No fever. No nausea. No problem? Even the doctor says you’re fine, so why do you feel so cruddy? Perhaps you’ve been seeking health instead of wellness. This guide will explain how health is not the same as wellness, and how a chiropractor can help you achieve the wellness you deserve.


Health and standard medical treatment
Conventional medicine defines health as the absence of disease. When you have a problem, standard medical care focuses on treating the symptoms. For example, if you live with back pain, a physician might prescribe medications, which can have side effects, or recommend painful, pricey surgery. Some of these treatments are the equivalent of slapping a bandage on a bleeding wound—it might stop the bleeding, but it won’t do a thing to cure what caused the bleeding in the first place.


Wellness and chiropractic care
Wellness is a state in which the entire body works as it is designed to do. This means that you’ll feel well, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally.


Chiropractic care can help you achieve a state of wellness by looking for internal disturbances or misalignments, called vertebral subluxations, that have the potential to trigger a host of chronic conditions, from headaches to carpal tunnel syndrome. When the chiropractor finds one, he or she will manipulate the body back into a position that allows it to function properly. These adjustments are typically made with the hands, although sometimes the chiropractor will use special tools.


Because your chiropractor is concerned with wellness rather than applying a temporary fix to aches or pains, he or she may also recommend stretching or strengthening exercises that you can continue to do at home to keep your body in working order.


Be aware that there are conditions that require conventional medical treatments or procedures. However, if you are looking for a way to improve your quality of life and allow your body to heal itself in a healthy and natural way, it’s time to make a chiropractic care appointment.