Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot
On Fridays I like to share some of the experiences I’ve had during the week with patients and in my personal life that I’ve found significant in some way. I like to share them in hopes that you might find value in them and have something resonate with you in your life.
A health question to always consider. Patients will often ask my opinion on non-chiropractic health issues, so I have many discussions on a range of topics from medications to surgeries and more. These conversations often begin with “well, my doctor thinks I should…” Then the patient will go on to tell me what the doctor thinks they should take/get/undergo/etc. What I always encourage patients to try and decipher is if the recommendation is specific to them or merely a general recommendation that 100 out of 100 people would get from that doctor. I encourage this because specific health advice is far more valuable than one size fits all suggestions.
For example, does your doctor think it would be great for you personally to get a certain shot/surgery/take a certain medication/etc. or is it something that he/she would recommend to everyone/anyone regardless of circumstance? The point is not to be critical of the advice, merely for you to understand the difference between something specific to you and your health versus a general recommendation. In chiropractic it is common for a chiropractor to tell patients they need 3 visits per week for X number of weeks to resolve a condition. Is this necessary for certain cases? Of course. Do I think it should be recommended for every person regardless? No. Again, not to say either can’t have benefit but it’s important to decide for yourself when you’re getting specific advice for you versus something given to everyone. If your financial planner gave the same advice to everyone regardless of financial position or tolerance for risk, you wouldn’t be happy – this same principle should apply to your health as well.
A great lesson from an interesting source. I was listening to Joe Rogan’s podcast last weekend as he interviewed Dave Chappelle. He mentioned that after he’d been on with another fellow comedian last year, they’d both read the comments online that people gave about the show. These comedians have been on stage in front of millions, been heckled and have dealt with everything big time performers would. So how did it affect these two hardened performers when they read the comments? It got to them. They questioned themselves and felt insecure. Both admitted it, one even said it sent him into a tailspin for days.
What’s the lesson? It’s important to consider who is criticizing you and why. As a coach I give feedback to players constantly, but I never make it personal. This allows for correction of mistakes but not the creation of anxieties or insecurities. On the other end of the spectrum, I sometimes hear “chiropractic is witchcraft” or something stupid like that. When I do, I realize immediately this is not an attempt to begin a discussion but is meant to simply be disparaging. Unfortunately, there are a lot of angry people out there that will say mean things and think nothing of it. Negative people are like a pile of poop – you can certainly step right on it and it’ll be a mess but it’s better just to avoid it and go around.
Why do you still get so nervous/excited? This was a question my son asked me last week right before we left for our football game. I’m known to my kids for being “chippy” before our games – a little bit more edgy, more intense, etc. I’ve coached for years and have played in many games during my own career, so he was curious why I still get like that. My answer is that it’s because I care. If I’m involved in something, then it matters to me and I give it all I have and play for keeps. When there are no stakes, there is no pressure because you don’t care all that much about the outcome. I still get pumped up, excited and/or nervous before a busy day of patients, before a difficult race or training session, watching my kids in sports, coaching their sports and plenty of other things. To me, the fact I care enough to be like this is a blessing and makes life more worth living!
A supplement many of my patients use. Turmeric is one of the strongest, natural anti-inflammatories available. It can be added into food as a spice but has become very popular as a nutritional supplement. Because of its ability to decrease inflammatory processes, it is often taken for joint support, to help with arthritis, etc. When I train for an ultramarathon, I take a joint support with a high dosage of turmeric and it always helps. Turmeric is also a very potent antioxidant, so it helps your immune function and can prevent you from getting sick/recover quicker if you are. There are different potencies for this supplement, and some are higher quality than others, but they are not expensive and can help tremendously.
Some quotes I love.
“My children didn’t just increase the love in my life, they increased my capacity for love in my life.” – Dave Chappelle
“Only through real acts of kindness, courage and love can we redeem the world.” – Brendon Burchard
“Obstacles don’t block the path. They are the path.” – Zen Proverb
“Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do.” – Jeff Olson
Want more?
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- To see previous Friday 5 Spots, visit www.newbodychiro.com and go to “blog”
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