How to Lose Weight

February 6, 2012 By 1 Comment

How to lose weight

The question on everyone’s hips…. and belly. ” What is the best way to lose weight?” is asked of me so often that it has prompted me to write this article.

Summer is in full swing so the pool and beach are calling. Unfortunately, once we strip down to the bare essentials, all our little excesses show up in full glory. Fat thighs, belly and hips, and lately the “back boobs”. Oh dear!

Weight loss tips

Most people want to start with weight loss tips and skip all the stuff about the science behind weight loss.  So here goes

  1. Drink filtered water 20 minutes before and after meals and also between meals

  2. Plan your shopping trips, meals and snacks. Organise them before you are hungry.

  3. Eat whole fresh food – an orange instead of orange juice, steamed potato instead of potato chips

  4. Exercise briskly for 10 minutes per day – make sure you puff a bit!

  5. Eat small meals before you get hungry.

  6. Don’t skip meals – Skipping meals tricks your body into thinking it is starving and will halt fat burning

  7. Read food labels – ‘Low fat’ often disguises High Carbohydrate/sugar content

  8. Sleep well. Go to bed a little earlier.

  9. Laugh and love regularly

  10. Be consistent – 19/21 Rule – 19 great meal choices out of 21 meals

If you want to know “why this is so”, Read More

Low Fat verses Low Carb Diet

I am not a believer of Low fat diets or ‘low fat’ foods. Fat is not stored as fat unless you eat a lot of it.  Your body’s first choice is to use any excess carbohydrates to store as fat. So the biggest contributors to weight gain are excess carbs  and artificial sweeteners, not fat. Trans Fats are a different story. Most food on the shelves at the supermarket with a shelf-life and use-by-date is full of Trans Fats.

We need fat – ‘good fat’ -to make our hormone and nervous systems work properly. Did you know that your brain is mostly fat? So is the protective coating around all your nerves [myelin sheath]. Your nervous system is vital for not only mental health but also muscle health. Essential vitamins A, D, E and K are all fat soluble. I wonder how much of the latest vitamin D deficiency is related to all the “low fat” food we are now consuming. Trying to find full fat cottage cheese, yoghurt and cream on the shelves at the supermarket takes persistence.

Low Carb foods are fresh, whole fruit and vegetables. The 2:5 rule of 2 whole fruits and 5 serves of vegetable each day works well. Eat as much raw food as possible. Raw food is full of enzymes which help us stay health.

High carbohydrate foods [soft drinks, juices, flavoured milk, dried fruit] and refined carbohydrate foods [bread, white rice and pasta] cause a rush of insulin into your system. Any excess carbs are stored as fat. High fat storage leads to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance leads to high fat storage. High fat storage leads to insulin resistance. Oops, that sounds like a merry-go-round loop!

Insulin resistance in adult and child population contributes to the obesity epidemic and makes losing weight difficult. So generally, the people who need to lose weight the most, find it difficult and get discouraged through poor results, so tend to give up.

What can I eat?

Your body stays healthier for life when you eat foods as they come from nature.

  • Full fat milk, unhomogenized if possible;

  • Virgin Cold Pressed Oils and salad dressings – learn how to make your own dressings;

  • Organic Free Range Eggs – back yard chickens are great pets!

  • Raw and fresh fruit and vegetables in all colours of the rainbow

  • Grass Fed meats – most of the meat at the supermarket is grain fed. Ask your butcher for beef, chicken and pork that has been grass fed. Change happens when we, ” the customer”, begin to request it.

  • Nuts and seeds – natural and raw. Keep a bowl of nuts in their shells on the coffee table with a nut cracker. Loads of fun and they are mighty good for you.

  • Cold water fish – Salmon, tuna, mackerel – Full of Essential Fatty Acids [EFA]. They are not called Essential for no reason.

  • Loads of filtered water, herb teas, some green tea

  • Whole grain breads and cereals – in moderation. Aim for only 2 serves per day.

