Helping You Achieve a Pain Free Life Living

Is Posture Alignment Corrective Exercise Covered by Insurance?

Deb Preachuk — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:02:00 GMT

Educating people about the profound effects and empowering simplicity of a corrective exercise program like posture alignment corrective exercise is the best job in the whole world!

As a Certified Posture Alignment Specialist, I get to help my clients learn that their bodies have an innate capability to heal when you give it just half a chance.

When you partner with a pain relief and posture restoration professional who knows how to identify the ROOT CAUSE of a chronic muscle/joint pain related problem, problems like back, neck, knee and sciatica can easily be alleviated.

I got a lot of positive responses and questions from folks after my post Can Posture Alignment Therapy Alleviate Sciatica Pain? was published. One question in particular kept popping up.

"Does insurance cover the cost of Posture Alignment Therapy?"

Is Posture Alignment Therapy Covered by Insurance?

NO. Insurance does not cover corrective exercise programming like posture alignment therapy. However, more and more Health Savings Accounts do reimburse for appointments, so that is an option you can check into with your HSA. We gladly provide you the receipts you need for reimbursement.

However, I hate to just leave the topic right there. Perhaps it's best to give you some background and comparison.

Posture Alignment Therapy is a corrective exercise program that is profoundly effective at eliminating chronic pain. This success is due to the fact that we do not practice a symptomatic approach to pain management like traditional western medicine. Instead, we look for the root cause, or origin of why your joints and muscles are causing the pain. (For more information see Postion vs Condition)

I consider posture alignment, pilates and other restorative corrective exercises to be a "preventative healthcare" program. As such, the cost of sessions absolutely pales in comparison to traditional medical care and insurance covered modalities.

However, when a preventative and effective service like posture alignment therapy is not covered by insurance, people get blinded by the sticker price.

The problem? The whole cost vs benefit equation doesn't get factored in.

In my opinion, people really don't have a good idea of what the real cost of medical services is when insurance covers the bill.

Unfortnately, the way our healthcare system is set up, the actual costs of services are hidden away from view and rarely discussed. As long as it's covered by insurance, we tend to tune out and forego any cost-benefit analysis.

I discussed it in a recent Facebook post I put up:

#PosturalTherapy is #preventative #healthcare. One of the most common questions/complaints about posture alignment therapy that I receive is "Are your services covered by insurance?"

No, it isn't. But before you walk away, I'd like to encourage you to do some math and figure out for yourself if the cost of a series of appointments & corrective exercise menus is worth investing in when you compare it to the cost of a typical medical procedure that can often be avoided with #corrective exercise.

Example: #Laminectomy Surgery (source Healthbase):

1. Average cost of #laminectomy surgery is $23,000 to $35,000 without insurance.
2. Hospital stays $500 to $1,500 a day. Average stay? 3 days.
3. Pain medication required (prescription costs vary)
4. Factor in the cost of time taken off of work
5. May have physical therapy prescribed

You should also factor in all of the time, appointments and other treatment options you invested in prior to needing to have the surgery

Then there's the issue of your monthly health insurance cost, out-of-pocket/network expenses and the probability that your premiums may now go up.

Problem: surgery may have isolated the symptom, and mechanically created a solution for now. However, it did not address the root cause of why you needed the surgery in the first place. Your musculo-skeletal imbalances are still there in your body, and you have just gone through a long period of little or no activity. You'll still be bringing dysfunctional motor patterns into your habits of daily living which causes repetitive stress to your musculo-skeletal system. You are just as likely to have a new pain occur, or not get the kind of pain relief you were hoping to get from the surgical intervention.

Estimated Cost? $35,000 to $55,000 (and this does not take into account the cost of all the other treatments, products and modalitis and time you've invested in prior to to the point of having the surgery take place).

Example: #Chiropractic Care (source ArticleBase)

Chiropractic care for sciatica is certainly helpful and there are many studies showing their efficacy.

"The study in "Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics" reported "sixty percent of patients with sciatica who had failed other medical management benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention."1 Further, surgery for sciatica can cost up to $25,000 and involves the risks associated with invasive surgery. When compared to the average 21 chiropractic sessions at $100 ($2,100) to treat sciatica, this is a savings of $22,900.2

The researchers concluded that spinal manipulations performed by a chiropractor proved to be an effective and cost efficient treatment for sciatica. Patients with sciatica due to a herniated disk should consider treatment by a chiropractor before surgery. Chiropractic manipulations have proven to successfully relieve sciatica without the need for surgery in many instances. For patients that do need to proceed with surgery, the study found that patients who delayed surgical treatment and tried chiropractic care first experienced no negative effects."

Problem: While chiropractic is certainly effective, you will have to do a treatment course of bi-to-tri weekly appointments, factor in the time and the co-pay. In general there is no follow-up with at home corrective programming.

So yes the cost is reduced (average cost $2,100), but it's improtant to remember that "bones will go where muscles tell them to". If you are routinely getting adjustments to isolate a pain source without correcting the root cause of why the sciatica pain occurred in the first place, it is at best another symptomatic apporach to the issue.

