Get Immediate Relief of Low Back Pain

After about 6 weeks, people who work with me are able to tell exactly when and where their low back pain comes on. 

You pain has a pattern, and when you understand how your thoughts, actions, and belief are a part of the pattern, you can take immediate action to safely relieve pain.

Maybe you have a specific movement that causes pain.

Maybe stress triggers your pain.

Rather than spiraling down into days or weeks of a pain flare-up, ask yourself...

“What am I doing in this position that triggers my stress?"

"Why is my body responding right now with tension and discomfort?"

The KEY to long-term lasting low back pain relief is practicing awareness of these pain patterns. Watch the video below to learn more.

Thad Matta's Back! How Yoga Physical Therapy Helped Relieve His Pain

When do you notice that you are FREE of PAIN?

As I transitioned away from traditional Physical Therapy practice to one that integrated the breathing and meditation of yoga to help clients with chronic pain, a client told me:

"I don't feel any pain while I am on vacation."

I was STRUCK!  It finally hit me what was causing his pain.  He knew, that's why he was seeking an innovative approach.  I knew too, but I needed validation of the root cause of his pain.  And that statement was the validation....

You see, he had just told me about a lifetime of low back pain, 2 surgeries (one leaving him with foot drop), and the past basketball season where he had so much pain his wife had to help him get dressed.  He knew that something needed to change.

If you live in US and love sports, you have heard of Thad Matta.  We both worked at Ohio State University and came together after that season of excruciating pain to try a new approach to his chronic low back pain.  He was gracious enough to discuss his experience using my Yoga Physical Therapy approach and how he was doing during the pandemic in 2020, almost 3 years after leaving coaching.  You can listen to the entire interview below.

So what was the root cause of his pain?  

As a Division 1 NCAA head basketball coach with enormous pressure to win...

...STRESS.  Pure and simple, stress was the root cause of his pain.  

Once he recognized the source, he could direct the right intervention to the right problem and experience much less pain.

A break from the stress of coaching had done him good.  He told me during the interview that he now had only occasional "twinges" of low back pain.  And his confidence in his back had grown!  So much that he is now back to coaching at his alma mater...Butler University.

How much is stress affecting your experience of pain? 

Reply to this email and let me know the ways that you can really tell that stress plays a role. 

As always, I'm curious and would love to hear from you.

Namaste,

Stephanie Kelley, PhD
Yoga Physical Therapist and Creator of Peace out of Low Back Pain

***If you are interested in programs using my blended approach, email me at info@stephaniecarterkelley.com

Why is your Core Weak?

Maybe you have been told you have a weak core and that this weakness contributes to your low back pain. I emphasize the word “contributes” because chronic low back pain is always caused by many reasons.

We know from research that training your core can help…some. But for many, even core training does not provide the desired results of pain relief. That’s because if you only focus on STRENGTH you miss training the muscular core for it’s true function…the more gentler ways that your core supports you!

Our society promotes a firm and hard core! You’ve seen the pictures of the “six pack” and we are told that this is a healthy core.

WRONG!

A healthy core is one that:

• is flexible to allow movement of the spine

• expands with the breath to allow full diaphragm and rib movement

• engages at low loads while sitting, standing and walking for trunk support

• coordinates with other muscles with accurate timing and control

• braces to assist other muscles in lifting heavy loads

You can see that only training with planks and sit-ups or crunches does not take into account full function of your core.

AND there is one big reason why your core doesn’t function the way that it should…

STRESS!

That’s right, ongoing poorly managed stress keeps the nervous system on high alert. In this state, big muscles of the torso stay tense at the ready to “punch or run” all the time. This tension leads to poor functioning in the core as described above.

A great way to get started with both stress management AND training of your core is SLOW DEEP BREATHING.

If you have had limited success with training your core and feeling less low back pain, AND you are interested in the kinder and gentler ways to train your core..

Register for my online workshop: Engage and Empower Your CORE.

You will get immediate access to a lesson about the function of your core, a guided self-assessment of both your superficial and deep core, short trainings to take the time you need to develop your core…from the inside out!

Physical Therapy Plus Yoga Leads to Your Spirit

Feel Happy by Relieving Tension from the Face and Jaw

Have you ever heard the saying: "Your expression says it all!"

You can communicate without saying a word. Many times you don't even realize what you are communicating. But I see this in my clients...stress, strain and tension in the face that is telling me SO...MUCH...MORE about what is going on inside.

We can also use the muscles of expression to create the way that we want to feel. Try it now...just smile! When you "Put on a happy face" you can begin to create that feeling inside too.

This meditation focses on the face, jaw and head to relieve tension which will allow you to...

...SMILE!

