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Pain is there for a reason and it can actually be considered an ally if we are able to see it as a sense versus an attack to be made the victim of.
Farm Life, FarmLife

Do emotions and pain work together?

Fit to Farm: Like any other emotion, pain needs to be felt to be released so the healing process can begin

By
Regulating pain has a lot to do with regulating the nervous system’s response to its environment (or perceived environment). Throwing emotion into the mix will actually lead to fixating on the sensation of pain and ramping up the intensity of that sensation. Think of pain like another emotion. The more you think about it, the […] Read more
Many issues in the spine stem from too much of the same movement or not enough movement in general.
FarmLife

Simple ways to keep the spine healthy

Fit to Farm: Spine health is important for overall quality of life so we must look after it

By
Spine problems like low back pain, sciatica, disc degeneration, shoulder and neck pain often sneak up on us seemingly out of nowhere, however, usually they are byproducts of chronic behaviours and patterns over the years. With this in mind there are a few simple things we can do routinely to support the spine, and everything […] Read more
Why does stress affect health?
Farm Life, FarmLife

Why does stress affect health?

Fit to Farm: To know that, we have to understand what it does to how we function

By
In my clinic, stress is one of many reasons clients complain of ongoing pain, tension and physical issues. I often get asked: “Can stress actually cause this much disease?” To answer that, we first have to understand stress and its effect on human function. Stress can be anything from exercise, change in routine, illness, caretaking, […] Read more
Stages of healing after an injury
Farm Life, FarmLife

Stages of healing after an injury

Fit to Farm: There are usually clear phases to indicate what is needed, but when that will happen can’t always be predicted

By
Healing is not a linear process. It does often have some clear phases and stages that can indicate what is needed when, however, the arrival of these stages isn’t always predictable. In healing work I often see one of two presentations: an acute onset of a complaint or a long-term issue held in the body. […] Read more
Modalities are essentially any technique or tool that is used to facilitate healing.
Farm Life, FarmLife

The value of healing modalities

Fit to Farm: Modalities are tools to be used in the process of progressive healing

By
We’ve all experienced some form of healing/therapeutic modality. Modalities are essentially any technique or tool that is used to facilitate healing. Examples could include massage/bodywork, NSAIDs/pain relief medication, ultrasound, acupuncture, TENs units, cupping, taping, etc. These modalities are tools to a larger process of healing. In theory they should be used as a stepping stone […] Read more
When we approach compensations from a place of understanding the value they’ve held at some point in relation to our survival, they begin to make a lot of sense.
Farm Life, FarmLife

The truth behind physical compensations

Fit to Farm: How people move and hold themselves can reveal much of their life history

By
Even compensations and imbalances have a time and place — just like crutches have a place after breaking a leg. Though often when compensations begin to cause issues like pain, performance barriers and tension, they’ve reached the end of their purpose. Our body’s job is to keep us functioning and stable (a.k.a. safe) in an […] Read more
Our “usual” has been rudely interrupted, our connections kept at a distance and change forced upon many of us.
FarmLife

Stress management for uncertain times

Fit to Farm: During these pandemic times many have experienced stress-related symptoms

By
Big or small, we’ve all made sacrifices for the collective goal over the past months, and safe to say, experienced some level of stress-related symptom in our physical and emotional bodies. Common signs of stress, uncertainty, and overwhelm manifesting in the body include: Headaches, Fatigue, Malaise, Muscular tension, Stiff joints, Restlessness, Anxiety/depression, Transient moods, Bickering, […] Read more
Sciatica, like a majority of other pain conditions, can be resolved. It will take time and effort, but it is possible.
FarmLife

Have you been diagnosed with sciatica?

Fit to Farm: If you have been dealing with lower back pain there’s a good chance that you have been

By
Sciatic is the name of the nerve that is supposedly causing the symptoms. The traditional description of what causes sciatica symptoms is that surrounding muscle groups tighten and impinge on the sciatic nerve as it exits through the pelvis and carries on down the leg. Some of the underlying roots as to why sciatic irritation […] Read more
Often the fear and apprehension that arrive from seeing a big scary thing on an imaging report actually cause more tension and alarm in our systems, in turn, exacerbating symptoms.
FarmLife

Imaging and ‘big scary things’

Fit to Farm: The things most often seen through imaging of the spine are not always the cause of symptoms

By
Regardless of how back pain started, many sufferers go on to be referred for medical imaging such as X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans. As a practising rehabilitation specialist I see imaging as both a blessing and curse, in the majority of cases I see. Research has shown that the big scary things we so often […] Read more
Some things to know about stretching
FarmLife

Some things to know about stretching

Fit to Farm: Newer research suggests this may not have as much benefit as once thought

By
Static stretching — or long holds of a position — is a thing of the past when it comes to correcting tight muscles. Over the last number of years research has suggested that static stretching doesn’t actually have as much long-term benefit as once thought. This doesn’t mean it’s bad, or harmful, but it is […] Read more

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