WHY ALIGNING YOUR BODY WILL HELP YOU ACHIEVE FASTER REHAB RESULTS AND A BETTER LIFE.

Imagine a skyscraper being built on an angle or without a proper foundation….. The structure would buckle, windows would pop and it would not be something sustainable in any sort of weather conditions or disturbed forces.

A poorly aligned body is no different! As a physiotherapist and sports trainer I spend a lot of my time and energy in ensuring that all our clients begin with correct alignment and awareness of this. As more time is spent in poor body alignment our brain gets used to this and re-calibrates to this position. We therefore do not know we are not straight and our brain tricks us to think that our feeling of balance is correct. This imbalance causes huge changes in the forces that run through our joints, ligaments, muscles and tendons. This creates unnecessary wear and tear (and commonly pain), creating damage to our bodies and preventing us from doing the things we love and that keep us feeling and looking like we wish to.

Too many times have I seen people giving up on sports and exercise (FOREVER!) due to simple issues of alignment that can be fixed quickly with the right therapist. I always recall the story of a client who visited me with a severely osteo-arthritic knee. He was a surfer who the orthopaedic surgeon had advised him he needed an immediate replacement due to the severity of his osteoarthritis. This would mean that he may not EVER return to surfing, his passion and main sport. He had previously attempted many treatments and strength  exercises for his knee but nothing had changed it or his pain with surfing. After 1 session of re-alignment this man was pain free and has been surfing well with no symptoms for now over a year. YES, he still has a severely oust-arthritic knee, but there are less rotational forces from POOR ALIGNMENT. He can now manage his own knee and can work as a builder and surf with his teenage son.

The point is that we put up with pain and reduced function when it can be reduced or cured by correcting your alignment and perception of normal body position. This allows you to do the active pursuits you love, LOSE WEIGHT, STAY FIT, STAY YOUNG, STAY HAPPY.

A good therapist should be able to teach you how to self assess and correct these issues so you can avoid large therapy bills and you can focus on your training more effectively!!

Article written by Mark Mitchell