Some time ago, a friend of mine was at a family get-together.  As was customary whenever his family gets together, he set up his portable adjusting table and checked everyone.  He noticed one of the guests watching him very closely as he checked and adjusted his family.  As he was finishing, she introduced herself as a physical therapist and asked, "Should we start fighting now or should I wait until you're finished?"
 
Of course she was only kidding, but his response confused her.  "Why should we fight at all?" he asked.  "After all, we have entirely different objectives when we work on people, don't we?"  
 
She seemed genuinely perplexed.  "Isn't your objective to get your patient's spine to move more normally and get them out of pain?" she asked, "That's my goal too - to remove the cause of the pain, not just treat the symptom!"
 
"That's a very common misconception," he replied.  "You see, chiropractic is not about eliminating the cause of disease as many people think.  Rather, it is an approach that actually focuses on restoring the cause of health by balancing the nerve system and allowing the body's Innate Intelligence to be expressed as completely as possible.  Of course, we do this by working on the spine."
 
She replied, "I've never heard it put that way before.  You say that you actually focus on restoring the cause of health, rather than trying to get rid of the cause of disease - is that right?"  
"That's right!", he said.  "Wow, I like the way that sounds; but what's the difference?"
 
He explained to her: "It's simple," "The Innate Wisdom of the body is perfect in every way.  It always knows what to do in order to help you function at your absolute best.  If that means it needs to digest your food, heal your lungs, relax your neck muscles, or make new spleen tissue, then that's what it will do!  And, it always heals whatever most needs healing first.  All chiropractors do is make sure there is a normal flow of Life Force between your brain and all the parts of your body.  After that, it's just a matter of time and of trust that your Innate Intelligence is on the job adapting, healing and growing you into the maximal expression health and life.  You see, chiropractors don't pretend to know more than the God-given perfection you have inside of you when it comes to what needs to be done in your body.  Chiropractors simply understand that the power that made your body will, organize, heal and grow your body continuously, throughout your life, if given the chance."
 
My point in telling you this story is not to highlight the differences between a physical therapist and a chiropractor.  It's to ask you why YOU are here.  Are you here to "get to the cause of your problem?"  Or, are you here because you have a greater understanding?  Are you truly aware of the perfection you have within you? And, do you know that when it has the chance to express itself as fully as possible, health and happiness are automatic?  Do you have a great enough understanding of how this perfection works to be patient while trusting that whatever needs to heal first is in fact healing, even if it's not what you'd like to see heal first?
 
It's true, we chiropractors DO get to the cause, but what we help to cause is the progressive actualization of your body's own natural state of vibrant health and happiness... this comes from the full expression of your Life Force!  We don't eliminate the cause of disease; we help restore the cause of health!

According to a new report from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), about one-third of the 12 most common adult cancers may be preventable by making healthy lifestyle choices. The report did not include cancers that could be prevented by not smoking.
 
Cancer is the second-leading cause of death among Americans, surpassed only by heart disease. Based on projections by the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer deaths will likely continue to rise, with an estimated nine million deaths from cancer in 2015 and 11.4 million deaths from cancer in 2030.
 
The panel of 23 experts concluded that being physically active, maintaining a healthy weight and eating a nutritious diet may help prevent various types of cancer. In the United States, endometrial cancers, esophageal cancers and cancers of the mouth, pharynx and larynx were found to be the most preventable. (See table below.)
 
Estimated Percentage of Cancers that may be Preventable



These estimates do not represent an individual person's risk of developing cancer. Instead, they reflect the general population's estimated chance of developing the disease. WCRF/AICR also emphasizes that there is no way to completely eliminate the risk because many factors beyond a person's control (such as family history) may affect cancer risk.
 
The report also includes recommendations for governments, schools, workplaces media and other organizations to encourage healthy lifestyles. For instance, the panel recommends that schools and workplaces promote walking and bicycling and eliminate unhealthy foods in cafeterias. They also stress the need for food and beverage companies to reduce the cost of healthy products and to stop promoting unhealthy products to children.