In clinic recently, I had a fascinating conversation with a patient who is a dentist.
Like many of us, she’s juggling a life that rarely slows down. And she told me something I hear quite often in practice:
“When I have an adjustment, I feel so much better. But by the time I come back the following week, I feel like I’m back at square one again.”
Then she said something that really caught my attention: “I want to get to the root cause of why this keeps happening.”
It’s a fantastic question. And one that many people ask.
The Assumption People Make
Often, when people talk about finding the root cause of a problem, they assume there must be something wrong inside their body. A weak muscle. A damaged joint. A hidden issue waiting to be discovered.
Sometimes that is the case — but not always.
What Her Day Actually Looked Like
As we talked, I asked her to describe a typical working day.
She spends hours leaning over patients, looking down into mouths, holding awkward positions, concentrating intensely, and seeing between 25 and 30 patients a day. After work, she heads home to family responsibilities, household jobs, and all the demands that come with modern life.
Suddenly, the picture became much clearer.
Your Body Might Be Doing Something Remarkable
Perhaps her body wasn’t failing her at all.
Perhaps her body was doing an incredible job coping with the demands being placed upon it every single day.
Think of it this way: imagine driving your car for hundreds of miles every week. You wouldn’t be surprised if it needed fuel, maintenance, tyre checks and regular servicing. Yet many of us expect our bodies to keep going indefinitely without giving them the same level of care and attention.
What Happens in the Other 167 Hours
Health isn’t just about what happens during an adjustment. It’s also about what happens during the other 167 hours of the week.
The posture we maintain. The movement we don’t get. The recovery we skip. The stress we carry. The sleep we sacrifice. The exercise we postpone until life gets less busy.
Let’s be honest — life rarely gets less busy.
Exercise Isn’t a Luxury
One of the things we discussed was the idea that exercise isn’t a luxury. It’s not something we earn once everything else is finished. It’s one of the tools that allows us to keep doing everything else.
We talked about:
- Taking brief movement breaks between patients
- Making recovery a priority rather than an afterthought
- Supporting the body with good nutrition and appropriate supplementation
- Creating small opportunities throughout the day to reset, rather than waiting until everything hurts
None of these things are dramatic. None of them are particularly exciting. But small actions repeated consistently can have a remarkable impact over time.
A Different Question to Ask
As chiropractors, we’re always looking for ways to help the body function better. Adjustments can be a powerful part of that process — but lasting change often comes from understanding the demands your body faces every day, and giving it the resources it needs to meet those demands.
Sometimes the root cause isn’t a weakness, an injury, or a fault within the body.
Sometimes it’s simply that you’ve been carrying a very heavy load for a very long time.
So this week, instead of asking “What’s wrong with my body?” — try asking “What is my body dealing with every day?”
You might find the answer is surprisingly compassionate, and it may be the first step towards creating meaningful, lasting change.
If you haven’t been into the clinic in the last six months, book your £37 consultation or give us a call on 020 8549 5409 to get booked in for an adjustment.
Stay active, stay curious, and keep moving.
Kelly