Pain Free Performance — Posture Alignment Therapy

Posture Alignment Therapists, Graduates of Egoscue University

Uncategorized

A Peek inside Postural Alignment Therapy Evaluation

by

When clients are new to postural alignment therapy, they become awakened to a new awareness of viewing the body. What do we mean by this?

When someone is in chronic or acute pain, the pain becomes their focus. Pain requires individuals to use great effort in order to function throughout their day. Their attention is centered on how to avoid pain. Our bodies are skilled at compensating. To reduce overall pain, our bodies will change the way in which we move as a form of survival.  

So as Egoscue therapists where do we start?

First: We place the focus on the joint position. We identify the joint position though palpating or touching the joints. But what does the joint position tell us? 

When we look at the body, we are looking for what is different from the natural skeletal position. 

        Do the shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles align? 

        Is a shoulder elevated? 

        Or, do the knees and feet turn out instead of being straight. 

If any of these joints are off, the body is unable to work as a unit and pain results from misalignment. 

Second: We assess the way the body is loading. 

        We do this by having the client do a body analysis. The client closes their eyes and connects to the weight of their body. Oftentimes, clients are heavier on one foot and their 

weight distribution can be uneven in both feet. This allows us to know that their body’s are misaligned and that natural compensation patterns are occurring for the client to move. As therapists we

use this assessment to understand the way the client’s joints load the weight bear of their body. This information helps us establish a baseline of their imbalances. 

Third: Gait analysis

All joints and muscles have a function or movement that they perform. When a person is misaligned and their joints are different than the natural skeletal position, their body will compensate for

this misalignment. We, as therapists, look at the way a client walks and moves. We are looking for what part of the body is not working and what parts of the body are compensating for the work

of the inactive part of the body.  Compensation can be new or have developed over years.

Often times in gait or walking we notice:

       No arm swing or more arm swing on one side

       Rotation and twisting in the upper body

       Elevation of a hip

       Knees and feet being turned outward or inward

       Uneven heel strike and decreased movement in the feet

Any compensation pattern will lead to inflammation, arthritis, pain, and decreased quality of life. 

So what do we do with this information!?!

 

Our goal is to pull the body into alignment. We correct the muscle imbalances and improve the way the body moves. Without proper alignment and motion you will set your body up for pain. Correct the alignment and live pain free.

Lyme Disease

by

I thought I knew about pain…I have had my share of injuries, I’ve given birth three times and, shoot, my business is called Pain Free Performance!  I have spent my entire career helping others get out of pain.  But, after all of these years, I have a new understanding and appreciation of what it is like to really live in pain every minute of every day and not know the way out. 

One morning last August my alarm clock went off as usual. I attempted to look at the time and turn off the alarm but could not turn my head.  I got out of bed that morning thinking I had a stiff neck.  As the day progressed my neck stiffness eased up but my body ached.  Did I have the flu or maybe I “slept funny”? I got to work and did a few of my Egoscue e-cises to help with the pain.

The next day when I tried to lift my right leg, it felt strange and heavy.  The day after that, I could barely lift my right arm.  The pain was different than any pain I ever experienced and it was not from overuse or a pulled muscle.  Concerned, I went to see the doctor.  After my exam, a lot of research, and some process of elimination, the only thing that seemed to make sense was Lyme disease.  Lyme disease is a tick borne illness and is increasingly prevalent in the Northeast United States. What was strange is that I never saw a tick on me nor did I have a bull’s-eye rash which is a sign of a tick bite in need of treatment.  My Lyme test (a blood test taken at the physician’s office and sent to a regional lab) was negative. 

As days passed my pain became worse.  The pain that I felt in my shoulders was excruciating.  It felt to me like my shoulders were no longer connected properly.   I could not dress myself or lift my arms to wash my hair.  Both of my shoulders were frozen. My left ankle was swollen, some of my fingers were numb and just about every joint in my body hurt.  I tried to continue my Egoscue e-cises but soon I knew I needed more help.

