The Triad of Health

There are lots of triangles in the sacred geometry of the Universe. Three is a recurring theme, for example, the milking stool, the tricycle and the push-scooter where one leg compliments the two wheels in order for speed and momentum to be possible with some control. The principle in physics is W=FxT (work equals force times time)
The Triad of Health shows up in several different dynamics as this blog will illustrate. Today let's look at the different dynamics behind one of your body's articulations or joints.  Take the elbow. If you want to have a drink of water from the glass you are holding in your hand several principles must coincide to produce the act of elbow flexion and bring the glass up toward your mouth.
There are three different components or forces involved if we simplify it: passive, active and interactive.
The bones of the upper and lower arm are passive and meet at the elbow joint, a sophisticated hinge-type articulation, similar to the knee in some ways. The term passive means bones cannot initiate movment on their own. They are functionally inert, making bone a passive player in the joint mechanism.
Muscle moves bone. But a muscle on its own isn't capable of either contraction (shortening) or relaxation (lengthening) without a nerve impulse to inform it which action to perform. Muscle is the active component of joint motion.
Interactive forces are signals broadcast from the brain to the muscle. It isn't possible to describe the interactive component of movement without some appreciation of the body's Innate Intelligence. For example, to contract one muscle and bring a glass of water to the mouth, the brain must simultaneously send an impulse to relax the opposing muscle allowing it to lengthen. 
In chiropractic, the triad we use to address the sophisticated interactivities within our body looks like this:
Matter - Force- Inteligence. That's it for today.
Next time we'll explore the chiropractic model of health as order and dis-ease as dis-order. The meaning of subluxation will be much more clear now that we more fully appreciate the Triad of Health.

To the best in all of us,
Dr. Bob Pike