Namasate,

Stephanie

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are two ways that I can help you…

1.  Join my free Facebook group, Yoga Physical Therapy Approach to Ease Chronic Pain, where I and others just like you are ready to provide support.

***Request to Join the Facebook Group…Click Here

2.  Get on the waitlist for my online course, Yoga for a Better Back.  When the course opens you will have access to the approach where you Live More with Less Pain.

***GET on the Waitlist….Click Here

Feeling Pain? Shift Your Perspective

In my therapeutic yoga practice I talk about taking a new perspective around your chronic pain. You need to question your beliefs, thoughts and memories about your pain because there is ALWAYS a different perspective. If your current perspective is NOT working for you, i.e. you have tried many things but you are still in pain, give this meditation a try!

Namaste,

Stephanie

Yoga Physical Therapist and Creator of Yoga for a Better Back

P.S. Do you need help managing your chronic low back pain? Whenever you’re ready, here are two ways that I can help you…

1.  Join my free Facebook group, Yoga Physical Therapy Approach to Ease Chronic Pain, where I and others just like you are ready to provide support.

***Request to Join the Facebook Group…Click Here

2.  Interested in my online course, Yoga for a Better Back?  When the course opens you will have access to the approach where you learn how to Live More with Less Pain.

***GET on the Wait list….Click Here

SAFE Training for Your Back Muscles

Last week I shared my most popular video on YouTube by # of views. This week is #2!

In my yoga classes, I have students do these exercises regularly. I think it is really important to get on your stomach and use the effect of gravity to train your back muscles. To create CORE support you need to strengthen the muscles in each area of the torso. If you are familiar with yoga, this is a way to progress Locust Pose. If you feel pain with Locust, then use less effort and perform these poses for several weeks. Eventually, you will be able to progress to Locust!

First you need to find comfort while lying on your stomach. You can use pillows or a folded blanket to elevate your hips just a little bit. Over time, you should be able to find more comfort while on your Tummy!

As you perform these arm lifts, you can tighten through your glutes. But over time, with lots of practice, you want to keep the glutes relaxed and make those back muscles work.

You may notice that your legs want to lift up. That’s because your back muscles are not strong. The gluts contract and the legs lift in effort to support your spine. But that’s not what those muscles were meant to do! So over time, see if you can get those hip and leg muscles to relax.

The first position is holding your hands and arms off of the floor in a “Y” position. Make sure to keep breathing while you hold. Hold for 3 deep breaths when you start. Each week, progress by holding your arms up for another breath until you can hold the positions for 12 deep breaths. That’s about 2 minutes!

The next position is holding your hands and arms off of the floor in a “T” position. Start by squeezing your shoulder blades together in the middle of your back. Then lift those arms and make sure you maintain the “T”. If you don’t feel any pain or tension in the low back, you can also lift your forehead off of the floor. Just lift a little and keep your gaze down to the floor or mat. Again, start by holding your arms up for 3 deep long breaths.

The final position is with your hands along side of your thighs. Squeeze the shoulder blades together and slide them down your back. Lift both arms, if able lift the forehead. If you are comfortable and only sense effort of the back (not pain) then lift your chest off of the floor. Only progress lifting each part of your body as you are able. Hold for 3 deep long breaths.

You did it! And you have a way to progress the strength of those back muscles to create more CORE support.

If you have any difficulty with the position on your stomach, start back at the beginning with another video: Tummy Time.

Namaste,

Stephanie

P.S. Have you joined my private Facebook group? I try to give you even more information about how to Heal Your Pain!

SAFE Abdominal Training to Relieve Back Pain

This week I’m sharing the MOST popular of all my videos!

In this video I show you just one aspect of training the physical core that will support your low back and give you less pain. You also need to train the core muscles in the back and sides to create support all the way around your spine. Check out my other video to safely train your back muscles.

But what about support for your life?

What are you doing to support your emotions?

What are you doing to support your dreams and desires?

Do you feel supported by your partner, family or co-workers?

If you don't feel supported for your Mind and your Spirit, you will never have success in creating support for your Body and Spine. The stress associated with feeling a “lack of support” will activate the sympathetic nervous system to prepare you to “fight”, “run”, or “freeze”. When you live with the sympathetic nervous system turned on, your muscular CORE, just like your spiritual CORE, will never activate. You will stay stuck in the same place, weak and in pain.

So as you focus on the exercises in this video, let your mind wander a bit to the CORE of YOU!

What is your passion and how do you support it each and every day?

What or Who do you love most of all and how do you show your support?

What is your unique gift and how are you bringing it to light?

How can you create INNER support for your Self?

I believe that to achieve health, you must address Body, Mind and Spirit. You can use exercises like this with intention to access a deeper understanding of yourself so that in time you can create support for ALL of you.

