I was so excited. Yesterday, I had planned a trip to Fairmont Hot Springs. After a busy couple of months with family in town, we finally had a weekend with just us. I crave this time. Time to connect with on a deeper level with those that have the biggest piece of my heart. So I planned this quick trip. An easy drive over to Fairmont, swim and soak, stay the night and then back home again. What is the old saying, 'when you make plans, the universe laughs'? It definitely laughed right in our face. We got 30 mins from Fairmont when our car decided it had had enough and just stopped. Luckily, we were able to pull off an exit before getting stranded. Just over 90 minutes later we were back in Missoula after being towed home. What is actually wrong with our car still remains to be seen, but I'm sure it's either a costly fix or us looking for a new car, also not a cheap endeavor.

Looking back on how we had taken care of our car, we are kind of embarrassed. We missed the last service and oil change, and our record with being on time with our car maintenance was pretty dismal. It's no wonder we are now looking at a costly exercise to get us to some new wheels. This is so indicative of how many treat their bodies. Many wait until their body is not only rattling and groaning, but actually screaming before taking action. When we wait until something is seriously wrong, the road back to health is going to be long, time consuming and a significant investment. 

I see this frequently. When I hear 'my health is pretty good, I just take this and this medication, my energy tanks in the afternoon, my PMS severely effects my ability to function one week every month, and I need a sleep aid to actually get any sleep etc etc.' Symptoms are your bodies check engine light. They are your back up camera beep beep beeping, telling you that you're about to hit something. Our bodies are amazing. They will continue to adapt to terrible maintenance for longer than you would ever put up with someone treating you poorly. They continue to strive for homeostasis every single day. Many band-aid the warning signs - over the counter NSAIDs, prescription drugs, CBD, alcohol/tobacco and a concerted effort to ignore, but eventually you will be shown in no uncertain circumstances that a cover up is never the answer. 

Taking the time to care for your body in a way that will allow you to thrive isn't easy. It takes time, effort and dollar bills. A clear and connected nervous system, daily movement, quality nutrition and a healthy dose of self efficacy is not the norm in our society. Lack of symptoms is healthy. Hell, symptoms controlled with medication is healthy. But it's not. I encourage you to take a hard look at yourself. Get the facts of your health and then make the necessary changes, because there will definitely be changes to be made. I truly believe how we do one thing, is how we do everything, so I'll be taking a deep look at how I'm taking care of myself. If I can't take care of my car so it doesn't break down on the side of the road, there are obviously pieces of my own health that I'm missing. Stay tuned to hear what they are!

If you need help, reach out. I would love to help you achieve your health goals and make lasting change in your life. Not only do you deserve it, but your family does too.

Peace, Love and Wellness

​Dr. Liz

I was talking with a client yesterday about the two different parts of the autonomic nervous system. One portion is our fight/flight/freeze division known as our sympathetic nervous system. This one is designed to help us flee from danger and should be dominant our physiology about 20% of the time. The other portion is our rest/digest/heal division known as our parasympathetic nervous system. Ideally this is our dominating system working 80% of our day. Unfortunately for most of us, those percentages have switched around and we spend most of our day in a state ready to run from a tiger, even though there is no obvious tiger present. My client is well versed in anatomy and physiology and understands how they work. But she was missing one vital piece. When we were discussing how to manage stressors and improving parasympathetic function, I was told that it'll happen on Monday (her day off). 

Now don't get me wrong, I'm all about three day weekends. Having an extra day to recoup from a stressful week and possibly weekend is important. But, waiting to deal with a stress-filled life, until there is a whole day available is missing the boat. To be truly healthful, your body needs to be able to adapt to your stressors as they come up and then return to the parasympathetic state. Bottling them up for many days until you have a day free to deal with them is never going to give you a vital, thriving life on a day to day basis. It'll just have you constantly playing catch up. And a body playing catch up is going to eventually break down in the form of illness and/or injury.

What can you do to help your body daily to have a dominating rest/digest/heal state? I'm so glad you asked.

1. Get enough sleep. Preferably 8-9 hours. It is so imperative for our body to allow it to process all that has gone on during the daytime hours and recharge our batteries (so to speak). Avoid electronics at night to help your body drop into sleep faster. The blue light in our tv's and phones messes with our circadian rhythm and sleepy time hormones, which is no bueno.
2. Nourish your body with good hydration and nutrients from food. Well fed cells are healthy cells and they will function more efficiently if they are given the best.
3. Meditate and focus on your breath. Deep breathing into the diaphragm activates the parasympathetic nervous system. Stopping to do this during the day will literally slow your whole body down from the brain to the body.
4. Get adjusted by your Chiropractor on a regular basis. Chiropractic adjustment activate the parasympathetic system and it's why you might have noticed yourself become sleepy after your visit. Obviously this isn't a daily occurrence but should be a regular one and not just when you are in pain.
5. Move slowly. High intensity exercise is great and we need to do that too. But, when we are already bombarded with stressors in our lives and find ourselves not coping as well as we could, then adding another stressor such as exercise is actually going to do more harm than good. Go for a walk around your neighborhood. Do some yoga or stretching. Move slowly and deliberating.

