EXPENSIVE REPAIRS OR REGULAR MAINTENANCE?

By Dr. Michael Cerami

I was recently over at the local tire shop getting some work done on my car when I walked by a 4x4 pickup truck. Because the truck was sitting up so high the tires immediately caught my attention. The outside edges of the front tires were worn all the way down (see photo) so there was no tread left while the inside edge of the tire had plenty of tread left.  I’m guessing the tires on this truck must cost at least $250.00 each and at some point in the near future this person was going to have to pony up a bunch of money because he (?) didn’t spend a little money (probably less than $100.00) on an alignment or maintenance. That $100.00 at the time might have seen unnecessary, especially when you see the brand new tires on the truck with full tread. The problem was that the underlying distortion or upstream problem (the cause) was not addressed. Eventually the misalignment caused a wear pattern and I’m betting reduced the life of these tires by 40-60%.

I saw a Facebook post the other day that said “If you think organic food is expensive, have you priced cancer lately?” Yes, I know, it’s a little over the top but I think it does make a very valid point. What we do or don’t do today will dictate the results we get in the future. This approach applies to everything in life from education to relationships, but I will focus on health and wellness with this blog post. 

Think about the cost of being sick, or even less symptomatic and more pervasive; what I call “Not Well”. Being Not Well limits your productivity, not just at work but also at home and in your hobbies. This cost you time, money and enjoyment like when you can’t play that second round of golf because you hurt too much or are too tired. Or at work when you need to put some extra time in to complete a project and you can’t motivate yourself to make it happen. In my opinion and observation of myself and patients for over 27 years in practice, all these items are effected by your choices in diet, exercise and neuro-spinal integrity which lead to better focus, more energy, better immunity and increased emotional plasticity.   

If we take this conversation to the next level we should understand that 80% of what kills us are chronic illnesses or lifestyle illnesses. If you assume this from a defect on your genes then I suppose you could argue that you couldn’t prevent these illnesses from occurring and you would only use a health care professional to assist you in the management of your upcoming symptoms leading eventually to illness and death.

I don’t see it that way. I believe you have options and choices and your body is a miraculous self healing living system that can do amazing things if you treat it right. 

Yes, it’s a hassle and cost money to get adjusted once per month. It’s annoying to take your supplements daily and you procrastinate about reordering when you run out. Getting up at 5am to get to the pool before early enough to beat the crowds is a bit of a pain especially when its 25 degrees out and you got to bed later than you wanted. Making your meals on Sunday for the week is not as enjoyable at plopping in front of the TV to watch a movie that you’ve been waiting to see because “I deserve a break today. It’s the weekend dang it!” 

These things are not easy to reprogram but as far as I know we only go around once in life. Think and feel your way through these ideas and determine not only where you are but where you want to be. A little bit of consistent effort on a regular basis will go a long way to making you a life you can enjoy.

As always I look forward to your comments.

Dr. Michael Cerami is a local Utah sports chiropractor who has been treating patients for over 25 years. He writes a weekly patient blog and monthly athlete article for community education on a wide variety of topics including treating sports injuries, nutrition, exercise, motivation and wellness.