This is a silly question and I probably already know the answer. But I'm going to ask it anyway. Have you ever gone walking and a tiny stone has decided to jump in one of your shoes to join you on your journey? I gather the answer is YES!

I'm sure that we've also had times when this has happened and stopping to take your shoe off to get the stone out is too much trouble. For example, you're pushing a grocery ladened trolley with a dodgy wheel trying to find your car while you've got one child holding on to your shirt throwing a hissy-fit because you refused to buy him a lollipop at the check-out and you're holding the other child who is in desperate need of a nappy change. I'm not joking, it's happened to me on more than one occasion. In those situations as long as the stone in my shoe is not the size of a basketball, it can stay there. Can I feel it? Yes. Is it comfortable? No. But I've got more pressing issues to deal with.

Sometimes you may find that the stone may have given you some initial grief, because you've persisted and left it there. However, a kilometre down the road and now you hardly feel it. But it's still there and you can feel it popping up every so often. You most probably make yourself believe it doesn't bother you that much and "Hey! you've got places to go and things to do!"

Back pain, a nagging injury, headaches, that beer gut, the neck pain I get because I'm staring at a computer all day and many other health or lifestyle challenges can all represent tiny stones that we're carrying in our shoes through our life journey. We know they're there, they may not bother us all the time but when they pop-up. Gee can they make life harder for us!

Yes there will be times when stopping to take your shoe off to get rid of the stone is not a priority. But when you get a chance, put yourself higher up on your priorities list and stop to take the stone out. Your tootsies will smile and love you more.

I'm sure you get my analogy.

Written by: Billy Chow, he can confirm that he eventually found his car in the supermarket carpark.

North East Family Chiropractic (08) 8338 0844