Hello.
Back pain loss is a goal many of us strive toward, sometimes on a daily basis.
The Glouster Daily Times has an interesting article dealing woth lower back pain anf disks, please take your time and read the whole article.
Lumbar joint mobilization can get your back on track
On the Mend
Joe Divincenzo
Have you been diagnosed with a bulging disc in your lower back? Have you ever had pain that radiates into your leg? Does it take an hour or more for you to 'straighten up' in the morning when first getting out of bed? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it might be time for a Physical Therapy (PT) evaluation to see if you're a candidate for lumbar joint mobilization.
Signs and symptoms of a disc bulge are fairly easy to recognize. Classically, patients with a disc bulge often cannot extend their lumbar spine (bend backwards). If you have pain that is typically on one side more than another, you will often have trouble running your arm down the side of your leg on that particular side. Also, forward bending and twisting your trunk away from the side of pain will also elicit a pain response in someone with a disc bulge.
Many patients with bulging lumbar discs suffer from intense amounts of pain. Even the wide array of medical interventions such as cortisone injections, radiofrequency ablation, surgery and medication management frequently fail to adequately manage a patient's pain.
Physical therapy is often the most effective form of treatment for patients with low back pain stemming from a disc bulge. Fortunately, it doesn't seem to matter if that pain is of a chronic nature, or if it is acute. PT can usually remedy issues such as stiffness, strength and pain with a series of complex mobilizations.
Joint mobilization is a treatment technique used frequently by physical therapists. It involves moving the surface of one joint on the surface of another joint. Often, joint mobilization is used to achieve a specific purpose. Examples of this include loosening of a stiff shoulder or knee, or alleviating a neck lock after sleeping the wrong way.
Mobilization of the lumbar spine serves many purposes in a patient with a bulging disc. A bulging disc is characterized as a 'space-occupying lesion' (something that takes up space where it shouldn't). Space occupying lesions cause impairments in a person's ability to move, often resulting in pain and stiffness — the cardinal signs of a disc bulge.
By mobilizing the vertebrae and disc that surround the sensitive nerve endings in the back, PT is able to alleviate pain associated with a disc bulge. These mobilizations are directed not only at the vertebrae, but also the muscles, tendons and ligaments which play a role in pain generation.
Your initial evaluation in a physical therapy clinic will consist of a number of highly specialized mobility tests. Some of these tests both cause and relieve pain, so do not be surprised if one intervention is painful and the next makes you feel better. Gathering this baseline information is vital to establishing a full, comprehensive mobilization program that will get you back to normal function.
The most common form of joint mobilization is to find the painful vertebrae and mobilize it to your tolerance. Within the treatment, the vertebrae should transition from painful to feeling normal, and in nearly all cases, feeling loose. To reap the benefits of skilled joint mobilization, a physical therapist may need to spend a substantial amount of time executing specific techniques. The average treatment lasts anywhere from ten to thirty minutes. Treatments may initially be uncomfortable, but should improve by the end of the visit.
For patients that have failed other means of conservative or surgical management, lumbar joint mobilization may be the treatment option for you. Nearly all mobilizations can be transformed into exercises to do at home, so you should leave the clinic able to keep pain at bay on your own. If your back pain persists, lumbar joint mobilization may get your back on track.
More information on back pain loss and exercise appeaes in www.backpainloss.com
Have a look
Paul
Sunday 26 April 2009
Monday 20 April 2009
Interesting take on exercise and coffe
Hello
This one does really deal with Back Pain Loss. but it does seem interesting.
Coffee takes pain out of exercise
Date:14/04/2009
Written By:
While excessive amounts of coffee are not good for you, new research indicates that if you drink a cup of coffee right before going to the gym or getting on a bicycle, the tasty beverage might aid your practice by reducing some of the pain associated with intense physical exertion. The paper also says that this works even if the people drinking the coffee are not in the habit of doing so regularly. The theory states that caffeine works in parts of the spinal cord and the brain that involve processing painful stimuli and has the ability to reduce activity in these regions.
The adenosine neuromodulatory system extends from the spinal cord to the brain, and Robert Motl, a community health and kinesiology professor at the University of Illinois, says that the way in which it processes pain can be influenced by a variety of substances, ranging from illegal narcotics to steroids and even coffee. Basically, what caffeine does is inhibit the action of adenosine, a bioreceptor that plays an important part in energy transfer throughout the body, especially when exercising.
For the actual experiment, Motl divided 25 fit males into two groups, with the criteria being the amount of coffee each of them regularly consumed. Following a workout that was aimed at finding out each of the participants' maximal oxygen consumption (the point in which the muscles burn oxygen and produce energy at an optimal level), the test subjects were asked to return after some time. Before the actual investigation, all of the “patients” were required not to consume caffeine in any form. The experts then gave each of them a pill. While some got a placebo, others received a pill that was laden with caffeine. An hour later, they were asked to perform a strenuous 30-minute-long exercise on the bicycle, and their perception of muscular pain was assessed at regular intervals. “What we saw is something we didn't expect. Caffeine-naïve individuals and habitual users have the same amount of reduction in pain during exercise after caffeine,” Motl shares.
“Clearly, if you regularly consume caffeine, you have to have more to have that bigger, mental-energy effect. But the tolerance effect is not ubiquitous across all stimuli. Even brain metabolism doesn't show this tolerance-type effect. That is, with individuals who are habitual users versus non-habitual users, if you give them caffeine and do brain imaging, the activation is identical. It's really interesting why some processes show tolerance and others don't,” the former cyclist turned professor concludes.
No information on coffe at: www.backpainloss.com. Lots of other good stuff, though.
Stay well,
Paul
This one does really deal with Back Pain Loss. but it does seem interesting.
Coffee takes pain out of exercise
Date:14/04/2009
Written By:
While excessive amounts of coffee are not good for you, new research indicates that if you drink a cup of coffee right before going to the gym or getting on a bicycle, the tasty beverage might aid your practice by reducing some of the pain associated with intense physical exertion. The paper also says that this works even if the people drinking the coffee are not in the habit of doing so regularly. The theory states that caffeine works in parts of the spinal cord and the brain that involve processing painful stimuli and has the ability to reduce activity in these regions.
The adenosine neuromodulatory system extends from the spinal cord to the brain, and Robert Motl, a community health and kinesiology professor at the University of Illinois, says that the way in which it processes pain can be influenced by a variety of substances, ranging from illegal narcotics to steroids and even coffee. Basically, what caffeine does is inhibit the action of adenosine, a bioreceptor that plays an important part in energy transfer throughout the body, especially when exercising.
