What is your body telling you?

While pondering what to write about this month, it occurred to me that it might be interesting to share a couple of recent experiences I’ve had with interpreting messages from my body. We all have aches and pains, some familiar/chronic and some unfamiliar and perplexing. We usually think about these aches and pains as being of musculoskeletal origin. That may be true, but a painful flare up could be due to an inflammatory process from food or a neighboring organ or meridian. I hope that sharing my personal stories will help you to think about possible reasons for your discomfort. When we know the source, we have a better chance of correcting it quickly. 

• I have chronic rib pain on my left side. It seems that at least one of my ribs has a sloppy joint between it and its paired vertebra. This causes many of my ribs to pop and shift, creating discomfort. I manage it with strengthening exercises, chiropractic, massage, and acupuncture. A couple of weeks ago, the ribs were especially irritated and inflamed. When a chiropractic adjustment didn’t give the usual relief, it occurred to me that maybe my spleen was having an issue. The spleen is located directly under the affected ribs. I muscle-tested myself, and found that the spleen was stressed. I didn’t find a specific stressor, but did find a supplement, Spleen PMG from Standard Process, that offered support to the spleen and did the trick. Within a day or two, I was back to my usual level of management. 

• Several months ago, I started having a right hamstring issue. Somewhat suddenly, I wasn’t able to comfortably do a Downward Facing Dog pose while practicing yoga. I’m not sure how I injured it, or if I actually did. I worked on it and tried to help it heal with massage,  acupuncture, and stretching. It was very stubborn! After a couple of months of not much change, I finally decided to try an acupuncture technique of pricking and bleeding an acupuncture point at the end of the bladder meridian to relieve the restriction in the meridian. The bladder meridian runs from the inside of the eye, up over the head, down the back, down the back of the leg (along the hamstring), and ends at the outside edge of the little toe. I did the treatment just before I started a yoga session. When I got into Downward Facing Dog pose, the pain and flexibility was at least 75% improved. From this point of increased flexibility, it was much easier to fully rehab the hamstring. 

• A few months ago, I had a similar situation with sudden mid-lower back tightness and discomfort. After a couple of days with no change, I started testing myself, suspecting a kidney issue. Indeed, it was a kidney issue. Again, I found a supplement, this time Renatrophin PMG from Standard Process. I was back to normal within a couple of days.

• Another story I will share is about my arthritic big toe joints. I’m pretty certain that the arthritis was originally triggered by mercury toxicity after a lot of dental work in my late twenties, which included removing old amalgam fillings. If only I had known that the amalgams and their removal was the cause way back when, I would have been able to do more to support my toes! In the last 10 years, my big toes were what taught me that I was very sensitive to oxalates in my diet. (See the previous issue of the Red Clover Clinic Newsletter for more information on oxalates.) I first realized that if I ate spinach, my toes would flare up. Then cashews. Then beets and chocolate. The list goes on… The degeneration and pain in the joint is pretty severe, but I’m able to manage it with strengthening my feet, wearing proper footwear, and avoiding oxalates in my diet. However, the toes still occasionally flare up. 
  It finally occurred to me that the reason for these flares is that the big toe joint lies at the beginning of the liver meridian. The liver is a major detoxifying organ in the body. When the liver is stressed, the big toe joint area becomes swollen and painful. Often this happens when my body enters a cycle of detoxification. If I find appropriate supplementation to support the liver and kidneys, it quiets the flare up fairly quickly. 

• The final story is about my dry, irritated eyes. I’m sure there are many contributing factors to my eyes being more dry than they used to be, most notably aging. That said, one of the most helpful supplements has been Cytozyme LV from Biotics. In Chinese medicine, the liver meridian opens to the eyes, which means that the liver meridian is intimately connected with the health of the eyes and vision. Muscle testing showed me that my liver was the stressor to my eyes, and that’s how I found the right supplement. 

When working with my clients, I’m always looking for clues like these to get to the bottom of their ailments. When a musculoskeletal complaint stays flared up, I look for underlying reasons such as these. Emotions are another possible trigger, and you can read more about how I deal with emotional blockages in the July/August 2022 issue of the Red Clover Clinic Newsletter. If you need help making sense of what your body is trying to tell you, I would be happy to help!