Stress is unavoidable. We need it to grow and develop as humans. But, when it becomes overbearing it leads to a whole host of health issues. Start implementing some of the tips above and reap the benefits!

Peace, Love and Wellness

​Dr. Liz

I was watching a video the other day about communication. The video presented the idea that we all see things differently. For example if you close your eyes and picture a red apple it would look different to probably everyone that did the test. Some would see a red shiny apply. Some would see would see an apple with a stem and no leaves, an apple with multiple leaves, an apple with a bite out of it etc etc. The video also highlighted that the terms and language that we use are interpreted differently based on our background, upbringing, culture etc. I see this everyday being an Aussie living in America. The words that I use either don't translate at all, or mean something completely different. That's all interesting you may be thinking, what does this have to do with the rise of the machines?

Well, you may have heard that the human body is the most sophisticated machine out there. What does this mean to you? If we think of machines as we know them, any machine such as a computer, a car, or an electric nail gun, each of these examples have similar properties in how they work. The human body is also quite similar in many respects to actual machines. We must maintain them on a regular basis to get the most out of them and to ensure a long life and there are certain best practices for said maintenance. But, the human body has a distinct difference, that I believe disqualifies us from being a machine in the first place.

Let's take a car for an example. Regular services, oil changes, tire rotations, cleaning, regular driving so it doesn't sit idle and keeping it out of the elements will all make for a healthy and well running car. For a human body this is translated to regular services via self care such as Chiropractic, healthy food, good sleep habits, a healthy movement practice, and a life filled with purpose will lead to a healthy and well running human body. So, what is the difference?

If a car breaks down, no matter how hard you work at keeping it healthy, the approach that you take is what can you add to the car from the outside to help it get back to where it was. This is an outside in approach. The human body works the opposite. Healing is always an inside out approach. Your body is self healing and self regulating through your innate intelligence. Everything that you do on the outside, all of those healthy behaviors, support your innate. Our body has requirements for the perfect expression of your innate intelligence. These are daily movement, nutrition, positive mindset through your life's purpose and a nervous system working free from interference so the messages that are being sent are the right ones (this is what we do through Chiropractic adjustments).

Machines can't do this. They can't self regulate on a second by second basis like your body. They can't heal themselves when things go amiss. They are unable to take imperfect inputs such as poor nutrition and make them work for you. How cool is your body? Your body will continue to strive for health no matter how badly you treat it. Eventually, it'll break down because it can no longer compensate, but overall it's continually working for you. This should feel empowering. You're not a victim in your health, but the leader of the pack. Each choice you make - working out in the morning, drinking a healthful smoothie, going to bed instead of watching another episode on Netflix etc all supports this amazing thing that you get to call your own. 

So while the machines in our life are on the rise, and we continue to automate everything and anything that we can. They have nothing on us. Our body isn't a machine. It's a finely tuned organism that is ready and willing to do whatever it can to keep you healthy. Each day you can move towards greater health or away from it, you get to choose.

Peace, Love and Wellness

Dr. Liz

Poppy Wild Sargent is just one of the sweetest kids you'll ever meet. She has been a practice member of Primal Practice since she was just 10 months old. When she comes in for her adjustments, she picks out her favorite face cloth (duh, poppies of course), climbs right up on the table and lays so peacefully. Poppy's parents, Hillary and Matt, choose to have Poppy checked on a monthly basis. They choose this not because anything is wrong with her (in fact she is probably the healthiest 3 year old you'll ever meet) but because they see the value of a clear and connected nervous system for her health, development and well-being. Check out what Poppy has to say in her own words!

1. What brought you into Primal Practice initially? MY MOM. BUT I KEEP COMIGNFOE THE TOYS.

2. How have you benefited from getting adjusted? SHE MAKES ME FEEL NICE, SHES PRETRY NICE. I LAY THERE LIKE THIS AND PIT MY ARMS UP LIKE THIS (puts her palms together and raises them over her head). 

3. Why do you continue to choose chiropractic care for yourself and your family at Primal Practice? FOR THE TOYS, THE GATE THAT OPENS....and mom says....POPPY IS SO HEALTHY AND IF EVER SHE GETS A LITTLE SICK SHE GETS THROUGH IT FAST WITH GOOD FOOD AND MONTHLY OR MORE IF NEEDED CHIRO CARE️

This is not a pro or anti vaccination post. But I am going to use them as an example. There are so many emotions that surround vaccines. To a point, that I put them on a short list of being aware of who you are talking to when discussing them. If you're interested the other things are politics, gun control and money. Highly charged topics that pretty much everyone is unwilling to discuss or actively listen to a different view point. 

