Why Do I Keep Getting Sick? A Different Way to Think About Your Health
Why does it seem like so many people are getting sicker? And why do our kids seem to be getting sicker instead of healthier?
I get asked some version of this question almost every week in my office.
There can be many reasons someone gets sick frequently, and persistent or concerning symptoms should always be properly assessed. But there’s another part of this conversation that I think we sometimes overlook: how we think about health in the first place.
Do we approach health from the outside in… or from the inside out?
Your Body Already Knows How to Do Some Pretty Incredible Things
Think about this for a second:
When I got pregnant, I grew an entire human being inside my body.
And what did I have to consciously do to make that happen? Basically nothing.
I tried to eat well, exercise and take my prenatal supplements. But I didn't have to tell my baby's heart when to start beating. I didn't have to figure out how to build a spinal cord, two kidneys, ten fingers or a brain.
There was an intelligence at work that knew exactly what to do.
In chiropractic, we call that innate intelligence. And pregnancy isn't the only example.
👉 Cut your finger and your body knows how to stop the bleeding, form a scab and repair the tissue underneath.
👉 Break a bone and, once it's properly supported, your body begins creating new bone.
You aren't consciously controlling any of it. Your body knows.
There are probably a trillion examples happening inside you right now that you never have to think about.
Your nerve system constantly coordinates what happens throughout your body so you can grow, heal, adapt, and live.
So Why Don't We Trust It?
This is where I think things get interesting.
We trust this intelligence when everything is going well. But as soon as we develop a symptom, our thinking often changes.
👉 We get a headache and think, "What can I take?"
👉 Our child doesn't feel well and we think, "How do we make this stop?"
👉 We develop back pain, constipation, reflux or some other symptom and immediately want to know how to get rid of it.
And I understand why. Symptoms don't usually feel good! But what if getting rid of the symptom isn't the most important question?
What if we first asked: Why is my body doing this?
Symptoms Are Communication
I say this to patients all the time:
Your symptoms are the only language your body has to communicate with you.
Your body doesn't just do random things. If something has changed, I want to know why.
… What is your body trying to tell you?
… What isn't functioning the way it should?
… What might be interfering with your body's ability to adapt?
… And what could we do to better support the body rather than simply trying to silence the message?
That is a very different way of thinking about health.
Outside-In Versus Inside-Out
An outside-in approach asks:
What do I need to take or do to make this symptom go away?
An inside-out approach asks:
What is my body trying to tell me, and how can I support what my body already knows how to do?
That doesn't mean there isn't an important time and place for medical care. Of course there is.
It means we shouldn't forget to ask the bigger question.
If the body has an innate intelligence and the nerve system plays a central role in coordinating how we function and adapt, then shouldn't we also pay attention to how well that system is working?
That's where chiropractic comes in.
Chiropractic Is About More Than Pain
Many people still think you go to a chiropractor because your back hurts.
And yes, people certainly come into my office because they're uncomfortable.
But that's not the bigger reason I'm interested in chiropractic.
As a wellness-based chiropractor, I'm looking at how the spine and nerve system are functioning and whether subluxations may be interfering with the body's ability to function as well as possible.
The chiropractic adjustment isn't about forcing the body to heal. Your body already knows how to heal.
The goal is to reduce interference and give the body a better opportunity to do what it was designed to do.
That's a very different philosophy than simply chasing symptoms.
Start Asking a Different Question
If there's one thing I'd like you to take away from this, it's this:
The next time your body gives you a symptom, before immediately asking, "How do I get rid of this?", ask: "What is my body trying to tell me?"
That one question can completely change the way you think about your health.
And when we begin teaching our children the same thing (that their bodies are intelligent, that symptoms have meaning, and that health is something we build from the inside out), I think we begin changing the health of families and eventually entire communities.
I talk more about this idea in my video, Why Are We Getting Sicker? An Inside-Out Approach to Health.
Wondering What This Means for You?
Every body is different, and sometimes general health information can only take you so far.
If something has you wondering, worrying, or simply wanting to understand your body better, I’d be happy to sit down with you, hear what’s going on, and help you figure out the right next step.