Looking for instant results

People don't like waiting, it's a fact. Chiropractic Principle #6 is that all healing takes time. Thanks to recent advancements in technology, the length of time we are willing to wait is getting shorter and shorter. This is making us evermore impatient as a culture. The desire for instant gratification may be a relatively harmless quality when impatiently waiting for a web page to load, or in line at the local Starbucks.  When applied to other more serious aspects of our lives, like finances or health, giving in to these desires can be far more detrimental.

So how does the desire for instant gratification play out in our lives? It happens anywhere we choose immediate pleasure over long-term returns.  An example such as eating junk food even though you know it is bad for you, or buying a new outfit instead of investing that money for the future. Businesses take advantage of this trait everywhere you see "quick-fixes" being offered. Things such as "buy now, pay later" schemes, or weight loss pills that promise to shed the pounds without hitting the gym.

Drugs as a quick fix don't really work

We see this play out most of all in health care. So often people choose to reach for a pill that will immediately mask symptoms. For example, many Canadians are on medications for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type II diabetes. All this despite the ever-growing body of research of the effectiveness of exercise and change in eating for the treatment of these chronic illness (and more!).

Taking a pill is immediate and doesn't require the investment of any effort to better their health. "Why give up my favourite unhealthy foods when I can just take a pill instead?" To be fair, this isn't entirely the fault of the patient. Conventional western medical practitioners often make this choice for their patients, quickly prescribing medication, with little, if any, discussion (or no knowledge) about the alternatives.

Masking Symptoms

And so our society has become accustomed to the idea that modern science can, and should, immediately cure what ails us. What price are we really paying for these quick fixes? Pills only give us the illusion of health, and the danger of that is that we ignore what's really going on in our bodies. Symptoms are your body's way of sounding the alarm bells. What happens if you unplug the fire alarm instead of extinguishing the fire? When we mask symptoms instead of treating the underlying cause, we sacrifice our long-term health for short term comfort.

Healing and real change take time

This approach to health care seems to be forgetting what we already know. When it comes to the body, healing and change takes time. Your body won't be transformed after a week of hitting the gym, it takes a lot of time and effort, followed by maintenance. If the goal is healing or you're trying to lose weight, you need to clean up your diet permanently. We all know crash diets don't work in the long run. Chiropractic care is no exception, real change takes time. Your body requires, and deserves, your commitment and dedication if you want to be healthy. The human body is so adaptable and capable of amazing things, but it is up to you to give it the tools it needs to reach its true healing potential!