What’s the Difference Between Normal vs. Common Health Concerns?

Normal vs Common Health Concerns. Many times we assume it is normal to have the health concerns we struggle with daily. However, is it? Or is common? And what’s the difference?

“Don’t worry about that, it’s normal!”

Chances are you have heard that at least once in your life.

There is a BIG difference between “normal” and “common”.

People frequently assume symptoms like headaches, allergies, inability to sleep well, lack of energy, or pain in general are things that are normal and almost expected for all people to experience on a regular basis.

It is not normal to have these symptoms; however, I would agree is it most definitely common in the current state of our world.

So, what do I mean by “common”?

There are literally hundreds of different health concerns we could explore, we have chosen some of the most common to discuss.

Allergies

Since we are in allergy season, let’s use allergies as our first example. According to the CDC, an estimated 50 million Americans have allergies. Many would say it is normal to have allergies. I would argue rather, it is common.

Many people within our population experience allergies, however, to be normal by definition, it would have to be a natural occurrence, which it is not. The body wasn’t designed to be allergic to pollen, dust, trees, animals, or certain foods. Instead, it was designed to live in balance with its environment.

Chronic Pain

Continuing down this track, chronic pain (which is pain lasting more that 12 weeks) is often considered to be normal, especially after a certain age. The CDC estimates that 50 million people suffer from chronic pain daily or almost daily. More than 30% of Americans (approx. 116 million) are living with a chronic pain conditions.

Migraines

Migraine headaches are another example we can look at in the difference between what is normal and common. Having migraines is not normal, however for so many people they are accepted as a part of their lives.

According to The Journal of Headache and Pain, it is considered to be the 3rd most common disease in the world, with a global prevalence of 14.7% (around 1 in 7 people) and chronic migraines affect 2% of the world population. The Migraine Research Foundation reports that nearly 1 in 4 U.S. households includes someone with migraine. Amazingly, 12% of the population – including children – suffers from migraine. 18% of American women, 6% of men, and 10% of children experience migraines. However, migraines are most common between the ages of 25 and 55.

These are all examples of conditions that are certainly common issues among our national and world populations. But rest assured, they are certainly not natural or normal ones.

And they don’t have to be for you and those you love.

The Problem with Normalizing the Common

Normal vs Common Health Concerns. The concern here comes from the mindset and thought patterns that come with calling something normal that is, by definition, common. We “normalize” these symptoms, seeing these things as “normal” and not as a problem that needs to be remedied. Often, we find ourselves thinking the only way to deal with them is to medicate the symptom or “just live with it” until it has crippled our ability to live our best life, rather than addressing the underlying issue.

Here at NFC, we are in the business of making people aware that these things, among many of others, are not “normal”, but instead “common”. Then, we actively work on changing the “common” through chiropractic care. We do this by removing interference in the nervous system through adjustments. We also encourage lifestyle changes like improved diet, increased hydration, and increased exercise.

If you would like to discuss whether your health concerns are normal or common, please request an appointment for a consultation online or call us at (402)590-2199.