There is no doubt you wil feel better from chiropractic care, but there is also a high likelihood that the probelm will return again at some point so why not invest in eliminating the root cause?

Example: #Postural Therapy #CorrectiveExercise

Cost varies depending on each person's independent practice. Here at Pain Free Posture MN, I charge $175.00 in person for an initial evaluation, posture & gait analysis, posture photos, creating and teaching a corrective menu. You'll spend approximately 2 hours with me, and I am available to you for follow-up care and coaching.

Follow-up appointments are $100.00/session for a new corrective exercise programming menu and instruction. We also have options where you can come in for a simple menu review and coaching without the new menu generation for half that cost.

We also offer Skype appointments for ($100/session) for those that can't come in but still want to do postural therapy and basic online menu generation for $75.00/menu.

Most clients do 5-8 menus to start, and continue on with follow-up sessions for maintenance on a monthly/bi-monthly basis to begin with, then transition to only scheduling 3-4x/year for a posture re-evaluation and a new menu generation.

No hospital stay

No Pain medication

No weekly or bi-weekly appointments for multiple weeks

Menus mitigate pain and increase mobility right away

Corrective Exercise Menus are done in your free time during the day (no time off work)

Minimial equipment is required. To maximize your corrective exercise menus, clients may choose to purchase tools to facilitate their menus (total $350.00 max), but they can be done without. NOTE: I personally recommend that clients invest in the right equipment - it really does make a huge difference!

Average cost for 8 sessions including equipment? $900 to $1,200.00

Problem: you have to do your exercises on you own at home. You get out of the program what you put into it. You don't do your exercises, you aren't making a proactive change in your postural habits and motor mechanics.

Benefit? If you put in the time, you are proactively taking control of your health and body. Your corrective exercise menus are designed to bring your body back into balance, eliminate dysfunctional motor patterns which caused the pain and improve your performance of activities of daily living and fitness on your own, without time off or any other additional costs.

Plus you now have "tools in your tool-box", meaning you have a series of menus you can pull out to use in the future to keep your body in balance. You'll learn how to read your body's signals, and know when to implement them again for years to come.

You can do the math! But why listen to me? Here's Ann's testimonial of what postural therapy has done for her.

So no, posture alignment therapy is not covered by insurance. But I can assure you, if you invest in your health and take a proactive empowering approach to balancing out your body, it will yield a pain free and active lifestyle. And that's PRICELESS!

Can Postural Therapy Help Alleviate Sciatica Pain?

Deb Preachuk — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:58:00 GMT

Can a corrective exercise program like posture alignment therapy help alleviate sciatica pain?

I get that question a lot here at Pain Free Posture MN. In fact, I just received an email a couple of days ago that reads:

"Deb - my friend suggested I talk to you.

I have been experiencing LOWER BACK PAIN for about 4 months now.

I tried to work it through myself for the first 6 weeks or so and then went to a chiropractor who took x-rays. The pictures showed good alignment, separation, and overall structure except the L5 which was tipped backwards and apparently then pinching that disc and causing the sciatica.

Is this something that you can help me with?"

Can Postural Therapy Help Alleviate Sciatica Pain?

The answer is, YES, posture alignment therapy can absolutely help alleviate sciatica pain!

Let's face it, Sciatica Pain SUCKS! In my experience the best solution to alleviate sciatica pain is by using a corrective exercise program like postural therapy. We're not your average run of the mill pain relief program. In fact, it's completely different!

I'm not in the symptomatic pain relief business. I won't be giving you exercises specific individual muscles or isolated areas like the low back. Instead, I'm here to

Listen to you! You know more about your body than any expert in the world.
Partner with you to investigate WHY your low back and sciatica hurts in the first place
Educate you about your POSITION (posture) vs your CONDITION (your pain/symptom)
Treat you the client as a WHOLE. You are much more than just a body!
Assess your posture (position) to identify where there are global imbalances
Develop a progressive corrective exercise program to bring musculoskeletal balance and function back to the body.

Let me explain.

The premise of posture alignment therapy is that the body works as a unit.

Tackling the problem of sciatica symptomatically (by only addressing the pain and limitation) WITHOUT isolating, addressing and correcting the ROOT CAUSE, you virtually ensure that the pain (sciatica, L5 pinched disc and resulting cyst) will not fully heal.

At best, rest/inactivity, ice, and/or massage, will calm the area down for awhile, and Chiropractic care certainly assists in symptomatic pain relief as the manipulations coax the bone(s) back into place.

The problem? None of those approaches addresses the ROOT CAUSE, or why the disruption occurred in the first place.

As a Certified PAS, I believe that "bones will go where muscles tell them to".

Remember that in the above email, the x-rays showed good spacing in-between the vertebrae, except a constriction and backward tilt in the L5 vertebrae.

So the SYMPTOM is the radiating pain down the back, buttocks and leg caused by the sciatic nerve impingement.

