Viewing Health as a Seesaw: Finding Balance in Your Wellness Journey

Written By Cuan Wayne Coetzee .

Welcome back to MoveMed! Today, I want to revisit a concept I explore in my book Why Movement is Medicine: the idea of health as a seesaw. This principle helps us visualise the delicate balance required to maintain optimal health, particularly when dealing with repetitive strain injuries and chronic pain. Just as a seesaw tilts back and forth, so does our health, influenced by our actions, habits, and lifestyle choices.

The Seesaw Principle: A Balancing Act of Health

In Why Movement is Medicine, I describe the seesaw as a metaphor for health. When the seesaw is balanced, we feel good, move well, and enjoy life without pain. But when poor habits, stress, or injury tip the seesaw, it can become a long and challenging process to restore balance. The key takeaway is that the longer an injury or imbalance has been present, the longer it often takes to regain equilibrium. This concept is crucial when considering repetitive strain injuries—those persistent, nagging pains that develop slowly over time.

The Longer It Took to Develop, the Longer It Takes to Heal

Physiologically, the body adapts to repetitive strain over time, whether it's poor posture, incorrect movement patterns, or habitual overuse of specific muscles. This adaptation often involves changes at the neurological level, where the brain and nervous system reinforce these faulty patterns, making them feel "normal" even when they cause pain. Recent studies highlight how repetitive strain injuries are deeply embedded not just in the tissues but also in the brain's movement and pain circuits, making them challenging to overcome.

The longer these patterns have been in place, the longer it takes to rewire them. This is why recovery isn't a straight line; it's more like a seesaw gently tilting back towards balance. Your pain may wax and wane, but true healing—at the tissue and neurological levels—follows a gradual upward curve that requires patience and consistent effort.

Healing as an Upward Curve: The Patience of Progress

When we treat repetitive strain injuries or chronic pain, the initial improvements can seem inconsistent. There may be days when pain flares up or when progress feels stagnant. However, it's crucial to remember that while pain might fluctuate, the underlying tissue healing and neurological re-learning are steadily improving over time. Think of it like a seesaw: even when one side dips down momentarily, the overall trend is moving upwards towards balance and health.

Research supports the idea that recovery is rarely linear, especially with chronic conditions. As the tissue heals, there is often a delay before the nervous system adapts and updates its perception of pain. This is why focusing on the long-term journey is essential rather than getting disheartened by short-term setbacks.

Long-Term Strategies for Seesaw Stability

The motivation behind understanding the seesaw principle is to encourage long-term thinking. Rather than looking for quick fixes, it’s about implementing sustainable strategies that support movement longevity. Since writing Why Movement is Medicine, I have gone on to outline five key principles that can help keep the seesaw balanced, and its the same principles for NRE (changing your brain) and movement longevity; “LENDS”:

  1. Love Movement: Regular, varied movement is essential. Find activities you enjoy that challenge your body in different ways, from strength training to gentle stretching.

  2. New Movement: Introduce new movement patterns to challenge your body and brain. Learning new skills helps rewire the nervous system and keeps the seesaw balanced.

  3. Exercise: Consistent exercise tailored to your needs strengthens your body, supports tissue repair, and improves neurological health.

  4. Diet: Proper nutrition fuels your recovery. Focus on anti-inflammatory foods, adequate protein for tissue repair, and hydration to keep everything moving smoothly.

  5. Sleep: Quality sleep is where the magic happens—tissue repair, neurological adaptation, and pain modulation all occur during restorative sleep cycles.

By embracing these principles, you’re not just tipping the seesaw towards good health; you’re stabilising it for the long haul. The longer you practice these habits, the less likely the seesaw will swing negatively again.

Conclusion: Keeping Your Seesaw Balanced

Viewing health as a seesaw reminds us that every choice we make tips us towards either better or poorer health. Repetitive strain injuries and chronic pain might take time to resolve, but with consistent effort and the right strategies, the seesaw can be balanced again. Remember, healing is not just about eliminating pain—it’s about retraining the body and mind to move well, live well, and enjoy life without limitations.

Stay focused on the long-term journey, implement the principles of movement longevity, and keep your seesaw moving in the right direction.

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References:

  1. Lee, J.Y., Walton, D.M., Tremblay, P. et al. Defining pain and interference recovery trajectories after acute non-catastrophic musculoskeletal trauma through growth mixture modeling. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 21, 615 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-020-03621-7

  2. Meints SM, Edwards RR. Evaluating psychosocial contributions to chronic pain outcomes. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2018 Dec 20;87(Pt B):168-182. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.01.017. Epub 2018 Jan 31. PMID: 29408484; PMCID: PMC6067990. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6067990/

  3. Gatchel RJ, Peng YB, Peters ML, Fuchs PN, Turk DC. The biopsychosocial approach to chronic pain: scientific advances and future directions. Psychol Bull. 2007 Jul;133(4):581-624. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.133.4.581. PMID: 17592957. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17592957/

  4. Smart, K. M. (2023). The biopsychosocial model of pain in physiotherapy: past, present and future. Physical Therapy Reviews, 28(2), 61–70. https://doi.org/10.1080/10833196.2023.2177792

  5. Fanning J, Rejeski WJ, Chen SH, Nicklas BJ, Walkup MP, Axtell RS, Fielding RA, Glynn NW, King AC, Manini TM, McDermott MM, Newman AB, Pahor M, Tudor-Locke C, Miller ME; LIFE Study Investigators. A Case for Promoting Movement Medicine: Preventing Disability in the LIFE Randomized Controlled Trial. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2019 Oct 4;74(11):1821-1827. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glz050. PMID: 30778518; PMCID: PMC6777081. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6777081/

  6. Knittle K, Charman SJ, O'Connell S, Avery L, Catt M, Sniehotta FF, Trenell MI. Movement as Medicine for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: Pilot Feasibility Study of a Physical Activity Promotion Intervention for At-Risk Patients in Primary Care. JMIR Cardio. 2022 Jun 29;6(1):e29035. doi: 10.2196/29035. PMID: 35767316; PMCID: PMC9280491. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9280491/

Cuan Wayne Coetzee .
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