Duct Tape and WD-40
I often joke with my patients that we could probably solve most of the “mechanical type” of problems in the body with either a little duct tape or a little WD-40. Generally things are either too loose and sloppy, or too stiff and tight. Too sloppy can cause pain and require extra activity in neighbouring tissues in an effort to stabilize whatever is moving too much. Although a protective mechanism, this dysfunction can also lead to compensation patterns which may cause other problems down the road. When our parts are too stuck and stiff, they aren’t able to move through their full range and can become painful and/or swollen. This lack of movement can actually speed up some degenerative processes in our tissues - not ideal! While the solution might not be quite as simple as applying a little duct tape and spraying in a little WD-40, the principle is still very true!
The duct tape for our body can be “applied” by strengthening the injured or weak area. We can achieve this with rehabilitation and exercise like strength training and balance work. We get our own WD-40 or oil from movement. Movement is what allows us to flush out the metabolites that build up in our joints and muscles and bring in fresh new supplies, like nutrients and oxygen, via increased blood flow to the area. Movement also keeps our nervous system engaged and functioning as a “well-oiled machine”. Our brain’s ability to consistently and easily engage our muscles requires repetition and practise. When we don’t move, we not only get a little sticky and stiff, but we stop using the correct movement patterns and end up with less effective and less efficient ones. Moving in different ways also helps to keep our nervous system sharp and at the ready. Stretching, yoga, deep breathing, and exercise like walking, swimming or biking (or even more intense exercise like cardio training) are all great ways to help keep you moving and help prevent your body from developing a stagnant build-up of junk in your joints, muscles, cardiovascular and nervous systems. If you need a little help, therapies like massage, chiropractic, physiotherapy and acupuncture are also good ways to get things moving a bit better when you’re stuck. So you see, it’s not totally a joke that duct tape and WD-40 can solve our body troubles - but it doesn’t just stop there!
Perhaps a lot of our other problems (not just the mechanical ones!) might also be solved with either a little more stability or a little more mobility. Sometimes we get too stubborn and stuck in our set ways of thinking that we end up frustrated and unable to find a way out. A little bit of flexibility and willingness to move in other directions might be needed to ease that sort of pain. Other times, we can find ourselves flying off the handle and ruminating over and over again about the same hurdles. In that case, we might just need a little duct tape. A little less of that uncontrolled thought process and a bit more stability in our thinking and our mindset. This can allow us to focus on the present and move forward. Happiness and fulfillment also come when we can strike that balance between having too little on our plates and being bored, or having too much on our plates and being pulled and stretched in many different directions.
Spend a little time reflecting on your body and your mind, and then maybe even expand it out to other areas of your life. See what might need a little stability and what might need to shift and move. Then, get busy applying whatever version of duct tape and WD-40 might be needed to remedy it! I know you’ll be able to find that balance and you’ll feel better once you do. Oh, and of course, consider this wisdom the next time you’re about to be whisked off to an isolated island and only allowed to pack two items!