A discussion on oxalates, inspired by Toxic Superfoods, by Sally Norton

The effects of oxalate overload on the body was the topic of Red Clover Clinic’s July/August 2021 Newsletter. Now comes a new, comprehensive resource, Toxic Superfoods: How Oxalate Overload is Making you Sick – and How to Get Better by Sally Norton, published at the beginning of the year.  I recommend Norton’s book to anyone who wants to learn more about what oxalates are, what effects they have on health, how to address issues associated with oxalate overload, and how to prevent this issue in the first place.

Briefly, oxalates are a crystalline substance found in plants and matabolically produced by our bodies. They can accumulate in our tissues, causing pain and dysfunction. The list of symptoms caused by oxalate overload is long. Besides pain, a partial list includes inflammation, arthritis, insomnia, chronic fatigue, muscle spasms, urogenital pain, brain fog, diarrhea, constipation, reflux, autoimmune disorders, rashes, eczema, bruising from within, headaches, heart arrhythmias, blood pressure irregularity, cold intolerance, depression, anxiety, inflamed gums, eye/eyelid irritation, and tinnitus. 

Not everyone has an issue with oxalate overload, but I do frequently see evidence of oxalate damage in my clients. At the very least, it is important to educate yourself about the harm you could cause to your health if you drink a spinach smoothie every day, or drink almond milk, snack on almonds, and bake with almond flour. 

I highly recommend that you reread the July/August 2021 Newsletter or take the time to read Sally Norton’s well-researched book. I found the following excerpt particularly interesting, explaining why so few people and practitioners know about oxalate overload:

No field of science is charged with (or even interested in) developing a “whole body” theory of what excessive dietary oxalate does to us, so it is especially difficult to recognize dietary oxalate overload as a unified problem with a common cause. The early signs and symptoms of oxalate poisoning are not well known, can be quite common and diverse, can appear gradually and intermittently, and are dissimilar from person to person. Most important, we don’t notice the gradual erosion of tissues and their lost function until metabolic reserves are depleted and the disease process interrupts our lives. (p. 88)

Urine tests of oxalate excretion levels are the only laboratory tests available. Unfortunately, they aren’t particularly accurate, or as Norton puts it,  “Urine testing is akin to taking a still photo of a moving target.” She describes a study that was done by the VP Foundation, in which nearly 4,000 women with vulvar pain were researched. Each woman’s individual urine void for three consecutive days was analyzed for oxalate content. “The study revealed that oxalate handling occurs in cycles, appearing as two or three brief but very steep peaks of elevated excretion occurring at the same time on each day in each subject, but at different times for each subject. For many subjects, their symptoms also occurred in cycles. Interestingly, despite the toxic elevations in urine oxalate, 24-hour urine level totals were normal in all the subjects.” (p. 99)

I also found Norton’s discussion of why oxalate accumulations start to be interesting. Oxalates, in general, tend to accumulate in tissues that are injured, inflamed, stressed, or undernourished. In other words, they settle into the weakest areas, which don’t have the health to repel them. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Motrin, Advil, for example), she says, can distress the gut lining and kidneys, which in turn can lead to oxalate damage and accumulation. 

I would be happy to discuss the possibility of oxalate issues with you at your next appointment.

Gait Happens: a great resource for foot pain and gait issues

I’ve had arthritic big toes for years. The right one, in particular, has been very painful and I have had to be very careful about what shoes I wear. In the past year or two, the left one has worsened, and the combination was making it very painful to walk with any speed. 

Another negative effect has been compensation. I changed how I walked to stop the pain. This has had a negative effect up the chain to the ankles, knees, and low back. It also caused a weakening of the foot muscles. My already flat feet got weaker. 

I have a couple of theories as to why I developed arthritis, but addressing those theories hasn’t relieved the pain or diminished the gradual worsening of the condition. I have tried orthotics, special shoe designs, acupuncture, massage, chiropractic, diet changes, supplements, and herbs. The combination of these efforts has likely prolonged some functionality and pain relief, but they weren’t enough. I consulted with a podiatrist about 10 years ago and his recommendation was surgery. At the time, that didn’t feel like the right choice as I hadn’t really exhausted all other options. 

