 Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash Today I want to tell you a story of one of my patients, Jennifer, an account executive. I chose her story because I think a lot of you are going to find it interesting since some of you may have similar symptoms.
Jennifer is in her late fifties. She has been at her job for close to 20 years. She sits most of the day at work but tries to make an effort of doing something active couple times a week. You see, she has been suffering from back pain for years, but recently she noticed that her leg started giving out on her. For months now she has been feeling like her leg was falling asleep every time she sat down. In fact, she had to constantly shift back and forth in her seat to get comfortable. She kept ignoring it and attributed her aches and pains to getting older. That’s what everyone tells you anyway, right? She mentioned her symptoms to her doctor and he told her to take Advil and get some rest. Well, the nagging back pain was not going away and progressively got worse. She started feeling burning sensation down her right leg. She became really concerned when she almost tumbled down the steps because her right leg gave out. Luckily her friend was a patient of mine and asked me if there was anything that I could do for her. Absolutely I can, was my answer. Jennifer came in for a Free Sample Session and told me her story. She was relieved to find out that I hear a similar story several times a day. I know exactly what it was and have a proven track record of patients who got their lives and independence back. Let me explain what happened to her and may be some of you too. Spine is like a pearl necklace, every vertebrae is supposed to move independently of each other. In between the vertebrae are discs. Spinal nerves branch out from the spinal cord which is protected by the vertebrae. Think of discs as jelly donuts and absorbs shock when you are walking. If the spinal column is not in perfect alignment, that jelly can squeeze out and push on the nerve. This is what is called DISK HERNIATION and sometime can come with the nasty burning, numbness and tingling down your leg. When the pressure on the nerve has been placed for a long time it may cause weakness in your leg. That’s why Jennifer felt like her leg was about to give out. Disc problems can be very nasty, but not the end of the world. I want you to know that this doesn’t mean that you need surgery. In fact most disc herniations CAN be treated with PHYSICAL THERAPY. Jennifer became a patient of mine and you will be relieved to find out that she is completely symptom free and has returned to all her favorite activities and even started skiing again. It took us several sessions to get her out of pain. However, Jennifer wanted to feel 100% and treat to root cause which was her posture and core weakness. She has completed a course of Pilates and manual therapy and is feeling better than ever. And you know the best part? She has found the long term solution and will not have to suffer from back pain or leg weakness ever again. And I have seen it time and time again. This is what I want for all of you. That’s why we offer a FREE SAMPLE SESSION so you can learn what is wrong and what you are up against. More importantly, find out about your options.
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 Aches and pains… could it be that you’re just getting older, or that you’re less active, perhaps? Maybe it’s just a temporary phase in your life. You’ll grow out of it, right? The truth is, aches and pains are often associated with daily, ongoing, habitual mistakes. Take note of the word habitual – habits are key to understanding precisely why we experience certain discomforts during the day. If you’re one of the millions of people that have a desk job, and you’re also one of the millions who experience daily discomfort, it’s time to retrace your steps and reprogram your habits. Take a look:
Desk jobs are often some of the most stressful positions in society, not only because of the immense responsibility afforded them, but also because of the physical pressure that type of daily routine places on the body. Oftentimes a desk job is underscored by a vigorous 9-5 schedule, and as you may know, that schedule leaves very little time for you to take note of your body and your habits. More often than not, you’re probably stuck in traffic on your way to work, you’re slightly late, you’ve possibly missed breakfast, you work right into lunch, and then you rush home for dinner with the family. Granted, not all your days look like this, but on average this might be what you deal with on a daily basis. It comes as no surprise that you’re suffering from daily aches and pains. Sitting in the car, at the desk, at home, and during meals, impacts your health greatly. And furthermore, an unhealthy diet might be spurring on the discomfort. Even worse, you may not be drinking as much fluids as you should be, or maybe you’re substituting water with coffee. All these things add up. Our bodies are not made to withstand bad habits for too long. The good news is, however, things can change. It may seem impossible right now, but take a look at just some of the ways in which you can change your daily-routine for the better, even as you’re reading this: Make time in the morning. We know that getting up may be tough, but the early hours of the morning really do give you the best chance to lay a powerful foundation for the day. Take just 20 minutes after you get up to be silent, stretch, drink a cup of tea, meditate, or even read. Make that time yours, and the habits you create thereafter with be healthier and fruitful. Take a look at your transportation. How far from work do you live? Do you have to drive? Could you challenge yourself to ride your bike? Any form of exercise you can incorporate into your day is a massive step towards relieving pain. The more you move, the better you feel. If you can avoid the traffic