Gravity is the most degenerative stressor for our body’s health and vitality. There is nothing more destructive than the effects of the compression from gravity on our bodies as we are pulled earthward. No moment in time exists when we do not feel its full effect. And, whether sleeping, standing, sitting, or even standing on our heads, its compressive affects are constant. People worry about gluten and measles but they are minor to gravity.
Our bodies are, however, designed to handle this pull of gravity. What is the keystone to this health, wellness, and vitality-filled occurrence? Foundational Care.
Foundational (as in first) and Care as (to be received or given). This foundational care occurs ONLY when we are balanced, centered, isotonic, and orthogonal. All of these combine to form the more complete biomechanical and functional model known as Tensegrity. That is what we provide as QSM3 Vitalistic Upper Cervical Doctors.
When we correct and release the gravitational affects of our patient’s misaligned posture, gravity may be tolerable. But when we are misaligned, we lose our Tensegral symmetry; our posture cannot adequately resist gravity’s pull. This is a powerful acceleration at which earth pulls us downward. It is strong enough to keep a mountain, or an eighteen-wheeler, attached to the earth. This force, 32-ft./sec2 of gravitational acceleration, demands a lot of the body’s reserve energy. To support and compensate when the Tensegral posture is lost and we misalign, is more than our inherent energy value can handle. The body’s compensatory reactions cannot readjust enough to ensure our energy reserves in the black.
This is the discussion we need to have about our global and foundational higher-perceived direction to restore Tensegrity and reduce the effect of gravity: body subluxation. The depth of this perception has changed our approach to the human body. It now requires a succession of steps to unravel a complex system, rather than our once-thought linear view of “a bone out of place”. This shift in perception changed our viewpoint of the correction. Complex systems need multiple steps to solve their equations. Human 3-D misalignments need multiple steps to release; the first must overcome the compression from gravity.
This mixture of misalignment and gravity combine to diminish our life force: we know it as a “body subluxation” – medicine calls it scoliosis. QSM3 calls it “cause to correction.” The compression is in direct relationship to the spiraling we have previously discussed and is measurable at the two triangle apexes of the human body. These are the L5/S1 intersection and C7/T1 intersection. QSM3 measures lateral points on the shoulders and pelvis right and left as rotational data. The more displacement, right to left, the larger the compression or collapse.
This collapse is apparent in Figure 1. Clearly, all three spines are compressing (bowing) and spiraling (spinouses, shoulders, and pelvic rotation).
The collapse behaves like a spring model and, as a spring model is compressed, its potential energy increases as well. All springs are said to obey “Hooke’s Law” (the principle that the stress imposed on a solid is directly proportional to the strain produced, within the elastic limit). The larger the compression, the greater the increase in the spring force. In addition, there is an accumulation of energy (potential energy) as the spring (body) compresses.
To alleviate this unstable intersection of Tensegrity and Hooke’s Law, the QSM3 method seeks to release and decompress first. The initial step of release allows the potential energy to reach homeostasis. The adjustive force that facilitates decompression and de-spiraling is I to S to Open, which allows potential energy to release.
If compression is not addressed and force is put S to I (or, into rather than released out of a spring), Hooke’s Law increases. Thus more pressure builds up inside the human body. The misalignment, gravity, and time together are the perfect storm for system pain warning lights to light up. If allowed to collapse further, the energy to hold this misalignment upright is now expanded to the secondary systems. Vital organs like the heart and lungs, and nervous system components like the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord, become functionally stressed as our bodies degenerate under gravity. This is visible in collapse of the spine as it shortens and compresses everything. This depletes the energy reserves as its demand is increased. That is the primary issue that we do not discuss enough with our patients. This structural stress is a voracious consumer of energy.
Gravity is the definition of dis-ease.
There is significant truth to gravity = degeneration
There are three tiers to degenerative disease:
- Musculoskeletal Diseases: Pain Syndromes
- Regional Diseases: High Blood Pressure, Migraines, Seizures, Fatigue, Lupus, Arthritis, Cardiovascular Disease onset
- Systemic Disease: MS, Cancer, Diabetes,
Every human has an inherent energy value. That value of course fluctuates based on the way we take care of ourselves. But, no matter what shape we are in, structural stress is the largest user of our energy. And, as we age, this combination is what creates dis-ease. A weakened energy state that is under constant stress. And since gravity’s effects are also compounded over time on an aging system, it follows that correcting this to a more optimal Up and Open space is the foundation of our well being.
Why aren’t other practitioners addressing this primary stressor of compression? Its effects are all encompassing, vitalistic, and primary. We should all be opening the compressive effects before we attempt anything corrective.
QSM3 is a method in Upper Cervical Chiropractic that is currently investigating the compressive structural stress from gravity and its importance to a more successful, lasting correction. And without correcting the underlying issue, we are simply spinning our gravity-bound wheels.
On Purpose and In Progress,
Russell Friedman DC