In the U.S. it’s not that easy to find information about health. That might surprise you but let’s look at that for a minute.

The US healthcare system is called Allopathic Medicine. What does allopathic medicine mean?

Allopathic Medicine is “A system in which medical doctors and other health care professionals (such as nurses, pharmacists, and therapists) treat symptoms and diseases using drugs, radiation, or surgery. Also called biomedicine, conventional medicine, mainstream medicine, orthodox medicine, and Western medicine.”

Our healthcare system is really not concerned with health, at least not with maintaining or optimizing health. The entire focus of western medicine is the treatment of symptoms and diseases. 

Think about that. Our medical system’s focus starts when we lose our health and ends when the symptoms or disease is either corrected or managed. 

The WHO has a pretty good definition of health: “health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. 

Health is a state of complete well-being. But, our system’s sole focus is on the absence of disease and symptoms.

HEALTH IS UP TO YOU

The medical system is best reserved for a crisis. It shines with acute injuries and illnesses. If you are involved in a serious accident a trauma center is the best place for you. If you have a serious infection then medical care is likely your best bet.

But, if you desire to be healthy and stay healthy the US healthcare system is not the place to be. 

Imagine this scenario for a minute:

You show up at your primary care physician’s office and tell the doctor that you feel great, your sleep is great, digestion great, your family and relationships are wonderful. And, you ask the doctor what else you can do to further improve your health and wellness. 

In all likelihood they will have nothing to offer you. Why? Because they spent their entire time in medical school and residency studying and treating disease. They actually know little about health. 

THE MEDICAL SYSTEM IS DANGEROUS

According to a paper published in the highly respected BMJ – British Medical Journal medical error is the third leading cause of death in the United States. That’s right, after heart disease and cancer, the practice of medicine is the next leading cause of death.

It would do you well to use the healthcare system judiciously and do everything you can to optimize your health. 

GROW YOUR HEALTH LIKE YOUR GARDEN

A garden is an appropriate analogy for health. If you plant a garden you need to tend to it regularly for it to flourish. A healthy garden needs water, weeding, fertilizing, and sun. And, it needs those things on a regular basis. 

Plants can’t go very long without water or sunshine. If you let the weeds grow they will choke out the garden. And the soil must be rich with nutrients to nourish the plants.

So, what does this have to do with health?

ANYTHING THAT CONTRIBUTES TO HEALTH IS DONE CONSISTENTLY

With the garden almost everything you are doing is adding to rather than taking from. Yes, you are removing weeds. But, you are adding sunlight, water, fertilizer.

Health is the same. 

Anything that truly contributes to health must be done on a regular basis. Some things need to be done more often than others. But, there is hardly anything that contributes to health that shouldn’t be done at least monthly. 

Let’s look at a few examples of simple practices that support your health:

• Healthy whole food diet
• Movement and exercise
• Quality Sleep
• Adequate Water
• Healthy Relationships

And, here are some other practices that many people find support their health:

• Chiropractic
• Massage
• Acupuncture
• Sauna and Steam 
• Cold Plunge

HEALTH IS ALSO ABOUT REMOVING THE NEGATIVES

Just like you pull the weed from the garden, your health benefits if you reduce or remove substances and practices that have a negative impact on your health and well being. Here are a few examples to stimulate your thought process:

• Sugar
• Alcohol
• Drugs
• Excess Sitting

WHERE DOES CHIROPRACTIC FIT IN

Chiropractic is misunderstood. There are tremendous benefits to regular chiropractic care outside of using it like medicine to reduce pain.

Chiropractic helps keep the structure of the body in balance. This reduces stress to the joints and slows the wear and tear of the joints of the pelvis and spine.

Chiropractic also helps restore and maintain balance to the autonomic nervous system. Modern life typically causes increased activity of the sympathetic “fight or flight” system and an inhibition of the vagus nerve. Chiropractic helps maintain balance.

Chiropractic helps with sleep, immune function, and every other body function dependent on a healthy nervous system.

About Dr. Berkowitz  

Bringing more than 3 decades of practice experience, Dr. Bill Berkowitz focuses on balancing and corrective care, applying his expertise to provide patients with predictable, repeatable and measurable results.

Dr. Bill consistently strives to enhance the well-being of his patients by addressing the root imbalances of their problems and promoting optimal balance, alignment, and function of the spine and nervous system.  

Bill’s wealth of knowledge and experience has allowed him to develop a nuanced understanding of the human body and its intricate connections. With each adjustment, he supports the body in returning to a state of balance that goes beyond mere symptom relief, focusing instead on long-term correction for his patients’ well-being. 

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