For the actual experiment, Motl divided 25 fit males into two groups, with the criteria being the amount of coffee each of them regularly consumed. Following a workout that was aimed at finding out each of the participants' maximal oxygen consumption (the point in which the muscles burn oxygen and produce energy at an optimal level), the test subjects were asked to return after some time. Before the actual investigation, all of the “patients” were required not to consume caffeine in any form. The experts then gave each of them a pill. While some got a placebo, others received a pill that was laden with caffeine. An hour later, they were asked to perform a strenuous 30-minute-long exercise on the bicycle, and their perception of muscular pain was assessed at regular intervals. “What we saw is something we didn't expect. Caffeine-naïve individuals and habitual users have the same amount of reduction in pain during exercise after caffeine,” Motl shares.
“Clearly, if you regularly consume caffeine, you have to have more to have that bigger, mental-energy effect. But the tolerance effect is not ubiquitous across all stimuli. Even brain metabolism doesn't show this tolerance-type effect. That is, with individuals who are habitual users versus non-habitual users, if you give them caffeine and do brain imaging, the activation is identical. It's really interesting why some processes show tolerance and others don't,” the former cyclist turned professor concludes.
No information on coffe at: www.backpainloss.com. Lots of other good stuff, though.
Stay well,
Paul
An article from Natural Law
A lot of people I know suffer head aches, but do not like pills, Here ia an alternative
Articles Related to This Article:
• Aspartame consumption strongly associated with migraines and seizures
• Seven Techniques for Overcoming Migraine Headaches
• Migraine with "aura" linked with heart disease risk
(NaturalNews) If you suffer from frequent headaches or migraines, chances are you shy away from exercise for fear of inducing a headache. You may be surprised to hear you can find relief through exercise. A recent Swedish study published in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain showed that exercise does not seem to increase migraines. In fact, regular activity can reduce the number of migraines, the intensity of migraines and the need for pain medication.
The exercise program in the study was specific: for twelve weeks, 26 participants exercised for a total of 40 minutes. This included a 15-minute warm-up, followed by 20 minutes of more vigorous activity, and then ending with a 5-minute cool-down period. Researchers kept track of each participant's maximum use of oxygen (VO2MAX) to measure their fitness level.
Study participants logged their migraines during the entire study. They made note of the days in which the migraines occurred, how painful they were and how much pain medication was used during each occurrence.
By the end of the study, participants were logging fewer migraines; they occurred less often and with less intensity. Participants were also able to use less pain medication to treat their migraines. Maximum oxygen uptake was also noticeably increased.
Emma Varkey, of the Cephalea Headache Centre in Gothenburg, Sweden and co-author of the study says, "While the optimal amount of exercise for patients with migraine remains unknown, our evaluated program can now be tested further and compared to pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments to see if exercise can prevent migraine."
Two large surveys in Norway produced conclusions similar to those of the Swedish study. The surveys questioned more than 68,000 adults about their exercise habits and their headache symptoms. Findings show that people who don't exercise are 14 percent more likely to experience headaches. It also points out that those who already deal with head pain may be less inclined to exercise.
Exercise is linked to many health benefits, including the prevention of health problems like diabetes and heart disease. It's important not to shun exercise, even if you suffer from frequent headaches or migraines. Instead, try to find a form of exercise that agrees with you. Including a warm-up period and monitoring the intensity of your work-out may help. Activities like yoga or outdoor walks may also help bring exercise back into your life. And with a benefit of reduced headaches, it's bound to be worth a try.
Sources:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/boo...
http://sciencemode.com/2009/03/30/s...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933...
About the author
Elizabeth Walling is a freelance writer, specializing in articles about health and family nutrition. She is a strong believer in natural living as a way to improve health and prevent common illnesses.
There is more on exercise at:www.backpainloss.com
All the best,
Paul
Articles Related to This Article:
• Aspartame consumption strongly associated with migraines and seizures
• Seven Techniques for Overcoming Migraine Headaches
• Migraine with "aura" linked with heart disease risk
(NaturalNews) If you suffer from frequent headaches or migraines, chances are you shy away from exercise for fear of inducing a headache. You may be surprised to hear you can find relief through exercise. A recent Swedish study published in Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain showed that exercise does not seem to increase migraines. In fact, regular activity can reduce the number of migraines, the intensity of migraines and the need for pain medication.
The exercise program in the study was specific: for twelve weeks, 26 participants exercised for a total of 40 minutes. This included a 15-minute warm-up, followed by 20 minutes of more vigorous activity, and then ending with a 5-minute cool-down period. Researchers kept track of each participant's maximum use of oxygen (VO2MAX) to measure their fitness level.
Study participants logged their migraines during the entire study. They made note of the days in which the migraines occurred, how painful they were and how much pain medication was used during each occurrence.
By the end of the study, participants were logging fewer migraines; they occurred less often and with less intensity. Participants were also able to use less pain medication to treat their migraines. Maximum oxygen uptake was also noticeably increased.
Emma Varkey, of the Cephalea Headache Centre in Gothenburg, Sweden and co-author of the study says, "While the optimal amount of exercise for patients with migraine remains unknown, our evaluated program can now be tested further and compared to pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments to see if exercise can prevent migraine."
Two large surveys in Norway produced conclusions similar to those of the Swedish study. The surveys questioned more than 68,000 adults about their exercise habits and their headache symptoms. Findings show that people who don't exercise are 14 percent more likely to experience headaches. It also points out that those who already deal with head pain may be less inclined to exercise.
Exercise is linked to many health benefits, including the prevention of health problems like diabetes and heart disease. It's important not to shun exercise, even if you suffer from frequent headaches or migraines. Instead, try to find a form of exercise that agrees with you. Including a warm-up period and monitoring the intensity of your work-out may help. Activities like yoga or outdoor walks may also help bring exercise back into your life. And with a benefit of reduced headaches, it's bound to be worth a try.
Sources:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/boo...
http://sciencemode.com/2009/03/30/s...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933...
About the author
Elizabeth Walling is a freelance writer, specializing in articles about health and family nutrition. She is a strong believer in natural living as a way to improve health and prevent common illnesses.
There is more on exercise at:www.backpainloss.com
All the best,
Paul
From the River Journal
Think you might like this
A Holistic Approach to Sciatica
Font size: Sandpoint Wellness Counci 12 April, 2009 04:52:00
There are many ways to address chronic back pain
I think everyone I know at some time has experienced a form of low back pain, mostly centered around the sacrum and hip bones, the sacro-iliac joints, with pain radiating downward through the backside and into the thighs and calves. This radiating pain is often suddenly sharp and can be so severe it puts us down and out for days waiting for recovery.
