Most people own an automobile. It is considered essential for the present lifestyle most of us lead. Since a car is vital to our private and work lives, most of us give this roaring mechanism on four wheels a respectful amount of attention. Not only do we wash and protect its exterior, but we also pay serious heed to what is going on under the hood. Our cars have engine tune-ups, check-ups and fluid replacement periodically because we can't afford to wait until trouble strikes to see to their optimal functioning. As far as our cars are concerned we understand that if we don't "go within," we'll "go without," something most car owners are unprepared to do.

Now, the question we need to ask is, "How well do we treat our bodies in comparison?" For most of us, we wait to seek care until that "annoying little ache" becomes a "big attention-getting pain" or even an "aggravating and even worrying companion that just never seems to quite go away."

Most people aren't aware that 90% of the physical discomforts we experience are what can be called "functional complaints," aches and pains that are not due to degenerative conditions or destructive forces but to a variety of factors having their origin in either a physical imbalance to the body's structure, a nutritional and digestive imbalance, the effects of stress, or some combination of the three. (See "A Philosophy of Health" for a further discussion of these elements of well-being.)

Unfortunately, many who experience this type of discomfort fall through the cracks of the medical system, as there is very little that medicine can do for these conditions. However, because all pain is mediated via the nervous system, any health care system that deals with the nervous system would necessarily be of great help to those suffering functional pain.

Chiropractic arts and sciences do deal with the nervous system and all its ramifications. According to Gray's Anatomy, "the nervous system controls and co-ordinates all body systems." While medical neurology deals with pathology (where there are destructive tissue changes in the nervous system), chiropractic deals with imbalances of the Autonomic Nervous System where all pain is registered.

Chiropractic methods offer an excellent modality within which to treat and relieve these 90% of functional complaints that so many harbor. Over the last 100 years, Chiropractic Science has developed numerous techniques that allow the doctor to non-invasively evaluate and treat the nervous system and, thus, be of help when no other procedure is available. (See "The Logan Basic Chiropractic Technique" for a discussion of the method used to restore structural balance practiced at the Clinic.)

Similar to the computerized diagnostic machine that our car mechanic may at times use, Chiropractic employs its own techniques to investigate our internal electrical system, the Autonomic Nervous System. These approaches can include Applied Kinesiology, Spinal Analysis, and Abdominal Palpation. The doctor will also suggest X-rays and laboratory blood examination, when indicated. In addition, attention will be paid to factors of dietary and digestive imbalance which may need correcting and to the extent that stress may be compromising wellness. (For a discussion of these factors, see "Nutritional Healing" and "Stress Syndrome and the Adaptive Response.")

Examination by the above procedures allows the practitioner to determine if serious health problems may be developing even with minor aches and pains. Just as the ancient Chinese physician was paid only when the patient was well - and payment ceased when the patient fell ill - it is still true that there is no better medicine than prevention.

As more and more people are becoming concerned with the state and betterment of their health, they are choosing to abide by the principle of preventive maintenance. One way to do this is by participating in a "Wellness Program" designed to attend to the "small things" on a regular basis - the aches and the disturbances and the muscle tension accrued from busy lives - before the small things become those big attention-getters requiring even bigger attention.