Back to the doctor I go.  I was put on the standard antibiotic for Lyme and re-tested.  My second Lyme test was also negative.  Two months on the antibiotics and nothing had changed… in fact I felt worse.  Because my case was not typical for Lyme disease, and the tests were negative, of course my physician (who leaves no stone unturned) wanted to rule out other medical possibilities for the symptoms.  He even consulted with a Lyme expert in Maryland and suggested that we consult a neurologist, a rheumatologist, and also an endocrinologist. I was convinced that I did not have a neurological issue.  I also felt strongly that I wouldn’t have just gotten up one day with rheumatoid arthritis.  I was in so much pain and I was frustrated and confused.  How did this happen to me? I am typically healthy and active.  Now I can barely get out of bed!

I was at my wit’s end and in so much pain I decided to try a massage just to feel better for a little while. The therapist asked me if I had any medical concerns and I told her what had been going on with the possible Lyme disease.  Her eyes got huge and she told me was in the exact same place herself just six years ago.  She had to quit her nursing job because her pain was so bad that she was not able to work.  She learned quickly that there is not good information or protocol to treat chronic Lyme disease in our traditional medical community, so she had to become an expert in order to find a remedy and regain her life.   I learned so much from her.  Only about 50% of people with Lyme disease get the bull’s-eye rash and only half of the people bitten remember seeing the tick.  The mainstream blood tests for Lyme are not accurate. Antibiotics are usually effective when you are treated soon after being bitten by the tick. Long term antibiotics can be very harmful.

My new friend, Jean Weiss, RN and Certified Massage Therapist, has devoted her life to educating people about Lyme disease.  She has just started a Lyme Disease Support Group and is working with physicians in the area to help treat people in the community with Lyme.  She taught me there is hope.  There are additional treatments for Lyme. There is another more accurate blood test for Lyme that is processed at a lab in California.  Finally I tested positive for Lyme and with Jeans help I am almost back to 100%! 

Sometimes our pain is not musculoskeletal, it’s something else.  At Pain Free we’re the experts at treating musculoskeletal pain and we can always help you with that.  We also want to be good at referring you to other talented practitioners we have the good fortune of knowing who have different expertise… especially when we experience it first-hand! 

 If you or someone you know need help with Lyme disease, want the schedule for the Lyme Disease Support Group or just want to know more, below is the contact information for Jean.  

Jean Weiss

Massage and Wellness

434-960-3869

Jeanweiss100@gmail.com

 

In Good Health,

Cindy

Missy’s Story

by

CINDY MEYERS WRITES: A few weeks ago my client Missy stopped in with exciting news!  She had not been into Pain Free since February and she wanted to let us know that she was able to run for the first time in five and a half years!  Considering her physical condition at our first session, this was quite amazing news.  Missy had knee re-construction surgery in her twenties that left her with a very unstable knee.  She had back pain that radiated down her left leg and also suffered from right elbow tendonitis.  Analyzing Missy’s posture revealed that her left leg was bowed, her right leg turned in, her head forward with rounded shoulders and her pelvis uneven.  In her sessions, we worked to correct the underlying muscle imbalances that created the misalignment of her bones and her poor posture!  Here is what Missy has to say about getting her body back into balance:

Missy’s Story

Four years ago, at the age of 45 I was not able to tour Montpelier without my back aching during the one hour tour.  I could not stand still without bending and sitting during the lectures.  Two and a half years ago I could not walk my dog for thirty minutes on a trail in the woods without causing a backache that would last for days.  I had knee reconstruction twenty seven years ago and reinjured the knee several times over the years.  This caused knee instability, a bowed left leg, and backaches.  I was advised by an orthopedist to walk only for necessity, no hiking, touring, dog walks. He stated the arthritis in my knee was too far along.   I was also suffering from reoccurring carpal tunnel symptoms three years after having the “release” surgery, and tendonitis in my elbow from knitting.  I was only 45, in very good health otherwise, slim, active, medicine free. 

