“Quick Fixes”

by Dr. Andrew T. Brady, Chiropractic Physician

We live in a time where we want a quick fix or “magic bullet” for all the problems we face, especially when it comes to chronic health issues. Quick fixes for our health usually come in the form of drugs, with the exception of emergency medicine. Do you have heart burn? There’s a pill for that. Do you have headaches? There’s a pill for that. Are you depressed? There’s a pill for that. Are your pain pills causing constipation? There’s a pill for that, too. These quick fixes might seem appealing, but are they making you healthier?

A patient came in a few months ago with severe low back pain and pain going into his legs. He told me that the first time this happened was 10 years ago. Every time he has had a flare up since, he has taken steroid shots and anti-inflammatory medication which took his pain away and got him feeling great again. He came in to see me because the shots and meds were no longer working, and he was miserable. After evaluating him, we discovered that one of the bones in his lower back was rotated 15 degrees, which was causing his disc to degenerate and compressing the nerves that control his legs. The pain he experienced 10 years ago was his body trying to tell him there was a problem, but all he did was cover up the symptoms with medications. Meanwhile, the cause of the problem continued to get worse and worse. By spending years only addressing the symptoms, he unknowingly caused irreversible spinal degeneration. The quick fix drugs and injections were masking symptoms, but not correcting the spinal misalignment.

Unfortunately, this is a common scenario. Quick fixes sound great in the short term, but long term, your quality of life will suffer. The question you should ask yourself is how do you want to age? Do you want to be the grandpar­ent who is in a wheelchair, hooked up to oxygen tanks, taking 20 different medications, and seeing doctors all the time? Or do you want to be the grandparent who can run around, go on bike rides, hikes, and continue to enjoy what life has to offer?

The health decisions that you make right now are what will determine your quality of life now and later on. Make them good ones, and don’t settle for quick fixes!

Spine Integrative Wellness, 1340 Corporate Drive Suite 300, Hudson, OH 44236  • 234-284-8002 • SpineIntegrativeWellness.com

Opinions and claims expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of ScripType Publishing.