Back in Line

 What are the 3 Ts? 
And what do they have to do with your health? 

In this episode of Back in Line, Dr. Mosier and co-host Oscar break down traumas, toxins, and thoughts in a clear, friendly way. They cover big injuries and little daily stressors, inflammation, mental load, and easy, practical ways to support your body, starting now. 

Take care of your body, take care of your mind 

What does it really mean to be healthy? In this episode of Back in Line with Dr. Mosier, Dr. Mosier is joined by Oscar—his wise, quick-witted skeleton cohost—to explore why feeling fine doesn’t always tell the whole story.

They discuss:

• The difference between health and the absence of symptoms
• Common responses to back and neck pain
• The value of prevention and appropriate evaluation
• The brain, spinal cord, and nervous system
• Chiropractic care and Dr. Mosier’s family experience with migraines
• Why hope matters during a difficult health journey

It’s an approachable conversation about listening your body’s signals, taking an active role in your well-being, and putting some backbone into your health.

#BackInLine #Chiropractic #SpineHealth #NaturalHealth #Wellness #BackPain #NeckPain #Podcast

If you’ve been told that surgery is your next step…
If you’re living with constant flare-ups…
If you’ve “thrown your back out” more times than you can count…

We need to talk.

At Mosier Family Chiropractic, one of the most life-changing therapies we offer is spinal decompression — and it’s helping people avoid unnecessary spine surgery every single week.

Let’s break it down simply.

What Is Spinal Decompression?

Think of your spine like this:

Bone
Disc
Bone

That disc in between is like a jelly donut. The inside (called the nucleus pulposus) is soft and fluid-filled. The outside is tougher.

When you’re injured — car accident, lifting injury, repetitive strain — the joint can shift. When that joint stops moving properly:

• The disc dehydrates
• It bulges or herniates
• Nerves become irritated
• Pain begins

Here’s the critical part most people don’t realize:

👉 Adult discs have no direct blood supply.

That means they don’t heal like other tissues. They rely on movement to get nutrients in and waste out. Without motion, the disc slowly degenerates.

Decompression therapy gently opens that disc space in a very controlled, specific way — creating a vacuum effect that allows:

• Rehydration
• Nutrient flow
• Pressure reduction on the nerve

This isn’t stretching.
It isn’t hanging upside down.
And it’s not basic traction.

It’s advanced, monitored therapy designed specifically for the disc.

“How Do I Know If I Have a Disc Issue?”

Common signs include:

• Leaning forward or to the side (antalgic posture)
• Sharp back or neck pain
• Radiating leg or arm pain
• Recurring flare-ups
• Dependence on ibuprofen or prescription painkillers
• “Throwing your back out” repeatedly

The gold standard for diagnosis?
X-rays. 

We look at disc height, wedging, nerve openings, and joint alignment. Two discs can be the same age — but one can look crushed and arthritic while the other looks healthy. Age isn’t the cause. Lack of motion and unresolved injury is.

Decompression vs. Traction: Why It Matters

Many offices offer traction because it’s cheaper.

Traction:

• Pulls uniformly
• Stretches muscles and ligaments
• Does not specifically target the disc

Decompression:

• Uses sensors to monitor muscle guarding
• Cycles through precise pulls and relaxations
• Protects against aggressive force
• Targets the disc itself

It’s the difference between stretching a rope and restoring hydration to a sponge.

We invested in the best because Washington County deserves the best.

Why This Is Bigger Than Back Pain

Our mission is bold:

To eliminate unnecessary spine surgery in our community.

We’ve seen too many patients say:

“I wish I never had the surgery.”

Often surgery gives temporary relief… but the underlying mechanics remain unchanged. Two or three years later, pain returns.

Decompression offers a conservative, restorative option first.

What It Feels Like

You lie comfortably on your back.

For the neck:

• A gentle V-support holds your head.
• The table moves in controlled cycles.

For the low back:

• Two secure straps (we call them “big hugs”).
• The table gently separates and releases.

Many patients fall asleep.

The best compliment we hear?

“I didn’t feel anything.”

That means it worked exactly how it should.

When the Atlas shifts—even slightly—it can irritate the brainstem and create what we call neurological facilitation.

In simple terms:
➡️ The nervous system stays stuck in a high-distress signal.

This can lead to:

• Lowered pain tolerance
• Widespread muscle and tissue pain (fibromyalgia)
• Increased stress sensitivity
• Headaches
• Sleep problems
• Digestive issues

Why digestion?

Because cranial nerve #10—the vagus nerve—comes directly off the brainstem, and it innervates the entire gastrointestinal tract.

