“So you should probably avoid looking for a solution and learn to live with it”.. or not.
The problem may have started with a forgotten fall long ago, or it may have been wear and tear that built up over the years.
At first we may notice certain movements aren’t as easy as they used to be. Whether it’s reaching up to change a light or bending over to pick out some weeds. Maybe this leads to an ache or pain, for a day or two. Ignore.
Next we start rolling out of bed a little slower. The pain becomes more consistent, maybe a little intolerable at times, but we’ll let it pass.
Tying shoes? Putting socks on? Shoveling snow? Used to be a lot easier. Maybe we should see someone about it. Buuttt we can still walk/we can always use the other arm, we’ll wait.
Pain gets worse, more time passes… How did we get so old?
Aging isn’t a disease, unless we make it one. The above situation is what I call a negative health loop. [Insert shoulder, knee, back, ankle, hip or neck problems here]. The longer you wait to invest in ways to improve your health , the greater the cost of the interest taken out of your health bank account.
But what does this have to do with osteopathy?
The way we move, sit or sleep, the sports, the TV watching; everything affects how each joint in our body moves. If we go through our days without ever changing the way we move and getting full range of motion, we lose the ability to fully use our body. Our ability to circulate blood, the circulation of our immune system via our lymphatic channels, and the rhythmic function of our nervous system all depend on how well our joints move. We cannot easily pump venous blood and lymphatic fluid out of tissues and joints, and back to our heart and lungs without the aid of proper breathing and body movement. The less we move, the more we count on our heart to do the work for us, the worse we feel.
Don’t let your age be an excuse to not move. Eventually the problems you hide under the rug will grow too big for you to ignore. And the longer you wait, the bigger that hole becomes, the greater the effort and time you will need to invest to pull you back onto the right track.
Movement is an ability, we either use it, or we lose it. If you’re not up for changing the way you move, or how much you move, it may be best for you to find someone who understands body mechanics and can help open up these pathways for health. Try it. You may even feel “young again”.