Jane's Freedom after Decades of Pain

 

My client Jane, an active 69 year old, loves taking care of her grandkids, along with her husband of almost 50 years, Bob. Recently, keeping up with the kiddos has been more and more challenging as Jane's hip was giving her constant grief. Jane was in a car accident 40 years ago and needed surgery on her knee. She said she has "never been the same since." Recovery was slow because her kids were young at the time and her rehab was put on the back burner. She worked as a Surgical Tech and was on her feet for long hours. Even though she was able to push through it, she experienced pain daily. First it started in her knee, then she got Plantar Fasciitis in her foot. A few years later, the symptoms crept up into her hip where the pain has stayed for the past 30 years.  Now, Jane's hip pain wakes her up at night and she feels it with every step she takes. Jane has to ride in the cart along with Bob instead of golfing with him. She is only able to stand long enough to make meals but not to clean up afterward, as she had been able to do for years (Bob does not like dish duty!). Jane even loses sleep over the thought of not being able to dance with Bob at their 50th Anniversary celebration coming up at the end of October.  Over the years, Jane tried traditional PT, Chiropractic, and Water Exercise classes with only a bit of relief. She was tired from not sleeping well, frustrated, and sad that she was starting to miss out on activities she loves best with her husband and grandkids.  Jane came to see me in May after her neighbor referred her.  She told Jane, "Emily does things differently. I don't know how she does it, but it works!!" Jane and Bob came in for the Complimentary Consultation together. I was confident that I could help her feel like herself again.  Within 2 months, she had relief! Jane was able to get down and up from the floor again with her grandkids, and she and Bob had even played a few rounds of 9 holes with little pain. Jane admitted she was most surprised by something she thought would never change. She was shocked that her knee could straighten all the way in such a short period of time. Jane and Bob invited me to their Anniversary celebration at the end of October and I am looking forward to watching them dance together.  Jane's story is typical for people who are committed to their appointments and home exercises.  If you or someone you love have been dealing with chronic pain or tightness that doesn't seem to lessen with exercise or other therapies, there is hope for you. You can find freedom from the pain once and for all!  (Written September 2020)

From Active Seniors to Weekend Warriors AND Professional Athletes, Word is Getting Out about how MAT can help you Move & Feel your best!!

 

Radio Interview on WUWM  More and more people are learning to take their health in their own hands, be proactive, and hire their own personal Muscle Specialist to keep them moving and feeling their best!! Thank you to all of you who tuned in to listen to the radio interview I was invited to do back in November. If you missed it, you can listen to it   (Link provided below) or read the great article written to accompany the interview. It was a really fun experience to have the producer of WUWM's "Fit For You" segment on Lake Effect, Audrey Nowakowski, and her professional photographer, Lauren Sigfusson, come to my office to experience MAT, take photos and record the interview. The Interview was received really well and I was delighted to have 2 people call me even before it was finished airing for the first time!      Checking Audrey's Hip Range of Motion   Late last month, MAT was featured again on The Golf Channel's "Golf Pass" with Chris Como. Here he interviewed Greg Roskopf, the founder of MAT, at the MAT Headquarters in Denver, CO. He's been working with professional Golfer Bryson DeChambeau who has seen excellent results in muscle building and golf swing efficiency. It's another great interview and it's filmed right in the room where I go each year to do my training courses. So happy that more and more people are learning about how this amazing modality can help pick up the pieces where other traditional approaches have fallen short.    MAT Founder Greg Roskopf & Bryson DeChambeau Click Here for the WUWM Radio Interview and Article Click Here for the Golf Channel's "Golf Pass" with Chris Como & Bryson DeChambeau Segment Let me know what you think! Feel free to pass this along to someone you believe would benefit from this information and would like to move and feel better themselves. (Written February 2020)

Head to Toe Healing in ONLY 20 Movements!

Back, neck, hip, knee and foot pain are the most common challenges faced among Physical Therapy clients of 1212 Bodyworks.  A smaller majority of clients experience issues in their shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand. Some clients also report feelings of tightness, limited mobility, impaired balance, and weakness. Over the past 2 decades of working with clients to resolve the muscle imbalances at the root of their frustrating symptoms, some common areas of muscle weaknesses have been discovered. As part of the celebration of my 20th Anniversary of being a Physical Therapist, I'm letting you in on my discovery! Below is a comprehensive list of 20 movements to perform for yourself to activate these key areas of weakness. Your whole body will receive a natural boost of energy as you move through these various positions. Remember to listen to your body's signals as you keep your movements within a comfortable range of motion. Tune into the sensations you feel from your right and left sides of the body and take note of the areas that feel different or have less movement available. Take healing into your own hands and KEEP your body moving well from head to toe! 

