Why is it that when it comes to our automobiles we are like the dogs in the Pavlov experiments?  Each time an indicator light turns on we are conditioned to heed the warning and service our car.  Similarly, just how the bell would ring causing the dogs to salivate conditionally as they anticipated being fed.  The car is a source of freedom, bringing us to work and back home, taking us to our vacation destination, and out to cheer our favorite team.  Yet our most overlooked vehicle of freedom is our own body.  Granted, there are no indicator lights to tell us to get more sleep, start exercising, drink more fluids, or eat more protein, but there are indicators that, if we listen carefully, will tell us exactly what we need to know to ensure we stay on track with our health.

Our primary mode of transportation, our very selves, can never take a back seat.  In fact, ignorance, as it relates to our body, is not bliss especially as we get older.  Ignorance can cause bigger problems for ourselves and our quality of life which is something no one wants.  So, what are some of those “indicator lights” we should be looking for that tell us something is amiss with our body?

• Chronic fatigue – do you wake up feeling just as tired as you did when you went to sleep the night before?
• Migraines – do you find that most days you suffer from a headache?
• Arthritis – do you feel your daily activities are restricted due to the pain and discomfort of arthritis or stiffness in your joints?
• Sports injuries – is that old football injury causing you issues with your range of motion or pain?
• Weight loss – have you hit a plateau with your weight loss goal and despite your best efforts feel stuck?

While the mechanic is the professional that addresses the needs of your car, a Doctor of Chiropractic is the health care professional specifically trained to address the needs of the human body through the musculoskeletal and nervous systems.   A chiropractor is focused on finding those “indicator lights” within our muscles, bones, joints and nerves to reveal the problem, identify its source, and then provide the appropriate course of treatment.

Remember, ignorance is not bliss, but rather a lack of ownership to our most important asset – our bodies.