A line
David Beckham says he’s ‘incredible’. Joe Wicks describes him as his body coach. Osteopath James Davies is a pain-healing whiz who spends much of his life darting around London tending to the bodies of the rich and famous.
Outline
As well as A-listers, Davies has worked as an official therapist for the GB Olympics team, treating track superstars such as Mo Farah and Linford Christie. He once hoped to become an elite athlete himself, but was struck down by injury as a teenager, inspiring a sideways move into osteopathy. His book Body has just been published in paperback (HQ, £10.99), offering advice on healing pain for those without an osteopath on speed dial.
‘ideally we want to be stretching every half-hour,’ says James
Walk the line
Thought pain came from movement? ‘It’s just as important to think about what you haven’t done,’ says Davies. ‘We are designed to be foragers, so our bodies expect to walk for around six hours a day.’ Instead, we sit around at desks too much, occasionally popping out for a sandwich. ‘Ideally, we want to be stretching every half an hour, and standing up and moving around every hour,’ he says.
Helpline
A stretch can be as simple as interlocking your fingers behind your head and gently pulling your shoulder blades together for ten seconds with your chin slightly raised – particularly good for women who tend to get tight around the chest.
James’s osteopathy has helped Mo Farah and Linford Christie
Jawline
We have more than 40 facial muscles and they carry a great deal of stress, but we rarely take the time to treat them. The jaws can get very tight – you should be able to move the lower one from side to side, extend it forwards, and fit three fingers between your upper and lower teeth without any pain or locking. Facial massage is a great way to relieve tension; do it daily while applying skincare for a double whammy of goodness.
Neckline
How many hours each day do you spend with your head bent over a phone or craning towards your computer screen? Too many. ‘Our modern lives are not suited to a healthy neck,’ says Davies. You should be able to turn your head to look over each shoulder moving only your neck, as well as touching your chin to your breastbone and pointing your nose to the sky – pain-free. A warm compress should help relieve niggles in this area. If the pain is more severe, consult a professional.
Laughter line
Big, exaggerated movements will help you loosen up, says Davies – try Monty Python-style silly walking around the room.
Recline
Adopting a bad posture for hours in front of the TV will do your body no favours, so change position often and use that television time for self-massage (the abdomen is a particularly neglected area) or tackling knots with a foam roller.
Lifeline
Are you breathing properly? Many of us do so from the chest rather than the diaphragm. Your lower belly, rather than your chest, should rise when you inhale – this will put less stress on the ribs.
Dotted line
When diagnosing your pain, bear in mind it could be from elsewhere – that’s why it’s known as referred pain. Liver and gall bladder issues, for example, can manifest in the right shoulder and mid-back. Pain in the pelvis may be kidney-related. Don’t hesitate to visit your GP if you are worried.
Next week
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