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.

It’s funny how certain types of problems show up in the studio in waves.  My most recent wave has been severe muscular degeneration in the form of multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy.  With both scenarios it was, first,  important for me to explain to my clients that exercise is not going to return strength to the muscles that have been affected by the disease.  What we can do is strengthen the muscles that are not affected and increase coordination in those muscles as well.

And the coordination will be key.  Coordination in the small musculature so that the body’s muscles can work together synergistically and effectively is a component that is lost whenever there is an injury.  To return coordination to some of those small muscles in the case of severe muscular degeneration will be even more valuable.

Here’s the video with one of my favorite exercises for muscle loss.  Let me know if you have any questions.  Karena

How to do Pilates exercise for Multiple Sclerosis and Muscular Dystrophy

Two guests today: Podcast available here

You can listen to Alive & Well Radio on AM1220 in SoCal or listen live online at http://hometownstation.com

1. Dan Holtz of the Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center on bio-identical hormones, and
2. Bernie Nelson, founder of the Pilates Round Table, on choosing health. It’s worth fighting for.

A quick synopsis for you…

Dan, super-interesting guy…  At 38 years old, he owned a construction company and was a fitness fanatic when he noticed that he couldn’t build muscle as easily anymore; he was gaining fat around his middle; his joints ached…  Yes, it sounded to me too like he was just simply aging. But, instead of accepting his body’s changes as normal, he chose to have doctors run tests and see what exactly was going on inside his body.  After years of research and dedication he was teamed up with physicians to help all of us understand the changes in our own bodies and using bio-identical hormones to help us be the best we can. No more weight gain, low libido, hair loss, depression, memory loss or insomnia.

Bernie joined us at the end of the show to share his insight in the world of fitness.  A former college athlete (football), Bernie has struggled with the aches and pains of the choices of his youth but has found a way to stay active and keep the weight off.  Listen to Bernie’s discussion about the importance of addressing obesity in our population as well as taking the step towards choosing health. You have to want to fight for it!

Podcast is available here

Sign-up for weekly radio show topic updates by clicking on the “Be in the Know” button over there on the left of the screen.  When signing up be sure to click on the Radio Show option.

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.

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

I recently got the message that a friend of a friend is ready to write a Pilates book but didn’t know where to start.  She was looking for some advice in that direction.  Here are a few thoughts that I have about that.

First, WHY, do you want to write a book? You must have a very strong message that no one else is communicating, or perhaps not communicating well.  I wrote OsteoPilates and am now finishing up ScolioPilates (procrastinating at the moment as you can see) for those very reasons.  For OsteoPilates, the information about safe exercise for osteoporosis was just too difficult to find for the average person (read: non-exercise professional) and for ScolioPilates, there is great information out there but it can be extremely difficult and confusing to follow. If you don’t have a strong message then I can’t understand why anyone would be compelled to spend that much time at a computer.  Especially an exercise professional who is used to being in constant motion.

If you have a message and are determined to get it out there.  Then the next thing you need to do is write.  I know, sounds obvious.  But honestly, finding time to write is one of the most difficult things you will do.  You have to be very self-motivated.  You also have to be willing to change your teaching schedule.  Give yourself your best hours to write.  My New Year’s present from my husband?  Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, no clients are scheduled until 3pm for me.  My most productive hours are early.  At around 2pm, I start falling asleep at the computer. Going out to teach at that time instead, gets me engaged and moving again. I read a quote recently from J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series. She said that she still has to fight for time to write.  “It’s like people think these books write themselves.” And no truer statement could be made.  From the very beginning to the most successful writers your friends and family will have trouble understanding that you cannot change your writing schedule for a lunch date, party, doctor’s appointment, etc. etc.

Next, decide if you are going to publish or self-publish.  If you are going to self-publish, write until your book is done. If you are going to get an agent and go with a publisher (I don’t recommend it for small niche markets like pathologies), then you can submit your book after you’ve written two chapters along with a proposal to an agent. Try Michael Larsen’s “How to Write a Book Proposal”.  It’s very, very easy to follow and your book will be only a hundred times better for doing it.  Once you have found an agent, the agent will be in charge of looking for a publisher.  The publisher will offer you a contract and an advance on royalties and then you will write the rest of the book.

