When the bit that hurts isn't the whole story

When a woman comes to see me because her back hurts.

Or their hip keeps grumbling.

Or there's a shoulder that simply will not stop aching.

Of course we're going to look at that area.

That's where it hurts.

That's the bit that's been keeping them awake, making them wince when they move or causing them to think twice before doing something. But sometimes, once we start asking a few more questions and looking at how the body is moving as a whole, other things begin to appear.

Because our bodies are incredibly good at finding ways to keep us going. If one area isn't moving comfortably, another area can start doing a little more.

We change how we stand.

How we walk.

How we bend down.

How we pick things up.

How we carry our children.

Even how we breathe.

And most of the time we don't consciously decide to do any of it. Our body simply finds another way. The clever thing is that we can become so good at these little compensations that we don't even realise they're happening. Until something starts complaining.

• That might be a back that's constantly aching alongside a tummy that's been tight and guarded for years, or an old C-section scar that doesn't move particularly freely.

• It might be a neck and shoulders that's had enough after months of feeding a baby, carrying a toddler on the same hip or spending eight hours a day at a desk.

• It might be a hip that always feels tight while other areas aren't moving or supporting us particularly well.

• Or pelvic floor tension sitting alongside abdominal tension, changes in breathing and a body that's become very good at holding on.

  
  

That doesn't mean the scar caused the back pain. Or the breathing caused the pelvic floor tension. Or that if your hip hurts, the problem must be somewhere else.

Bodies aren't quite that simple.

But sometimes there are several pieces of the puzzle involved. And naturally, the loudest piece tends to get all our attention. If our back hurts, we focus on the back.

We stretch it.

Rub it.

Put heat on it.

Maybe have it massaged.

And it might feel absolutely lovely afterwards. But if the same problem keeps coming back, perhaps it's worth becoming curious about what else might be joining in rather than simply doing more and more to the same spot.

It's one of the reasons I think looking at the whole woman matters. Not simply:

"Where does it hurt?"

But:

When did it start?

What was happening around that time?

Have there been pregnancies, births or surgeries?

What does an ordinary day look like?

How are you moving?

How are you breathing?

Is there anywhere else that feels tight, restricted or uncomfortable?

What has your body quietly adapted around without you even realising?

Sometimes those questions reveal things that concentrating solely on the painful area never could. Because where we feel something absolutely matters.

The sore back still hurts.

The grumbling hip is still grumbling.

And that shoulder still deserves some attention.

But sometimes the bit shouting the loudest is only one part of the story. Understanding what else might be joining in can give us a very different picture of what our body has been trying to manage.

And sometimes, that's when things finally begin to make a little more sense.

Love, always

Dawn xx