What does “wellbeing” mean to you? Is it a just your physical body that you think of? For me it will always be the triune of Mind, Body and spirit. A 3 cornered stool which when in balance is the most stable structure. When one becomes out of balance the whole structure can come tumbling down.
Stress is such a huge part of modern life, and as an Osteopath I see how stress reacts on the body. The stress response doesn’t differentiate between what kind of stressor is present; the sympathetic nervous system kicks in with the fight, flight or freeze response, cortisol and adrenaline is pumped out into the blood stream to effect the muscles and organs. Blood is pumped into the muscles, and away from our digestive system. The patients that I see are the ones that tend to keep a clear head in time of stress, holding it all together, but picking that plate off the floor suddenly becomes too much for the body. I would hypothesise that the counsellors and psychotherapists see clients that their body remains calm but the stress affects the cognitive function.
If I see you in clinic with back pain you may hear me talk of the psoas muscle. These are muscle which flex the leg in to the body, becoming tight. In times of stress this muscle is a key player, they run all the way down the front of the lower back into the top of the leg. They have a major set of nerves that run along side them which supply the front of the thigh. This muscle is used when you lift your legs, or curl into a ball to protect yourself. Now imagine your plate on the floor. Add a stressful day at work, children running wild and won’t go to bed because it is sunny outside! After all that, you go to pick up the plate in a hurry; that psoas muscle is already primed through the emotional stresses of the day. As you bend forwards, the muscle contracts further and BAM! you are not getting up without a lot of pain.
Which bit do I work on as your osteopath? I can’t change the stressful day at work, or sadly how your children are behaving! However, I can alter how your body reacts to these stressors, releasing the tight muscles, calming down the nervous irritation. Unpicking each thread of the complete patchwork that lead to the muscle going into spasm. What will I send you more to do? Probably, take time for you, breathe, stretch out the muscles slowly. And maybe, find something that brings you pleasure, decreasing the stress load, and improve your wellbeing.
If you would like to find out if I am able to help, please book in for a free 15 minute phone consultation:
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