 Photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash Do you want to know the truth about pain? Then read on, my friend.
Simply put it is just a signal perceived by the brain that something is wrong. The brain senses the pain signal and tells you that something is off balance, out of the neutral, out of the order. Next the mind starts producing rather unpleasant thoughts accompanied by rather unpleasant emotions. The usual response to pain in the body goes like this. The muscles tense up, the breath becomes shallow, shoulders ride up to the ears, the ribcage lowers down to the pelvis, the hips and calves tense up. Sound familiar? Feeling all of this nonsense happening in your body brings on more unpleasant emotions and thoughts. You tense up more, clench your jaw, tighten your fists and the buttocks. Now you are creating compression on your joints and organs. The brain screams louder and you get caught up in the cycle of negative signals going between the body and the brain. Now imagine if you were going on vacation tomorrow. You are boarding the plane and arriving at a beach paradise. Palm trees, sunshine, the waves crashing, the breeze in your hair… Or maybe you head up to the mountains. Snowy peaks, sunshine, snow covered trees, the quiet… For a moment the mind gets taken away by the beauty of nature and you get a flood of pleasant emotions, thoughts of happiness and relaxation. The body responds by relaxing the shoulders and the hips, now you want to take a deep breath, and slowly a smile appears on your face. And what happens to the pain? You forgot about it! For a split second, you forgot about it! Yes you did! Or maybe it was longer than a second or maybe it just went away? On its own? How could this happen? Well, my friends this is the beauty of mind body connection. You take your mind off of something and it no longer exists in the awareness. Out of sight, out of mind. I have two little kids, you know what is the best way to get them to quiet down after a scraped knee? Switch their attention to something else. All of a sudden the tears dry, the smile is back and they are chasing after Josie (the dog) again. The knee is still scraped though, the problem is still there… but it gets better after about a day or two. It heals on its own because of our wonderful built in healing potential. You are wired to be resilient and to get better. Now I know, some of you had knee pain or back pain for years and it is not going away on its own. However, every day when I ask my patients what took them so long to get help, they respond with “oh it would just come and go, get better and then get worse.” Yes! It gets better when you are happier and it gets worse when times are hard. This is the mind body connection at work. Unfortunately it doesn’t go away completely, right? That’s because the muscles have become habitually shortened, so they are creating compression on the joints and joints hurt or deteriorate with time. When you are in pain, you start moving differently. Your body does a magnificent job compensating for lack of mobility. The problematic area becomes extra sensitive because of lack of movement and old swelling. The area of the brain that senses the signal from the original injury becomes bigger. This is called the sensitization. Now add an emotional component to this mess and you got yourself a big problem. Luckily, there is a way out of this. There are many different bodywork techniques that can be done to release the tight muscles. Here at Healing In Motion we do a variety of different techniques. It may be massage, dry needling, work with nervous system (Neurovascular Integration), etc. We place a lot of emphasis on work done by hand, because honestly, you need it. Humans need to be touched. The studies on babies show that babies who are not touched don’t gain as much weight. Touch is healing, it’s love, it’s comforting and it feels awesome! Next there is the integration piece. This is when we teach you to move. All the tension which was binding your muscles is going to come back if we just do the manual work. The wires of the brain to muscles need to be reconnected. We do this through really cool Pilates and Somatics exercises. The goal is to get you to experience the joy of simple movement. The joy of breathing, the joy of walking, the joy of feeling alive in your body. When the tension is released, and you are moving correctly you feel like a kid again – FREE! You can do a quick jog instead of walking because it’s fun, or you can choose to jump up and down in place because you are excited. My kids do it all the time. When and why did we lose this ability to be joyful? Yes, it can be done! And you got absolutely nothing to lose just by learning more about it. Do you want to explore this further? Click HERE to talk on the phone. Or maybe you want to take it a step further and talk in person, click HERE to register for a Sample Session. Anyhow, life is too short to spend it grumpy and in pain. So let’s talk if you are ready to make a change. Now go out and enjoy that Colorado sunshine. We are so lucky to have 60 degree day today! Talk soon, Elena
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 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.  Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash Scar tissue can be an ongoing hindrance for many of us. From an obstacle when it comes to movement, to a constant stretching feeling, dealing with scar tissue is oftentimes a daily, frustrating struggle. Luckily, you don’t have to fight that battle alone, and the happy truth is that you can overcome your nemesis. In this post, we’re the exposing truth behind scar tissue, and revealing how you can say goodbye to the nagging, pulling, stiff sensations left in the wake of physical injury.