I am so grateful that a client shared her experience working with a clinic called Gait Happens. Their brick-and-mortar location is in Lakewood, Colorado; however, their main focus is virtual appointments. They are true experts in lower-body biomechanics. They assess your posture and movement through photographs and videos that are uploaded prior to and during the appointment. You are given a list of exercises to perform daily. The list of exercises are accessible through the TrueCoach App, where you have access to videos on how to properly do the exercises. Proper footwear and specific tools such as Correct Toes are discussed and recommendations are given. 

I had my first appointment in mid-September and second one in early November. I have been diligently doing my exercises and have been thrilled and relieved with how much relief I feel. I still have pain in my big toe joints, but, with the proper footwear, I can walk with minimal to no pain. I am truly amazed how much stronger my feet, calves, hamstrings, glutes and core have become. I started to notice gradual improvement within a few days and it has only gotten better and better with time. 

I know that I can’t make the current level of degeneration in my toes reverse itself, but now I have a way to preserve the function that I do have. Furthermore, the added strength in my body has helped with other musculoskeletal complaints. For anyone with foot issues, such as bunions, plantar fasciitis, heel pain, flat feet, hammertoes, shin splints, knee pain, posterior tibial tendon dysfunction, or sesamoiditis, Gait Happens could be a good fit for you. You have to do the work, but take it from me, it is worth it!

Are you suffering from chronic, unexplained pain?

If you are struggling with joint pain, muscle pain, urogenital pain, headaches, burning feet, and/or general, unexplained inflammation, you may be suffering from oxalate toxicity. Oxalates are a crystalline substance found in plants, that can accumulate in our tissues, causing pain and dysfunction. Our bodies also metabolically produce oxalates. If we consume foods that are high in oxalates, and/or we have a compromised digestive system, we may run into problems.

In the latter half of the 19th century, oxalate poisoning was a well known condition, that seemed to worsen during the spring and summer months when high oxalate foods were in abundance. Unfortunately, that knowledge has been forgotten, and the only medical acknowledgement of oxalate issues is in patients with chronic kidney stones. Furthermore, the current health food movement has promoted the use of some extremely high oxalate foods as staples in large quantities, e.g. spinach smoothies and almond flour baked goods.

There are many lists available with information regarding oxalate levels in foods. Unfortunately, there are many discrepancies, which can create confusion. A good place to start is reading through this abbreviated list of exceptionally high and very high oxalate foods, which are mostly agreed upon. 

Exceptionally high oxalate foods: spinach, beet greens, Swiss chard, soy, rhubarb, almonds, plantains, buckwheat, amaranth, sesame seeds, cashews, peanuts, chocolate, and carob. 

Very high oxalate foods: beets, potatoes, sweet potatoes, blackberries, figs, kiwi, adzuki beans, black beans, pinto beans, white beans (cannellini, navy, great northern, etc.), quinoa, teff, most nuts, chia seed, hemp seed, poppy seed, and green and black tea.

Decreasing oxalates in the diet

If you eat foods that are listed above, and you have pain symptoms, you may want to consider decreasing or avoiding consumption of these foods. If you notice a change in your symptoms, then you have your first answer.

It is important to exercise caution when reducing oxalates, however. If reduced too abruptly, after a few days of feeling better, you may start to experience oxalate dumping side effects. These symptoms are very similar to over consumption of high oxalate foods, i.e. pain, inflammation, headache, etc. 

Compromising factors

There are many factors that can set someone up for struggling with oxalates more than others. These include:

• Antibiotic use: antibiotics can kill off the natural gut flora that help to break down oxalates.

• Yeast overgrowth: Yeast produces oxalates and converts collagen (the main structural protein in connective tissue) to oxalates.

• B vitamin deficiency: Certain deficiencies can cause the body to produce more oxalates.

• Magnesium and calcium deficiency: These minerals bind to oxalates and carry them out through the stool.

• Fat malabsorption: If fat isn’t being fully digested, it binds with calcium, leaving the oxalates unbound, and free to be reabsorbed.

• Hyper-permeable gut (Leaky Gut): This allows the oxalates to get into the blood stream, and increase their absorption.

