The Basic Premise The 2nd Factor in Chiropractic" is named for the portion of income that many DCs let up off the table and then walk out the door never knowing it was there. Now more than ever, because of the changes in healthcare in this country, it is imperative that the individual chiropractor begin to incorporate their entire basic science education in their day-to-day office procedures and move the profession into the 21st century. Let me say the same thing in a kinder and gentler way: structure is obviously the first factor in our profession but visceral function should be equally recognized, because the two are inseparable. Dysfunction in one causes dysfunction in the other and that is (was) the essence of chiropractic as expressed by D.D. Palmer and all the other pioneers of this profession who followed him. Unfortunately, mam would disavow the 2nd factor (visceral function) and hand over the 1st factor to those physical therapists trained to manipulate. Manipulation never was the exclusive property of chiropractic. The Chinese have written records and drawings of manipulations dating back 5000 years. The ancient Egyptians used manipulation. Europeans frequented "bone-setters" and brought it to America. Chiropractic is the only health care profession that brings together the triad of anatomy, physiology, and neurology into one complete package. All other professions separate them. I began writing and lecturing on the importance of understanding visccro-somatic connections with the goal of assisting chiropractors in the detection of visceral problems that offer few or no symptoms yet cause, perpetuate and prevent correction of structural problems. Once the cause is known the treatment becomes obvious. All symptoms can be categorized into three groups: musculoskelctal pain, visceral dysfunction, or neurological dysfunction. The medical community docs not seem to use this methodology when confronting symptoms that cannot be classified as disease. Nevertheless, they prescribe dnigs to mask the symptoms and hide the underlying cause with inevitable side effects. In other words, they do not restore normal function. A medical doctor once told me. regarding that methodology, "if the only tool you have is a hammer, then even-thing looks like a nail." Don"t fall into that trap of having only one tool (structure) with which to treat patients. Stress Is A Specific Diagnosis A good example of our approach was developed by Hans Sclyc when he investigated the effect of stress on the body in the 1950s. Serve identified a scries of physiological events that occur in response to any form of stress, be it from a mechanical, chemical/nutritional, or emotional source. His General Adaptation Syndrome described what happens when the body receives any stimulus that challenges nonnal function. First an alarm reaction occurs and is followed by a stage of resistance of the body to the stress. If normal homco-static functions cannot completely control the effect of the stimulus, it then begins compensatory measures. If the stimulus continues too long or is too strong, the body processes will slowly become exhausted. It is during this period tliat symptoms become obvious and the patient begins to seek help. It is in the stage of exhaustion that we find our best examples of visceral dysfunctions causing muscle contractions and loss of nonnal range of joint motion, stnictural misalignments and subluxations. All twelve of the articles in this series will be devoted to these examples. Eventually the exhausted visceral tissues will begin to show measurable pathological changes and . a specific disease process can be identified. It is at this point that traditional medicine can develop a specific therapeutic approach. Our goal is to develop and identify potential disease processes before they can be quantified and qualified. Stress Response Of The Sympathetic Nervous System We stated that stress is a specific diagnosis: that is because the body responds physiologically in an identical manner! regardless of the specific stress. We arc taught that the body first initiates the Fight or Flight Syndrome in response to stress. Clearly that is tnie of severe and acute stress as seen in emergency rooms. The sympathetic system is also strongly activated in many emotional states. For instance, in the state of rage, which is elicited mainly by stimulating the hypothala-mus. signals arc transmitted dow nward through the reticular ] formation and spinal cord to cause massive sympathetic discharge and all of the sympathetic events listed above ensue immediately. All of this is well understood regarding the body "s reaction to acute stress. But the same processes become exhausted when the stress is long continued. The vast majority of your patients are in a state of chronic stress. If that were not tnic they wouldn't be in your office at all. In those patients we need to realize that the body (specifically the In pothalamus) has determined whether or not there is adequate glucose available (not just the blood level) to meet the body's energy requirements to continue functioning. Only when that potential supply is unavailable docs the autonomic nervous system and endocrine system signal the switch to an alternative energy source. When any form of stress (structural, visceral, or emotional) challenges the body's ten organ systems to maintain homco-stasis. the body must change from using glucose for cellular , energy to fat. This allows the glucose to be preserved for' exclusive use by the brain, eyes, and reproductive system. The net result is: Increased arterial pressure Increased rates of cellular metabolism throughout the body Increased mental activity Increased blood clotting ability Increased blood How to active muscles Increased glycolysis in muscle tissue resulting in increased muscle strength i! Decreased blood flow to organs that are not needed for rapid activity. For example, decreased digestive secretions and peristalsis. The liver increases conversion of glycogen to glucose, and the cells send their amino acids to the liver for conversion to glucose This results in increased blood glucose concentration How many of your patients do you recognize from the above list? How mam liavc high blood pressure? How many arc taking thyroid medication because the thyroid can no longer manufacture thyroxinc? How many arc taking so-called "blood thinners" because of increased clotting? How mam have digestive problems and bowel irregularity? How many arc protein deficient? If they arc. how w ill they repair damaged tissues? How main have high blood glucose and high tri-glyceridcs? How many arc on statin dnigs because of high cholesterol related to chronic stress? Chances are excellent that many of your patients have symptoms from the above list. Which of their structural misalignments and subluxation patterns arc specifically related to the above list? This series of monthly articles will discuss those relationships. What do you have to see before you know what to do? Whatever your present therapeutic procedure. I suggest before the patient leaves the treatment room you ask them to be seated and perform the 60-sccond Chiropractic Screening Test. Well discuss that subject next month. I'll also suggest scheduling a special exam, at a special time, in a special room, with the assistance of a special assistant who w ill record your findings. This series llsceral-Stress: The 2nd Factor in Chiropractic R will be devoted to developing the premise stated in this article. Dr. Howard I.oomis has an extensive background in enzymes and enzyme supplements. He is the founder and president of Enzyme Formulations®, Inc. His knowledge of physiology, biochemistry, and enzymologv has made him a sought-after speaker and a prolific writer. Dr. Loomis pub- lished ENZYMES: The Key lo Health in 1999. Contact info: 6421 Enterprise Lane, Madison, 111 53719, ciistonierservice@ loomisinstitute.com