First, we need to understand what scar tissue really is. Technically, it’s unorganized collagen that eventually becomes healthy scar tissue. What that means is, scar tissue is really the disorganized product of your body trying to heal itself after an injury. In other words, there’s absolutely nothing abnormal about scar tissue – it’s a perfectly normal physical reaction, albeit uncomfortable and oftentimes painful, alongside. That having been said, scar tissue can have various causes. It’s not quite as straight-forward as you may have thought. We know the most common ones: surgery, scrapes, and cuts. But what about the lesser known causes? Scar tissue is not only the byproduct of the surgeon’s knife, such as after knee replacements or C-sections. It can also be the result of sprains, muscle tears, and various other muscular injuries endured during daily life. It may be that nagging pain in your elbow since you swung a bit too hard on the 18th hole, or it may be the tightness you feel in your calf after you tried to break a personal hiking record. Either way, you may not even realize you have scar tissue, as it isn’t physically apparent. As you can tell, then, scar tissue isn’t necessarily an external manifestation of physical injury: it can be hidden inside the body, connected to the muscles, and as an accompaniment to what may be considered fleeting injury. Yet despite its cause, you feel its effects. And so, the big question is, what can be done? If you’re currently struggling with a stubborn ankle injury, or stiff, tender tissue in/around an area you had surgery on, then you know how aggravating and frustrating your daily battle against the irritation and pain can be. Quite possibly, you’ve tried every available cure out there: from tissue oil, to hot and cold packs, and even painkillers! And quite possibly, also, you’ve found very little relief and your health seems to be in jeopardy as a result. We understand how debilitating it can be, and we know that it may seem as though the hindrance will never stop. Happily, though, that isn’t true! In fact, there is a sure-fire way of alleviating the irritation related to scar tissue… and the answer is: physical therapy. Physical therapy is the most effective way to treat the discomfort and pain associated with scar tissue. Why? Because it’s hands-on, targeted, and holistic. If you’ve never considered physical therapy as a way to treat your scar tissue problem, now is a great time to re-think the possibility. Here are a just a few of the ways physical therapy, administered by a professional, hands-on physical therapist, can help you overcome your struggle with scar tissue: Massaging Hands-on, targeted, massage is an amazing way of alleviating the pain and discomfort associated with scar tissue. Far from being a general massage, the techniques practiced by a skilled, professional, hands-on physical therapist are able to address the very essence of the problem, thereby releasing the tension and stiffness within the scar and muscles surrounding it. Physical therapy massage techniques offer a permanent solution to your nagging scar tissue troubles. Myofascial Release A little known aspect of scar tissue is its close relation to the fascia tissues, that is, a band of collagen tissues just below the skin. When this band is disrupted and altered, such as after surgery or other injuries, the tissues struggle to realign properly, thereby causing tightness and stiffness. With myofascial release, these tissues are manipulated, stretched, and made more elastic, thereby giving you more movement in that area. When done by a professional, hands-on physical therapist, this is a crucial step in overcoming the pain and stiffness associated with scar tissue. It’s an absolutely pivotal step on your road to health. Microcurrent Point Stimulation In addition to the techniques mentioned above, a professional physical therapist may also administer microcurrent point stimulation, a technical name for acupuncture combined with low electrical pulses. These pulses actually have the ability to release tension, relax muscles, and calm the nervous system, all of which aid greatly in the alleviation of stiffness and immobility in scar tissue. And not only that, but microcurrent point stimulation releases endorphins, too! Alongside the other treatments you’ll receive from your physical therapist, this therapeutic technique is a fantastic accompaniment. Stretches While physical therapy provides life-changing hands-on techniques, you will also receive, and be guided through, stretches tailor-made for your specific issue. These stretches can be done at home, thereby ensuring that your journey to health is given a jump start and is, ultimately, maintained. Remember, a physical therapist releases the muscular tension as well as the irregular pulling of the collagen tissues. As such, it’s imperative that the scarred area is stretched and given attention, as this maintains its malleability – that is the true key to overcoming the discomfort associated with scar tissue. Remember, scar tissue doesn’t have to be permanent. And you certainly do not have to struggle against the discomfort associated with it for even a day longer. A physical therapist can help you get back to the active, mobile, pain-free life you long for and deserve. We understand that the struggle you face is more than just a scar – it’s a daily battle against discomfort and pain. And that is why we sincerely want to help. Call us today to speak to find out how you can overcome the pain and stiffness related to scar tissue, right now. We’re very excited to hear from you!  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!  As a physical therapist, I deal with pain on a daily basis in one form or another. Back pain,
