“I failed Physical Therapy” This self-effacing statement came from “Bonnie,” my newest client. Bonnie went on to tell me the whole sordid story of her back pain, which developed over the last several years: courses of treatment including chiropractic, physical therapy, and epidurals, followed by … [Read more...]
Use These 6 Tips to Stay Active This Fall
Fall is a great time to become more active: the kids are back in school and the air is crisp and inviting. The outdoors beckon, and if you’re not ready, you could suffer a few set-backs as you adjust your activity level. Here are 6 tips to keep you strong and healthy as you enjoy the … [Read more...]
What exactly is a Medical Exercise Specialist?
"What is a Medical Exercise Specialist?" It’s a good question and one I get often, because the profession itself is relatively new in the Healthcare continuum. An MES, as we are known, goes through a rigorous training and certification process to effectively and safely deliver exercise … [Read more...]
The Mysterious Origins of Knee Pain
“I can’t [fill-in-the-blank] because I have bad knees”, is a common complaint. Moreover, it’s one of the reasons I hear people give for becoming less active over time. Knee pain can be caused by something structural, like a tear or wearing down of the meniscus (cartilage) in the knee, or arthritis. … [Read more...]
3 Easy Hacks for a “Wonky” Shoulder
A “wonky” shoulder, AKA a shoulder that doesn’t move right, feel right, or down-right hurts when you move it, can be caused by a myriad of reasons: arthritis, bone spurs (due to arthritis,) rotator cuff injury, an injury to the labrum (or deep cartilage in the shoulder) or an insidious little … [Read more...]
Back Pain: What’s at the core?
Back pain can be related to your core. There I said it. I am 100% sure you have heard of “deep core muscles” before. But do you really know what they are? Before you say yes, many people (including highly educated folks within my own industry and the medical community at large) don’t know what “deep … [Read more...]
How to Avoid “The Agony of The Feet”
A few weeks ago, my client Blake came in for his weekly session with a new complaint- his feet were “killing him!” (And his back wasn’t so great either.) I took a look at his shoes. They were a brand new pair of supped-up, stiff-as-a-board cross-trainers. And boy were they supportive! They even had … [Read more...]
5 Good Reasons Why THIS Is The Best Exercise
Last week, I had a new client who came in with chronic low back pain. He has a job that tends to keep him at his desk or in his car, and he feels he is not getting enough exercise with the home program he is doing for his back pain. So he asked about adding in some “cardio.” When I suggested … [Read more...]
How Those Red Ropes Relieve Your Back Pain
I recently met a new client whom I will refer to as Barbara. When Barbara walked in my office for the first time, she saw exercise balls, bands and stretch tables -- pretty standard fare in any fitness setting. Then she stopped and stared, and pointed at the ceiling. A puzzled look came across her … [Read more...]
Beating Back Pain for Tennis
You know that Annie song, “You’re never fully dressed without a smile?” Well, sometimes it can be hard to smile when your body is in pain or discomfort. As you know, pain is very subjective and personal. It’s hard to define what your own pain feels like, but you know that it’s real, and if not … [Read more...]