This may come as a surprise… but chiropractors are people too! We are made of the same structures, tissues, joints…. and are subject to the same environmental stressors as everyone else. So, what are these stressors? How do we navigate them? And why – even when we are not experiencing any pain – do we choose chiropractic? 

The body is subjected to many, and various, forces.  Two types of force which enter the body through compression and shear, can affect the body’s structures very differently. Compression is anything that squishes the body from top to bottom. Gravity is a constant source of compression. Our bodies are designed to be upright, so when we sit for too long, the compression can affect the low back. We have 10x as much force going through the discs in our low back while sitting vs standing. As chiropractors, as with many professions, we do sit for certain periods of the day, and are, therefore, equally susceptible to compression-based issues in the low back. 

Shear force affects us at a right angle to compression. It creates force which could slide structures forwards or backwards – something which they aren’t supposed to do! When you hinge (bend) forwards to pick something up, or your head juts too far forward… you will experience shear force. Looking down at your phone for too long, or leaning forward to reach something and for a prolonged period, are sources of shear force which the body may not like. Through the very process of doing our job, carrying out our work, we have to lean forwards to assess and adjust the human frame. Our bodies experience a lot of low grade shear force every single day. 

Fortunately, we are able to structure the way we work to minimise the daily affect compression or shear forces may have on us. When we perform our consultations, we will be up and moving about, not staying still for too long. Follow our example: try to get up and move about, even if its only for 20 seconds. It’s especially important to move if you find yourself sitting still for 20 minutes or more. Similarly, if you’ve been straining your neck, just looking down, say at your phone or a book, for 20 minutes, it’s time to look up! The human body is excellent at adapting, and through training and repetition, is able to deal with these forces well. 

Sometimes, we go over the limit for what the body has the capacity to adapt to. There is a limitation to matter after all. This negatively impacts the soft tissues of the body. Avoiding the straw that breaks the camels (or chiropractors!) back, we choose to get checked and reset regularly. Early signs that the body isn’t functioning well can include tension or fatigue in the muscles which previously felt okay. Assessing joint movement and muscle strength is part of how we work and allows us to catch potential issues before they express themselves as pain in the body. A positive side effect is better muscle contraction and proprioception, meaning you’re much less likely to hurt yourself in the first place! 

Heal > Adapt > Evolve