Want to learn more about training your entire core: Body, Mind and Spirit? Join my private Facebook group to engage with me and others on this journey.

Namaste, Stephanie

P.S. Here's a link to the pictures mentioned in the video.

Relieve Pain: Manage Stress

Why does Yoga combined with PT provide added benefit to healing your chronic pain?  Even with 25 years of knowledge and experience in physical therapy, I didn’t have all the answers.  The practice of yoga helped me understand STRESS and how it affected my nervous system to keep me in pain.

I recently taught a group of Physical Therapists my P.A.C.E.d Approach for a Better Back, and after the lesson about stress and the nervous system, one PT stated “I just got my money’s worth for this class!” She had never known about the role of chronic stress on the nervous system and how this stress was contributing to her patients’ pain. It was transformative for her practice!

So even if you have had Physical Therapy, you may NOT have addressed all the reasons why you have pain!

So let me share with you, what I shared with her. Maybe you will have that Ah Ha! moment too.

Maybe you have heard of the part of the nervous system called “Fight or Flight”.  When this part of the nervous system is activated your body and mind gets ready to punch or run!  Every system of the body is affected.  Your heart starts beating harder and faster, your blood pressure increases, your digestion slows down, and your big muscles are turned on to hold tension and get you ready.  If your “Fight or Flight” nervous system is turned on all the time, then your body is feeling the effects.

While it is normal for the “Fight or Flight” response to get activated, it is normal for it to turn OFF.  “Rest and Digest” is the default state of the nervous system which means that it is supposed to be on ALL OTHER TIMES.  This part of the nervous system creates Calm and Clarity.

You CAN control your nervous system.  Yoga provides many methods to switch “Fight or Flight” off and to turn “Rest and Digest” on.  When I lead my students through the methods, they tune into the body and feel better (not worse) after the class.  And YES, that means less pain!

You may not even realize that you are living in overdrive.  With each episode of stress, you just pushed on through.  You have adapted to feeling tight all over.  Maybe you take medication for a variety of problems that all stem from the same cause: STRESS.

Don't Quit before you Start!

So many people say to me, "I can't do yoga because I'm not flexible".

But would you also say, "I can't run because I can't do a marathon"?

Or, "I can't start a business because I don't have all the answers"?

So what is really behind that statement?  Why would you quit before you even gave yourself a chance to start?

What I see beyond those words is...I'm SCARED to try something new.  I'm not sure how it will make me feel.  I'm afraid that people will look at me and I will feel embarrassed or ashamed.  If I step outside of my comfort zone, I might feel UNCOMFORTABLE.

When you get to the root of resistance in starting anything new, what you find is FEAR.  And fear is uncomfortable until you learn ways of coping and managing and even overcoming your fear.  Guess What?!  That's what Yoga is all about.

I met a student at the yoga studio this week who just finished her first class, EVER.  Another teacher and I told her how proud we were of her accomplishment.  She was smiling from ear to ear!  You could see that she felt proud and she was signing up to get MORE!

When you can make that first big step into discomfort with some fear, the other side, feels so good!  Because you have achieved, created, stretched and grown in ways you may not have expected.

Now, if you have pain, you might want a few guidelines to get you started.  Surprise!  I put together a video that gives you Seven Tips for starting a yoga practice.  Maybe you would feel more comfortable starting at home all alone.  That's OK too!  Start with my Video Blogs to learn and get started. 

And stay tuned for more training from me that you can do at home and your own P.A.C.E..

Namaste,

Stephanie

P.S. I have lots of other ways to get you started toward a Pain Free life. Each week I send education and movement right to your Inbox. Sign Up so that you don’t miss anything!

Moving in the Morning

Your morning practice doesn’t need to be a big production! You don’t have to commit to a certain amount of time or even work up a sweat!

The goal for me is to feel what my body needs as I roll out of bed, get on the floor and move for just a few minutes.

A regular movement practice, like yoga, helps you understand your body’s needs. So this isn’t my regular yoga practice, this is just a little bit of movement in the morning to feel better and energize me for the tasks ahead. My regular (and longer) yoga practice helps me know that I hold tension in my hips and low back.

The quiet and still part of my yoga practice helps me understand where, body ad/or mind, the tension comes from. So in the morning, I move the hips and back slowly, feel the sensations of the body and remind myself how I mindfully want to approach the day. I let my body bring awareness to my mind.

During the day, you can allow the mind to bring awareness to your body. When you feel tension in the neck, shoulders, hip or back, PAUSE. Do a few gentle movements to connect with your body. Give the body some nourishing movement so that you can ease the tension away and prevent the lingering pain.

