The definition of health that many of us grew up with, and that most medical practitioners still uphold, is that “health is the absence of symptoms and diseases.” However, this definition falls short if we truly wish to understand what is health chiropractic.
A more holistic perspective suggests that health is determined by “the body’s ability to accurately interpret and adapt to the stresses from the surrounding environment.” At all times, innate intelligence coordinates thousands of processes to maintain balance and function, ensuring our bodies respond appropriately to various conditions.
For instance, consider body temperature. It typically hovers around 36.7º whether it’s a sweltering summer day or a chilly winter evening. To maintain this balance, the body’s nervous system activates mechanisms to dissipate heat in summer, such as sweating, or to conserve heat in winter by redirecting blood flow. This is a normal response that exemplifies health in action.
Another example involves the body’s immediate reaction to sugar consumption. Upon tasting sugar, the nervous system communicates with the pancreas, prompting it to secrete insulin into the bloodstream, which is crucial for metabolising sugar. If this process fails, such as when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, it can lead to diabetes.
Does Being Healthy Mean Feeling Good All the Time?
Many adaptation processes that occur within the body can be uncomfortable. It may be tempting to mask these sensations to feel better. However, embracing a chiropractic lifestyle encourages you to reassess your understanding of health and how you respond to various symptoms.
For example, if you consumed expired food, you might experience vomiting and diarrhoea. While your first instinct might be to take medication to alleviate these symptoms and rest, it’s essential to recognise that this reaction could be a healthy response to eliminate toxins from your body.
According to our revised definition of health, your body would be PERFECTLY HEALTHY in this scenario, as it effectively responds to protect itself. Isn’t it more beneficial for your body to expel harmful substances?
Regrettably, society has conditioned us to view discomfort, often linked to symptoms, as a sign of illness. Both scientific research and chiropractic principles encourage us not to hastily label symptoms as either good or bad. Misjudging these adaptive responses can lead to negative consequences, as we will explore further.
In conclusion, the degree to which the body’s response is healthy is a reflection of its capacity to interpret and react appropriately to environmental stresses.
As Nobel Prize winner Hans Selye aptly stated:
“The secret of health and happiness lies in the body’s ability to adapt and change in accordance with its environment. Many common diseases occur in most cases due to errors in our ability to adapt.”
For more information on chiropractic care, you may want to explore our [chiropractic treatments](https://quiropractica1.com/en/chiropractic-treatments/) or read about [subluxation](https://quiropractica1.com/en/what-is-a-subluxation/).
Sources: What is health?
(1) St. Claire L, Watkins CJ, Billinghurst B. Differences in meanings of health: an exploratory study of general practitioners and their patients. Family Practice 1996; 13:511-6.
(2) Selye H. The Stress of Life – Revisited Edition. Mcgraw- Hill Book Co., New York. 1978.
(3) Mackowiak PA, Bartlett JG, Borden EC. Concepts of Fever: Recent Advances and Lingering Dogma. Clin Inf Dis 1997;25:119-38.
(4) Nesse RM, Williams GC. Why we get sick-The New Science of Darwinian Medicine. Random House, New York. 1995. pp 35-6
