It's an 'Adjustment', not a 'treatment'.

 

This post should have been sent a looooong time ago. It's way over due. 

Most of the time when people contact me, they say, "Can I book in a treatment with you?"

You may not realise this, but that word is like finger nails on a chalk board for me. It's a bad word. Nothing about what I do in my office is a 'treatment'. I do not 'treat' people. In my office, you come in for an adjustment.

What's the difference, you ask?

A treatment implies that there is a specific correction to a specific symptom. Believe it or not, that's not why you're in my office as a regular practice member. Sure, the main reason why you came to me in the first place is because you either had neck pain, or headaches, or low back pain, or some type of pain. Most people take action only when they are in pain. That's what it's there for. To alert you that something's not right. How else would you know that there's a problem?

Parent's usually have the same way of dealing with their children's health issues. Kid doesn't complain; all is fine. Right? Then kid seems unwell, like an ear ache, a fever, or some behavioural issue, or tummy problems. Or maybe your little 1-old-baby is showing signs of colic. All common stuff, right? 

A unpleasant symptom shows up, and you think, "I need to treat it." Another similar way of thinking about it is the concept of needing to 'fix' it. 

We were brought up in this culture from the very beginning to only react when something is wrong. To 'treat' or 'fix' the problem. Sure, it's logical. I can appreciate that.

That's not what I do in my office. I do not treat anything. What you are paying for is an adjustment, not a treatment.

Here's another way of looking at it: when you choose to eat a healthy salad for lunch, are you doing that to 'treat' something in your body? Most of the time, no. Not really. That's not why you're eating healthy. You're eating healthy because you know that it's good for your body. Good whole foods give your body good nutrition, which will help your body be healthier. But you're not 'treating' anything specific. You might take some vitamins or drink a shot of pure ginger juice or drink a protein shake because you know those things give you a certain amount of special nutrients. But are you treating something when you eat?

That's what regular adjustments are. To help your body become healthier. Better function. Better healing. Better reorganisation.

When your body starts to respond from the regular adjustments and you notice that your symptoms are going away, you feel better, sleep better, have more energy, and life seems a little bit brighter - that's because your body is functioning more in the way that it's designed to.

So, next time you contact me, say that you want an adjustment, not a treatment.

It's a new way of thinking.