Your health and wellness require your participation. And active health is the way to go if you want to be in the driver’s seat and avoid some unpleasant circumstances.
Sometimes we don’t realize the importance of maintaining active health until something happens to get our attention.
Imagine this scenario:
You’re feeling relatively okay, going about your daily routine with no serious health problems. And then, you have an accident (or you turn 65, and an AMA “doctor” authorizes a DEXA scan to evaluate your bone density). You discover your bones are brittle and weak.
And then it hits you like a ton of bricks.
Living a “fine life” in a routine mostly spent inside and devoid of physical activity has had some consequences. This is a defining moment for many of us. And in the world of osteoporosis and musculoskeletal health, it’s a familiar story.
What now?
The good news is, it’s not the end of the road. It is still possible to build your bone strength back. Now the question becomes:
Are you going to take an active or passive approach?
Let’s look a little deeper…
What does active health vs passive health mean?
When considering a therapy model for rehabilitation, even osteoporosis, there are two options: active or passive therapy. Active means what the word implies; you actively spend time and energy working towards the desired outcome. Passive, on the other hand, means you choose the path of least resistance… literally, in this case, because getting a prescription for a pill that promises to increase your bone density and strength does not require you to do any resistance training. Resistance training is a natural (and active) way to address the issue of compromised bone density.
Is a passive approach wrong?
Whether a passive approach is right or wrong is for you to decide. I can say that when you choose the path of least resistance (i.e., pharmaceuticals), the results will be less certain. You will be accepting the likelihood of unpleasant “side-effects” (direct effects with a different label that makes them sound less severe) and the possibility of making matters worse when you become sick, weak, and dependent. What you may not know is that some of the side effects of bone-strengthening pharmaceutical treatments include rotting of the jaw and increased risk of fracture. In the world of quality chiropractic care and natural, active healing, we prefer to avoid the risk of nasty side effects that are sometimes worse than the condition they are aimed to treat!
Does an active approach always work?
Nothing is ever certain, so there is no guarantee that you will dramatically increase bone density with an active approach. But there is a profound upside that is absent on the passive route. It’s feeling good! Feeling good is essential to human existence and healthy pursuits. Feeling good happens when you do an active workout and boost your dopamine and other neurochemical endorphins that contribute to a positive mood.
When you choose to take an active role in your health by avoiding the path of least resistance, you announce to the universe (and your “inner verse”) that detrained, weak and brittle bones are unacceptable. You take a stand in your heart and mind to empower yourself. Doing otherwise is a significant reason many people end up with weak and brittle bones.
Active therapy is undertaken by those hungry for change, and willing to do the work to get the results. Active therapy is not a choice made from a place of fear. It’s made from a place of power and determination. There is virtue in this that cannot be underscored.
Taking a passive role in your health and rehabilitation will never get the same results. Not by a long shot!
Can Active and Passive therapy be combined?
Absolutely! While I am not a proponent of pharmaceuticals because I have witnessed the damage they can do, and I know how volatile and unpredictable the results can be. However, supplements can play a significant role in our progress and can be essential if we are deficient. The most profound changes can be attained by supplementing with quality minerals, protein/amino acids, and essential vitamins associated with cellular function and repair. But this is, just as the name says, a supplement to the necessary physical and energetic action required.
What does Wolff’s Law say?
Wolff’s Law states, “bones remodel and adapt to the loads placed upon them.” Learn more about the wisdom of Wolff’s Law in this previous blog post. Is the word “load” an active or passive term? That’s right, it’s active!
Wolffs law, our only law related to bone growth (and our motto here at StrengthX), is based upon an active therapy model. The wisdom contained in Wolff’s Law is crucial because the presence of an adequate physical load is what prompts your cells to build new bone. This single feature of osteogenic loading plays a vital role in the cells of your skeletal system because it determines whether skeletal cells will develop into osteoblasts (bone-building cells) or osteoclasts (bone-removing cells). If you have less than optimal bone density, you want to send your cells the message to keep building! This is done through osteogenic loading.
Learn more about osteogenic loading in this article, this article, and this article.
Bottom line, it’s simple. Bone density requires adequate absorbed impact through the ground or sustained compressive loads, neither of which you can swallow or inject.
You’ve been passive long enough. Now is the time to take action! So let’s get to work and get you back to feeling good about yourself, your bones, and your overall health and wellness!
Summary
If you have discovered you have less than optimal bone density, you have a choice of taking an active or passive role in addressing the problem. As a chiropractor and proponent of natural healing, I am confident that taking an active part will yield more positive results. Not only does active health eliminate the side effects of pharmaceutical “solutions.” It also has the added benefit of raising your brain’s feel-good chemicals. At StrengthX we are passionate about guiding people of all ages on their path to building and maintaining healthy bones and bodies. And we make it fun!