The cause of such a horrible pain arises from pressure or compression on the sciatic nerve, the longest nerve in the body, which runs from the lower spine through the pelvis and gluteus muscles and angles down to the back sides of the lower legs. With this intermittent or chronic pain, there may also be numbness and tingling in the legs, feet, and toes as nerve transmission becomes reduced.
Many causes of compression on the sciatic nerve have been identified. One cause could originate from muscle tension, especially the piriformis muscle that originates on the side of the sacrum, crosses over the sciatic nerve as it angles across the pelvis, and attaches on the hip bone. Heavy lifting, twisting, perhaps long hours driving or prolonged positions before our computers without frequent stretching, or general overwork of the pelvic and hip muscles can generate a spasm of the piriformis and compression on the sciatic nerve.
As the sciatic nerve exits from the spinal column, any damage, wear and tear, tumors, protrusions or bulges to the discs, our shock absorbers, can reduce spinal flexibility that can lead to an irritation or pressure on the sciatic nerve root. Spinal misalignment and stenosis, the fusing of the vertebral bones, can become an accessory to sciatic pain.
When these familiar pains remain unaddressed, the body often develops adaptive behaviors and positions to compensate for the pain and reduction of flexibility. Over time this can lead to permanent damage to the discs, the vertebrae, and the affected nerves. Some methods of treatments have been administering pain killing and anti-inflammatory drugs. However, these may also have serious side affects with long term usage. The use of heat and cold therapies may be suggested along with stretching and strengthening exercises to release spasms and ease pain symptoms. Another therapy has been the use of anti-inflammatory steroid injections to the site, again with the potential of side effects. In serious cases where diagnosis and testing has revealed bone or disc damage, surgery may be the recommended solution.
As complementary practitioners, the members of The Sandpoint Wellness Council often address chronic back pain in its many manifestations. After all, humans are active and creative beings who oftentimes use their bodies rather than machines to accomplish all sorts of heavy tasks. Following is information from several of the SWC members and their strategies and techniques for addressing “sciatica.”
Ilani Kopiecki, BA, CMT, A Cranio-Sacral Approach
CranioSacral therapy provides a specialized approach to releasing and rebalancing the energy of the spine, as this is where our nerves exit outward to deliver our myriad nerve impulses powering our body. This therapy gently and effectively decompresses the lumbar vertebrae, sacrum, and pelvic area enabling any affected associated muscles and tissues to release and relax and allowing for the ache, pain, and tightness to subside, sometimes right away, and sometimes within a short period of time. Many times with only a few sessions the pain disappears for good. With Cranio-Sacral therapy, the client remains fully clothed. Please visit www.upledgerinstitute.com for more information about craniosacral therapy, its applications and benefits, or call Ilani at 610-2005.
Owen Marcus, MA, A Rolfer’s Approach
Sciatica is a common problem. Studies estimate that 13 percent to 40 percent of adults suffer from it, and 1 percent to 5 percent suffer annual recurrences. For more than 30 years now, sciatic pain has been a common reason why clients come to me for Rolfing.
Over the years, I’ve learned some things about sciatic pain: whether the pain is caused by low back strain, a herniated disc, or hip muscle strain (e.g., piriformis muscle), inevitably the true source is soft tissue strain. The body’s muscles and connective tissue (fascia, tendons and ligaments) contract, pull on the skeleton, yank it out of alignment, and cause pain. This strain compresses the discs of the back, which is the major cause of sciatica. The strain can also force the muscles of the hip to contract (the sciatic nerve travels through those muscles) creating “pseudo-sciatica”.
Think of your soft tissue as leather; if it shrinks (tightens up due to injury, stress, or pain), your entire body shortens. The low back is the most vulnerable to shortening because of the large muscles and connective tissue of the deep abdomen and the back muscles.
“No matter what I do for my ‘core,’ I can’t seem to strengthen my lower back or flatten my low abdomen,” one of my clients told me. Even when she wasn’t having sciatic pain, her low back often just felt tired. No amount of stretching helped, because it wasn’t just her muscles that had shortened up; all her fascia was too tight also. After getting Rolfed, she told me: “It’s like my low back muscles woke up.” She hasn’t had any pain, and she can finally exercise some of those core muscles she had only heard about before. Her stomach is flatter and her back is stronger.
With this shortening, your organs and back are susceptible to impairment, and so are the nerves that run out of the spine. Your discs are like jelly donuts filling in the space between the vertebrae of the back, allowing the back to bend. After years of strain, these discs flatten into pancakes and the low back shortens. (This is where we lose most of our height.) Then the compressed discs can bulge, pushing against a nerve. In the hip, the deep hip muscles can contract around the nerve.
The compounded strain over the years distorts your entire structure, forcing your bones to try to compensate, essentially mal-forming your skeleton. If your body’s entire leather suit shrinks, your skeleton does the best job it can to adjust to the decreasing space. But your nerves are very sensitive to irritation from this chronic imbalance. We can fix one part of this puzzle, but if the systemic strain remains, you will have recurring pain.
Fortunately, the whole process is reversible. Think of it like straightening out a twisted hose–you can’t just straighten out one section, you need to unwind the torque from the entire hose so it will lie flat. To stretch out your soft tissue, so your skeleton can go back to its natural state, you have to “unwind” all the soft tissue, releasing the chronic stress and allowing your body to regain its natural state.
All your soft tissue needs releasing—right where the pain is, and throughout your entire body—for significant lasting change. There are many ways to get a release; Rolfing is just one of them.
Owen Marcus, MA Certified Advance Rolfer, website. 265.8440.
Possible resources for more information: www.curezone.com/dis/1.asp?C0=299; www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/sciatica-treatment-3126.html; www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/41/101.cfm; www.sciatica.org; www.mindbodysoul.tv/episodes/episode-five/sciatica.
Krystle Shapiro, BA, LMT, CDT, A Massage Therapy Approach
As a medical massage therapist, I have many clients who request a massage to relieve their back pains. My approach is to determine the recent activities and movements a client has undertaken to understand exactly which muscles have “cramped up” from what action. Most often it is the piriformis muscle, but sometimes other low back, abdominal, or leg muscles are the source. The pelvis is our core where upper and lower body structures attach or originate, and as we move, it receives a tremendous amount of action every day.
