Tania, administrator and patient at Shoreham Osteopathy Centre shares the benefits of exercise, osteopathy and a decent pair of hiking shoes!
As dog owners, we cover a few miles on our daily walks around beautiful Shoreham-by-Sea; pounding the pavements, hiking up The Downs, along the beach or river; across a variety of terrain. For a while now, I have had issues with my lower back, neck, knees and an episode of plantar fasciitis. Exercise certainly helps but it is not exercise alone that can ease my symptoms.
Walking, yoga and osteopathy have supported me hugely. The holistic approach of osteopathy has helped me understand the interdependence of the muscles of the body and how poor movement and posture have had significant impact on my pain. The combination of manipulation, massage, advice and specific exercises have been invaluable.
Alex Marek, Osteopath, is a marathon runner and has researched the importance of wearing the correct footwear, “There could be many contributing factors to any injury … choosing the right shoes is essential.” (previous article Inside Shoreham). Unfortunately, my faithful, battered and broken-laced hiking shoes are coming to the end of their days and in preparation for this sad event, I’ve been trying alternative footwear.
After a few weeks, I noticed my aches and pains had worsened, so decided to replace the broken lace in my old faithful shoes and just keep using them until they gave up on me.
It has been two weeks now and my knees and back seem so much stronger. I feel more relaxed when walking and can get out of the sofa groan-free! I continue to do the exercises and stretches that Jenny Davys, Osteopath, advised and have osteopathy treatment every 6-8 weeks to keep the machine oiled.
Everyone is different. I feel that I am beginning to understand my body more and what I need to stay active for hopefully years to come. My old shoes may not have long left in this world, but at the moment they are still giving me the support and comfort I need. My quest for the replacement hiking shoes continues!