It's very important that you STOP and ask the BIGGER QUESTION.

"What caused the L5 vertebrae to move out of it's proper position and cause the constriction in the first place?"

In this particular instance, I suspect you have a hip disparity. Typically, the onset of sciatica is the result of habitual posture misalignment of the four major load joints (hips specifically, although accidents and traumas can also bring it on as well). My educated guess is that while the pain (sciatica) is coming from the low back (disruption to the pelvis and L5 Vertebrae), and the root cause is the lack of symmetrical function and muscle-length tension in the hips (your position).

HIP DYSPARITY is a common posture deviation associated with sciatica pain. This means that there is a lack of symmetrical position and function in the hips joints which causes the pelvis to shift out of it's proper position. Irregardless of pain, unless it is addressed and corrected, a hip disparity is brought into every activity you participate in. This could be:

Elevated Hip/Pelvis: pelvic girdle is tilted laterally with one side higher/lower than the other)
Pelvic Rotation: one side of the pelvis is further forward than the other), or
Pelvic Girdle Tilt: anterior/posterior (causing either little to no curve or an excessive curvature in the lumbar spine).

Most frequently, with postural analysis and palpation to confirm, all three imbalances are found. When you find a disparity like that (elevation, rotation and a tilt) it's easy to see how the L5/SI Joint structure can get pinched causing pain!

If that's the case, then in essence ALL of the muscles that act on and cross the pelvis, hip and low back are out of balance in terms of their proper muscle-length tension relationship.

This muscular imbalance and resulting incorrect joint position is what has allowed the pelvis and spine to shift position leaving the body susceptible to a variety of pain like sciatica (but can also include knee strain, arches problems of the feet or neck pain just to name a few).

So you can see why Postural therapy can effectively help alleviate sciatica pain.

We treat our clients as a WHOLE body.

That is exactly what postural therapy can do for you! When you partner with a Certified Posture Alignment Specialist, you'll hire the expert services of a posture restoration pro who knows how to treat your body as a unit and put together a progressive corrective exercise program designed to identify and address the imbalances at the root cause of the sciatica (or other) pain problem.

Hope that helps. Best of luck with your situation. Let me know what I can do to help.

Tips to Alleviate Hip Pain and Avoid Surgery

Deb Preachuk — Wed, 01 May 2013 14:27:00 GMT

I'm pleased to present a guest blog today discussing tips to alleviate hip pain and ways to avoid surgery.

In addition to caring for your body by keeping your muscles and joints in the best alignment possible, author Linda Grayling of of Drugwatch.com highlights the importance of diet, nutrition, exercise and alternative treatment options.

Here at Pain Free Posture MN we are 100% dedicated to helping our clients alleviate pain and avoid surgery whenever possible. Posture Alignment Therapy falls into the class of alternative treatments, however, don't let the words fool you! Postural Alignment is an innovative joint and muscle corrective exercise program that addresses the ROOT CAUSE of hip pain and degeneration. I often say "it's so simple, it's profound"!

If we are able to see you before irreparable damage is done to the joint, you can avoid surgery! And if not, we can still help! Postural therapy can help you minimize your daily pain because we'll help you eliminate incorrect motor patterns and dysfunctional/compensating muscle and joint actions.

I hope you enjoy the following advice!

Tips to Alleviate Hip Pain and Avoid Surgery

By: Linda Grayling - Drugwatch.com

Hip replacement surgery is one of the most common surgical procedures in the United States. Replacing a hip joint that has been injured or damaged by chronic conditions like arthritis can restore function and reduce pain.

Unfortunately, certain models of hip implants, specifically the recalled DePuy ASR system and Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II, have caused painful complications in thousands of Americans who received them.

The metal components of these implants rub together and can shed metal into bones, tissues and the bloodstream. They also have high rates of implant failure and often require revision surgery.

To avoid these complications -- and possibly even the need for hip replacement surgery – patients with hip problems should consider conservative treatments first.

Diet

The hip is a weight-bearing joint, so it follows that excess body weight increases pressure on the joint. Losing extra weight can really help relieve some of that stress, and eating a nutrient-rich, anti-inflammatory diet can alleviate some of the painful swelling associated with chronic conditions like arthritis.

Patients should avoid starchy, processed foods, decrease their consumption of alcohol and animal proteins, and eat more fruits and vegetables. Joint supplements, like fish oil or glucosamine, also have demonstrated marked pain relief in many patients.

Exercise

When people become less active, hip health deteriorates and hip function declines. That’s why it’s important to strengthen the muscles surrounding the hip, because when these supporting muscles are weak the likelihood of a hip injury is greater.

Those with arthritis pain should speak with a physician prior to beginning a new routine. They should start slow and should never exercise through the pain. Low-impact activities like walking, swimming and cycling are best for hip health.

Pain management can often be achieved through exercises with a mind-body connection like yoga or Tai Chi. Many patients respond to the combination of exercise with meditation and breathing techniques, and report improvements in hip pain.

