• Who are the founders of Maximized Living?
• Is Maximized Living a Christian organization?
• What is a Maximized Living Health Center?
• What can I expect at a Maximized Living Health Center (MLHC)?
• What is Subluxation and why is it a serious condition?
• What is corrective care and why is it necessary?
• Do Chiropractors Cure of Claim to Cure Heart Disease and Cancer?
• What causes Subluxation? Can I Feel Subluxation?
• Once I start going to the chiropractor do I have to go for the rest of my life?
• What is included in a treatment plan at Maximized Living Health Center?
• Can I pay per visit at an MLHC? If I pay for a care plan – how can I be reimbursed if I stop care?
• Are Maximized Living Health Centers different from other Chiropractic offices?
• What training has a Maximized Living Chiropractor had?
• Are Chiropractic X-rays necessary
• Is a medical doctor qualified to check my spine?
• Why don’t most medical doctors refer to chiropractors?
• Is Maximized Living against drugs and medicine?
• What is a chiropractic adjustment?
• Are Chiropractic Adjustments Safe?
• Should I get my children checked at a Maximized Living Health Center?
• Is it safe to get adjusted if you're pregnant?
• Maximized Living Health Centers see thousands of patients – are they the best?
• What is the time frame of care in a Maximized Living office? I'm concerned I'll have to be coming back.
• I have been told by my doctor that I will have to be on medication for the rest of my life. Can an MLHC help me?
• What are some of the other endeavors Maximized Living is involved in?

Answer: Maximized Living Inc, based in Celebration, Florida, was established by Dr. Ben Lerner and Dr. Greg Loman. Dr. Ben is a world-renown chiropractor, two-time New York Times best-selling author, and two-time U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team physician. Dr. Greg is also a New York Times best-selling author and host of the radio & television show "Ultimate Health." Maximized Living provides health centers, chiropractic coaching, wellness programs, wellness products, and ministry work across the United States and in various countries throughout the world.

Because Maximized Living works with health care providers, scientists, and doctors all over the world, their programs are well researched and so able to provide people with the most cutting edge wellness principles available today.

Answer: The leaders of Maximized Living are Christian men and women. However, if you enter their clinics, you’ll find highly scientific, well-researched evaluation and treatment. Belief in the existence of a higher power is not required to be a patient, client, or ML doctor.

Answer: A Maximized Living Health Center (MLHC) is a cutting edge wellness center run by handpicked Chiropractic college graduates or the top chiropractors in the nation. Maximized Living Health Centers combine chiropractic treatments with the most cutting edge information available on the Five Essentials to ensure patients have all the tools they need to attain and sustain ultimate health.

Answer: You can expect a highly trained doctor and staff who have one goal in mind: to help you and your family reach and maintain your health potential. While other doctors choose to limit their scope of practice to pain relief only, Maximized Living doctors are trained to detect and eliminate root causes of health problems that you may be suffering from now – or be headed towards in the future.

Following an evaluation of your overall health, the doctor will discuss a plan for you and your family to obtain maximum wellness and will encourage you to participate in any number of challenges, events, walk/run clubs, recipe nights, advanced workshops, and more all designed to help you easily and effectively apply the 5 Essentials of Maximized Living to your life.

Maximized Living utilizes a Customer Service model similar to first tier organizations like Ritz Carlton or American Airlines. To be as certain as possible that you get the care and experience you and your family deserve, the doctors and staff are well scripted in what to say and do and follow very strict guidelines and procedures. This guarantees that they are putting their best foot forward each time with each and every patient and new patient that walks in their door. EXPECT V.I.P. TREATMENT!

The Association of Chiropractic Colleges defines subluxation as:  *“A subluxation (Of the spine) is a complex of functional and/or structural and/or pathological articular changes that compromise neural integrity (Interfere with the spinal cord and nerves) and may influence organ system function and general health.”

Subluxations are present when one or more of the following conditions exist:

1. Abnormal position of the head in relationship to the spine
2. Misalignment of individual vertebrae – anterior, posterior, lateral, rotational, or tilted displacement of one of the bones of the spine.
3. Loss of the normal lateral (side view) curves of the spine
4. An increase in the normal lateral curves of the spine
5. Scoliosis – curvature of the spine from front to back (anterior to posterior)

Most people wait for symptoms of “back problems” before being evaluated for subluxation.  Yet, any misalignment of the spine is considered a health risk.  Researcher and Physiologist IM Korr states, "When the motion of intervertebral (Spinal) joints is even slightly amiss, there will be autonomic effects, with resulting circulatory, metabolic, and visceral repercussions." ¹

There have been countless studies done by medical, Chiropractic, and Osteopathic researchers published in the *Index Medicus on the scientific basis of subluxation or what is called a “Spinal lesion,” it’s negative impact on the central nervous system, and how it “Organizes disease.”¹
 
When subluxations are left undetected and uncorrected, a law of Physics called “Wolf’s Law”² sets in.  The law states that the degenerative changes will begin to occur and accelerate the aging process rapidly.  Multiple studies done by organizations such as Johns Hopkins and the Geriatric Society have shown that the spinal degenerative process will shut down organs and increase mortality.

