Resilience, Adaptability, and the Wisdom of the Body

Dr. TonyNSA

When you hear the words resilience and adaptable, what comes to mind? Do they mean you can handle stress better? Or that you can simply handle more stress? Most of us equate resilience with toughness — pushing through, enduring, grinding it out. But true resilience isn’t about becoming rigid. It’s about staying flexible under pressure. Think of a winter tire. …

Writing Your Comeback Story

Dr. TonyNSA

One of the most common challenges I face in communicating with patients is this: they’re not just experiencing a symptom or an illness. They are living a chapter in their life story. And when they walk through the doors at The Happy Spine, it’s often because—knowingly or not—they are ready to begin writing their comeback story. Healing (not coping, not …

Are We All Stuck in Fight, Flight, or Freeze?

Dr. TonyNSA

I was reading a newsletter this past week where the author said, “We live in a world that has many of us in a constant state of fight, flight, or freeze.” And my first thought was: possibly — but it’s not a guarantee. Yes, we live in a society that, in many ways, has lost its way. The modern world …

Getting Out of the Way: Healing Beyond Survival Mode

Dr. TonyNSA

A wise person once told me, “Sometimes, all you need to do is get out of the way and your body will heal.” There are many ways we unintentionally get in our own way, but one of the most common is staying in survival mode long after a stressful period has passed. When we’re in survival mode, the body’s natural …

Having the smart body of the future

Dr. TonyNSA

We live in a world filled with smart technology. From rings and wristbands to watches, today’s wearable devices can track vital signs, count steps, monitor sleep, and even perform EKGs to detect whether your heart rhythm is normal. In our homes, smart systems are everywhere. Stores like Best Buy offer smart light switches, thermostats, security cameras, and doorbells—all controllable from …

A Study Ahead of Its Time

Dr. TonyNSA

At the Happy Spine, we intuitively know that people do not need to be in pain to benefit from chiropractic care. We see it every day. We watch families under care function better, adapt better, and live better. Yet for decades, critics insisted there was no scientific evidence of benefit in people without symptoms. Long before “wellness care” became a …

It’s Not Just a Release of Tension

Dr. TonyNSA

Almost everyone says the same thing after a session: “I feel so relaxed.” Sometimes they laugh when they say it, surprised by how different they feel. Sometimes they sit quietly for a few minutes, eyes soft, body heavy, before heading back into their day. A few people tell me they don’t feel ready to drive just yet—and that’s okay. I …

Comfort isn’t the same as peace

Dr. TonyNSA

I talk and write often about the difference between living in survival mode and living an energy-filled life—one that’s aligned with purpose and personal values. Being able to distinguish which mode you’re living in (survival versus growth) is one of the keys to living a good life. When we’re living in survival mode, we tend to operate from a scarcity …

When Pain Is a Message: Karen’s Hip Pain Discovery

Dr. TonyNSA

Last week, Karen came in for her regular visit and shared an important discovery she’s made about her hip pain. Karen is in her 70s and remarkably active. She loves to dance and goes dancing weekly. For some time now, she’s been dealing with pain in her right hip as well as her right SI (sacroiliac) joint. While she’s been …

The recommendation was wrong

Dr. TonyNSA

We all know about how important vitamin D is to our health, especially when it comes to our bones, muscles and immune system. Without it we can develop problems such as osteoporosis, rickets in children,  and susceptibility to infections of all kinds, from airborne viruses to bacteria. I came across some important information this week that I want to relay …