Four Things I Never Expected to Talk About as a Chiropractor

But here we are.

When I started practice, I thought I'd spend my days talking about backs and necks. And I do. But over the years, I've had some conversations that surprised even me.

Last month alone, I helped someone prevent diabetes, supported a patient through smoking cessation, kept a family from spending Thanksgiving weekend in urgent care, and had a conversation about stress that made a grown man cry.

None of these are what you'd expect from your "back doctor."

Let me explain.

"My blood sugar is creeping up," Tom told me during an adjustment. "Doctor wants me to start medication."

"Are you moving much?" I asked.

"I want to. But my back hurts every time I try to walk more than ten minutes."

Here's what surprised me: Tom's diabetes risk and his back pain were the same problem.

Movement regulates blood sugar. But you can't move if movement hurts. So people become sedentary. Blood sugar rises. Health declines.

We didn't fix his diabetes. We fixed why movement hurt. Once walking didn't cause pain, he started walking. Once he started walking, his blood sugar stabilized.

His doctor was shocked. I wasn't.

Your body wants to move. Sometimes it just needs help remembering how.

"You help people quit smoking?" Sarah asked, genuinely confused.

I get it. It sounds weird.

But here's what I've learned: most people who fail to quit don't lack willpower. They quit, and their body physically falls apart. Muscle tension. Headaches. Restlessness. Everything hurts.

Smoking temporarily relieves that tension. So their body screams at them to smoke again.

We don't eliminate cravings. We help your nervous system regulate itself during withdrawal so your body stops fighting your decision to quit.

Sarah's been smoke-free for two years. She still credits those first-month adjustments with making it possible.

Your spine and nervous system are connected. When one works better, the other does too.

The Thanksgiving disaster I prevent every year

The week after Thanksgiving, my schedule is always packed. Know why?

People threw their backs out lifting turkeys, standing too long cooking, or sleeping on their sister's terrible air mattress.

It's preventable. Come in the week before Thanksgiving. Make sure your spine is mobile and your body is ready for the physical demands ahead.

Every year, patients thank me for this advice. Every year, new people ignore it and learn the hard way.

Don't be the person who spends Black Friday on the couch because you lifted a roasting pan wrong.

"I'm fine," Mike insisted. "Just stressed about the holidays."

But his shoulders were up by his ears. His neck felt like concrete. His jaw was clenched.

"Your body doesn't think you're fine," I told him.

Here's what most people don't realize: stress doesn't just live in your mind. It lives in your muscles, your spine, your nervous system.

When your spine isn't moving properly, your nervous system gets stuck in fight-or-flight mode. You can't calm down because your body won't let you.

After his adjustment, Mike sat up and said, "I feel like I can breathe for the first time in weeks."

That's not just physical relief. That's your nervous system finally getting permission to relax.

Why I'm telling you this

November is about gratitude and wellness. But wellness isn't just about not being sick.

It's about your body working well enough that you can do the things you want to do.

Move without pain so you can stay healthy. Quit smoking without your body sabotaging you. Get through the holidays without injury. Manage stress before it breaks you.

That's what we do here. Not just fix problems, but help your body cooperate with the life you're trying to live.

Diabetes Awareness Month reminds us that movement is medicine. The Great American Smokeout (November 20th) gives people permission to finally quit. Thanksgiving brings physical demands your body needs to be ready for. And holiday stress starts building right now.

Four different challenges. One common thread: your body either helps you or fights you.

We make sure it helps.

If you're trying to stay active but pain stops you, let's fix that. If you're planning to quit smoking, let's support your body through withdrawal. If Thanksgiving is next week and you're not sure your back is ready, come in now. If stress is building and you can feel it in your shoulders, let's address it before it becomes a crisis.

Your body doesn't have to be the problem. It can be part of the solution.

November is busy. Your schedule is packed. But taking one hour to make sure your body is ready for everything ahead is the best investment you'll make this month.

Call the office or schedule online. Let's make sure your body is on your side.