Subluxations are evaluated through examination procedures like spinal thermography, spinal range of motion, posture, and muscle testing.  If subluxation is detected, then an x-ray analysis is performed to view for the pathology, degenerative changes, and to measure specifically the actual degree of misalignment.  These measurements are then weighed against the scientific model of the ideal spine.  If there are abnormalities, an adjustment and rehab schedule must start immediately in order to begin reducing the presence of subluxation right away.

While opinions from certain medical or chiropractic parties on subluxation may exist, these are in fact simply opinions based on traditional biases and not present day scientific fact.  At this point is far too much research based evidence and clinical successes to ignore.  

^{1. Korr, IM The spinal cord as organizer of disease processes: I, II, III, IV. Hyperactivity of sympathetic innervation as a common factor in disease.}

^{J Am Osteopath Assoc 1979 79: 232, J Am Osteopath Assoc 1976 76: 35,  J Am Osteopath Assoc 1979 79: 82, J Am Osteopath Assoc, Mar 1981; 80: 451.}                      

^{2. Wolf’s Lawp; Wolff J. "The Law of Bone Remodeling". Berlin Heidelberg New York: Springer, 1986 (translation of the German 1892 edition)}                          

^{*Index Medicus examples where you will find just some of the research on subluxation and the ideal model of the spine: JMPT, Spine, Journal of Spinal Disorders, Journal of Orthopaedic Research, Pubmed Journal, and Clinical Biomechanics}

» Read more: Spinal Rehabilitation and Spinal Hygiene

Chiropractors never claim to cure or treat disease.  Nor will you hear this from any natural health care provider.  The truth of the matter is – no doctor ever cured a disease.  The only healing that ever takes place is done by the human body itself through it’s own, inherent recuperative power.

On this site, you’ll see 1000s of testimonials.  Whether the testimonial involves the resolution of a serious, chronic disease or simply an annoying symptom that went away – the Doctor of Chiropractic will not have claimed to cure it.  However, by the patient receiving an adjustment or series of adjustments to reduce interference to the Central Nervous System and in many cases incorporating other critical components of Maximized Living like nutrition, movement, and/or clinical detoxification – the factors interfering with good health may be eliminated and thus – the tens of million Chiropractic clinical success stories that have made Chiropractic the largest drug-less profession on the planet.

Researchers have delved into studying Chiropractic’s impact on diseases like high blood pressure, cancer, heart disease, immune function, and mental health.  Clearly, there’s been so many positives that you can’t ignore the benefits.

Studies:

The Heart and Chiropractic

Immune Function

Emotional Health

Chiropractic Improves Brain Wave Patterns, Brain Function

Answer: Physical, Chemical, Mental and Emotional Stress

Any type of stress, whether it be a traumatic birth, fall, exposure to toxins, or wear and tear over many years causes misalignments in the spine, puts pressure on your nerves and causes your nervous system to stop working at its ultimate capacity. You may or may not feel Subluxation, since only a small percent of nerves carry pain - but studies show that as little as the weight of a dime will influence nerve supply to organs and tissues.  

Obviously, in today’s day and age, it’s rare to see someone not undergoing regular stresses of many kinds.  So while opinions vary, the facts remain - every person should be checked regularly for Subluxation even in the absence of symptoms.

Merck Manual of Medical Diagnosis lists the most common diseases and are all present in the body without any signs or symptoms noticeable to the victim:

Seeking freedom from symptoms is easy to do and may even guarantee those results. The only thing it can never bring you, however, is health.

In fact, as the Merck Manual shows us, being free from symptoms may just cover up signs of dis-ease and keep you ignorant of your perilous predicament.

Invest time, effort, and finances into your health every day as if you had disease so that you reduce any chances of getting one. 

Answer: Maintaining the health of your spine and nervous system is something that should occur from birth on.  After beginning to drink clean water – when is it time to stop?  When is it time to stop thinking about nutrition or stress management?  Obviously – never – if your intention is to be well.  MUCH RESEARCH EXISTS THAT SHOWS RADICAL INCREASES IN IMMUNE AND DNA FUNCTION AS A RESULT OF “LONG TERM CHIROPRACTIC CARE.”