In preparation for a family trip to Bali, I started physical training with Pain Free.  I was concerned about the twenty four hour plane ride, because four hour car rides to Raleigh, NC caused me back pain.  I also wanted to participate in a seven hour volcano hike while in Bali.  I worked for several sessions with Cindy before my trip to Bali, and completed my menus daily at home.  The trip was a success. I did not need any pain medication to get through the two plane trips or volcano hike!!!  The carpal tunnel was also gone as well as the tendonitis. 

Eighteen months went by without my continuing the exercises.  I woke up one day and my reconstructed knee was completely out of alignment.  I could not walk.  I had to hop.  After a few exercises with Mackie, my knee was realigned and I could walk out of Pain Free.  Another family trip was on the horizon, this time seven days of waking around Rome.  Again I was unable to even walk the dog.  I started with Mackie this time and spent seven sessions working on strengthening my posture so that my knee would not fall out of alignment while asleep in Rome.    Rome was a success-no backaches, no knee pain, no pain meds, and no swollen knee. This time I have continued daily with my various exercise menus and have had no reoccurrence of the problems. 

I ran for the first time in five and a half years this fall.  Before that, I was not able to take a running step without my knee collapsing.  However, without thinking one day, I ran to catch up with a group of friends.  My family and I are amazed!!! It is all the good professional work of the folks at Pain Free.  My family and I are 100% convinced that without Pain Free, these trips would not have been possible for me.  My knee is so misshapen now that, while only 50, I am a candidate for knee replacement surgery.  But, with the daily practice of my Egoscue exercises and professional help of the folks at Pain Free, I have been able to resume an active life with my family without knee surgery. 

Thank you thank you thank you!

Missy D.

HEALTH CARE CAN BE CONFUSING!

by

I have spent the last eight years of my life devoted to postural alignment after a career in physical therapy and fitness.  I understand the body, injury, rehab and alignment.  As a Postural Alignment Specialist certified through Egoscue University, I know the amazing benefits of this work and the direct correlation to pain elimination, prevention and optimal health on every level.  I live it every day as a pain management clinic owner helping clients get out of pain.  I know with certainty that medical intervention, including medication and surgery can often be avoided or postponed.  However, this summer I am struggling with how to proceed with my own son’s shoulder injury and rehabilitation. 

My son is in high school.  Last fall while playing football, he was hit and his right shoulder dislocated.  For those of you who may never have witnessed this, it’s not pretty and the pain is excruciating until the shoulder is “popped” back in.  He went to the Emergency Room where they gave him pain medication and put the shoulder back in place then sent him back to school in a sling.  He worked with the Athletic Trainer at school and was back playing football.  Yay, right?  During the first week of summer vacation, he jumped in the pool and dislocated the same shoulder again.  We were back in the Emergency Room, same story.

I believe that the reason his shoulder is prone to dislocation is because of his poor posture.  He has a forward head, shoulders that are rounded forward, an upper back that is also rounded and the only curve in his spine is in his neck because of his forward head.  His pelvis tucks under, which flattens that needed lower back curve and also hinges his shoulders forward.  Any kind of stress on his arm or shoulder causes the shoulder to dislocate because it’s the only place it can go!

Ideally, postural alignment therapy is the answer to my son’s malady.  After his injury, I had him in to see my colleague Mackie.  Mackie, who is also Egoscue University certified and worked alongside Pete Egoscue for a number of years, gave him a sequence of exercises that repositioned his pelvis and changed his shoulder position to make sure that all of the muscles that interconnect the pelvis and shoulder are working.  My son felt much better and looked much better.  It’s not a quick fix because he’s been stooped over a computer doing homework and playing computer games for most of his life, which created the posture.  He needs to commit to the prescribed postural alignment program for the long term.  Sounds like a good plan?

The trick is, I’m dealing with a teenager!  He’s young, strong, he’s a great athlete, he’s busy and he’s not in pain.  He feels “fixed”.  Have you ever tried to get your teenager to stay consistent with a therapeutic exercise program when they have no pain?  It will take time to reposition his skeletal system…probably not enough time before football season begins again.

