Anyone who's seen the movie Titanic knows what can happen when we blindly forge ahead, unaware of dangers lurking beneath the surface. Hundreds of innocent lives were lost, because the priority was getting ahead quickly, instead of being fully aware of the environment. Warnings were missed and disaster struck.

How often this happens with our bodies as well. We've been taught to just focus on symptoms to determine whether we're "sick" or "healthy". Yet, by the time symptoms show up the ship's already sinking. If you wait for a cavity to have a symptom, your tooth is already pretty rotten. In a large percentage of cases the first symptom of a heart condition is a fatal heart attack. By the time cancer becomes symptomatic it's been developing for years and has caused major damage to the body. The list of diseases and illnesses which only become symptomatic in their later or end stages is long. Do we really want to wait that long?

Subluxations are usually silent as well. Spinal misalignment and nerve interference is not always painful. By the time symptoms actually show up, damage to the spine and its structures has often occurred. Also, the body has been operating with less than normal nerve supply. This means that it's been slowly dying from the inside, with little to no symptoms.

Why wait for symptoms to occur? Taking an active approach to good health means doing what it takes to keep your body at its best. A healthy diet, regular exercise, plenty of rest, and a positive mental attitude all help steer us clear of the icebergs of ill health. Regular adjustments also keep us on the right course. Not merely for prevention of pain, but for allowing your body to be its best-to work at its maximum potential.

Chiropractic deals with underlying causes, allowing your body to heal at levels you are not conscious of.

  Thanks to Greg & Kim Stetzel, D.C.s. of Branchville, NJ for this contribution