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As my focus has shifted to a more complete approach to health lately — by adding nutrition and functional medicine services into my chiropractic practice — I have seen more and more transformations. A back that feels stronger is nice, no more migraines is a blessing, and no more infant colic is a big one, too. But to combine multiple disciplines and see people telling me they feel 10 years younger, or that they got their memory back, or that they lost 30 pounds and got their energy back? Now that feels amazing. By combining different disciplines and using the best tactics to treat whole systems rather than individual symptoms, we are seeing changes we just don’t see with a one-system approach.

You see, many health interventions are synergistic and work together — exercise and diet, sleep and melatonin, yoga and stretching. Alone, many interventions fall short. But when you combine them, you often see amazing results. Breakthroughs. Even incredible transformations.

By now most of my readers know I am a big believer in supplements. Actually, I am a big believer in science…and the science behind supplements. Believe it or not I still get some emails from people saying things like, “You don’t need to take vitamins as long as you eat healthy!” But truthfully, who really “eats healthy” these days? Almost no one. But not always for a lack of trying. It’s all too common for Americans to be deficient in multiple vitamins and minerals including magnesium, vitamin E, vitamin D, and potassium. A lot of that comes from the quality of foods we’re eating these days and the decrease in vitamins and minerals that our fresh foods provide.

I have posed a question over the years to people who ask if they really need to take vitamins and supplements. To that I ask, “Do you raise all your own food, including grass-fed beef, pasture-raised pork and chicken, and your own vegetables and fruits? And is it all organic?” I’ve been in practice for 35 years and served over 15,000 patients. So far, I have had a total of one “yes” to that question. It was a couple who raised all their own food and they were among the healthiest patients I have ever seen. But even so, they still needed one more thing — a healthy nervous system. They needed chiropractic.

There is never one answer to achieving optimal health. I have told many patients who have been CrossFit junkies, workout fanatics, and high school athletes that you can’t out-train a bad diet. I have told many Keto-maniacs, weight watchers, and paleo dieters that you can’t out-diet a complete lack of exercise. To top it off, if your nervous system is not in tune, you will never achieve your best health. What does that? Chiropractic. Not PT, not yoga, and not CBD oil. The nervous system controls and coordinates all the systems in the body. And that’s straight from Gray’s Anatomy — the medical school textbook, not the TV series.

Here’s an example straight from my office. A recent patient made an appointment with me knowing I was a certified functional medicine practitioner. They had been driving an hour to a different functional medicine practitioner and were not getting the results they expected. They understood the potential of functional medicine, but their experience just wasn’t changing anything. After reviewing their charts, labs, and reports, I asked them a simple question: “Has anyone tested your nervous system?” They didn’t even know that was a thing. To make a comparison, imagine bringing your car to a mechanic who checked a lot of things but never checked something basic like your spark plugs. A sEMG/CT scan revealed gross imbalances between that patient’s left brain and right brain. After adjustments to reset their nervous system, they started seeing the transformation they were after.

My hope is that this all persuades you to not be afraid to start asking for more when it comes to your health. Don’t be afraid to expect more. Has your chiropractor never suggested supplements? Ask them why. Has your medical provider never suggested a chiropractor? Ask them why. You deserve the best and your health needs the best. A broad-based multiple systems approach is just that. Your next transformation awaits you. But you have to be willing to ask.


Dr. Burtis, MS, DC, CFMP, has been providing natural healthcare to the Fairmont area at Burtis Chiropractic Center for over 30 years. He uses a combination of chiropractic, nutrition, and functional medicine to help individuals restore and maintain health and healing through individualized care plans. The mission of Burtis Chiropractic Center is to provide transformational healthcare that takes an individual’s life to the next level. We strive to be a solution for families to experience transformational healthcare and help create vibrant and resilient lifestyles that can be passed to future generations.

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