by Dr. Joseph F. Unger, Jr. DC., F.I.C.S.
Have you ever suffered from a condition that seemed to resist every effort to resolve it? For many people the ability to get well, no matter how hard they try, is elusive. “Why is that?,” you may ask. All too often people are told that deep-seated psychological problems and “not wanting to get well” are to blame. We see it all of the time in our practice. But to fully understand the situation, we need to examine the process of healing. The prevailing Western approach suggests that there is a cure for every problem and that by researching the problem thoroughly, a cure will be found. Sometimes this works, but oftentimes it does not.
Throughout history a basic premise of all major systems of healing is that the body is ultimately self-healing. If something is not healing, it is because there is a blockage in the healing process. Therapies are then designed to stimulate the person’s own healing process rather than to combat the disease or condition. Healing from within is often, if not always, more powerful. Rather than treating the symptom or condition, the successful practitioner seeks to restore the body’s innate healing process.
If a person is working diligently to address their health concerns but is not achieving the desired results, he or she probably needs to consider a different healing path. It is not uncommon for the therapies directed against the disease to be unsuccessful. When this occurs, we begin to look at the mechanisms the body uses to heal and the potential conditions that are blocking the healing process.
One of the most powerful systems in the body is the nervous system. Virtually every function is controlled or at least influenced by this system. The brain is directing all functions and monitoring effects to provide maximum control. The nervous system is also a major conduit for the distribution of healing energy to all parts and every cell of the entire body. Blockages in nerve function can make healing impossible, because this innate healing energy is inhibited. Diseases and dysfunctions then remain unresolved.
One major activity of the nervous system is the initiation of habits. Some are good habits; others are not. A simple example is hiccups. When it is functioning normally, the nervous system controls the timing of the opening and closing of a valve in the throat called the epiglottis. But if that timing becomes interrupted (bad neurological habit) the little valve slams shut at the wrong time, and we get a hiccup. If this nerve reflex becomes stuck, the hiccups continue. The official term for this is “neurological habituation.”
An intimate and complex relationship exists between the spine and the nerves going to every organ of the body. These nerves are also capable of becoming stuck in habituation patterns. For example, a sickness or disease, a trauma or stressor that affects an organ can set up one of these reflexes between the organ and the spine. Now stuck in this very powerful bad habit, the body cannot recover without proper treatment. If an organ or system is suffering from one of these reflex loops, other interventions may not be able to overcome this particular form of blockage to the healing system.
In the Sacro Occipital Technic (SOT™) system of healing employed at Atrium Health Services, there are specific analyses and treatment procedures utilized to address just this type of neurological blockage. If your all-powerful nervous system has developed this kind of roadblock, we know of no other treatment capable of providing the same results as these specialized procedures.
What lessons can be learned from this information? If you are suffering from a health condition and have tried virtually everything without effective results, it probably is not your fault. Most likely, it is time to seek a different approach. As a wise man once said, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.”
For more information contact Dr. Unger at Atrium Health Services, 2821 N. Ballas Rd., Suite 105, St. Louis, MO 63131, 314-872-9955.