This is why Atlas issues are often connected to:

• IBS
• Crohn’s disease
• Ulcerative colitis
• Colic and constipation in babies Atlas

💔 When There Was No Hope

When Ellen and I were dating at Hanover College, her migraines were relentless. They weren’t occasional; they were frequent, debilitating, and emotionally draining.

We did what most people do. We went to a neurologist. An MRI was done. And the conclusion?

“Nothing’s wrong. These migraines are in your head.”

She was given anxiety medication and a powerful injectable drug for severe migraines—so strong that she had to sit on the bed, give herself the shot, and would immediately pass out. That was the solution.

And night after night, Ellen would cry herself to sleep—not just because of the pain, but because of the lack of hope.

🌅 When Hope Returned

Then we found chiropractic care.

Her chiropractor—Dr. Morrow—did a full evaluation, took X-rays, checked leg length, and listened. And within a few short weeks, everything changed.

The migraines faded.
The hope came back.
And life returned.

I’ve said this many times, and I’ll say it again: Dr. Morrow (Chiropractic) gave me my wife back.

We could go on dates again. We didn’t have to cancel plans. Ellen could be present—fully present—at home and in life.

That’s what health does.

🏡 Health = Being Present & Productive

Health allows us to:

• Be present at home
• Be productive at work
• Show up for our family
• Enjoy life instead of enduring it

And I’ll be honest with you—I’ve lived this myself.

Many of you have watched me regain my own health with my personal weight loss. By reclaiming my vitality, I became:

• A better husband
• A better father
• A better community and church member
• And honestly, a better doctor

Because I’m walking this road with you, not ahead of you.

🧠 Correction Is Critical… But Then What?

Here’s the big question:

Once we correct the spine… what happens next?

That’s where maintenance care becomes critically important.

If I stopped doing the things that helped me regain my health—logging food, staying active, being disciplined—what do you think would happen?

We all know the answer.

Health doesn’t stay by accident.
It stays by intention.

🔁 Maintenance Care Is About Protecting What You’ve Gained

Maintenance chiropractic care is about:

• Preserving spinal integrity
• Supporting the nervous system
• Preventing regression
• Allowing the body to heal long-term, not just short-term

It’s the difference between:
✔️ Temporary relief
✔️ Sustained health

🤓 A Quick “Chiropractic Geek” Moment (Bear with Me)

In chiropractic school, we were taught that once you develop arthritis or bone spurs—calcium deposits along the spine—they’re permanent.

They don’t go away.

I believed that… until I started seeing something different.

During maintenance re-X-rays (which we take every couple of years), I started noticing something remarkable:

👉 Bone spurs were smaller. Reduced. Changing.

At first, I thought I was imagining it.

So, I reached out to other chiropractors. Compared notes. Reviewed the research.

And here’s what newer research is showing: Bone spurs can be reabsorbed by the body when proper alignment and function are restored over time.

Not in weeks.
Not in a few months.

But over years of consistent, diligent care.

🧱 Healing Takes Time—but It’s Worth It

True healing requires:

• Consistent spinal care
• Spinal hygiene exercises
• Proper hydration
• Clean nutrition (as best you can)
• Giving the body the building blocks it needs

Your body is incredibly intelligent. When it no longer needs to compensate, it can begin to repair.

Let’s talk to you about something that can drastically improve the results of your chiropractic care—your spinal hygiene exercises.

Think of these exercises the same way you think about brushing your teeth.

You don’t brush for an hour once a week.
You brush a little every day to protect what you’ve already gained.

Your spine works the same way.

📚 What All Anatomy Textbooks Agree On

When it comes to spinal health, every anatomy textbook agrees on three non-negotiables:

1. Full range of motion in every spinal segment
2. Muscle symmetry—one side shouldn’t be tighter than the other
3. Proper spinal curves
   • Cervical lordosis (neck curve)
   • Thoracic kyphosis (mid-back curve)
   • Lumbar lordosis (low-back curve)

Those curves act as shock absorbers, protecting your spine for the long haul.

When one of those three breaks down, degeneration speeds up.

🧠 The 4 Spinal Hygiene Exercises

Now let’s get into the good stuff.

1️⃣ Morning Range of Motion (Wake the Spine Up)

First thing in the morning, your ligaments and tendons are stiff. We want to gently restore movement.

You’ll perform six cardinal movements:

• Flexion
• Extension
• Left lateral flexion
• Right lateral flexion
• Left rotation
• Right rotation

Do these for both your neck and low back, holding each position 15–20 seconds.

This frees up the tissues that hold your spine together and restores mobility for the day.

2️⃣ Wobble Disc (Pump the Discs!)

