We're never too old to stop learning, right?

Being a teacher, I am partial to believe that educators have a large impact on the lives of the students they teach. I am partial not only because I am a teacher myself, but also because I had a few teachers who impacted the person I am today.

One of those teachers was my professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Iowa. I very vividly remember the day I learned a very important life lesson from him. As I often did, I had stayed after class to talk with him, and we got on the subject of my future career. It was in this conversation that he told me, "Jen- you need to think about what you love doing more than anything else, and then find a way to make money doing it. That is what your career needs to be."

I went home that night and realized that some day owning an "all-in-one" coffee shop/book store/fitness center/wine bar/office to write an award winning novel in was not all that practical (one out of the five is not too bad, right?), so I stuck to my initial plan of teaching, and I have loved it ever since. I do remember, though, telling Dr. Redenius about the conversation I had with my professor later that night, and I asked him what he would do. His response was simple. He wanted to help people become better versions of themselves, so he became a Doctor of Chiropractic.

It was this same professor who taught me the value of learning, and that we should never, ever stop learning. I recently did a book study on the book titled Most Likely to Succeed by Ted Dintersmith and Tony Wagner. Essentially, the book outlines how we have to change the way we teach our students in order to prepare them for a 21st Century world (it's a fascinating read that I encourage all to read). While I was reading it, though, I realized how much of the same ideology in regards to a shift in educational pedagogy can apply to adults today. We, too, need to shift the way we are educating ourselves for the future. And as adults, we should never stop striving to learn more while being open to new ideas.

So, how does all of this relate to Redenius Chiropractic?

Well, in my short time as a Doctor of Chiropractic's wife, I have come to realize how many people are resistant to chiropractic or preventative health care simply because they do not understand what it is, or are resistant to learning more about it. I am no exception. Many are shocked to find that my first time seeing a chiropractor was when Jeff and I visited Palmer College for the first time. I, however, was like many other community members--unaware of how it can help me. So, in the following few paragraphs, I hope to educate our readers on what chiropractic is and why it can help you--especially in this 21st century society we live in today. Because we are never too old to stop learning, right?

First, a simple Google search will tell you that Chiropractic way more than "back-cracking." Chiropractic is a system of medicine based on the diagnosis and manipulative treatment of misalignments. The term doctor itself was used for many centuries (before universities or degrees were around) to refer to an especially learned person, or a person who was authorized to teach a particular subject. In this regard, then, a Doctor of Chiropractic is not only responsible for patient care, but for educating their patients as well on how to become better versions of themselves. Chiropractic actually began in 1895 when Daniel David Palmer (originally from Iowa) performed the first chiropractic adjustment on a partially deaf janitor. A fun fact many do not know is that Iowa is the birth place of chiropractic, and people from literally all over the world move to Davenport to get their doctoral degree in chiropractic.

Another thing that many people do not realize is that the body does not perform as a cluster of separate entities, but rather, a series of events that all originate from the nervous system. The nerves in the body that control every function of the body originate in the spinal cord, and if their transmission is disrupted, we experience noticeable effects. This disruption is what a Doctor of Chiropractic would refer to as a "subluxation." You may think you are just going to get adjusted, but in reality, you are altering so much more than that when a Doctor of Chiropractic adjusts a subluxation. Below is an image that briefly explains what I am trying to get at here.


A large amount of patients also do not realize that pain is the LAST symptom of dysfunction in your body. Chiropractor's will tell you that a patient's back is often restricted for months or years before a person shows up in a chiropractor's office. In addition to this, patient's do not often realize that the absence of pain does not mean health. For example, you may take a pill if you get a head ache. While that pill may take the pain away, the dysfunction that is causing that pain is still there. That is why individuals should strive to be proactive in regards to their health care.

Much of the public also does not realize that a Doctor of Chiropractic knows SO MUCH MORE about the body than just the backbone! Doctor's of Chiropractic go through almost four years of post-graduate, rigorous education. They are required to take five rounds of extremely difficult board examinations. It often times surprises people that Doctors of Chiropractic give advice on nutrition, fitness, screen for conditions unrelated to the musculoskeletal system, and refer out to specialists when necessary. Below is a snap shot that summarizes the curriculum a Doctor of Chiropractic undergoes prior to graduation (D.C. refers to a Doctor of Chiropractic).



In relation to all of this, many individuals do not know all of the services Dr. Redenius provides. In addition to nutritional counseling, DOT and sports physicals, manual therapies, decompression therapy, and traditional chiropractic care; he treats everything from migraines to asthma to ear aches. For a full list of his services, feel free to visit www.lakecitychiro.com.

Hopefully after reading through this short "mini-lesson" on chiropractic, you've learned something you did not know before about what Dr. Redenius can provide to you and your family. Like my professor told me to do, Jeff has found something he loves (helping people become better versions of themselves), and is making a career out of it. We both are eagerly anticipating this coming August when he officially opens his office to patients.

Just like last week, we will be giving away a FREE prize this week! All you need to do is “Like” the Redenius Chiropractic official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/redeniuschiropractic/) and SHARE this blog post to your own page by Thursday, July 7th. The giveaway is open to USA residents only. 

This week, we will be giving away a GIFT CARD to Sweet Things in Lake City! Make sure to “Like” and “Share” before Thursday to be entered in the contest for this week.

Have a great week!

Dr. Jeff and Jenny Redenius