Alternative Therapies

Acupuncture increases circulation, stimulates nerve pathways, reduces inflammation and triggers the release of the body’s natural pain-blocking hormones. Many patients with hip pain caused by a chronic condition have found regular acupuncture treatments can dramatically reduce pain.

Chiropractic care is centered on the idea that proper alignment of the musculoskeletal system, achieved and maintained through regular adjustments, is the foundation of health. Chiropractors may use electrotherapy of the nerves and muscles surrounding the hip as well as posture alignment, joint manipulation and deep tissue massage to manage hip pain.

Using ergonomic tools around the house and making modifications to limit joint irritation can help alleviate painful flare-ups. A walking aid/cane removes some of the body weight from sore hips, and helps prevent further damage.

Linda Grayling writes for Drugwatch.com. She works to stay on top of the latest medical news.

Live Aloha - My Postural Therapy Story Comes Full Circle

Deb Preachuk — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 14:35:00 GMT

Aloha! I'm writing to you all from beautiful Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii! I'm here to teach a Posture Alignment Specialist Certification Seminar.

I can't possibly communicate with accurate depth how grateful I am to be in Kailua right now. It feels like I've come full circle in my professional career, and in fact, it truly has.

I am teaching PAS 1 & 2 Seminar at Pilates Training Center Hawaii, the very place where I first found posture alignment therapy.

Back in May of 2007, I had the opportunity to fly to Oahu for the day to visit. While at PTCH, I saw another Pilates instructor working with a client. While in the midst of a private pilates session, she was modifying a movement with a style almost identical to my own.

I can never express how seeing that practically knocked me over. In almost 10 years of teaching pilates, and almost 20 years of teaching movement, I had NEVER seen anyone else look at the person as a whole unit.

Although the client was in a pilates session, the instructor identified a joint dysfunction which limited the correct movement and function required of the exercise. The pilates instructor, Jeebee Yim was masterfully addressing her client's joint dysfunction with a corrective exercise (hooklying knee pillow squeezes) to create the proper demand.

I had been doing just that with my own clients for years! If the client couldn't do it, I was determined to figure out what wasn't happening in the body and then create a path and a way to facilitate it.

Since I had never seen anyone beside myself teach like that, I had to know more about this person. In a brief conversation between myself and Jayme Newhouse (the studio owner), I was introduced to Posture Alignment Therapy. That day changed my life forever and the rest is history!

I'll never forget when Jayme said to me, you must practice Egoscue! "Eh-ga-what"? "What is that, a Hawaiian word", is what I said. She said Egoscue, you must do Egoscue. I was confused. She said here, look at her text book (it was a copy of Pain Free by Pete Egoscue). I looked through that book, and found out there there were other people just like me. That's who I was! People who practiced posture alignment therapy were my people! I had intuitively been practicing a form of movement to help people get out of pain and restore their posture without knowing that there was such a certification!

So today not only am I a Certified Posture Alignment Specialist, but I've become an Adjunct Instructor of Egoscue University.

I have the utmost privilege to teach and help others work towards their Certification too!

My trip to Hawaii is now come full circle. I'm here to teach Jayme Newhouse, the very person who invited me to come to Ohau to visit her studio! We are in our last day of training together and it's been an amazing week, postive energy and extra adventures outside of our training time, all with the purpose of helping people here in Hawaii truly achieve a pain free life and living.

I've met wonderful clients, staff and students of Pilates Training Center Hawaii, and everyone is excited to have posture alignment therapy available as an additional resource in their health and total wellness tool-box!

Today I'm here in Hawaii because I took a risk 6 years ago, and my life has been forever changed! I'm passionate about what I do, because I know it works. And it's a privilege to be able to share it with others.

I know Jayme is going to be an amazing provider of postural therapy here in Oahu and thousands of lives will be changed for the better. Make sure you reach out and book your sessions. You'll be in the best of care!

Mahalo!

Chronic Inflammation & Posture Alignment Therapy

Deb Preachuk — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:28:00 GMT

Today we have a guest blog by Lisa Meyer of Pain Free Performance in Charlottesville, VA. Lisa discusses how chronic inflammation of the joints develops due to imbalanced postural position.

I completely agree with Lisa. When there are misalignments in the four major load joints, the cumulative results of imbalances is low grade joint inflammation. Left unaddressed, overtime, this inflammation is the root cause of a multitude of serious osteoarthritic problems.

Postural alignment therapy with a Certified Posture Alignment Specialist plays a huge and positive role in helping to reduce chronic inflammation of the joints. I've seen it happen hundreds of times with my own clients. However, in my opinion, I would also like to point out that human beings are more than just a body. Posture is just one component of the whole picture.

What we feed it (nutrition and hydration), our emotions (stressed, anxious, angry or balanced and generally calm), the quality of or sleeping patterns (restorative rest /good quality sleep of 8-9 hours), and lifestyle also play a large factor in reducing overall chronic inflammation in addition to posture alignment therapy.

