Pair-a-Dimes

            Today I’m writing about paradigms – pronounced, pair-a-dimes. “What is a paradigm?” you ask. Merriam-Webster defines it as “a philosophical and theoretical framework of a scientific school or discipline within which theories, laws, and generalizations and the experiments performed in support of them are formulated; broadly : a philosophical or theoretical framework of any kind.” Blah, blah, blah. The Merriam-Webster kid’s version of the definition is a lot easier to understand. It says, “an example showing how something is to be done (aka:  model).” In short, it’s a model around which we build our belief systems.

            I’m writing about this because of the different paradigms in our healthcare system today. There’s a big difference between the chiropractic paradigm we implement here at the office (and in our everyday lives) and the one most commonly seen in other physicians’ offices (medical doctors, osteopathic doctors, pediatricians, and the list goes on). I want to share what is at the very center of our belief system so you can better understand where we’re coming from.

            The two main healthcare paradigms are Vitalistic and Mechanistic. Let me first explain what mechanistic care looks like. Simply put:  it looks like intervention. It is another test to run, another diagnosis to make, another drug or surgical procedure to prescribe. Doctors spend every day looking for problems and a way THEY can solve them. They are working against the body.

            Chiropractors fall under the vitalistic paradigm. As vitalists we believe that humans (and animals for that matter) are born to be healthy and if the body is given the right support, we can continue to be healthy. We believe that the body has an innate ability to heal itself and needs no outside intervention (drugs or surgery). Of course there are exceptions to that, such as a life-threatening trauma where drugs and surgery are needed for crisis care. For everyday illness (colds or flu) and cuts or scrapes, we take a “watch and wait” approach. The body knows what to do. As chiropractors, we are here to remove any interference in the body’s innate healing ability. Chiropractors don’t “treat” anything. We recognize that a patient may have low back pain or trouble sleeping or a sprained ankle, but we are not here to treat it. We can adjust subluxations of the spine so the nervous system can function better and communicate to the body and initiate healing from within. We can also influence the bones of the extremities or the surrounding soft tissue in an effort to assist the body in healing, but it is always your body that does the healing, not the doctor. 

            To us, it is vitally important to live a vitalistic lifestyle.

What have you done to be vitalistic today?

-         Dr. Emily :-)

Is it just a JOB?

At our office meeting last week, we were asked to write an essay to answer the following question:  Do I see my job as merely a paycheck or do I see my job as an opportunity to change lives? Why?


I'm sure your first thought is, "They had to write ESSAYS?!" I promise, this isn't something we do often, or ever, for that matter. A writing we went, and the answers were nothing short of amazing. With permission from the staff, I am posting their responses. They are heart-felt and moving. Enjoy.


From Diana:

     When I was in a car accident in 2005, I went to a doctor with complaints of neck, back, and extremity pain. He gave me pain meds. I went back a week later with the same complaints, plus I wasn’t eating or sleeping and everything hurt. He told me it would take longer for me to recover because I was “older”. I was 49 years old.

     When it became obvious that an M.D. wasn’t going to help me, I went to a chiropractor for the first time. Dr. Drengler and her staff listened to what I said. They took notes. They gave me therapy. But most importantly, they believed what I was telling them. And it made me cry.

After that, I became a firm believer in chiropractic and what it can do for the body. My spirits were lifted from below sea level to heavenly heights because the pain was beginning to resolve. I was eating and sleeping again. Even after I was doing so much better, I continued receiving chiropractic care and became a regular patient.

     What Dr. Drengler and her staff did for me was more than treat my pain with adjustments and therapies. They treated my heart and mind and soul with kindness and compassion. I wanted to be one of them.

When I applied for this job, I felt like I had walked into a sanctuary. The room was warm and inviting, and so was Kris. I wanted to be here. After my interview, I knew more than ever that I wanted to be a part of this group of people who cared so much.

     This job has never been just a paycheck to me. It’s been a place where I have seen people of all ages respond to the wonder of chiropractic. I’ve sat with people who have cried, like I did, when they realized we understood and believed and knew we could help. I am proud to be an integral part of this office, and I look forward to coming to work every day. I’m just lucky (and blessed) that I get to be paid for it.

