I thought I’d look at a few inventions that will keep osteopaths in business for years to come . . .

1. The Chair – Once upon a time man would squat when having a rest or a chat with a friend. It might seem surprising to many today but the human body is actually well designed for squatting. Then some bright spark invented the chair and with it came all the postural challenges that osteopaths thrive on today. Prolonged sitting can lead to low back pain, lower rib tightness from slumping, pressure on the abdominal contents, reduced breathing capacity, tightness in the muscles at the fronts of the thighs, tension across the upper back and shoulders . . the list is almost endless. Of course, this all depends on how much time you spend sitting, what sort of seat it is, how well you sit, but ultimately you weren’t designed for prolonged sitting no matter how wonderful the design.
2. High heels – Fashions come and go but high heeled shoes never seem to fade away especially when it come to dressing up for a posh do. Some women even decide to wear them to work! The only negative thing from an osteopathic business perspective is that this fashion item has never really caught on with men in the same way it has for women. Put on a pair of heels and the whole walking mechanism is thrown into disarray. The calf muscles shorten, the pelvis tips forward, the low back hollows out so even if you can manage to walk gracefully without falling over there’s huge potential for hip pain, pelvic torsions, low back pain and all manner of aches in pains in the legs.
3. Hedge Trimmers – The sound of a hedge trimmer on a sunny summers day can bring a smile to an old osteopaths’ face, especially if it involves a nice tall hedge and therefore a step ladder. Holding a heavy piece of machinery at arm’s length in full stretch, not just for a couple of minutes but repeating the action over maybe an hour is great for straining shoulders and arms. If you add the step ladder into the equation you also get the benefit of leaning forward and overreaching to get to that furthest bit of hedge so the low back gets strained as well!
4. Vacuum Cleaners – We’re talking mainly about the stick type models here rather than the upright ones and to be fair the problems caused by these devices are more down to operator error than anything else. There’s a tendency when using a stick vacuum cleaner to bend over too much and press down through the stick as if the pressure will make it work better. No wonder folk struggle to straighten up after doing the weekly chores around the house.
5. Smart Phones – As if computers and laptops weren’t good enough for generating osteopathic business they’ve now introduced the smart phone and folk are walking and sitting around with their heads permanently looking down towards their feet. Given that your average head weighs in at about 5kg that’s quite a challenge for all the muscles in the upper back and shoulders as they support the weight of this heavy object for hours during the day. Tightness across the upper back and shoulders, neck pain, headaches and even pains radiating down into the arms and hands are all possible consequences of this wonderful osteopathic fee generating device.