How Can I Reverse Insulin Resistance?

  1. Exercise for at least 10 minutes per day to the point of puffing with interval and resistance training
  2. Limit Carbs to complex, whole carbohydrate foods. Reducing carbohydrates will “kick Start” your body into fat burning cycles.
  3. Increase your protein intake with each meal and include some protein with all your snacks. Boiled egg, nuts, protein shakes -also kick starts Fat Burning
  4. Eat good quality fat -EFA and Cold Pressed Virgin Oils, Avocado
  5. AVOID fried foods – they are full of trans fats which produce free radicals and make it harder to lose weight.
  6. Take high quality Essential Fatty Acids – EFA, plant based mineral and vitamin supplements to neutralise Free Radicals in our environment
  7. Eat at home, eat fresh. Take lunch and snacks with you. Most take away food, even a sandwich or roll, is generally carbohydrate rich and protein poor  and often are loaded with Bad Fats -trans fats.
  8. Drink heaps of filtered Water
  9. Be consistant – 19/21 meals choices are GREAT choices

Best Exercise to Lose Weight?

By far the best exercise to lose weight is High Energy Aerobic Training – H.E.A.T or High Intensity Interval Training- H.I.I.T. Many people wonder why they run for 60 minutes at a moderate pace 3-4 days a week and platuae before they reach their goal weight. A fantastic resource is “The 10-Minute Total Body Breakthrough” by Sean Foy.

Your body is kicked into fat burning when it works hard [spurts of huff and puff] for a  minute, punctuated with intervals of recovery exercise at a moderate pace. What does that mean? For example, run for 30 seconds at your fastest pace then jog for 30 seconds to recover and repeat this cycle for 3-4 minutes then change to push ups, squats or skipping and repeat the cycles for about 10 minutes in total.

After you have finished exercising at  intense levels for 10 minutes, your body will continue to burn fat for up to 48 hours. In contrast to continued moderate exercise where your fat burning capabilities taper off quite quickly after completing your exercise routine.

The VibroGym offers a similar exercise style to H.I.I.T.  The vibration plate accelerates muscle contractions to 30-40 times per second. Each exercise is performed between 30-60 seconds, then rest for 1 minute while you change to another muscle group. The VibroGym also initiates postural and core muscles to improve posture and endurance.

I hope this has given you the answer to some of your questions. Please comment if you have questions or success stories.

Vicki Tate

 

Vicki Tate is keenly interested in many areas of postural alignment and well-being. She is owner and Principal Practitioner at Body and Spine Align, Norman Park, Brisbane, where she has a  private practice offering Ortho-Bionomy, EFT and VibroGym sessions. Vicki incorporates her training as a Registered Nurse, teacher and Ortho-Bionomy to offer highly targeted and effective treatment for muscular, skeletal and postural issues. She has a special interest in Scoliosis.

Call 0429030111 for appointments and enquiries or email info@bodyandspinealign.com.au

 

 

 

 

 

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Scoliosis Help!

June 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

A Scoliosis Case Study

“Sarah” was a fit, young woman in her mid 20’s. She had been diagnosed with scoliosis in her teenage years and was suffering with neck, shoulder, upper, middle and lower back pain.

Skeptical about Outcomes

She was very skeptical about Ortho-Bionomy, stating, ”I don’t know why I bother. Nothing works anyway”. She had tried many different therapies and had not been able to find relief for any length of time. I was attending her workplace doing short sessions for the workers in their lunch and tea breaks to help them deal with a very stressful job taking emergency calls from with people in extreme circumstances.

1st Session Relief!

We worked on a massage table for 15 minutes, with her fully clothed, jumper and all. I found the most comfortable position for her neck, which was quite tilted to one side and very tense. Once her neck was comfortable, Sarah immediately sighed and said how much it relieved the ache in her neck. I also showed her how she could get relief from her nagging back pain with a very simple home exercise.

