Archive for the ‘Back Pain’ Category
With summer almost upon us, you probably have plans to take a vacation at some point (hopefully!). Maybe you’ve found a nice spot to spend a few days, and you’d like to drive there rather than fly. But driving can be a “can of worms” for some people. You might be pretty uncomfortable on long [...]
An article in Business Week on April 29 (http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_19/b4177071221162.htm?chan=magazine+channel_etc) discusses the dangers of chairs and sitting. It’s called “Your Office Chair Is Killing You“, and it states that “sitting is a public health risk.” Some of the article discusses the dangers in terms of obesity. Of course, movement is necessary to the health of your [...]
Have you ever wondered if how you sit and stand could affect your health negatively? You probably have felt tension and/or pain in your back or neck from sitting in an unhealthy position. But did you know that this “out of Balance” posture can actually affect your internal organs? I read some fascinating information in [...]
Over the years of teaching the Balance Method, one thing I’ve learned is that symmetry tends to reduce pain and increase comfort. We are all asymmetrical to some degree. In some people that asymmetry can be more extreme, and can lead to pain and impaired function. Scoliosis is an asymmetrical condition that is a lateral [...]
5 Tips to Keep You Practicing for Life! In 2007, I attended a Yoga Therapy conference where one of the presenters said, “I make my living helping people who got hurt in other people’s yoga classes”. You might be surprised to find out that people can get injured doing yoga. After all, yoga is considered [...]
The results of a study on children carrying heavy backpacks was just published in January of 2010 in the journal Spine. The study showed that when weight was added to backpacks that children were wearing, their spines showed more compression and curvature. The weights were 9, 18, and 26 pounds. The children also reported more [...]
Have you ever resolved to change something in your life, and then found that no matter how hard you try, it seems impossible? It can be really frustrating to want to change yet not be able to make it happen. Do you want to improve your posture this year? Have you been noticing that your [...]
According to the National Institutes of Health, low back pain costs Americans at least $50 billion each year. It is a leading cause of missed work and the most common work-related disability. Conventional treatment for back pain includes bed rest, ice, exercise, medications, spinal manipulation, and surgery. Alternative treatments for back pain include acupuncture, yoga [...]
Richard was a tall man – originally over 6 feet. He had noticed that over the years, he had lost height. In fact, he had lost over 6 inches of height over the past few decades. He was diagnosed with osteoporosis, an increasingly common complaint in the US. According to the Surgeon General’s report on [...]
This month I’d like to give you some more tips for gardening pain-free. I’m a beginning gardener, and I’m trying to learn more by taking a Permaculture training at the Regenerative Design Institute (www.regenerativedesign.org). So far, there are SO many gophers in my yard that I’ve lost almost everything I planted there! Luckily, I started [...]