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Back Pain? Throw on a Back Pack

Monday, August 22nd, 2011 by Karena

This post could have been titled: How to heal back pain with a back pack. And no, I’m

My back was crying today but I had a 6-mile hike planned. Hence, the 12-pound back pack

not talking about filling it with muscle relaxants to get you through the day. I’m talking about the work of Stuart McGill, PhD. He is a kinesiologist out of the Univeristy of Waterloo and has done extensive research on the best ways to heal back pain.

One of this methods includes wearing a back pack with 15-25 pounds in it. Sounds crazy, huh? The theory behind it is that if the weight is placed low in the back pack, it aids the spine extension muscles, so it helps to keep you upright. If you are bent over your spine muscles aren’t really working they are in a holding pattern; it is more like they are holding on for dear life to keep you from going nose-first into the dirt instead of acting to give strength and mobility to the spine.

Dr. McGill’s recommendation is that you wear the pack and walk on uneven terrain. Hiking a dirt path would be great. The small subtle changes in the terrain force your spine to accommodate forward and back, side to side twisting and side to side bending.

I had a chance to test his advice three years ago after back surgery. I stayed at about 10 pounds in a fanny back and it worked really well. I was able to go about 30% farther with the pack then without it. I had another “opportunity” to test it today. My back decided to get super-angry after mountain biking this morning and my friend and I still had a 6 mile hike planned for the afternoon. I was hurting. Big-time.

So I let my friend wrangle both dogs, I threw a lot of water bottles in the bottom of a pack and gingerly started making my way along the trail. Ow. Ouch. Holy be-geezus… But it got better. It loosened up. And I did the 6 miles. Tonight, I can feel my back. I iced and I’m getting ready to take some Aleve but it’s good. We are planning another hike tomorrow and my back pack is ready.

Tags: back pain, karena thek lineback
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Energy Medicine

Friday, August 12th, 2011 by Karena

Fact: Anytime your body takes an action, muscularly or neurologically, there is an electric current causing that change.

An idea unaccepted by science at the beginning of the 20th century, but an idea so accepted now that we measure the body’s electricity to diagnosis and heal. Ever had an electrocardiogram or ECG? The ECG measures the heart’s electric pulses to determine if there is a problem. Ever had electric stimulation in physical therapy? That’s an electric charge used to stimulate activity to an area of the body where the electric pulse may have become quiet due to injury. Restore the electric current and you restore health.

Fact: Anyplace there is an electric current, physiologically there is a resultant magnetic field.

A bit of science that has MEG’s (magnetoencephalograms) being used in place of EEG’s to study the brain’s magnetic fields. Interestingly, the magnetic fields are able to pass through the tissue of the brain to the outside of the body undistorted for easier analysis, not the case when using the brain’s electrical current for diagnosis. In other magnetics, have you heard of an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)?

So what?

Yeah, I heard you. Big words. Little meaning. Not so fast, Cowboy. The results of this work have implication in everything you do, especially healing. If the body’s magnetic fields are :

Arriving outside your body undisturbed, and
We can see where a physical or neurological problem is through the analysis of those fields, then
Healing becomes a matter of manipulating those magnetic fields to create health.

Doctors prescribe magnet therapy for injuries that won’t heal (pulsed electric magnetic field therapy), for example. But what about in terms of all forms of alternative therapy? If the goal is to manipulate the magnetic field then there becomes more than one way to do that. James Oschman, PhD, has found the same magnetic field manipulation possible with many forms of healing; it doesn’t matter if it is massage, acupuncture, surgery, physical therapy or Pilates . All are manipulating the magnetic field.

Poses the question of which therapy is most effective? Well, it would be the one, that for you, creates the most change in the magnetic field.

I’ll leave you with this thought: The heart has the strongest electric current/field in the body and therefore the strongest magnetic field reaching outside the body. While the electric field cannot be measured away from the body, the magnetic field can. The heart’s magnetic field can be measured up to 15 feet away. Scientists assume that when their instruments become more sensitive that it will be considerably farther than that. Ever wonder why you can feel someone across a room? Across a city? A country? Ever wonder why coincidences can be so strong? Yeah, I think that might be why.

Tags: balance, electric field, energy medicine, karena thek lineback, magnetic field
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Start Something Old

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011 by Karena

Are you feeling like your life is all coop and no chickens? Then maybe it’s time to stop mourning the lack of eggs and re-discover something that you don’t need chickens for. (That’s analogy Delaware-Style) For the non-Delawarean, when life’s a little empty, try returning to something that you are passionate about, something familiar and something that doesn’t require much effort. For me, that meant returning to dance about three weeks ago.

I’m at least 15 years older than anyone else in class and you know what? I really kind of like that. Not the “wrinkle-y part” but the “it’s fun dancing with young’ns part”. I’ve been taking class with professionals and they are kick-a** fun. Those gals push me right back to a level of dance that, unbelievably, my body can still mostly do.

