I thought I’d look at a few inventions that will keep
osteopaths in business for years to come . . .
1. The Chair – Once upon a time man would squat when having
a rest or a chat with a friend. It might seem surprising to many today but the human
body is actually well designed for squatting.
Then some bright spark invented the chair and with it came all the
postural challenges that osteopaths thrive on today. Prolonged sitting can lead
to low back pain, lower rib tightness from slumping, pressure on the abdominal
contents, reduced breathing capacity, tightness in the muscles at the fronts of
the thighs, tension across the upper back and shoulders . . the list is almost
endless. Of course, this all depends on how much time you spend sitting, what
sort of seat it is, how well you sit, but ultimately you weren’t designed for
prolonged sitting no matter how wonderful the design.
2. High heels – Fashions come and go but high heeled shoes
never seem to fade away especially when it come to dressing up for a posh do.
Some women even decide to wear them to work! The only negative thing from an
osteopathic business perspective is that this fashion item has never really
caught on with men in the same way it has for women. Put on a pair of heels and
the whole walking mechanism is thrown into disarray. The calf muscles shorten,
the pelvis tips forward, the low back hollows out so even if you can manage to
walk gracefully without falling over there’s huge potential for hip pain,
pelvic torsions, low back pain and all manner of aches in pains in the legs.
3. Hedge Trimmers – The sound of a hedge trimmer on a sunny
summers day can bring a smile to an old osteopaths’ face, especially if it
involves a nice tall hedge and therefore a step ladder. Holding a heavy piece
of machinery at arm’s length in full stretch, not just for a couple of minutes
but repeating the action over maybe an hour is great for straining shoulders
and arms. If you add the step ladder into the equation you also get the benefit
of leaning forward and overreaching to get to that furthest bit of hedge so the
low back gets strained as well!
4. Vacuum Cleaners – We’re talking mainly about the stick
type models here rather than the upright ones and to be fair the problems
caused by these devices are more down to operator error than anything else.
There’s a tendency when using a stick vacuum cleaner to bend over too much and
press down through the stick as if the pressure will make it work better. No
wonder folk struggle to straighten up after doing the weekly chores around the
house.
5. Smart Phones – As if computers and laptops weren’t good
enough for generating osteopathic business they’ve now introduced the smart
phone and folk are walking and sitting around with their heads permanently looking
down towards their feet. Given that your
average head weighs in at about 5kg that’s quite a challenge for all the
muscles in the upper back and shoulders as they support the weight of this
heavy object for hours during the day. Tightness across the upper back and
shoulders, neck pain, headaches and even pains radiating down into the arms and
hands are all possible consequences of this wonderful osteopathic fee
generating device.