Happy Holidays! No Batteries Needed

Greetings!
As we approach the holidays and wrap up 2009, a big "Thank You" goes out to all of you for supporting the clinic and sharing your positive experience with others. Along with that, give yourself a big pat on the back for a job well done in taking charge of your health and recognizing the difference between treating the cause vs. symptoms (esp. in today's world of promises of quick-fixes). Appreciating the moments we have with others and sharing is so much easier when we are in good health. All the best to you and yours this holiday season. -PS

No Batteries Required

Technology can be a wonderful thing. Advances allow us to save time & energy while increasing conveniences in every-day life. We're able to share emails like this at the click of a button. With that said, however, it is important to remember that there are many things in life that technologies cannot replace.

On the subject of musculoskeletal health, technology cannot usurp the body's need for motion. For those still waiting for the wonder-pill to replace a brisk walk or waiting for surgical intervention to replace the need for a body to move better, the news is not good. When technology is inserted where nature and biology have already designed a body without flaws, the system is bound to be compromised.

Don't get me wrong, given the fact that surgical procedures have improved and are not as barbaric is a wonderful thing. And when needed, a successful procedure can seem miraculous. What I'm talking about here is attempting to replace proper function or fix improper structural alignment with surgeries that replace or remove parts.

Your body has basic requirements for maintaining health and eliminating pain. Movement is one of those requirements. (Think "Move it or lose it"). When we stop moving or ignore pain, we are doing a disservice to our body's request for help. Finding the reason for the pain or why the running, walking or other activity is painful is necessary to get on the path towards fixing it (instead of waiting for surgery to fix it).

So, the message is simple. Listen to your body. When pain comes on, investigate why it is there and find that out before opting for technology to solve the issue. We all have been given a gift called healing. And the body can and will heal if we identify the reason for symptoms and give the body what it needs.

Egoscue can help you identify what is causing your pain. You can come into a clinic for a free consultation or get started by reading one of Pete Egoscue's books. I recommend "Pain Free" if you have symptoms. You can also get started with the exercises on Egoscue.com. Call to set up your free consultation and find out what the best path is for your personal condition at 310-450-2549.

For more news from Egoscue Santa Monica / Los Angeles, click here.

Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop

The origin of this saying goes back to a funny story like this:

A guest checked into an inn one night was warned to be quiet because the guest in the room next to his was a light sleeper. As he undressed for bed, he dropped one shoe, which, sure enough, awakened the other guest. He managed to get the other shoe off in silence, and got into bed. An hour later, he heard a pounding on the wall and a shout: "When are you going to drop the other shoe?"

And so the definition of "waiting for the other shoe to drop" is something to the effect of: waiting for an event to happen that is expected to happen, based on a causal link to another event. In the world of chronic pain, we see this all too often. People have back, neck or some other pain and after a little rest or popping a few ibuprofen (or stronger), the pain simply goes away. Or does it?

In the years of listening to clients describe their pain, there are always warning signs -- shots across the bow so to speak. It may be a tweak in the neck, spasms in the low back, chronically tight hamstrings, declining energy levels, or other aches that tell you that something is going on. Many of these symptoms are often ignored only to show up as debilitating or severe down the road.

In many cases, these "mild" symptoms are the first shoe dropping and it's a waiting game for the second to hit the floor. If the cause of the symptom is not identified, it is only a matter of time before the body uses another means to let you know that it is serious and needs attention.

I've worked with a number of clients who knew something was going on but waited til it became so excruciating that it became a much longer process of getting back to pain free. Don't let this be you. Get ahead of the curve by taking care of your pain now. Living in fear waiting for the other shoe to drop is no way to enjoy freedom of moving about and enjoying activities. Achieve peace of mind by taking action today!

Get some help with your plan of action. You can get started by reading one of Pete Egoscue's books. I recommend "Pain Free" if you have symptoms. You can also get started with the exercises on Egoscue.com or, better yet, call to set up your free consultation and find out what the best path is for your personal condition at 310-450-2549.