I utilize two basic therapeutic approaches to address sciatic pain: muscle energy technique and positional release therapy. Cramping or spasms become involuntary. By applying MET, I perform with the client a contract/relax activity with the affected muscle three or four times. This pattern informs the brain and muscle receptors that a new action is requested, that of relaxing. It always amazes me how effective this technique is when a therapist understands kinesiology and can identify the right muscle precipitating the spasm.
PRT is similar in that it causes a renegotiation between the muscle receptors and the brain. When we injure ourselves, the muscle receptors send the brain a signal that says “Ouch!!” The brain then sends a chemical, surprisingly called Chemical P, that causes a pain sensation. This in turn causes us to protect an area that hurts. With PRT, I find a “tender hot spot” and then move the affected limb into a position where the pain “turns off.” With the appropriate wait time held in that special position, the muscle receptors say “Ahhh,” the brain stops sending Chemical P, and the spasm is released. Usually any residual ache subsides within a couple of hours as the immune system carries the residue of Chemical P away from the site. These two therapies are very effective and have enabled many of my clients to not take medications that create unwanted side effects.
Krystle Shapiro, Touchstone Massage Therapies, 208/290-6760
Mary Boyd, A Physical Therapist Approach
Leg pain may be misunderstood as there are two different causes. In the first situation, the piriformis muscle that lies deep within the buttocks may be inflamed as a result of low back dysfunction. This little muscle, about the size of your pinkie, lies over the sciatic nerve and often mimics true sciatica by pushing on the nerve and in turn causing pain, numbness, and tingling in the posterior leg.
In the second situation, true sciatica occurs when the nerve itself is pinched or pushed upon by one of the spinal segments in the low back, also bringing pain, numbness or tingling into the leg and foot. It is important to understand the root cause so the treatment will be effective. Personally, I use joint or soft tissue mobilization to treat these symptoms, working directly on the joints of L 3, 4, and 5 in patients with true sciatica or directly on the buttocks for those that have piriformis irritation. It is also important to understand that pain that extends below the knee is considered to be more serious and more difficult to treat.
More information at:www.backpainloss.com
Paul
A Holistic Approach to Sciatica
Font size: Sandpoint Wellness Counci 12 April, 2009 04:52:00
There are many ways to address chronic back pain
I think everyone I know at some time has experienced a form of low back pain, mostly centered around the sacrum and hip bones, the sacro-iliac joints, with pain radiating downward through the backside and into the thighs and calves. This radiating pain is often suddenly sharp and can be so severe it puts us down and out for days waiting for recovery.
The cause of such a horrible pain arises from pressure or compression on the sciatic nerve, the longest nerve in the body, which runs from the lower spine through the pelvis and gluteus muscles and angles down to the back sides of the lower legs. With this intermittent or chronic pain, there may also be numbness and tingling in the legs, feet, and toes as nerve transmission becomes reduced.
Many causes of compression on the sciatic nerve have been identified. One cause could originate from muscle tension, especially the piriformis muscle that originates on the side of the sacrum, crosses over the sciatic nerve as it angles across the pelvis, and attaches on the hip bone. Heavy lifting, twisting, perhaps long hours driving or prolonged positions before our computers without frequent stretching, or general overwork of the pelvic and hip muscles can generate a spasm of the piriformis and compression on the sciatic nerve.
As the sciatic nerve exits from the spinal column, any damage, wear and tear, tumors, protrusions or bulges to the discs, our shock absorbers, can reduce spinal flexibility that can lead to an irritation or pressure on the sciatic nerve root. Spinal misalignment and stenosis, the fusing of the vertebral bones, can become an accessory to sciatic pain.
When these familiar pains remain unaddressed, the body often develops adaptive behaviors and positions to compensate for the pain and reduction of flexibility. Over time this can lead to permanent damage to the discs, the vertebrae, and the affected nerves. Some methods of treatments have been administering pain killing and anti-inflammatory drugs. However, these may also have serious side affects with long term usage. The use of heat and cold therapies may be suggested along with stretching and strengthening exercises to release spasms and ease pain symptoms. Another therapy has been the use of anti-inflammatory steroid injections to the site, again with the potential of side effects. In serious cases where diagnosis and testing has revealed bone or disc damage, surgery may be the recommended solution.
As complementary practitioners, the members of The Sandpoint Wellness Council often address chronic back pain in its many manifestations. After all, humans are active and creative beings who oftentimes use their bodies rather than machines to accomplish all sorts of heavy tasks. Following is information from several of the SWC members and their strategies and techniques for addressing “sciatica.”
Ilani Kopiecki, BA, CMT, A Cranio-Sacral Approach
CranioSacral therapy provides a specialized approach to releasing and rebalancing the energy of the spine, as this is where our nerves exit outward to deliver our myriad nerve impulses powering our body. This therapy gently and effectively decompresses the lumbar vertebrae, sacrum, and pelvic area enabling any affected associated muscles and tissues to release and relax and allowing for the ache, pain, and tightness to subside, sometimes right away, and sometimes within a short period of time. Many times with only a few sessions the pain disappears for good. With Cranio-Sacral therapy, the client remains fully clothed. Please visit www.upledgerinstitute.com for more information about craniosacral therapy, its applications and benefits, or call Ilani at 610-2005.
Owen Marcus, MA, A Rolfer’s Approach
Sciatica is a common problem. Studies estimate that 13 percent to 40 percent of adults suffer from it, and 1 percent to 5 percent suffer annual recurrences. For more than 30 years now, sciatic pain has been a common reason why clients come to me for Rolfing.
Over the years, I’ve learned some things about sciatic pain: whether the pain is caused by low back strain, a herniated disc, or hip muscle strain (e.g., piriformis muscle), inevitably the true source is soft tissue strain. The body’s muscles and connective tissue (fascia, tendons and ligaments) contract, pull on the skeleton, yank it out of alignment, and cause pain. This strain compresses the discs of the back, which is the major cause of sciatica. The strain can also force the muscles of the hip to contract (the sciatic nerve travels through those muscles) creating “pseudo-sciatica”.
Think of your soft tissue as leather; if it shrinks (tightens up due to injury, stress, or pain), your entire body shortens. The low back is the most vulnerable to shortening because of the large muscles and connective tissue of the deep abdomen and the back muscles.