This kind of movement is different from “exercise or physical activity” minutes that count towards aerobic or strengthening that I need each week. For this type of movement I’m interested in knowing the minimum effective dose (like medication!) that I need to keep pain under control or away completely during the day. To understand what you need and how much, move your attention back and forth throughout the day between your body and mind. Stay connected to your Self through this awareness as a way to manage your daily stress and pain.

Namaste,

Stephanie

Give Yourself Permission to Move

Over the past few years I have adopted a practice that addresses Body, Mind, AND Spirit. Much like the interaction in this video of “Cognitive Functional Therapy”, my treatment sessions are as much about the Mind and Spirit as they are about the Body.

Let me explain…

A client comes to me having heard many health professionals tell her to STOP moving. Don’t bend! Don’t lift! Don’t run! And the worst: Don’t do yoga! Or, she has been told that if she keeps moving, she will eventually need surgery.

Deep down inside, she knows that this is not true and that life can be better. That deep sense of knowing is Spirit and it leads her to my non-traditional practice. Her deep inner voice is saying: “I need to move! I don’t believe that I’m broken, damaged or too old to continue to do the things that I LOVE!”

Through conversation and education I address the Mind. We discuss beliefs about injury, disease and movement. I point out that some of the beliefs are actually myths. Not true. Not supported by research. And it is actually the belief, in the Mind, that keeps her from moving, not the Body.

Then I guide the person through movement. We talk about the Body and how it is supposed to move, how it can move. Are there limitations? Sometimes, YES. I may point out “better” ways to move. But everyone leaves with much more movement than when they came.

The intention with each activity is to get you to say to yourself:

“I give you permission to move”

It is not about Me giving You permission. It is about You giving Youself permission to move.

I love this work and I feel honored to have connected and uncovered a person’s Spirit through this practice.

Namaste,

Stephanie

P.S. You can work with me from anywhere online! I have programs and videos that guide you step-by-step through the process of granting you permission to move. Where do you hurt? Neck or Shoulders? Low Back or Hips? I have an online workshop that can help you get started today.

P.S.S. Do you want more information about how to live more with less pain? Join my email list to get articles/videos like this in your inbox each week.

P.S.S. and S! Cognitive Functional Therapy is a powerful treatment with loads of research behind it. When I first read about it, I couldn’t believe that my practice matched so well. But it was developed with years of experience in listening and interacting to patients on their journey with chronic pain.

Core Support: Right Muscles, Right Effort

This is a lesson from my online workshop that I think is critical in understanding how your low back stays in pain. I’ve been studying the core muscles in relation to treating people with back pain for over 25 years and these muscles still fascinate me! This is one of my favorite lessons because it has so much potential to help. When you understand how the body works, you can train it to stay out of pain.

First, I want to differentiate between the muscles of the Inner and the Outer Core. If you are a visual person, check out the video to see where the muscles are located in the body. You will clearly see how the deep muscles create support and the outer muscles create movement.

The inner core muscles are deep in the body and they function to create support for bones and joints. They contract automatically, without us even noticing, at a low level to support your posture before movement even happens. These muscles have fibers that get energy primarily from oxygen so that they turn on and hold for long periods of time. Four muscles around the low back create a cylinder of core support: the respiratory diaphragm, transversus abdominus, the pelvic floor, and multifidus. These muscles coordinate to function in a very specific pattern with your breathing.

The outer core muscles are large and turn “on and off” to create movement of the body and to support the body when the arms and legs move. They are designed for strength and power and are usually the first muscles that we train when we want to train the “core”. But a focus on only these muscles can lead to more pain.

When there is dysfunction in the inner core muscles, then the outer core gets recruited to help create support. However, it is not designed to create the low level of support needed for posture and instead creates compression. So think about adding extra load or compression all day long to your joints, bones and discs of the spine. Ouch! As I said before, the outer core is meant to turn “off” and relax unless you are moving. These muscles are made up of fibers that primarily need glycogen for energy. When glycogen is used up (fairly quickly), they fatigue and become pain producing.

Compression and Fatigue are the 2 reasons that you may feel pain during the day when you are seemingly not doing that much to irritate your back.

But why the dysfunction in the inner core?

What I now know is that stress plays a large role in this dysfunction. With injury these muscles also shut down in a protective way. But it is stress that keeps them turned off. When you live in chronic low level stress and stay in Flight or Fight all day long, the outer core is recruited and the inner core is deactivated. The outer core keeps you “ready” to punch or run. Stress also changes your breathing pattern. Proper function of the inner core is dependent on a deep 3-part breath. When stress makes you breath shallow, the inner core loses its ability to coordinate and activate in the right way.

All of this leads to a lack of support.