From Traci:

            I have always taken every job as an opportunity to help others and to help them change their lives. I believe my "personal" job in this world is to help others. My job here at Smoky Valley Chiropractic is definitely an opportunity to help others get healthier, stay healthy, keep them improving in all aspects of life (eating, moving, thinking well, positive attitude, etc.).

            Every day I believe we all help change lives. Whether we help a patient get on the adjusting table, help them with their coat, do a therapy on them or whatever it is we help them with. We are always there helping someone. Even telling someone "Good morning, Bob," we are being respectful and are genuinely giving them some attention that they may not get otherwise. When giving that one person your genuine attention for two minutes they are so grateful and that perks them up, which gives them a boost of positive energy.

            I am a positive person and like to think of all the positive opportunities there are in life. My job here at Smoky Valley Chiropractic is one of the many opportunities I have gotten. I appreciate the many opportunities I get here at Smoky Valley Chiropractic to help others on a daily basis. I try to always walk in the door ready for a full, fun, exciting day, with many opportunities awaiting me. There is always going to be ways to improve myself and I am always ready to learn more each and every day. Every day I walk in the back door with a positive attitude and think, "Today there are going to be so many opportunities, I best get started now!" As I walk out the door at the end of the working day, I think, "Wow, I helped change so many lives today!"

From Hannah:

         I view my position at Smoky Valley Chiropractic as a way to change lives. My job gives me the opportunity for so many things. To educate, assist, and lead by example for a healthier lifestyle.

         My job is so satisfying, that it is easy to keep a positive attitude which will help inspire patients to have a positive attitude as well. By having that positive attitude, people can encourage the production of “happy hormones” and chemicals that will overall improve their lives and function.

         Working with patients who are actively seeking help to improve their lives makes it easier for me to educate them with my knowledge so they can better understand our purpose and to find out other things that will benefit their lives by coming to our office.

         I use my opportunity outside the office as well. By knowing and believing in all the benefits of chiropractic, I can educate those that are close to me or take an opportunity to educate people who are unfamiliar or looking for another option to medical care.

         With the continued information I receive from my peers, I am always learning something new that I can pass on to someone else, and vice versa. I am not only taking the opportunity to change lives, but my peers are as well. 

As you can see - this office is much more than just a job. It's a way of living. It's an opportunity. We want to thank each and every one of our patients for giving us the opportunity to be in their lives. Thank you - Smoky Valley Chiropractic Staff.

Mid-Week Motivation

          As a new professional in the area, I’ve been attending several networking groups to meet new and interesting people – and that I have. This last week I attended a luncheon with Michael Schneider of McPherson College. He was our speaker for the day and he was talking about things he learned on his way to being one of the youngest college presidents in the nation. He had some great points – some that pertain only to business and some that pertain also to life. I’m a real sucker for motivational stuff, so I thought I would share. Who doesn’t need a little pick me up here and there?!

Here’s what he had to say:

     1.     “It’s okay to make mistakes.” We’ve all heard that one before, but for some reason we tend to forget easily. He also said, “If you’re going to make mistakes, make them in the forward direction and learn from them.” Make mistakes while you’re working your way to greatness (whatever that may be – personal, professional, etc.) and take the knowledge you learn from the mistake and carry on your way. 

     2.     “The accomplishment is the QUEST.” Sometimes it’s not the end result that deserves the recognition, but the journey you took to get there.

     3.     “Always take a swing when you’re up to bat. Don’t just let the ball go by.” Don’t let an opportunity pass you by. You’ll definitely strike out if you don’t take a swing.

     4.     “Patience is a load of cr@p.” This one is more of a business principle than a life one. Patience in life will take you far, but in business you can’t just wait for things to happen. You have to make them happen.

     5.     “Don’t overlook the people you surround yourself with.” Look to those around you for help and guidance. They are your closest and best asset.

     6.     “Get in spaces where you are uncomfortable.” It’s easy to stay inside your comfort zone, but magic happens when you get outside of it. Challenge yourself.

     7.     “Some people call it crazy. Others call it a vision.” I’m totally out of my mind, so does that make me a visionary?! ;-)

     8.     “Don’t let your career define you. Define your career.” 

     9.     “Success isn’t measured by how you fit in, but by how you stand out.” These last two go together nicely. You can do alright if you just go-with-the-flow, but sometimes swimming upstream will take you farther. 

