09/30/2025
💁♀️ Let's Talk.... Secondary Issues vs. Primary Problem
▪️Pt.1
If we think of the body like it's the tree in this picture, I think it gives good imagery to understand the difference in secondary issues and "getting to the root" aka the primary problem. It's easy to realize that something is wrong with a tree if the leaves are discolored or fall off in early summer or if it makes minimal fruit... The problem is that when there is an issue in the root system it may take weeks to years before it is reflected in the part of the tree you can see. So by the time you notice the leaves are discolored, the system has been out of balance for a long time.
In my experience as a therapist, I find that secondary issues and compensatory pain tend to be the factors that bring people into the office to get worked on. When the body has run out of ways to compensate without you realizing, then you come in looking for a solution. The body has to get louder for you to listen.
👉 Same thing with horses. I find that those secondary issues and compensatory pain patterns cause a really LOUD response that will demand attention. Examples: Bucking, Rearing, Refusal, Performance Anxiety, Aggression... The body has to get loud enough that you will listen.
As a rehab therapist, it's part of my job to "pull back the lens" until I can look at the whole horse and start connecting the dots of compensation until it forms a pattern I recognize. Once I have a pattern, then we can start to create solutions.
Solutions might look like:
- Working with your vet, farrier, dentist
- Environmental or social changes
- Diet or exercise changes
- Tack or training aid changes ... Just to name a few things....
At the expense of making this post kind of a long read, I thought it would make a great multi-part series where I break down some common things that I see with some of the issues listed below.
❓ Would you be interested in a look through the lens of a biomechanics, bodywork, and eastern medicine explanation to common issues?
❓ Would it also be helpful if I did a TLDR (too long didn't read) video to accompany each post?
