My bills are a pain in the neck! There may be more truth to this statement than you think.

Each year more than 15 million people turn to chiropractic physicians for a natural drug free approach to the treatment of not just back and neck aches but many other conditions including; menstrual difficulties, depression, and asthma to name a few -many of which are caused by stress. Chiropractic champions the idea of a holistic approach to health and illness, recognising the body's inherent ability to heal itself during times of physical injury or mental and environmental stress.

Spinal adjustment has been practiced in every civilisation from the early Egyptians forward. In 1895 Daniel Palmer, a long time student of physiology and anatomy, founded the modern day system and theory of chiropractic. Palmer encountered a janitor who had been deaf for seventeen years, following an injury to his upper spine. While examining the janitor's spine, Palmer found a misaligned vertebra that corresponded to the spot the man had injured just prior to losing his hearing. By administering a specific adjustment to the vertebra, Palmer restored the janitor's hearing.

Fundamental to Palmer's philosophy of health is that all living beings are endowed with what he termed 'innate intelligence'.

Palmer believed that this intelligence regulates all the vital functions of the body as it flows through the central nervous system. Due to this belief Palmer felt that the primary task of the chiropractor was not to treat conditions, but to remove nerve interference caused by misalignments known as subluxations so that the innate intelligence could carry out it's role of maintaining the body's health without obstruction.

Having the spine aligned on a regular basis is an excellent preventative against disease. If you have been hesitant to take advantage of chiropractics because you're adverse to all that cracking and popping, there are chiropractors who prefer to use `non force' techniques, applying gentle touch along the spine, skull and pelvis. No forceful adjustment is used, and no `popping' sounds are heard when the vertebrae subluxations are corrected. A hand held instrument called an activator may be used to gently and painlessly move the vertebrae.

Chiropractor Dr. Donald Ray works out of The International Centre and has been practising for 23 years. Dr. Ray prefers to use the non force techniques along with the BEST or Bio Energetic Synchronisation Technique. Dr. Ray explained that many times you can fix the vertebrae and the client will get well, however often the pain will return either there or somewhere else. This is where BEST comes in. "What I am concerned with is trying to establish what the cause is. Most of it, I find happens to be emotional,'' says Dr. Ray.

Friends, family, work and even viewing disturbing things on TV can be a source of stress, perhaps lasting, perhaps not.

BEST works on these principles: 1: It is essential that there be a free flow of energy in an organised systematic manner through all living things.

2: Any interference to this flow of energy results in abnormal function (dis-ease). All traumas, past and present have the potential of creating this interference, this includes all forms of trauma, chemical, physical and emotional.

3: In order for the body to function and heal properly, it is essential that all forms of interference or blockages be located and cleared. Dr. Ray finds that the body does not lie and that the BEST technique is very effective in locating the source of our stress and therefore correcting the effects. You may be surprised to learn that most insurance companies cover visits to the chiropractor. Perhaps this is because they know an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! Dr. Ray has recently returned from California where he studied Heartmath-a form of instant meditation to help people cope with stress. "The stressful event is not what causes the problem, it is the individual's perception of the event,'' says Dr. Ray. The feeling in Heartmath is that there is a connection between mind and heart. "We must not approach everything with just our mind, feelings are important.'' Heartmath is also available for your PC. A finger attachment can be purchased which monitors your pulse rate, and as your pulse and heart rate slow down the picture on the screen changes. This way you get instant feedback on your success.

Dr. Ray reminds us that no one can cause us stress if we don't let them.

"Life is a series of choices for which we should take responsibility,'' says Dr. Ray.

Dr. Ray can be reached at 292-4288 For those interested in the effect the environment has on our health, Bermuda Environmental Groups with the support of the Minister for the Environment invite you to a talk by Ricardo Navarro, Chairman of Friends of the Earth International to be held at the Bermuda Biological Institute at 7:30 this evening. Cost $10.00.