This is the first article in a series on “Your Health.” “Your Health” is also available in video format Youtube-Missoula Chiropractor. I am Dr. Shaun Stuto an author, speaker and Missoula chiropractor. Over a series of articles we will dissect and explore the various factors which contribute to wellness. We hear this token buzzword “wellness” all the time on television and in newspapers/magazines. Nobody is spending a lot of time defining it however. In simple terms, wellness is the point along the health spectrum that lies between “excellence” and “perfection.” It is the polar opposite of death and disease. Wellness is a journey and not a destination. The joy and fulfillment is in the process and implementation of certain actions and behaviors that make up a “well” person. The factors that make up a well person might include a good height:weight ration, low blood pressure, a healthy diet, active lifestyle and low mental stress. When does excellent health become perfect? There is no exact point when it can be distinguished.

Sleep is the first aspect of wellness we will explore. The most important aspect of wellness is a nervous system free of disturbance. This is made possible through a well adjusted spine. The spine houses and protects the nervous system. When a person becomes stressed chemically, physically or emotionally, this can create a disturbance to the nervous system which only a chiropractor can detect and correct. The second most important aspect of health is a tie between a healthy diet and proper sleep. How much sleep do you need to feel your best in the morning? How much sleep are you actually getting per night? How many nights per week? It is common for me to have patients tell me they are experiencing an 80-120 hour/month sleep deprivation. These people feel the best on 7-9 hours of sleep per night and they average only 5-6. Does this sound like you perhaps?

Sleep on the other hand is under your control. How much sleep is appropriate for you? How much sleep are you actually getting? I commonly encounter patients with an 80-120 hour/month sleep deficiency. These patients average 5-6 hours of sleep per night and need 7-9 to feel their best. Do you fall into this category? A sleep deficiency can have marked effects on your overall health. Usually the sleep deprived individual is stressed, chronically tired, irritable and in many cases a “people pleaser.” This type of person feels compelled to be the perfect child, the perfect parent, the perfect worker, friend etc…It is no surprise that this type of person eventually burns out. They cannot maintain this lifestyle without adequate rest. Most often the sleep deprived person develops insidious aches and pains. They do not understand why their neck or lower back hurts. This is the person who always complains of “sleeping wrong.” How can you sleep wrong? In this case, the bodies’ own innate intelligence is fighting back as a defense mechanism to the stress it is under from a lack of sleep. The unexplainable pain is a built in distress signal the body uses to put the person down and force them to rest.

How much sleep is enough? The average person needs between 7-9 hours of sleep on average. If you need less than 6 hours see a doctor. If you need more than 9 hours see a psychologist. There could be underlying issues of depression and emotional stress contributing to your need for escape from reality.

Comfort is the most important aspect of sleep. If you aren’t sleeping well, you will not heal. You will not recover from workouts, stress, and life. We all lead high stress and high paced lives and we must maximize the time we get in bed. I coined the phrase “invest in your rest!” It means spend the money for a high quality bed. Make price a non-issue. You will thank me for it!

The sleep number bed is the personal choice of Missoula Chiropractor Dr. Shaun Stuto. We spend 1/3rd of our lives in bed. Shouldn’t we invest in the best bed to ensure the highest quality of rest possible? Absolutely! The firmness of the sleep number is independently adjustable on each side. This is ideal for couples . This bed affords both members of the relationship the ideal level of comfort. This is HUGE! The funny thing is how many people spend $1000’s on their couch and big screen TV and then want to get by with a $300 bed. It just does not add up. “Invest in YOUR rest!”

We have covered the essentials for effective sleep. Sleep 7-9 hours per night on a high quality bed. A sleep deficiency and poor sleep quality can lead to poor health, physical pain, and emotional stress. Such stress could lead to cravings for sugar. Poor sleep can actually make you fat! On the contrary, a high quality bed can actually help you feel more energy and lose weight.

Start putting health and wellness atop your priority list and keep it simple. Dedicate yourself to regular chiropractic care to ensure optimal health and function of your nervous system. Find a healthy eating plan you can stick to and implement a consistent exercise program. The last step is to rest. Get your 7-9 hours of nightly uninterrupted rest on the highest quality bed you can afford.

I am Dr. Shaun Stuto. This is “Your Health.” I wish you a life of abundant health!

Dr. Shaun Stuto is a Missoula Chiropractor and the founder of Transormation Chiropractic in Missoula, MT. Call TODAY and Schedule an appointment (406) 728-1250

When the clock strikes midnight, the ball will drop this New Years. The confetti will erupt and the champagne corks will fly. The final chapter of 2009 is quickly coming to an end and we prepare now to turn the page. Just as quickly as they started, the festivities will end. The buzz will die, and life will normalize just as the hangover starts to set in. The sun will rise, a new year will be upon us and life as we know it will be very much the same. Without a definite plan, the smoke and hope you have mustered up regarding changinng your life will smolder into cold ash. That is without a plan. Follow these three powerful strategies instead and create massive change in your life in 2010!

