The Stubborn Gene

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The wife declares, “Nearly every week my husband talks about how much he hurts, and I try to explain to him that he would likely get better if he just scheduled with the chiropractor.”

As a chiropractor, I’ve heard this scenario played out so many times over the years. It seems that often, the person who is unwilling to schedule an appointment has the “stubborn gene.” I heard a quote once that defines stubbornness in a healthy light: “Stubbornness is also determination; it’s a matter of changing ‘won’t power’ into ‘will power’.” (Peter McWilliams)

I’ve often said that the “stubborn gene” is closely attached to the same Y-chromosome that makes guys, well, guys. But the truth is, both genders have this “gene” to some degree.  And this is where yet another quote that I heard recently rings true, “There are a thousand good excuses for failure, but never a good reason.” (Mark Twain)

I can hear in the mind of the suffering statements like, “I’m saving time,” “I’m saving money,” “I’m saving gas,” or even “If I wait it out, maybe it’ll get better without doing anything.” All the while, the pain and suffering gets worse...and worse...and worse. Then one day, the person comes home after suffering through a day’s work and finds themselves shying away from family, away from chores, basically away from all the things that really mean the most to them. To be frank, these are all the very same excuses that Mr. Twain referenced, and none of them is a solid reason for not getting the care that could make a difference...in your life.

Just this morning while working on a relatively new patient to the office, she stated with expression that she had no symptoms whatsoever! She was very happy at having a body that was doing everything that she asked of it, and without pain. She started to share about all the activities she can do now that she avoided before. She agreed that having a body that worked better was like being...younger, and she liked that feeling.

There are some very crucial steps to take when your body isn’t working right. One of them is to call your local chiropractor and have an assessment. Get an exam. Get appropriate x-rays. Get to the source of the problem. So many times, joints that are out of alignment begin causing strain on your local nerve supply, which causes your body to not work right or feel right.

Don’t settle for all the “excuses” for why you will express “won’t-power,” but instead, seek out the right “reason” that you should exercise “will-power” to get yourself better. Put your “stubborn gene” into remission for even a short time and you will likely find yourself doing all the activities that you love to do, but you will have more fun and less pain. Life is always more fun if you don’t have to worry about breaking down in the process.

Pick up a phone. Make the appointment. This is about taking care of you. Now is not the time to be stubborn.

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