What is Health? By Dr Taylah Kolevski (Chiropractor)
I pose you this question, how do you define health?
What if health isn't just the absence of illness but the optimisation of your body's functions?
Let us rewind the clock to an Australian census nine years ago that asked Australia to define what health is. 90% of Australians ticked that if you feel good and look good, you’re healthy.
However, I disagree. True health is about how well we function, physically, socially and mentally.
What happens when we wake up feeling a bit off?
By Australia’s definition we have lost our health overnight.
That same census revealed that 95% of Australians turn to their medicine cabinet when they feel unwell. This is what we call being reactive with our health- you wait for something to go wrong to do something about it.
Can we redefine healthcare into being proactive rather than reactive?
Majority of us visit the doctors when we are ill. But what do they do after the illness is treated? If you ask your doctor what can I do to function better now that my illness is gone, more times than not you will leave without proactive answers.
Enter chiropractic, a paradigm that goes beyond just symptom relief. There are three types of people that I see as a chiropractor.
First being those that are in pain. But what happens after we get rid of your pain?
That leads into the second type of person that sees me, those who want to optimise their performance. This is why 90% of elite athletes see a chiropractor. What could they know that you might be missing out on?
The third type of patient is the proactive patient whose goal is prevention. The same way you visit your dentist for a checkup rather than waiting for a decaying tooth.
Common benefits of chiropractic include:
-Enhanced strength and performance
-Injury treatment and prevention
-Faster reaction time
-Quicker recovery
-Improved muscle recruitment
-Improved balance and coordination
-Increased flexibility
-Non-invasive treatment that doesn’t just include what you see on Instagram (reach out if you’d like to learn more about what chiropractors actually do!)
Many people see me for things like vertigo, pre and post natal care, paediatric care, headaches, migraines, spinal conditions, sporting injuries, neck & shoulder pain, joint pain, musculoskeletal complaints and extremity issues including knee, hip, ankle, elbow and shoulder pain.
Drawing a parallel with your commitment to your Pilates practice at Flex & Flow Pilates, it’s about proactive health care. We understand the importance in working towards maintaining optimal health rather than waiting for something to go wrong. This is why things like doing Pilates, your nutrition, chiropractic care and recovery become a vital aspect of your wellness care routine.
So, what can you do to uphold your definition of health?
Let us refocus our perspective from reactive health management to proactive wellbeing. It’s about optimising our bodies, ensuring that they function at their best and investing in our long term health and wellness.
The investment in our bodies and minds is ongoing.
I strive to not only get you back doing the things you love but to also show you your full potential through wellness care. This could be post injury, post birth or post not feeling yourself! I aim to exceed your expectations in performance and function.
Here is to thriving, performing and being the healthiest versions of ourselves.
“If you listen to your body when it whispers, you won't have to hear it scream.”
I’m excited to be sharing my knowledge to help you live a healthy and fit life, and continuing to help you keep moving!
Dr Taylah Kolevski is a Doctor of Chiropractic, an athlete (playing forootball for the Carlton Football Club) and a fitness and nutrition enthusiast.
She is the principal chiropractor and owner at The Wellness Mecca in Caroline Springs, and is our guest blogger at Flex & Flow Pilates Studio.
She is super passionate about education, academics, nutrition, health, and helping others. Hence the birth of these blogs!
She works with patients of all ages utilising manual, soft tissue, rehabilitative, high force (‘cracking’) and low force (‘non-cracking’) technique.
