How to Explain Sickness
You are doing your Chiropractic “thing” and turning on Life in your office and a patient suddenly says this to you: “Dr. Bob, I couldn’t see you last week because I had the flu. I thought that when I get adjusted, I am not going to get sick anymore.” Your insides suddenly quench. I am sure most of you experienced this question in one form or another – and it made you suddenly feel a little uneasy. I mean, if patients really understand what we do, they often think that Chiropractic care will make certain they never get sick again. This is very common thinking.
Here is where you, a well-adjusted doctor, one who has studied the Art & Science of Chiropractic, has a college degree and tons of experience, start to babble defensively. Have I missed anything? We all tell our patients that Chiropractic will keep them well – that is the Chiropractic Wellness paradigm. – our care is hinged on the fact that what we will provide our patients with amazing health. ….And that’s the truth.
However, sometimes the Body, in its wisdom, has other ideas. And patients need to understand this. When a child gets the flu, for example, the nose is running, they are coughing, they have fever, the eyes are swollen and glassy, they have loss of appetite, they are lethargic and not feeling well at all, they feel weak, have lost their spark, etc. And parents have been conditioned and well, taught to believe that their child is sick! Yes! This is sickness at its best. But….I have news for you: All those symptoms have an amazing reason for being. They are not random. The nose runs to excrete the virus, for instance. The child may have diarrhea to further excrete the bug. They have fever which is the result of extra work produced by the body as defense mechanisms are brought online to fight the invading organism. And of course, all that extra work produces extra heat – we call this Fever. Simple! The lacrimal glands produce continuous tears to cool down the cornea so that its heat-sensitive protein make-up is not damaged – the child looks glassy-eyed. There is no appetite – the body shuts down digestive cycles and shunts all energy to defense. All these activities are designed for one purpose only – to restore health and remove the invading organism. That puts this whole “sickness thing” in a very different light. It means that all these things are not random effects that need to treated.
IT DOES NOT MEAN THIS CHILD IS “SICK!” No.
It means that the body is doing exactly what it was designed and programmed to do. This is not an example of “sickness.” This is an example of health! It is what should happen! And it is exactly what was designed to happen! Ok….It may not be pleasant – your child may not like it, but it is an expression of health. Remind your patients that here is an Innate Intelligence ruling their bodies. And ultimately, that Innate force knows what is best for that body at that time. And it also knows that all body systems need to be exercised regularly in order to function at their optimum level at all times – that is the expectation, isn’t it? And just like any other part of the body, the immune system also needs to be exercised. So….I personally feel we have a built-in “clock” which activates the immune system, temporarily lowers our immune guard and response and we are then attacked by a bug of some sort. The response is a sudden activation of the immune system to fight off the invading organism. Here is what your patients need to understand: This is NOT sickness. This is an expression of health – the body doing exactly what it is programmed and designed to do. This is a good thing!
So…when your patients get “sick”, you’ll say to them; “Wonderful!”
And at first they will look at you as if you’ve just lost all your marbles, but once you explain this process, they will understand and think that you are amazing – and you are! They need to understand that having the occasional flu is a very important part of keeping healthy – your body will not be at its best without it. So….relax and tell your patients the truth – they will totally get it!
Warmest wishes,
Dr. Kristina
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