Austin Life Chiropractic and My Experience with "Upper Cervical Care"

I have seen a Chiropractor nearly once a week for the last, at least, 10 years, and began Chiropractic at the age of 14...I think. 

My favorite Chiropractor, EVER, is my Uncle, Dr. J. "Mike" Vaughn D.C. at Texas Family Chiropractic in Leander. Always has been.

Why? Because he cares, I've never had the same adjustment twice, (meaning it's not a routine for him. He adjusts what needs to be and not for the sake of adjusting), and while I may be related, I say this in all seriousness...I believe he is a genius. Really. I do.  

While I would love to see him twice a week, having time to travel the distance between us isn't always in the schedule. So, there's that.

Anyhoo, fast forward to the beginning of December when I moved my office into Austin Life Chiropractic and knew it was time to get serious about creating my Health Care Team.

I also knew I needed to find out what this "Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care" was so I could better refer to them. What a gold mine of healers...WHOA!

Dr. Bart Patzer and Dr. Julia Pinkerton own this clinic and practice Upper Cervical, Family Wellness, and Pediatric Chiropractic. 

I went through the entire new patient process including a thorough consult, muscle scan, x-rays before my first adjustment, and an x-ray of my neck after the first adjustment. 

Dr. Pinkerton checked my posture and leg length, then had me lie on my left side. The only adjustment she made was to my Atlas (or C1, the first cervical vertebrae). That's it. Minimal, super specific, and quick. Very new for me.

After this small adjustment she checked my posture again. My shoulders were practically level. WHAT? Yes, I went to a full body mirror to look for myself. Sure enough, nearly level. I have never seen this in my life. My left shoulder is always high. 

All night I stared at myself in the mirror at home because I couldn't believe what had occurred.

In the last month of care they have continued with the upper cervical adjustments as needed, as well as adding in the appropriate adjustments to my ribs, shoulders, thoracic and lumbar spine, and hips.

The pain and aching down my left arm is much better and the sharp pain under the same-side scapula is minimal. I can completely laterally flex my neck to the left. Before it was, more often than not, stuck.

To say, "I feel better" is an understatement. 

I have begun my exercises to aid in a full healing and have made a commitment to scheduled, regular adjustments. Choosing to live in a new or different, more positive way is something I empower my own clients to do, and work towards achieving my Self.

With this sort of care, yielding these results, I truly can live in a different more positive way. 

Plus, check out this view from the front of the office. (I love my new massage office home in the urban nature). 

I can't thank them enough for the care they provide, and the love they have for their patients and what they do.

Remember, we feel pain for a reason. Listen to your body. If you want to make a positive impact on your health and how you function, daily, by finding the root of your pain and ridding your Self of it's hold on your life, check them out. 

If you don't have pain but want to make sure you stay that way, maintenance care is always recommended to keep your nervous system functioning optimally. 

www.austinlifechiro.com.

I promise, you'll be glad you did. 

Say "No"...It's Good for Your Health

Have you ever said "yes" to someone or to a situation but felt it was something you'd rather not do? Possibly, felt pressured into doing it because the person asking was a friend or your mom or a boss?

Perhaps you walked into a dark alley feeling it wasn't a good idea, but did it anyway, saying "yes" to a potentially bad situation? Maybe you had friends whom you felt didn't have your best interests at heart, yet you remained friends and subjected your Self to the toxicity because you didn't want to hurt their feelings. 

In all of these scenarios, you are saying "No" to your Self and "Yes" to everyone else or other situations which may not be good for you. How does that feel? I think it feels super crappy. I've absolutely done this numerous times in my life. We say "yes", not really wanting to, and end up resenting the person or entity for whom we are volunteering our Self. JUST SAY NO! 

Why is it so scary to say no to people? They are not more important than you. Their feelings are not more important that yours. Their time is not more important than yours. What is it, then? 

I believe this inability to listen to our gut and do what benefits us is due to an internal struggle regarding our own self-worth and worrying what others will think. In the case of choosing a bad relationship or walking down a dark alley, it's a case of mis-trust. We don't trust that we know what's best for our selves. 

Saying "No" when we want to is an amazing health booster. Let's reframe this.

You aren't feeling well and need some down time. Someone asks you to help them move. Which answer best suits you:

1. You say, "No". No explanation needed. What happens? You go home, rest, and recuperate over the weekend, preparing for the next few busy days at work.

2. You say, "Yes"? Well, you've now over-extended your Self, you feel worse, resent your friends for asking, and end up with declining health and have to take off the next few busy days of work. This means next weekend will be catch up time

....Which sounds more appealing?

Next, you meet a woman who is gorgeous, sassy, and about 2 weeks out of a 6 year relationship. You tell your Self she is amazing and you want to give this a shot. She can't commit and won't be able to for a long time as she is still autopsying her last relationship. Which answer sounds more appealing: 

1. Yes: And after a mucho turbulent 6 months later you are realizing that she is seeing other people and lying to you about it, still can't commit, and news flash, is seeing her old flame again. 

2. No: You recognize her need for space and get to know her from afar. You like her, but move on and don't commit to someone who can't commit to you.

Which sounds better? Yep, I thought so. TRUST YOUR GUT! 

Let's talk about your HealthCare Team. You have a Massage Therapist who is an awesome person, but you aren't getting what you need from him/her. You keep putting money into it, yet you aren't getting the results you want. You can....

1. Say Yes to him/her, and continue feeling like you aren't being helped like you need to be, become resentful of him/her for spending your hard earned money with them, and in the end get mad at your Self for continuing the madness...All because you don't want to hurt someones feelings.

2. Say No to him/her, and not only are you giving them space for a new client who loves what they do, but you've also freed your Self to find the Massage Therapist you've always wanted and needed. The one who makes you feel heard, and cared for. 

This, my friends, is a no brainer. 

In the end, I hope we can all see how our own decisions create our lives and that we can't be used without our own permission. We can't be forced into doing anything we don't want to do and have the power to say "NO" when needed and warranted. Which of the answers above felt light and positive, and which felt heavy and negative? Remember that. 

Love your Self.

A "No" to them, is a "Yes" to you.