THREE T’S TRIUMPH: THE CHIROPRACTIC EQUATION
One course included in every chiropractic students curriculum is chiropractic philosophy. Most chiropractic schools only teach one or two philosophy courses, but at Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, they teach six philosophy courses. Chiropractic originated in Davenport, Iowa by D.D. Palmer in 1895. The school has so much impact and history, that more than 50% of chiropractors, including Dr. Wilkins and Dr. Steinert, attend here.
One topic that most schools teach at one point is the 3 T’s of Chiropractic. The 3 T’s of chiropractic are thoughts, traumas, and toxins. In this week’s blog, we will discuss the importance of the 3 T’s as a whole, and identify the best steps to take for the nervous system to stay optimized.
How Do the 3 T’s Affect the Body?
D.D. Palmer once said, “Chiropractors recognize that physical, chemical, and emotional stress contribute to disease. The goal is to eliminate as much stress as possible so your body can do what it was designed to do… “heal itself.”
What does that mean? What it means is that every thought, trauma, and/or toxin we encounter affects the human body and interferes with the nervous system. The spine is the protective barrier for the nervous system. When one or more vertebrae become misaligned due to a physical trauma, chemical trauma, or emotional stressor, nerve roots become impinged. Over time, prolonged nerve impingement can result in severe pain, muscle weakness, loss of sensation, and/or organ malfunction.
How Does the Body Heal Itself?
Before the body can heal itself, a series of treatment must be performed. A chiropractor’s main goal is to bring the spine into proper alignment and remove any nerve interference. When patients present to our office in an impaired state, our duty is to perform x-rays in the region of complaint, and conduct a thorough neurological exam and orthopedic evaluation.
At the conclusion of the exam, we combine the results to create a report of findings to present to the patient during the next visit. During the report of findings, we provide a recommended treatment plan that is tailored for each patient. The importance of a treatment plan is to re-educate the spine and nervous system so that each patient can return to a normal state of living. The longer a patient is impaired, the more visits it may take to get better. To learn more about treatment plans, refer to our blog, “The Treatment Plan: The Key to Restored Health.”
Once a treatment plan is completed, patients are put on a maintenance plan so that they can continue to prevent disease and nerve interference. Maintenance patients aren’t coming in as frequently as when they were on a treatment plan. At this point, the body will continue to heal itself even though they are not seen as regularly.
There are two things that need to be accomplished for a patient to stay at optimal wellness:
- They need to continue with maintenance care. Think of a car. Cars need oil changes approximately every 3K-5K miles, right? Without oil, the car won’t function properly. Think of the body as the car and the treatment as the oil. The treatment allows the body to continue to function properly and allows patient health to stay at optimal levels.
- Patients need to do their part outside of the office for this to be truly beneficial. They need to do their stretches faithfully, make sure they are using proper body mechanics, eat a proper diet, perform regular moderate intensity exercise a few times a week, find something that relieves stress, and get sufficient sleep every night.
Living up to these goals will keep you well and avoid the 3 T’s of Chiropractic from interfering with your nervous system. Over the over the next few weeks, we will discuss each T individually and identify ways to avoid each from taking over the nervous system. If you have any questions about the 3 T’s of Chiropractic, please feel free to call us at (724) 547-3377 and check out our website at www.drlarrywilkinsspinalcare.com for more blog content.
Yours In Health,
Larry E. Wilkins, DC
Brian M. Steinert, DC
