What is Vitalism And Why is Everyone So CRAZY About It?
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Can Vitalism Improve Your Future?
More people than ever before are turning to vitalsim and the Chiropractic Lifestyle as a means to maximize their health and minimize future health problems… Are you one of them?
Article We Hand Out In Our Office…
Mechanistic or Vitalistic
Which One Makes More Sense To You?
The key difference between the common medical model, aka Western medicine, and chiropractic, which tends to be similar to many Eastern medical practices, is the concept of vitalism.
In conventional medicine, healthcare is believed to be very mechanistic. The body is broken down into its distinct mechanical systems, such as the digestive system, nervous system, integumentary system, and respiratory system, and a different “specialist” is responsible for caring for each individual system. For example, a pulmonologist is concerned with the respiratory system and a cardiologist specializes in the cardiovascular system. In this model of healing and healthcare, each system acts separately of the other, and disease occurs when there is a mechanical problem in one of those systems. Therefore, for healing to occur, the mechanical dysfunction must be corrected, usually by utilizing an approach that includes medication and/or surgery.
The stumbling block in understanding the benefit of chiropractic care for those people that have ascribed to conventional medicine their entire life is the concept of vitalism. Vitalism is based on the root word “vitality,” which is defined as “the power or ability to continue in existence, live, or grow.” A healing model based on vitalism believes that the body is a dynamic, ever-changing organism, continuously changing and adapting to its needs and desires. Vitalism also assumes that that there is an intelligence and order within the organism that is designed to heal the body, and every system in the body coordinates functions with each other system. One example of this intelligence in the body is the concept of healing following a cut. The body knows without any input from the individual to send certain inflammatory factors to kill off any bacteria, activate clotting factors to stop the bleeding, and initiate tissue growth to heal the wound.
Chiropractic is designed on the concept of vitalism. In chiropractic, it is believed that the body has an innate intelligence to healing, and disease occurs when the body’s natural ability to heal is interrupted. The thing that disrupts this innate intelligence is something called a subluxation, which is a mechanical dysfunction of the vertebrae that blocks the normal function of the nervous system. By reducing these subluxations through spinal adjustments, the interference is reduced and the body’s innate intelligence is able to function fully and properly. In essence, with chiropractic, true healing is coming from within the body rather than from the chiropractor’s adjustment.
Overall, conventional medicine is based on an outside-in approach where healing comes from something being added to the body, such as medicine or surgery, while chiropractic is based on an inside-out approach where healing occurs when the body’s own healing powers are allowed to function without obstruction.
Mechanism or Vitalism…which one makes more sense to you?
Which one do you want your family to believe in and benefit from?
DOCTOR’S COMMENTS:
In times of emergency or crisis, we do need mechanistic medical care. On the other hand, this model of health care has failed to produce positively outstanding wellness benefits. Instead of making the mechanistic model your primary source of healthcare, what about taking a more vitalistic approach?
The truth is this… a wellness-based Doctor of Chiropractic can teach you things, and do things for you, that no one else can. Use this approach to being proactive with your health and you may find that your need for Western Medicine can be reduced dramatically. After all, this is what smart health conscious people are doing nowadays… for themselves, their kids, their family and friends.
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