The following week she reported that she had relief from her neck pain for the whole week from our short time together. She asked her boyfriend to try the spinal “twist” which allowed her to be relatively pain free in her upper back as well.

2nd Session Progress

During the 2nd session we worked with her pelvis which was quite rotated and causing her pain, again taking her to positions of comfort. I explained that if she did the exercises I was to give her it was possible to correct her condition. We began with 2 simple exercises to alleviate her mid back tension and to stabilize and strengthen the small muscles of her pelvis and correct muscle imbalances.

Sarah continued to come and see me on a weekly basis in her lunchtime. After five visits the pain in her shoulders, neck and lower back had gone. Now her ribs were causing her trouble. On examination, I noticed that her spinal curvature was almost gone too.

She reported that her waist had become even and now she could wear clothes that until recently had not fitted her properly due to the spinal twist caused by the scoliosis. On a visit to her family her mother had commented that she was walking differently – more evenly with both of her legs and hips instead of leading with her right all of the time.

Scoliosis- Pain Free

Stability and Freedom from pain

During those five visits, Sarah had left my office with simple exercise she could do at the computer desk or standing and waiting in queues, with a few which were better done at home in a relaxed environment. The exercises I prescribed were to re-establish functional movement patterns and alleviate any pain or discomfort which may arise between visits.

Next we needed to address the twist in her ribs. By this time she found her ribs caused her more discomfort than any other part of her spine. Ribs are involved in almost every function from breathing to moving in any direction. They never get a rest because we breath constantly.

Over the next few visits, I showed her how to assist her ribs to untwist and sit comfortably with her spine. She was very willing to persist, because she could see the enormous changes that had happened in such a short time with a condition that would only get worse with age. Her perceptions were changing.

10 visits to  Spinal Alignment

After her tenth visit I reassessed her spinal curves and her rib patterns and found them to be in correctly aligned positions. She was completely pain free!!

Maintenance

This young woman now has a set of exercises to help her whenever her neck, back, ribs or shoulders pain cause her strife in the future, as well as ones to help maintain her new and healthy spinal position. Sarah has noticed that her flexibility and strength have both increased with this simple, safe and pain free work.

If you know of anyone of any age who suffers with Scoliosis, I can certainly assist them to find a pain free life with gentle retraining and strengthening exercises. The treatment is painless and empowering. My philosophy is to teach you the methods and exercises, so you can maintain your own health.

I hope this is helpful to you on your healing journey

Vicki Tate

Vicki Tate is keenly interested in many areas of postural alignment and well-being. She is owner and Principal Practitioner at Body and Spine Align, Norman Park, Brisbane, where she has private practice offering Ortho-Bionomy, EFT and VibroGym sessions. Vicki incorporates her training as a Registered Nurse, teacher and Ortho-Bionomy to offer highly targeted and effective treatment for muscular skeletal and postural issues. She has a special interest in Scoliosis.

Call 0429030111 for appointments and enquiries or email info@bodyandspinealign.com.au

 

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The Revolution in Fitness- Vibration training

May 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The Revolution in Fitness

Vibration training is going to be the next big wave in Strength training. It has been used extensively by international sporting bodies, rock stars, super models and elite athletes. And now it is available to regular folks like you and me.

It can shift your cellulite  and strengthen your body in a matter of weeks. Claudia Scheiffer, Madonna, Tatiana Grigorieva, Kylie Monogue, Clint Eastwood and Danni Monogue  are just a few of the long list of celebrities who are using  vibration training to get a terrific body and stay fit while having a busy life.

 

Get fit in 20 minutes

Our lives are very busy. Work and family commitments seem to leave little time for staying healthy. This revolutionary machine will help you get fit with little exertion in 20 minutes a few times a week.

