Manual therapies and environment

Notes on a relationship to discover: the importance of nature in well-being and how to make therapies more environmentally friendly

Although these two concepts have been known for a long time, their relationship is still little talked about. It is true that nowadays everything has an impact on the Environment, almost as if it were a fashionable subject, but if we reflect well, what can there be at first glance that unites manual therapies (such as physiotherapy, bowen therapy, massage or other) with Nature and the Environment? In addition to being concepts linked to our well-being (which is also a fashionable concept), how can we establish a more cohesive relationship between them?

This topic has been discovered and discussed, and studies and evidence are still few. But common sense tells us that it can be a relationship of mutual help with the future.

Thinking about Nature makes us feel good, and its health is reflected in ours. We like fresh air, green spaces, watching animals and plants, the feeling of freedom. In turn, the impacts of pollution and climate change have an impact on human health, whether physical or psychological.

On the other hand, it is argued that everything is connected, and this interrelation and complementarity also begins to make sense. Nature's effects on human health are evident, whether through the air we breathe, biodiversity, food, physical activity, sun exposure, etc. But for Nature to do us good, it is important to be aware that we also have to treat it well. There are some models that show us the relationships between Environment, biodiversity, human activity and diseases, for example. In addition to physical changes, they also generate social impacts that imply the well-being of populations. And keeping this whole system in balance is sometimes complex.

Therefore, a way to enhance and complement therapy treatments is to use evidence of the positive effects of Nature to help in the recovery and maintenance of the person's well-being.

Therapy is generally viewed as something done in a closed office, with regular sessions and specific exercises. If treatments work for sure, why not integrate activities in Nature in order to recover faster and in a more personal way? Something as simple as the existence of green areas in spaces, prescribing outdoor activities, or raising awareness of environmental impacts, are some of the key points to begin to understand this relationship. The ability, on the one hand, to be autonomous, and on the other to see that we can do something to help at the same time, is also a cultural issue and an important pillar for feeling good, and a way of "returning a favor".

But there will still be a lot to talk about this, as it is still a developing topic. The important thing is to remember that if we want to have better well-being, we have to be attentive to reduce the probability of getting sick. And when we can't do that, at least we can recover faster, understand and correct these situations in the future.

Source: An Introduction to Environmental Physiotherapy