So your back hurts?

If you have back pain, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common complaints doctors hear and it’s responsible for BILLIONS of dollars in medical costs, lost wages, time off work, and on and on. And many, many people suffer in relative silence, trying to find a way to improve their situation outside normal medical channels.

In this post I just want to give you some basic ideas of why you hurt and then give you a few exercises you can try to start feeling better now.

My first piece of advice if you have back pain is to get a copy of the book “Pain Free”, by Pete Egoscue. This book literally changed my life, in a number of ways. Get the book, read the first three chapters, then read the chapter on Backs and start doing the exercises for back pain. After reading the first three chapters you will learn WHY you hurt and what needs to change so you can stop hurting and get your life back. If you’re wondering if this is for real, I suggest you read the reader reviews. You’ll quickly come to understand that this approach to working with the body gets real results, fast.

Now, I’m not going to go through everything the book goes through, but I want to give you a brief understanding of what’s happening here. If your low back hurts, you may have seen a physician and possible received a diagnosis with terms like “bulging discs” or “stenosis” or “degenerative disc disease” or “spondylolisthesis”. Don’t let these terms scare you. You are NOT broken. In fact, these issues are not the reason you hurt. They are simply another result of the core problem. What is that core problem?

Your spine is out of position!!

THAT is the problem. If you have chronic back pain, the odds are very, very good that you have a posture problem. When your spine is in its normal position, it allows you to use it the way it’s designed to be used, with normal amounts of friction. But, when the spine is out of its normal position, then it’s a whole different matter. Now when you move you incur far more friction than the body is designed to repeatedly incur and over time that is going to cause problems. If all you do is address those problems without addressing the fundamental position of the spine, you’ll never truly get to the root cause of your pain and you’ll continue to hurt.

Many people who suffer from back pain are told they need to “strengthen their core”. Well, if your posture is compromised, if your back is out of position, strengthening your core muscles that are out of position is not necessarily a constructive thing. I’ve lost track of how many clients have come to us who have gone to their doctor who told them to start strengthening their core muscles, especially their abdominal muscles and the muscles of their back, only to find that the more they work the more they hurt. Well, they’re strengthening a mispositioned body so no wonder they are hurting more.

Our approach with Egoscue is fundamentally different. Let’s stop chasing your symptoms, let’s stop worrying about the labels, and let’s give your body the gentle motion it needs to come back to postural balance and then stand back as the body then heals itself. I started as a client years ago, and had a ruptured disc in my low back. Fusion surgery was an option for me, and I was looking for a way to avoid it. With Egoscue, I regained my function, the pain melted away and I never went back to see that surgeon. Good stuff.

Now, if you have low back pain, your posture can be compromised in a lot of different ways. I can have 5 different people in front of me with low back pain and they have it for 5 different reasons, so each of those 5 people need a unique set of exercises designed specifically for their postural issues. With Egoscue, one size does not fit all. That said, we want to try to give you a few basic things you can try to start making a positive difference now. So, watch the video below and try those exercises, and then let us know what happens. If you have questions, we genuinely invite you to call our clinic (512.527.0030) or email us (Austin@egoscue.com) and I promise we’ll give you some help and we won’t try to sell you a thing. We want to be of service.

You don’t have to keep living in pain. It’s not your age, it’s not the herniated disc, it’s not the arthritis, it’s not the sports you played in your youth. It’s your posture, and you can change that! Let’s get started:

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Great article about Egoscue in Energy Times

cool article about Egoscue, well worth reading:

http://www.energytimes.com/et2/pages/departments/0709/holistic0709.html

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The Sleep Prescription

This is from the Health Sparks newsletter from Learning Strategies Corporation. I thought it had some good advice and perspective, just passing it on.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Welcome to Health Sparks
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The longer days of summer can mean an uptick in energy for many, along with increased levels of activity. The result: more work and play—and less rest.

But don’t let that extra daylight rob you of your sleep!

Adequate sleep is essential for optimal mental, emotional, and physical health—not to mention your happiness, according to Marci Shimoff, author of the Happy for No Reason personal learning course.

One study published in the journal Science found that the quality of our sleep has a greater influence on our ability to enjoy our day than our income or our marital status. Yet, we remain a sleep-deprived culture.

Shimoff recommends seven to eight hours of shut-eye nightly, and particularly during the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., which is the most beneficial time for restful sleep. Our bodies are designed to work with nature, she says, which means resting when nature rests.

Try to catch what Shimoff calls the “10 p.m. Angel Train.” Go to bed between 9:30 and 10 p.m. at least three nights a week for a few weeks, and pay attention to how your body and mind function the next day.

Avoid late-evening news, as well. What you put your attention on right before you sleep colors the quality of sleep and your dreams, Shimoff says. Unless you want your psyche to be digesting bad news and intense images while you sleep, opt for a calming meditation instead.

