At Optimal Life Health Centres we operate from a clear paradigm or world-view that prioritises wellness and prevention versus sickness and treatment; the language or terms me use are drawn from this distinct ‘lense’ through which we see the world and interact with it.
Much of what we call healthcare today focuses instead on pathophysiology – what is wrong, what needs to be fixed, what needs to be ‘treated’, ‘cured’, what do you need to AVOID sickness.
We operate from a salutogenic model where we focus on what works well and how can we help your body and mind function even better.
It is so important based on this approach to define meaning for the terms and ideas that we use. We have very specific meanings for words, language and terms we use in our health centre.
Health means more than just the absence of disease or symptoms. Healthcare is more than quieting a pain or a health challenge – it’s about being proactive and working forward, planning, setting goals for health and more.
This archive contains articles that explore the different meanings and definitions that we apply to the work we do and the way we see the world.
We look forward to engaging with you around these concepts.
Movement Deficiency Syndrome™ is a concept informed by the idea that we all NEED exercise or physical movement! Movement is life! Movement is a biological requirement for neurological health and a vibrant, optimal life. The evidence is clear that movement is an ‘essential nutrient’ to ensure the healthy, homeostatic function, both of individual cells, and … Read more
The term somatoneurophysiology, while seemingly a very complex word, comprises three elements and shows the inextricable link between unconscious feedback (sensation) from body wall/structures (such as joints and muscles) and the resulting impact on whole-of-body function. It borrows from the huge field of psycho-neruo-immunology which describes the power of mind and mental activity on the … Read more
The term ‘body thoughts’ has been coined to simplify somewhat complex neurological terminology and make these topics easier to understand. The concept of a positive thought is obvious. We understand what it is, and elsewhere on this site we have explained the brain pathways by which they directly reduce the stress reaction in our body … Read more
At Dr Ben Phillips.com I focus on the impact of stress as a profound and inescapable factor in determining health and wellbeing. I have a very broad definition of stress that is important to understand. This definition helps to explain some of the broader impact or potential value of both Chiropractic Care and Health & … Read more
While there are many different potentially stressful stimuli occuring in the external environment outside of us, or in our internal environment – inside our skin they can be collapsed into only TWO prime categories – toxicity or deficiency. These stimuli in our lives initiate or cause us stress. Environmental stressors are at the root of … Read more
It cannot be denied that movement deficiency is a problematic state that can lead to many functional consequences if allowed to continue. This is as true for small degrees of movement deficiency as for large, and as true for small joints of the body as for the large weight-bearing joints like knees. Vertebral Subluxation Complex … Read more
This article provides a more technical description of the neurophysiological impact of subluxation – for those that want it! Subluxation is the ‘entity’ (state of dysfunction) which Chiropractors identify and correct The various neurological effects as proposed include subcortical (unconscious) reflex responses including Somato-Visceral, Visceral-Somatic, Somato-Somatic and Viscero-Visceral reflexes where aberrant motion leads to aberrant … Read more
If you are more engaged by a more esoteric or ‘energetic’ explanation of this world, you will likely appreciate the following article. The chiropractic subluxation can be described in many ways; this one has more esoteric overtones: While chiropractic subluxation can be described in very mechanical terms, the meaning of the concept or model of … Read more
Once we understand my definitions of Health and Sickness, it follows that healthcare can be defined as ANY approach or intervention aimed at helping a state of sickness move toward wellness by improving cellular function. Any intervention that identifies cells which are not operating at 10/10 function – and then works toward removing, reducing or … Read more
If you understand and accept my definition of Health based on the balanced function of all the body’s cells, then the way we define sickness (in terms of cell function) becomes a simple idea. My definition of SICKNESS states that anything LESS than 100% perfect health…anything less than 10/10 on the health scale…is sickness. This … Read more
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