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This month we celebrate 7 years of Primal Practice. As we have traveled the journey a lot of things have changed - location (3 times!), staff, assessments etc, but one thing has remained constant.
Our message. We have talked about, dreamed about, and wrote about how to protect and improve a person’s health on a daily basis. Health has been a hot topic lately, and everyone has different viewpoint on what constitutes health for themselves and society at large. Our stance is never to presume we know what is best for yours and your family’s health. But, to encourage you to be proactive, to explore, and to support your health daily. Health is NOT an absence of symptoms or a deficiency in medication when pain and dysfunction come calling. Health is a series of small daily steps that accumulate and can never be replaced by a grand gesture. We like to think we’ve been talking about health before it was the ‘cool topic’ around the water cooler. We are here to support you in anyway that feels right to you. Reach out with a question or comment. We will always reach back. Peace, Love & Wellness Dr. Liz
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September 18th is the birth of Chiropractic. We wanted to share a couple of fun facts that you may not know about this amazing healing profession:
Have you wondered about making your own herbal medicine? Herbs have long been used in many cultures to support the body and help as it heals. Ginger Turmeric Oxymel is a delicious and easy way to support your body in times of healing. Ginger and turmeric are both potent herbs to assist with inflammation.  If you are looking to learn more about herbs and plant medicine, Learning Herbs is a great website full of helpful (and free!) information. As always, you can always reach out with questions!
In health and wellness, Aimee Technology is all around us, and while it’s super beneficial in many ways it can be a detriment to our health.
Have you ever noticed the position of your neck while you’re on your phone? Bent over and looking down. Due to overuse of our devices this posture now has a name… text neck. And due to this position, the body is actually laying down a new bone in the neck to help protect and combat this position. Our posture is intimately linked to our nervous system and how the messages from brain to body and vice versa communicate. Healthy curves keep our body functioning to its optimum. If you catch yourself bent over your phone, stop and raise your head to neutral and bring your phone/tablet to meet your eyes… or better yet, put it down and connect to the people right in front of you! Social connection via technology is a poor substitute for the real thing and can lead to feelings of isolation, depression and anxiety. Intentionally use of technology is the secret sauce to getting the most out of our devices, while not feeling like a slave to them! Let us know in the comments how you intentionally use your devices… or what you’d like to start implementing ;) We are the sum of every action, reaction, and experience that we have ever had. This means that when it comes to thinking about our bodies and the expression of health, we are not just the person of today, but the sum of everything that has brought us to this point.
When put into that perspective health can feel overwhelming. You may be looking back on your past and thinking about all the things that you have done that are not remotely healthy. Or you may be remembering all the great things you’ve done to nourish your body. No matter where you're at right now with your health, you have the capacity to make positive change. Our capacity to heal is tremendous and happens to and for us on a daily basis. Our bodies will continue to heal to the best of their ability, no matter how you treat it. This means our health can fly under the radar of our consciousness because our bodies are so adaptable and resilient. If we aren’t choosing supportive actions for health, eventually our bodies will get our attention through injury, symptoms and disease. When this does occur, the length of dysfunction has been longer than we realize, because of our inherently adaptable nature. We get one body and one life to live. Each action, reaction and experience can support your body's innate capacity for health or it can move it closer and faster to dis-ease. Everything we talk about in the office is grounded in supporting your healing potential and empowering you to trust your body to be well. Choose health daily, I can guarantee you won’t regret it. Peace, Love & Wellness Dr. Liz Adaptation is the name of the game. If we stop adapting, we die. Harsh reality, but a fact nonetheless. In the office we talk about the 4T’s. These are overarching stressors that our bodies must continually adapt to. In this 4 part series, we will cover each of the T’s, so you can be aware of them and utilize this knowledge to improve your adaptation skills.
Today we are talking about TRAUMA. Trauma is the easiest stressor to wrap our heads around. When we trip and fall it places a stress on our body. When we sit at our desks for extended periods we place stress on our body. The amount of time that people come into the office with pain and dysfunction and say that ‘they didn’t do anything’ is astonishing. The physical trauma we experience can build up over time. The minor car accident that you had five years ago, could be the reason why you’re now experiencing mid back pain. Trauma can be categorized into macro and micro. Macro trauma is the accidents or one time events such as trip and fall, car accidents, and birth. Micro trauma is the repetitive stress that is placed on the body on a regular basis - prolonged posture at a desk, unsupported sleep posture and holding our babies. Each of these events causes the body to adapt to the traumatic input so that it can continue functioning. When the trauma stressors overwhelms our bodies ability to adapt, the body's ability to heal and function is diminished. This leads to symptoms showing up to grab your attention that you need to make a change. Some trauma cannot be avoided, it’s the nature of acute injury, however many times by being intentional about how you’re utilizing your body you can minimize the daily trauma your body is under. Peace, Love & Wellness Dr. Liz Adaptation is the name of the game. If we stop adapting, we die. Harsh reality, but a fact nonetheless. In the office we talk about the 4T’s. These are overarching stressors that our bodies must continually adapt to. In this 4 part series, we will cover each of the T’s, so you can be aware of them and utilize this knowledge to improve your adaptation skills.