So when you feel a lack of emotional support = STRESS.

Stress results in a lack of muscular support for your spine = PAIN.

In my online workshop: Engage and Empower Your Core, I guide you through lessons, assessments and practices to:

1. Calm the nervous system

2. Feel the muscles of the inner core to assess their function

3. Engage the inner core muscles with breathing and low level activity

4. Train the inner core muscles for postural endurance

5. Create mobility after years of limiting motion because of pain and tension

6. Strengthen the outer core while caring for the inner core

I think this lesson highlights the importance of focusing on both the body and the mind to create support! If you want to learn more, register for the online workshop: Engage and Empower Your Core.

Namaste,

Stephanie

Step into Your Power: Train to Walk

In this video I show you simple exercises to activate your core, glute, and calf muscles to prepare you for walking. The muscles in the back side of your body propel you forward with each step. So while the exercises may seem simple, my clients and patients find them challenging! You need strength of these muscles of the first chakra to feel secure and balanced. Only then can you Step into Your Power.

This video is actually the 5th (and last) in a series of videos where I'm using a "Developmental Approach" to train your basic movements. As babies you learned how to lift your head, roll, crawl, and then walk. So in these 5 videos we're are going Back to the Beginning, like when you were a baby, in order to train your core muscles in a developmental way. Check out my other videos for Tummy Time, Rolling and Twisting, Crawling and Kneeling. Master each one in order so that you can re-train those core muscles to function in the right way!

To relieve pain, you may need to start with tuning into your body. This awareness can then be followed by engaging deep supportive muscles. The only way to start strengthening muscles for support of your spine, is to first get them to activate. So engage your core, tighten those glutes, lift and lower your heel, and make sure you feel what complete relaxation feels like.

Namaste,

Stephanie

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are two ways that I can help you…

1.  Join my free Facebook group, Yoga Physical Therapy Approach to Ease Chronic Pain, where I and others just like you are ready to provide support.

***Request to Join the Facebook Group…Click Here

2.  Get on the waitlist for my online course, Yoga for a Better Back.  When the course opens you will have access to the approach where you Live More with Less Pain.

***GET on the Waitlist….Click Here

#chronicpainpivot #mindyourspine #bodymindhealing #ourspinesweremeanttomove #flexiblespineflexiblemind #movementnotmedication #movenotmed #meditationnotmedication #tryeverythingbutopioidsforpainrelief #backpainrelief #neckpainrelief #hippainrelief #shoulderpainrelief #kneepainrelief #whydoihurt #yogaphysicaltherapist

Kneel to Honor Your Core

We’re still on the series of videos where I’m taking you back to the beginning. Today I am leading you through a few exercises while in kneeling. So gather a blanket to pad your knees and a chair for support if you need it and join me on the floor.

On a basic and physical level, kneeling is a functional position to transition from floor to standing as you did when you were a baby. To make the transition, you need flexibility of the ankles, knees and hips. You also need to engage the core muscles of your spine and hips. So kneeling is a great way to gain flexibility and core strength.

The position of kneeling also has great symbolism.

In panning this video, I thought about why we kneel and the word HONOR came into my mind. When we pay honor to someone, we kneel, bow, or genuflect. Kneeling is a position of reverence, for prayer or for meditation. You see athletes kneeling during sporting events. An athlete takes a knee when someone on the field is injured. Before and after competition, you see athletes take a knee and bow their head in prayer or reflection.

So as you practice these exercises in kneeling, I want you to HONOR.

• First, honor yourself. Honor and listen to your body so that you don’t push or strain. But also honor your accomplishments, honor your boundaries, and honor your gifts. The world needs YOU and all that you have to give.

• Second, honor someone that you admire. Maybe it is someone that has passed, someone who inspires you, or someone who cares for you even when you are not at your best. Kneel in honor of that person.

• Third, honor your loved ones. Honor you family and close friends that you hold dear.

• Fourth, honor those in your community and in the world. Though difficult to see in the daily news, there are good people and good things happening in your community and in our world. Honor those people and find ways to support them.

• Finally, Honor Your God, the Divine, or the Universal Energy that binds us together. We are all in this together and when we honor God, we find Hope, Love and Joy. When we find it, we can share it.

Maybe that is a little heavy for you or you think I’m making too much out of a few exercises! But each day we need to find ways to connect to Self and Spirit. And it can be very simple and quick as you create a daily routine.

Namaste,

Stephanie

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are two ways that I can help you…

1.  Join my free Facebook group, Yoga Physical Therapy Approach to Ease Chronic Pain, where I and others just like you are ready to provide support.

***Request to Join the Facebook Group…Click Here

2.  Get on the waitlist for my online course, Yoga for a Better Back.  When the course opens you will have access to the approach where you Live More with Less Pain.

