Feel Like You’re Falling Apart? Think You Need to Walk More?
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
Kicki Hjortmarker is known for her broad knowledge and extensive experience working with the human body and mind to heal injuries and chronic pain conditions. She is the founder of Swedish Balance, dedicated to helping people live a balanced life pain-free.
Walking and massage may provide temporary relief, but they do not always address the underlying cause of recurring pain and limited mobility. Discover how a more holistic approach to movement, bodywork, and exercise may help restore balance and improve how your body feels.
Treat the root cause, not just the symptoms
Your neck hurts. You can’t move your left shoulder, and then your right hip starts to ache. Next come knee, back, and foot pain. Now you have trouble walking and feel like you’re falling apart. Sound familiar? Maybe you’ve been told you just need a monthly massage and to walk more every day to be “fine.” But maybe you want to be more than just “fine.”
Maybe you want to be pain-free and able to do what you used to do. If so, you need to address the root cause, not just the symptoms.
Can walking and massages fix the root cause?
If you’re in your prime and haven’t had the pain or discomfort for very long, perhaps only a few weeks, then yes, a few treatments of neuromuscular massage therapy and myofascial release therapy, along with some walking, can probably help you.
However, if you’ve lived a long life and accumulated pain, discomfort, and imbalances over decades, don’t expect walking and a few treatments to fix the root cause.
The problem usually involves correcting muscle imbalances and thickened fascia that have displaced joints from their proper positions.
Multiple healing methods are necessary
These imbalances may have taken years to develop, so correcting them may take months or years. Multiple healing methods will be needed, including a fine-tuned strengthening system like Pilates, tailored to you and evolving as your body changes.
Hands-on treatments and massages to break up scar tissue and other adhesions, increase blood flow to your tissues, and remove metabolic waste are also necessary.
Can walking longer distances fix my root cause?
I recently met a friend who does a lot of walking. Walking is her primary form of exercise, and she loves it. Then she injured herself for seemingly no reason. She had different theories but couldn’t figure out why her foot was so painful that she could barely put any weight on it.
Generally speaking, walking is great for the body and mind. Experts say that we should walk 10,000 steps a day and we’ll be in good shape, yet people like my friend still end up with injuries.
In fact, walking long distances can cause more wear and tear due to imbalances in your body, and it won’t address the root cause. You need specific movements and exercises to address the root cause.
What is the best exercise instead of walking?
I strongly believe there are many great ways to get and stay in shape, and walking several miles per day may not be best for your alignment or the restrictions already present in your body.
To prevent injury or reinjury, or to avoid worsening your imbalances, you may need to shorten your walks and add other forms of exercise, such as Pilates, yoga, swimming, dancing, and circuit training, which are all good alternatives. Yet remember, you will be doing these activities within your existing restrictions as well.
Does it make sense that my whole body feels like it’s falling apart after walking?
Yes, because you haven’t addressed the root cause of your discomfort. Here is the catch with walking: Your limbs and joints move primarily in one direction. But your joints are designed to move in all directions: north, south, east, west, and every direction in between.
As you’re walking, your limbs are essentially performing one task, which is to move your body forward. That can be very safe. It can also injure you more than you realize.
If you have balanced hips, equal strength in both legs and buttocks, perfectly balanced joints, good abdominal and spinal tone, and strong feet and ankles, you can likely walk or run a marathon and feel fine.
But if you are like most people who have been through injuries and rough spots in life, you will take every stride with a restricted body, which will worsen your imbalances.
Why do I feel off balance but not dizzy?
Maybe you have hurt a foot or toe in the past, or perhaps a shoulder is out of alignment due to daily habits and repetitive motion at your desk job.
When joints are misaligned, the primary muscles can’t do their jobs. They become overused when the joints don’t support one another.
Secondary and peripheral muscle groups, which have their own functions, begin to compensate for the overused and traumatized ones. As a result, these groups create imbalances because they perform tasks they weren’t designed to do.
This may leave you feeling off balance without dizziness or like you’re falling apart, unless the imbalance is causing the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) to pull on your temporal bone, where the ear is located. Since the inner ear contains the vestibular system, which senses the position of your head in space, this can make you feel dizzy.
How do I get my mobility back fast?
To reduce restrictions and regain mobility as quickly as possible, you have to treat the root cause. The first step is to receive holistic treatments, such as neuromuscular massage therapy and myofascial release.
Afterward, movement will be easier and less painful. You can then feel freer in your body and more motivated to consistently do specialized mobility exercises. Being diligent with your exercises and consistent with bodywork is the best way to regain mobility quickly.
What is the best diet for people with low mobility?
Choose anti-inflammatory foods and drinks. Avoid processed foods. Foods containing omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce inflammation and stiffness.
How can I increase mobility at home?
Stretching and self-help tools can help combat inflammation, break up adhesions, and reduce the feeling of “I am falling apart,” but it’s important to work with a professional as well to ensure you’re supporting your healing rather than hindering it.
Ready to address the root cause and feel your best?
Call or text Kicki Hjortmarker at 1 (323) 404-6613 to book an appointment. Email KickiHjortmarker@gmail.com or visit my website today.
Read more from Kicki Katarina Hjortmarker
Kicki Katarina Hjortmarker, Holistic Bodyworker
Kicki Hjortmarker has a solid background in the hands-on healing field, treating people with injuries and chronic pain conditions. With a holistic approach, she integrates Neuromuscular Massage Therapy, Craniosacral Therapy, Hypnotherapy, Reiki, Pilates, and more. To practice the artistry of mind/bodywork and massage therapy has been Kicki's lifelong passion. It started with the awareness of her own body as a child and ballet dancer, and, later, as a gymnast who developed chronic lower back pain whilst on the Swedish National Team in Rhythmic Sports Gymnastics. Decades later, she overcame nerve damage and temporary paralysis in one hand. This taught her to trust the healing power of body and mind, and that the body prefers holistic healing methods over conventional treatments. Her mission is to encourage and inspire others to do the same. To trust the healing power of body, mind, and spirit!
