10/17/2026
Your knee hurts, so you treat your knee. Makes sense, right?
Not always. Your body rarely compensates at random, it adapts. 🧠✨
Osteopath J. Gordon Zink observed that our bodies follow predictable patterns to keep us balanced, moving, and functioning:
🔹 Common Compensation: A predictable chain of adaptation. A restriction in one area creates workarounds elsewhere as your body tries to stay in equilibrium.
🔹 Uncommon Compensation: When the body breaks the expected pattern and finds a unique strategy. These are trickier to spot, and are exactly why treating only the sore spot falls short.
Compensation isn’t "bad", it’s often an intelligent strategy! The trouble starts when it becomes fixed, excessive, or no longer fits what you’re asking of your body.
This is why two people with the exact same symptom can need completely different treatment.
So the better question isn’t "Where does it hurt?"
It’s "What is my body compensating for?"
Don’t just chase the symptom. Understand the adaptation.
🔗 Ready to get to the root of the issue? Book an assessment with Adam via the link in bio.