I hope these little pieces of wisdom can make you feel as great as they did me. Let’s go change the world!

-Dr. Emily

"F" is for Flu

            

       I hadn’t had the flu in years and years – until this year. My husband, Steven, works in local hospitals everyday fixing medical equipment and we’re pretty sure that’s where it came from. Steven was the first to go down. He was praying to the porcelain god for a good 24 hours before he started to feel human again. At first, I thought I might be spared, but 4 days later it was my turn. I didn’t get near as sick and after 12 hours was feeling almost 100% better! In all honesty, I had a rib subluxation that hurt a lot more than the flu did – and my chiropractor, Dr. Loder, was on vacation! Suffering through my subluxation was worse than suffering through the flu! All in all, the flu experience at our house was a very mild one and I credit all of that to chiropractic. Keeping our spine in line and our nervous systems working at 100%, our immune systems were able to quickly mount a response and defeat the virus. We also live the chiropractic lifestyle at our house which includes daily exercise, eating organic, non-processed foods as often as possible, and taking daily whole food supplements including vitamin D. Recent studies show that vitamin D is actually more effective at fighting the flu than the flu vaccine. Vitamin D is dubbed the “sunshine vitamin”, and since living in Kansas during the winter = minimal sunshine, vitamin D supplementation becomes even more important.

Then of course there’s Laramie, our 4 month old – because she is exclusively breastfeed, she didn’t get so much as the sniffles! Babies get powerful antibodies produced by their mother that helps protect them from any and all “bugs” they may come into contact with. That’s one of my favorite things about chiropractic, how we learn to work with nature instead of against it. Because I let myself get sick and didn’t try to cover up the symptoms with medication, my body was able to mount a stronger response and pass on those fighting cells to Laramie.

Just in case the flu decides to visit your house, here are some helpful tips on how to cope:

1.     I know it sucks, but don’t try to stop the vomiting or diarrhea. Your body is trying to get that stuff out for a reason – it needs to worry about fighting the virus and doesn’t have time to worry about digestion.

2.     Make sure to stay hydrated. This is one of the most common complications from the flu – dehydration. Water is easily absorbed and requires little to no actual digestion. If tolerated, sip on some warm water with honey and lemon for electrolytes. Avoid over sugary drinks such as Gatorade and Powerade.

3.     Someone once told me, “The flu is nature’s way of telling you to take a day off.” I’d say that’s rather sound advice. REST!!

4.     And of course – get adjusted! One of the most important times to get adjusted is when you’re ill. Don’t cancel your appointment. Let us know you’re feeling ill and we’ll try to accommodate your appointment during a non-busy time or at the end of the day to reduce exposure for other patients. And don’t worry – we’ll be sure to clean the table well to keep from spreading the virus!

Even though “F” is for flu, “C” is for chiropractic and making sure you’re getting adjusted regularly can keep you on your “A” game!

- Dr. Emily 

New Year, New Tradition

Here it is - 2012. Most people make resolutions this time of year and then promptly break them. So why not do something different this year? I have to admit, I got this great idea from a fantastic local photographer, Karilyn Sanders (who happened to do our maternity, birth, and newborn photos for Laramie!). Her idea was to dedicate the New Year to a word. Just one word. Click HERE to read her blog. 

I’ve decided that my word of the year will be PASSION. I am going to dedicate myself to sharing my passion for chiropractic and natural parenting with those around me. It just happens that this New Year brings with it the beginning of my professional career as a chiropractor which will greatly impact the ability to reach my goal. I will literally have the opportunity to “touch” the lives of others through chiropractic. My goal is to help our practice educate those in the community that chiropractic isn’t just about low back pain – it’s about living life to its fullest potential.  And those of you who I’ve talked to about pregnancy, birth, and child rearing know that I can go on for HOURS talking about all the ways to support the growth of our future generations naturally. I’ve decided to put all that passion into classes about Natural Parenting. In fact, my first class is January 15^th and will be covering Natural Remedies for Common Conditions, Natural First Aid, Baby Wearing, and Cloth Diapering. I’m really, really excited about sharing this information. I’ve been harboring all this passion for chiropractic and natural parenting during my years at school, and the time has finally come for me to let the cat out of the bag. 

What is your word for 2012 and how are you going to express that word in your life?

- Dr. Emily :-)