Begin by lying on your back. 

1. Diaphragmatic Breathing: Draw air into your belly, allowing your shoulders and chest to stay relaxed, as you inhale. Let your breath out slowly as you exhale and relax your body. Repeat as many times as needed to activate the diaphragm muscle below the lungs and allow it to do the work of inspiration that it was designed to do!

2. Ankle Dorsiflexion: Extend the top of your foot and toes toward your nose. Repeat 3 times. 

3. Toe Extension: Reach your toenails up to your shin as you spread the toes out wide, as if putting on a pair of toe "gloves." Repeat 3 times. 

4. Ankle Inversion: Rotate your ankle and foot inward so the bottom/sole of the foot faces the opposite foot. Repeat 3 times. 

5. Knee Flexion: Bend your knee as you slide your heel all the way back toward your hip/buttock. Repeat 3 times on each side. 

6. Hip Internal Rotation: With your knees straight, rotate your thigh bones inward so your knee caps face the midline of the body. Repeat 3 times on each side. 

7. Hip External Rotation: With your knees straight, rotate your thigh bones outward so your knee caps face the outside of the body. Repeat 3 times on each side. 

8. Hip Flexion: Keeping your knee straight, raise your leg up toward the ceiling. Repeat 3 times on each side. 

9. Hip Abduction: Keeping your knee straight, slide your leg out to one side, keeping the knee cap facing the ceiling. Repeat 3 times on each side. 

10. Pelvic Approximation: Bend one knee and place that foot on top of the opposite thigh. Use your lower abdominal muscles to lift the pelvis up and allow the bent knee to reach toward the place where the ceiling meets the wall. Repeat 3 times on each side. 

11. Trunk Sidebend: Bend sideways at your waist as you slide your upper body all the way to the side, as you slide your hand down the side of your thigh toward your knee. Repeat 3 times on each side. 

12. Shoulder Abduction: Keeping elbows straight, reach your arms out to the side and up toward your head as if trying to make a snow angel. Repeat 3 times on each side. 

Now roll over onto your stomach. Place a small rolled towel under your forehead so you can breathe or allow your head to come off the bed with your chin resting against the edge of the mattress. 

14. Shoulder/Scapular Retraction: Squeeze your shoulder blades together toward your spine. Repeat 3 times on each side. 

15. Spinal Extension: Lift your head and shoulders off the bed up toward the ceiling. Repeat 3 times.

Finally, come to a comfortable seated position. 

16. Shoulder/Scapular Depression: Sink your shoulders down away from your ears and feel the shoulder blades slide down the back of the ribcage toward your back pockets. Repeat 3 times on both sides. 

17. Shoulder Flexion: Keeping your elbows straight, raise your arms up toward the ceiling bringing your arms as close to your ears as possible. Repeat 3 times on each side. 

18. Shoulder External Rotation: Bend elbows to at a 90 degree angle, keep elbows next to your side/ribcage and allow your shoulders to rotate outward. Your forearms and hands will reach out to the sides as if pulling an accordion apart. 

19. Cervical Side Bend: Sitting tall, bend your neck so your ear comes down toward your shoulder but keep your face forward without turning your head to look down. Repeat 3 times on each side. 

20. Cervical Rotation: Sitting tall, rotate your head to one side as if you are trying to look over your shoulder and behind your body. Repeat 3 times on each side. 

How do you feel? How fluid or symmetrical are your movements? Is one side of your body more limited in several of the positions? Keep track of the sensations or how far you move so you can maintain your current level of mobility and function. If you begin to notice changes over time as you move into more comfortable range of motion, that is a sign of progress!! If you feel discomfort as you move into a position or throughout different points along the journey that doesn't resolve on its own, you could benefit from some assistance to get to the root of what is contributing to the imbalance or discomfort. Take advantage of 1212 Bodyworks' Complimentary Consultation if you are a new client to share your concerns and learn how I can help you resolve the issues you are experiencing. For current clients, you can take advantage of the 20th Anniversary Special throughout the month of May 2019 and get 20% off of your next treatment package! 

Here's to 20+ more years serving others to help them MOVE, FEEL and LIVE better!!

Spring Cleaning for the Issues in your Tissues!!