“No matter what I do for my ‘core,’ I can’t seem to strengthen my lower back or flatten my low abdomen,” one of my clients told me. Even when she wasn’t having sciatic pain, her low back often just felt tired. No amount of stretching helped, because it wasn’t just her muscles that had shortened up; all her fascia was too tight also. After getting Rolfed, she told me: “It’s like my low back muscles woke up.” She hasn’t had any pain, and she can finally exercise some of those core muscles she had only heard about before. Her stomach is flatter and her back is stronger.
With this shortening, your organs and back are susceptible to impairment, and so are the nerves that run out of the spine. Your discs are like jelly donuts filling in the space between the vertebrae of the back, allowing the back to bend. After years of strain, these discs flatten into pancakes and the low back shortens. (This is where we lose most of our height.) Then the compressed discs can bulge, pushing against a nerve. In the hip, the deep hip muscles can contract around the nerve.
The compounded strain over the years distorts your entire structure, forcing your bones to try to compensate, essentially mal-forming your skeleton. If your body’s entire leather suit shrinks, your skeleton does the best job it can to adjust to the decreasing space. But your nerves are very sensitive to irritation from this chronic imbalance. We can fix one part of this puzzle, but if the systemic strain remains, you will have recurring pain.
Fortunately, the whole process is reversible. Think of it like straightening out a twisted hose–you can’t just straighten out one section, you need to unwind the torque from the entire hose so it will lie flat. To stretch out your soft tissue, so your skeleton can go back to its natural state, you have to “unwind” all the soft tissue, releasing the chronic stress and allowing your body to regain its natural state.
All your soft tissue needs releasing—right where the pain is, and throughout your entire body—for significant lasting change. There are many ways to get a release; Rolfing is just one of them.
Owen Marcus, MA Certified Advance Rolfer, website. 265.8440.
Possible resources for more information: www.curezone.com/dis/1.asp?C0=299; www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/sciatica-treatment-3126.html; www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/41/101.cfm; www.sciatica.org; www.mindbodysoul.tv/episodes/episode-five/sciatica.
Krystle Shapiro, BA, LMT, CDT, A Massage Therapy Approach
As a medical massage therapist, I have many clients who request a massage to relieve their back pains. My approach is to determine the recent activities and movements a client has undertaken to understand exactly which muscles have “cramped up” from what action. Most often it is the piriformis muscle, but sometimes other low back, abdominal, or leg muscles are the source. The pelvis is our core where upper and lower body structures attach or originate, and as we move, it receives a tremendous amount of action every day.
I utilize two basic therapeutic approaches to address sciatic pain: muscle energy technique and positional release therapy. Cramping or spasms become involuntary. By applying MET, I perform with the client a contract/relax activity with the affected muscle three or four times. This pattern informs the brain and muscle receptors that a new action is requested, that of relaxing. It always amazes me how effective this technique is when a therapist understands kinesiology and can identify the right muscle precipitating the spasm.
PRT is similar in that it causes a renegotiation between the muscle receptors and the brain. When we injure ourselves, the muscle receptors send the brain a signal that says “Ouch!!” The brain then sends a chemical, surprisingly called Chemical P, that causes a pain sensation. This in turn causes us to protect an area that hurts. With PRT, I find a “tender hot spot” and then move the affected limb into a position where the pain “turns off.” With the appropriate wait time held in that special position, the muscle receptors say “Ahhh,” the brain stops sending Chemical P, and the spasm is released. Usually any residual ache subsides within a couple of hours as the immune system carries the residue of Chemical P away from the site. These two therapies are very effective and have enabled many of my clients to not take medications that create unwanted side effects.
Krystle Shapiro, Touchstone Massage Therapies, 208/290-6760
Mary Boyd, A Physical Therapist Approach
Leg pain may be misunderstood as there are two different causes. In the first situation, the piriformis muscle that lies deep within the buttocks may be inflamed as a result of low back dysfunction. This little muscle, about the size of your pinkie, lies over the sciatic nerve and often mimics true sciatica by pushing on the nerve and in turn causing pain, numbness, and tingling in the posterior leg.
In the second situation, true sciatica occurs when the nerve itself is pinched or pushed upon by one of the spinal segments in the low back, also bringing pain, numbness or tingling into the leg and foot. It is important to understand the root cause so the treatment will be effective. Personally, I use joint or soft tissue mobilization to treat these symptoms, working directly on the joints of L 3, 4, and 5 in patients with true sciatica or directly on the buttocks for those that have piriformis irritation. It is also important to understand that pain that extends below the knee is considered to be more serious and more difficult to treat.
More information at:www.backpainloss.com
Paul
Thursday 9 April 2009
More on Pregnancy and Lower Back Pain
Hello. Here is an article on Pregnancy and lower bsck pain. From Families.com
Exercise for Back Pain
by Pattie Hughes | More from this Blogger
05 Apr 2009 06:39 PM
Back pain is one of the more common symptoms experienced during pregnancy. The vast majority of pregnant women will have back pain at some point in their pregnancies. For most, the back pain is not related to an injury or problem, but from the changes in the body as a result of the pregnancy.
Back pain during pregnancy is the result of a few changes. One is the weight gained during pregnancy. The weight gain is centered around the middle of the body, which changes the center of gravity. This change in the center of gravity causes strain on the body, which contributes to back pain. The last contributing factor is changes in hormone levels.
When women experience back pain, they often avoid exercise, believing it will make the pain worse. Actually, exercise can help back pain and regular exercise can help prevent future pain. Before trying any exercise program to relieve back pain, check with your doctor. You want to make sure the pain is not related to anything more serious than typical pregnancy related back pain.
There are several forms of exercise that can benefit back pain. Stretching exercises or flexibility training is great for back pain. A prenatal yoga class offers stretching and strengthening poses that can help relieve pain and strengthen the back to prevent future pain.
Stretching the muscles is important, but its only part of the picture. It is also important to tone and strengthen the muscles. Strong and well toned muscles will help prevent back pain and will prepare your body for labor.
Movement exercises are helpful for back pain because they stretch and work the muscles. Resting too much tightens the muscles of the back even more, which results in more pain. Walking and swimming are two good exercises for back pain. Be sure to go slowly and use gentle motions and don't over do it.
Related Articles:
Your Back & Pregnancy
Back Pain in Pregnancy
Share and Enjoy:
Learn more about Pattie Hughes
Pattie Hughes is a freelance writer and mother of four young children. She and her husband have been married since 1992. Pattie holds a degree in Elementary Education from Florida Atlantic University.
If you liked this, try wwwbackpainloss.com.
