The Secret Reason Why You Don’t Seek Help for Your Pain and Niggles

Looking after yourself,  caring for yourself,  valuing and dare I say it loving yourself enough to look after and care for yourself is a strange phenomenon!  Asking for help is another!  I have been battling with these concepts for years and am just like so many of you.  You and your needs will often come at the bottom of the “To Do” list on a daily, weekly and monthly basis which means helping your body move and feel better becomes a distant dream.

It is often only when we have an acute “crisis” that we actually ask for and get help.  The point when we physically can’t move or are in so much pain that we can’t work or have to stop doing everything in our day.  When you get to this point your pain and movement problems are at their worst.  They rule your life and you can’t do anything else.  Perhaps this is your body’s very clever way at trying to tell you “get some help please” or “please look after me”.  At this point we often finally listen to what that niggle and episodic pain has been trying to tell us for years!

So, simply, the reason you don’t get help is that we aren’t putting ourselves at the top of our “To Do” list.  We prioritise other people and things ahead of ourselves. We don’t schedule time in our day for self care until we are at a crisis point and our body is screaming at us!

I had been experiencing soreness, tight and restricted range of movement in my neck for 18months. I carried on believing it was stress related.  When my arm started giving way when I was treating I put it down to not hitting the gym! 3 months later a simple sudden movement tipped me over the edge and I had acute disc related neck and arm pain.  I couldn’t work for 4 months.  My body had been trying to tell me something for nearly 2 years.  I didn’t listen. Even as a Physio I ignored my symptoms.  The trade off for not looking after myself and seeking help was a year of rehab.  I had been too busy to put my body and myself on my “To Do” list each day.  Please don’t be like me.  You are the one who can prioritise your body and it’s needs.  We are here to help and support you every step of the way.  You aren’t alone.  You will achieve your goals.  You will move better.  You will be pain free and not reliant on painkillers.

So, your “One Thing” to think about this week is…. Are you ready to prioritise yourself and your body on a daily and weekly basis?

If the answer is “Yes”, give us a call now.  Look after and care for yourself.  Put yourself and your needs on your “To Do” list.  Listen to your body and what it is trying to tell you before you hit a crisis!  We are here to help.

Please note…. by doing my year of rehab I am now moving and feeling as good as I did when I was at school and that is some years ago now!

With love,

Vic

originally posted 1st June 2017