***GET on the Waitlist….Click Here

2019, That's a Wrap!

That’s the video production term for when things are finished!  And as things are finished, it’s good to go back and review what you’ve done.  I’ve put lots of work into the YouTube videos that I send each week. (Not getting them? Join my email list)  I’m reviewing them here so that you have an easy way to find what you need. 

The lessons in my videos encompass ALL aspects of health: intellectual, physical, mental, social, environmental, financial, and spiritual.  Addressing any or all aspects of health might help you move closer to HEALING.  As you watch, pick one or more that appeal to you and repeat the lesson or practice a few times.  Then pick another and repeat the process.  Even though the practices are short, with consistency and time you will notice a change for the better.

Carve out some time and space to binge watch your way to better health!

Start with developing a better understanding of pain and your body and mind.  Education may help you change the negative beliefs that you have about your body.  I explain that diagnoses determined by pictures (XRAYs and MRIs) sound really scary (herniation, degeneration, deterioration, etc.) but are really just the normal aging process of the spine.  When you remove the label you have hope that you can feel better.  Also, the anatomy of the spine is amazing and much more resilient that we give it credit.  It has so many layers of tissue and muscle that are designed to support you.  Addressing these layers will recreate the support you need.  Finally, when you understand how stress affects your pain, you are more likely to use strategies, like meditation in order to manage (and I dare say reduce!) your stress AND pain.

When you start meditating, you may remember a past trauma, incident or injury that contributes to your current sensation of pain.  As you remember, write! Writing your story of pain, emotional, spiritual and/or physical can be very useful to the healing process.  There are several methods of writing that can help, with consistency and time, reduce your pain. Here’s a guide to get you start with a journal.

If you are feeling uncertain about starting the “yoga” based movement that I provide, this video provides some suggestions for getting started.  As a Physical Therapist, I’ll keep you safe!

When you realize all that you have put your body through, you want to start supporting it.  Creating strength around joints and bones helps you support your body, mind and spirit!  In physical therapy we start with STABILITY before we progress to MOBILITY.  You first need to find those deep and supportive muscles and really feel them.  These muscles support your posture every day so they need to be strong and have endurance.  I have several videos that can get you started with back strength, abdominal strength, leg strength, shoulder strength, quad strength, and hip strength.  If you feel like you need a little more protection for you spine while you squat, check out this video.

When you are ready to start moving, I have a progression that starts with natural movement of the spine.  Your spine was meant to move!  Use this movement to decrease your pain.  Even as a baby you began to move in a natural way by lifting your head, and then rolling, crawling, kneeling and walking.  But over time, your hips and upper back have become stiff as a result of lack of movement, holding emotional tension, and rounding for protection (much like the animal that balls up in defense).  So learning how to move through the hips or mobilizing the upper back while protecting the low back provides a sense of safety and security. Over time, you will gain confidence to move the whole spine through forward bending and backward bending.

Need a break at work?  Here are ways to relieve tension, create support and movement while at work, and counteract sitting by using a therapy ball.

As you feel better you want to progress!  If you want to try a yoga class, I can offer a few suggestions.  I also provide ways that you can progress core strength, leg strength and begin using standing yoga poses.

My hope is that you begin your healing journey today!

Namaste,

Stephanie

P.S.  Want more specific training for you CORE?  Join me January 10th for an ONLINE workshop via a private Facebook group.  To get the results you want, you first need to address how your mind shuts down your core each and every day.  It’s not just about muscles, I teach you how to strengthen the CORE of you!

If you can’t make the live training, don’t worry.  You will have ongoing access to the playback and I will be answering questions in the group through January 12th.

P.S.S.  Need a ball or roller to help you practice?

The white roller is great for almost anyone. But those that have sensitive spines or osteoporosis may want to invest in a softer roller. The ball comes in different sizes. So get the right one for your height.

Relieve Pain by Going Back to the Beginning: Crawl to Build Your Core

You need a strong core in order to crawl! Start by getting on your hands and knees. Feel free to put plenty of padding down for your knees and maybe have a chair nearby for support to get up and down from this position. Just give it a try! Besides being the first position to really gain mobility as a baby, this position is still functional for adults. I pull weeds and clean floors in this position. And because I want to be able to do those activities without feeling strain or tension, I practice, practice, and practice some more, training my core while on hands and knees.

In this series of videos I'm using a "Developmental Approach" to train some of your basic movements. As babies you learned how to lift your head, roll, crawl, kneel, and then walk. In these videos we're are going Back to the Beginning, like when you were a baby, in order to train your core muscles in a developmental way. Check out my other videos for Tummy Time, Rolling, Kneeling, and Walking. Master each one in order so that you can re-train those core muscles to function in the right way!

