This article is not about running. It is about 26 years’ worth of worrying about pain and how I overcame that very real challenge in order to complete a [26.2-mile] marathon this past November. My relationship with pain began in 1993, when I suffered a lower back injury due to a barn wall falling on … [Read more...]
This Go-to Summer Footwear Is Wrecking Your Body
As I write this article, summer is right around the corner. This means shedding our shoes, in favor of sandals and flip flops. Many people say they “live in flip flops” during the Spring, Summer and Fall, because they love the freedom it gives their feet, and there’s no heel, so they must be better … [Read more...]
6 Tips to Tame Back Pain While Traveling
Ahhh…. Summer has come to Richmond, and many folks are making summer vacation plans. That means time spent driving and/ or flying to get to your desired destination. But no one wants to arrive at their favorite vacation spot only to be grounded by an angry back. By popular request, this … [Read more...]
The Next Step After Physical Therapy
“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...]
Hope for Low Back Pain
The low back pain problem Your back pain has been hanging around for what seems like forever. You’ve been to multiple doctors, tried chiropractic, and have finally broken down and consulted an orthopedic surgeon. He ordered an MRI, but the MRI showed nothing more than mild stenosis (narrowing of … [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...]
Posture Hack #3 How to Improve “Tech Neck”
We’ve explored posture hacks on “duck feet” (link here) and “Donald Duck” posture (link here). For our final installment on posture hacks, we leave the ducks behind and look at the shoulders and neck. Now days, many careers are spent hunched over a laptop or squinting at a hand-held device which … [Read more...]
Posture Hack #2: How to Improve “Donald Duck” Posture
Last month, we started working on posture from the ground up, with your feet, ankles, and knees. Today, we’re going to continue to move up the body and address common postural problems at the hip and lower back. As I mentioned in my previous article … [Read more...]
Posture Hack #1: How to Improve “Duck Feet”
I’d like to explore some common postural problems and some exercise hacks to improve them. Notice, I said, “improve” and not “fix.” The beauty of your ever-adapting body is that you don’t have to have perfect posture to reduce pain and move better. In fact, attempting to “fix” your posture and … [Read more...]