Meditation can help you begin sleep in a relaxed state instead of a state of exhaustion, which means you gain more benefit from the time you sleep as well as during that critical period researchers call “the twilight state”—minutes prior to sleep and immediately upon waking.

This delicate zone between wakefulness and sleep is one of physical relaxation, mental clarity, and high suggestibility. What you say to yourself in this state will be taken in and acted upon by the mind, according to learning expert Paul Scheele, creator of the Deep Relaxation and Dream Play Paraliminals.

As you’re drifting in the twilight zone, consider the following:

Refrain from negative thoughts. Replace “I am dreading tomorrow; it’s going to be an awful day” with an intention to support what you want to create: “Tonight I will rest comfortably and feel refreshed upon awakening, ready to do my best at all the tasks I encounter.”

If you wake in the middle of the night be careful of such thoughts as, “Oh no! It’s 2 a.m. I’m never going to get back to sleep. I’ll be exhausted all day.” Instead try: “Excellent. I’m now able to give my mind additional directives to ensure my success tomorrow morning. In the time I have remaining in the night I will rest deeply and receive the equivalent of an extra eight hours of sleep. When I awaken at 6 a.m., I will be well-rested, refreshed, and ready for a great day.”

Upon waking in the morning replace “Ugh! I feel miserable and want to stay in bed” with an effective affirmation: “My body is relaxed and at peace. My mind is clear and calm. I can create my day however I choose. I choose to live this day fully, feeling great, at the top of my game. I now awaken feeling refreshed, revitalized and in tune with life!”

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Amazingly accurate stress test

I am not exactly sure how it works, but this is amazingly accurate.

The picture below has 2 identical dolphins in it. It was used in a case study on stress levels at St. Mary’s Hospital..

Look at both dolphins jumping out of the water. The dolphins are identical. A closely monitored, scientific study revealed that, in spite of the fact that the dolphins are identical; a person under stress would find differences in the two dolphins. The more differences a person finds between the dolphins, the more stress that person is experiencing.

Scroll down and click on the photograph and if you find more than one or two differences you may want to take a holiday.

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Have a great holiday weekend, folks!

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Please help those who want freedom in Iran

Most of you are aware that Iran is going through a pivotal time right now. The country is full of people who want freedom, to change that country’s direction, and who want to become full and responsible members of the world community. It is highly probably their election was rigged. To see an interesting statistical analysis on this you can read this link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/20/AR2009062000004.html?1

These people are rightly demanding that their government hear their voice and count their votes, accurately. They are being denied a right to protest, often facing violent brutality that is leaving scores of protestors injured or killed. They are desperately trying to communicate with each other and the outside world but the Iranian government is feverishly working to close down their ability to access the internet. This is where we come in. We can help change that and give them back their voices. Please read below, it’s an email I received from Avaaz, a fine organization dedicated to peace and justice. I just donated a modest amount to this cause and I’m hoping you will at least consider doing so, as well. These people need our help. Let’s provide it.

Here’s the email:

Last week, millions of Iranians took to the streets to peacefully protest election-rigging. The resulting crackdown by the regime and security forces has left scores dead and hundreds locked up. No a blackout if descending across Iran, internet and other forms of media are being limited and cyber-surveillance threatens to stop all Iranians communicating freely.

We can‘t let that happen. Unless Iranians are able to share information freely over the coming weeks, their voices may be silenced for good. Let’s help break the blackout — people in Iran are asking us to re-open secure and anonymous communication channels for them, particularly anonymous web proxy services. One small donation of $10 can fund enough bandwidth for Iranians to send hundreds of secure emails. The next two weeks will be crucial! Please donate now:

https//secure.avaaz.org/en/iran_stop_the_blackout/96.php

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Amazing and Beautiful Dance

Read the text below first, then watch the 5:00 video. Beautiful, and inspiring.

In a Chinese modern dance competition on TV one very unique
couple won one of the top prizes. The lady, in her 30’s, was a
dancer who had trained since she was a little girl. Later in life, she
lost her entire left arm in an accident and fell into a state of
depression for a few years.

Someone then asked her to coach a Children’s dancing
group. From that point on, she realized that she could not forget
dancing. She still loved to dance and wanted to dance again. So, she
started to do some of her old routines, but, having lost her arm, she
had also lost her balance.

It took a while before she could even make simple turns and
spins without falling. Then she heard of a man in his 20s who had
lost a leg in an accident. He had also fallen into the usual
denial, depression and anger type of emotional roller coaster. But,
she was determined to find him and persuade him to dance with her.
He had never danced, and to dance with one leg….are you joking
with me?? “No way!”

But, she didn’t give up, and he reluctantly agreed
thinking, “I have nothing else to do anyway.” She started to teach him
dancing. The two broke up a few times because he had no concept of using
muscle, how to control his body, and knew none of the basic things
about dancing. When she became frustrated and lost patience with
him, he would walk out. Eventually, they came back together and
started training seriously.