So the first step is to restore the posture. Once you get the pain to calm down and the body working better, then begin to tackle the other areas. I'd suggest food first as many people have chronic inflammation of the gut and don't know it simply due to the kinds of food they injest on a daily basis. We'll discuss this more in upcoming posts, but in the meantime, I'll let Lisa introduce you to the relationship between Chronic Inflammation, Posture Alignment Therapy and what that means for people who are have muscle and joint pain.

Enjoy!

Chronic Inflammation – What Does It Mean?

By Lisa A Meyer | Pain Free Performance

We tend to think of inflammation as redness, swelling, stiffness and heat. We experience it when we twist our ankle, bump our head, cut or burn ourselves. This type of inflammation is known as acute inflammation. When trauma occurs to the body, our immune system dispatches cells, chemicals, blood and other fluids to protect and heal the damaged tissue. This biological reaction is a brilliant immune response.

However, there is a different type of inflammation that might be damaging your joints and organs without you realizing it. This low level or low-grade inflammation is called chronic inflammation. Unlike acute inflammation, the swelling, stiffness and heat are so subtle that it is almost undetectable. Again, the body is providing this immune response to protect, but when the stimulus is so constant the inflammation begins to work against us.

Chronic inflammation is one of the telltale signs that joints are misaligned. Misaligned joints lose space and their ability to absorb shock, making them susceptible to excess compression, friction and tension. The misaligned joint does not allow the connective tissue in an around the joints to do their job to rehydrate or repair. Eventually chronic inflammation and joint compression escalate and cause stiffness, tenderness, swelling and pain.

By the time you notice the symptoms of chronic inflammation in one joint or region of the body, other areas have already been affected. At the first sign of inflammation, the body begins to compensate to avoid pain. This is a good thing in the short-term however it can be devastating to our alignment and posture. Nerves are compressed, which can cause tingling, numbness, and pain. Muscles become fatigued, strained and out of balance which can cause soreness, inflexibility and pain. You may experience neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, and foot pain all because muscle imbalance and misaligned joints are creating it. What is the cause? POOR POSTURE.

It’s important to understand the effects of chronic inflammation because according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, half of us will develop degenerative joint disease or osteoarthritis as outlined above. Because most current medical treatments do not address the root cause of the disease, joint replacements become almost inevitable. We provide an alternative to this unsettling prognosis.

The Egoscue method of pain management focuses on joint position and muscle imbalance. In the first two-hour session, we take posture photos, analyze gait, and perform functional movement screens to determine where the muscle imbalances are that are creating misaligned joints and chronic inflammation. By correcting these imbalances, and returning the body to proper alignment, the connective tissue will be allowed to do its job, inflammation will decrease, and you are on your way to keeping your joints for life! You will not only be pain free you will be inflammation free.

About the Author: Lisa A. Meyer is the Clinic Manager at Pain Free Performance and has more than 20 years experience as a medical practice manager both at the University of Virginia and in private practice. In her second life, she created an inspiring retail art and gift gallery here in Charlottesville showcasing women artists from the area and across the country. Lisa most recently spent several years managing an interior design firm and still has a small decorating business. She is often the first face and voice you will encounter at Pain Free Performance. Her love of art, compassionate nature, and business spirit help create the feel of Pain Free as well as the needed structure for this thriving, caring, pain management clinic.

Mistake #3 With Postural Therapy

Deb Preachuk — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:42:00 GMT

It's time to get caught up on our series The 3 Biggest Mistakes you can Make with Postural Therapy.

If you've missed our previous posts make sure to get caught up on the discussion by visiting:

Mistake # 3 With Postural Therapy

You tried a menu out of one of the books on your own without the help of a Certified Posture Alignment Specialist. While trying the menu of exercises you:

experienced discomfort or sensations you were unfamiliar with, and/or
struggled (getting into or doing) the corrective exercises

As a result simply gave up on postural therapy, blaming the methodology without investigating further (why).

Boy oh boy. This one is a doozie! Here is the big idea. As wonderful as free exercises and self-help books are, there is no substitute for expert coaching! Never.

Postural therapy works. But unfortunatly things get easily lost in translation. Even with the best of intentions (looking at the photo(s), reading and following the directions), things can still go wrong.

I've seen it many times.

Every once in awhile I'll get an email or a new client in my studio from someone who has been struggling on their own working out of Pain Free or the free exercises I have on my site and challenged me as to why it they weren't providing pain relief. My favorite one is "your exercises don't work!"

They are naturally disappointed. I totally understand. Postural Therapy offers hope that your body isn't broken, and if given just half a chance it can heal if we give it the proper attention. So when the "magic" doesn't happen right away, some disillusion sets in.