Research shows that some 85% of people who dislocate their shoulders playing sports at a young age will continue to dislocate them.  Usually the labrum (soft tissue) and the ligaments which keep the shoulder stable get torn or over-stretched causing an unstable shoulder.  All of my best shoulder resources are telling me that he needs to have surgery to avoid further dislocations.  Having the surgery, which will tighten the ligaments and hold the shoulder in place, will certainly fix the problem for now but it will not be without risks.  The surgery may leave him with a shoulder that is “frozen” in place without full range of motion, muscles could start compensating creating back issues and someday he may even need a shoulder replacement.  I have seen this in my practice and it is not something I want for my son.

We still have not decided exactly what course of action to take.  My son is a young athlete who wants desperately to finish his senior year playing with his high school football team.  We could schedule surgery and he might not be able to play at all, we can wait and see and risk another dislocation, we can encourage daily alignment exercises and also risk another dislocation if he is not compliant or does not respond in time.

Ultimately this is a group decision between my husband, my son and I.  No matter what we decide, eventually there may come a time where my son will understand how important it is to keep the body in alignment.  The human body functions as a unit and surgery will stabilize my son’s shoulder but it will not correct the disparity in his pelvis.  Untreated, that disparity will continue to affect every part of his body, even his shoulder.  Eventually, poor posture catches up with all of us.  I only wish I could get him to understand the implications now!

Cindy Meyers, PTA, PAS

 

“PAIN FREE” by Pete Egoscue …changed my life

by

 

 

Several years ago I was working at a Physical Therapy practice in Charlottesville, Virginia.  The patient I was treating asked me if I had heard of the book “Pain Free” by Pete Egoscue.  I told her that I had not and she offered to lend me her copy to read. When I read the book I had one of those “ah-ha” moments you have when something is so clear that it hits you over the head!  Up until that point I thought of myself as a well rounded therapist.  I did out-of-the-box types of manual therapies such as Strain/Counterstrain,  Crainosacral Therapy,  Myofascial Release and Zero Balancing along with more traditional treatments like ultrasound, electric stimulation and therapeutic exercise.  I helped many people get out of pain yet many times those  people would be back with the same pain or a new pain.  After reading “Pain Free”, I realized that I was treating their symptom and not the cause of the pain.  It just so happened that I was suffering from a meniscus tear in my right knee.  I decided to try some of the suggested e-cises in the book for knee pain.  My knee pain was only slightly better but I noticed other things in my body were feeling really different.  I no longer had the need to crack my neck, I was standing straighter and my morning stiffness was gone.  After studying the Egoscue Method I learned to look at how every part of the body works together. Western medicine trains us to focus on separate parts of the body.  But what I learned from Egoscue is that my knee pain was coming from the position of my pelvis and my upper back.  The knee pain was the symptom of a dysfunctional  pelvis and a mid back that was not moving. It took time to heal my meniscus but I  fully recovered with the added benefit of improved overall function utilizing Egoscue.

Pick up a copy of  “Pain Free”  and start with just  the first three chapters.  If it makes sense to you then give us a call and set up a free screen.  You can meet us, see what we’re all about and we’ll do a mini-evaluation.  We will take photos and be able to show you the imbalances in your body,  how these are contributing to your pain and then get you on the road to recovery too!

What About Pain?

by

WHAT ABOUT PAIN?

Most of us have a perverse relationship with pain – any kind of pain – back pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, or neck pain.  If we have it, we don’t want it and we do any number of things to get it to go away – prescription or non-prescription drugs, lifts, braces, wraps, and even surgery – all because we don’t understand pain.

If we can look at pain for what it is – the body’s message system – then we can listen to what message the body is sending us. So what is the quality of the pain you feel?  Is it the sharp, knifelike, electric white-hot kind? Oh yeah, you have to stop whatever your doing and find a new position and placement. That kind of pain is the fire alarm so to speak.  But if it’s not that sharp electric kind of pain, if we can look it in the eye, we can learn a great deal about our bodies.  Is it there all the time or can you adjust your position and see it increase or decrease? Does it come in the morning upon waking or later when you’re tired? Does it occur while moving and doing things or when you’re more static? What brings this pain on and can you get it to decrease?