and the hours of sitting in the car, you’ll notice an amazing difference right of the bat. Water, water, water! Throughout your day it’s vital that you note how much water you’re drinking. If your joints and muscles aren’t lubricated, you’ll experience pain. Why not set yourself little reminders? Drink 8 oz of water on the hour, ever hour, for example. Ultimately, you need to drink about 10 cups a day – challenge yourself to meet that goal. Walk. And while we’re on the subject of water, why not meld two habits into one? Every time you drink some water, get up, walk around, and stretch a bit. In this way, you’re killing two birds with one stone. Walk to the water cooler, for example. Or if you’re adventurous, why not head to the kitchen and create a water-based drink with lemon or strawberries? Again, movement is vital, and the more you move, the faster you’ll heal. Posture matters. When you’re seated at your desk, it’s very important that you take note of your posture. Slouching, or sitting with an unsupported lower back, will eventually lead to pain. Make sure your desk isn’t too low and that your computer screen is at eye level. In this way you will prevent slouching and forward head movements, both of which could lead to problems down the line. Also, why not stretch every 20 minutes? In this way, you’ll prevent stiffness and future discomfort. Dietary needs. All too often we assume that what we do is most important. And while this might hold some truth, what we eat is equally as vital. The food you consume fuels your brain and body, so the better you eat the more productive and healthy you will be. And not only that, food heals. Eating more anti-inflammatory foods, healthy snacks, dark greens, nuts, and seeds, will help you relieve those aches and pain much sooner. Be sure to start with a healthy breakfast and to continue with your snacking, lunch and dinner in the same way. Also, cut out some of the caffeine if you can – it can lead to anxiety and stress, both of which contribute to pain. You are my sunshine! Unfortunately, unless you work at Google, desk jobs don’t really come with too much time spent outside. That having been said, you can make the change. Why not get outside and eat your lunch in a park? Or, better still, take a little stroll and explore the area around you? Getting some vital Vitamin D, naturally, is imperative for a healthy body and mind. You’ll also find that the sunshine vitamin helps improve your mood, thereby making the decision to create better habits that much easier! So, there you have it. Desk jobs don’t need to be a ticket to old-age, in fact, they offer a unique opportunity to change your habits for the better. By using the tools you have around you, by utilizing your time, and by noting the needs of your body, you’ll make serious headway into getting ridding of those aches and pains. Make your habits count! If you’re still unsure about how to tackle daily aches and pain, why not give us a call, and tell us about your situation. One of our dedicated and qualified physical therapists will be happy to listen to your story and answer all your questions. Physical therapy is the fastest, most effective way to getting back to health, and we encourage you to make the change! We look forward to hearing from you.  Would you rather get old or grow up? I for sure would rather grow up. Although getting old is inevitable, I want every year to bring me wisdom rather than deterioration. We are all afraid of getting older because we associate old age with weakness and mental decline. This doesn’t have to be the case and I am going to explain why.
I read this amazing book “Somatics” by Thomas Hanna. Thomas Hanna was one of the original students of Moishe Feldenkrais. Who in the world is Feldenkrais? Well, he was a brilliant man who came up with a system of exercises to overcome pain. You see, when we are born we are equipped with 2 reflexes. Hanna refers to them as “Red Light” and “Green Light”. Our first reflex, “Red Light” is necessary for the survival and to avoid pain. When under stress, our natural reaction is to curl into a ball to protect ourselves. This reflex stays with us through our lives. You have probably noticed when you are in an uncomfortable situation, your shoulders ride up to your ears, your back stiffens, your breath shortens and you find yourself bending your hips and knees. This is a deeply wired reflex, just like the one when a doctor taps you on your knee and your leg kicks out. Green light reflex is different and it makes you take action. Think of a baby learning to move. First, he or she gets control over their neck muscles and extends their head. Then they learn to roll and, crawl and later walk. The body mechanics associated with this reflex are extension of the spine, hips, shoulders and head. Now many years later, think of what happens in your body when you have to do something that you don’t want to. Your neck extends, shoulders move back, hips extend and you are ready to go. Green light reflex takes over when we have to be responsible adults, go to work and pay bills. What is interesting is that we get stuck in constant battle between these too reflexes. Our daily lives are full of good and bad stressors and our bodies get stuck with two sets of muscle groups pulling in opposition. Typically when one muscle contracts, the opposite muscle group relaxes. For example, in order for you to do a bicep curl, your triceps have to relax. With time and continued stress we forget how to relax the opposing group and get stuck with opposing muscle groups staying slightly contracted. The result is stiffness. We mistakenly attribute stiffness to old age. Think of the time when you were a kid and could move freely. You had your needs met and were free to play all day. Fast forward to present time: sit down job combined with stress is the main reason why you feel stiff. The problem is that we forget how to move. Thomas Hanna came up with absolutely