Many patients who see me on their initial consultation are surprised to find out that good core strength and flexibility is integral to osteopathic care at my Bristol clinic
A significant number of the injuries I have seen over the years at my Bristol Osteopathic clinic are related to or predisposed by insufficient core strength and/or a low level of overall flexibility.
The modern world is often not particularly good for general core strength and flexibility, with many people sitting down for long periods at home and work.
Poor posture is a major issue - please read this to find out more and how you can improve your sitting position.
The daily low-grade physical stress for some people brings about a deconditioning of the core muscles over time, and is often coupled with a loss of flexibility.
This in turn will leave the body more predisposed to injury, illness and disablement.
What is core strength?
Core strength is the body stability gained from postural muscles, that maintain our skeleton in a healthy upright position.
Our postural muscles develop as an infant and into childhood. It keeps our bodies stable as well as protecting our joints and allowing us to function without the risk of constant injuries.
If you're currently suffering with joint pain, please read this.
A lack of activity in the young can potentially mean that these stabilizers are not as strong as they should be for later life.
Furthermore, as many of us adults become less active in our busy lives (for example, in sedentary jobs) our core muscles can decondition. Then the joints and ligaments are more susceptible to injuries.
Building restoring and maintaining core strength is a key to injury prevention and rehabilitation.
I am a huge advocate of the prevention is better than cure message - please read this blog post to find out more about some of my top injury prevention tips.
As a Bristol Osteopath, I have plenty of recommended exercises I give to patients at my Henleaze clinic to improve their core stability, but it is not my area of expertise so I often refer patients to specific core exercise classes, such as Pilates or Body Balance.
Why is flexibility important?
If we lose flexibility through lack of use (or misuse) then we leave ourselves open to injuries.
Many injuries that I see and treat are in part due to loss of flexibility.
Many patients also lose a level of flexibility after an injury is sustained.
A large part of what I do as an osteopath is to restore and balance body flexibility.
Flexibility can be enhanced and maintained with exercises such as Yoga, Pilates and simple stretching. I have specific flexibility exercises for patients.
The key combination for a healthy and balanced muscular-skeletal system is putting the two elements of core strength and flexibility together.
My Bristol-based patients that manage this often do not need further osteopathic care for months or even years. The benefits cannot be underestimated.
If you would like to discuss how osteopathic treatments in Bristol could help you maintain your core strength and flexibility, please book a consultation with me online here.
For more hints, tips and advice on staying safe and active, please visit my News section here.
To find out more about the full range of osteopathic treatments that I provide in Bristol, please visit here for details.