Just ‘mostly do’, because I’ve got that numb leg and honestly, it’s disturbing to dance and not feel the floor. But so far, even without feeling the floor, that leg has caught me after every turn, every leap. And here’s my hope: I really hope life is like that… That it will catch me after a leap that I can’t feel the ground on.

But as for you, try going back to your own passion. Take your numb leg, your bad shoulder, your broken ankle and try something old, again.

Hope to see you soon,

Karena

Tags: encouragement, karena thek lineback, passion
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Exercises for Relieving Sciatic Pain

Monday, November 1st, 2010 by Karena

When it feels like a gnarly-toothed troll has taken up residence in my tush, then it is obvious that my sciatic pain is back. Grrr.

I have had my fair share of sciatic pain but it’s been a few years since it has been bad and this week? VOILA!

Roll out your sciatic pain on a 6" foam roller. Ahhhh..... relief.....

Our teaching schedule became a little busier this month and my sciatic is now a cranky little putz. Here’s what I do for my clients and now, again, for myself when the troll returns.

5 ways to Give the Boot to the Pain in Your Bootie (Sciatic Pain)

Walk 20-30′ briskly on a zero incline. If the pain increases stop. The idea here is to loosen up the spine and therefore loosen up the bootie.
If walking without a limp is impossible, then I would recommend medium-light weight on the Pilates reformer. Continue for 20-30′. (See why the weight has to be light-ish?) The purpose of this is the same as #1; hence the long time period.
Side-lying leg work. Lie on your side. Bend the bottom leg and straighten the top. Lift the top leg off the floor just to hip height (10x’s). Follow this exercise be small leg circles. Again no higher than hip height. And again 10 in each direction.
Use a 6″ diameter foam roll to steamroll your tush. See the pic. This exercise is similar to a deep tissue massage of the area. I also like to ’steamroll’ the IT Band. The IT band is on the side of the leg between the knee and the hip. Don’t roll over your hip or knee bones. They will NOT appreciate it!
A popular stretch for sciatica as mentioned by @MelMajoros on Twitter is the ‘Figure Four’ Stretch. Lie on your back with knees bent, soles of the feet on the floor. Place one ankle on the opposite knee. Put your hands under that opposite knee and pull it to your chest. Ahhhhh… relief!

Tags: exercise to relieve sciatic pain, karena thek lineback, sciatic pain
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Exercises for Osgood-Schlatter in Teen Athlete

Thursday, October 28th, 2010 by Karena

This is my second teenage athlete in three weeks that has come to me for knee pain. This young man is still in

Exercise can change the muscular imbalances that affect Osgood-Schlatter Disease

high school and has a really busy schedule of basketball practice and conditioning. His chiropractor diagnosed Osgood-Schlatter Disease, often considered a ‘growing pain’, which is knee pain affecting children where the bony protrusion below the knee (the tibial tuberosity) becomes inflamed. You can usually recognize it by the bump that begins to form on that bone below the knee, a bump that lasts throughout adulthood. You can see from the photo that that bump has not really protruded very much yet on the right knee that is affected but if you look closely you can almost see it.

So what can be done about Osgood-Schlatter? This young man does not want to stop his busy practice schedule for fear of being side-lined during the season. So the normal answer of resting to alleviate pain is not an option. Plan B, then, is to find the muscular imbalances and work hard on those and hope for a big change in the pain levels as the muscles become more balanced.

These are the imbalances that I have found so far:

A weak vastus medialis (the muscle that sits above the knee and to the inside) on the right leg. You can see in the pic that the v.m. is not as developed as it is on the left knee.
A tendency for internal rotation of the right hip which leads to improper tracking of the hip, knee. Or in other words when the knee bends it points at the other knee instead of where it should be pointing: right over the big toe.
And this is the big one: very weak gluteal medius and minimus (the muscles at the side of the hip). VERY weak.

The exercises to fix the imbalances:

Glut Med, Min Stregthener. Side-lying leg series: Lying on one side, bend the bottom leg while keeping the top leg straight. Lift the top leg to hip height and back down ten times. Then lift the leg and hold for 10 seconds. Lastly, circle the leg ten times in each direction. Once this exercise gets easier start adding ankle weights. Build up to 5 pounds.
Tracking of the knee. While seated, lift the leg off the floor in parallel position (or knee straight to the ceiling). Bend and straighten the knee and watch the tracking. The knee needs to continually point over the big toe. Small variations not acceptable; this is your chance to really focus the movement and groove a healthy pattern. Do it perfectly.
Strengthening of the Vastus Medialis. Do the same as exercise #2 with this small change: Instead of the knee facing the ceiling, turn the knee to the outside. Bend and straighten. Continue tracking the knee as well. As you bend and straighten the knee will still be pointing over the toes.