To relieve pain, you need to tuning into your body. This awareness can then be followed by engaging and using the deep supportive muscles. While on hands and knees, exhale and draw your lower belly up against the force of gravity. Practice this a few times to really feel those lower belly muscles. Now as you engage those muscles, shift your weight from wrists to knees and side to side. Feel how the muscles action of the core changes. For more challenge, find your center and lift an arm. Now lift a leg and weight shift. All of these movements are baby steps to crawling. Can feel how your core muscles need to engage and strengthen in order to move?

Namaste,

Stephanie

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are two ways that I can help you…

1.  Join my free Facebook group, Yoga Physical Therapy Approach to Ease Chronic Pain, where I and others just like you are ready to provide support.

***Request to Join the Facebook Group…Click Here

2.  Get on the waitlist for my online course, Yoga for a Better Back.  When the course opens you will have access to the approach where you Live More with Less Pain.

***GET on the Waitlist….Click Here

#rolllikeababy #engagethecore #chronicpainpivot #mindyourspine #bodymindhealing #ourspinesweremeanttomove #flexiblespineflexiblemind #movementnotmedication #movenotmed #meditationnotmedication #tryeverythingbutopioidsforpainrelief #backpainrelief #neckpainrelief #hippainrelief #shoulderpainrelief #kneepainrelief #whydoihurt #yogaphysicaltherapist

Relieve Pain by Going Back to the Beginning: Rolling and Twisting

In this video I show you how to Roll and Twist! You might be surprised in how difficult this is! Many of my yoga clients have been challenged to roll like a baby! I can still remember the first time my babies rolled, which they did quite by accident. But then it became natural and the first way to get where they wanted to go. Even as an adult, you need this movement. Your spine was meant to rotate and twist. It may take some time and space to develop your core and gain range of motion in order to roll. But it is worth it!

In this series of videos I'm using a "Developmental Approach" to train some of your basic movements. As babies you learned how to lift your head, roll, crawl, and then walk. In these 4 videos we're are going Back to the Beginning, like when you were a baby, in order to train your core muscles in a developmental way. Check out my other videos for Tummy Time, Crawling and Walking. Master each one in order so that you can re-train those core muscles to function in the right way!

To relieve pain, you may need to start with tuning into your body. This awareness can then be followed by engaging deep supportive muscles. The only way to start strengthening muscles for support of your spine, is to first get them to activate. To get from your back to your stomach, you need to lifting your head and reach across your body which the deep core muscles of your neck and torso. Dissociate rotation of your upper back from your low back and hips. Log rolling is NOT allowed! To get from lying on your stomach to your back, lift your arm and let your gaze follow your hand. Tune into the sensations of your body and take time to stretch a little if you need to.

Namaste,

Stephanie

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are two ways that I can help you…

1.  Join my free Facebook group, Yoga Physical Therapy Approach to Ease Chronic Pain, where I and others just like you are ready to provide support.

***Request to Join the Facebook Group…Click Here

2.  Get on the waitlist for my online course, Yoga for a Better Back.  When the course opens you will have access to the approach where you Live More with Less Pain.

***GET on the Waitlist….Click Here

#rolllikeababy #engagethecore #chronicpainpivot #mindyourspine #bodymindhealing #ourspinesweremeanttomove #flexiblespineflexiblemind #movementnotmedication #movenotmed #meditationnotmedication #tryeverythingbutopioidsforpainrelief #backpainrelief #neckpainrelief #hippainrelief #shoulderpainrelief #kneepainrelief #whydoihurt #yogaphysicaltherapist

Relieve Pain by Going Back to the Beginning: Tummy Time

This is the first of a 4 part series of videos where I take you through the developmental sequence in order to train your core muscles so that can support you and result in LESS PAIN.

Developmental sequencing has been used for a long time in Physical Therapy. These exercises are based on central nervous system (Brain and Spinal Cord) maturation and the normal development of human movement. Rehabilitation programs for both children and adults are based on the progression of human movement starting in infancy, i.e. roll, crawl, stand, walk and run. These programs are most commonly used for adults that have had a neurological injury, like a stroke or traumatic brain injury. But over the last several years, these techniques have also found their way into orthopaedic and sports rehabilitation programs.

The Developmental Approach has had something of a REBIRTH! (Pun intended!)

This approach is so more than just strengthening or stretching. The foundation of this approach is that humans have specific MOTOR PROGRAMMING genetically “built in” and coordinated movement is developed by creating MOTOR CONTROL and specific MOTOR SKILLS along a specific progression.

Why do People with Chronic Pain need Developmental Sequencing?

