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When you are in pain, most people do not think about movement. The first thought that comes to mind is to reach out for that painkiller medicine or something more invasive. While it may be helpful in some cases, it is certainly not necessary for musculoskeletal aches & pains aka back, neck, shoulder, knee pain etc.
But even if you do not want to make it your first option, it certainly has to be your TOP option & there are so many reasons why. There is so much research that supports the value of using movements in the RIGHT direction to solve your bone/joint/muscle aches & pains that ignoring that route is sheer madness.
Here are the top 5 Reasons why Movement is the Best Medicine to stay healthy, strong & end pain…
1.Motion is Lotion
If you have ever heard the phrase “Motion is Lotion” it is very true. Your joints are designed to move & in order for you to live at your optimal function, you gotta move your joints in different directions frequently. If you do not do that, you will lose the mobility in those directions pretty fast.
Whether it is your mobility, strength or flexibility, if you do not use it, you WILL lose it & that is especially true as you get older. That is because, as we age, the quality of tissue in our body just degenerates & the best way to slow that down is by moving.
No amount of painkillers, needles or anything else will restore your mobility & activity level until you actually move. So, now is the time to get off that couch or work desk & start moving!
2. Our Joints are designed to Move!
I love to explain the human body by comparing it to a car because it is both ironic & funny that we understand our cars WAY better than we do our bodies. So, here it goes, just like you do not want your brand new car to be sitting in the parking lot for months or years because it is meant to be driven, your joints are not meant to be in one position aka sitting or standing in one position for several hours & days either.
They require frequent movement to get the blood flowing & their nourishment. So give those joints a break from sitting & start moving. Maybe schedule a short walk of 20-30 minutes in your lunch time or take up an exercise class. Whatever you decide to do, one thing is for sure that Movement is not OPTIONAL.
3. It is your body’s natural way to heal aka without Pain Pills, injections or Surgery
Did U know that your body has a natural mechanism of healing itself? After an injury, your body has a natural albeit slow mechanism of healing & what Graded movement does is gives it the right environment to heal. By providing it with the right environment, we are still relying on bodies natural healing mechanisms but making sure we speed up the process.
According to a research study done by Long et al in 2014, people with back pain & sciatica were divided into 2 groups: One received RIGHT movements prescribed by a Mckenzie Method clinician others got General Exercises. And as u can guess, the group that received the Right movements had much better outcomes - no pain & back to full function at 3 & 6 months. There was no need for any invasive surgeries or pain medications.
If you are unsure that this is an Option for you, request for our Free Online Pain Report below or fill out a short form to request a Free Discovery Session (limited spots & By appointment only) at our Office. You will be surprised how much difference the right movement program can bring to your life!
4. It will significantly Improve your Quality of Life
Now this is one of my favorites too, especially when I see my patients go from expecting just pain relief to having a better posture, being more functional & back to activities they love to do aka Running, Golfing, Biking etc. that they start to secretly “give up” because they are made to believe by society that they are “getting older” & hence aging. Watch some Case Studies here.
While they are getting older technically that does not mean they should give up on living or stop being active. In fact, there is a lot of research that supports that being active in fact helps slow down the process of aging. So, you can see what a vicious cycle that is. Did aging occur because of inactivity or vice versa? Food for thought!
Now, of course, choosing your activities wisely is key based on your age, fitness levels, medical conditions etc but the point is it does not have to be a limited lifestyle. Even something as simple as Walking can boost your energy levels significantly.
Not sure where to start? Request a Wellness Session with us so we can prescribe you a program based on assessment of your condition, Range of motion & Strength and guide you along the way.
5. It will not Mask you symptoms but address the Root cause of your problem!
Most times things that give you instant relief like pain medication, needling, massage etc. give you the instant gratification of “feeling better” but do not do much at the Root cause level. Think about it for a minute, the root cause of most problems is buried underneath in years of poor posture, immobility, lifestyle factors etc. No technique can be as effective to cure you at the root cause level in a few minutes unless they have some kind of “superpower”
No but let’s be real. If something has to be built from the base, it will take effort, time & patience. The phrase “Rome was not built in a day” applies to your health too. The real question is are U ready to make the commitment & investment to your health & your body (of which U will have only one in this lifetime). So make sure you take good care of it!
So here you go, these are the top 5 reasons why Movement is the best medicine at so many levels. The list could go on but I think this is good for now!
Want to learn more?
If you or someone you know has limited mobility due to pain or needs some help to get back to activity, request a Free Discovery Session by filling out a short form here. Those are limited spots each month & by appointment only.
We also know not everyone is ready to commit to regular physical therapy appointments, and that’s why we offer our Free Information Guide! This Guide is for people in our community who want really valuable, expert information about their Back Pain or Sciatica problems. We know it’s confusing out there with all of the information floating around on Google and Facebook, and this is a valuable first step towards getting some real answers for your problem.
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