Standing on the VibroGym your muscles work automatically. You don’t have to do anything else. The rapid vibrations of the plate, approximately 30-50 per second, amplify any  tried and true exercise that you could do on the ground but with much faster results. It is estimated that nearly 100% of your muscle fibres are active when the plate vibrates under your feet.  This is about 50% more effective than conventional exercise.

Safe effective solution for nearly everyone

It is safe, effective solution for nearly anyone over the age of 14 right up to the very elderly. In fact it has been used to rehabilitate stroke victims, improve outcomes for Alzheimer’s patients and children with Cerebral Palsy and Downs Syndrome.

“VibroGym Whole Body Vibration has been an invaluable tool to help my older patients get started on a strengthening
program. These people often find it very difficult to do ‘normal’ resistance exercises at home or in a gym and the benefits
gained are more rapid than with conventional training.”

Annette Tonkin, Physiotherapist and former Olympic Physiotherapist with the Opals

Osteoporosis

Bone density was  increased in women with Osteoporosis. Because whole body vibration is low impact and high intensity it is safe for frail bones and weak joints. It increases circulation,  muscle strength, bone mineralisation.

Many of my clients with arthritis find improvements in range of motion and a decrease in pain after only a couple of weeks of using the massage components of the VibroGym. And they love it. As their strength and balance improve so does their confidence.

Improve Strength and Flexibility

The Revolution in Fitness

The Revolution in Fitness

Essendon Football Club installed VibroGym machines and split tested their players on strength and flexibility throughout the season. Some players used vibration while their team mates used their usual stretches and workout routines. The results were so stunning that now the whole team does their workouts and warm downs on the VibroGym.

Tatiana Grigorieva used the VibroGym to enhance her training for the European summer season and jumped her personal best after injuring her achilles tendon. The vibration healed her injury and enabled her to improve her performance quickly.

 

 

 

 

 

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Welcome to Body & Spine Align

April 28, 2011 By 1 Comment

 

Hello and thanks for visiting the Body & Spine Align website.

Ortho-Bionomy Practitioner

Vicki Tate

My name is Vicki Tate. I’ve been a practitioner of Ortho-Bionomy ® since 1997 and before that; I was a registered nurse, beginning my career in 1971. I have been contracted by Vietnam Veterans Counseling Service (VVCS) to successfully facilitate courses on Pain Relief Strategies and Stress Management at their Lifestyle programs and courses in Brisbane, Bribie Island, Toowoomba and Warwick.

If you are seeking

  • pain relief,
  • stress management
  • freedom of movement
  • relaxation and postural education
  • and ease with life in general. Then I am here to help you.

How is Body & Spine Align different?

I listen to your body and follow what it is trying to do to heal itself. The principle is simple but very profound. I believe that your body holds the key to it’s own health. I will teach you how to listen to your body too and give you a ‘tool box’ of simple exercise to use when you notice any tightness or pain. It may be the first time your aching body has been allowed to fully express its needs. This work is very gentle and supportive; using positions of comfort to relieve pain.

You may be feeling frustrated and tired. You’ve been looking for a solution for your symptoms for some time but nothing seems to have made a difference or it only works for a day or so and then the discomfort returns. I know what that feels like.

At 16 I had 2 minor accidents that each gave me whiplash. The real problems started about 10 – 15 years later. I sought relief from massage every 2 weeks for 10 years. It kept me working but I didn’t learn what was causing the pain or how to prevent it from coming back all the time. It wasn’t until I suffered a more serious injury restricting movement to both of my arms that I was introduced to Ortho-Bionomy.

What happens in a typical session at Body & Spine Align?

With the use of a combination of Ortho-Bionomy and VibroGym I will provide effective solutions to your problems. EFT can also be very helpful for alleviating pain and stressful situations. These are safe, effective and easy solutions for chronic pain. The best way to describe what you will feel – it’s like giving all your sore spots a hug that is ‘just right’ and the pain and tension disappears.

You wear comfortable clothes, similar to those you wear to a gym or yoga.  Usually you lay on the massage table for most of the session, but sessions can include standing postures and sitting in a chair.

