Chasing Symptoms Will Have You Running In Circles (How to find the Root Cause of your Problems)
I've always been curious about peoples pain and injuries.
Solving their actual problem. Not putting a bandaid over their symptoms.
The way we're conditioned to think about our pain has taught us that pain in an area must be wheres it's coming from.
Thats not always the case (and most situations its not).
This way of thinking keeps our health in a box & doesn't allow our mind to be open to the real reason for our problem.
This is why when you get an area of pain treated it doesn't always improve or ends up coming back.
Because you're not solving the actual problem, you're only getting the symptoms treated.
I was seeing a client who was having shoulder pain. She had been getting treatment on her shoulder for a while from another therapist. But things weren't improving the way that she wanted if at all.
When I went through my assessment I found that she had tension around an organ. This was affecting her shoulder pain and movement.
This is where I started my treatment. In her abdomen.
Without even treating her shoulder I was able to increase range of motion and decrease her pain.
Now you might be like, how the heck does that work? What does her abdomen have to do with her shoulder?
Here's how...
Because EVERYTHING in the body is one unit!
We all are one body after all - not a bunch of bodies put together.
“No system ever works alone, never gets injured alone, never heals alone.” - Dr. Perry Nickelston, D.C.
If you want to;
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live a healthy life
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prevent disease
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enjoy life & not have your health holding you back
Then you need to start looking at the body as a unit.
Your body is full of all different kinds of tissues & fluids that all cross over one another. This makes them all related & able to influence each other.
Only treating your symptoms will have you running in circles.
Wondering why you aren't getting better.
Zooming out on our health will help to find the solution of the real issue.
How can you find the REAL issue to your pain?
1) Understand that the body is one unit - not separate parts.
There are many systems in your body that all connect together. When you can start to wrap your head around this, you will start to understand how they influence each other.
Remember you are one, whole human no matter what you're dealing with.
2) Be open to different forms of therapy that are more holistic.
Once you understand the body is all connected. You then might want some support along your journey.
Seek out therapists who take a holistic approach to health that will look for a real solution.
If you don't resonate with that persons approach... FIND SOMEONE NEW!
Don't stick with a therapist or a treatment type that isn't providing a solution.
Therapists can include;
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manual therapists (manual osteopath, RMTs, physio, chiro, etc.),
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nutritional practitioners
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therapists who support mental/emotional wellbeing
Finding the right practitioner can be the difference when getting results.
3) Find a practitioner who looks at all systems together. Ask questions about how things work so you better understand your body.
Seeing someone who offers a holistic approach to health offers a different point of view.
With this education they have, ask them questions.
Don't be afraid to advocate for your own health so you can make educated decisions for yourself.
The more you ask, the more you learn.
The body is a complicated system. Over time you will learn a lot about yourself & your body by being curious.
4) Think about when your pain/issue started. Did anything in your life change that could have influenced your body?
I like to link things through time. When did your pain start? Did you have any life events at that time? Did you change anything in your routine?
Questions to ask yourself can be;
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Was there an increase in stress around that time?
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Did I make any lifestyle changes? (Good or bad)
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What was going on with my family around that time?
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Was I having pain anywhere else?
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Did I start taking any medications or supplements around that time?
The more questions you can ask, the more you will start to find different connections.
5) Make daily lifestyle choices that support healing & recovery.
Doing the basics for health will create huge changes for most people.
We forget to take breaks, drink enough water & spend time resting.
For everyone this looks a bit different, but start with one that is simple.
Maybe it's sitting in the car after getting home from work. Taking a minute to pause before entering into your home.
Some basic things that you can do are;
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eating more whole foods
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spending quality time with family/friends without distractions
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drinking more water
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taking time to rest without guilt
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mediation or breath work
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going for a walk
The basics go a very long way when it comes to building your health. Thats where you need to start, always.
Most people don't look at the body holistically because they don't understand the magic it holds.
Your body, when given the right environment, will be able to heal.
You will start to look for different types of therapy when you understand all the areas of the body are one.
I spend the time to get to know my clients.
I listen to them and what they tell me during our treatments together.
This gives me a bigger picture of what they're dealing with
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mentally
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physically, and
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emotionally.
I ask questions that most people won't ask them.
This paints the bigger picture. It allows me to see what is contributing to their pain other than focusing only on the symptom.
The key thing to remember is to be open to different forms of therapy & solutions.
Look at your health from a broad lens & realize that if you want your health to improve - it needs to improve in all aspects.
Stop focusing on only your symptoms.
If you need support during your health journey & want to look through a holistic lens with me - book a treatment here.
Thats all for today. I hope this helped in some way.
Wishing you all the best along your journey!
- Jo