1. Begin with the end in mind- Is there something you want to accomplish this year? What do you want? To lose weight? Gain muscle? Make more friends? Have more time with your family? Your goals are yours. Establish goals in all aspects of your life starting with the end in mind. From there you can work backwards. All goals must be measurable and obtainable. To help you with the brainstorming process, utilize Mind Mapping software. You can download a free version of “Free Mind” and map your thoughts. Define EXACTLY what you want! Remember that fuzzy targets do not get hit!

2. Control self talk-Our thoughts are the most powerful tools we have. Thoughts are critical factors in our success and this is why I refer to them as tools. Understand now that controlling your thoughts dictates the outcome of the game. You have the ability to control the messages in your brain; the 2500 words per minute running through your mind that dictate who you are, and what you are capable of. Most of these thoughts have been taught to us by somebody else. Are you even aware that your attitudes about health and wealth were sculpted by your mothers, fathers, teachers, preachers, coaches and big pharmacy since birth? Start sifting through the rubble of such thoughts and ask if your beliefs are serving you or not. As we start to change our beliefs on a fundamental level, our outcome potential also changes dramatically. Visualize yourself a lean, toned, athletic, wealthy and successful individual. Believe you are on your way there now. Change your beliefs about what is possible. Modify the self talk and I promise you will change your life!

3. Record your progress- Would you believe that by writing down everything that goes into your mouth, you will lose 10 pounds this month? Do it and find out what happens. When you set a goal, record every action and effort you make that has an impact on achieving said goal. Successful people keep score. Do you know the score in your life? Play every ace! Write down the decisions you are making and have someone else evaluate whether the actions are driving you closer or further from the goal.

Utilize these three powerful strategies! Believe they will change your life! Fail forward FAST! In order for things in your life to change, YOU must change. You cannot continue to do what you did and anticipate a different outcome. Expect miracles and believe everthing you desire is possible. I am Dr. Shaun Stuto and I wish you a life of abundance.

Dr. Shaun Stuto is a Missoula Chiropractor and the founder of Transormation Chiropractic in Missoula, MT. Call TODAY and Schedule an appointment (406) 728-1250

It is quite common for patients to seek out care from a Chiropractor for an ache or pain. It seems logical right? Patients come in thinking that as soon as their pain is gone, they will be better. The funny thing is, patients do not actually come in because of pain. They seek out care because pain is preventing them from doing something they love to do. So they aren’t motivated by pain necessarily, they are motivated to get back to a certain quality of life. As the wellness revolution continues to expand, we deepen our understanding of human potential and the expression of life. Studies of isolated populations have found members in those societies living between 120 and 150 years without evidence of disease. Dr. Eric Plasker said it best, “Many people spend the first 50 years of their lives ignoring their health while they accumulate wealth, only to spend the next 50 years losing their wealth to buy back their health. Knowing that your longevity potential is 100 years gives you an opportunity to place your health at the top of your value scale.” Most people will spend more money on their “health” in the last two weeks of their life than they do their entire lives!

The drugs and surgery boat is sinking when it comes to pain management. As a society we are fed up with the helplessness often associated with pain. The medical profession leaves us feeling as if our hands are tied. Their stance is either live with the pain, take a drug to dull the pain, or roll the dice and have surgery. “Maybe” it will help you feel better. They miss a great opportunity to educate the public. Perhaps the medical profession “misses the forest for the trees” at times. Do not be confused, this is not a medical bashing article. They do incredible work! There are many heroes in medicine. This article looks at the philosophies of two models of health care. In particular, we discuss the first branch of philosophy known as metaphysics. Metaphysics meaning what is the nature of reality? The medical study of the nature of health separates the human body into organ systems, cells, tissues, biochemical pathways and asks is there too much or too little of something? Their solution is often medication. They ask what can we put into this persons’ body chemically, or remove surgically so that homeostasis can return?

According to the chiropractic model of health care, the body is a self-healing and self-regulating “organism.” We are more than the sum of our collective parts. Our cells, organs, tissues, and emotions work together dynamically to create a complex thriving being. We cannot be reduced to a double blind randomized control trial. The paradagm ignores the essence of our existence and dominance on the food chain. We have the capability of complex thought and emotions. We belong in a holilstic model of health because our the nature of holism is founded in the dynamic interaction of the three facets of the human creature. These include structure (cells, organs, bones, muscle, tissues, nervous system), biochemistry (chemical reactions within the body, the food we eat and air we breathe) and emotions (thoughts, stressors and “self-talk” which include the 2500 words per minute running through our brains that tell us who we are and what we are capable of). One system or facet of health cannot be considered without taking into account its effect on the other systems. Each system depends vitality of the other. When all systems are firing synergistically, the body thrives.

