People often come in to see me in my practice and are astounded at how poorly their body is functioning. Often they want to link their current problems to some recent traumatic event that may have caused it - and just as often, that event doesn't exist.
So what are these repetitive stresses? Well they can be virtually anything that you do repeatedly over a period of time. For some people it is their posture sitting at their computer, for others it might be shovelling sand, or kids studying at a desk. For me it might be bending over people checking their spine and nervous system.
Whatever it is, these small stressors build up hour after hour, day after day, year after year, often to be a worse physical stress than the big ones that we tend to think about. Over time they can lead to significant dysfunction, a loss of health and sometimes even pain.
So how can we prevent these repetitive stressors? Well, variety really is the spice of life. Try not to do the one thing in the one way for too long. If you sit a lot at work, try to get up and move around. If you have a more manual job, try to rotate your role with your colleagues. If you regularly use a computer, you might want to use your left hand on the mouse for a while. Of course well-rounded exercise and stretching will also help add variety of movement to your day.
Remember that some of these repetitive micro-traumas will be unavoidable, so consulting your health care professional about a preventative approach to managing your body rather than waiting for the symptoms is always a good idea.
What are your repetitive stressors?
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