Years ago when I first began my chiropractic education, I heard the story of Masha and Dasha. I am telling this story because of the number of people that come into the office saying their child gave them a cold or ìeveryoneís sick at school or at work.î The one I like best is ìeveryone got sick in the house except me ñ do what you do to help me keep it that way!îThe story of Masha and Dasha began in Russia in 1950. After the twins were born, their mother was told they did not survive. In reality, they were sent to an institution where they were subjects of medical research and experiments. It turns out that they were one of the most unusual set of conjoined twins ever.Identical twins are formed when a fertilized egg divides into two eggs. The two eggs grow into two babies that are identical in every respect. Conjoined or Siamese twins are formed in the same way as identical twins but the eggs don’t completely separate; instead, they remain partially attached. It was the unique way in which the twins were connected that caused Soviet scientists to take such an interest in them.The girls were born with four arms and three legs, although they only used two as they learned to walk and move about. Each girl controlled one leg; no wonder they were 5 years old before they learned to walk! The third leg, called a vestigial leg, was behind them remaining in the air (it was surgically removed at about age 16). Their upper intestines were separated but they shared a single lower intestine and rectum. They had four kidneys and one bladder, and often disagreed on when to urinate. They had a common reproductive system.Their circulatory systems were interconnected, so the twins shared each other’s blood. This means that if a bacteria or virus entered one twin’s bloodstream, it would soon be seen in the blood of her sister. Yet surprisingly, illness affected them differently. Dasha was short-sighted, prone to colds and right-handed. Masha smoked occasionally, was sick less often, had higher blood pressure than her sister, good eyesight and was left-handed.Scientists have long disagreed over the primary cause of sickness and disease. One group held to the position that ill health was caused by external factors: germs, the weather, environment, etc. Another group disagreed and said that while external factors existed, the primary cause was the internal resistance of the individual.The twins differing health patterns presented a mystery but yet an opportunity. One would get a cold, the other did not. One would run a fever, the otherís body temperature would remain normal. Why did one become ill with a childhood disease, like measles for example, while the other did not? The measles “bug” was in both of their bodies, in their collective bloodstream; so why didn’t both get the measles at the same time?Apparently there is more to getting the measles than having the measles “bug.” This curiosity was seen over and over again with the girls ñ flu, colds, other childhood diseases were all experienced separately. This caused their caretakers and the researches to wonder: If germs alone had the power to cause infectious diseases, why would one of the twins be disease-free while the other was ill? What was it in their makeup that differentiated one from the other? The girls shared the same external factors and more than any other siblings, they shared the same environment. They breathed the same air, slept at the same time and the same foods provided their nutrition.The answer was not difficult to determine after some studying. The girls shared a common reproductive system, a digestive system, an endocrine system, an excretory system and since joined at the base of their spines, a partially common skeletal system; however, they each had their own nervous system. That was the important difference ñ they had their own brain and spinal cord!Amazingly, nature had set up its own lab in Masha and Dasha. These women were an unbelievable example confirming that there is much more to getting sick than just being exposed to germs. It is primarily the internal resistance that determines whether a person gets sick or not, with colds, flu and even cancer. It is not the external environment that is the determining factor.Germs can make you sick if and only if your body provides fertile ground to grow in. For years, chiropractors have maintained that the state of your nervous system can determine whether you have high or low resistance to disease. Chiropractic in no way claims to cure these illnesses. But if you are suffering from disease, the health of your nervous system will play a decisive role in whether or not (and how rapidly) you will recover. By keeping your spinal column and nerve system free of subluxations (misalignments of your spine that interfere with proper function of your nervous system), chiropractic care helps to optimize overall state of health.†So whatís at stake, I ask? Your nervous system controls how your body functions. A nervous system that doesnít communicate as well as nature intended can lead to disease and illness, pain and suffering. What if your spine needs to be adjusted? What if your nervous system could function better than it is now? What would your potential be without interference to your nervous system? What about your child? Whatís at stake if you never get your spine checked?Palmer Chiropracticwww.palmer-chiropractic.com719-494-1395
