Thinking about a hip replacement?

Here's a video on the "anterior" approach -- one of the latest ways to replace the hip, preferable because there is less need to sever muscles of the hip. Nevertheless, it's a bit disturbing and I would hope that you would do all you could to prevent having to undergo the procedure.

I know this is motivation to do my own menus and keep my body aligned with Egoscue. I've been beating up my right hip for years prior to starting with Egoscue, based on leg dominance and past injuries. And while the left knee injury was the focus of my attention and efforts to keep it functional, what I was missing (pre-Egoscue) was the "body works as a unit" concept. In a nutshell, I was avoiding work on my left side and putting it all on my right side. When I started with Egoscue, my right knee was turned out close to 45-degrees AND I was doing triathlons, playing & coaching rugby and lifting weights. A lot of activity, but 80%-plus going to my right side, making me tighter and tighter in my right hip and furthering problems in the rest of my body.

Check out the video. If you're queasy, then just know it's not pretty. But know this also -- You can prevent this from happening, but do it NOW before it's too late!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEkw-p-F8yQ

Snowboarding atop Wolf Creek, CO

Some fun with Egoscue exercises as a warm-up for snowboarding. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw-4t0bs2OU

Lizard Brain doing your Thinking?

Overcoming the resistance to act means conquering the lizard in your brain!

In Seth Godin's latest book, Linchpin, he describes the lizard brain and how it is seeking the simple path in life. "The lizard brain is hungry, scared, angry, and horny...and only wants to eat and be safe." And while this reptilian side of our brain will cause us to fight when necessary, it may also keep us from reaching out beyond our comfort levels.

The lizard brain wants you to order in versus venturing out to a new restaurant. It would rather you watch a movie you've already seen (possibly several times) instead of seeing a new movie or a touring play. The lizard brain may also be what's keeping you from trying something different to overcome your pain. It would rather have you sit on the couch and live with physical limitations and less activity than get out and play.

Your lizard brain says, "Oh, I've already tried everything." This statement give security and certainty in only one thing -- that you don't have to try any more. The unintended consequences, however, are devastating and include loss of desire & motivation, lack of creativity, depression, and hopelessness.

Another comment the lizard brain makes is, "I would, but it costs too much." As with the last comment, this will lead to safety & security, and create a scarcity mindset that things-are-only-getting-worse. Investing in yourself is not a lizard-brained idea because it would cause you to think ahead... think of the success, achievement and hope of actually getting better, enjoying a lifestyle you once had.

"It's too far, too complicated, takes too much time, too hard, too much effort, etc., etc." Your lizard brain will go on and on about how much you'd rather live with the pain, succumb to a less-than-optimal lifestyle, or simply wait for an act of divinity, before coming out of the safety zone. After all, drugs are cheap, surgery may be covered by insurance, and I need to save all the energy I have left! And while these comments may be justifiable, the truth is that you have more in you.

You have a gift, a birthright, to being pain free. Conquer the lizard and get back your higher functioning self. You'll thank yourself that you did, and so will those around you who've been living with the lizard.

Up & Running in the New Year?

Along the beach, boardwalk, parks or on the street, there are plenty of runners in Santa Monica and throughout LA. (After all, look at our weather compared to the icy mess back East!) And while most will tell you to start with selecting a good pair of shoes and equipping yourself with the right gear, our advice is to start from the "inside-out" by starting with preparing your body.

The proverbial "wall" that you hit with running should be from endurance and having to build up your cardiovascular system. Most people, however, will hit the wall that comes in the form of musculoskeletal pain. Whether knee pain, foot pain, hip pain, back pain or otherwise, the joints of your body that are not functioning properly will start to complain.

Pete Egoscue says in Pain Free;

Running gets the worst rap of any major sport, and many of its loudest critics are former runners. Their primary objection to running is its impact on the load-bearing joints. When those joints are unstable and out of alignment, their capacity to manage the shock of each foot strike is indeed impaired. Fancy shoes and knee braces won't help, nor will adjustments in (running) technique.

So, before you run out to get the best shoes and the stylish garb, spend some time restoring proper function within your body by doing some simple e-cises. If you've taken a significant break from running, it is likely that your gait muscles have become dysfunctional from the time off. Wake up these dormant muscles and your body will thank you for it, and you'll be able to stick to your running program a lot longer!

Egoscue can help you identify what is causing your pain or help you get on track with your workout routines by setting up your posture and function for success. Come into the 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.

Upcoming Events - Egoscue Santa Monica

Egoscue is coming to Santa Barbara!

We are conducting therapy appointments in Santa Barbara starting at the end of January and will be returning monthly. Many clients head down to Santa Monica to see us from the area and will now be able to book appointments with us while we are there.

When:  Saturday, January 30
Where: Motion Unlimited, 1811 State St. Suite C in Santa Barbara

To schedule an appointment, call 310-450-2549 or email santamonica@egoscue.com

Patch Fitness in February

If you've been looking for the right way to get yourself started on a fitness plan this year - here it is! Join us for a 4-week program of fun, functional fitness. Patch workout classes will be Monday, Wednesday & Friday mornings starting February 1. Call to reserve your spot in the classes today at 310-450-2549.

Kid's Meditation Workshop

Caroline Sexton is excited to offer a Winter Meditation Workshop for children. This will be a 6-week series geared towards children ages 5 to 12. Each class will involve a meditation as well as explore brain gym, whole brain exercises and art projects. Classes will be held here at the Santa Monica Clinic. Call to reserve your spot as spaces are limited to 8. Contact Caroline Sexton at 818-441-4790.

Client with medial knee pain

A client is visiting us from Canada for a couple of weeks to get her body in shape. She's been through it all... and is still having trouble with the knees. She read Pain Free by Pete Egoscue and it made sense. In 2 days, she's felt how so many other areas of the body have been "feeding" the knee problem. And while in a short time the knee pain has become a minimal factor, the upper back and shoulders have been identified as a source of troubles for not only the knees, but several other aches and pains (from a previous accident years ago). Great to hear her say, "It's amazing how the body works all together." Exactly!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Santa-Monica-CA/Egoscue-Santa-Monica/64886913334?ref=mf

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.

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

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.

Paul Schell is also on: