Peeling back the layers to holistic health: the onion principle

While life might well be like a box of chocolates, your health and well-being is like the layers of an onion. As a therapist my job is to peel away those layers to get to the root cause of your current problems, whether that’s your aching back in the morning, your painful knee as you walk up the stairs, your stiff shoulder that’s stopping your from reaching round to undo your bra strap, or that aching hip that’s stoping you walking the dog as far as you’d like.

The onion principle explains why, without you even realising it, your body has been compensating subtly over the years, to the point where the pain or discomfort you feel now could be located far away from the initial problem.Let’s take the example of a knee injury you experienced in your teens:

  • Layer 1: Your thigh muscles have worked extra hard to support your knee
  • Layer 2: Your hip and pelvis have provided additional support to those thighs
  • Layer 3: Your lower back has taken on the additional strain to help those hips
  • Layer 4: Your back starts to niggle
  • Layer 5: Your back hurts every morning, waking you at 5.30am
  • Layer 6: Now its your hips too, waking you throughout the night as you toss and turn, trying to get comfy

Your knees?

Aside from the odd creek when you walk up the stairs, they’re just fine because every other part of your body is helping them! Like an onion your body has created layers of compensation where the original issue is barely visible.

This is why the first thing we do at a treatment is talk, because I want to you to wake up at a normal time, to run up your stairs, to move your arm freely in whatever direction you want to, and to get back to walk your dog.

Click here to read more about the treatments I offer, and here to contact me about how Bowen or Reflexology might be able to help you start to peel back those layers to good health and well-being.


©2021 Sarah Woodhouse

Hurry Up Harry Ltd. Trading as Sarah Woodhouse Therapy. Registered in England.  Company No: 08796136.  Registered Office: Eldo House, Kempson Way, Bury St Edmunds, IP32 7AR

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