Do not ask men to observe their emotions

My Family Plan means that men come in to my office with their families. It seems obvious that, as my husband describes it, “they are under orders from the boss”. How do I get them to engage? (And some need to. Their spines are a mess!)

After the adjustment, how about asking, “How do you feel?”

Absolutely not. No. Do not ask men to observe their emotions.

“How do I feel? Err, usual, I guess.” “How do I feel? Err, like it’s Friday afternoon and I’m not in the pub. Which isn’t good.” “How do I feel? Err…” — turns to wife — “darling, how do I feel?” 

Women often report feeling excellent. A good proportion of mothers report that their children are better (symptoms lessened, behaviour calmer, sleeping longer and more deeply, eating heartily, passing Cambridge entrance examinations, whatever).

But most men don’t report at all. Or don't know what to report. 

Is this my fault? Are my hands better on women and children? Or is this men being insufficiently self-aware to feel better? Hence, failing to observe being better? Or is this men being too shy to admit to an improvement — would it mean admitting that the wife was correct?

A few men, but only a few, do say that they’re better. I told my husband, who said “They’re only saying they feel better because they know that if they don’t appear to respond positively, they won’t get laid.” Men! So if they don’t say they feel better, it might be because they do feel better and don’t want to admit that. And if they do say, it might be because they don’t—but of course want to feel better in every man’s favourite way of feeling better. 

My oh my: and men say that women are complicated!

My message to these men (and women) is that if you're judging how healthy you are by the presence or absence of pain, then you're going at it all wrong. If you've ever been in pain, and then it went away, that's just 10% of what your system is working on.

The rest of the situation, the 90%, is what needs continuous work. Pain is only 10% of the way. 

You need to also factor in the remaining 90% to be healthy and stay healthy.

That's why getting your spine adjusted regularly is important.