Here's a few things to remember about Sample Menus:

Pain is Pain - Listen to Your Body! | We never coach our clients to work through old symptomatic pain. If you can't get into the exercise, or something doesn't feel right, STOP! Most likely it's your position, not your condition, meaning that it is the body going into the movement and not the movement itself that is the problem. Your body is telling you that something isn't right. Listen to your body! It is saying that you need a modification, completely different sequence of exercises or coaching to get into and out of the exercise correctly. If postural therapy makes sense to you, hire a pro. We know what to do to help. (To find your local PAS visit our Resource Center)
Samples are Just That | Free exercise downloads and menus out of Pete's books are what works in general for the affected condition/area. They show you how simple, yet profoundly easy postural therapy is. The exercises and menus certainly do relieve pain, however, they are not customized for an individual's unique postural presentation.
One Size Does Not Fit All | While very effective, I have no way of seeing your posture, assessing your needs, designing a menu specific to the client, teaching the client how to set up, get into and out of the exercise correctly, or provide modifications if necessary.

Kinesthetic Dysfunction

What I call Posture Distortion (aka Kinesthetic Dysfunction) is a funny thing. When the body is performing correctly and exsists close to it's "blue-print design" we will have a great sense of Kinesthesia (Awareness of the position and movement of the parts of the body by means of sensory organs (proprioceptors) in the muscles and joints) source Google.

I believe that each person doing postural therapy sample exercises on their own goes into their exercises truly setting up and performing the exercise correctly in their minds eye. I see this all the time when I teach.

The problem is that your posture is imbalanced. You have what is referred to as Kinesthetic Dysfunction "the inability to sense your body accurately."

This means that you are operating on sensations that are incorrect. While your mind is telling you that everything is set up correctly, the body is giving different information. In a fantastic article, Your Body Knows by Craig Williamson, he writes:

"When there is kinesthetic dysfunction, you cannot accurately sense whether certain muscles are relaxed or tensed; you cannot correctly sense how much effort your muscles are making. As a result, tensed muscles remain tensed, and sooner or later the tension becomes painful. And as long as your kinesthetic awareness is dysfunctional, you cannot improve the way you carry and use your body.I have observed that kinesthetic dysfunction commonly occurs in people with chronic muscle tension from pain reactions, injuries, poor body alignment or prolonged psychological stress."

So when a disappointed person emails of comes in the first thing I have to look at is how they are setting up the exercises to see if kinesthetic dysfunction is to blame. Most often it actually is. I've seen all sort of wild thing with even the most basic of exercises static back. Yes, people can actually do static back incorrectly, or need a modification for it. I'm not kidding!

This is why Hiring the Services of a Posture Alignment Specialist maximizes your experience.

Not only will we make a menu specific for your postural needs and stages of progression out of pain, but we will teach you how to do your menu. From the set up, the sublties while in the exercise and all they way to what to expect and feel as you go along, well help you trust your body again.

You have to remember that you're starting postural therapy with a body that is out of balance in every plane that it exsists in. What feels level in your imbalanced body might not mesh with how the exercise feels for a time.

Having someone to guide you in the direction of your goals and give guidance for success is one of the greatest decisions a person who is looking to do posture alignment therapy to alleviate chronic pain can do for him/herself. Working with a coach helps you to set up for success!

You Are Not Broken - Favorite Pete Egoscue Quotes

Deb Preachuk — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 23:37:00 GMT

Around a year ago I posted a blog called My Top 10 Pete Egoscue Quotes. Imagine my surprise when the other day I ran into another similar blog written by my colleage Jaz Reis.

Jaz is fellow Posture Alignment Specialist certified by Egoscue University, and the owner of Pain Free Santa Fe. Entitled You are Not Broken, I'd like to share her compiled list of favorite Pete Egoscue quotes with you all.

You Are Not Broken

By: Jaz Reis | Pain Free Santa Fe

Pete Egoscue has written many books, informative and inspirational. He’s easy to read and I encourage you to get at least one of his books and read at least the first few chapters. These are some of my favorite Pete quotes.

“You are not broken.” ~ Pain Free Living, 2011.

“Suffering is optional.” ~ Pain Free Living, 2011.

“A pain free, active lifestyle is not only possible, but it is the way you should expect to feel and live, no matter your age, no matter your previous experience.” ~ Pete Egoscue

“It is your birthright to live a pain free and active life without limitations”. ~ Pete Egoscue

“Posture is an early-warning system. The closest thing to a master key to the door to perfect health.” ~ Pain Free Living, 2011.

“The body has a standard design, and deviation from it is the source of pain and incapacitation.” ~ Pain Free, 1998.

“Your musculoskeletal system is like household wiring, a connector of your individual nerves to the universal energy supply. The strength of the connection – the total volume of the incoming flow of energy – depends on postural balance.” ~ Pain Free Living, 2011.

“The musculoskeletal system plainly displays, in real time, how much or how little energy is on board [your body].” ~ Pain Free Living, 2011.

“Muscular weakness, skeletal misalignment, and structural instability usually precede the onset of pain that is attributed to accidents, overuse, or aging.” ~ Pain Free at Your PC, 1999.

“Back spasms, neck aches, migraine headaches, excruciating jaw pain, dizziness, blurred vision are all indications of how hard the body is struggling to stay upright.” ~ The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion, 1993.

“Pain is not your enemy.... it notifies the body of a condition, a state, a stimulus that is detrimental.” ~ Pain Free Living, 2011.

“Pain is not a disease, not an injury, not even an effect of aging. Pain is a symptom, a symptom of postural imbalance.” ~ Pain Free Living, 2011.

“Pain is the body’s voice. Listen to your body.” ~ Pain Free Living, 2011.

“Muscular pain is nothing more, really, than a message. We have to learn how to decode it.” ~ The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion, 1993.

“The mind-body connection is the pivot-point on which your health balances....posture functions as an on-off switch that activates emotions.” ~ Pain Free Living, 2011.

“Negative thoughts are the single worst health habit.” ~ Pain Free Living, 2011.

“You are pretty smart. But your body is smarter.” ~ Pain Free Living, 2011.

“Until you recognize the need, the absolute requirement for taking responsibility, you will not succeed. Once you do accept the responsibility, however, the Egoscue Method never fails. Never. No drugs, no surgery, no machines, no miracles. Just You. A normal person, doing normal things.” ~ The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion, 1993.

“Cartilage will regenerate itself if and when damaging joint stress caused by musculoskeletal misalignment is eliminated and function is restored.” ~ Pain Free for Women, 2002.

“Age is not the determining factor in health.” ~ Pete Egoscue.

“The body has no design flaws.” ~ Pete Egoscue.

“The body isn't fragile. It isn't broken. But without enough motion - proper motion - we are all slowly dying in place.” ~ Pete Egoscue.

“Effective therapies treat the whole body as a unit.” ~ Pete Egoscue.

“Children whose movements are limited because they're spending their time in front of computers or televisions are at risk of never fulfilling their potential.” ~ Pain Free for Women, 2002.

“I never said it would be easy. I said it would be worth it.” ~ Pete Egoscue.

Great job on the compilation of Pete Egoscue quotes Jaz! There's some great quotes of inspriation and hope! Did we get them all? If you have one you think should be added to this list, please share it with us in the comment box below.

We'd love to hear from YOU! Which one of these quotes is YOUR favorite and why?

And if you live in the New Mexico area and are looking for a Certified Posture Alignment Specialist who can help you get out of pain, restore your posture and return to a pain free life and living be sure to contact Jaz! She can be reached at:

Pain Free Santa Fe
1528 La Cieneguita Santa Fe NM 87507
(505) 474-4164

A Life Pain Free: A Story of Inspriation

Deb Preachuk — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 02:13:00 GMT

I'd like to share a beautiful and touching guest blog post with you all today from a fellow colleague of mine. Natalia Dashkovskaya is a Certified Posture Alignment Specialist and owns Upright Posture Fitness (Hudson, MA).

Natalia shares her personal insight on how she learned to find growth and advantages in the midst of some very challenging life circumstances that came her way. Her testimonial is a fantastic example of What Inspires Your Postural Therapy Practice?.

In the midst of tasting lemons, she applied the concepts of what she learned about practicing posture alignment therapy to look at difficult/challenging circumstances in a new way and make lemonade. Not only did it first serve as a successful way for her to personally overcome her own chronic back pain, but as motivation to change her career path. I hope you enjoy Natalia's honest and insightful personal story of inspiration.

Move From Woe to Pain Free

By: Natalia Dashkovskaya

Whether it’s a divine intervention or simply my optimism mixed with frustration of life often presenting lemons instead of oranges, I recently started to see life through these two lenses:

“Everything happens for a reason”, and
“Think about a solution, not a problem”.

This approach helps me to overcome obstacles and makes me happy. How?

It teaches me to pay attention differently to whatever happens in my life. I am gradually learning to recognize negative events as pre‐cursors to still unknown positive outcomes.

Wait a minute, you might say, how could a loss of a job, or serious disease, or trouble with kids be looked upon as something positive? The answer is two‐fold: there was a good reason for this to happen in your life and now you have a choice: either “woe is me” or think what changes can bring about a solution.

Granted, I am not talking here about senseless tragedies as one happened in Newtown, only about things we can influence.

Let me tell you a story. I got laid off about three years ago. It was scary and depressing. But a couple of weeks later we got a call from a social worker with news that we were waiting for almost two years ‐ a 12 y.o. girl was available for an adoption.

We met, we liked her, and she moved into our house. It was so hard that I still cannot understand how we survived those initial months. I could not go back to work then, period.

At the same time, I could not just stay home doing nothing professionally either. I needed to occupy myself with something meaningful while our daughter was at school.

Even before all this happened I’ve been contemplating an idea of becoming a Certified Posture Alignment Specialist. Since it seemed too hard to do while having a full time job, I decided to see my new circumstances as a window of opportunity. I applied for a Certificate program at Egoscue University.

As I think about it, a divine intervention might have happened much earlier, when I found a solution to my chronic back pain. Posture Alignment Therapy using The Egoscue Method not only helped with pain but opened a door to new opportunities later in life.

