Monday, August 13, 2012

Temporary Fix or Real Repair: What do you want?

Posted by: Dr. Ken Bennett


Just like repairing a road, true healing takes place over time.  Anyone who lives in Chicago knows how annoying construction season can be.  Sure they could just fill in the potholes over and over again until they wind up swallowing a bus.  Or they can do it right and tear things up, take a few month to resurface and repave, and leave the smooth sailing to us.  You have to admit that once it’s done, it is great to drive on a well paved road.

Your health is very similar to road repair.  Of course you can take Advil to cover up the pain and hope it goes away.  But, these strategies don’t work because the underlying problems remain.  At The Balancing Center, people get optimal results when they embrace a process that allows the body to heal over time. We help people go beyond pain relief to an awareness of better health and happiness. The key is to really understand the concept that the pain/problem didn’t appear out of the blue.  

Just like the pothole, conditions like joint pain, heart disease or headaches, were already eroding and breaking down under the radar. Because the body is designed to compensate, problems can be silent until BOOM you hit a crisis. The doctors at The Balancing Center are great at helping you manage the crisis and get out of pain.  Success!  You feel better, but, you’ve only just begun to heal.

As the crisis was building, your tissues (muscles, nerves, bones, ligaments) were straining and inflaming due to uneven wear and tear.  Once balance is restored and the pain is gone, the tissues can finally heal.  If you want more than just a temporary fix, you need to stick with your treatment plan.  The care you receive when you’re already feeling good helps take your body to a whole new level of functionality and health.  The home exercises the doctors can teach you (Foundational Movement Practices) will help  support your adjustments, retrain your muscle memory and reset posture, allowing  your body to repave the road to an experience of strength and well being.

Keep your eyes peeled for our next blog, where we’ll talk about the ‘cycles of repair’ and how old aches and pains coming back can actually be signs that you are on the right track.