Is it safe to say that it is officially Spring now??? Upon getting through what seems to be like 3 winters this year, here in Wisconsin we are starting to see the true signs of Spring around us! The birds have been out and have been chirping for weeks now, but they finally seem to be able to stay out and not have to retreat back to their shelters from the cold!! Seeing all of the lawn bags at the foot of the driveways for Yard Waste pick up day actually brings joy to our neighborhood!! It means that we can actually spend time outside to clear away the winter debris and spruce up our yards to make way for the new growth to rise up!! Bring it on!! : ) 

Following the cycles of nature, Winter is all about cozying up inside, staying warm, and resting our bodies to store energy. The Spring season is well known as a time to be more active, clean up our homes, our lives, and cleanse our bodies. This includes moving our bodies more as we are able to enjoy the outdoors once again.  

Have you begun your Spring Cleaning projects? Which projects or tasks are the most enjoyable for you? I'm learning to love yard work (I didn't always love this...) as I do love the outdoors, and enjoy spending time working together with my husband to beautify our surroundings. However, my most favorite task is cleaning out closets and drawers! There is something freeing about "letting go" of the stuff that we've been holding onto but is of use to us, doesn't fit, is not in style, or doesn't bring us JOY! 

Are you participating in a Spring Body Detox or Cleanse this year? This is a wonderful time to do this as our bodies are naturally seeking detoxification at this time of year. Drinking more water, especially with fresh squeezed lemon juice added, is one way to flush out our systems. Today marks Day 1 of my Intermittent Fasting cleanse that I'll be implementing 2x/week for the next month, at least. My plan includes drinking water, broth, and cleansing fluids until 11am or noon, then eating healthy, fresh foods throughout an 8 hour window, until 7 or 8pm. I've done this in the past and it makes me feel amazing!! 

As we cleanse and declutter our physical bodies and surroundings, the idea of sifting through mental clutter often arises. What sorts of thoughts, emotions, beliefs or ideas are no longer serving you? How can you "let go" of some of these negative issues in your life? Have you ever considered what lies at the root of the pain or discomfort you experience in your body? It might be a good time to start to "Spring Clean the Issues in your Tissues!!" 

Through 2 decades of working as a Physical Therapist, I've noticed some common themes as my clients are dealing with pain in certain body parts. When I worked at "Knee Specialists of Wisconsin" 100% of our clients came in with some degree of knee pain. Using the Muscle Activation Techniques  systematic approach to identify and correct each client's unique structural and muscle imbalances contributing to their symptoms was a HUGE part of the healing process on the physical level. Healing on the emotional level was also a large part of helping my clients feel better. One common theme that I noticed with this specific population of clients in their 60's and 70's was a difficulty "moving forward" in life as they were transitioning from a life of working hard to reinventing themselves in retirement. So many of them were frustrated that they had worked so hard throughout their lives, but were now having trouble enjoying their retirement because of knee pain. They were regretful that they seldom took steps to take good care of their bodies or listen to the warning signs along the way, and now that their knees were screaming at them, they felt overwhelmed but were finally doing something about it! Once they identified and embraced these emotions and were prescribed unique exercises to manage their specific muscle imbalances, they were surprised at how much better they felt! Most of our clients were able to avoid knee replacement surgeries with our interventions, and they learned how to take care of themselves to "move forward" with less pain! 

Are you holding onto any unresolved "issues" in your tissues?  Are you overwhelmed with the process of uncovering and then healing from these issues? There are solutions out there if you are willing to take some time and do some "inner" work. 

I just recently finished reading "Soul Coaching: 28 Days to Discover your Authentic Self" by Denise Linn. It was the perfect way to head into Spring this year! "Soul Coaching is a 4 week program dedicated to an in-depth bearing and cleansing of the different aspects of your life: mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. By following the practical, carefully crafted steps presented here, you'll find that you're able to uncover your authentic self. By utilizing the energy of the elements of nature -Air, Water, Fire, and Earth- this program allows you to clear away old blockages so that you can truly begin to hear the secret messages of your soul." I found it to be an amazing experience, especially since I did it with my great friend, and we had a weekly check in call or in-person chat to discuss our transformations. I'd love to hear how it goes for you too! 

https://www.amazon.com/Soul-Coaching-Days-Discover-Authentic/dp/1401930719/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1525188081&sr=1-1&keywords=soul+coaching

A client and now good friend of mine recommended a book called "Healing Back Pain--The Mind Body Connection" by John E. Sarno. This book discusses his research on "Tension Myositis Syndrome" (TMS) and how patients recognize the emotional roots of their TMS and learn how to sever the connections between the mental and physical pain to resolve their back pain. I haven't read it yet, but am looking forward to reading it soon, as I have just ordered it from Amazon. Check it out! 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0446392308/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=

I wish you all the best as you clear out the old "stuff," both physical and emotional, and make room in your life for fresh new growth on many levels!

Keep Moving Well!

Emily