Exercise for Back Pain
by Pattie Hughes | More from this Blogger
05 Apr 2009 06:39 PM
Back pain is one of the more common symptoms experienced during pregnancy. The vast majority of pregnant women will have back pain at some point in their pregnancies. For most, the back pain is not related to an injury or problem, but from the changes in the body as a result of the pregnancy.
Back pain during pregnancy is the result of a few changes. One is the weight gained during pregnancy. The weight gain is centered around the middle of the body, which changes the center of gravity. This change in the center of gravity causes strain on the body, which contributes to back pain. The last contributing factor is changes in hormone levels.
When women experience back pain, they often avoid exercise, believing it will make the pain worse. Actually, exercise can help back pain and regular exercise can help prevent future pain. Before trying any exercise program to relieve back pain, check with your doctor. You want to make sure the pain is not related to anything more serious than typical pregnancy related back pain.
There are several forms of exercise that can benefit back pain. Stretching exercises or flexibility training is great for back pain. A prenatal yoga class offers stretching and strengthening poses that can help relieve pain and strengthen the back to prevent future pain.
Stretching the muscles is important, but its only part of the picture. It is also important to tone and strengthen the muscles. Strong and well toned muscles will help prevent back pain and will prepare your body for labor.
Movement exercises are helpful for back pain because they stretch and work the muscles. Resting too much tightens the muscles of the back even more, which results in more pain. Walking and swimming are two good exercises for back pain. Be sure to go slowly and use gentle motions and don't over do it.
Related Articles:
Your Back & Pregnancy
Back Pain in Pregnancy
Share and Enjoy:
Learn more about Pattie Hughes
Pattie Hughes is a freelance writer and mother of four young children. She and her husband have been married since 1992. Pattie holds a degree in Elementary Education from Florida Atlantic University.
If you liked this, try wwwbackpainloss.com.
Sunday 5 April 2009
This article from CarrieSpry.com
Hello again
I love Yoga,at the moment I am very interested in Meditation, have a read.
Yoga and Back Pain
by Andrew Mitchell
Back problems can often be very uncomfortable, making it difficult to bend down, lift objects, sit on a soft sofa ” common things that many people take for granted. GPs advise you to go on diets, take medications, and follow special treatments to deal with the more painful symptoms, but in recent years there has been an upsurge of interest in non-western solutions to psychical problems. And apparently, they work. One eastern alternative has been particularly helpful for dealing with back pain: yoga.
How does it work?
Yoga has many varieties ” gentle exercises that relax the mind and body, to more challenging types that are psychically demanding and a great workout. Through a combination of poses and breathing techniques, yoga allows you to gain a greater awareness of your body, helping it become more aligned and improving your overall posture.
Osteopaths and yoga experts recommend a style that is known as hatha yoga for people who are suffering from back problems, as it is one of the gentlest forms that involves careful stretches, easy breathing exercises, and practices of the basic yoga poses. They discourage yoga variations such as Bikram and Ashtanga, as they can be hard on the back. Hatha yoga can make it easier to recover quickly from back problems such as Sciatica, Osteoarthritis and Fibromyalgia, and can also prevent them from occurring in the first place.
What you can do
Here are some yoga exercises you can do to strengthen your back, alleviate pain, and make your muscles more flexible:
1) Begin with some stretches before moving on to the more complicated poses. Get into the Mountain Pose: stand up straight with your feet touching, balancing the weight of your body over the feet evenly. Keep your arms at your sides, slightly pressed into the body. Tighten your buttocks and stomach muscles but maintain a firm posture. Whole holding the pose, breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth.
2) Crescent Moon Pose: this pose strengthens your back, legs, and shoulders, helping you build extra stamina. Complete it in two steps:
Keep your back straight and kneel to your knees. Step forward with your right foot so that your foot is a little past your right knee, and keep your leg parallel to the floor.
Stretch both arms above your head, hooking the thumbs together. Keeping your balance, slowly lift your left knee off the floor, stretch out the leg, and make sure your weight is spread evenly over both the front and leg. Pay attention to keeping your chest low, otherwise you create a hollow in your back.
3) The Child Pose: this pose helps you stretch your spine, hips, and thighs, and should help alleviate the psychical and emotional stresses in your body. Carry it out in three steps:
Kneel down separating your knees, and sit on your feet with your feet pointing outwards.
Gently place your forehead on the floor and swing your arms forward, so that your shoulders brush your ears.
With your head still touching the floor, bring your arms around to your sides, palms facing upwards.
These traditional ways of healing the body can therefore be a great supplement or alternative to western back treatments. As long as each pose is exercised with caution, hatha yoga can ensure that your mind and body feel better and refreshed.
About the Author:
Andrew Mitchell, clinical director of the Osteopath Network, writes papers about musculo-skeletal conditions and Southampton Osteopath. The Osteopath Network has more than 550 clinics located throughout the UK and offers treatment at weekends and after hours.
There should be more about Yoga near you. Everything from Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga, I thinh thats right, a bit more like hard work. If you are really adventurous, try Tantric, I have not gone that far.
Whatever you do, don't forget www.backpainloss.com
Bye for now
Paul
I love Yoga,at the moment I am very interested in Meditation, have a read.
Yoga and Back Pain
by Andrew Mitchell
Back problems can often be very uncomfortable, making it difficult to bend down, lift objects, sit on a soft sofa ” common things that many people take for granted. GPs advise you to go on diets, take medications, and follow special treatments to deal with the more painful symptoms, but in recent years there has been an upsurge of interest in non-western solutions to psychical problems. And apparently, they work. One eastern alternative has been particularly helpful for dealing with back pain: yoga.
How does it work?
Yoga has many varieties ” gentle exercises that relax the mind and body, to more challenging types that are psychically demanding and a great workout. Through a combination of poses and breathing techniques, yoga allows you to gain a greater awareness of your body, helping it become more aligned and improving your overall posture.
Osteopaths and yoga experts recommend a style that is known as hatha yoga for people who are suffering from back problems, as it is one of the gentlest forms that involves careful stretches, easy breathing exercises, and practices of the basic yoga poses. They discourage yoga variations such as Bikram and Ashtanga, as they can be hard on the back. Hatha yoga can make it easier to recover quickly from back problems such as Sciatica, Osteoarthritis and Fibromyalgia, and can also prevent them from occurring in the first place.
What you can do
Here are some yoga exercises you can do to strengthen your back, alleviate pain, and make your muscles more flexible:
1) Begin with some stretches before moving on to the more complicated poses. Get into the Mountain Pose: stand up straight with your feet touching, balancing the weight of your body over the feet evenly. Keep your arms at your sides, slightly pressed into the body. Tighten your buttocks and stomach muscles but maintain a firm posture. Whole holding the pose, breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth.