Missoula is in the midst of a whooping cough outbreak. If you could call it that. The news reported 169 cases in the Missoula county, which has a population of just shy of 110,000 (according to google). As a percentage that makes 0.15% of the population, hardly the definition of an outbreak, which is a violent or sudden start of something unwelcome.

Why am I talking about this? Because, in my opinion, reporting of this nature is designed to spread fear. When we are taught to fear diseases, as a whole we don't do the research we need to make an actual informed choice (I'm completely generalizing here). This in turn creates heightened emotions surrounding the topic, to a point where it's hard to have a discussion with somebody who doesn't share our viewpoint. Members of our community get ostracized because they might choose differently for their family. I know this is not what the Missoula community wants. I see it on a daily basis. Sentiments to spread love, not hate; messages of inclusivity and powerful statements from individuals and businesses for oneness. 

Whether you choose to vaccinate or not is not my point. Again, I have chosen to use this example because it is a perfect example of when we make decisions out fear we lose our power. I implore you, when you do make decisions health based or otherwise, to do so from your power, not because you're scared. 

Peace, Love and Wellness

Dr. Liz

 I am in a couple of mum groups on Facebook. These groups are great as everyone is able to pick the brain of others in the group with all sorts of info from sleep troubles to where is the best place to get a taco in Missoula (it's Tia's Big Sky FYI). Inevitably, what seems like every couple of days, someone asks for OB recommendations based on who is going to be more open to certain birthing options, i.e unmedicated births, birthing a breech baby, etc. 

It breaks my heart just a little bit each time to see these mother's giving their power away. Instead of realizing that they are the boss and employer of the obstetrician/midwife, they are trying to hedge their bets on what they can 'get away with' during labor and delivery. Instead of going into this primal, innate, natural, amazing and beautiful experience expressing the goddess they are, they are worried about having interventions pushed on them that they don't want. And I get it. We have been taught to fear giving birth. We have been taught that the doctor knows best and has our best interests at heart, every single time they make a decision. We have been taught that we are not enough during this process (and others) and it's imperative we have 'help' to get this baby out of us. We have been taught that what our partner wants in this process is as important as ours, the birthing mother (in my opinion, it's not).

It's my hope that these words empower those who are thinking about getting pregnant and those that are pregnant to take the time to figure out exactly what YOU want during this process. You know your body better than anybody. You are allowed to ask questions about WHY things are recommended to you. You get to say no, if certain tests and imaging don't align with what you want for yourself and your child. You get to choose your provider(s) for the whole journey and change to somebody new, if at any time you don't feel the support and care that you expect. You get to place your trust in the provider(s) that you actually trust.

So while using the FB mother groups to ask questions about others experiences with certain providers is a great place to start, it shouldn't be the end of the line. Everyone has a different vision for the birth of their child. I encourage you to sit with yourself, breathe deeply into your belly, and allow your true desires to come forward. It might take awhile and feel hard, but if you listen, what you actually want will come to the front. And when it does, I implore you to listen and act on those desires. It'll be one of the most rewarding things you'll ever do.

Peace, Love and Wellness,

Dr. Liz

When it comes to success in most areas of our life we want to constantly be evaluating if we are on the right track to achieving what we set out to do, or if we have somehow deviated from it.  Continually checking in with ourself we can get to our goals a hellava lot faster. Which I don't know about you sounds pretty great! It has recently come to my attention, through personal experience, that our health doesn't always work that way. Let me back up just a bit, give you some context, and see how it shakes it out.

Since February this year I have been dealing with chronic urticaria, commonly known as hives. When we think of hives it's usually in response to an acute allergic reaction to something that we have eaten or touched. Chronic hives isn't quite the same, they reoccur seemingly at random without any trigger. Dealing with this has been very frustrating, and I wrote about it on my personal blog, check it out here. I wrote that particular post in March, so pretty early on in the process. If you don't want to read the other post here are the cliff notes. Breastfeeding was triggering the hives, it wasn't the cause and I was on a quest to figure out how to support my body in a way that would allow me to continue breastfeeding without breaking out into unsightly red welts. Fast forward to August. I had about 6 weeks with no hives. Then they were back. I no longer think that breastfeeding is a trigger, but they are cycling on and off at intervals of time.  For the last month or so I have been receiving acupuncture and diving into the emotional stressors that may be causing them. Slowly they are improving, for the most part. 