Today we talk about THOUGHTS. Did you know that we have between 12,000-60,000 thoughts per day? And that 85% of them are negative, and 98% of them are recycled from yesterday? Crazy, right? Each thought we have can help build our body towards a healthier version of self, or it can degrade it. I know that I’m not the only one who has got sucked into the whirlpool of crazy, irrational, nonsensical thinking that seems to spiral on it’s own. When this happens, it leaves our body in a prolonged sympathetic state, ramping up our stress hormones. This ‘fight, flight or freeze’ response shouldn’t be a state that we are in constantly or chronically. How our thoughts impact the function of our body can seem abstract. I often hear from clients that their pain/symptom just occurred out of the blue, nothing happened to ‘throw their back out’, or ‘they slept wrong’. When I dive a little deeper into what has been happening in their lives, we can usually uncover some emotional or thinking stressor that they have been struggling to process. It’s not to say that it’s all in their head, but the thoughts and emotions that they have been trying to process have been on repeat. This keeps their system in ‘fight, flight or freeze’ and that is just like pressing the gas pedal down in your car while simultaneously trying to use the break. Burn out in the physical body ensues. So what can you do? And why does Chiropractic help? Well, taking the time to slow down and be present to your thoughts will help. When you notice what is going on, be curious about why you’re thinking that way, instead of judgemental. Chiropractic care helps because it allows for the parasympathetic (or brake pedal) to be applied so the sympathetic (gas pedal) can take a rest. This allows you to adapt and process the THOUGHTS that are spinning you out. Peace, Love & Wellness Dr. Liz Adaptation is the name of the game. If we stop adapting, we die. Harsh reality, but a fact nonetheless. In the office we talk about the 4T’s. These are overarching stressors that our bodies must continually adapt to. In this 4 part series, we will cover each of the T’s, so you can be aware of them and utilize this knowledge to improve your adaptation skills.
Our world is full of TOXINS, from the food we eat to the pollutants in our air to what we put on our skin. Unfortunately, there really isn’t a way to escape the toxins in our lives. Today there are over 7000 made or imported chemicals utilized for industrial, agricultural and personal care in amounts ranging from 25,000 to over 1 million pounds per year. Fewer than 5% have been tested for developmental toxicity. This means that we have no idea how these chemicals are affecting our children! That is why it’s imperative that we are mindful of our environment, food and products in our lives. In the office, we can give you recommendations to help you make better choices in regards to what you’re eating, what you’re putting on your skin and the products you’re using. Minimizing exposure to toxins is the name of the game! Identifying times when you may have higher exposure allows you to take preemptive action. This can include dialing in supplements pre and post exposure, minimizing other forms of stress and allowing your body to be supported to process the stressor with rest, chiropractic care, and hydration. Peace, Love & Wellness Dr. Liz Adaptation is the name of the game. If we stop adapting, we die. Harsh reality, but a fact nonetheless. In the office we talk about the 4T’s. These are overarching stressors that our bodies must continually adapt to. In this 4 part series, we will cover each of the T’s, so you can be aware of them and utilize this knowledge to improve your adaptation skills.
TECHNOLOGY is the newest form of stressor that we have in our lives. The more we rely on technology to run our life, the more that we must take into account the impact that it has on our health and wellbeing. In my mind technology brings together two of the other stressors - physical and thoughts, and when used inappropriately can be super detrimental to our health. The physical impact is being seen with changes in posture and bone formation in people of all ages. One of the most overlooked pieces with technology is the lack of connection that it fosters. We have replaced face to face interaction and all of the health benefits that being in another's company brings to using technology to ‘connect’. This connection actually causes disconnection between us as a society as we lose nuanced social cues and benefits of being in the presence of others. Making sure our body is able to adapt to the technology stressors can take some creative thinking as well as present time awareness to how we are utilizing technology in our lives. Limiting screen time, setting up our workstations ergonomically, and prioritizing face to face interaction can be ways you can support your body through this ever present stressor. Peace, Love & Wellness Dr. Liz You know what is the wildest compliment? The other day a new client came in and after chatting with her a bit in the reception area she said, “this office is so AMAZING! I want to work here!!” We also swoon a little when you say that you want to just hang out on the couch and never leave. I mean, c’mon! We really do love that you love being here.
We strive to make an open and inviting space where you feel welcome and safe and like you’re in the right place. And if you've been into the office, you've surely met Aimee at the front desk. She's a gal about town and after years of working at the farmer's market, she seems to know everyone. As the Office Manager and Chiropractic Assistant over here at she's been in the healthcare field for over 20 years! She was a massage therapist and EMT in Washington state. After moving to Montana in 2004, she continued working as a CNA and Phlebotomist. After some traveling and self reflection Aimee decided to shift gears and focus on making people happy with flowers! She has her own flower farm, and you can often see her blooms here in the office. |
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