People with chronic pain have stopped moving in these coordinated movements. When subconscious protective “fight, flight, or freeze” aspect of the nervous system is OVERACTIVE, these normal movements become impaired. This is essentially a neurological injury and the longer a person has had chronic pain, the poorer she moves. And because our body parts are interconnected, pain and movement impairment spreads to regions seemingly uninjured. So that’s why, in these videos, I’m taking you…

BACK TO THE BEGINNING!

In this first video you are going to experience TUMMY TIME! I’m going to show you how to comfortably get onto your stomach and start building the core muscles of your back. All the movements are gentle and focused on muscle activation, sequencing and contraction in isolation. However, if you have not been on your tummy for a long time, you may just want to start with that. Just get on your stomach and breathe. You may have been told NEVER to lie on your stomach after a neck or back injury. But that person didn’t understand the importance of TUMMY TIME for returning to a life without pain. Just as tummy time is natural for babies, it is natural for you too. So let go of any fear that you may have with this position, grab a few pillows, and go for it.

Namaste,

Stephanie

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are two ways that I can help you…

1.  Join my free Facebook group, Yoga Physical Therapy Approach to Ease Chronic Pain, where I and others just like you are ready to provide support.

***Request to Join the Facebook Group…Click Here

2.  Get on the waitlist for my online course, Yoga for a Better Back.  When the course opens you will have access to the approach where you Live More with Less Pain.

***GET on the Waitlist….Click Here

Chronic Pain Flare-Up: Catastrophe or Calm, It's Your Choice

Your response to a chronic pain flare up is YOUR CHOICE.  I’m here to educate you so that you can make the healthy choice.  So let’s talk about what to do when you have a “flare up” of chronic pain.  I’m in the middle of one right now, so I’m very aware of my 2 options of how I deal with it. 

A.      I can ruminate on the pain and think of it as a CATASTROPHE!  I have worked so hard to reduce my low back pain and now it’s baaaack!!! Panic and Freak Out! 

B.     Oops! I must have done something to my back.  I just need to breathe and move gently and I will be better in a week. Soooo….

via GIPHY

Let me explain what happens if I choose A vs. B.

If I choose A, I exaggerate the situation and focus on the negative which is called pain catastrophizing.  I have negative thoughts about what is happening now (“I’ve really messed up my back!”) and what will happen in the future (“I’m never going to get rid of this pain”!”).  It is hard to get my mind off the pain.  In doing this, I send my entire nervous system into ALARM mode.  The nervous system doesn’t discriminate between physical pain and emotional pain, so both will be affected.  It also doesn’t discriminate in the location of pain.  So the result of pain catastrophizing is magnification of low back pain and sensing pain in other areas of the body.  So everything feels as though it hurts and this amplifies the pain even more and creates a viscous cycle.  I will also have emotional pain and may lash out to loved ones in a defensive way rather than seeking support during this pain flare up.  The entire nervous system gets ramped up and this could send me into a heightened state of anxiety or even depression.

Whew! Lots of negative consequences with that response.

If I choose B, I logically review my activity over the last day or so and realize that I didn’t do anything that would harm my back.  Maybe I sat too much on a long drive and visit with family.  Maybe I was a bit too zealous on a long walk and talk with a friend.  But neither of those 2 activities should hurt my back.  It is just a little twinge and it will all go away based on normal healing times for an acute injury. These thought patterns create CALM in my mind.  So I perform gentle exercises to make sure that I don’t hold tension in my body and don’t lose any motion while the pain in elevated.  I can also do a few strengthening exercises to turn on the deep core muscles to make sure that they don’t reflexively shut down.  These actions also create CALM.  When I stay CALM, I allow the body to HEAL.

These 2 responses are absolutely CHOICES when you are AWARE of what is happening.  With this education, you can recognize negative thoughts as they arise and chose to shift the thoughts to CALM.  You can recognize the sensations in your body, like holding tension in other areas besides the painful area, and choose to breathe and gently move in order to LET GO of the tension. Recognizing your thoughts and body sensations and choosing positive instead of negative is a Cognitive Behavioral Strategy that has been shown via research to reduce low back pain.   The goal is to tell the nervous system…Cue Taylor Swift again…

YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN!

I hope this education helps you as much as it helps me.

Namaste,

Stephanie

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are two ways that I can help you…

1.  Join my free Facebook group, Yoga Physical Therapy Approach to Ease Chronic Pain, where I and others just like you are ready to provide support.

***Request to Join the Facebook Group…Click Here

2.  Get on the waitlist for my online course, Yoga for a Better Back.  When the course opens you will have access to the approach where you Live More with Less Pain.

***GET on the Waitlist….Click Here