Have you ever been to Hawaii, or seen pictures of the islands?
A few years ago, I was blessed to have the opportunity to spend some time in Hawaii with my family. On one of our first days there, we drove around the island, taking in some of the sights. As we traveled around the southern coast of the island and up the eastern shores, I started to notice something funny about almost all the trees… they were all leaning prominently toward the west! What a strange sight! It didn’t take long to realize that this was due to the unyielding pressure of the constant winds. You see, on the eastern or “windward” side of the island, trade winds from the Northeast are constantly buffeting the northern and eastern shores with strong winds. Unfortunately, the trees in those areas often suffer the same fate as the one pictured above. While they still attempt to flourish, they end up leaning to the West because they were under the influence of the wind from the time they were small twigs just sprouting from the ground. They never have the chance to grow up tall and strong like trees in areas where the wind is not as strong.
I couldn’t help think of the saying, “As the twig bends, so grows the tree.” This is often one of the ways we explain why we check children in our office. Children, just like this tree, experience a multitude of forces that can cause them to “lean to the west” and not experience optimal growth or health. Pressure from falls, accidents, or even the birth process can cause a spine to misalign and not allow proper nerve function within the body. However, with a little bit of help from a Chiropractic checkup and adjustment, the spine can be realigned and allow that child to grow tall and strong.
How much different would this tree be if someone had taken the time to stake the tree and give it a little extra help in withstanding the forces of those winds?
Who do you know that might also need that help for themselves? Give them the opportunity to experience the best life possible by sharing this post. If you want to find out how chiropractic can help you, ask a question in the chat box or click to schedule a New Patient Checkup in our office.
Together, we can build a community that grows tall and strong!
