Heal This

by Madeline Behrendt, D.C.

I just returned from a first visit with a massage therapist. I was not looking for a healer, I was not asking to be healed, I wanted someone who could help my shoulder muscles recover from some monster rides in the foothills. I was looking for a massage. Very sincere and sweet, she thought of herself as a healer. I left more tense than when I went in, and dare I say, unhealed.

Grumpy, and still wearing my shoulders as earrings, I then went to pick up some food. Maybe my shoulders would not feel better, but I felt secure I could find some comfort to unwrap and devour, and I was ravenous.

I walked through the aisles looking for something to call out to me, and aisle after aisle I’m thinking — “Where did all the food go?” Item after item proclaims itself as some miracle substance, as food that “heals”, as a substance that will make me bigger, stronger, smarter, more female, etc. etc. I was not looking for edible healing substances, I was not asking to be healed, I was hungry and looking for food. I left hungry, and dare I say, unhealed.

Next stop was a yoga class. Oh yeah, I didn’t do any better here. Looking for some stretching and to be engaged and challenged a bit, I innocently arrive in class. How ignorant and ungrateful of me, why didn’t I realize they were offering gurus and healing. I left guruless, and dare I say, unhealed.

I made it home, safe at last I thought. I open up the mail, checking my monthly credit card statement… and there it was. Offering a free 30-day supply of Ginko Biloba, their pitch was “Forgetful? G.B. could help your mental clarity…” I pay my statements in full and on time, so I was really irritated that they didn’t at least target only their delinquent clients – And I was really wishing I could forget the day I just had (I suppose that offer will come next month).

What happened? When did it become not OK to be an awesome massage therapist, for food to be food, and for yoga to be yoga, etc… Why do so many need to proclaim themselves as “healers”? Why does everything now need to be pitched as “healing”? And why do so many people feel that they need someone or something to heal them? Narcissism? Are we broken? Or are we disconnected? Does anyone have a clue what real healing is and where it comes from?

I feel so grateful to have learned and experienced the distinction between external “healing”, and living naturally, Innately directed. I now live the chiropractic lifestyle.

Now more than ever, our culture needs to hear the chiropractic story, and to experience what it feels like to be subluxation free. Now, more than ever, as the culture moves from a medical mindset to an alternative medicine mindset, we are needed to clarify the spin on concepts that once had distinct value such as healing, natural, wellness, concepts today that have become almost superficial. External is external, when a tradeoff exists, a tradeoff exists. Alternative Medicine certainly has value, and there are many wonderful, sincere, effective professionals who offer treatment, but our culture continues to confuse health care with symptom fixes. Buy this, buy that, take this, take that. Healing? Hmm…

Chiropractors offer an essential, unique, irreplaceable, non transferable service beneficial to every human being with a spine. For over 100 years, we have been detecting subluxations so that each person can improve their internal healing capacity. A healthy, clear nervous system is primary, with inclusion of subluxation detection and correction key for complete health care.

I’m very happy I have that foundation, and will continue the big search for awesome nutrition, exercise, massage, etc in alignment with this foundation…

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Dr. Madeline Behrendt is the author of A Woman’s Experience/A.W.E.(TM)
Reports On Women’s Health Topics. She can be reached at [email protected]