I have shoulder pain.....Why are you working on my hips???

When a client comes into Pain Free for an Egoscue session, the therapist will look at the position of the bones. We evaluate:

1. head position
2. neck position
3. shoulder position
4. hip position
5. leg position
6. foot position

Why does this matter?

You can have back pain that comes from a misalignment somewhere else in the body.  You can have shoulder pain that comes from hips that are misaligned.  You can have neck pain that comes from your back being flexed forward.  You can have any number of combinations of imbalances causing pain somewhere else in your body. The point is,  focusing on the area of pain will help treat the symptom but it will not treat the real problem.

I have a client who has right shoulder pain.  He exercises all the time.  He bikes, runs, swims and lifts weights.  He is really fit, however on examination, his head is forward, his shoulders are rounded, his hips are tight, his legs and feet turn outward.

If he had come to see me several years ago when I was working in physical therapy, I would have treated the heck out of his shoulder --therapeutic massage, electrical stim, ultra sound,etc.-----and when he left my clinic, he'd have felt better -- until the next day or the next week or month when the pain returned.  I treated the symptom without addressing the cause of the symptom.

Today, evaluating my client using the Egoscue method, I know that the posterior tilt in his pelvis is driving his back into flexed position which is causing his shoulders to round forward.  Every time he lifts his arm he has muscles that are already being pulled , then they pull even more and his shoulder joint does not line up causing uneven wear in the joint - which causes the pain. To correct his shoulder problem ... I have to get his hips to line up and then get the flexion out of his back.

So when a client asks why are you working on my hips when my shoulder hurts????  The answer.... It's all connected!

New Years Resolution

So..... it's almost February and most of us have decided we should eat right and exercise more now that the holiday binge season is over!  That is all well and good - but be cautious.

If you go to the gym and are weight training a body that is out of alignment then you are setting yourself up for an injury.  How, you ask?  Well ... if a body has muscle imbalances then some muscles are working harder than they were designed to and other muscles are not working hard enough.  When you go to use the weights, the stronger muscles will do more work than the weaker ones and in the long run you end up strengthening the dysfunction.   The result will be back pain, neck and shoulder pain or a million other pains that you were really working to avoid! While weight training has many benefits...you need to GET STRAIGHT ... THEN STRENGTHEN. 

The best way to do this is to have an evaluation by one of our Egoscue therapists.  Let us determine where and why the imbalances are in your body,  correct them so that you can go to the gym and exercise a functional body - pain free!  The Egoscue Method works..... we are offering free screens this month.  Call us to get scheduled.  434-296-0600

NECK AND SHOULDER PAIN RELIEF!!!

Is your neck and shoulder pain becoming debilitating?  Perhaps you are constantly twisting your your head side to side, shrugging your shoulders, trying to find a neutral position to take you out of pain.  Maybe you try to stand up straighter, you get your spouse to rub your shoulders at the end of a long day, you take an Advil (or three), and it all helps - for a little while.  The next morning you have the same pain and you start all over again.  You wonder what you "did" that made you hurt.  Did you lift something too heavy, twist a funny way, reach for something, or was it sitting hunched over at your desk all day?  Most likely, even if one of these scenarios brought on your current discomfort, the real answer is found in one word:  balance, or in this case, imbalance!  Not the kind that the gymnast shows while traversing a balance beam, but the balance in your musculo-skeletal system, the alignment of your body.

How do you restore balance to your body and relieve your pain?  The Egoscue Method.  Pete Egoscue developed this method as a result of pain he suffered with after serving our country in Vietnam.  He was unable to find anything but temporary relief through typical channels; doctor visits, medication, traditional hands-on symptom based treatments.  Sound familiar? 

Egoscue began thinking about the actual cause of his pain and determined that if the body is  aligned properly, it becomes pain free.  He also created this method to be a self-treatment approach -- empowering all of us to keep our bodies in optimal alignment and function!

So, what is the Egoscue Method?  It is a series of positions, stretches and strengthening exercises that help reposition and realign your musculo-skeletal system.  This allows the load-bearing joints to line up along the line of gravity.  After a thorough evaluation by a trained Egoscue Certified therapist you are prescribed personalized programs for your body issues.   You actually train your body to rest in vertical alignment.  So, like breathing, you don't have to think about standing up straight or moving a certain way -- you just do!   As your body becomes aligned,  your pain subsides. 

If you'd like to learn more, give us a call at 434-296-0600!  We even have  free screening appointments available if you'd like to see our studio space, meet us and learn more about Egoscue!

In Good Health,

Cindy Meyers    

TREATMENT FOR BACK PAIN

If you have suffered through a severe back spasm you know just how excruciating back pain can be! Treatment for back pain usually takes you to the doctor to get muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatory medications and perhaps a referral for physical therapy, massage or chiropractic.  I know..... I spent years in physical therapy treating patients with back pain using hands-on techniques, exercises and other treatments.  Don't get me wrong... I am not against taking appropriate medication or having hands-on work directly on your symptom.  The problem with that approach is that you never correct the actual underlying cause of the back pain. The real cause of back pain; neck and shoulder pain; hip pain or most muscle pain is musculoskeletal imbalance in the body.