A common mistake we make around pain is to use it as the only measure that we’re doing better when it is only one way of measuring how we’re doing. Typically, pain is the last thing to change so it’s not the best measure, just the one we want to see the most!  The pain will go away when the body is able to maintain a more equal, bilateral, symmetrical position. That means you have to start developing your “kinesthetic awareness” – sensing, feeling our bodies from the inside out – which is not something we are encouraged to do in our culture!

As a posture exercise therapist, if I can get you to think about something other than your pain, we’ve made a giant step forward toward getting you better.  To practice kinesthetic awareness, ask yourself these questions:  Where do you feel the weight in your feet? Is the weight equal left to right or different?  Is it more in the heels or balls of the feet? Is it more toward the arch or little toes? If you stand with your toes together and heels apart with your legs really straight does that change anything or can you feel what changed? If you do several exercises and walk around again can you feel what has changed? Can you feel the position of your shoulders in relation to the rest of you?  Is your head in line with your shoulders and spine or is it more forward? Can you feel your body with your body (hence, the kinesthetic part) or do you have to look in a mirror to tell (more visual)? The imbalances you discover and feel in your body can be corrected.  The pain you feel from the imbalance can be alleviated. It’s what we do at Pain Free Performance.

So, while pain is an important sensation and a clue to misalignment it should not frighten us, but put us on the path to understanding the message. Acknowledging the pain and correcting the muscle imbalances will stop the pain. Listening to our pain rather than automatically stopping it with medication or procedures will help us make the necessary changes to live pain free.  At Pain Free Performance we will give you the tools to do just that.

 

What Is Pain Free Performance?

by

We are a community of people who all share the same vision.  Following our purpose – caring for people – alleviating pain. We are people of integrity, we’re smart, trained and experienced – you are in good hands – we know what we’re doing.  When it comes to Egoscue centered postural therapy we are the real deal. We practice a sound  evidence based approach that has been helping people get out of pain for over 42 years: Egoscue in it’s pure form.
We believe in getting back to the basic design  intended for the human body – your body. It’s not about a quick fix, it’s a journey to living pain free by restoring muscle balance. It’s not something that we do to you – there is some work involved , but it’s good work.
People come to us because they  have heard from a friend or a health care provider that we really get to the why of what is hurting you. From the moment you walk through our door you will experience the difference in our approach to treatment.  You will be greeted with a smile, compassion and understanding along with exceptional postural therapy. Our approach is very different…. in fact many things about us are different. We have made a conscious choice to resist the latest trends, current frenzied marketing approaches, credit cards and the traditional medical office experience.  Yes, we are a professional pain management clinic. However, we are care-givers who will be spending a lot of time with you , focused on your body, your alignment, alleviating your pain — giving you the tools to get back to your life.
Our true purpose is to guide your body back to your original design.  It’s not about orthotics, back braces, medications, injections or surgery.  It’s about teaching you how to undo all that has happened in your body due to the world we live in.  Sitting in the car for hours, or just sitting for hours, leaning over while we work, breaking a bone or two, that bad accident, inactivity, overuse – these things wreck havoc on that “original design”. All of these things have contributed to your pain.. Our passion is to teach you  how to re-educate your muscles to put your body back in alignment.

Our door is always open.  Please feel free to stop by, get a tour, meet our staff and see what we are all about. We look forward to meeting you.

In Good Health,

Cindy, Lisa, Mackie and Kat

Kean

by

This post is neither Pain Free nor Egoscue related.

We would simply like to share a photo with you that made us feel proud, touched and honored.

This is one of our clients. His name is Kean. Each time Kean comes into the office, he brings us gifts. Be it flowers, fresh apple cider or even jelly beans, Kean’s gifts are reflective of his big ole heart. Kean is holding a photo of his son, also named Kean, who is serving our country overseas. We would like to honor both Keans for serving us as individuals and as a country.

Both of these men enrich and inspire our lives.