shoulder pain, knee pain, neck pain, ankle pain... they’re all part of my daily experience. Pain is such a common experience for most individuals at some point in their lives, and yet the truth is that so many people don’t know the first thing about what pain actually is. Pain is mysterious, and for many of us, pain is actually completely and utterly confusing. I’d like to shed some light on the darkness, tackling the definition of pain one step at a time. For most of us, pain is a very common part of our lives. We stub our toe, scrape a knee, or get our finger caught in a door. While it’s certainly uncomfortable, these types of pain aren’t necessarily pointing to a problem. What makes pain such a mystery is that it tends to surface in odd ways, at odd times, and sometimes in completely odd places. And yet, there is an explanation for this: our bodies are telling us that something is wrong, but not necessarily what is wrong. Let me explain. When we feel pain, our bodies are sending signals to the brain from the area that just got hurt. If you cut your finger, for example, your brain gets told about it and your finger is instantaneously sore. Similarly, if you scrape your knee, or stub your toe, it’s fairly easy to gather information about what happened. But what about when you have chronic back pain, for example? Did you know that the area of the brain responsible for pain gets bigger when it becomes chronic? This is called central sensitization. In other words your body starts misinterpreting the information and paints worse picture than it actually is in reality. Now if you add fear and anxiety on top of the chronic pain you have yourself a perfect storm. It is precisely this ambiguous nature of pain that is such a big problem for most of my patients. On a daily basis I hear, “I just don’t know what I did”, or, “I really can’t remember hurting it”. Pain is so frustrating in this way – if you only knew why it’s sore! The truth is, it’s difficult to figure out what your body needs from you – did you pull a muscle, damage the cartilage, or just sit in an odd position? We often can’t know for sure, at least initially. One thing remains certain, however: pain indicates a problem. When you cut your finger, the tissue is damaged and your body signals the brain so that something can be done to repair it. In the same way, if your back or knee hurts, something isn’t quite right and the body is trying to tell the brain to repair the damage. In the latter example, it’s just that the answer isn’t as clear. Despite this, though, both scenarios require the painful area to be examined and rehabilitated. It’s clear to see that pain is a lot like your internal warning system. If it hurts, the chances are that something is wrong. In my clinic, I treat pain as the symptom of an underlying problem. You may be feeling pain on the right side of your lower back, however the cause may be in the left hip. This is very common. By approaching pain in this way, I make sure to find the root cause of he problem so as to clear up the tenderness and discomfort. Sadly, for many medical professionals, dealing with pain is something that is done back to front. Painkillers and injections are prescribed to mask the pain in the hope that the discomfort will ease in time. In my experience, this just doesn’t work. The way we need to approach pain is NOT as a cause of discomfort, but as a SYMPTOM of a particular problem, whether it’s big or small. The mystery surrounding ‘pain’ is often worsened by the medical industry’s inability to treat the root cause of the problem. Instead, many medical professionals seek to get rid of the pain WITHOUT healing the source of the discomfort. It’s completely counterintuitive. That’s why physical therapy is by far the best way of dealing with gnawing, frustrating, mysterious pain: we find the root cause of the problem, heal it, and ensure that you maintain a pain free, active lifestyle. We all have to deal with pain in one form or another, but remember, one universal truth remains the same: treat the cause to get rid of the pain. Your body knows exactly what’s best for you, and the greatest thing you can do for it is to give it the benefit of the doubt. A pain free life is possible! |
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