A call for a truly comprehensive view: Part 1 of 2

When someone has a tooth – dental – problem or symptom they go to their dentist. If it is more than
a routine tooth problem, then she may be referred to a dental specialist. If it is a gum / bone support issue to a periodontist, if is a surgery issue to an oral surgeon, if it is a tooth
alignment issue to an orthodontist and so on.

If the same patient has medical symptoms such as headaches, neck pain, ear pain or general
fatigue, then she will go to her primary care physician. PCP may, in turn, refer her to a neurologist,
orthopedist, ENT or an endocrinologist for these symptoms respectively.

Specialized knowledge in one area is useful. But does it also lead to a “tunnel vision” view? Human
body, after all, developed from a single cell. The various parts are very much connected. This is especially true of the musculoskeletal system. A human on two feet is constantly resisting gravitational forces. So any imbalance in one area affects the entire postural chain from feet to head.
It truly is a chain – both in the left/right and front/back planes. The spine with its alternating front to back curves from the head to tail connects these sections and allows flexibility in
compensating for the imbalances, especially when the body is in motion. These are the lordotic curves of the cervical and lumbar regions and the kyphotic curves of the thoracic and sacro-coccygeal regions.
This compensating system is challenged even more when walking and running in a gravitational field than when standing still. When DOES this person really gets looked at as a “whole person”?

Let me share a case history in Part 2 - to support my call for a truly comprehensive view of the entire musculo-skeletal system