Beyond the diet

A low oxalate diet is the primary and most complicated part of treating oxalate toxicity. That said, it is also important to reduce the body’s production and absorption of oxalates. This is accomplished with strategic use of supplements.

The long haul

There is nothing fast about the oxalate detoxification process. It can take 2-3 years to fully get on top of the condition. It also requires strict diet management.

As with everything, each person is unique. Some may experience extreme symptoms, while others only mild symptoms, and some, none at all. You may be a person who only needs to avoid spinach, almonds, and cashews, while others have to be extremely strict. No matter what, it is helpful to better understand what your body tolerates and what it doesn’t, and adjust your diet the best you can.

If you suspect that you may be struggling with oxalate overload, and want to explore your options further, I would be happy to work with you. I have a special interest in this topic, as it has proven to be the key to the majority of my health complaints. It is an ongoing process, but I am happy to say that I continue to see improvement over time. 

Rediscovering scalp acupuncture

At the end of September, I had the opportunity to travel to Madison, Wisconsin, to attend a scalp acupuncture seminar taught by Suzanne Robidoux. I have occasionally used scalp acupuncture since learning the basics in acupuncture school over 10 years ago, but am now inspired to use it a whole lot more. I was aware of the effectiveness of the method, but needed the more in-depth instruction on how to understand it better and use it to achieve the best results possible. Over the past couple of weeks I have started to employ what I learned, and am pleased with the results so far.

Scalp acupuncture applies the ancient technique of acupuncture to a modern, scientific understanding of how the brain is mapped. The right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, and vice versa. The brain is further divided into different areas, each with specific jobs to control the various functions of the body: movement, feeling sensation, balance, optics, emotions, focus, and the rest.

Scalp acupuncture was developed by Dr. Jiao Shunfa in the early 1970s in China. Dr. Jiao suspected that he could effectively treat hemiplegia (one-sided paralysis) following a stroke by treating the area over the primary motor cortex of the brain on the opposite side of the paralysis. Dr. Jiao knew that the motor cortex controls how movement is initiated in the body. In the photo above, you can see the “Motor Line,” the line that Dr. Jiao first treated to test his theory.

As Dr. Jiao gained experience by treating many patients, he was able to define several areas that brought about particular therapeutic effects when stimulated with acupuncture needles. These areas were consistent with the already-mapped functional areas of the brain. He developed a comprehensive system to treat many neurological disorders, including stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, traumatic brain injury, and neuropathy.

Other doctors have expanded upon Dr. Jiao’s methods to treat even more neurological conditions. One example is Dr. Lin Xue Jian, who developed her method to treat autism, ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and learning disabilities.

The beauty of scalp acupuncture is that not only is it extremely effective in treating these serious diseases, but it is also effective in treating many other conditions, including acute and chronic pain of any type, stress, digestive issues, colds, emotional upset, and more.

Scalp acupuncture is typically paired with electrical stimulation of the scalp points, by connecting the needles to a stimulater via electrodes, and a body acupuncture treatment. The needles are retained for 30 minutes. In cases of physical issues such as paralysis, tremors, pain, and numbness, some exercise must also be done with the scalp needles retained for the best effect, before leaving the office.

When our teacher insisted that a post stroke patient who is in a wheelchair should be up and walking within five weeks with two treatments per week, along with some dietary changes and herbal support, she really got my attention. I have already started to use this powerful method more in my practice, and am looking forward to helping more people feel better so they can more fully enjoy their lives.

Are you moving functionally?

In my last article, Getting to the Root of Pain and Illness, I introduced Neurokinetic Therapy (NKT) as an option for treating musculoskeletal pain. I would like to focus a little more attention to this method, so that my clients can develop a deeper understanding of how their bodies work and how we can use NKT to increase function and decrease pain.

Do you have a pain that is always there no matter how much you use a foam roller or seek out other therapies? Do you get temporary relief, but the pain always returns? If you have pain that is a result of damage to your body, NKT may not be able to offer much relief. However, if you have a chronically tight muscle that feels like a toothache, a chronic muscle weakness that prevents you from moving normally, or any annoying aches and pains, NKT may be just the thing for you.