While the number of families taking care of their spines is growing – most people are negligent.  Therefore, the first step in a Chiropractors office is generally to go through a more aggressive treatment plan to regain as much spine and nervous system function as possible.  After completing the first treatment plan, ideally, patients choose to maintain the correction.  Recommendations for frequency of care to maintain can range from once per week to once a month depending on individual lifestyles and what condition you were in when you started care.

This stage of care is generally inexpensive and frankly most of what should be going on in any Doctor of Chiropractic office.  Imagine the medical costs your saving and how many lost work or school days you’re avoiding.  Add those up and maintenance care is most likely profitable.

Answer: Once the doctor has assessed your overall health, reviewed your x-rays, and explained exactly why he is concerned in a detailed class, he or she will then give you their recommendations.  The treatment plans includes the adjustments, rehabilitation, exercise instructions, and workshops on the 5 Maximized Living Essentials necessary to make you an actual well person.

Visit frequency is determined by the exam findings, the technique protocols the doctor uses, and the doctor’s experience with cases the same or similar to yours.  In a Maximized Living office providing corrective spinal care, results are re-measured regularly through re-examination to make certain you’re progressing as planned.

Answer: Fees are determined by looking at all of the necessary treatments and the creation for corrective care and Maximized Living instruction on the 5 Essentials.   Each of these services is itemized out to create the care plan cost.

Similar to braces and other surgical or corrective work – you have a fee that you can pay all at once at a discount or in monthly installments.  If you’re using insurance, there can be no discount on the insurance based care.  Pre-payment radically cuts down on wait time in the office and lowers office costs substantially.  This allows the doctor’s to keep their fees as low as possible.

IMPORTANT:  You do not owe 1 fee.  The creation of 1 fee is for discount and administrative savings and because it’s pre-paid you are not forced to wait in line to check out each visit.  The care plan fee is a total of all of the itemized services.  If you discontinue care for any reason – you are reimbursed in full for any services that were not rendered.  In fact many states ask that any pre-payment be placed in escrow until the services are utilized.

Answer: On the whole there are some important differences between a Maximized Living Health Center and most other Chiropractic offices:

• MLHC aren’t just looking for symptoms to go away or even just spinal curves to improve – they’re goal is that the whole person improves.  Through counseling and classes in the 5 Essentials, our goal is to see families transform and reach their God-given potential.
• MLHC use corrective and overall wellness care whereas many other chiropractors choose to limit their scope to pain relief only.  Corrective care entails a specific method of correcting spinal degeneration and maintaining that correction, using x-rays and nerve system analysis.
• MLHC require patients to be highly educated about every treatment they receive.  In order to be accepted as a patient, they must be familiar with specific health information and attend a patient orientation class.
• MLHC will not treat a patient based on how many visits insurance covers or if the patient feels like they need an adjustment. Treatment is based on the best needs of the patient and restoring optimum health to the spine and nervous system.
• MLCH doctors are very proactive with spreading their health message.  They are out in the community doing talks, events, radio shows, health screenings at malls, shopping centers and other venues.  Their message is so critical to a community –they’ll not only want you to be a patient, they’ll want  your help to save more lives.

Answer: Maximized Living Chiropractors are certified and licensed doctors of Chiropractic. They have gone through rigorous study, past board examinations, and been certified by the state to practice chiropractic. Chiropractors have the same amount of training or more as medical doctors.

Additionally, Maximized Living doctors have access to highly advanced training in the 5 Essentials.  Each office is minimally certified in spinal correction and nutrition.

Answer: Our information on the safety of x-rays for adults and children do not come from Maximized Living, but from the state governing bodies, experts on adult and pediatric examination, and extensive years of college training under certified teachers of x-ray physics.

If you look at the minimal dose, the safety of a Chiropractic x-ray is clear.  However, what you don't see here is the fact that it would be actually impossible to measure any actual absorption of that dose at all.  Absolutely nothing exists in any literature that even suggests that a spinal x-ray, with as little radiation as they provide, has ever caused any future difficulty.  Anyone who would even suggest this is simply a proponent of traditional medicine, anti-chiropractic, or drawing conclusions from information on soft tissue x-rays like mammograms which have many, many, many times the dose.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, any potential safety issues pale in comparison to the need to see and properly diagnose spinal conditions.  If problems are found specific, scientific measurements are made to – create a specialized plan of care to quickly eliminate trouble in the spine and nervous system.