2) Crescent Moon Pose: this pose strengthens your back, legs, and shoulders, helping you build extra stamina. Complete it in two steps:
Keep your back straight and kneel to your knees. Step forward with your right foot so that your foot is a little past your right knee, and keep your leg parallel to the floor.
Stretch both arms above your head, hooking the thumbs together. Keeping your balance, slowly lift your left knee off the floor, stretch out the leg, and make sure your weight is spread evenly over both the front and leg. Pay attention to keeping your chest low, otherwise you create a hollow in your back.
3) The Child Pose: this pose helps you stretch your spine, hips, and thighs, and should help alleviate the psychical and emotional stresses in your body. Carry it out in three steps:
Kneel down separating your knees, and sit on your feet with your feet pointing outwards.
Gently place your forehead on the floor and swing your arms forward, so that your shoulders brush your ears.
With your head still touching the floor, bring your arms around to your sides, palms facing upwards.
These traditional ways of healing the body can therefore be a great supplement or alternative to western back treatments. As long as each pose is exercised with caution, hatha yoga can ensure that your mind and body feel better and refreshed.
About the Author:
Andrew Mitchell, clinical director of the Osteopath Network, writes papers about musculo-skeletal conditions and Southampton Osteopath. The Osteopath Network has more than 550 clinics located throughout the UK and offers treatment at weekends and after hours.
There should be more about Yoga near you. Everything from Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga, I thinh thats right, a bit more like hard work. If you are really adventurous, try Tantric, I have not gone that far.
Whatever you do, don't forget www.backpainloss.com
Bye for now
Paul
From the Chicgo Tribune.com, more on back pain
Here is an interesting article from Chicgo
SEATED EXERCISES PROPER FORM
Give your chair a rest
6 strategies
Julie Deardorff |
April 5, 2009
Where are you right now? Lounging on an overstuffed couch with the newspaper and a cup of coffee? Sitting on a kitchen chair taking in the news online? Well, I hope you're sitting down for this bit of news. (Or maybe you should stand.) Your chair is slowly killing you.
Chair disease, as we like to call it, is an increasingly common malady in the U.S. that is almost always caused by spending too much time parked on your rear end.
It's not really the chair's fault, though. The problem is that most of us sit wrong—slouched forward with our earlobes in front of our shoulders—and for hours without moving. The result? Avoidable chair-related ailments, including flabby butts, an increased risk of blood clots, and back pain, the leading cause of disability in Americans under age 45. And if you haven't had back pain yet, just wait; it affects 8 out of 10 people at some point during their life, according to the National Institutes of Health.
"Sitting all day is the worst thing in the world you can do for your back, " said Dr. Joel Press, the medical director of the Spine & Sports Institute at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.
Julie Deardorff Bio | E-mail | Recent columns
Related links
Give your chair a rest Photos Sitting puts nearly twice the stress on the spine as standing; slouching while you sit increases the pressure even more.
That's because hunching forward pushes the back into a convex or C shape. Try it. Now pull your shoulders back and together and put your hand on your lower back. That natural concave curve is what you want; slouching fatigues and overstretches the ligaments, causing back pain.
To make matters worse, we stay in this bad C position for hours, barely moving, even when nature calls. "I'll be crashing on a project and three hours go by," said Kara Carmichael, a 23-year-old Chicago publicist with back pain who sits behind her computer for 10 hours a day.
Movement is key because the disks in our vertebrae are important shock absorbers. When we're locked in one position, we're starving the disks of nutrients.
"There's no vascular or nerve supply to the disks; they get their nutrition through movement," said Press. "If we're not moving, everything stagnates."
Sitting also tightens and shortens the psoas—the strong hip flexor—which can affect how the pelvis rotates and increase the load on the low back. If you've ever run on a treadmill at lunch and then returned to your desk, you know hamstrings also tighten when we sit. The gluteal muscles, meanwhile, stretch out, but they're not being used so they turn off and get weaker (flabbier!) from sitting.
A significant portion of low back pain can be remedied by avoiding what Chicago physical therapist Vincent Gutierrez calls the two most common sitting mistakes: leaning forward and having the chair too low. But to really stand up to chair disease, try the following techniques:
Change your position. It's the single best thing you can do, said Press. Stand up every 15 to 30 minutes and clasp your hands behind your back. Take a phone call standing instead of sitting or simply straighten up, contract your abs and lean back. Carmichael sets an Outlook reminder to tell her to move.
Get a treadmill desk. Lisa Solomon operates her law practice from her New York home while walking on a treadmill at 2.2 miles per hour. She has lost 8 pounds. For more information: officewalkers.ning.com.
Squat. It's more comfortable than sitting because most of the weight of the abdomen is supported on the thighs, said Dr. William Meller, author of "Evolution Rx" (Perigee, $24.95). "Also squatting with the head and shoulders held up and back keeps the low back in its natural position," he told me.
Use a lumbar roll. About 6 inches in diameter, lumbar rolls help maintain the natural curve of the back. You can use them in a car or the office. Order one—along with Angela Kneale's useful handbook "Desk Pilates"—at optp.com.
Practice Robin McKenzie's "slouch-overcorrect" exercise. If you have to sit for a long time, move from slouched position to upright 10 to 15 times, three times a day, said Gutierrez. (If you know yoga, it's similar to moving between a seated cat and cow pose.) For more info: mckenziemdt.org.
Try the Alexander Technique. Studies have shown that the postural educational system is an effective treatment for back pain when used in conjunction with exercise. alexandertechnique.com
jdeardorff@tribune.com
I think this is very interesting. Why not go to www.backpainloss.com for more info on backpain
SEATED EXERCISES PROPER FORM
Give your chair a rest
6 strategies
Julie Deardorff |
April 5, 2009
Where are you right now? Lounging on an overstuffed couch with the newspaper and a cup of coffee? Sitting on a kitchen chair taking in the news online? Well, I hope you're sitting down for this bit of news. (Or maybe you should stand.) Your chair is slowly killing you.
Chair disease, as we like to call it, is an increasingly common malady in the U.S. that is almost always caused by spending too much time parked on your rear end.
It's not really the chair's fault, though. The problem is that most of us sit wrong—slouched forward with our earlobes in front of our shoulders—and for hours without moving. The result? Avoidable chair-related ailments, including flabby butts, an increased risk of blood clots, and back pain, the leading cause of disability in Americans under age 45. And if you haven't had back pain yet, just wait; it affects 8 out of 10 people at some point during their life, according to the National Institutes of Health.
