Chronic respiratory disease, which includes asthma, is the 4th leading cause of death in the St. Louis area. Asthma accounts for more than 12,000 ER visits in the region each year.
This news strikes home for me not only because I’m from St. Louis, but because for a number of years as a child, I suffered from asthma. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to have asthma, it’s like breathing through a straw. The inability to inhale a full breath is frightening and exhaustive. The anxiety I experienced from the sheer thought of not being able to breathe, or forgetting my inhaler at home, was enough to induce an attack.
In my case, I suffered from wheezing and a tight chest, which required medication in the form of an inhaler. I needed that inhaler several times per day. Any form of exercise would induce trouble breathing. Sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night with shortness of breath – the simple act of sleeping could cause an attack. I also suffered from allergies, which brought on the condition even more. It got bad enough that I was prescribed preventive steroid medication (Prednisone).
Suffice to say, I know asthma. Which brings me to why this news article prompted me to write today’s blog entry… It’s been 12-years since I’ve needed to take a puff of my inhaler. In fact, it’s been almost that long since I’ve owned one. I attribute the resolution of my breathing problems, in great part, to Upper Cervical Care. You see, 12-years ago when I was in my first year of chiropractic school, I began receiving specific chiropractic adjustments for the sole purpose of learning the art of chiropractic care. One of the beautiful outcomes of that training was becoming less and less dependent upon my medication.
Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t “anti” medication – I utilized my asthma inhaler all the time. But the neatest thing was happening… I underwent a wonderful transformation where I simply didn’t need it as often. By the time I finished chiropractic school, my asthma was literally a thing of the past. And not once have I had a flare-up or attack!
Perhaps the greatest part about all this is that today, as an Upper Cervical doctor, I’m able to help other asthma sufferers the same way. It’s tremendously rewarding to show people that asthma isn’t always a “life sentence” and that it in some cases, it can be resolved. You too might be a prime candidate for Upper Cervical Care. Why not look into it? It changed my life, and it just might change yours as well!
A Chiropractor's Opinion 