When it comes to healthcare there are two studies that determine the viewpoint by which health decisions are made. The first is Pathogenesis which comes from the Greek word for feeling or suffering. The second is Salutogenesis which comes from the Latin word for health. These terms were developed by a professor of medical sociology named Aaron Antonovsky during his studies of how people survive, adapt, and overcome in the face of even the most punishing life-stress experiences.

In one of his books his studies showed that 29% of women who had survived Nazi concentration camps had positive emotional health, compared to 51% of a control group. As a result, he began his formation of the salutogenic model of health.

When it comes to health, how we feel is unreliable. We may feel something is wrong when it really isn’t, or worse yet we may feel perfectly fine when something is terribly wrong. Making health decisions strictly based on symptoms or feeling is a slippery slide that may lead us down a fast path in the wrong direction. With stress and unhealthy lifestyles on the rise, chronic health conditions are becoming more and more prevalent. This is why a more proactive approach is needed now more than ever before. A proactive approach is one that is based on function.

If people have good habits, healthy social relationships, and a positive outlook on healthcare, they are more likely to stay healthier than those with physical, mental, or emotional problems.

Salutogenesis focuses on holistic health measures to promote both mental and physical wellness in the hopes of preventing illness altogether and bringing about an overall healthier lifestyle. The hard part isn’t with our desire to have a healthier lifestyle, but with our actions. It is much easier to watch TV every night than go for a run, pick up fast food than cook at home, or even take a medication to treat the symptom vs addressing the root cause.

True health is like climbing stairs. It’s not easy but more work always ends up in a better place. The sooner we start, the easier it will be to maintain that overall wellness than to regain it once it is lost. This is why we have a saying in our office “it is easier to grow healthy children, than it is to mend broken adults”.

HOW CAN CHIROPRACTIC HELP?

At its core, chiropractic is designed to promote overall health and wellness. If the body is functioning at optimal levels of health, it will be able to combat sickness better and recover more quickly when it does get sick. Chiropractic promotes health as a measure of preparation.

The goal is to prepare the body to be as resilient as possible in order to face the challenges and stressors of life by clearing the brain/nervous system of interferences (subluxations). Unfortunately, we cannot avoid life stresses and if we aren’t proactive then our only approach is reactive.

Regular chiropractic adjustments help to restore and maintain the overall health and wellness we all desire.

Antonovsky, Aaron. Health, Stress, and Coping, 1979

Antonovsky, Aaron. Unraveling the Mysteries of Health, 1987