Pain Free Performance — Posture Alignment Therapy

Posture Alignment Therapists, Graduates of Egoscue University

Joint Replacement

How long does it take to create pain relief using posture alignment therapy?

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Most of the clients we see are in pain. These clients come to us for relief with their knee pain, back pain, hip pain, and shoulder pain. Oftentimes, our clients have been to chiropractors, physical therapists, doctors, massage therapists, and acupuncturists that have been unable to create a lasting change with their muscle and joint pain. This can be challenging for our clients because their journey for pain relief has already taken weeks and months before we meet our clients for the first time. 

 

In order to create lasting pain relief, as Postural Alignment Specialists that practice The Egoscue Method, we assess the muscular imbalances in their bodies. This begins through a complete health assessment and history to understand the patterns of movement (or lack of movement) that led to pain. We complete postural photos to see how their joint position aligns against a grid to understand how their joints are loading. This can reveal if an elevated shoulder and hip are leading to the back pain or if a forward head position is causing the shoulder pain. Finally, we complete a series of functional testing and gait analysis to determine what muscles are active or inactive that are resulting in muscular compensation and pain. 

 

When our clients leave their first postural alignment session, they can expect to feel a change in their body. This often results in a decrease in pain. If a client’s body has compensated for years, they might notice feeling “lighter” or “straighter” after doing their Egoscue therapy exercises. This is a sign that their body is becoming more functional and balanced. 

 

The work towards alignment and health takes time and effort. Our muscle memory begins to take effect in 90 days and is often the time our clients begin to notice less pain due to their enhanced alignment. Change is not always linear and might result in peaks and valleys. We encourage clients to remain focused on what is changing. Our cells and tissues are constantly adapting and we will continue to adapt new exercises and stimuli to create a change in the muscle structure. One of the great benefits of our bodies is that they are dynamic and constantly in motion. This is why the method works! Now, let’s get moving!

A look into Knee Pain

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As postural alignment specialists and graduates of Egoscue University, our focus is on the position of the client’s load bearing joints. Our shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles bear the weight of our body when standing and moving upright. When we look at our client’s joint position, many of our client’s are surprised by their knee position. 

The load bearing joints of the shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles should align.

Try this:
Stand in front of the mirror
Look at the middle of your thigh bone that is named the femur. Then look at the middle of your knee cap.
Draw an imaginary line from the center of the thigh bone to the middle of the knee cap.
Does the knee turn to the outside of the body or does the knee roll toward the middle of the body?

If the center of your thigh and center of your knee cap are not in line, the rest of your load bearing joints are picking up the work for the uneven load. This uneven load leads to knee pain, arthritis in the knee joint, bursitis, and torn ligaments!

When knees turn out or roll toward the middle of the body, there is significant wear and tear on the knee joint. Imagine going up and down the stairs with the knee cap pointing outward. The friction and demand on the uneven knee joint will lead to knee pain. Over time to avoid the knee pain we begin to sell our house to live on one level or we take the escalator to avoid the movement that leads to pain. This avoidance of triggers will decrease the feeling of the knee pain, but does not address the cause of the knee pain.

Oftentimes the exercise we do to be healthy and support our heart, aggravates our knees and we begin to wonder why. If your knees turn outwards and you cycle or run for 30 minutes, that is 30 minutes that your knee joint is impacted and inflamed. Frequent wear and tear from a misaligned knee exercising on the elliptical, bike, or treadmill will lead to arthritis of the knee and the need for a knee replacement. The exercise is not the enemy, but the position of the knee cap in relation to the thigh bone and pelvis. 

How do we avoid knee replacements, ligament tears, and arthritis? We must consider the muscles that support the thigh bone (femur) and knee cap (patella). Through a postural alignment assessment, we will identify what is off in your body and which muscles need to be activated to bring your body into alignment. By correcting and supporting the position of the lower legs, you will continue to be able to tackle stairs and maintain your heart healthy cardio!

Joint Replacement and Egoscue

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Are you and your physician choosing joint replacement?  Let us help you maximize your outcome.

When your joint is bone-on-bone, the pain is worsening and keeps you from your daily activities; joint replacement may be the next best step.  I get it, I’d try everything I could to avoid surgery, but sometimes it’s inevitable.  So, once you and your physician make this life changing decision, there are some other things to consider as you look forward to getting back to normal.  Consider your alignment.

For those of you who are already on board with Egoscue, you know that we are all about pain relief through proper alignment.  The key to our work is retraining the muscles to work equally so when the weight of your body goes through your joints it is balanced.   If muscles are out of whack and doing too much or too little, bones are pulled out of place, joints are wearing unevenly and therein lies your pain.  Once your joints bear weight evenly you gain strength, balance and function.   This not only alleviates pain, but protects you in the future.  Although I talk about how cartilage regenerates, some joints are so compromised that replacement is the only option.  Each body is different; everyone’s history and injuries are different.  If you are in pain and cannot function, choosing joint replacement isn’t a failure; it is an amazing tool to get your body and your life back to where it needs to be.

If joint replacement is next, you have prepared for it beautifully!  You’re in your best alignment going into surgery – a step ahead of the curve with strength and balance as you also embark on post-surgery rehab.  One of our clients recently exclaimed that “My doctors, all the nurses and my rehab therapists were amazed at how strong I was and how fast I recovered from my knee replacement!”  “They asked me what I had been doing and I told them it was all my hard work doing Egoscue at Pain Free!”   She continues to do her Egoscue e-cises to maintain her alignment and protect her new joint.

If you are planning on joint replacement, we can help you prepare and improve your outcome.  And, we are waiting for you on the other side to help keep your entire body functioning – head to toe – including your new joint!