Osteopath kent

The county of Kent in southeast England borders the River Thames, the North Sea, and London to the north, and the Straights of Dover and English Channel to the south. Frequent travellers of the Eurostar know Kent as the beautiful English countryside between London and the Channel. The area is predominately rural, and is widely known as “The Garden of England” because of the county’s abundance of orchards and hop gardens. Distinctive oast houses, built for the drying of hop, are dotted throughout the countryside, though many today have been converted into dwellings. Near London, there are a number of market gardens. Recently, however, Kent has seen a large drop in agriculture, while industry and services increase in the area.

Many of Kent’s residents also commute to London along roads such as the A20, A21, and the A2, as well as by rail. Osteopaths in Kent, many of whom conveniently work right off of these main thoroughfares, lament the long hours on a train or in the car that many Kent residents spend each day. Increasing numbers of studies are finding that commuting is directly linked to instances of back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, stress, and fatigue. These symptoms are caused not only by the physical act of sitting in a similar position for many hours, but also by the mental strain a commute can cause. Kent Osteopaths warn against both of these aspects, and provide suggestions for reducing their effects on the body.

The physical aspect of the commute involves the stress placed on the body from long hours in the same position. In a train or car, the body is crunched into a seat that provides no lower back support. This places a tremendous amount of pressure on the lower spine, which is exacerbated by the road or track vibrations. Kent Osteopaths recommend getting up, walking around and stretching as much as possible during the commute, as well as during the work day. Mentally, the commute can cause stress or fatigue due to the feeling of “wasted time” that could be spent doing productive activities or spending time with the family. This causes mental tension and stress that frequently convert into physical symptoms. Kent Osteopaths recommend doing activities during the commute that make this time feel productive, such as reading the paper or listening to music or audio books. These activities can make the commute a time to relax rather than a source of stress.