For our Young Adults to consider ... and those of us that are a bit older as well

"I'm writing this article from the heart.  I've been confronted by a serious health issue, and I would like to save others from the challenge of turning that around ... or not."

Maintaining our health is a life-long journey where we try many things and listen to many different opinions.  Yet unfortunately, when we are sick or in pain, we tend to rely solely on the advice from one source which makes us feel better quickly with as little interruption to our convenient daily lives as possible.  We expect this source to know everything, and be capable of giving the advise that is in our best interests.  This source is called ... doctors.

Doctors are, without a doubt, some of the most intelligent and knowledgeable people around.  They are revered in our society because they understand all about our bodies and how they work, chemicals and drugs that can have a quick impact on our illnesses, and how to save lives, which the rest of us will probably never get.  Our society's conditioning has programmed our survival instinct to believe that we must rely on them for guidance and support to keep us alive and healthy.  And so, as a matter of course, as we know no better, we believe what they tell us.  We instinctively trust them, and we allow them to influence us enormously.

Science recognises the power of suggestion.  It has even been scientifically proven that the growth and development of plants can be influenced by positive or negative words and messages said to them, so imagine how much more influential the messages given by doctors can be on us.

In my clinic, I have heard some interesting quotes:

• The horse rider:  "The doctors told me 45 years ago, after a car accident when I was 17, that I'd be wheelchair bound by the time I was 35 years old".
• The cancer survivor:  "Five years ago the doctors told me I'd be dead within 6 weeks."
• The businessman:  "The doctor said I'd just have to put up with the pain in my hip till it got bad enough for a hip replacement."
• The mother of three:  "The doctor told me to change my paradigm - expect a large box of tampons to last a day instead of a week."
• The farmer:  "The doctors said I'd never lift my arm above 20 degrees again unless I had an operation and took 6 months off work to recover."

Unlike some other people I know, these people didn't let their bodies wilt away after these negative messages, like the plants in the scientific experiments.

• The horse rider had found various exercises that he incorporated into his daily routine for the last 43 years.  This allowed him to maintain good posture and he is, to this day, running, horse riding and playing backyard cricket and rugby with his grandchildren, with no wheelchair in sight.
• The cancer survivor is still doing exactly what his herbalist tells him to, 5 years on.
• The businessman had a few Bowen treatments about 18 months ago and became pain free, and still doesn't think he'll need that hip replacement.
• The mother of three changed her diet under the guidance of a naturopath and her life is no longer ruled by her hormones - she has gone back to work, has an active social life and enjoys camping again with her family.
• The farmer was still telling me that he would never lift his arm more than 20 degrees as I was giving him Bowen at a dusty showground last summer, and he could already lift it to 90 degrees.  Two weeks later he had normal strength and range of motion, no surgery involved.

There is an option to mainstream medicine, you just need to be proactive and find it.  And most options can and will work with doctors

What I am particularly concerned about, and what I am hearing more and more, is that there is a growing acceptance and expectation of the inevitability that we will develop chronic pain and chronic illness in our early middle age.  I ask my clients to list all their health and pain issues for me, and often they don't tell me about some because "That's just what happens when you get older, isn't it, you can't do anything about that".  Where are they getting this message from?  I am hearing quotes every day in my clinic like this one:

"The doctor said to me what do you expect? 
Of course you're experiencing aches and pains - you're over 40."  

Now, I'm not sure what's going on here.  I'd like to think these noble doctors who have devoted seven or more years of their lives studying their healing craft are not giving their patients these negative messages, so perhaps people are misinterpreting what they're being told by the doctor.  If that is the case, I would like to encourage the doctors to take responsibility for this - understand the power they have over people, to change the messages they are giving their patients and to choose their words and messages very carefully so that this potentially hazardous misinterpretation that is changing our society's health expectations no longer occurs.

I also don't believe these highly intelligent people are arrogant enough to think that the medical and allied health industry hold all the answers and there are no other solutions - they must see evidence on a regular basis of what the alternative health industry achieves when their methods don't succeed.  I do think however that insurance plays a large part in what they can and cannot suggest to their patients.  But then again, I might be wrong - who knows.

What I do know, from my experience in my clinic and talking with my clients, is that:

• Arthritis doesn't necessarily have to hurt, and you might achieve that without pain relieving medication.
• Ageing can be graceful and comfortable.
• Surgery for carpal tunnel, knee and hip replacements isn't always necessary, and if it is then the leadup may be pain free and medication free.
• Many chronic illnesses may be managed through diet and lifestyle choices.
• Maintaining good posture helps you avoid deteriorating joints later in life, no matter how old you are.
• Maintaining good posture assists with functional movement which is necessary to keep your organs and systems working correctly.  This will assist you in avoiding chronic pain and chronic illnesses.