Our muscles are designed to do a certain job.  When muscles are out of balance,  some muscles are working too hard (causing them to get over-developed, tight and painful) and other muscles get weak.  These imbalances can pull our bones out of alignment and cause wear and tear on our joints. So what is the best treatment for back pain, neck and shoulder pain; hip pain or any muscle pain?  The Egoscue Method!  

The Egoscue Method focuses on muscle imbalance. Sometimes where you hurt isn't why you hurt.  Let me give you one example (out of 100's of possibilities) of how misaligned hips can cause back pain!  Let's say you sit all day at the computer. This causes the hip muscles to shorten and get tight.  These hip flexor muscles are now pulling the pelvis  into a tipped forward position.  Now, every time you get up and walk, the changed pelvic position causes the muscles of the buttocks and the back of the thighs to become weaker, creating imbalance. This imbalance pulls the low back  into a swayed position, the leg bones and feet are pulled outward  and the upper back will eventually round forward pulling  the head and shoulders along with it. The result?  Back pain!

The good news is you can bring your body back into balance by doing corrective exercises that will allow your injuries to heal.  The key to the Egoscue Method begins with a thorough evaluation of your body.  By examining photos, looking at the way you move and function,  we can determine which muscles are too tight and which ones are too weak.  This gives us the information about your body to design corrective exercises to restore your body to proper alignment.  The result?  Improved function, and NO PAIN!

What a better way to start your New Year than being Pain Free!  

In Good Health,

Cindy Meyers

P.S.  --Give me a call @ 434-296-0600 and learn more about how we can help you

Meet Kat Drageo

December 21
Early morning, no one else awake... and visions of sugarplums ricochet in my head...... how do I make everything happen AGAIN this year?  Unable to face the complexity of the next three days, I focus on how I will fit exercise into my schedule today.  At 53 this has become a non-negotiable.... some sweat and some Egoscue are daily essentials.  I'd love to get to a class at the gym, but a 20 minute In-The-Basement-Workout is more likely what will develop.

Good enough.

Fitness passion came upon me thirty years ago, after the birth of my first child.  Once baby daughter was tucked into her crib (with the indispensable Hug-A-Bear) I would gratefully head out for an hour of good old aerobics.  Slippery Keds on the linoleum of an elementary school cafeteria.

Since then I have had the deep pleasure of immersing myself in the world of fitness, deepening my knowledge and developing a career in group exercise, personal training and (la piece de la resistance) Egoscue therapy.  This January I will be bringing my love for and experience with these different dimensions of fitness to Pain Free Performance with special week-end classes.  Check back with the blog next week for specific details about these week-end opportunities:   Primitive Patterns, Week-End Workout, and Home Gym.

I'd like to know what kinds of workouts you have loved, valiantly endured or wished you could find.  Please feel free to add your perspectives and experiences on  the blog!

Talk to you soon.

Kat

Mackie is Egoscue's SPOTLIGHT of the month!

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Would you like to be featured in Student Spotlight? Contact the University. [ View Archive ] Mackie Boblette Having studied and worked for many years in dance and theatre, yoga, Laban Movement Analysis, Pilates and massage, when I discovered Pete's book Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion, I was delighted and intrigued. Finally, a straight forward book about health through movement. My intrigue took me to San Diego to learn more about the method and so began an amazing journey that continues today. I had the great fortune of beginning to learn the Method firsthand through on-the-job training at the San Diego clinic which at that time was the only clinic. Pete soon published his book Pain Free and word started to spread, friend to friend, family to family. We then began monthly travel trips to several cities to attempt to stay as close as possible to our clients. Realizing we could not reach everyone, Egoscue University was formed to teach all who were interested in the Method and enlist them to help empower their clients, friends and families to take ownership of their health and healing. For the last eighteen years I have had the honor, privilege and blessing to be a part of this amazing and wonderful process of growing a world-wide Egoscue community that enlivens and empowers our fellow man to live life without limitation. There have been challenges and trials of all sorts, but more importantly there has been a truly phenomenal amount of joy and laughter, learning and growth and love and trust as clients became friends and even family. What an inspiration to be able to witness and experience this kind of heartfelt connection between people. Growth requires willingness to change and my newest path leads me back to the land of my grandfathers where I work with a wonderful team of Egoscue affiliates at Pain Free Performance in Charlottesville, Virginia. I am excited to share my experiences with my colleagues and this new community as each encounter with clients brings an opportunity to continue learning and sharing more about the impact of posture on our well being.

Pain Free Performance Testimonial from Andrew Boninti

Here is the link for our latest testimonial and recent local commercial...  Enjoy!