Nature as Primary Medicine: A Chiropractor’s Journey Through Pain, Loss, and Healing

For most of my life, I’ve been in the business of healing others. As a chiropractor and teacher of medical massage and health sciences, I’ve devoted decades to helping patients recover from pain, injury, and emotional trauma. But nothing quite prepared me for my own collapse — the physical pain, the emotional darkness, and the overwhelming weight of grief and trauma that settled in after a cascade of injuries, surgeries, and losses.

I’ve had a hip replacement, several bone breaks Two knee surgeries. I live with scoliosis. I’ve endured years of periodic sinus and tension headaches that make it hard to think, let alone work. Layered over this physical decline was the deeper, more insidious pain: anxiety, depression, and the invisible scars from decades of life’s losses — personal, professional, and spiritual. For a while, I didn’t think I’d make it out.

But I did.
And what pulled me back wasn't a pharmaceutical or a miracle surgery.
It was nature.

I Am Nature. You Are Too.

We forget this — that we are part of nature, not separate from it. I began to remember this truth slowly, almost instinctively, as I forced myself to get outside. At first it was just short barefoot walks in the morning dew, grounding myself through the soles of my feet. Then, with the help of trekking poles, I began hiking again. The trails became my therapy sessions, the wind and birds my counselors. My breath deepened, my nervous system began to regulate, and my heart — long numb — began to soften.

Next came biking. I couldn't go far at first — my knees rebelled, my replaced hip ached. But I learned to listen. I found joy in gentle rides through forested paths and along ocean cliffs, where the light shifts with the rhythm of my pedaling. I wasn’t training for anything. I was recovering myself.

Then came the water — the womb of the world. Snorkeling became a kind of baptism. The silence underwater, the grace of marine life, the suspension of weight — it taught my body and soul how to float again. I often cry in my mask. Not out of pain, but relief. Release. Gratitude.

A Prescription from the Earth

What I’ve learned — and now share with my patients — is this: Nature is primary medicine.

Yes, chiropractic care, massage, and therapeutic interventions help. But it is nature that completes the circuit of healing. Being in nature. Moving in nature. Breathing with nature. These are not luxuries; they are essential.

In my own healing, I’ve witnessed:

Reduced depression and anxiety
Improved cognitive clarity and decreased brain fog
Better sleep
Reduced chronic pain
Increased bone density and proprioception
A return to a sense of meaning and belonging

For my clients, I’ve seen transformations — people overcoming substance use, obesity, grief, and lifelong emotional pain — not through talk therapy alone or medication alone, but through movement, breath, play, and presence in nature.

Nature-Based Recovery Tools I Recommend

I now prescribe:

Periodically Barefoot walking on safe space: grass, sand, forest floor — to ground the nervous system and restore sensory awareness
Hiking with trekking poles — to support joint recovery, increase mobility, and stimulate the vestibular system and so much more
Biking — for joy, circulation, and connection to rhythm
Snorkeling or any form of immersion — to decompress the spine, reset the vagus nerve, and restore a sense of awe

And most importantly: Presence. Slowness. Listening. Letting yourself be in relationship with the Earth.

From Broken to Belonging

I still carry the scars and sometimes still have pain. But strive not to live in suffering. Nature did not erase my trauma, but it offered me a context to hold it — to compost it, even — into something meaningful. Something useful. Something beautiful.

Now, I no longer see my injuries as failures or limitations. I see them as portals — into a deeper relationship with myself, with others, and with the Earth.

This is the medicine I offer now:
Nature is not your escape. It is your return.
To healing. To wholeness. To home.

For more distinctions, tips and inspiration go to www.TrailFit.net It is a holistic movement and healing practice that combines hiking, biking, snorkeling, and outdoor functional fitness with mindfulness, breathwork, and natural terrain training. Designed to restore body alignment, emotional balance, and vitality, TrailFit.net helps participants reconnect with nature as their primary medicine—building strength, flexibility, and resilience through immersive, outdoor experiences.

Dr. Rich Oberleitner (www.Dr-Rich.com) is a chiropractor, educator, and founder of the Healthy Arts Project. He offers nature-based healing guidance for individuals recovering from injury, trauma, and emotional burnout. Reach out to connect, collaborate, or just walk barefoot.

Moving Through the Weight: Walking, Biking & Swimming

We all carry weight—physical, emotional, or mental. Movement can help lighten it—not just on the scale, but in the heart and mind.

Walking is simple and grounding. Go at your own pace. Each step forward is strength—not something to compare or rush.

Biking brings freedom and fun. It's easy on joints and invites exploration. You don’t need hills or speed to enjoy the ride—just consistency and breath.

Swimming supports and soothes. The water helps you move without strain and leaves space to feel strong, free, and unjudged.

It’s not about pace, stats, or appearance. The process is the progress. Just showing up is enough.

To all walking, riding, or swimming through their own weight—you are an inspiration.

🗂 for more see the Table of Contents : www.Trailfit.net

Trailfit

Tuesday, July 22, 2025