These gentle techniques will provide a REAL solution to your discomfort. It doesn’t matter whether your injury is recent or you suspect the initial cause is from a much older injury that has slowly but surely been causing more pain, more discomfort and more stiffness, you can find relief.

Why choose Body & Spine Align?

  • You may have been healthy up to now, but an increase in  restriction of movement is changing your life and affecting your lifestyle. You don’t like it.
  • You are not a fan of the firm, or forced (snap, crackle and pop) types of therapies.
  • You may even have been receiving other therapies (Physiotherapy, Chiropractic, Massage) for some months with little or no change.
  • You have tried everything and nothing has worked.

Many clients have sought treatments for months before arriving at Body & Spine Align. Within the first 1 or 2 sessions their symptoms have vastly improved.

A Client’s Story

One of my clients had been seeing an Osteopath every 2 weeks for 2 ½ years but was still in significant distress from her back pain. She was referred to me by a friend,  after the first session she  was amazed at the relief she felt. Within weeks, she was well enough to travel overseas to Europe and had a great time. All she did was follow my simple exercises to relieve symptoms as they arose. She felt empowered that she could maintain a healthy, active lifestyle again. Something she thought was a thing of the past.

You too can feel energized, relaxed and pain free. Most people require weekly visits until their symptoms settle then we work out an appropriate maintenance program for you.

  • You will feel improvements quickly.
  • You will learn how to maintain your healthy balance.
  • Your program will be designed to suit your lifestyle.
  • Your program will be chosen specifically for your symptoms.
  • You will be feeling better and stronger as quickly as possible.

How often do I need to have a session to stay healthy?

Initially, most people require a weekly session for 3-4 sessions. After the root cause of your symptoms has been addressed and alleviated, sessions can be spaced out to fortnightly and as you get stronger later on, monthly. I suggest regular check-ups, because those old patterns can creep back into your body and you get used to them. It is better to keep ahead of the pain game. Playing catch up requires a lot more commitment and energy.

How long are consultations?

Initial consultations are 90 minutes long to obtain a thorough health and medical history as well as a physical examination before we begin. Follow-up sessions are usually 60 minutes duration.

Evening appointments are available for your convenience.

 

How do I get started?

Call 0429 030 111 now and we’ll have a short conversation about your symptoms and condition and make an appointment to get you back on the road to health and recovery.

I look forward to speaking with you.

Vicki Tate

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5 Ways To ELIMINATE Annoying Neck, Shoulder and Upper Back Pains

April 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There are few pains that are more distracting than neck, shoulder and upper back pains. The intense burning of muscle spasm can make life difficult, especially if you are spending most of your work day at a desk.

I know exactly what it’s like as I’ve had my fair share of injuries, including shoulder problems brought on by an old neck injury as well as torn muscles in my arms from the chronic tightness in my neck, shoulders and upper back.

These injuries are what lead me to learn Ortho-Bionomy over a decade ago. So I know a thing or two about how to deal with and eliminate these aches and pains. Plus, over the past 13 years, I’ve assisted many people overcome neck, shoulder and upper back pain, here at the Body & Spine Align.

This is my Top 5 list to reduce pain as quickly as possible:

1. If the pain is caused by an injury or trauma- Arnica is the best First Aid.

Arnica is a homeopathic remedy that is a powerful tool against inflammation, bruising and muscle spasm. Brauer’s have Arnica spray or tablets that are easy to carry in a First Aid kit. I keep some in the car and house too. Arnica is also very good at alleviating the initial pain symptoms.

2. Reduce Inflammation

There are many anti-inflammatory drugs on the market. They have their place, but I recommend using natural methods first. Traumeel cream and tablets are readily available from good health food stores. I always keep some in the house. Also Fisiocrem can work a treat

Epsom Salt soak 350 mls (1 ½ cups) of Epsom Salts in a warm bath and soak for 20 minutes will eliminate a lot of inflammation. You can also use a strong solution of Epsom salts on a face cloth as a compress.