To view the rest of the October Newsletter, visit: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs043/1102261740810/archive/1102753457145.html

Could my Posture be affecting the way I think? (August Newsletter)

When was the last time someone invited you to participate in a trip, activity or outing and you had to turn them down? Friends, children, grandchildren? And you most likely didn't turn them down because you didn't want to go -- but because of the fear that you wouldn't be able to keep up, that the environment may be too uncomfortable given your pain, or that you would be a burden to others? How many times do we choose to stay in isolation with pain and keep from interacting (also read "playing") with our friends and family due to the inherent limitations we have accepted for ourselves?

The fear can be limiting. The fear can be stifling. The fear can be disabling. And while I'm not writing this to say, "just get over the fear," I am saying that you don't have to live with the limiting, stifling and disabling beliefs. An active social life is a large part of what is necessary for each of our overall health and wellness. If living with pain or physical limitations is affecting the relationships we have with others, then we are simply accepting a compromised lifestyle. Life doesn't have to be like this. You have all that you need within your own gifts and abilities to live the life you desire.

How we view our bodies and the beliefs we have about the body's complexity and capabilities will either result in a fully functional body moving with ease and fluidity or one without structural support, little energy, and far less physical ability and agility. In other words, if we perceive our body to be in disrepair and broken down, then this is what we will have. However, if we think of our body as resilient, capable of moving, healing and full of life, then you will be a lot closer to achieving this.

At Egoscue, we believe no one should have to live in pain and that you should be able to enjoy an active lifestyle. Once you've set it in your mind that your body can and will heal. That it can and will be able to move in the ways that it is designed. That you can enjoy the company of others without limitations of your body and you are able to overcome fear, then it is a matter of setting a plan of action. The body then needs to match up to the mental state.

Get some help with your plan of action. You can get started by reading one of Pete Egoscue's books. I recommend "Pain Free" if you have symptoms. You can also get started with the exercises on Egoscue.com or, better yet, call to set up your free consultation and find out what the best path is for your personal condition at 310-450-2549.

To view the August Newsletter in it's entirety, click here.

July Newsletter - Pain Perspectives, Function Fridays & more

Site of the Pain is rarely the Source of the Problem

As you can imagine, we see a wide variety of symptoms here at the Egoscue Method clinic. It takes an Egoscue Method therapist years to learn how to approach the body with the correct perspective. Treating the site of the pain isolated from the rest of the body rarely works as a long-term cure.

In the classic Western model of therapy, many times the symptom dictates the treatment. For example, if you come in with knee or low back pain, diagnostic tests will be done to evaluate the extent of trauma in the area of complaint. Finding out if cartilage, ligament and/or muscle strain or damage is present is the major focus. In many cases, a strain, sprain or trauma is found and treated to repair the damaged area. No damage, no problem... right?

Well, not completely. If (in the cases where the diagnostic tests actually find tissue damage) the area is treated without investigating the CAUSE of the problem, the pain will return in due time. Here are a couple examples:

1. Mary comes into the clinic after being diagnosed with an arthritic hip. After a couple of years of doing exercises to stretch and strengthen the hip, the problem has not resolved. In fact, all of the work in the hip has made the problem worse to the point that she feels pain sitting in the car and getting up from sitting. Coming into Egoscue and being evaluated, the therapist recognizes a pattern of dysfunction that has the shoulders and trunk working instead of the hip, creating imbalance, stress and pain. On the first visit, she is able to decrease the imbalance present through the WHOLE body (versus isolating the hip) and walks smoother, taller and with less pain!
Neck Pain?
2. Joe came in with neck pain after his chiropractor referred him to Egoscue. He spent years taking meds and applying heat to help relieve his neck tension. While he has seen some relief, his doctor recognizes that he can use some exercises to reinforce the chiropractic work. The goals of balancing the hips (the foundation of the spine), realign the spine to the functional S-curve, and bring the head back over the shoulders are shared goals between the chiro and Egoscue therapist as both recognize treating the neck in and by itself will not produce curative effects. The Egoscue e-cises allow Joe to not just feel better temporarily, but correct the imbalances through the body that put the neck out in the first place by tapping into proper functioning of his muscles.

"Effective therapies treat the body as a whole," Pete Egoscue has always said. The Egoscue paradigm of treating the underlying dysfunctions and problems throughout the body will help you solve the problem and cure it versus treating symptoms only to see them return or evolve into multiple issues.