"Sitting all day is the worst thing in the world you can do for your back, " said Dr. Joel Press, the medical director of the Spine & Sports Institute at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.
Julie Deardorff Bio | E-mail | Recent columns
Related links
Give your chair a rest Photos Sitting puts nearly twice the stress on the spine as standing; slouching while you sit increases the pressure even more.
That's because hunching forward pushes the back into a convex or C shape. Try it. Now pull your shoulders back and together and put your hand on your lower back. That natural concave curve is what you want; slouching fatigues and overstretches the ligaments, causing back pain.
To make matters worse, we stay in this bad C position for hours, barely moving, even when nature calls. "I'll be crashing on a project and three hours go by," said Kara Carmichael, a 23-year-old Chicago publicist with back pain who sits behind her computer for 10 hours a day.
Movement is key because the disks in our vertebrae are important shock absorbers. When we're locked in one position, we're starving the disks of nutrients.
"There's no vascular or nerve supply to the disks; they get their nutrition through movement," said Press. "If we're not moving, everything stagnates."
Sitting also tightens and shortens the psoas—the strong hip flexor—which can affect how the pelvis rotates and increase the load on the low back. If you've ever run on a treadmill at lunch and then returned to your desk, you know hamstrings also tighten when we sit. The gluteal muscles, meanwhile, stretch out, but they're not being used so they turn off and get weaker (flabbier!) from sitting.
A significant portion of low back pain can be remedied by avoiding what Chicago physical therapist Vincent Gutierrez calls the two most common sitting mistakes: leaning forward and having the chair too low. But to really stand up to chair disease, try the following techniques:
Change your position. It's the single best thing you can do, said Press. Stand up every 15 to 30 minutes and clasp your hands behind your back. Take a phone call standing instead of sitting or simply straighten up, contract your abs and lean back. Carmichael sets an Outlook reminder to tell her to move.
Get a treadmill desk. Lisa Solomon operates her law practice from her New York home while walking on a treadmill at 2.2 miles per hour. She has lost 8 pounds. For more information: officewalkers.ning.com.
Squat. It's more comfortable than sitting because most of the weight of the abdomen is supported on the thighs, said Dr. William Meller, author of "Evolution Rx" (Perigee, $24.95). "Also squatting with the head and shoulders held up and back keeps the low back in its natural position," he told me.
Use a lumbar roll. About 6 inches in diameter, lumbar rolls help maintain the natural curve of the back. You can use them in a car or the office. Order one—along with Angela Kneale's useful handbook "Desk Pilates"—at optp.com.
Practice Robin McKenzie's "slouch-overcorrect" exercise. If you have to sit for a long time, move from slouched position to upright 10 to 15 times, three times a day, said Gutierrez. (If you know yoga, it's similar to moving between a seated cat and cow pose.) For more info: mckenziemdt.org.
Try the Alexander Technique. Studies have shown that the postural educational system is an effective treatment for back pain when used in conjunction with exercise. alexandertechnique.com
jdeardorff@tribune.com
I think this is very interesting. Why not go to www.backpainloss.com for more info on backpain
A wander down memory lane.
Hello to all my faithful readers.
I never meant to be a complementary practitioner, energy worker even healer. Many years ago my mother and my wife read about Rejuvanessence. This is a system of gentle facial massage, a facelift without surgery. They said I should learn it, so I could practice on them, free of charge.
I had already studied Swedish Massage which is great for lower back pain and enjoyed giving treatments to friends and family, at no cost to them. Do you see a pattern here? Well I went to London and attended the course, a lot of firsts for me. First time in a class of only women, first time with a lot of energy changes in a room, first time I saw an emotional release as a result of a pyhsical treatment. The first time a women told me how good I was with hands, make of that what you will, it was in a room full of other ladies.
I subsequently learned Reflexology, another great tool for back pain loss I told a patient there was a "hole" in the reflex for her colon, a few years later she was diagnosed with cancer of the colon, had a large piece removed, and so on. She is fine today, by the way.
I learned Reiki, up to Master level. The lady with the colon had me treat her dog. The dog was tired and sad I treated her once, each time I visited, the dog dragged herself to me and put her paw in my lap. I held the paw, visualised the energy flowing till she took the paw away. I was told the dog became full of life, woul run the fields for a day or so till she became tired, after the next visit the same again. She died some months later of cancer.
I learned Amatsu, a Japenese system of body balancing, very useful and effective again for back pain loss and almost gentle. Followed by NLP and Hypnosis ,now I am learning EFT.
The pont of all this is that no one else in the family does this, not my wife or kids. Suddenly my 6 year old Granddaughter has started to massage and hold people with pain to make the pain go away. This is all her own idea so its rather nice.
Perhaps I could attune her to the Reiki energy, who knows?
Lots more info at www.backpainloss.com
I never meant to be a complementary practitioner, energy worker even healer. Many years ago my mother and my wife read about Rejuvanessence. This is a system of gentle facial massage, a facelift without surgery. They said I should learn it, so I could practice on them, free of charge.
I had already studied Swedish Massage which is great for lower back pain and enjoyed giving treatments to friends and family, at no cost to them. Do you see a pattern here? Well I went to London and attended the course, a lot of firsts for me. First time in a class of only women, first time with a lot of energy changes in a room, first time I saw an emotional release as a result of a pyhsical treatment. The first time a women told me how good I was with hands, make of that what you will, it was in a room full of other ladies.
I subsequently learned Reflexology, another great tool for back pain loss I told a patient there was a "hole" in the reflex for her colon, a few years later she was diagnosed with cancer of the colon, had a large piece removed, and so on. She is fine today, by the way.
I learned Reiki, up to Master level. The lady with the colon had me treat her dog. The dog was tired and sad I treated her once, each time I visited, the dog dragged herself to me and put her paw in my lap. I held the paw, visualised the energy flowing till she took the paw away. I was told the dog became full of life, woul run the fields for a day or so till she became tired, after the next visit the same again. She died some months later of cancer.
I learned Amatsu, a Japenese system of body balancing, very useful and effective again for back pain loss and almost gentle. Followed by NLP and Hypnosis ,now I am learning EFT.
The pont of all this is that no one else in the family does this, not my wife or kids. Suddenly my 6 year old Granddaughter has started to massage and hold people with pain to make the pain go away. This is all her own idea so its rather nice.
Perhaps I could attune her to the Reiki energy, who knows?
Lots more info at www.backpainloss.com
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