🎵 “Wobble to the left, wobble to the right,
Wobble, wobble, wobble till you sit up right.” 🎵

This exercise works through a process called imbibition—the pumping action of the discs.

Here’s why that matters:

Once you’re over 20 years old, your discs no longer have a direct blood supply.
They rely on movement to:

• Bring nutrients in
• Flush waste out

No movement = no nutrition = degeneration.

The wobble disc restores that movement, especially at:

• L4–L5
• L5–S1

(The most common levels for disc bulges and “throwing your back out.”)

Do:

• Left/right: 10–12 reps
• Forward/back: 10–12 reps
• Circles: clockwise & counterclockwise

It’s also an excellent warm-up before your adjustment—just like stretching before a workout 

3️⃣ TheraBand Neck Strengthening (Fix Text Neck)

This one targets a deep postural muscle called the longus colli—a key muscle for head and neck posture.

Here’s the setup:

1. Pull your head straight back (give yourself a double chin)
2. Keep your head perfectly still
3. Place the TheraBand behind your head
4. Extend your arms out and return

👉 The head does not move
👉 Do about 12 reps

This isn’t about building big muscles—it’s about waking up postural muscles so your head stays back where it belongs when you’re:

• Working at a computer
• Gardening
• On your phone

Better posture = less wear and tear over time.

4️⃣ Spinal Molding Rolls (Restore the Curves)

This is your end-of-day exercise.

You’ll use two molding rolls:

• One under your neck
• One under your low back

Do this on your bed, not the floor. The bed gives just enough support without being too aggressive.

Why at the end of the day?
👉 Your discs are more fluid
👉 More receptive to gentle molding

Lay there for 3–5 minutes, allowing your natural curves to be restored.

Remember: degenerative disc disease starts with loss of curve. This exercise directly addresses that.

Some of you may remember Christopher Reeve, the actor who famously played Superman back in the day. He truly embodied strength and vitality. But during a horseback riding accident, he suffered a devastating injury at the very top of his neck—between the first two cervical bones.

That injury didn’t damage his lungs.
It didn’t injure his heart.
It didn’t harm his digestive organs.

Instead, it cut off the nerve supply at the top, and as a result, his entire body below the neck was affected. Breathing required a ventilator. Digestion required assistance. Movement was lost.

Why does that matter to you—and what does it have to do with chiropractic?

Let me explain it this way.

🔌 Breaker Switch vs. Dimmer Switch

Imagine going down to your basement and flipping the main breaker off.

💥 Everything shuts down. No lights. No power.

That’s what happened with Christopher Reeve—a total disconnection.

Now here’s the key difference…

Most people don’t have a breaker switch problem.

They have a dimmer switch problem.

With spinal misalignments (what chiropractors call subluxations), the nerve signal isn’t fully turned off—it’s just turned down.

The light is still on…
…but it’s not shining as bright as it should.

⚡ The Speed of Nerves (and Why It Matters)

Your nerve signals travel at about 300 miles per hour.

That’s fast—for a reason.

But research shows that when a nerve root becomes irritated or inflamed, that signal can slow down by up to one-third.

So now instead of 300 mph, it’s traveling closer to 200 mph.

Sure, that still sounds fast—but here’s the real question:

👉 What happens when signals to your heart, lungs, digestive system, or immune system are slowed down every second of every day?

That’s not just about pain—that’s about function.

🌡️ What We’re Measuring in the Office

When we perform thermography scans, we’re not guessing—we’re measuring heat patterns coming off joints and nerve roots.

Inflammation creates heat.
Heat tells a story.
And that story helps us understand how well—or how poorly—your nervous system is communicating with your body.

🧠 Why People Feel Better Beyond Pain Relief

Yes—people feel better because pain decreases. That’s obvious.

But something deeper is happening too.

When spinal stress is reduced:

• Stress hormones like cortisol begin to normalize
• Healthy hormones like DHEA rebalance
• The nervous system shifts out of fight-or-flight

That’s why we see changes like:

• Improved mood
• Better sleep
• Regular bowel movements
• Lower blood pressure
• Calmer kids
• More energy and clarity

When you change the neurology, you change the outcome.

❤️ Chiropractic Is About More Than Pain

Now don’t get me wrong, we love helping people with neck pain and back pain. That’s important.

But if we can help you or your loved ones:

• Have more energy
• Feel more alive
• Sleep better
• Digest better
• Think more clearly
• Live with more purpose

That’s a huge win for us—and hopefully for you too.

⚙️ Arthritis Isn’t Random—It’s Mechanical

If arthritis were simply caused by age, then every disc in your spine—being the same age—would wear down equally.

