 One of my dear clients - Sharon, aged 58 - was diagnosed with 2 disc herniations and "degenerating discs” in her lumbar spine.
She'd been suffering from chronic back pain for 10 years, but just in the past 3 months it had gotten increasingly worse... Getting out of bed was a struggle, gardening was out of the question, and just even going for a short walk made her back so stiff and sore that she just wanted to shut down. Sharon is tough though... She's got a high pain tolerance, and tries to "push through" no matter what. She tries her best to stay active, is very conscious about what she eats, and she is STRONGLY AGAINST taking painkillers. Which is why she felt so frustrated when the doctor “barely even looked at her”, spent only 15 minutes in the room with her, and told her she NEEDED to take painkillers, and just… rest. To make matters worse, a trip to a “specialist” two months later wasn’t much more helpful when her MRI revealed “2 disc herniations” and “degenerative arthritis” in her lumbar spine. Doctor said she was facing: -Injections and needed stronger painkillers -Potentially life altering, dangerous surgery - And that the "degeneration" in her back was irreversible and she needed to just “accept it” and “manage the pain”. BUT 6 months later… she was living life again pain free. How did Sharon make a full recovery in 6 months, without taking a single pill and without needing injections or surgery? Because at Empower PT + Pilates, we were able to diagnose the real, root cause of her pain. The BIGGEST problem today in traditional health care is the fact that most doctors and health professionals treat every single person with back pain exactly the same… Which means almost every person with a back injury is labeled as a “disc herniation” or “arthritic”… Often, there is: NO individualized attention. NO process of “figuring the problem out”. NO consideration of other more realistic causes such as weak muscles, stiff joints, or movement compensation. This leads to a DANGEROUS, systemic problem of treating symptoms instead of taking the time necessary to identify the ROOT cause of a problem. For Sharon, like MOST others we have helped with disc problems or degenerating discs, we realized that the root cause of her pain was NOT from her "discs" or "arthritis"...but it was from: -Scar tissue in the muscles and tissues along her spine (from inflammation that had built up because of repetitive stress). -Muscle imbalances and weakness in her core and hips that dated back to an old hip injury she had 15 years ago while skiing. -Poor movement habits that developed from compensation since she had been guarding her back for such a long time (this caused her to bend over when gardening or picking up grocery backs with poor form, making her pain much worse) These are all legitimate problems that will NEVER show up on an x-ray or an MRI. While x-rays and MRI's may tell you what is going on inside your back, they won’t tell you the important information of "WHY your back is hurting"... By being able to address these problems through a very structured, individualized, and detailed process of healing her body (naturally), she is now able to: - Garden 3 times a week WITHOUT needing advil. - Walk 4 miles EVERY DAY (without her back seizing up)! - Able to sit comfortably and go on long drives to Moab with her family and 2 grandchildren (without needing to pull over every 30 minutes to stretch her back). For Sharon, it all started when she claimed her very own FREE BACK PAIN ADVICE report from us, "7 Simple Ways To Finally END Back Pain & Stiffness...Without Taking Painkillers, Without Risking Surgery, and Without Having to See Your Doctor!". CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE BACK PAIN ADVICE REPORT. This report is unlike many other back pain products because it is NOT focused on only relieving your pain, but tells you how to IDENTIFY and ELIMINATE the cause of your pain… The goal of this report is NOT to give you a “magic pill” or a “quick fix”, but to give you actionable advice and help you take back control of your body without pain dictating your life. OR if you would like to fast track your recovery, you can apply for a FREE 30-minute Discovery Visit with me today where we can meet in person to get all your questions answered. To apply for this free visit, fill out this form telling us a little about what's going on and we will call you to let you know if you qualify! Can't wait to see you in the clinic soon. Sincerely, Casey Murphy P.S. If you want to contact me through email, send me your questions at casey@empowerptpilates.com and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
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 Yes, we’re talking about you, hip flexors and hamstrings.
We hear this often... “I’ve been stretching my [insert muscle here], and it doesn’t ever seem to loosen.” Or “what’s the best stretch for my…” and “I do all of this stretching, but my back STILL hurts!” Does any of this sound like you? As controversial as this may sound, stretching those tight muscles really isn’t doing all that much. There, I said it. There is a very small population of people who really DO need lots of flexibility, and therefore stretching - think competitive gymnasts or dancers. Is that you? No? Then maybe it's time to look for a better solution to your specific problem. For the average person, loads of flexibility is NOT the answer. A tight muscle is oftentimes a WEAK muscle. Think about it... your body is an incredible thing and is very good at protecting itself. At signs of weakness or in areas of dysfunction, your body will tighten up to protect itself. This is why your muscles get tight! So if not stretching... what should you do about it? A tight muscle (which we just learned is also a weak muscle) needs stability! These muscles often do not get strengthened and spend a lot of time in the same position. Think about your hip flexors, for example. When we spend a lot of time sitting these muscles are chronically shortened, and that's why we see a lot of tight hip flexors. But if these muscles are spent in this one position day in and day out they are also not being strengthened through their full range of motion. Your hip flexors aren't just tight - they are weak! I would be willing to bet that you have tried stretching those ‘tight’ hip flexors without much success. That’s because what these muscles likely need is strength and stabilization! Does this sound like you? If all the stretching you’ve been doing is not helping your back, hip, or knee pain, ask us if you can apply for a complimentary Discovery Visit. During this 30 minute session you’ll meet one of our Physical Therapists and have a conversation about what would be most beneficial for you. We can help you get to the root of all of this tightness, and show you what you can do to actually help it! You can request a free 30 minute discovery visit here, or call us at 720-722-0685 to find out if you qualify. |
Empower PT & PilatesWe help you find a LASTING SOLUTION to back, hip, and pelvic issues so you can age with ease -without having to rely on painkillers, injections, or surgery! Archives
December 2020
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