In recent years, it’s been suggested by many researchers that x-ray findings like a loss of curve in the neck (Decreased cervical lordosis), an exaggerated hump on the back (Thoracic hyperkyphosis), and/or scoliosis are pathological and can increase mortality.  This fact is true even in mild cases.  (SEE STUDIES)

These issues can only be confirmed by x-ray.  They are correctible with care, but the earlier they are discovered the better.  Therefore, it’s recommended that children are screened for these problems and if one of these conditions is suspected – that they receive a spinal x-ray.

Answer: A medical doctor is fantastic in the case of an emergency.  A broken bone, a blood pressure of 200/110, a severe laceration, etc. are all in fine hands when referred to an M.D. or hospital.  Wellness or health is another story.

A Medical doctor rarely has training in areas outside of medical diagnosis.  Certainly, there’s no extensive training on spinal health and alignment and little to no training in areas like nutrition, exercise, or detoxifying the body.  Just like a chiropractor is not trained to perform surgery or administer medication, a medical doctor is not trained to treat or comment on alignment of the spine.

Answer: As the concept of wellness and “Alternatives” to medicine grows, the relationship between Doctors of Medicine and Doctors of Chiropractic has improved greatly.  Unfortunately, because standards of medical care do not included Chiropractic and the medical administrative position on alternatives is ambivalent at best – you don’t see many referrals happening.  Many, many medical doctors are patients in our offices and many more have told us that they see the benefits of Chiropractic but simply aren’t allowed to refer.

Because chiropractors are in many ways the “Other doctors” and in the mind of some medical authorities the “Competition”, there’s been a long-standing issue with the two working together.  Chiropractors, however, are happy to refer any medical case or emergency to medical authorities.

It is our goal at Maximized Living to embrace the differences between medicine and Chiropractic and get along.  We envision a world where chiropractors lead the charge for health and wellness and medical doctors continue their fine work in the area of crisis care.

Answer:  By now you should be fully aware of the dangers of taking either prescription or over-the-counter medications.  However, only your medical doctor can prescribe drugs or tell you to get off of drugs.  That’s the practice of medicine. 

Our role is to make you aware of the hazards of poor lifestyle decisions while helping you to create optimum function and healing in your body.      

In time, you must begin to judge for yourself whether your medications are keeping you alive, merely palliating symptoms of an unhealthy body, or actually causing some of the ailments you suffer from. The bottom line is that taking any drugs will cause some level of adverse side effects. With the guidance of your prescribing physician, you need to make your own best decisions on medication.  As you heal, work with your medical doctors to help you reduce or eliminate the drugs you’re on.

Answer:  One of the great myths has to do with what people think a chiropractic adjustment is. Most think it is some sort of “popping” of the neck or “twisting and cracking” of the back—not unlike popping your own neck or twisting and cracking your spouse’s back when he or she feels tight after work.

With this kind of ignorance about what an adjustment really is, is it any wonder so many people do not get chiropractic care or actually fear chiropractic adjustment?

The truth about a chiropractic adjustment is that there are dozens of ways to analyze vertebral subluxation and more than a hundred ways to adjust and correct spinal problems. There are light-touch adjustments, small and large instrument adjustments, adjustments using trigger points and reflexes, adjustments using specialized tables, multiple forms of hand-only adjustments, as well as techniques that focus on only certain areas of the spine. Vastly dissimilar to manipulations performed by osteopaths and physical therapists, specific, scientific chiropractic adjustments are not generalized mobilizations of the spine. Rather, using various methods of evaluation, chiropractors actually use precise contact points designed to gently shift an individual segment or segments of the spine and extremities in a very specific direction.

Remember: when a chiropractor works on your spine it’s called an adjustment, not a crack.

Answer:  Chiropractic adjustments are incredibly safe. Malpractice insurance carriers do not use myth or bias to determine their premiums. They use raw data based on the likelihood that a doctor would injure someone and be sued. While medical professionals can pay in excess of a hundred thousand dollars per year for their malpractice coverage, chiropractors pay barely a fraction of this, with premiums as low as only a few hundred dollars per year.   Given the prevalence of the myths, prejudices, and fears, this is hard to believe, but absolutely but true.  THE ONLY STUDIES THAT EXIST SHOW CHIROPRACTIC TO HAVE AN UNPARALLELED SAFETY RECORD.  THESE ARE ALL STUDIES DONE BY MEDICAL RESEARCHERS.

Answer: A young child falls enough time in a day to hospitalize an adult.  Therefore, evaluating kids is essential.  Sustaining health easier than helping an old injury or chronic health issue. There are endless studies showing the benefit of chiropractic care for children.