In NKT, we assess movement patterns. We consider where the person has pain, what the tissue feels like, and what muscles may be involved. We do a series of muscle tests to determine which muscles are facilitated (testing strong) and which are inhibited (testing weak). It is important to note that facilitated could mean that the muscle is functioning normally, or that it is too tight and is the prime mover in a compensation pattern. On the flip side, if a muscle tests inhibited, it doesn’t mean that it is inherently weak; it may just be switched off by a facilitated muscle. The layers of compensation can get very complicated, but the magic of NKT is that layer by layer, we can reestablish healthy, functional movement patterns.

The bottom line is that when your body uses dysfunctional movement patterns to move, pain develops. When your body uses functional movement patterns to move, pain goes away.

How do dysfunctional movement patterns develop, and how do we fix them? 

All movement patterns are stored in the brain, specifically in the motor control center that is part of the cerebellum. The motor control center is directed by the cerebrum and the limbic system to create movement patterns. The cerebrum controls all voluntary actions of the body and the limbic system is the emotional center of the brain, which creates an interesting link between strong emotions, stress, shock and trauma, and movement patterns. When you’re under stress, do you hold your breath or clench your jaw? This could be the start of a dysfunctional movement pattern. Due to the plasticity of the brain, dysfunctional movement patterns are as easy to create as functional movement patterns.

When the body is injured or stressed, whether physically or emotionally, healthy movement may become difficult. Without us even noticing, the brain recruits other muscles to do the work of whichever muscle is injured or fatigued. After the compensation pattern is repeated, it becomes ingrained in the motor control center. This is how dysfunctional movement patterns are established.

For example, if you are doing bicep curls, and you decide to use a heavier weight and do more reps than you usually do, your biceps will fatigue and weaken. If you continue to work through the muscle fatigue, your brain will begin to recruit other muscles of the shoulder and forearm to make the movement happen, without much help from the biceps. If you continue to do this, your biceps will become inhibited and won’t fire properly during normal use and you will most likely develop pain somewhere in your body, due to the compensation pattern that was created.

In this example, we can see that the motor control center learns through failure. If the bicep is weakened, the body learns how to recruit other muscles to achieve the desired end result.

In NKT we use this concept to our advantage. We do manual muscle tests that isolate the function of the muscles being tested. If the muscle test is failed, i.e. the muscle is inhibited and doesn’t fire, the motor control center becomes open to learning a new pattern or to reestablishing a functional pattern. This is our window to find the dysfunctional movement pattern, release it, and assign a specific exercise to burn the functional movement pattern into the brain. Often the exercise is just a repeat of the muscle test without the resistance. In the bicep example above, the bicep curl could be repeated without weight or with very light weight, simply to fire the bicep.  

Next time you are in the clinic, ask if NKT may be the best approach to help with your chronic aches and pains.

Getting to the root of pain and illness

Over the past several years, I have studied many different treatment methods. I’ve learned quite a few that are effective at stopping a symptom. I have found, however, that often symptoms return if the root cause wasn’t addressed. The methods that I stick with are those that focus on getting to the cause of pain and illness.

The body speaks!

What makes a treatment method able to get to the root of a problem? It requires a way to talk to the body and allow the practitioner to be led to the root cause so she or he can determine the best treatment method.

In spite of the fact that we all have arms, legs, livers, and brains, each body requires different strategies to heal. The trick is trying to find out exactly what YOUR body needs to heal its back pain, digestive troubles, headaches. When the body gets exactly what it needs, it is able to heal itself.

The two methods that I have incorporated into my practice to ask the body what it needs to heal are the pulse testing method called the VAS (vascular autonomic signal) and muscle testing. Both methods allow the practitioner to gather information about the body and figure out exactly how to treat it. 

Vascular autonomic signal

VAS is the voice of the body I listen to primarily when practicing auricular medicine. I have different protocols on how to scan the ear to search out specific kinds of information, indicating things like pain, dental issues, emotional blockages, and other conditions. What I’m looking for are changes in the pulse. When the pulse gets noticeably sharper, it indicates a relationship with what I’m searching for. When treating with a needle or laser, I can be very precise with the location of the treatment. This kind of precision is very important, as even a tenth of a millimeter makes a difference.

