ADIO is a phrase/acronym that is often used among chiropractors and many chiropractic patients. It simply stands for “Above Down Inside Out”. In the chiropractic health philosophy, ADIO beautifully summarizes how a living body is able to function as well as how it is able to heal.
All functions in a living body are controlled and coordinated by the nervous system, starting in the brain. From this “Above” station, mental impulses are sent “Down” through the spinal cord. Spinal nerves branch off at each level of the spine, connecting the spinal cord from the “Inside” and then “Out” to the rest of the body.
When we need to heal from some sort of injury, pain, or dysfunction, the coordination of healing activities is regulated by this same system, starting from Above – Down and expressing from the Inside – Out to all organs and tissues. By restoring optimal function to the internal control mechanisms, healing is possible.
As chiropractors, we understand and respect this reality. Our focus is on empowering your body to express more of it’s own internal wisdom. How smart is your body? Smart enough to turn one little cell into a highly complex network of over 40 Trillion cells with order, precision, and ingenuity that has never been matched by anything made by mankind.
We know that by removing limitations on this expression from Above – Down as well as from Inside – Out that we are able to dramatically improve the health and function of a living thing.
We know that our bodies are natural. We are a part of nature. As such, we function best and heal best when we are allowed to operate as naturally as possible. This also means being nurtured with natural foods while taking great strides to avoid toxic and stressful stimuli. Today’s world is replete with stresses that make this task a constant battle.
It is also no coincidence that the idea of ADIO fits nicely with the thoughts of various religions, such as humans that were given life by a deity from Above and how this heavenly spirit expresses from within us out to the world. Early discussions about chiropractic philosophy came close to making chiropractic a religion much like Mary Baker Eddy’s Christian Science, for example. It is still debatable whether chiropractic would have been better off as a religion instead of facing the slings and arrows of the medical profession, but that is for another day.
What do you think of the ADIO idea? How does it help you understand your body better and navigate the complex world of healthcare?