My Path to Wellness: Embracing Chiropractic Care & Natural Medicine

Why I Choose Holistic Healthcare: The Healing Power of Chiropractic and Natural Medicine

In the aftermath of my car accident, many people were surprised—even concerned—that I chose to visit a chiropractor the very next day. In conventional medicine, chiropractors aren’t often seen as "qualified" to address trauma like closed head injuries or concussions, a stance that reflects widespread misunderstanding and bias against chiropractic care. My own father, a man of his generation, thought I was making a poor decision, believing, as many in France do, that chiropractors are "charlatans." In fact, this skepticism is common in the U.S. too, thanks largely to a campaign from the 1930s by the American Medical Association to label chiropractic as pseudoscience. 

Despite these perceptions, the benefits of chiropractic care are well-documented and supported by hundreds of studies, showing how it helps people, especially after accidents, recover is significantly faster and better without drugs or surgery.

Key Benefits of Chiropractic Care After an Accident:

1. Injuries Are Not Always Obvious: It’s common for people to develop chronic pain or restricted mobility after what seems like a minor accident (car accident, falling off a bycicle, falling off a horse, a ski accident, etc). Chiropractic care can restore range of motion and relieve pain without medication or surgery, simply through targeted adjustments.

2. Reduces Inflammation: Inflammation, especially micro-tears in ligaments and muscles, doesn’t always show on an X-ray. This hidden damage can cause severe pain, often mistaken for "normal" post-accident discomfort. Chiropractic adjustments help the body produce IL-6, an importan anti-inflammatory substance the body produces that promotes healing.

3. Non-Invasive Treatment That Works: Prompt chiropractic care can prevent long-term issues without relying on invasive procedures. This method of care has been available for decades and gives actual results. People who maintain an active lifestyle post-accident often recover more quickly, benefiting from chiropractic treatments that don’t require medications or surgery.

4. Scar Tissue Reduction: Scar tissue is the body’s natural response to muscle injury, but it can lead to stiffness and pain. Chiropractic care improves circulation to these areas, helping break down scar tissue and accelerating the healing process.

5. Pain Relief Without Drugs: Studies show that chiropractic adjustments releases pain-reducing hormones, alleviating discomfort not only in the area of injury but throughout the body.

6. Prevention of Long-Term Discomfort: Regular chiropractic care, before and after an accident, speeds recovery and helps the body "remember" its pre-injury state. Even first-time chiropractic patients benefit significantly, though their recovery might be slower.

7. Restores Range of Motion: After an injury, inflammation can restrict blood flow to the affected areas, slowing down healing. Chiropractic adjustments encourage mobility, allowing blood and nutrients to reach injured tissues faster.

8. Support for Accident Claims: The benefits of chiropractic care treatments after an auto accident are known and recognized as a standard care by auto insurances, which in the long run is a lot less expensive for them. 

9. Wider Acceptance in Sports and Auto Accident Recovery: Today, high-performance athletes often rely on chiropractic care to enhance recovery and performance. For those involved in auto accidents, chiropractic treatment has become a trusted approach, and insurance companies recognize its cost-effectiveness, fully covering it under many plans.

10. Chiropractors are Doctors: Chiropractors undergo extensive training similar to medical doctors, focusing on the nervous system, skeletal health, and natural remedies rather than medications. While some might still question their legitimacy, it’s important to understand that chiropractors receive rigorous training, just as conventional doctors do. 

How Chiropractic Care Calms the Body's Stress Response

When someone experiences a traumatic brain injury (TBI), both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems (components of the autonomic nervous system) will become dysregulated. 

This dysregulation affects many bodily functions, leading to complex and sometimes prolonged symptoms.

Imbalance Between The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) and Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS): Autonomic Dysregulation

This imbalance may cause symptoms like dizziness, temperature regulation issues, and erratic blood pressure. It’s also common to experience sudden swings between feeling overly energized and completely fatigued. 

At times one will lose their sense of space and time. Finding yourself lost, and confused at what may be going on around you. The parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system being completely out of balance, giving you a feeling of "out of body experience". You cannot explain it yet it is very real. Basically, one is not completely living in its body. It is a way for us to protect ourselves from trauma. We dissociate from the physical body and live more in our astral body. It's a "semi" of out of body experience.

Understanding these impacts can provide insight into why recovery from TBI is so challenging, as autonomic dysregulation can add layers of complexity to the healing process. 

1. The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) increases your Stress Response.

It is responsible for the “fight-or-flight” response, which often becomes overactive after a TBI. This leads to heightened feelings of stress and anxiety, hyperarousal, or exaggerated startle responses even in non-threatening situations.

You can find yourself with elevated heart rate and blood pressure issues. This is often linked with dysautonomia (autonomic dysfunction), where the body has trouble regulating basic autonomic functions.

In my case the opposite was true! My heart rate and blood pressure was low / normal, and never got high. I believe that my daily spiritual practice had soothing effects on my entire physiological and physical body. It uplifted me each day and rose above my own physical difficulties. I could see my limitations as a human trying to live my life, yet I couldn't do a thing about it. It was like I was observing myself through my struggle.

2. Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) Impairment reduces Rest-and-Digest Response: 

The parasympathetic system, which helps the body to relax and recover, may not function efficiently. This reduction in PNS activity means the body struggles to return to a calm state, leading to poor sleep, difficulty managing stress, and impaired digestion.

Reduced PNS activity can lead to Digestive and Immune issues such as gastrointestinal problems (like irritable bowel syndrome symptoms) and weakened immune response. Making individuals more susceptible to illness or infection. Because the PNS is crucial in supporting restful states, its impairment will delay overall healing and increase fatigue.

When I first started my treatments with my chiropractor the chart he used showed I was in the red zone and completely off keel. it took about 6 months of care for SNS and PNS to get back into balance. 

Was I healed? Not at all! 

It took another 8 years of struggle going from one doctor to another, from one natural holistic technology to another. Each brought me closer to feeling better and improved my health to finally being introduced to a light technology that changed my life completely and restored my brain fully like it was before the accident. It was a long time coming but I never lost hope to find my way back to health. And by the Grace of God it was given to me.

My personal healthcare philosophy is preventive care:

My personal healthcare philosophy is preventive, and chiropractic care is a staple in my health regimen, whether I’m feeling well or unwell. 

As a health coach and yoga instructor, I focus on maintaining health year-round to avoid disease and crisis. Alongside chiropractic care, I use acupuncture, naturopathy, yoga, herbal remedies, and proper nutrients from food. I strive on a high protein and animal fat diet which has been most important for my full recovery. Food is the base of our health and wellness. These strategies, when combined, form a powerful foundation for wellness, enabling me to use food and natural medicine as my primary tools for healing.

What Chiropractors Are Recognized For:

• Diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal pain

• Alleviating chronic back and neck pain through spinal adjustments

• Treating injuries from sports or auto accidents

• Improving mobility and flexibility post-injury

• Reducing inflammation and promoting natural healing

• Enhancing athletic performance and recovery

• Providing holistic health insights through lifestyle and nutrition guidance

• Supporting non-invasive recovery, avoiding surgery and pharmaceuticals