3. Stop the muscle spasm and release the tight muscles

Spasm causes a majority of pain in the back neck and shoulders. Most people don’t realise their muscles are in a constant state of minor spasm which causes most of their discomfort.

Simple isometric exercises if used in the initial stages of discomfort will eliminate spasm and retrain the muscles to be more flexible. Isometrics are easy to learn and use as a home treatment.

4. Watch what you are thinking. Keep it positive.

What you think will influence how fast you will heal. Remembering to turn any self talk to the positive will greatly enhance your recovery. Turning your mind to pleasant thoughts will also decrease your pain response. “You Can Heal You Life” by Louise Hay has many helpful suggestions and information.

You will get well. Your body wants to be well and healthy. So give it some encouragement and thank your body for doing so many wonderful things everyday without your knowledge or intervention.

5. Identify and Correct any muscle imbalances

Whenever there is pain, the body will be out of balance. Muscles will tighten to protect a part that is hurting. It doesn’t matter whether you have had an accident or not…. If you are in pain you will have muscle imbalances.

If the underlying causes of the muscle imbalances are not identified and corrected they can become chronic conditions and eventually degeneration of tissues, joints and cartilages will occur.

“Yes, but my condition is caused by….….!” It doesn’t matter what you have been diagnosed with or told or think is the underlying factor.. If you have pain there will be muscle imbalances.

Muscle pain is a much BIGGER factor than you may think… and once these are addressed and corrected you WILL recovery quite quickly and your quality of life will improve.

There may be many other conditions that you were “learning to live with” or thought were a “natural part of growing older”, which will also disappear.

Muscles will respond to kindness as well as brute force. My approach is to take the stress off the muscle fibres allowing them to relax until all the tension has dissolved. It’s like giving them a hug until they sigh and say “That’s better”. Some of these techniques are very easy to learn. Most of my clients will take home 2-3 simple ‘exercises’ to assist their healing.

I believe that you can learn to be your best healer. If you know how to prevent a symptom from becoming worse that is a gift you can give to yourself. I will teach you the tools to use as First Aid to help prevent body issues from becoming problems.

I hope this has been helpful to you as you navigate your healing journey.

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What is Chronic Back Pain?

April 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

A “pain in the back” can be much more difficult to cope with when it persists for longer than a few months. Chronic back pain affects millions of people in the civilised world. Our lifestyle of sitting for long periods and using motor vehicles diminishes the structures that support our backs and make us more prone to chronic back pain issues.

Learning what is causing your pain is essential to becoming empowered to both prevent it from happening and finding a pathway to cure the pain or control the symptoms.

Understanding your Back Pain

Your back is basically a set of building blocks [vertebra] stacked one on top of each other with a piece of tough sponge [intervertebral discs] between each. Those building blocks are held together with strong rubber bands [muscles and tendons]. Down the middle of each block is a fine fiberopitc line that can easily get twisted or bent [spinal cord]. If one of the building blocks gets out of alignment all the other structures in the tower get stressed and begin to make any adjustments to keep everything from falling over.

Each vertebra only has a small degree of movement buteach of those small movements combined allow your spine to twist, turn, bend and stretch. Your back supports your truck and allows you to do all manner of activities, such as sitting, standing  and playing sport etc.

Bending and twisting adds extra stress on your inter-vertebral discs. The lower back [lumbar] vertebra are designed to bend but not twist. Unfortunately many back injuries are caused by twisting and bending or lifting at the same time.

To protect your back it is important to understand that your back is supported by your abdominal muscles as well as your back muscles. Keeping your back supple as well as strong will greatly reduce your chance of injury.

