phases supports certain structures (ways of holding our bodies and ways of organizing our lives), certain perceptions (ways that we filter incoming information from our world, things that we believe about our relationship with ourselves and our world) and certain behaviors (ways that we respond to our world) that we use to distort the expression of our true nature and support the illusion that we are separate from everything and everyone.

You may be thinking that Dr. Jay has been spending too much time, too close to Boulder. Is there any scientific evidence to support the ethereal sounding claim that "we are vibrational beings" or that the concept of our separateness is an "illusion?" Physics is one such science that supports these claims and concepts. At one time physicists thought that atoms, the "solid particles" that make up you and me, were made of even smaller, "solid particles." According to The Dancing Wu Li Masters (an exhaustive book for the layman written on the subject of physics) by Gary Zukav, in 1911 Ernest Rutherford developed the familiar model of the atom where electrons orbit around a nucleus in a similar manner as our earth orbits around the sun. The problem with comparing atoms to our solar system is that, relative to the size of the nucleus and the electrons, the distances between the nucleus and the electrons are much greater than the distance between our earth and the sun. For example, if we magnified an atom to the size of a fourteen story building, the nucleus in the center would be the size of a grain of salt and the electron, orbiting seven stories away, would be the size of a dust particle. Furthermore, subatomic particles like nuclei and electrons don't actually behave like large, planet sized objects. Quantum physics (the physics of subatomic particles) shows us that the nucleus and electrons don't really exist as actual particles of "something." They can be more accurately described as "probabilities" or stuff that is constantly blinking in and out of existence, since at the subatomic level, mass and energy are continually changing into each other as per Einstein's famous equation E=mc2. Simply put, atoms are mostly vibrating space...hence WE are mostly vibrating space!

I know. It boggles the mind to think that we are actually not solid when everything in the macroscopic world tells us we are. The nervous system, however, does actually display signs, on the macroscopic level, of its vibrational nature. Our brain and spinal cord has a structure that is well suited to moving information in the form of vibration. This can easily be seen if we take a moment to "dissect" that structure. I have had the opportunity to do just that, once in chiropractic school and once when I was growing up on the farm in Nebraska. On a cold winter evening when I was a kid, one of our steers had gotten out of its pen and made its way onto the dark road. It had been hit by a car. The driver of the car was fine but the steer did not make it. My dad did not want to let all that meat go to waste so we hung the steer by a chain from a loader bucket and butchered it on the spot. I will spare you the details but suffice it to say that the steer ended up being completely halved. This meant that the center of its spine and spinal cord were exposed. I reached up and pulled a portion of the spinal cord out of its halved spine. Suspecting the cord to be more substantial, I pinched it. I was surprised to find that my fingers pinched very easily through the cord as if it were a piece of gelatin. That's how delicate the tissue of the brain and spinal cord is; more of a viscous fluid than a cord. Fluid happens to be a very good conductor of vibration.

One might wonder how something so delicate can remain intact long enough to do its job. The skull and spine is part of an elaborate system that protects, suspends and contributes to the ability of the delicate tissue of the brain and spinal cord to move information in the form of vibration. As I learned in the dissection lab during chiropractic school, the skull and spine is lined with a continuous sack that covers the brain and spinal cord. This lining is called the meninges. In the space between the meninges and the tissue of the brain and spinal cord, is the cerebrospinal fluid. The meninges contain the cerebrospinal fluid and holds it against the brain and spinal cord so that the brain and spinal cord are constantly being bathed by the cerebrospinal fluid. The meninges are anchored to the bones of the skull and spine. The brain and spinal cord, in turn, is anchored to the meninges via thin threads of tissue in places in the head, neck and lower spine. The spinal cord basically floats freely everywhere in between the neck and tail bone. In this way the brain and spinal cord is fully encased inside of an ingenious liquid-tissue-armor-suspension system.

This gelatinous, fluid surrounded, suspended, protected structure is perfectly suited for conducting information in the form of vibration very similar to a stringed instrument such as a violin. The strings of a violin are suspended at either end just like the spinal cord is anchored, via the meninges, to the bones of the top and bottom of the spine. In much the same way as the tonal quality or frequency of a violin can be changed by putting pressure at different points along the length of the strings, we can alter the vibrational expression of our being by holding tension in different areas along the spinal cord. Said another way, a mechanical force on the tissue of our nervous system can affect a vibrational (emotional) change. The more mechanical aspect of this phenomenon has been documented by Alf Breig in his neuroanatomy text book Adverse Mechanical Cord Tension in the Central Nervous System: An Analysis of Cause and Effect. In it he refers to the spinal cord stretching that occurs as a result of defensive posture and notes the detrimental effect that is has on the tissue of the spinal cord and nerves. (177)

Psychoneuroimmunologist Candace Pert, in her book Molecules of Emotion discusses the relationship between spinal cord tension and our emotions. When we feel emotion there is a chemical cocktail that's being released into the body that is letting every cell know how to function; what to "do." So if we are happy or peaceful it's because the cells in the body are "doing" happiness or peace. Likewise if we are angry or sad, the cells in the body are "doing" anger or sadness. However, if a person is holding tension in some part of their spine and the nervous tissue is stretched, the information that can be transmitted and received by the nervous tissue cells in the stretched area is totally altered. So if a nervous tissue cell membrane is being stretched in a certain way it may prohibit the cells from transmitting or receiving the chemical messengers that represent happiness. Cells may be locked into receiving and transmitting only anger, for example.