Muscle testing

Muscle testing is another great method to converse with the body. I have been using it to evaluate the body nutritionally by doing Nutrition Response Testing and Morphogenic Field Technique for the past three years.

Muscle testing works because our body is made up of energy. Our nervous system is our electrical system, which pushes energy through our muscles. If you are exposed to something that impacts your nervous system negatively, your muscles will short circuit and go weak temporarily. This is how we can test foods, which have their own energy fields, and other substances that can act as poisons to the body. We can put light pressure over an organ or other area of the body that may have impaired function, which also causes weakness in the muscle test.

Once we have determined what the problems are, we can do muscle testing to find the solutions. For example, if the body is stressed from a chemical exposure, we can find a supplement that will help the body detoxify it. If a food sensitivity shows up, we can recommend avoidance of that food as well as a digestive enzyme to help clean up the debris left behind by the immune reaction to the food.

Something new-Neurokinetic Therapy

I recently attended a training session for a method called Neurokinetic Therapy (NKT). NKT uses muscle testing to assess dysfunctional movement patterns and pinpoint the root cause of these patterns in the brain’s motor control center. This therapy is very useful to identify which movement pattern is causing pain, weakness, and postural distortion, and determine how to release it and reprogram the motor control center to restore normal function. The reprogramming happens through a few minutes of simple exercises daily.

I’m excited to be adding a therapy that helps me precisely assess the musculoskeletal system in order to determine the most effective treatment and rehabilitative exercises to resolve a problem. This method pairs well with both bodywork and acupuncture, and I am confident that it will incorporate seamlessly into my practice.

As I’ve studied each of these methods, I’ve been tickled by how much overlap there is among them. They’re all tuned to factors that disrupt the body’s normal energy patterns, be they repetitive stress, sugar or other toxins, or scars. And they’re all able to listen to the body and figure out what it needs to heal, be it nutrition, herbal therapy, homeopathy, acupuncture, and/or rehabilitative exercises. It’s like learning different dialects of the same language-the body’s language.

Poor posture = loss of function = pain

Do you have nagging pain in your low back? Do you carry chronic tension in your shoulders? If you have chronic discomfort in an area with no known injury, you may wonder why that is. The best answer is postural stress. Can you relate to the photo at left?

There are several very common postural stress patterns that I see in my clinic: posterior neck pain and stiffness, shoulder pain with restricted range of motion, a painful knot near the shoulder blade, low back ache, and hip tightness. People typically describe these areas as tight and restricted, with nagging pain. These patterns are quite frustrating, because they are stubborn and resistant to treatment.

How to think about postural stress—the back has a front

When we have pain in our shoulders, we typically massage our shoulders. When we have pain in our backs, we massage, twist and stretch out our backs.  Though this offers relief as we're doing it, it often doesn't fix the problem. 

We would do better to remember that our back has a front. How we hold our body has a big impact on how we feel.

The common pain patterns that I see are a result of tight flexor muscles (generally, those on the front of the body) and/or stretched, weak extensor muscles (those on the back of the body). 

Looking at the figure above, we can see that the front of the body is collapsed and contracted, while the back is arched and stretched, like a hinge closing on itself. We need to figure out how to pry open the hinge, stack the body the way it was meant to be, and focus on healthy, functional movement.

Shoulder or scapular pain

If someone has shoulder or scapular pain, I not only work on the area where it hurts with acupuncture and massage, I also work to loosen and stretch the front of the upper body, specifically the pectoralis muscles (pectoralis major illustration) on the chest and the subscapularis (subscapularis illustration) in the armpit. If you don't loosen these muscles, the pain in the shoulder and around the scapula will come right back. 

With this pain pattern, it is common to see rounded shoulders and shoulder blades that seem to be sliding down the back. In this case, relaxing the chest isn't enough; the back muscles must be strengthened as well.

The door stretch shown above is a helpful exercise you can do yourself. Hold each stretch until you feel the muscle fibers releasing. It is also important to do the stretch with your hand positioned at different heights to open the chest more completely.  

Neck pain

Once the upper torso is loosened and more functional, the neck will typically feel and move better.  If there is still residual pain, then the muscles of the neck need to be addressed. 