But that’s not what we see.

I’ll often show patients their X-rays and point out something like this:

• C5–C6: Disc thinning, bone spurs, degeneration
• C2–C3: Looks great

Same person.
Same age.
Same spine.

So, what gives?

At some point, a misalignment (subluxation) occurred at that segment, changing how it moved—and more importantly, how it didn’t move. 

🧠 Motion = Nutrition

Your spinal discs don’t have a direct blood supply.
They rely on movement to:

• Pump nutrients in
• Flush waste products out

When a segment becomes restricted or misaligned, that pumping action stops.

No movement → no nutrition → degeneration.

Think of it like gears in a truck engine.
If one gear is off just a little, over time it grinds instead of glides.

Grinding leads to wear and tear.
Wear and tear lead to arthritis.

📉 Let’s Go Deeper: The Cervical Curve Matters

Here’s where things get interesting.

Last year, researchers performed a meta-analysis (a study of many studies) looking at the relationship between:

• Loss of the cervical curve (neck curve)
• Scoliosis

What did they find?

👉 100% of scoliotic cases had a loss of cervical lordosis.

Not some.
Not most. All of them.

That means posture—especially “text neck”—plays a much bigger role than most people realize.

🦷 Why Loss of Curve Leads to Arthritis

The joints in your neck (facet joints) are designed to glide smoothly when your spine has proper curvature.

When you lose that curve:

• The joints are no longer parallel
• One side becomes compressed
• The other side overstretches

Now instead of gliding, the joints grind.

And anything that grinds… becomes arthritic.

Add decades of:

• Looking down at phones
• Driving
• Working
• Living life

…and you can see how degeneration accelerates.

📐 Curves, Compression, and Muscle Imbalance

When the spine curves abnormally:

• The concave side compresses → faster arthritis
• The convex side overstretches → muscle weakness

That’s why we often see:

• One side tighter
• One side weaker
• Asymmetrical posture

Especially in scoliosis or abnormal curvature cases.

🧠 How Do We Correct This?

One of the biggest keys we’ve seen in our office starts with the cervical curve.

When we restore that curve:

• Abnormal spinal curves begin to improve
• Degenerative forces decrease
• Muscle balance improves

A big part of this is consistency with corrective therapies.

🔊 Why the Vibration Plate Matters

Love it or hate it, the vibration plate works.

When combined with head weighting:

• It triggers a righting reflex
• The brain signals posture muscles to engage
• The head moves back into better alignment

Those muscles attach to ligaments and tendons—so now we’re not just adjusting bones, we’re retraining the system.

When we:

1. Unlock the spine with an adjustment
2. Reduce inflammation
3. Engage muscles on the vibration plate

…the post-X-rays are often dramatically improved.

🏁 The Big Takeaway

Arthritis is not just “bad luck” or “old age.”

It’s often the result of:

• Lost motion
• Lost curvature
• Long-term mechanical stress

👉 If you look good and feel good… are you necessarily healthy?

Unfortunately, the answer is no.

Many of us have friends or family members who looked great, felt fine, and were “thriving” … right up until a heart attack, stroke, or cancer diagnosis. There were no obvious warning signs—or so it seemed.

And that brings us to one of the biggest problems in our healthcare system today.

🚗 Symptoms Are the “Check Engine Light”

Modern healthcare is fantastic at one thing: treating symptoms.

Got a symptom?
There’s a pill.
A potion.
A lotion.

But rarely do we pop the hood and look at the engine.

Symptoms are like the check engine light on your dashboard. They aren’t the problem—they’re a warning telling you something deeper needs attention.

🤢 When Symptoms Are Actually a Good Thing

Let’s use a real-world example.

You get dressed up, ready to paint the town, and head out to the nicest restaurant in Washington County…

(let’s say Taco Bell 😄).

The food doesn’t sit well.
You get sick.
Really sick.

Is vomiting fun? No.
Is it pleasant? Absolutely not.

But would you want that tainted food sitting in your stomach, absorbing into your bloodstream? Of course not. Those symptoms—while miserable—are your body doing the right thing. Sometimes symptoms aren’t the enemy. They’re the message.

🧠 What About Symptoms in the Spine?

Pain, headaches, migraines, numbness, stiffness, these can all be signals that something deeper is happening neurologically.

For me, what originally got me into chiropractic was Ellen’s migraines. Watching her suffering was heartbreaking. When we finally went to a chiropractor, he didn’t just ask what hurts—he asked:

🚂 How Did I End Up Here?

So many patients ask:

• “How did I go from feeling fine to chronic headaches?”
• “Why is my blood pressure suddenly high?”
• “How did my disc get so bad I can barely stand?”
• “Why can’t I pick up my kids or grandkids anymore?”

