The Long Game

Woman jogging upstairs.

We've heard a lot lately regarding how certain nations play a long game in terms of regional influence and global geopolitics. The concept of a so-called long game is interesting in that it implies a more than common degree of patience and a commitment to outcomes that are evaluated over decades and generations, rather than months or years. Importantly, strategies and tactics that produce desired results in the international arena may be applied with success to the long-term health and well-being of ourselves and our families.

In terms of good health, a person's unfolding strategy always consists of putting into place lifestyle behaviors that appropriately support the desired long-term goals. For example, eating a healthy diet and engaging in regular vigorous exercise have been proved of great benefit in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. The primary categories of chronic diseases include cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, overweight/obesity, and cancer. Most person's long-term health goals would naturally focus on avoiding the onset of these various disorders and diseases or preventing their progression to a chronic state. If one is late in arriving at a decision to engage in self-care, as frequently happens in our society, the good news is that lifestyle behavior change is always beneficial. What is required, for all of us, is to adopt the perspective of the long game.

For example, obtaining the necessary long-term benefits of an exercise program requires a certain amount of dedication and persistence. Any exercise is good, but regular exercise is much better. Our bodies are dynamic and adapt positively to physiological and mechanical stresses, such as the stresses imposed by an exercise program. But that same dynamism will cause a metabolic breakdown of muscle and bone if those tissues are not being worked and utilized consistently. Our bodies are very smart and are designed to work efficiently. Biochemical components of structures that are assessed to be unnecessary will be redirected to better purpose elsewhere. In other words, the "use it or lose it" principle applies. If we want to build strong muscles and bones that will serve us well and help us avoid injury over the course of many years, we need to engage in regular vigorous exercise ongoingly.

Thus, committing to the long game supports our desire for a long life of good health. There can be gaps, of course. People are very busy and there may be stretches, even lasting months, when there just isn't time enough to do necessary exercise. The solution is to minimize these gaps as much as possible, make sure the gaps don't become the new routine, and re-engage in regular exercise as soon as feasible. Adherence to our long game strategy will help achieve across-the-board wins in the areas of health and well-being.

Regular chiropractic care is an important part of the long view regarding your family's health and well-being. Even though we engage in healthy lifestyle activities, events frequently occur that have a negative impact on our health. The events themselves may be not obvious, hidden from view as a result of originating in our day-to-day environment or seemingly harmless mechanical stresses as we bump into things, trip over a crack in the sidewalk, or pick up a laundry basket filled with clothes.

But these little insults often have a cumulative effect in causing spinal misalignments and nerve interference. We're not aware of the health effects of nerve interference at the beginning. Over time, nerve irritation that results from spinal misalignments may cause neck pain, back pain, and headaches, and even problems with the digestive, endocrine, and immune systems. Regular chiropractic care, as a consistent part of your family's routine, helps prevent a wide range of problems from getting started, and helps us get better faster from the problems that may have brought us to our chiropractor's office in the first place.

  1. Engberg E, et al: The effects of health counselling and exercise training on self-rated health and well-being in middle-aged men: a randomised trial. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 2016 Apr 5. [Epub ahead of print]
  2. Davies MJ, et al: A community based primary prevention programme for type 2 diabetes integrating identification and lifestyle intervention for prevention: the Let's Prevent Diabetes cluster randomised controlled trial. Prev Med 84:48-56, 2016
  3. Pandey A, et al: Relationship Between Physical Activity, Body Mass Index, and Risk of Heart Failure. J Am Coll Cardiol 69(9):1143-1146, 2017

Location

Find us on the map

Office Hours

Monday:

Closed

Tuesday:

8:00 am-12:00 pm

2:30 pm-7:00 pm

Wednesday:

Closed

Thursday:

8:00 am-12:00 pm

2:30 pm-7:00 pm

Friday:

Closed

Saturday:

8:00 am-11:00 am

Sunday:

Closed

  • "I have suffered from severe back pain and migraines. The treatment has been very helpful and Dr Waisbrots adjustment are very gentle. He also treats my children. 2 of my children have had chiari decompression surgery and he has helped them tremendously."
    ★★★★★ Kim / Google+
  • "I feel very confident in the care Dr. Paul gives because of his wealth of knowledge related to the body, science and healing! Leah is the office manager and is very organized and quick to answer any questions about appointments and billing. Michelle provides professional therapy. All 3, along with the massage therapists, work together harmoniously providing an overall great experience."
    ★★★★★ Nancy / Facebook
  • "Doctor Paul continues to keep me on my feet. I stand, run, and coach all day, then typically toss a couple more hours in after school. His skills are awesome and his personality is engaging and pleasant. My wife and two kids both get proactive treatment as well and are very healthy."
    ★★★★★ Casey / Google +
  • "From fixing my frozen shoulder to keeping me active, Dr Paul and his wonderful staff have been there for me. I see them every two weeks now to maintain my good health."
    ★★★★★ Barb / Google+
  • "Awesome office. Wonderful doctor and Staff!"
    ★★★★★ Leah / Google +
  • "I have attended the clinic many times since the start of 2014. Doc was thorough in his examination and took lots of time to explaine everything to me. He is an excellent practitioner and is always positive and upbeat. His support staff operate like a fine-tuned machine and are cheerful and competent. I highly recommend this clinic."
    ★★★★★ Michael / Google+
  • "Amazing staff, friendly, clean and extremely knowledgeable. A++"
    ★★★★★ James / Google +
  • "Dr. Paul allows me to stay in great shape because I run, lift, and do so many plyometrics my core takes a beating. He fixes me up every time!"
    ★★★★★ Connor / Yellowpages.com
  • "I cannot praise Dr. Waisbrot and staff at Baker Chiro enough. I have been going to Dr. Waisbrot for five years and have had great success. I am a cyclist and have injured my back several times within that time and without fail, they have helped me get back to riding all without medicine, and in a very short time."
    ★★★★★ Bruce / Google+
  • "After two years of seeing three different doctors, having an MRI and several sets of xrays for my shoulder issue, Dr. Paul immediately diagnosed the root cause of the problem. I felt so much better the day after my very first visit. I have been raving about him to everyone I know. He also help my son with a knee problem. He has a wonderful personality as does his office staff. Highly recommend!"
    ★★★★★ RateMDs.com
  • "Dr. Paul is my guy. We bring the whole family in for superb treatment with a very engaging clinician and talented chiropractor."
    ★★★★★ Janel / Yelp
  • "I suffered for years with chronic lower back pain (L5,S1). Dr. Paul has given me new life! Absolutely, hands down, the most incredible chiropractor I've been to."
    ★★★★★ Bradley / Google+