Today Jorden Gold returns to BackWords to give us his ‘One Thing’;
All too often we move through our day, unaware of our own body mechanics. Jorden’s suggestion is to pay attention to the way you move, how you hold your posture, and how your body performs different activities. My Tip O’ the Day for today plays into this- take a couple of minutes each day to think about your mechanics, your posture, and the ergonomics of some of your activities- and make them better.
Enjoy!
-Andy
Thanks for the feedback on Deb Rasansky’s ‘One Thing.’ The thing about asking someone to summarize their very best suggestion in 90 seconds or less is that I may have to elaborate a little on their suggestion so you get the ‘meat.’ Here’s a follow up on Deb’s post….
The video shot is a little wonky- No tripod!!!!
Well, we pulled into the driveway at the end of our return trip from Florida- opened the door and were treated to Arctic temperatures- I always wonder why we don’t all pick up and move south…
The trip was great- I shot some video which I will spread out here over the next few weeks. I met with my friend Jorden Gold from the Stretch Zone, who provided us his ‘One Thing’ which I will post later today.
I was supposed to start the Back Together Tip o’ the Day (B.T.T.o.D.) yesterday, but alas, could not find a functioning WiFi spot ANYWHERE on I95- If anyone wants a great business idea- provide wireless internet along I95- you’ll clean up!!! (I want a percentage for thinking of it…)
In any case, the B.T.T.o.D. will start today. I have tied todays’ tip to Jorden’s post. Each day, Monday through Friday, I will try to provide you one back pain prevention or relief tip. For the week, I will try to establish a theme. This weeks theme is: POSTURE.
I hope you find these tips helpful and enjoyable.
All my best, and stay warm!!!
-Andy
Welcome to Miami…
My family made the long drive down I95, from Philadelphia to Miami- 23 hours in the car- and it was rough. There is pretty much no way to make that kind of trip in a spine friendly way. However, in spite of being quite stiff and sore, I am grateful to be here. The weather is certainly a step up from what we had when I left Philadelphia, and I’ve heard it has only gotten worse since we left.
Lincoln Road Miami- The Van Dyke- home of the oldest elevator in Florida.
Upcoming Guests…
While I am here, I will be revisiting my friend Jorden Gold of the Stretch Zone to get his ‘One Thing’ segment and maybe some other goodies.
I am also really excited to announce that my wife Donna has agreed to occasionally contribute pieces here on BackWords. Donna has a PhD. in anthropology, and teaches natural childbirth as well. Much of her work with couples teaches them ways to help relax and work through the discomfort of childbirth. I am really looking forward to seeing what she brings to the table, as I know it will be interesting and useful. Look for her first piece on using the observation of beauty as a way of getting in touch with your pain-free self.
Prayer & Back Pain…
Now- I want to take a moment to address some of the feedback I received on the role of faith & prayer on recovery from back pain; Some people seemed to think that I was being dismissive of prayer as a pain relief modality when I suggested that meditation or deep breathing was a substitute for prayer.
Let me be very clear- I don’t think of it as a substitute per se- I was reminding folks that if religion is not part of their makeup, either because they are not religious, or because that do not feel that prayer has any role in recovery from pain- that the small part of their day which would otherwise be devoted to prayer might instead be used for meditation or ‘quiet time.’ There have been studies galore which demonstrate conclusively that meditation and focus can help reduce pain. I am a quietly religious person, and a small part of my day is devoted to prayer (right before bedtime, usually)- and when I have had to deal with pain- be it back pain resulting from a car accident, or from kidney stones- prayer did help.
Twitter Feed Coming Soon….
I am putting the final touches on our new Twitter feed- expanding on the ways for you to get tips and information from Back Together. As of January 1st- you will be able to get information here on backtogether.org, from the Back Together fan page on Facebook, via the direct link to the blog at thebacktogetherblog.com, backtogethertv on YouTube, and via Twitter. Basically, there will be no excuse for you to not be chock full of great pain relief ideas, suggestions, and news.
Thank you again for visiting,
-Andy
Thank you for the responses to the piriformis/sciatica post from Saturday.
I want to restate that not all sciatica is due to piriformis syndrome, and that if you have not had the cause of yours diagnosed, be sure to do so. Clearly understanding the cause will help you to resolve it faster.
A good friend of mine, Jorden Gold operates The Stretch Zone in Miami. Jorden is a stretching expert, and had this to add to my comments:
I fully agree with Doctor Kirschner, in the importance of ‘nipping it in the butt.’
Stretching the piriformis muscle is almost always necessary to relieve the pain along the sciatic nerve and there are many good documented piriformis stretches.I strongly recommend that once the inflammation resides that you not only continue these stretches, but also add general stretches for the whole buttocks area as well. Particularly when the sacroiliac area begins to feel tired, stiff and/or sore, these stretch/massage techniques should be done to prevent the piriformis syndrome from returning.
Example buttocks stretch- Begin on all fours. Place the affected foot across and underneath the trunk of the body so that the affected knee is outside the trunk. Extend the non-affected leg straight back behind the trunk and keep the pelvis straight. Keeping the affected leg in place, scoot the hips backwards towards the floor and lean forward on the forearms until deep stretch is felt. Do not force body to floor.
Example piriformis/Glute massage-
Sit on the middle of a foam roller ($15-$20 on the internet) with your hands on the floor behind you.
-Sit on side of glute area w/ ankle of opposite foot
across quad.
-Balance on hand and one foot holding “hot spots” until
pain diminishes
-Roll from top of glute to middle.
Thank you for your contribution Jorden. To my viewers- if you are in the Miami area give Jorden a call- you will have an amazing experience.
Be well!
-Andy
Rainbow over New Jersey.
Jorden Gold is an internationally recognized expert on stretching, and is the founder/creator of the Stretch Zone in Miami Florida. His link is always included in my recommended sites. Here I present the first in my series of experts in the fields of fitness & wellness, and see how their expertise can be extended into the world of back pain.
Thanks for your time Jorden.
Be Well!
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