Some musings on something I share with my patients nearly every day: Don’t let pain become part of who you are. Remember- the pain does not control you. YOU control the pain…Enjoy!
Martha Stewart Whole Living Daily
Bronze 'Roots' by Steve Tobin, installation in Pocono Mountains, PA.
Martha Stewart Whole Living Post….
Here is a link to my most recent post to Whole Living Daily- please check it out. This is an abridged version of the post I did on helping to avoid medical insurance claims nightmares. I had such a nice response to the original post, and the information was so important, I thought it was useful to repost a version of it.
iPad sneak peak…
I continue to work feverishly to get the Back Together iPad application out the door. In my effort to provide you as much of the Back Together experience as possible, the program has expanded in ways I had not even considered when I started to develop it. Here are two screen shots from the program just to give you a small taste of what’s coming:
Needless to say, I am getting really excited about this!
Fitness Challenge update…
A few weeks ago, I promised you a fitness challenge update- and I totally lunched on it. Sorry for the delay! SInce beginning, I have lost a total of 19 pounds. Unfortunately, I have been plateaued for a few weeks, which has been pretty frustrating. MORE frustrating is the fact that I made the decision to integrate bike riding into my regular fitness routine (appropriate as I will now be contributing to the Lance Armstrong Livestrong website.) The frustrating part is that I made this decision just as Philadelphia was entering into nearly a week of 100 degree weather. I was a regular mountain biker up until my residency, and it took just a few rides to remind me of just how much I love riding. I will keep you updated on how this changes things. In the mean time, please continue to send me your updates.
All my best, and thanks for stopping by!
-Andy
Thank you so much for visiting my blog and website. I hope that Back Together, and the BackWords blog will provide you with many simple, safe, and effective tools to help you rid your lives of back and neck pain. Each week, I will try to bring you tips and ideas- as well as posts from guest authors from many different fields such as physical therapy and personal training.
I love getting questions and comments from viewers like you, as this helps me to direct the blog in ways that will be the most useful. If you have or have had back or neck pain, share your experiences with me. What worked for you? What didn’t? Are you considering some sort of treatment or alternative approach to your pain? Share it here with me, and with other readers who may benefit from your experience, or offer you thoughts on their own experiences.
There are many ways for you to access the information here on Back Together:
-Visit my main website, www.backtogether.org- here you will find videos of TV appearances, links to articles about Back Together from various publications, and links to places to purchase Back Together books & DVD programs.
-Please become a fan on Facebook. On the Back Together fan page, you will find links to articles posted here on BackWords, as well as my posts on Martha Stewart’s Whole Living Daily and Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong blogs. Also, you will get additional tips and announcements.
-If you are on a device which does not support Flash, you can go directly to the BackTogetherTV page on YouTube to watch the most recent video blog posts, as well as archives of previous posts.
-Lastly, get your Back Together Tip ‘o the Day (B.T.T.o.D.) via twitter by following BackTips.
Thank you so much or visiting, and for your questions and comments. It is your contributions which help to make the site interesting.
Be Well!
-Andy
As Donna and I both actively pursue our fitness goals, Donna has considered many interesting approaches to our relationships with our bodies, our fitness routine, and our food. Donna’s approach has spilled into other aspects of our lives. Please enjoy her post (and the second book review in 3 days!)
Lately, I’ve been on a journey to be fully present, particularly when Iʼm eating. This means savoring my food, really tasting it, and funny as it may seem, sitting down to eat. As a busy mother, or perhaps thatʼs just the excuse, I found myself ingesting way too many calories while standing up. Thereʼs likely a myth at work there that suggests that the calories somehow donʼt count if youʼre not actually sitting down while you eat. Or that eating isnʼt important enough and needs to be rushed. But the problem with that approach is that itʼs rarely satisfying. So I was lucky enough this past weekend to come across Geneen Rothʼs well-titled book, When You Eat At the Refrigerator, Pull Up a Chair: 50 Ways to Feel Thin, Gorgeous, and Happy (When you Feel Anything But). Roth explores the relationship between food and emotion in a way that offers self- compassion. Her work really speaks to me. So lately Iʼm trying to really taste my food. To feel it in my mouth and savor it. Iʼm finding that Iʼm eating more slowly, enjoying myself and, for the first time in my life, feeling really full regardless of how much food is left on the plate.
This experience of savoring my food also has positive consequences for savoring the present and being in the proverbial “moment.” How many of us move through much of our lives distracted by other moments, either dwelling in the past, worried about the future, or distracted technologies that take us out of our here and now? So, in the interest of urging you to be kind to yourself, Iʼm going to echo Geneen Rothʼs wish for her readers: I urge you to take five minutes each day to be fully present and grounded. Take some deep breaths to draw you into your body and into this moment. Notice sensory things, like the feel of the ground beneath your feet or the chair beneath your bum. If youʼre outside, notice the sun on your skin. If youʼre drinking something, feel it in your mouth and as it moves down your throat. If youʼre washing your hands, feel the soap on your skin; if youʼre having a conversation with someone, do what you can to be with them as fully as possible. If youʼre living with pain, notice the pain and the parts that feel good. If youʼre with someone you care about, just savor their presence. If youʼre alone, enjoy the gift of being with yourself.