Types of Chronic Back Pain

Your body will produce a pain reaction when something is not working properly. It is trying to tell you to stop doing that activity. Unfortunately your back can often take 24 – 36 hours to react to an injury. It then goes into a state of spasm which causes more pain. Depending on the injury you experience, the pain can be dull, deep and achy or sharp and electric. You can experience the pain anywhere from your head to your toes. The most common area for chronic pain is the lumbar region or lower back as it gets put under a lot of strain with our body weight resting down onto the discs and is used for most bending and lifting tasks.

Quite often patients will come to the clinic complaining of heel, knee or  elbow pain that gets worse at certain activities. When I examine their back, I will often find a very tender area close to the spine that they were not aware of.

Causes of Chronic Back Pain

Chronic back pain is most commonly located in the lower back or upper back areas. Chronic pain can be caused by injury, e.g. motor vehicle accidents, sporting injuries or falls, or degeneration. Most degenerative changes occur in people over the age of 50 and are usually associated with arthritis [both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis], osteoporosis or past injury.

Factors such lifestyle, activity, diet, genetics and injuries will have a huge impact on your spinal health as you grow older.

The inter-vertebral discs,  are the cushions between each vertebrae. If they are impacted or put under stress, either acutely or over a long period of time, they can flatten and shift and even break the capsule that surrounds the gel which is the ‘spring’ in the middle of the disc. If this happens the nerves associated with that disc will be affected and usually cause a lot of chronic pain. This is commonly called a “slipped disc” or “herniated disc”. Watch a video that explains how this causes pain.

Many people have a bulging disc that does not cause symptoms of pain, but in others is can be a severe hindrance. It is not uncommon to find a very old injury, 15 or 30 years previous, has been the initial cause of disc and vertebral changes that are now causing pain, degeneration and osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is the degeneration of the cartilage and bone of the spine, this causes pain as the nerve roots are compressed. Another cause of nerve root pain is spinal stenosis. A condition where the bone of the spine grows into the space of the vertebral canal and causes narrowing or the nerve root and spinal cord canals.

How to Address Chronic Back Pain

Exercises and stretches are vital to keep your muscles, nerves and joints in good order. You will need to get advice from your therapist as the road to wellness is not a straight line. There will be ups and downs.  As people get stronger, they are often less diligent with their exercises and begin to attempt doing activities that are beyond their back strength. This nearly always results in a re-injury which is very disconcerting and frightening for the client.

Unfortunately, many people lose all their core strength when their back is painful. Strong core muscles are one of the major factors in preventing further injury to your back.  Find a good physical therapist, Ortho-Bionomy  or  bowen practitioner, yoga or pilates teacher in your area and begin to gain your confidence and strength again before attempting any muscle building activities at the gym.

Pain relief and muscle calming medication is useful in the initial stages of pain management but can become addictive. Try other methods of pain management such as deep breathing and meditation. Both of these have been found to be  very effective and sometimes more effective than conventional medication at relieving chronic pain.

5 Stages to Wellness after Chronic Back Pain

  1. Inflammation and Pain relief
  2. Restore Range of Motion
  3. Increase Strength and core strength
  4. Endruance and Sprots Specific training
  5. Cardiovascular program

Potential Relief for Chronic Back Pain

How you go about gaining relief for chronic back pain is very personal, but relief is possible. There are many options other than medication and surgery , which should only be condidered as a last resort.  Regaining spinal alignment is very important. Muscle imbalances are often a major cause of spinal misalignment. Muscles can be retrained quite easily. It doesn’t need to be forced, gentle realignment can be even more successful for many people. Gentle methods include Ortho-Bionomy, Bowen, Gentle Osteopathic, Craniosacral therapy, relaxation, stretching, meditation, deep breathing, yoga, QiQuog, Tai Chi are just a few options that are available to you to explore and find the one that works best for you.

If you suffer from chronic back or neck pain, the Wesley Hospital in Brisbane has an excellent back pain clinic that runs for 5 day a week over 3 weeks and discusses every issue associated with your health and lifestyle.

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