They hired a choreographer to design routines for them. She
would fly high (held by him) with both arms (a sleeve for an arm)
flying in the air. He could bend horizontally supported by one leg
with her leaning on him, etc.

In the competition, as you will see, they dance beautifully
and they legitimately won the competition.

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She couldn’t walk, and then she found Egoscue

man, I LOVE this video. I’m very proud of this client for not giving up on her body. In spite of what the “experts” were telling her, she took control and authority over her body and decided she was going to find a way to get her body back, and she did!

Way to go Cindy!

from our Florida clinic…..

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The Law of Garbage Trucks

from a client of mine, good advice to bear in mind.

The Law of Garbage Trucks

How often do you let other people’s nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee or friend ruin your day?

Unless you’re the Terminator, for an instant you’re probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of a successful person is how quickly one can get back their focus on what’s important.

Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson in the back of a New York City taxi cab.

Here’s what happened.

I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car’s back end by just inches!

The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us.

My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, “Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!”

And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck.”

“Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they’ll dump it on you.

When someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You’ll be happy you did.”

So this was it: The “Law of the Garbage Truck.”

I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, “I’m not going to do it anymore.”

I began to see garbage trucks. Like in the movie “The Sixth Sense,” the little boy said, “I see Dead People.”

Well, now “I see Garbage Trucks.”
I see the load they’re carrying.
I see them coming to drop it off.
And like my Taxi Driver, I don’t make it a personal thing;
I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.

One of my favorite football players of all time, Walter Payton, did this every day on the football field. He would jump up as quickly as he hit the ground after being tackled.

He never dwelled on a hit.
Payton was ready to make the next play his best.
Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting.
Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses.
Leaders and parents know that they have to be fully present, and at their best for the people they care about.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day.

What about you?
What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by?

Here’s my bet. You’ll be happier.

Life’s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so..
Love the people who treat you right.
Forget about the ones who don’t.
Believe that everything happens for a reason.
If you get a chance, TAKE IT!
If it changes your life, LET IT!
Nobody said it would be easy…
They just promised it would be worth it!

Decide NOW to make Every Day a Garbage Truck Day, by sending them on their way!

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An update on what’s happening in Iran

An acquaintance of mine spent time there and has friends and family there. He just shared with several of us this update.

Folks, this is a sad and scary situation. If you’re so inclined, please pray for those in that country who covet peace and justice. They could certainly use our prayers right now.

Here is his update. And FYI, I watched the YouTube video he references. I won’t post it here, it’s easily found. It’s short, and it’s VERY graphic.

In case you are interested in what is going on in Iran:
I just got off the home with a lifelong friend of mine with
whom I went to high school from 72 to 76. Him and his son
have been out demonstrating for a week now.

First of all, the regime has a paramilitary force called the
Basij. These guys are mostly thugs who receive a regular
salary from the government as “reserves.” They get military
training, a motorcycle, a decent salary, preferential
access to all government facilities including schools and
universities, etc. They have the power to enforce Islamic
laws at will. These guys are in plain cloths and carry
knives and sticks. They are now shooting and killing the
student protesters.

Last night, in all major cities, Basijies attacked
residences of students believed active in the
demonstrations. They beat them up and arrested them.

Today, in addition to live gunfire, helicopters have been
pouring a “liquid mist” on the protesters that “feels like
sticky and very hot water” that causes major burns.

Also, Basijis in plain cloths are participating in the
crowds, stand next to louder people, then stab them in their
thighs and walk away. So far, more than 150 are killed.

A young girl who was with her dad watching the protest 1 km
away was shot in the heart by a Basijie from a rooftop of a
civilian house. My friend says she is the daughter of
someone we both know, although I cant place her. A video of
her being shot and dying on the street is on youtube. It
is VERY graphic. I broke down when I watched it.

This is a battle for freedom and democracy for a generation
that does not want theocracy. This is not a hate US group,
but one that embraces our way of life.

For what its worth, if you are so inclined, wear a piece of
green and if you drive by Westwood or wherever there is a
protest for these kids, honk your horn.

How to Dance in the Rain

How to Dance in the Rain

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80’s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.

I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.

While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor’s appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry.

The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health.

He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer’s Disease.

As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late.

He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.

I was surprised, and asked him, ‘And you still go every morning, even though she doesn’t know who you are?’

He smiled as he patted my hand and said,

‘She doesn’t know me, but I still know who she is.’

I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arms, and thought,

‘That is the kind of love I want in my life.’

True love is neither physical, nor romantic.

True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

With all the jokes and fun that are in e-mails, sometimes there is one that comes along that has an important message. This is one of those.

The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

I hope you share this with someone you care about. I just did.

Life isn’t about how to survive the storm,

but how to dance in the rain.

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