Please be kind to yourself and be here, in this moment with all your presence and all your heart.
-Donna H. Kirschner, PhD.
Thank you to Donna for your post, and thank you for visiting. Be well!
-Andy
Philadelphia Eagles Training Camp will be creeping up on us soon….
Well, perhaps more accurately would be Spooning AND Kylie Minogue- but I got your attention, didn’t I?
OK, so you know this is primarily a blog about back and neck pain, and while I occasionally touch upon subjects which delve into other areas of health and wellness, back and neck pain is essentially where I’ve stayed. Well, today being my birthday, I have decided that I can write about pretty much anything I want- and while the first part of today’s post is an ergonomic suggestion of sorts, the second half is purely an indulgence on my part- a review of Kylie Minogue’s new album, Aphrodite.
Spooning…
Spooning, the holding of one’s intimate partner, back to front- particularly while sleeping, is one of the most comfortable and comforting gestures one can show to their significant other (I wanted to say ‘lover’ but thought better of it after some thought.)
Spooning- to the photographer who took this image, sorry to have nicked your work. If you send me your name I will gladly credit you!
While spooning is a wonderful way to sleep, the position does put the partner on the ‘outside’ for shoulder and neck pain, as their ‘bottom’ arm usually needs to be extended upwards to clear the ‘inside’ partner’s shoulder.
Some tips for comfortable spooning:
-The ‘inner’ partner should slide downwards so that the top of their head is below the chin of the ‘outer’ partner. This prevents hyperextension of the shoulder.
-Since you are both lying on your side, be sure to place a small pillow between your knees to provide support for your hips.
-You will be sharing body heat, so you can probably get away with a lighter blanket, preventing overheating and sweatiness.
-Whether you are on the inside or outside, you will be laying on your side. Be sure to have sufficient support for you head so that your neck isn’t in an overly flexed or extended position.
Just my two cents!
Aphrodite…
This week I posted my first book review, and today I will post my first (and perhaps last) music review of Kylie Minogue’s new album, Aphrodite, released this week.
I have enjoyed Kylie’s music for many years. I have always admired her unpretentious dance sound. Her music has always been about having a good time, and with all of the nonsense going on in the world, that’s something we all really need from time to time.
Kylie’s last album, X, was her first after a difficult battle with breast cancer. While I was pleased to see her back in the studio, all in all that album was slightly disappointing to me. There were some good tracks, but overall, X lacked focus and drive.
I am pleased to report that Aphrodite is a welcome return to form, and will likely be recalled as her ‘comeback’ album following her illness, rather than X.
The opening track, All the Lovers, is incredibly hooky- nearly as much so as her dance masterpiece Can’t Get You Out of my Head, and sets the tone for what proves to be one of the most polished pop albums I have ever heard, recalling ABBA as well as some of the dancier numbers from her own earlier work. Better Than Today will certainly be placed amongst the best of her work, with a great lyric and acoustic rhythm guitar backing that totally gets you out of your seat.
Kylie has been huge throughout most of the rest of the world, while only having sporadic hits here in the States. Her tour of North America last year was well received, and I can only hope she will return here to support her new album. The title track ‘Aphrodite’, backed by a solid step show / drum line beat contains the lyric “It’s the truth, It’s a fact, I was gone, and now I’m back.” I for one, am glad.
Overall rating: 5 vertebra (out of 5)
Conclusion: Best dance album of the summer.
I hope you had a fantastic Fourth of July weekend. Here in Philadelphia it was ridiculously hot- you felt like you could spontaneously burst into flames walking out the front door. I was busy with a lot of Back Together related stuff during the past few days- some of it I will share with you over the coming weeks, but here are a few quick updates….
Be the Boss of Your Pain review…
I know many of you check out the blog from work, and as many of you had the holiday off, I would encourage you to check out yesterday’s book review. Be the Boss of Your Pain is a wonderful book aimed primarily at kids dealing with pain issues. I really cannot say enough positive things about it, as this is an oft neglected topic. I treat some children with back & neck pain in my practice, and it is so nice to be able to offer an additional resource to them and their parents.
Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong website….
You may already know that I regularly contribute to Martha Stewart’s Whole Living Daily website and blog (I provide links to my most recent posts on her site here on BackWords.) I am pleased to announce that I will also be regularly contributing to Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong website and blog. If you are not familiar with Livestrong, you should check out the site- it provides fantastic advice and articles on improving basically every performance aspect of your life. Better yet it is linked with the Livestrong Foundation, dedicated to improving the lives of individuals dealing with cancer. I am proud to be associated with this organization. I will keep you posted on when to look for an article by yours truly on their site.
