We’ve discussed before how various things can affect our musculoskeletal system – and how the true cause isn’t always what’s going on with the muscles themselves!
In clinic we deal loosely with three main areas, the limbic system, the physiological systems (endocrine, peripheral nerves, circulatory systems etc) as well as the structural components (muscles, tendons, ligaments, periosteum, scars etc). It’s harder to deal with the environmental stressors in a clients life, but sometimes they can be the biggest factor which absolutely needs addressing.
The bucket theory [every input we experience (temperature, light, smell, taste, hydration levels, activity levels, trauma, psychological and emotional states, and the minutiae associated which each) gets shoved in our ‘bucket’ for processing by the brain. The more input we have the fuller the bucket becomes the closer we get to a sympathetic (fight or flight) response which can mean our body doesn’t always respond appropriately for the situations we find ourselves in] of processing can lead to seemingly unexplainable MSK, IBS, allergy issues etc, and can be a useful indicator of whether one of these external factors may be at play in clinic.
I had a client return for a regular check up. They’ve been doing ridiculously well, have taken everything on board, do their homework and have been feeling much better as a result.
This time however, their neck was playing them up. Their core was dysfunctional as was their breathing which indicated a problem with their nervous system. We struggled to find something to tie it all together, so I asked more questions. It turns out they’ve had a promotion at work, much more managerial, so they spend a lot of time ‘on call’ and walking around. We finally tracked the issue down to their mobile phone, which they carry in their left hand ALL DAY.
We checked and tested with their phone, sure enough as soon as it was with 1cm of their body everything shut down and they went to fight or flight.
Armed with this information we were able to perform a simple but lengthy cranial correction. The breath normalised, and their core normalised.
We next tested in standing with the phone in their left hand to track down the specifics of what was going on in their neck. A simple correction resolved this and all was well again.
Starting a new job increases the levels of emotional and physical stressors, add into that an increased level of EMF exposure as a phone – constantly searching for Wi-fi and cellular connection (even when it’s not being used) – filled the ‘bucket’ to the point of being overflowing, causing their nervous system to remain in fight or flight.
They’ll need to change their habits, and introduce measures to reduce their exposure if this isn’t to be repeated (and we shared some strategies to help with that)
If you’re struggling with seemingly unexplainable symptoms, and you’ve been exploring all the internal options, it might be time to look outside your body at what might be affecting you.
Image credit Unsplash (free)
Experience the difference – A refreshingly different approach to pain and dysfunction, so you can breathe better, move better, to live better. 2019 09 17