If exercise is so wonderful, why is it not good enough?

When you decide to hire a chiropractor, you want to feel better. Specifically, you want a working pain solution that doesn’t require you to keep coming back.

If long-term results is what you are after, then you would know chiropractic adjustments ain’t gonna cut it cos it REQUIRES you to keep coming back.

Nobody tries to hide from that. Not even local chiropractors. They call it maintenance or wellness care, and use it to sell packages upwards of 100 sessions.

(I call it a less-than-ideal pain solution.)

This is why I offer exercise. Specifically, I offer exercise PLUS coaching because I want you to not have to always come back.

Why do I need more than exercise?

I love research because it tells you exactly what works and what doesn’t work. This is the recommendation from the Lancet’s low back pain series.

I absolutely love it because it tells us that ergonomic intervention at workplace is ineffective … and more importantly, exercise and education is better than exercise alone.

You see, you may get better doing exercises with me and doing the exercises I prescribed. But what happens after you stopped seeing me?

What exercises would you do on your own?

What exercises can you do?

Without education, you would not be able to answer these questions. If you cannot answer these questions, then your pain may come back.

If your pain does come back and you are unable to self-manage, I would have failed at my job to helping you help yourself.

Remember, our mission is about making ourselves redundant to you.

Chronic pain is not just physical. It’s probably mostly non-physical.

Because of the narratives we are flooded with on social media, we think “poor posture” is bad for us. Not true.

You may also think your pain is because of damage or that something is wrong with you. Also not true.

The latest Lancet article on chronic pain explicitly states that chronic pain is NOT an “indicator of ongoing injury”.

More importantly, they exert that it is often the result of “abnormal neural signalling” with “biopsychosocial dimensions”. In short, it is NOT just physical.

Because of that reason alone, exercise is a part of the solution but not the solution in full!

Chronic pain can be a lifestyle disease

There are different ways to solve problems. Some solutions are meaningful and sustainable. Others are … reactive and short-term.

Most of us frown upon taking paracetamol because we think it’s the easier-way-out. How is massage or chiropractic adjustments any different? They are short-term pain relief that doesn’t result in any meaningful changes.

There must be some time in your life where you didn’t have the pain you are currently experiencing. If research is showing that your pain is not due to recurring, on-going injury, then surely there must be other factors (outside of tissue damage) involved?

This is why exercise alone is not enough. You may need a lifestyle change to find true freedom from pain.

Behaviour change is possible!

I know that you know lifestyle changes are important. Just have a think about your new year resolution — how many of them are lifestyle related?

Chronic pain is no different. Instead of relying on chiropractic adjustments (latest research says they work no matter than placebo) and ergonomic chairs (latest research says they are ineffective), why not rely on yourself?

Your body is robust and adaptive. You can use exercises to zhng up so you don’t need a special chair t feel better.

Exercises can help you train your endurance so you can sit for hours and hours in front of a computer without any aches and soreness.

It is possible!

The bigger question is, how do we make adequate exercises a part of your life?

I say adequate because if you exercise too little, you probably should exercise more.

If you experience recurrent pain because of excessive sports, then you probably want to consider exercising less OR zhng up your body more so you can support your preferred lifestyle.

Exercise PLUS coaching is what you need

Coaching is really about bringing you from your current state to your desired state in a way that doesn’t require you to be dependent for anyone long-term.

I call myself a coach and I do maintain I work in a coaching framework because I see myself more as a facilitator of change.

I am not there to take your pain away. I am not there to make you dependent on me. I firmly believe that my role as a chiropractor is to help you help yourself.

This is why my clients get results our competitors struggle to match.

This is how we offer you true freedom from pain.