For more from Egoscue Santa Monica's July Newsletter

Trevor Hoffman goes unconventional with rehab

Aligning the stars seeking balance
Padres' Hoffman, goes unconventional

"Trevor Hoffman, the master of the change-up, threw his body a change-up after his baseball season ended last fall.

The longtime Padres closer switched to a new and thus inherently spooky workout program that he said has restored balance and alignment to his universe.

Devoting nearly four months to postural improvement via deep-breathing exercises and hyperattentive technique, Hoffman worked imbalances out of his torso and legs caused by more than a decade of pitching."

Read more at: http://sports.uniontrib.com/uniontrib/20060306/news_1s6padres.html

If an 82-year-old can get out of pain... what are you waiting for?

An 82-year-old client came in today. She's been doing Egoscue for 15 years and had a flare up of sciatica recently. She's come in twice in the past few weeks and after a short period of time is getting back to her normal daily activities and walking. Reminded her that healing is not age-dependent and that her pain is not because of her age. She said, "Keep telling me that!"

Junior Seau Balances Out with Egoscue

Junior Seau Balances Out - His first major injury behind him, a perennial All-Pro muscles up for a comeback http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/players/01/18/workout0124/

Jack Nicklaus did Egoscue to avoid hip surgery for years

Read the USA Today article at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/spotlighthealth/2003-10-07-nicklaus-hip_x.htm

What is the Egoscue Method? (NY Clinic presents...)

What is the Egoscue Method? Listen to John, one of Egoscue Westchester's clients, help to provide some insight about his experience with the Egoscue Method.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-qvSm7IWyI

Low back pain scenario

Client with low back pain today with radiating nerve pain down the leg. Doing all the right things... working out, eating right, etc. But, right hip not working at all. When doing a hip test on the right hip, she could not feel anything -- no stretch, no work. Past injury to left foot forcing work onto right leg, but no right hip stability equals compression on right side and pain. Equal loading after a few e-cises... on her way to pain free.

Phone Number: 310.450.2549
Fax: 310.450.2782
E-Mail: paul@egoscue.com
Website: http://www.egoscue.com/painfree/wla.php
Facebook: Egoscue Santa Monica, Paul Schell



Hi, my name is Paul Schell and I am the owner and director of Egoscue Santa Monica. Egoscue is a method for achieving pain free, optimal health. It’s named after Founder and President Pete Egoscue who developed the method initially as a way to handle his own pain from injuries he sustained in combat as a U.S. Marine Infantry Officer in Vietnam.



Pete underwent surgery and traditional physical therapy, but still found himself in chronic, debilitating pain. This led him to extensive study and research in anatomy and movement patterns of the body. Ultimately, developing this revolutionary method of realigning the body to restore function and eliminate pain.



What I do now with this innovative therapy method is work with individuals to alleviate pain and heal injuries by getting to the source of the problem by treating the body as a whole. I came from a traditional sports medicine & physical therapy background where we would focus on treating the symptom in an effort to alleviate the pain. In just a few days of applying the Egoscue Method, I saw faster, more effective and longer-lasting results than in all my years in traditional therapy. Needless to say, I was hooked. When I started my journey into healthcare, I wanted to be able to help people achieve results that would open the door to a better quality of life. Egoscue has been a way to accomplish this.



Now having treated clients for over 10 years and seeing the remarkable results with a wide variety of individuals with various conditions of chronic pain. I want to spread the word about Egoscue even further. I invite you to join the Pain Free Revolution and become a part of the Egoscue Method.



Here are a few links to help understand more about Egoscue and some of the sources of pain:

http://www.egoscue.com/painfree/wla.php

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs043/1102261740810/archive/1102313809705.html

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs043/1102261740810/archive/1102538516962.html

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs043/1102261740810/archive/1102487346475.html

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs043/1102261740810/archive/1102450209829.html



Tags: Egoscue, Egoscue Method, Pain Free, pain, posture, back pain, neck pain, hip pain, knee pain, foot pain, ankle pain, exercise, shoulder pain, scoliosis, sciatica, function, Paul Schell, Santa Monica, Los Angeles, West Los Angeles, LA, Pete Egoscue, chronic pain, arthritis, Patch, Patch Fitness, training, education, sports, therapist, therapy, exercise therapy, sports therapy, pain free sports.

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