Last, you will market, market, market, market.  You will do this whether you have a publisher or not.  Most people want a publisher because they don’t want to be in charge of marketing.  Well, sadly, neither does your publisher.  In fact, if you don’t present your own very strong marketing plan in your proposal they won’t pick up your book (usually).  You are in charge of marketing either way.  When OsteoPilates came out, my publisher lined up 10 radio interviews nationwide.  A very modest effort.  But it is very, very expensive for them to market their authors so it’s not surprising that they didn’t spend more on a first-time author.  I am self-publishing my 2nd book, ScolioPilates, since I feel it is just too niche to share the royalties with a publisher and my 3rd book… well, that’s looking like it is more for the masses, so I’ll see about that one.

That is the extreme bare bones of it.  I know you’ll have questions. Please post them here so we can keep the discussion going.  It’ll help you and it’ll help the rest of us.

I think 2010 could be called the Year of the Return of the Common Sense Committee.  I think possibly it is a residual effect of the lovely economy as people are not just leery of being duped by the financial system again but it has also made us look at all aspects of our lives. Who are we listening to and why? Is the product or advice we are buying into great advice or just great marketing?

Our most popular shows will change the way you think about health:

1. May 26. T. Colin Campbell, PhD, author of The China Study. He speaks about cancer prevention with food choices.  Did you know that correct food choices can lower your risk of cancer 35%.  And that percentage is extremely conservative!
2. September 8. Susan Brown, PhD, author of Better Bones, fills us in on osteoporosis: The Calcium Myth; Do you really need medication to increase your bone density; The Exercise that can reduce your fracture risk 300%
3. October 20. Lissa Rankin, M.D., author of What’s Up Down There, answers all your questions about the vagina but you were too embarrassed to ask!
4. November 3. Karena Thek Lineback (me!) and my co-host Crystal Lacy Edwards speak about medical exercise.  The best exercise for back pain, incontinence and better S-E-X!

Happy New Year Everyone!  Looking forward to working with you in 2011!

Exercise reduces scoliosis pain and curvature. That’s the good news.  The really good news is that we have studies published in peer-reviewed medical journals to back up those claims. I chose three for you to look at.  If you go to PubMed and search ’scoliosis exercise’ you’ll find a few hundred more.  These are the studies that are the basis of the exercises in my book, Scolio-Pilates.

1. In 2003, a study of adolescents with scoliosis showed a significant reduction in the degree of curvature over the course of one year using exercise alone. The Cobb angle, used to measure the degree of a scoliosis curve, was reduced on average from 26.1 degrees to 17.85 degrees with exercise alone. The type of exercise used in the study is referred to as the Schroth Method, designed by Katharina Schroth in the early 20th century. Her exercise program for correcting scoliosis is the building block that all modern day therapeutic exercise programs stand on and is described in the book, Three Dimensional Scoliosis.  Her exercise program relies on lengthening and de-rotating the spine, used since the time of Ancient Greece to correct scoliosis, along with a strengthening program.

Read the entire study at PubMed: The efficacy of Schroth 3-dimensional exercise therapy in the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in Turkey. Saudi Med J. 2005 Sep;26(9):1429-35.

2. A 2010 study  shows that asymmetrical exercises were effective in engaging the muscles on the concave side of the scoliosis. The concave muscles, or muscles on the non-hump side of the scoliosis, are generally in a state of severe atrophy. The weaker these muscles become the more the scoliosis is allowed to progress. The study concluded “that these exercises may advance care of patients with scoliosis.”

Source: Schmid AB, Dyer L, Böni T, Held U, Brunner F., Paraspinal muscle activity during symmetrical and asymmetrical weight training in idiopathic scoliosis.Journal of Sport Rehabilitation, 2010 Aug;19(3):315-27. Read the complete study here.

3. With scoliosis, there is a concern surrounding pulmonary (lung) function because of the mis-shapen and rigid ribcage housing the lungs. A rigid ribcage will make it harder for the patient to breathe normally and lung disease becomes a concern.  This study shows that exercise increased mobility in a rigid ribcage and greatly increased vital capacity, measured by the amount of air exhaled, in scoliosis patients.

Source: Weiss, Hans-Rudolf, M.D., “The effect of an exercise program on vital capacity and rib mobility in patients with idiopathic scoliosis.” Spine, Vol. 16 (1/1991). Read the complete study here.

As a result of these studies and also my own scoliosis getting much worse after a discectomy surgery three years ago, I started employing the three-dimensional techniques from the Schroth Method and applying it to my Pilates work.  And even though I was certain I was headed back to surgery, the pain in my spine subsided.  I used the method so successfully with other scoliosis clients that I decided to put the exercises into a book: Scolio-Pilates.  If you are interested, there is more information here about the book. Good luck!!