Answer: Pregnancy is a vitally important time to be adjusted.  The balance and alignment of the pelvic and lumber vertebra are essential for normal development and delivery. 

Subluxation has even been linked to the inability to get pregnant.

Answer: MLHC want to see a lot people so they can save lives.  The goal of Maximized Living is to bring true health to the entire world, so they want to help as many people as possible.  As a result of the numbers they see, they simply have more experience with every type of spine and condition then almost any other doctor of any kind you can see.

In fact, Harvard released a study supporting that when health care centers see higher volumes of patients, the costs of care reduce and the quality of care improves dramatically.

Answer: One of the many questions people ask about going to a chiropractor or any wellness provider is this one: why do I have to go for the rest of my life? The easy answer is: you don’t. You only have to go for as long as you want to stay healthy!   When do you stop drinking clean water? When does exercise stop being important? When do you stop building loving relationships? The answer is of course never, unless at some point you stop caring about your life.

It’s the same with your spine. The level of physical, emotional, and chemical stress your body is under will determine how often your spine needs to be evaluated and adjusted. Because of the trouble most people’s spines are in when they start care and the on-going stress most of us face regularly, we typically need to start with multiple adjustments per week for several months^1-4 and then, as or more importantly, continue with some sort of weekly or bi-weekly maintenance/wellness care.^5,6 Examining posture and using EMG are two safe, effective, and practical ways to regularly determine how much stress your central nervous system is under and how frequently you need ongoing care.

Insurance companies do not consider corrective, rehabilitative, preventative, or wellness care to be necessary. They pay only for people who are sick. It’s not “health” insurance; it’s really “sick” insurance. While prevention would save them billions, they have not as yet gotten the picture, so ongoing care is something that is paid for through reasonable wellness programs found in most chiropractors’ offices.

Fortunately, caring doctors will typically create corrective programs and family wellness plans that are cost-effective. This makes care affordable for those with limited or no insurance to still receive all of the treatment they need—really need.

The frequency and duration of care has been established by those that do the actual research on corrective care.

<sup>1. Dishman, R.W. Static and dynamic components of the chiropractic subluxation complex: A literature review.  JMPT 1988; 11(2)
2. Lantz, Charles A. Immobilization degeneration and the fixation hypothesis of chiropractic subluxation. CRJ 1988; 1 (1)
3. Harrison DD, Jackson BL, Troyanovich SJ, Robertson GA, DeGeorge D, Barker WF. The Efficacy of Cervical Extension-Compression Traction Combined with Diversified Manipulation and Drop Table Adjustments in the Rehabilitation of Cervical Lordosis. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 1994;17(7):454-464.
4. Harrison DE, Cailliet R, Harrison DD, Janik TJ, Holland B.  New 3-Point Bending Traction Method of Restoring Cervical Lordosis Combined with Cervical Manipulation: Non-randomized Clinical Control Trial. Archives Phys
5. “Spinal Hygiene and its Impact on Health and General Well Being, JVSR, Aug 16, 2004, C Shepeher, B.S., D.C., Ron Kirk, B.S. Ed., M.A., D.C.
6. “Objective Physiologic Changes and Associated Health Benefits of Chiropractic   
     Adjustments in Asymptomatic Subjects: A Review of Literature
       JVSR, April 26, 2004,  Sean M. Hannon, BA, DC</sup>

Answer: Many patients come in who are on multiple medications and have had multiple surgeries and are still suffering and in pain.  However, you’d be shocked by the remarkable regenerative healing capacity of your body.  When someone turns their body and lifestyle around – truly anything is possible.  We’ve seen people get off, with the help of their prescribing physicians, literally dozens of pills.  Additionally, countless numbers who never thought they would ever play ____________ again or even walk again are now leading normal, active lives.  Do not give up hope until you’ve spoken to your Maximized Living doctor.

Answer: Some of Maximized Living current undertakings include:

• The building of the world’s first Maximized Living Hospital by a pediatric surgeon in Harare, Zimbabwe
• Programs set up in Columbine High School, Shepherdstown State, and Virginia Tech in efforts to massively reduce school violence by creating healthier minds through a less toxic lifestyle
• The chiropractic team for Olympic USA Wrestling team
• Partnering with The Billion Soul Initiative (which consists of over five hundred key leaders, from more than 80 denominations or organizations, and from more than 50 nations) to bring wellness to churches worldwide.
• Sponsoring Wellness events across the world, including Maximized Living Makeover, Extreme Makeover, and Women on the Go, Timesense, and several other programs are designed to transform lives through the science of the 5 Essentials.