genius exercises that teach you how to move again. I first read his book before I became a PT. My own physical therapist shared it with me and honestly this book is one of the reasons why I became a physical therapist. Last month, many years later, with lots of practice, knowledge and experience under my belt I re-read it and was completely blown away. I have since incorporated these exercises into my practice and noticed amazing results. One of my patients with really bad hip arthritis improved her hip mobility within 5 minutes. My other patient who had a very stiff ankle improved her ankle mobility and her gait within several minutes. My other patient who had a very stiff and painful shoulder was able to scratch his middle back, something that he was unable to do in over a year. Somatics exercises a pain free and feel very good. I started doing morning cat stretch routine and my body feels much more flexible. When I do them at night, I wake up without stiffness. I also noticed myself standing taller and felt more balanced. Pretty cool stuff. This is the reason I love what I do. Oh, and another incredible thing that I noticed was that I felt less tired. It makes perfect sense: it takes more energy to move when your muscles are tight. It is that simple!!! It is very empowering to know aging doesn’t have to mean that you have to feel stiff, sore, tired or weak. You may need to do a little more stretching, you may need move exercise up on your priority list, but it is a small price to pay for life experiences, growth and maturity. Life should be like fine wine. Better with age!  Photo by Joyce McCown on Unsplash My patient, Janet (name has been changed to protect privacy) has been struggling with back pain for years. One day she was reaching for her keys and her back went out. Every time she moved she felt an electrical shock go up her spine. The pain was so bad she had to call in to work. Next, she crawled over to the sofa and dialed the number to her doctor. Unfortunately the first available appointment was in 3 weeks. By then her back was slightly better, but she still couldn’t sit for more than 5 minutes or walk longer than 10 minutes. She was miserable.
The doctor’s office visit took less than 15 minutes. She was given some pain pills and a script for physical therapy. She was back to work, but going to Zumba and picking up her 3 year old daughter were completely out of question. Sounds familiar? I hear a similar story several times a day. Most people have or will experience back pain in their lifetime. I will share 3 secrets you need to know when dealing with back pain. First, don’t wait so long. Come and get your back treated as soon as you can. The sooner you receive physical therapy the faster we can get you feeling better. Here, in Colorado, we have direct access, which means that you can be seen by a physical therapist without a referral from your physician. We are trained to evaluate and treat back pain. We are also trained in differential diagnosis. This means that if your pain is caused by something other than a musculoskeletal issue we will refer you to a specialist. Janet could have saved herself 3 weeks of misery if she knew about it. As you know our spine has 3 curves: lower back, upper back and neck. Spine is like a pearl necklace, every vertebrae is supposed to move independently of each other. When you tweak your back, your muscles go into a spasm, the surrounding tissues become swollen and irritated and every movement becomes painful. Pain is your body’s signal that something is wrong. You can barely move, but you have to go to work, so you pop some pain pills and off you go. Now you are shifted to one side, nothing feels natural anymore and you start compensating by using muscles the way that they are not supposed to be used and create a secondary injury. So the sooner you get it treated, the sooner we can break this cycle and the faster you will be back to your normal routine. Second secret is restoring neutral alignment of the spine, which I refer to as the neutral. If one of the three spinal curves is bigger or smaller than it is supposed to be, or if you are creating an extra curve because you are shifted to one side, the compression on the spine, discs and surrounding tissues is increased which means you are causing yourself more pain. The 3 curves have to be in correct places for the muscle spasm to stop. When you are in neutral there is no pain. The muscles can relax, the swelling can decrease and you may just be lucky enough to get yourself out of the pain cycle. Try sitting up on the edge of your chair. Try leaning forward just slightly. There will be a place where you will have no pain. If you lean forward too much or too little it will hurt. It has to be just right, and pain is your guide. As you shift your pelvis forward you will notice that your head is going to move back. I encourage you to explore this concept. At a certain point you will notice that your neck is long and your jaw is relaxed. Congratulations, this is your neutral. The third secret is Pilates. Joseph Pilates came up with a brilliant system of exercises that teach you how to find neutral spine alignment. When you do Pilates exercises you are able to access the muscle memory of correct pain free movement. This concept of neutral is reinforced during all exercises so eventually it becomes second nature. Yes we can get you out of pain with massage, dry needling and other bodywork tricks we do, but Pilates is the long term solution. During the exercises you are able to strengthen and stretch at the same time. You will feel lighter, taller and have less pain. So there you have it. Three secrets of managing back pain. Come see your PT as soon as you can, find your neutral spine and strengthen your core with Pilates exercise. Check out our Free E-Book on 8 Natural Ways To Ease Your Back Pain Without Medication Or Visits to Doctor's Office. |
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