understanding Dr. Fastiggi's Comprehensive approach to optimal health
HERE IS THE DIFFERENCE
SOT (Sacro-Occipital Technique) Chiropractic is the foundation of my holistic approach to health and wellness. I greatly enhanced my SOT base by immersing myself and getting certified in a very specific type of soft tissue therapy called Neuromuscular Therapy. My blending of these two healing modalities dates back to 1995 and expanded my scientifically and clinically tested approach. Over the following decade my approach was “quickened” by the integration of therapeutic movement, breath work and mindfulness that I encountered in Yoga. At 48 years of age I became certified as an instructor. This newest blend of arts became an extremely effective means of removing physical, chemical and emotional stress from the body’s nervous system. Positive patient outcomes began occurring more rapidly. In the past decade advances in technology have exploded on the healthcare scene. This led to my integration of Deep Tissue Laser Therapy for soft tissue injuries and the usage of iTrac traction and Cox Flexion Distraction to gently and naturally realign posture. Thus, I am not your mainstream, “ 3 times a week for a month, 2 times a week, etc…..” chiropractor. My approach unleashes a patient’s innate healing capacity faster. Once a patient can move away from disease, sickness and injury we can shift the paradigm and focus on thriving toward optimal health and vitality. Now my practice is filled with all sorts of athletes. These wonderful people use my practice as hygiene for the body and mind hygiene to maintain training and competition.
IT’S NOT JUST BACK PAIN!
Once they heal their bodies they focus on expressing vitality and optimal health. That’s the 50% of healthcare our present day healthcare system ignores.
STRESS MANAGEMENT
QUESTION:
How does a chiropractic adjustment relieve physical, chemical and emotional stress?
ANSWER:
The brain perceives physical, chemical and emotional insult as simply “stress”. It does not differentiate and all three are stored in the nervous system. The cumulative effects of stress on your nervous system can manifest in the body’s organs (diabetes, IBS, asthma, heart, kidney & liver disease) skeletal system (misaligned bones), soft tissues (tense or flaccid muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia), as well as diminished mental outlook and concentration/focus. A chiropractic adjustment removes neurological stress by restoring proper structure and function. This is health. An adjustment relieves stress in the sick and strengthens the body’s resistance to these stressful forces in a “healthy” patient. This is vitality. This is why health, wellness and chiropractic are lifestyles, not quick fix, one-trick ponies.
Your brain, spinal cord and nerves are constantly working in tandem to receive sensory information about your surrounding environment then immediately and reflexively elicit a motor response that allows your body to adapt to the environment. Sensory is input, motor output. We are naturally adaptive organisms. We should have GRATITUDE for this genetic trait.
Not all of the messages the brain receives are good messages. Bad messages are stored as STRESS. The cumulative effect of elevated stress levels is loss of or diminished function. Think of stress as spyware and cookies slowing your hard drive. There are three types of stress: PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL & EMOTIONAL.
The circumstance where electrical impulses traveling to and from the brain are impeded by any type of stress is called a SUBLUXATION. SOT is the science that guides me to gently remove a subluxation.
When your nervous system is in balance with your body you begin to heal faster, then move toward optimal health. I identify where physical, chemical and emotional stresses block optimal function in the body. The ADJUSTMENT removes the SUBLUXATION.
Most people don’t realize that they experience all three forms of stress, to varying degrees, every day, all day, without exception. Unfortunately, people walking around with a malfunctioning mind/body is a very common abnormality. The medical community is just coming around to this philosophy that we chiropractors have been saying for almost a century and a half.
“But I work out…… I sleep 8 hours a night…… I drink green tea.”
Unfortunately, the mere act of getting out of bed engages you in the constant battle of physical stress via the need to stand upright against gravity all day. (Some of us weigh more than others) This constant, subtle, low-grade physical stress makes EVERY HUMAN BEING WITHOUT EXCEPTION shrink and hunch forward as they age.
Perhaps upon standing up against gravity to dress you apply anti-perspirant before heading downstairs for a cup of caffiene. One might indulge in a breakfast loaded with unhealthy carbohydrates/sugars that are not balanced with a lean protein and healthy fat. These are all subtle chemical insults to the body that accumulate in the nervous system. When this stress reaches a threshold in your Central Nervous System the brain begins to compensate and reflexively compromises your health. Maybe your liver begins to produce too much cholesterol. Perhaps the wrong impulses are sent to the pancreas and blood sugar levels are altered resulting in diabetes. We crumple ourselves into a car seats (physical stress) and sit in traffic (emotional stress) inhaling exhaust while you sip caffeine (chemical stress). The United States Department of Agriculture reports that the average U.S. citizen consumes 150-170 lbs. of sugar a year. You don’t think that is going to stress your gut and irritate your nervous system?
ACTIVE LIFESTYLE
“Sometimes life presents as a series of problems and living is solving problems.”
Health won’t land on your nose like a butterfly. We must treat ourselves like the most sophisticated computer or advanced fighter jet. We require maintenance daily. We must avoid adverse conditions. We must repair as we age. Optimal health requires our attention and participation. You don’t need to be a doctor, but why wouldn’t you be an expert on your own case file. Develop your approach (lifestyle) and monitor & update it daily.
Our bodies grow. We are constantly adapting to our environment. We age.