Good luck. Let me know if you have any questions. K
p.s. Yes, I know it would be better if the pic were turned 45 degrees right. I have the picture on my computer vertically and when I upload it turns it. If you happen to know how I can fix that, Please! Let me know!

Tags: exercise for knee pain, exercise for Osgood Schlatter, gluteal medius, gluteal minimus, high school athlete and knee pain, knee tracking, Osgood-Schlatter Disease, vastus medialis, vastus medialis in osgood schlatter
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Is Core Strength a Medical Necessity?

Sunday, October 10th, 2010 by Karena

Core strength has been a buzzword in the fitness world for quite a while but now we

We accept your insurance through our partnership with SCV Therapy Services!

are hearing that same buzz from the medical field. Clients are being referred to a Pilates program by their medical doctors who know that increased core strength can only mean decreased physical pain. So how do you know if core strengthening is for you?

Will Core Strengthening Help YOU?

Have you experienced muscle spasms?
Have you suffered an injury that has affected your ability to do everyday activities?
Do you find it difficult to maintain excellent posture?
Is it difficult to sit for long periods of time or does doing the same prolonged activity exacerbate your symptoms?

These are just some questions that are strong indicators that core strengthening could help you. Here’s why:

Muscle spasms happen in the large muscles, turning the small, core muscles off.
Injuries tend to make us rely on our largest muscles because they are the strongest, again, turning the small core muscles off.
If you can maintain excellent posture throughout the day then your core strength is intact. Excellent posture uses your core muscles all day, every day.
If sitting still hurts, that pain indicates that your spine is collapsing while you sit; pushing bony structure onto nerves or other bony structures instead of being lifted and supported. Pain while pursuing activities indicates that you lack core endurance.

Core strengthening, while beneficial to all, is especially beneficial to anyone who has every suffered an injury. As an interesting side note, core strength is not just about the spine and the stomach muscles. Every joint has core muscles; all the smallest muscles in charge of the balance and control of the joint are the core muscles. So any injury throughout the body benefits from core strength. Cool, huh?

At Pilates Teck we are able to accept your health insurance through our partnership with Santa Clarita Valley Therapy Services, a physical therapy clinic that offers the most up-to-date and thorough care in traditional therapy as well as occupational and aquatic therapy. Need to know more? Please call us! 661.260.1609.

Tags: ab exercise, back pain, back pain relief, core muscles, core strength, core strength for back pain, Core strengthening for back pain, Exercise for Back Pain, exercise for pain relief, exercises for pain relief, karena thek lineback, Pilates Exercise, Pilates for Back Pain, Pilates for Pain
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Stand Up Straight! It’s Better than the Gym

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010 by Karena

I had two new clients today. I spent almost the entire hour with each of them working on standing up

Typical Sway Back Posture

straight. Both of them are post-rehabilitative clients that are coming to me for pain relief so there is no way of moving them forward without getting their alignment pretty close to perfect.

It is impossible to retrain any muscle if it is already too long or too short because of poor posture. For example, using the picture of a typical sway back posture to the right, the pectorals (chest muscles), the gluteals (tushie muscles) and the upper trapezius (back of the neck) are all going to be tight. And even though they are tight, they won’t be strong.

Also, using the picture can you determine which muscles are going to be over-stretched? The hip flexors (fronts of the hips), the abdominals, the lower trapezius and rhomboids (mid-back muscles) and the scalenes or the muscles at the front of the neck will all be over-stretched and saggy and weak.

So what is working to keep this woman vertical? This posture, along with other poor postures, pretty much allows one body structure to rest on top of the next without much muscular support. What happens to the muscles if you pull the alignment back where it should be? The short, tight muscles are lengthened and stretched. The over-stretched, weak muscles strengthen. In fact, the two women I worked with today had this sway back posture that we are talking about and after working on the improved alignment for just 5 minutes they both complained of muscles fatigue in their spinal muscles. Very normal. Those muscles will strengthen quickly and they won’t feel that muscle fatigue for long.

A quick word about the abs before I have to exit to wrangle a couple of dogs… In all poor postures, the abdominals are generally saggy and weak. While we have a nice bony structure towards the back of our torsos, the abdominal muscles are entirely responsible for keeping the fronts of our torsos intact (read: holding your guts in). Your tummy will be flatter with better posture because you actually made room for your organs by standing up straight. If you aren’t standing up straight, there is nothing holding your guts in.

The moral of the story? Stand up straight. When facing side to the mirror your ear should be in line with your shoulder, which is in line with the hip, which is in line with the ankle. No crazy curves with hips and spine and chin breaking that nice straight alignment. And then…. Suck in your guts. Literally.

Tags: ab exercise, back pain, back pain relief, butt muscles, core strength, Core strengthening for back pain, karena thek lineback, pilates, Pilates Exercise, posture, sway back, swayback
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