Let’s talk about why you may have pain in your body (like back pain, or neck pain, knee pain, hip or shoulder pain) and what you can do to change it.
One of the primary reasons we have pain is that we are like a computer running a program that we did not consciously choose. What I mean by this is the body is neurologically hard wired to follow the path of least resistance, to save energy. That’s its mandate.
It is also is neurologically wired to avoid pain!
These two things together result in your movement patterns, and define how you sit, stand and walk. These neurological programs you are running may be saving your system some energy; however, it can do so often at the price of your joints well-being.
Frequently, the body pays a hefty price of joint degeneration, wear & tear, arthritis and injuries just by following the path of least resistance. In other words, we move in ways that serve us in the short term and yet we pay for it in the long run.
This also means we need to re-program how we move, how we sit, how we stand and walk, to stop the progression of break down and allow for recovery and healing.
VCPT gives you the tools and a step-by-step program to re-train these patterns of movement. If we change the path of least resistance to the path of ideal joint mechanics, we protect our back, neck, hips, knees… and we have less pain.
To create a new hard-wired program is not complex though it does take right understanding and practice. It also may require tweaks in flexibility and strength of certain major players that allow the system to run as a seamless unit.
Let me give you an example of how running an unconscious program can cause you pain. We often shorten our stride length in walking both as we age, to save energy; and during or following an injury for pain avoidance. This change in our step length, combined with sitting can cause both hip flexor and calf tightness. Now, you may want to think so what, a little muscle tightness, no big deal.
Oh, but it is a big deal for your low back! Did you know that calf tightness and hip flexor tightness are both a leading cause of increased compressive and shear forces at the lower back discs and facet joints! And the strain from these forces can result in arthritis, inflammation, disc degeneration and low back pain!
In the above example, it is important that you address the tightness of the muscles, and intentionally adjust your walking pattern to get out of pain and move with ease. You can find a stretch for this tightness here: https://youtu.be/nFDXZ4HA9KY
Or if you would like more help changing your program to address getting out of pain anywhere in your body, call VCPT today.
