I was 10 years old. I was like most kids, got pretty good grades, liked to hang out with my friends and played sports.
But something just wasn’t right…I had a terrible time falling asleep or staying asleep for more than a few hours a night. This went on for about 6 months and finally my parents started getting concerned when my grades started to slip.
I also started getting anxiety and no longer wanted to hang out with friends at sleep overs because I couldn’t sleep…So my parents took me to my medical doctor who checked me out and said, “Your son is fine, take him home and he will grow out of it.” They took me to a massage therapist and even drank herbal teas with me before bed while listening calming nature sounds. Still no sleep.
As a last resort, my mom took me to her chiropractor. The chiropractor checked my spine and said to my mom, “There is a subluxation in your son’s neck, the best thing we can do for him is get him adjusted.” And so, I received an adjustment and went home and couldn’t sleep. But I kept coming back week after week and finally one night I went home and slept for 12 hours straight!
This was the end of my insomnia and the start of me feeling like myself once again.
Prior to that I just felt like there was something wrong with me, that no one could quite put their finger on. Well, that chiropractor did and I am forever grateful.
I believe everything in our lives happens for a reason and this challenging time in my young life set me out on a path of one day becoming a chiropractor.
Now, I didn’t become a chiropractor because it cured my insomnia, chiropractic is not a cure for anything, but when the body has a clear nerve supply it can heal and function the way God designed it to.
No, I became a chiropractor because I wanted to touch the lives of others. I felt called to make a difference for humanity, as chiropractic profoundly changed my life.
Now why do I continue to get my spine checked and adjusted as needed?
Quite simply because I have a spine!
Anyone with a spine and nervous system needs adjustments so they can live free of nerve interference. If you are subluxated you are always operating at less than 100% of your life potential. Maybe it means I don’t sleep as well, perhaps get sick more often, get sore and achy joints, don’t recover from exercise as well or have more brain fog. Either way, I choose to stay connected because I want to be my best to serve my patients and family day in and day out. My job is physical, running a business can be stressful, raising a family has its own challenges and all of this can add up and cause subluxations within my spine.
People need me to be clear and connected so I can provide the best care possible.
When I am of sound mind and body, I can be a hollow vessel for God to work through me. When I am well-adjusted it helps me be more connected to myself and my creator. It helps me overcome fears, doubts, shame, anxiety and physical restrictions. Chiropractic is often thought of as a physical therapy, but for me personally the psychoemotional and spiritual aspects are even more important.
We had a patient refer her husband to the office. She basically had to drag him in because he had low back pain and refused to do anything. We checked him out and started adjusting him. Fast forward a 2 months later, we get a card from his wife thanking us for giving her husband back. She was grateful not only that he was feeling better, but more importantly he had been an angry man and they were on the verge of separating because of it, but now he was much happier since getting adjusted and they were working through things once again.
I choose to get checked every week because I can’t imagine living my life without chiropractic care. Had it not been for that chiropractor when I was 10, I can’t imagine where my life might have taken me…
Some people who start chiropractic care stop coming and we respect everyone’s autonomy over their health.
But as a chiropractor, of course I would encourage everyone to get checked from womb to tomb so they can live their best life, not only for themselves, but for every person they come in contact with.
Life is better when we are connected.
Dr. Thom