The best place to start is by massaging and pinching tender points along the scalene (scalene illustration) and sternocleidomastoid (SCM)(SCM Illustration) muscles on the sides and front of the neck, as seen in the first illustration. These muscles should also be stretched, as seen in the second illustration. 

It is also important to stretch and loosen your sub-occipital muscles (at the base of your skull) by tucking your chin and gently pressing it posteriorly, and massaging them with your thumb or pressing them into a tennis ball.

Low back pain

If someone has low back pain, it is very important to be sure the iliopsoas muscle (iliopsoas illustration) isn't contracted. It often becomes shortened with extended sitting. If it is contracted, all the back stretches in the world aren't going to solve the problem. I recommend lunges with an arched back (below, left) to stretch the iliopsoas, before stretching the back itself.   

Prying open the hinge of the hip

For hip pain and tightness, I always recommend using a tennis ball to roll out the hip flexors, with a focus on the tensor fasciae latae (TFL) muscle (TFL illustration). Look for the most tender spot that may refer pain down the leg or into the buttocks, then allow yourself to sink onto the tennis ball. A foam roller can also be used to roll out the tight areas on the hips and legs. Don't forget to also roll out the gluteus muscles to improve hip function. 

Once the muscles have been softened, you can stretch out your low back with a forward bend (above, right). This has the added benefit of stretching out your hamstrings, in case they are tight and pulling down on your pelvis. The pelvis forms the foundation for your structure, and when it is functioning properly, your whole body will stack and move as it is meant to move.

Helpful homework

These are a few simple exercises you can do to support your body and correct postural negligence in between acupuncture and bodywork treatments. Over time, your body will become more functional and your pain and discomfort will decrease. 

For the best, most  efficient results to reestablish proper posture and function, I refer my clients to Michelle Mariska for Healing Motion Therapy, based on the Egoscue Method. This method has helped me and many of my clients tremendously. Read the following article to learn more about this powerful method.

Healing Motion Therapy

by Michelle Mariska

Healing Motion Therapy (HMT) takes your whole body alignment into consideration when treating your symptoms. The therapy’s basic principle is that everything in the body is connected. The body needs to be evaluated and treated as a whole, rather than just focusing treatment on areas of the body that are experiencing pain.

During an initial appointment, I will obtain an understanding of the pain you are experiencing and evaluate your body’s posture and alignment to understand the source of the pain. I then walk you through an evaluation, including use of photos that are helpful in understanding postural and alignment issues.

Based on my analysis, I’ll next guide you through a short series of exercises, designed specifically for you. The exercises are simple, gentle, and easy to replicate. Clients are expected to complete the exercises at home, then come back for another session in two to three weeks.

Most clients see and feel positive results at the first session. Typically, four to eight sessions are necessary for clients to maximize the postural changes. At each subsequent visit, your static posture and gait are re-evaluated and a new set of exercises is provided.

I often see overused and tight muscles in the mid-back from too much sitting. We sit at work, we sit in the car, and then we sit at home. For example, a client comes in with knee pain. Upon evaluation, I explain that tightness and decreased motion in their mid-back contributes to a lack of motion in their pelvis. The pelvis has muscles connected to the knee, and is thus causing the knee pain. The client is often amazed how their knee pain is relieved after doing the individually designed exercises that are focused on their upper body, not on the area that is painful.

HMT differs from physical therapy because it treats the cause, not the symptom. The therapy also works great as an adjunct to other modalities, including acupuncture and massage. HMT enables another practitioner to reach a new level of healing, since we are releasing the superficial layer of muscle compensation.

Symptoms treated-muscle and nerve pain of the back, knee, hip, shoulder, ankle, foot, neck, elbow and hand. If it’s connected to your body, I’d like to think I can help you.

Michelle Mariska has a bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology. She has over 17 years experience helping clients relieve their symptoms and live a pain-free life. HMT is based on the teachings of Pete Egoscue and The Egoscue Method in San Diego, CA, where Michelle worked for four years.

Healing Motion Therapy is located at 2718 E 50th St, Minneapolis, MN 55417

(612) 799-6946 or michelle@healingmotiontherapy.com