The body has an innate and amazing ability to heal itself.  Pain is the body's way of alerting you to the fact that something is not right.  If you address the pain when it begins, in an effective way with postural alignment and anti-inflammatory habits, then you may well avoid years of pain from arthritis and surgery for joint replacements.

My suggestion is not to put all your eggs in one basket.  Be proactive about your health throughout your whole life, not just when you start having problems.  From the age of 25 or younger, gather a team of health professionals around you that you trust.

1. Find a doctor that you are comfortable with, and consult the allied health professsionals they support.
2. Find a very good naturopath, herbalist or TCM practitioner to provide further support, information and dietary advice.  The very good ones will not advise you to abandon the treatments the doctors are prescribing you.  They will understand how to work around the drugs you're taking and still influence your health so that in time your doctor can review your symptoms, blood tests or whatever and make appropriate decisions.
3. Find a bodywork that you like which effectively restores and maintains good posture (massage, kinesiology, acupuncture, chiropractic, Bowen Therapy) and have a treatment once a month to stay on track.  If you think that's too much, have a treatment to resolve any small issues as soon as they begin rather than leaving it till the problem becomes too advanced to manage.
4. Regularly partake in some exercise that involves motion to maintain good posture (Yoga, Pilates, Egoscue, Tai Chi, Qi Gong).
5. Use moderate exercise in a range of activities to maintain fitness, strength and flexibility.
6. Attend to pain and symptoms in a timely fashion to maintain good health and posture and avert the possibility of chronic disease, chronic pain and, ultimately, surgery.

The advice that you will get from your doctor and allied health professionals will be different from the advice you get from the good alternative health professional.  Keep the end in mind, gather information and make your own decision.  Unfortunately the most effective advice is often the most difficult to follow - changing your lifestyle and diet forever is much more daunting than not changing anything except taking a tablet every day for the rest of your life.  If you find the support that works for you early in your life and follow the advice that makes sense to you, not necessarily what is most convenient to you, you will have a good chance of enjoying a long, pain free and healthy life.

So you have a choice:

• Drink the occasional soft drink, consume the occasional cream bun and eat a low-fat "balanced" diet following the "healthy eating pyramid", over-exercise or don't exercise at all, sit at a computer all day and watch TV till late every night and then, when you get sick and tired and sore, you can take pills for blood pressure and cholesterol and diabetes and anxiety and depression and Alzheimers and arthritis and goodness knows what else, and you're likely to have Outcome Number 1 - a long, miserable, unhealthy and uncomfortable old age.
  ​or
• Eat only nutritious, healthy foods, drink green tea and enough good quality water to keep your body fully hydrated, attend to any viruses and infections in a non-invasive and effective way, exercise regularly for strength, flexibility, posture and fitness, get enough restful sleep at the right time of the night so your body can do it's housekeeping properly, and you're likely to have Outcome Number 2 - a long, happy, healthy and comfortable old age.

I'm writing this article from the heart.  I've been confronted by a serious health issue, and I would like to save others from the challenge of turning that around ... or not.  Also, I am constantly witnessing (and helping to treat) the outcome of eating what we have been told is a healthy balanced diet, doing the fat free thing, and exercising 30, no 60, no hang on now it's 90 minutes a day.  I have no doubt that the high incidence of heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimers and other chronic conditions as well as surgeries for joint replacements and the removal of gall bladders is caused by our diet, our lifestyle, our medicines.

When Bowen isn't enough, I encourage my clients to seek other assistance.  Depending on the nature of the challenge, that assistance may be from a doctor or an alternative health professional.  The alternative health professionals I refer to are the best in their field in our region.  We are very blessed to have their experience and expertise here, as you would be hard pressed to find a similar quality of natural health support in a metropolitan or coastal area.

---

Please don't leave this choice until you realise that you're not a superhero (about 30yo) and not immortal (about 50yo), because by then you're probably well on the way to Outcome Number 1 and, believe me, it's tough to turn it around - but I imagine even tougher to live it out if you don't manage to turn it around.  Start early so you can enjoy Outcome Number 2 - a long life just as it should be - graceful, happy, healthy and comfortable.
​
If you would like to know more about how Bowen Therapy may be able to assist you to achieve your goal of a long, healthy, happy and pain free life, or you would like some introductions to some very good alternative health professionals in our region, I'd be delighted to spend some time talking with you.  Give me a call on 0427 143 743.