Back Together Interactive for iPad…
I have been working furiously on the Back Together iPad application, and I am really excited about how things are turning out. When finished, this fun, user friendly, interactive program will give you quick access to hands on techniques, suggestions, and ideas for helping to relieve your back and neck pain. Best of all, the program will seamlessly integrate with the Back Together online forum which will be going live on my site soon. I hope that the application will help us to create an online community of people sharing thoughts and experiences on how to live pain free lives.
Stay tuned for more info as it becomes available.
It is going to be hotter than Hades today, so try to find air conditioning, and please remember to stay hydrated.
Be well!
-Andy
I don’t do a whole lot of book reviews here on BackWords. The truth is, if you were going to buy a book about back pain, I would prefer if you bought mine. However, occasionally I come across a book that covers things in an interesting or fun way differently from my own approach. In this case, the book focuses on a topic I don’t usually address in my couples-based approach.
Be the Boss of Your Pain by Timothy Culbert, M.D., and Rebecca Kajander, C.P.N.P. is an wonderful book that gives kids really wonderful tips and strategies for helping to reduce the effect of pain on their lives. With information on the physiology and psychology of pain, the book never panders, and is written in a comfortable, accessible style. The book lays out a mission statement in the first few pages, explaining that the goal is to help kids get rid of pain, make fewer visits to the doctor’s office, take less medicine, and basically how to get back into their lives.
With an approach that covers body, mind , and spirit- the authors include information on breathing and visualization exercises, as well as information about other modalities such as aromatherapy and acupressure- all in a way which is presented in a way children can understand and get excited about.
Children suffering with painful conditions often face difficult circumstances- frequent doctor’s visits, and dependency on adults for relief can leave kids feeling helpless and out of control of their lives. Be the Boss of Your Pain gives kids an opportunity to regain some of that control. For those of you familiar with my work, you know that is the goal of much of what I do. I have a copy of it in my treatment room, and virtually every patient has picked it up, and commented on what a fantastic concept it is- offering tips which are also applicable for adults. Check it out.
Thanks for visiting!
-Andy
Here is the link to my most recent post on Martha Stewart’s Whole Living Daily blog- some tips and suggestions for preventing back pain while driving to some of those Summer trips you may be taking. Enjoy, and travel safely!
Barefoot Running…
A patient sent me an article about barefoot running. She had been suffering with back pain for many years, and apparently several of her friends had suggested this variation on running as a cure.
There are several articles floating around the internet and in running magazines about this phenomenon, and my patient asked me if I thought it was for her. After all, in theory your feet should have all of the benefits of thousands of years of evolution to get them perfected. Sneakers have only been around for a hundred years or so. Would running barefoot normalize her mechanics and finally rid her of her back pain?
My answer is: I’m not sure.
Everyone’s foot mechanics are slightly different, as well as their running mechanics, and only under certain circumstances will these mechanics have any meaningful effect on your back pain. Your feet are designed to be able to absorb all of the impacts of running- and that impact may effect your pain, but there are other factors to consider:
-Everyone (most of us anyway) has been trying to wear supportive footwear, in an effort to protect their feet from harm. By and large, I think this is a wise idea. The downside is that the small muscles which support your arches are used to the ‘help’ that comes from quality arch supports. Your feet may not tolerate this transition well.
-Heavier individuals may not tolerate the impact particularly well.
-Shoe manufacturers have gone to great lengths to create impact absorbing compounds for the soles of their running shoes. Passing the stress of the foot striking the ground up into the musculoskeletal system may put runners at risk.
These are just a few of the things that popped into my mind while having the discussion with the patient. If you are thinking about trying out ‘Barefooting’ try these suggestions:
-Start off with distances which are a fraction of your regular running distances. You will be asking things of your body it is not used to- so ease into it.
-Find locations to run with softer surfaces which will transmit less impact into your spine- and try to find place where you are less likely to step on objects which may cut up your feet. Many cities have grassy parks which are regularly combed for trash- which may be a perfect place to start.
-Don’t start off on the beach, as this will tax the lateral structures of your legs and ankles, putting you at greater risk for injury.
-There are a couple of manufacturers who have produced shoes with minimal soles and cutouts for your individual toes. This may provide some of the experience of barefoot running while still providing some level of protection from debris.
- And lastly, if you do try barefoot running, make sure your tetanus shot is up do date.
As always, If you have any experience with barefoot running, please share it here.
iPad / iPhone friendly Back Together portal…
If you have tried to access the Back Together website on an iPad or iPhone, you probably noticed that what you saw was a blank screen. I am pleased to announce that as of this afternoon, the Back Together main site will detect if you are using an iPhone or iPad to view the site, and route you through our new portal designed specifically for these devices. From the main page you can access the blog, visit backtogethertv (my YouTube channel), become a friend on Facebook, as well as purchase Back Together products. Sorry it took so long to get this up & running!!!
Thanks for visiting! Look for a fitness challenge update later this week.
Andy
Here is my most recent post on Martha’s site. Again, if you have not had a chance to check out this blog, you should. It is hosted by Terri Trespicio of Whole Living on Martha Stewart radio. She is a wonderful host on the air, and a terrific moderator on the blog.
Look for some interesting stuff this week. Thanks for visiting.
-Andy
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