There are reasons I do Pilates and hike the basset hound 2-5 miles every day.  The first is because I just feel much better, beginning with my mood. The 2nd reason is dessert. I exercise so I can eat dessert and not look at (or care about) the calories in the recipe. This recipe is posted at @GyroGirl2’s request. Enjoy!

Makes 24

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2T raw sugar
• 2 T cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/4 t baking soda
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 4 pitted prunes (TRUST me)
• 4 T canola oil
• 4 T Rice milk (use soy or whatever else you have and like)
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 t vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment. Sift together the first six ingredients. Stir in the nuts and chocolate.

Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over the prunes (they should probably be in a bowl and not just on the counter). The prunes should soak for 5 minutes. Drain.

Place the prunes, canola oil, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla in a blender. Blend well and then stir into the chocolate mixture to form a dough. At this point, the biscotti almost didn’t make it to the oven.  I almost took the dough to the patio and had myself a party.  REALLY yummy.

Sprinkle some of the raw sugar on the parchment. Roll the dough into two long rolls.  Flatten a little so they are about 2″ wide. Sprinkle with more raw sugar.  Bake for 30 minutes, or firm to touch.  Cool on the counter for 10 minutes and then in the fridge for 2 hours.

After cool, bring it back out.  Cut into thin, biscotti-sized, slices and place back on a clean piece of parchment and into a 250 degree oven.  The slices should be lying flat.  Bake for 5-7 minutes on each side.  cool and store where you can keep moisture away from them. They should keep for 2 weeks. If they get a little soft, you can throw them back into a 250 degree oven.

Confessions of a non-cook.  This recipe was adapted from a super-gourmet cookbook that intimidates me to just open it. The book is The Artful Vegan by Millenium restaurant in the amazing San Francisco.  So here’s what I left out:  I used more bittersweet chocolate than I was supposed to because it was easier to find. What the recipe called for was about half of that chocolate along with about 5 teaspoons of cacoa nibs.  Never heard of ‘em and too introverted today to ask at the grocery store if they had ever heard of them.  The other ingredient that went by the wayside was whiskey. 4 tablespoons of it.  I didn’t substitute anything for that so the biscotti was probably drier than it should have/could have been. But really, this non-cook, didn’t notice anything missing. This was a really great biscotti recipe. Nice chunks of chocolate and walnuts.

It’s in the oven and it smells really, really good.  Before I finish writing, I’ll also let you know how it tastes. And because pilates instructor extraordinaire on Twitter, @PiLALAtes, asked for the recipe… here it is.  And because CIA Chef and Stomach Engineer, @Mike_Neylan, asked for the pic… then you get that too!

Filling:

• 2 cups Lentils
• 6 cups Water
• 1T grated ginger
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon each of ground coriander, cinnamon, cumin and sea salt

Bottom Layer:

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup polenta
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Top Layer:

• 6 yams, baked ’til mashable
• 2 teaspoons sea salt

Here’s what you do:

1. Filling: Combine the lentils and water, boil and then add the rest of the filling ingredients.  Simmer until the lentils are soft. You can also add garlic if you like.  I omitted because I breathe on people for a living.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Bottom layer: Boil the water and then add olive oil and salt. Drizzle in the polenta, stirring constantly until it thickens. Pour it into the bottom of a casserole dish to let cool and set.
4. Top layer: Peel the yams. Mash the yams. Add salt.
5. Assemble: Pour the cooked lentils over the set polenta.  Spread the yams on top.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through.

Confessions of a non-cook: I’ve never eaten let alone cooked polenta.  I saw it came in a tube at the grocery store and I went with that.  Also, I knew I would not stand and stir CONSTANTLY until that porridge thickened.  I would do stand, stir, walkaway and then smell burning polenta. Let’s see what else…. oh, the yams (isn’t this SWEET POTATO pie? confused…) took turns getting popped in the microwave while the lentils were cooking. And I forgot to pre-heat the oven. Okay, really, I didn’t forget, I just don’t understand the point.  So the dish went into a cold oven and now we get to eat it!!

The verdict?  I’d definitely make it again!!

**Need to send a nod to ‘The Accidental Vegan’. A cookbook that makes vegan cooking easy.  I made some changes but the base recipe is theirs.