The answer is rarely one thing.

It’s usually what we call the 3 T’s.

🔑 The 3 T’s That Lead to Symptoms

1️⃣ Trauma

Trauma can be big or small.

• Big trauma: car accidents, falls, sports injuries
• Small trauma (micro-trauma): posture, phone use, repetitive movements

Ellen’s violin practice—hours with her head cocked to one side—created repetitive stress.
For others, it’s:

• “Text neck”
• Sitting at a desk
• Driving equipment
• Repetitive work postures

Over time, these distort the spine and nervous system.

2️⃣ Toxins

This includes:

• The food we eat
• The air we breathe
• Chemicals we’re exposed to

These toxins create inflammation, and inflammation places additional stress on the spine and nervous system, increasing the likelihood of misalignments.

3️⃣ Thoughts (The Sneaky One)

This one’s fascinating—and powerful.

How we think about:

• Ourselves
• Our relationships
• Our stress
• Our lives

…directly affects our nervous system.

Chronic stress increases cortisol, which can weaken ligaments and tendons, reducing spinal stability. That leads to more misalignments, more stress, and more symptoms.

It’s a vicious cycle if left unaddressed.

🛑 Symptoms Aren’t Bad—They’re Informative

Symptoms aren’t something to fear.

They’re your body saying:
🚨 “Pay attention.”

They’re not meant to be masked forever with pills, potions, and lotions. They’re meant to guide us toward correction, healing, and long-term health.

🚆 Why Do Chiropractors Check Leg Length?

Have you ever noticed that when you’re being adjusted—or when you’re watching someone else get adjusted—their leg length changes really fast?

And maybe you’ve wondered…
👉 “Is my leg actually shorter?”
👉 “What are they really checking?”

Great questions. Let me share a little neurology, and I promise—we’ll keep it simple and fun.

🧠 Let’s Talk About the Brain (Using a Train 🚆)

When your spine is misaligned (subluxated), your body doesn’t stay quiet about it. In fact, four key structures immediately start sending warning signals up to your brain:

1. Muscles – tightening or stretching abnormally
2. Facet joints – the joints where your spinal bones meet
3. Discs – the cushions between the bones
4. Golgi tendon organs – sensors that protect your tendons from overstretching

All of these signals hop on a “train” and head straight to the brain.

🎯 First Stop: The Cerebellum

That train pulls into the cerebellum, the lower part of your brain responsible for:

• Balance
• Coordination
• Proprioception (your body’s sense of position in space)

The cerebellum says, “Hey—something isn’t right in the spine!” Whether it’s your neck, mid-back, or low back, the message is loud and clear.

🚦 Next Stop: The Thalamus → Cortex

From there, the signal moves to the thalamus, which acts like a relay station, and then up to the cortex—the thinking, decision-making part of the brain.

Your cortex knows what should be happening:

• Proper spinal curves
• Equal movement
• Smooth, balanced motion

But when that’s not happening, the brain decides it needs to compensate.

⬇️ The Train Heads Back Down the Spine

Now the train heads back down the spinal cord, telling the body to:

• Tighten certain muscles
• Shift posture
• Protect the problem area

This is where things get interesting…

Those postural changes often show up as uneven leg length.

👉 Not because one bone is shorter
👉 But because muscles and posture are being neurologically altered

That’s why when we check leg length, it gives us real-time feedback about what your nervous system is doing and where your body needs help.

👐 What the Adjustment Does

When we deliver a chiropractic adjustment, something powerful happens:

✅ The abnormal signal to the brain is turned off
✅ The destructive loop of muscle tightening is interrupted
✅ The nervous system can reset and recalibrate

That’s why leg lengths often balance out immediately after an adjustment—it’s a neurological change, not a bone change.

🧩 Why We Use Multiple Assessments

In our office, leg length checks are just one piece of the puzzle. We also use:

• Insight technology scans
  • Thermography
  • Surface EMG
  • Heart rate variability
• X-ray analysis
• Posture analysis

Together, these tools allow us to be corrective-based, not just reactive—helping your body function better, not just feel better 

💆‍♀️ Why Massage & Exercises Matter Too

When muscles tighten unevenly, it creates asymmetry. That’s why:

• Chiropractic care
• Massage therapy
• Spinal hygiene exercises

…all work best together.

Mobility, stability, and movement keep your nervous system firing on all cylinders.

❤️ Final Thought

Your body is incredibly intelligent—it’s always adapting and compensating. Our job is to help remove interference so your nervous system can do what it was designed to do.