The three facets of health (structure, biochemistry and emotions) are interdependent. As stress accumulates on one of the systems, say emotionally, it has a deleterious effect on the body. The emotional stress can actually compromise the integrity of the structure of the musculoskeletal system. Quite often, this shows up in the office as pain. To a medical doctor, the pain is the patients problem. Medicine treats the symptoms. The answer to the M.D. comes in the form of anti-inflammatory drugs and pain killers. Metaphorically, the doctor has just put a band aid on the pain and blown the diagnosis. The doctor has taken the batteries out of the smoke detector and the house is still on fire. Does the patient feel better? Perhaps for a while. Is the problem taken care of? NO WAY! Damages are silently accumulating because the fire is still burning. So the pain comes back and often worse. Their answer is stronger drugs or worse, surgery. Chiropractors treat the cause of the problem. The symptom was pain, however the real issue was emotional stress and more specifically the inability of the body to cope with the stress. There is a cause and effect relationship here. The cause is the emotional stress or disturbance to the nervous system which prevents the patient from coping with the stress. The effect was the pain. The role of the chiropractor is to remove interference from the nervous system so it can neutralize the emotion, cope with the stress, and heal itself. Is it surprising that emotions cause elevated blood pressure or changes to the biochemistry of the body? Not now!

Pain is NOT your problem. It is the fundamental answer to the frustration and confusion regarding the pandemic of chronic pain in the United States, and it is the title of this article. It is not the problem. Pain is a symptom which serves as a protective mechanism to prevent further compromise to the body. Surprisingly, the sensory portion of the nervous system, which produces pain, makes up a small percentage of the total nervous system, 10%. The remaining 90% operates thanklessly and silently. When the safety of the body is in jeopardy, the sensory system sends out a warning signal to “Listen up!” How often do you listen? These fast-faced times clearly demand productivity. We have been desensitized to pain. We have been taught to ignore and minimize pain. How many times did we hear “don’t be a baby, walk it off, suck it up, don’t rub it, take an aspirin, etc…” from our mothers, fathers, teachers, preachers, coaches and big pharmacy.

*Whisper* we were LIED to! This is a dirty little secret. We never learned to question the origin of our aches and pains. We were never taught sensory acuity to our bodies. You probably believe it is normal for aches and pains to appear out of the blue sky. This is absolutely not true! These aches and pains only seem random for an externally driven person. The eternal victim and “why me” type of person. The external person blames the state of their heath and their circumstance on bad luck, bad germs and bad genes. When we have aches and pains on the outside, this is a mirror image of what is going on within our bodies. Aches and pains serve as progressive sirens. They warn us to listen up because the health of the system is compromised. The longer you ignore the root cause of the problem, the louder the sirens get. If you suffer from chronic pain, you have struggled with implementation of a proper exercise and nutrition program. You have not taken into consideration how your emotional health and stability influence your physical state. As an externally driven person you have been unaware of these contributions to poor health because nobody has told you. Forgive yourself. More importantly stop feeling sorry for yourself. Because I care about you so much and you deserve to express and experience life at an optimal level pay attention. Take massive action and challenge yourself.

Pain is your wake up call. Pain demands that you change your life and take control. You will be forced to change your behavior and environment as you work to isolate the “why.” “Why” is the pain there in the first place? As you go through the process, you deepen your understanding of health to a point that it cannot contract to its original size. It is not possible to unring a bell! The more you take action and embrace the process, the stronger and more internally driven you become. This leads to knowledge. Knowledge and experience together lead to personal power!

Chiropractic care is an investment in your health. Choosing wellness care over sick and symptom based care is a proactive and preventative action. You can now see how there is no need to wait for the engine to smoke to change the oil in your car. When you consciously shift your paradigm of health and break free from your outdated belief systems which no longer serve you, this is extraordinary action! This is applaudable because it is such a massive shift in thinking. If you join a gym, does the membership card come with 6 pack abs and a tight toned butt? Do they guarantee lower blood pressure for paying your monthly dues? Of course not! A spectacular body and great health take an investment on your part of sweat and participation. You must show up to reap the benefits. You need to put in the work, just like life! You can either be the “observed” or the “observer” and on the inside or the outside. The observed lived consciously and internally. Every practice member within Transformation Chiropractic pays cash for their care. They understand and appreciate that paying for their care is an investment just like training in the gym. People under my care choose to live optimally. They appreciate that life long wellness is a decision. Nobody is forcing them to choose health and vitality. They are educated on the benefits of chiropractic care for prevention. Transformation Chiropractic patients enjoy the journey of wellness. They understand that “wellness” is not a state they can race to. There is no point where you have “made it” because a pinnacle does not exist. There is only one absolute destination in life and that is death. How we choose to utilize the iterim is our human potential. By holding ourselves accountable to the process of achieving this potential, we live internally and practice free will!

Dr. Shaun Stuto is a Missoula Chiropractor and the founder of Transormation Chiropractic in Missoula, MT. Call TODAY and Schedule an appointment (406) 728-1250