Posture at the workplace, continued.
This article, 4th in the series, turns to what to do about discomfort and pain and covers the first two of three steps - taking control and listening to your body.
Past articles are listed at the end of this one.
Take control
Mind and body are closely linked. In many instances we are, without realising it, in control of the conditions that give rise to pain and are therefore in a position to get rid of it. Once we understand this and consciously take control, we can achieve quite remarkable advances and be very much happier.
It’s as much a mental as a physical approach. We know a happy person when we see one – we talk of "a spring in their step, head up, chest out." We know instinctively what such a posture means.
Our brain controls our posture through the nerves. Our mind can control our brain. One way of implementing that control is to alter our posture positively. Try walking with a spring in your step, add in a little skip, your head up and chest out – you will probably feel a lift and may well have a smile on your face at the same time (especially if colleagues are watching you...) That is the first step. Think positively about improving your physical posture.
Very relevant to this is the work by Professor Michael Marmot, Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College, London. He believes that "The reason that low status may translate into poorer health is lack of control and fewer opportunities for full social engagement or participation" (newscientist.com).
There is no reason for anyone to be in "victim mode", feeling that the world has it in for them, that there is nothing they can do. As many practitioners will tell you, if you cannot bring a person to believe that they can do something for themselves and get them to exercise some initiative, you cannot begin to change their pain. Once they have decided to change, the results can be remarkable.
When people understand why and how to take control, their health improves.
Listen to the body
The second step is to listen to the body. Why do people "grin and bear it"? Because they are not listening. Discomfort and pain are telling you something. In particular, with musculo-skeletal matters, they are telling you that something is not right, something is out of alignment, or something is moving in an incorrect way. Analyse the feeling, look for the root cause and seek ways of changing.
Pain is subjective. There are many cases of people with quite severe injuries that they hardly notice, whilst other people with injuries in the same area but to a lesser degree may be in agony. It is noticeable that when a person is concentrating, they may even temporarily put themselves in the position of not feeling the pain. Indeed, it can take a very long time for the body to "get through" to the mind and make the point that something is not right. Unfortunately, all this time the damage is getting worse. So it is worth treating the messages of discomfort and pain positively, by listening to them.
In the next article, we talk about taking action.
Past articles
Part 1: the importance of correct alignment of joints
Part 2: the relationship of muscles, balance and nerves.
Part 3: poor posture - what happens if posture is poor and why do we have it?
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