that seem to have been overlooked in the ‘rush’ of medical advice and how to avoid further injuries. You’ll learn what to immediately do in case of an accident before you can get to a physiotherapist—and whether or not you even need to see one. I’ll share insights into our use of new technologies that are having incredible breakthroughs in everyday lives — like whole body vibration therapy — along with some ancient, yet timeless, techniques that you can effectively learn including acupressure and soft tissue therapy. I will advise you on how to choose the right practitioner for you and also give seldom-heard insights for keeping fit, without the sensationalised ‘gym hype’, so you can increase your vitality and defy old age as it approaches.
“I will show you why some clients get better and others don’t… and how to avoid advice that simply doesn’t work.”
More than anything, I will reveal to you how you can get healthier quicker and with more lasting results. And where I feel you may need a therapist to assist you in this, I will educate you about why practitioners do what they do. I am embarrassed when I hear people being fed so-called “expert” medical and health advice…that just simply doesn’t work. Contained here are keys which you can turn to unlock greater health and recovery that are long overdue being taught to you. Why it’s taken anyone this long to write them down is a mystery to me.
In It Together… This book is a resource to inform and empower you in ‘self-health’, and to better understand how physiotherapy can support you in the journey. It’s not necessarily designed to be read from cover to cover, although you will find a natural rhythm and intuitive sequence of topics throughout it. Keep it handy for when it’s most needed and cherry pick the headlines that speak directly to you.
In some cases the subject matter warrants further detail that I have placed in separate publications. You can reference my other books or recommended resources when you want to learn more. However, don’t feel overwhelmed with information. If you only have time to read and apply a fraction of the advice captured throughout these pages, then be assured the investment will pay off. If you are like any one of the millions of clients my team and I have helped over the last many years, you will discover relevant secrets to keep you active longer and, therefore, loving life more.
Like I said at the beginning, though, you will play an important part in the outcome. The recommendations listed at the end of each chapter will guide you through some practical steps to follow. It’s not what you hear or read that changes you…it’s what you do! I hope this book will encourage you to do something.
Health Secrets
1 Moving well is under-rated and needs greater emphasis in your lifestyle.
2 It’s not normal for you to feel pain with everyday movement or suffer recurring injuries.
3 Don’t be frustrated with conflicting health advice. You need access to somebody you can trust.
4 It’s essential that you ask hard questions, be objective and make well informed decisions about your health.
5 A physiotherapist is a great partner to have on your life journey.
6 Great health is not difficult for you to achieve, despite many not knowing this.
Actions for Optimal Health
Review the health secrets of this chapter.
Reflect on what concessions you have made in life due to pain or injury, temporary or otherwise. Make a list of the physical limitations, pain, conditions or injuries that are holding you back today from moving well. Keep this list nearby as you continue to read the book. The list will become your immediate context to which the principles I teach you can be applied.
Write down the names of 2-3 people you trust with your health. They could be a professional, family member or injury ‘veteran’. Why do you trust them? Has their advice proven reliable and beneficial? Share this book with them.
Make a commitment today to take some action as a result of what you read in each chapter of this book. You don’t have to do everything, but be cautious about just digesting information. Do something, however small, with what you learn.
Chapter 2:
HEALTH IS A JOURNEY, NOT A DESTINATION
The Wellness Paradigm
There seems to be some confusion as to the meaning of “wellness”. Feeling okay isn’t the equivalent to being well. A lack of pain or symptoms doesn’t equate to good health. As a society, we’ve come to accept the absence of disease, injury or pain as a sign that we’re healthy. We’re wrong.
This is a myth we need to confront.
True health and wellness is the positive condition in which we are not just devoid of visible symptoms, but are actually living an optimised physical lifestyle. This means we are fueling our bodies with the right foods, getting a reasonable amount of physical activity and engaging in positive habits and behaviours that contribute to overall well-being. Wellness is about performing at our best.
However, most people perceive ‘wellness’ to be that transient stage between illnesses, injuries and pain. Some liken it to living in a ‘safe zone’ or neutral state, albeit for a fleeting period. Sadly, these paradigms are tragically insufficient when compared with the ideal. Think about how often you can honestly say you feel vibrant and strong. For many, these feelings are brief, sporadic or, at best, may last only weeks. Rarely has anyone learned how to enjoy wellness as a long-term experience.
Instead, we accept “not being sick” as a synonym for wellness. With this approach, it’s only a matter of time until people are once again succumbing to the underlying compromise in their substandard health habits and negative patterns of physical movement. According to our most recent National Health Survey, more than sixteen million Australians have at least one chronic condition1. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that chronic disease is a major cause of death and disability worldwide2, and accounts for approximately 80 percent of the deaths in Australia3. In 2011, it was reported that as many as 1 in 3 Australians experience episodes of chronic pain at some stage throughout their life. A staggering 92% of our population is in some way impacted by this, with 61% knowing someone who has a chronic condition and another 20% living with suffers from chronic pain4. Almost 900,000 of our fellow neighbours have diabetes, which is leading to an increase in chronic kidney disease. Obesity has become an epidemic ‘Down Under’, with 61 percent of adults and 25 percent of children being classified as overweight or obese. WHO has stated that, globally, at least 80 percent of premature heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes, as well as 40 percent of cancer cases, could be prevented through better nutrition, regular exercise and avoiding tobacco5. Healthcare costs in Australia are estimated to represent 10 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product, and in 2010 alone, this figure reached $121.4 billion6.
These problems aren’t just national issues, they are global ones. The fast-paced lifestyles of our western culture have a lot to do with it. Countless hours are spent sitting in front of a computer or TV screen every day. Chemical pollutants invade us through the foods we eat and the air we breathe. Our sleep is disturbed because our brains can’t turn off. Put simply; our new modern way of life threatens our health every
