"The straw that broke the camel's back."
At first thought, this can be interpreted as the final breaking point. A more precise interpretation of this is, "a minor, or routine, action that causes an unpredictably large and sudden reaction due to the cumulative effect of previous small actions."*
When this concept is applied to our health, it can bring clarity and understanding to health concerns, symptoms, and the healing process.
Before the Back Breaks
Like the pile of straw on the camel's back before the back breaks, the human body is equally resilient and can handle a considerable deal of stress before displaying symptoms. Although the camel may have some minor aches and pains from the weight of the pile, the camel is able to handle this level of stress just as humans are able to endure moderate stress levels.
Before the "back breaks," small discomforts from cumulative stress may be experienced until an unpredictably large concern appears. Individually, these straws cannot break the camel's back. It is the burden of all of them that leads to breaking of the back. Similarly, there is no single stressor to blame for symptoms and disease.
After the Back Breaks
Symptoms and disease only occur once the body has failed to meet current demands due to the cumulative effect of stressors on the body. The "breaking of the back" indicates that the body has failed to meet these demands. An easier way to think of this is that if symptoms (big or small) or disease are present, then the "back has broken!" Unfortunately, it is common to wait for a big failure before taking action to improve health.
When this moment presents, blame is placed on the most recent stressor (the last straw), rather than the pile of stressors burdening the body. While the most recent stress did contribute to the symptom/health concern, it isn't the only contributor. Also, removing the most recent "straw" won't fix the "broken back." This concept is important to keep in mind when wanting to improve overall health as it offers perspective. Properly identifying and removing as many straws as possible will lead to higher success in healing!
So, what do these straws look like?
There are countless straws of all varieties. These can range from minor exposures to daily habits. Also, bio individuality is responsible for determining the affect (how "heavy") these "straws" have on us too. This analogy is essentially a different way to understand the stress bucket. The stressors in the "stress bucket" are individual "straws in the pile." Examples of these "straws," can be found by clicking the button below.
Takeaway
In 2024 (at the time of this post), removing every straw is simply impossible. Chronic stress is the price of modern convenience. But that doesn't mean all is lost. Just like individual straws add up to create burden on the body, conscious healthy choices add up to reduce burden. Opting for natural care products, drinking filtered (not bottled) water, choosing organic and self-prepared food and staying active are just some ways to remove these "straws" from the back before it breaks!
Unfortunately, some people already have a "broken back." Fixing and healing the broken back isn't as simple as removing the last straw. All, or most, of the burdens must be removed to allow for proper recovery. A good functional/holistic practitioner will help to identify the less obvious through functional testing, and bring awareness to the more obvious, stressors burdening the body to expedite the healing process.
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