Beyond the Chiropractic Warrior

By Dr. Sabrina Chen-See

I would not call myself a “Chiropractic Warrior.” I just don’t identify myself with the word, “warrior.” Maybe it’s because I’m a woman; maybe it’s because I’m Canadian. It’s not that I don’t think chiropractors have an uphill battle (it can be), or that chiropractic isn’t worth fighting for (it definitely is). It’s that warriors have only one purpose: to fight and defeat the enemy. Warriors cannot find purpose or peace in times of peace and harmony. They fight battles and sometimes they win, sometimes they lose, but always there are causalities, and the battleground is decimated. Medicine operates the same way- they fight diseases and sometimes they win, sometimes they lose, but there always will be side effects, adverse reactions, and complications.

What resonates much more with me is Harmony and Balance. In chiropractic, our purpose is not to fight diseases, but to restore alignment, harmony and balance so that the innate intelligence can flow optimally and health potential is at its greatest. There are forces out there that want to suppress health, healing and chiropractic, but it takes a special kind of warrior-type to stand up against these oppressors, these bullies.

In November, I met Paul at a health fair. He’s overweight, middle-aged, slow in speech, repeats himself, is unkempt and basically the kind of person who is dismissed because he’s unlikely to have the money to purchase goods or services. Out of the 4 or 5 chiropractic booths at the fair, he’s drawn to ours and our image of the misaligned atlas affecting the entire body and mind.

“I feel lopsided like that picture and I think I need your help,” was the gist of what he told us. I told him that that was entirely possible and we could investigate his situation further in my office. It turns out Paul had been bullied his whole life and his physical and mental problems began when bullies hit his head with a baseball bat when he was young.

Having heard his entire history, I told him, “Your symptoms started after the baseball bat incident but your problems began way before that, probably since birth.”

He tried to object, so I had to turn to metaphors to get my point across.

“Have you watched the Star Wars movies?” I asked. He did.

“Do you remember when Luke Sky Walker was walking with Obi Wan Kenobi and they had to pass stormtroopers?”

Paul nodded his head.

“Obi-wan said to the stormtroopers, ‘these are not the droids we’re looking for,’ and then the stormtroopers repeated that, and walked away. How did he do that? He used The Force.” In Star Wars, the Force is in all things. There is more Force in living things than in dead things, and even more force in things that were never alive like plastic. The Force is real. We call it ‘intelligence’, ‘Chi’ and ‘energy.’ The Force is much greater in Jedis than other people including stormtroopers, and this is why Jedis are more powerful. The stormtroopers are bullies, just like the bullies in your life, and even though you’re all grown up, it sounds like you’re still being bullied. The stormtroopers have little Force within them, and so they can only intimidate or bully people with even less Force inside them. The bullies picked on you and continue to pick on you because your level of Force is lower than theirs and they can get away with it. You wouldn’t have been hit with the baseball bat if your Force was already high. But I am a chiropractic Jedi. The Force runs strong within me and stormtroopers don’t scare me. I won’t go beating up your bullies with my Force though. My purpose is to find the subluxations that prevent The Force from flowing through you, and adjust them. When you are in proper alignment, The Force will be stronger within you, as a result you will think clearer, make better decisions, take better care of yourself and you won’t be a target for bullies.”

“But is it too late for me?” He asked.

“No, as long as you’re breathing, there’s an opportunity for more Life Force to flow through you. But it won’t be an easy process. It will take time and repetition to undo a lifetime of interference. Is this what you want?”

“For sure.”

Paul has some things to do to prepare for the process of changing his life, but for the first time, he has hope.

We TNR chiropractors are a very special breed. We are Chiropractic Jedis who use our powers for good… to inspire people, to bring light to people’s lives, and we have the “intent” B.J. talks about. Intent is the difference between a good adjustment and a great adjustment. Focus, love your patients and you’ll tap into the great Force within you. You can (metaphorically) lift the spaceship out of the swamp. Lives are depending on us, so stand-up against the stormtroopers of your own life. (nay-sayers, doubt, devils advocates, societal norms, ego) and be the Jedi!

May The Force be with you!