This phenomenon can easily be observed and felt first hand whenever we find ourselves sitting on a busy mall engaged in people watching. It doesn't take long to figure out who is angry, sad, happy, fulfilled, confident, depressed, in love, who is authentically expressing their state of being and who is hiding their true nature from themselves. Everyone is communicating to everyone else about how they are being in the way that they hold themselves, through their mannerisms and expressions. These things make up the "vibe" that a person expresses. Most of us are constantly resisting our true nature. We're trying to squeeze ourselves into someone else's idea of who we should be. This is a major source of emotional pain that usually also translates into physical pain at some point. As Donald Epstein, the creator and developer of Network Spinal Analysis says, "If you're trying to be someone other than who you are, it's supposed to hurt and nothing is supposed to take that pain away." We begin playing this painful game with ourselves very early on in our lives in an attempt to fit in to our surroundings, to match the vibration of those around us, to please others out of the need to survive.

When we are born we go from the relative warmth and safety of the womb, as we are squeezed forcefully down the birth canal, into this cold, unforgiving, outside world. As infants we are completely dependent on others to supply our every need. Our first order of business is survival. One of the most basic survival needs is simply fitting in. Who is my tribe? Who must I make friends with to get my needs met? In order to fit in, or survive, we sense those around us and copy their ways of being (ways of vibrating). No doubt we benefit from some of their strengths but we adopt their vibrational shortcomings too. We adopt the ways that they distort their vibration - their being - in order to hide their true nature.

There are five fundamental, vibrational distortion patterns or defense patterns that are characterized in Network Care. These defense patterns, or phases, as they are called in Network Care, involve different parts of the spine because different parts of the spine are responsible for expressing certain elements of the person. There are certain behaviors or ways of acting that go along with each phase. In addition there is a perception, or way of seeing the information that we encounter in our world, associated with each phase. In this way our structure, our behavior and our perception is linked into the ways in which we distort the expression of our true nature and deny our connection to ourselves and everyone else.

What follows is largely my interpretation of the Five Phases of Network Care. Elements of my description of the Five Phases have come from information I've learned at training seminars and read in training seminar handouts. Other elements have come from my experience with my own growth, having received Network Care consistently for the past ten years. Still, other elements of my description have come from my experience in working with hundreds of my practice members during thousands of Network sessions over the past eight years as a Network Practitioner.

Phase One involves tension being held at the sacrum (lower back) and occiput (base of the skull). The ends of our spine carry the nearest memory of the moment of incarnation since they were, and are, the entry points for the Force or Intelligence that animates us to life. So holding defensive tension in these areas brings about a forgetting of that Intelligence.

Phase Two involves tension being held at the top of the neck and/or the bottom of the neck. The segments of our spine at the top and bottom of the neck have to do with our awareness of the present moment. When people or circumstances have shown us that they can not be trusted to support us from one moment to the next we learn to distrust uncertainty, causing fear, anxiety or worry about the future. To keep from feeling that fear, we hold tension at the top of the neck. When we perceive that we have been wronged by people or situations, we hold defensive tension at the bottom of the neck. This freezes that moment in time in our bodies causing some part of us to remain stuck in the past, repeatedly reliving the hurt of the past event. There tends to be some repressed anger, bitterness or frustration that goes along with this. Eckart Tolle refers to the Phase Two phenomenon in his book The Power of Now when he talks about the effects of "psychological time." He says:

"All negativity is caused by an accumulation of psychological time and denial of the present. Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry - all forms of fear - are caused by too much future, and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of nonforgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence." (61)

Phase Three is associated with the lateral sacrum (lower right or left part of spine). This area of the body is connected to our own awareness of who we are; our identity. If we perceive that we will not be loved or accepted for who we are, holding defensive tension in this area allows us to suspend our felt sense of our own identity. Our own, true identity being suspended, we can then adopt the identity that will keep us in the good graces of those around us.

Phase Four involves the segments in the middle of the neck. The middle of the neck is connected to our ability to allow ourselves to be drawn to the things that we are naturally passionate about. Holding defensive tension in this area allows us to discount our natural desires, propensities and passions, marginalizing the messages that our soul is giving us in regards to our direction and purpose.

Phase Five involves our tailbone, or coccyx. This region of the spine is associated with our awareness of our intrinsic value. Our intrinsic value is energetically connected to our ability to receive resources from our world. If, at any point in our lives (and especially early on in our lives), we experience a shortage of resources: food, love, oxygen, money, safety, etc..., we may embody the belief that, on a very deep level, we are not worthy of being kept around. We hold tension in the tailbone to defend against the loss of resources and intrinsic value. This creates the false perception that if we give our resources away, we may deplete our supply and forever be without them. This keeps us from giving our gifts.

We all utilize these five ways of distorting our vibration in different ways and to different degrees. When we adopted these defense patterns we were doing it in order to protect ourselves. We did what we had to do and we did the best we could with what we had. These protective mechanisms served us and were necessary at the time. But as we grow and develop and become more autonomous we start to figure out that those old defense patterns are not serving us any longer. Our world starts to call on us to come up with some more advanced strategies for living. Compassion is usually a key component in transforming our old ways of being into new ones. As we begin to embody the vibration of compassion, the tension in our bodies starts to yield along with the limited perspectives and the unproductive behaviors that come with a distorted sense of self. Thus a new relationship is fostered with those defended parts of ourselves and we experience a deeper, more intricate, more expanded connection to ourselves along with greater access to our true natures. Naturally, this is followed by a deeper, more satisfying and more effortless connection with our world and those within it as we begin to experience the felt sense that we are not as solid or as separate as we thought we were.