Have you ever had the opportunity to get feedback from the impressions your footprints have left on others? It’s quite remarkable when it occurs.
We are so use to friends or family members only telling us about what they need or what to improve on, but there is nothing more validating and rewarding than when someone actually takes the time to say how you have impacted his or her life! It’s a real assurance of self worth.
I recall my very first mission trip. It was in Fortaleza, Brazil. It was September 2000.
41 Chiropractors came from all over the United States and entered into Fortaleza to help the common people break through their suffering. We all got transported into a convent where arrangements were made for our basic needs (food, bathrooms and beds). We got divided into 13 locations and teamed up in groups of 3-7. The itinerary was 5 days of work, 1 day of rest and fly back to the United States.
Each evening we would be driven back to the convent and gathered in a big circle to share our experiences. And each night we would gather around and adjust each other.
Actually, by the end of the first day, my body got in such a bad state that I was bent forward and couldn’t straighten up. I went too hard too fast with the intense volume of people I adjusted that day.
First mission! Never had I worked on so many people in one day. It was intense, my body wasn’t use to working at that level and definitely had something to say about it. Well, I got my adjustment and waves flashed through my body as it released the tensions built up from that days wealth of hard work. The next morning, woke up and went right back to the station to help those in need.
Out of all the people I worked on, there was one lady who stood out beyond all others. Even to this day, 22 years and one month later, I can recall it clearly.
This lady had lost function of both legs. Her muscles had atrophied and she was quite frail. She did not have a wheelchair so the way she would be moved around is by her son lifting her from behind and with a swinging momentum side to side, he was able to move her body forward with his body. To avoid her legs from dragging, he would push one foot at a time with his foot as he was swinging her forward … and like this they found their way onto my table.
I was taken back by her condition. My mind started taking over and bombarding me with thoughts, trying to figure out how I was going to help this lady. Then finally as she was sitting there, my hands took over and my mind silenced. The adjustment was delivered and I set her on her way. Her son picked her up and again in the same manner, moved her away from the adjusting station.
Next day I see her again. this time she greeted me with a smile. She loyally waited for me and did not let any other chiropractor work on her. I adjusted her again. This continued for five days in a row. Each day seeing a mild improvement from the previous day. By the 5th day, I saw her son lifting her up and as he was bringing her towards me, I noticed she was able to lift her foot enough for her son not to have to push it forward with his foot as he is swinging her body forward.
I pointed it out to her and others in the area. She had noticed the improvement as well. It was a very special moment for us.
But it also was bitter sweet. That was the last day of service on our mission. There would not be another mission for a whole year.
That last day, the community orchestrated a celebration for our 5 days of hard work in their little corner of town. I saw her and walked to her. She raised her arms as to hug me and I got down on my knees to welcome her hug.
She started bawling in tears and I held her. This went on for some time until she stopped crying. She said some words and I looked at my translator to find out what she was saying. She said, what am I going to do now? You are leaving today. You were my hope.
What do you say to that? I was lost for words. It hit me like a ton of bricks and silenced me. I finally shaking it off and told my translator to have her continue making effort to move her legs and not give up. And to receive some massages to help momentum flow through the body. I said that maybe her son can help her with that, but above all, keep fighting. Your determination will have a lot to do with your results.
And that was that. We left that night and said our goodbyes to all those we helped in those intensive five days of service.
That was the start of my Mission trips. Since then there have been so many profound missions and experiences but that was the start of it all.
Now from a clinical stand point, take a look at what occurred. This lady was receiving an adjustment daily. There have been instances where patients needed multiple adjustments in the same day. In her case, we simply had too many people to adjust for her to be allowed more than one adjustment in the same day but yet even with that being the case, by day 5 there was evidence of improved lower motor functions. So this is what it comes down to.
Frequency does matter!
If you come as you please or make it a lower priority to get adjusted, not following your recommendation of care, you may not gain the results you have the potential to attain.
It is definitely a reality. There are so many different stressors that can wind up the body and the frequency of care is designed in such a manner as to get as much done, frequently enough, so that the body handles those deeper layers that promote better function. Infrequent visits results in much time handling the new patterns of stressors that the body compiled.
There is so much available to us here in America, It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day hustle and bustle of life. But without taking care of you and your body first, all those things amount to very little. I have seen this with patients over the past few decades. Rich materially but suffering physically.
Don’t neglect what is available for you, come get your adjustments regularly and frequently.
As always
Many Blessings
Dr Ara