So what does this have to do with success, your health goals, my health goals and kind of being on the right track. At the start of July I set a goal for myself to figure out my hives in the next two months. I want to be done with them. I want to resolve why my body is freaking out for seemingly no reason at all. But, here's the kicker, it's really hard to know if I'm on the right track. Healing isn't linear. Getting to a hive free (hive-less?) state could literally happen overnight or they could slowly fade away and one day I realize that I haven't had hives in a week. Point A is being all hivey (or insert your condition here) and Point B is being symptom free. The journey between those points is going to be all topsy turvy and look different for everyone. So while I'm and you are working towards point B, we can evaluate our progress and say we are kind of on the right track. 

I'm not going to pretend that it's not frustrating. As of writing this I had 4 days with minimal hives, until this morning when I woke up with a lot more. What changed... who knows? But I do know it's not going to hurt to consistently put in the work on the path that I kind of know is on track. Right now that entails - Chiropractic care, low carb diet, high water intake, acupuncture, meditation, ramping up my self care (massage, float tank, solo nature time, napping), and specific 3x daily affirmations from Lousie Hay's book Heal Your Body. 

What about for you? Your 'kind of on track' to your health goals is going to look very different, and it's up to you to find out. That doesn't mean you shouldn't enlist help. Everyone needs a team, but you are the only one who lives inside your body and that means you know it best. Take the time to listen and then get to work. You deserve it.

Peace, Love and Wellness,

Dr. Liz

Kelsee has been a practice member for almost one year now. Primarily, she sought out Primal Practice for a different approach to her Chiropractic care, but she also had in the back of her mind - support during (a soon to be) pregnancy! We are so grateful she found us. Kelsee and her husband Levi are preparing for the imminent arrival of their bundle of joy and we have had the privilege of supporting them both through the huge changes that pregnancy brings. Keep reading to hear what Kelsee has to say about her experience at Primal Practice.

​1. What brought you into Primal Practice initially?
I have received consistent chiropractic care over the last nine years. For the last two years before coming to Primal Practice, I was no longer seeing benefits from my adjustments. I wanted a comprehensive whole body approach to my chiropractic care that wasn't just a one-time adjustment for a specific complaint. My husband and I were also planning for pregnancy and I wanted to do whatever I could to support my body through those physical changes. 

2. How have you benefited from getting adjusted?
Within a few weeks of receiving adjustments from Dr. Liz, I was no longer suffering from recurring misalignments that I hadn't found relief from for almost two years. I also couldn't imagine how my body would feel if I wasn't receiving adjustments throughout my pregnancy. I have experienced very little back or pelvic pain and I feel that is due to my visits with Dr. Liz.

3. Why do you continue to choose Chiropractic care for yourself and your family at Primal Practice?
I strongly believe that wellness is all encompassing and that supporting your body through chiropractic care is just one part of a large puzzle. Dr. Liz's philosophy on health and wellness mirrors my own and I feel wholly supported to feel and be my best.

​Thanks Kelsee!

We love having Carly in the office, she always comes in with a smile and is open to new suggestions on how to maximize her health. Carly sees not only the physical benefits of care, but has noticed an increased resiliency to illness, injuries and dealing with emotional and mental stress. I don't want to butcher any of her words (pun intended) so continue reading to hear exactly what she has to say about her care with Primal Practice. 
What brought you into Primal Practice initially? I initially started going to Primal Practice at the recommendation of a good friend. Years of using my body hard had me in a state of feeling pain and tightness and I knew I needed to start doing something more to keep my body in good condition so that I had years of going hard left in me. 

How have you benefited from getting adjusted? When I started seeing Liz for chiropractic care, I noticed the physical benefits first-- less neck/back pain, more mobility.  After a while, I began to realize the other benefits.  Resilience to various stressors, such as injuries, illness, and emotional/mental stress.  I rarely get sick, and when I do, I recover quickly. I sleep like a champ, and I have energy to juggle responsibilities from my full-time career, my family, and our business.

Why do you continue to choose chiropractic care for yourself and your family at Primal Practice? We're an active family with a mission to serve our community by raising good food and conserving the amazing natural resources we have here.  From riding horses, pitching hay, or scooping up baby calves on our ranch, to hiking up the sides of mountains to survey wildlife for my job as a biologist, to picking up my 8 year old son when he needs a mommy hug, and juggling all these roles, I need to be at my physical and mental best.  My guys need to juggle, too, and have the stamina and resilience that's needed to carry out their various roles.  

Would you like to add anything else? Just like we regularly change the oil, blow out air filters, and grease or tractors to keep them working well for us, we realize that our bodies require routine maintenance to function at their best.  Chiropractic care, healthy eating, hydration, and daily doses of laughter, are all critical parts of our family's maintenance routine. 

Thanks for being awesome Carly! and if you haven't tried her beef yet, then check out her farm Triple L Livestock Montana :)