In some respects it is somewhat metaphorical – the method itself is an out‐of‐the‐box approach to dealing with chronic pain. It changes a focus from a doctor taking care of you to you accepting a responsibility for your own health.

I am quite convinced that my significantly improved posture might have had something to do with being more resilient to life’s lemons.

It really amazes me how everything fell into place.

If I did not have a long history of a chronic back pain I would not have come across a natural pain relief program without medication, manipulation or surgery like Posture Alignment Therapy. If I:

Had a full time job, we would not have been able to bring our daughter into our house. She still could have been parentless and without a hope of a better life.
Just concentrated on losing a job and difficulties of dealing with a traumatized child, I would not have enrolled into the Egoscue University.
Did not change my career and become a Cerrtified Posture Alignment Specialist, I would not be enjoying what I do professionally now.

So, for quite a while I have been looking at whatever life brings to me and think: “How can I use this situation to my advantage?”

It does not mean that I don’t get upset or stressed out. I do – but only for a short period of time. Now I start thinking about a solution. An upright posture brings elevated thinking.

All it takes to be happy is a change in attitude. We just need to be patient and believe that sooner or later there will be a solution – as long as we are looking for it.

Be Upright. Be Happy. Live Pain Free.

To learn more about Natalia and Upright Posture Fitness, be sure to visit her Website, Blog, Facebook and on Twitter.

What do you LOVE about Posture Alignment Therapy?

Deb Preachuk — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 16:24:00 GMT

Today I had the chance to work with an excellent CrossFit athlete on his posture, function and mobility after a WOD, and it got me energized from the inside out! I absolutely love what I do!

As I drove back home I started to think about all the things I love about being a Certified Posture Alignment Specialist.

I truly enjoy teaching people about the potential of the human body to perform according to it's blue-print design. To me there's absolutely nothing better in the world than helping someone understand that it's the body (the position) going into the activity not the symptom (the pain, restriction/muscle-joint imbalance) that is the root cause of blocking athletic performance/activities of daily living.

To bring balance to the body through the power of simple corrective exercises then stepping back to watch a person see and feel the change in their body and then be able to go straight out and perform a movement better - it makes me feel like I'm fulfilling my purpose in life!

So there you have it. That's what I LOVE about Posture Alignment Therapy. But I'd like to know what do YOU love about it?

What Do You LOVE About Postural Therapy?

If you were to take a poll, interestingly, everyone will give a little different answer! Here's a few of the recent responses from my own clients:

I feel stronger
The pain goes away
I feel lighter and more balanced
I love the stretch. Everything feels 'looser'
I feel more aligned
I love that I can heal my injuries
It helps me breathe better
I can feel my whole body!
"The way Deb customizes it (my menu) for me"

At Pain Free Posture MN we use Posture Alignment Therapy to balance out and re-align the body to get our client's out of the chronic muscle and joint pain merry-go-round. [See Stop The Chronic Pain Cycle].

When you partner with a skilled Posture Alignment Specialist as your coach, you can be sure the pain cycle will quickly be put to an end. But, that's where the real work begins! Getting out of pain is the easy part.

Addressing the mind is where the real break-throughs begin. In my experience, the best successes come when successful client's make the connection to re-train the brain. The mind needs to focus, and thoughts need to change too! [See 5 Steps to Breaking Ground Hog Day Pain Management]

That's probably why I love working with CrossFitter's in particular so much! They are already mentally in the game. They are willing to concentrate and absorb every piece of information I have to share about enhancing performance, because success with CrossFit has as much to do with mental focus as it does with the physical performance.

If you are new to postural therapy, I want to encourage and remind you that overtime, when you learn to make the connection between the mind and body, everything will change! A balanced mind and body then pays it forward to our spirit.

Some days when you do your postural therapy menu you get an invigorating result, and others calms you down. It's like your body knows exactly what to do to give you what you need if you're willing to stop and listen to your inner voice.

Postural therapy, like other mind-body practices, creates a balanced whole body movement in mind, body and spirit.

I love that I can offer that to my clients when we partner together because they have purposed to change. Postural therapy is more than just helping get people out of chronic pain. It's about our thoughts, actions and habits about our ability to be well, and live life out loud doing the things you want to do pain free.

So, I'll ask again, "What do YOU LOVE about Posture Alignment Therapy"? What makes you do your menus, or continue to come back into the studio on a weekly (or more) basis to maintain good posture and function?

We really want to hear from you, so please post your reasons below and share your experience. You never know how it might help change another person's life!

A Posture Specialist's Barefoot Running Evolution

Deb Preachuk — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:22:00 GMT

Yesterday I had the joy of sharing one of my client's story of inspiration - The Tarahumara. So I decided to pull out an old blog I wrote back in 2011 about my own story of bare foot running. I hope you enjoy it.

My Barefoot Running Evolution

By Deb Preachuk | July 2010 (originally posted on Wordpress)

Yes it's true! I've joined the barefoot running revolution. But I didn't always love to run. In fact, I always ran for the wrong reasons. I ran because:

I'm a fitness pro. I love the latest technology, workout gadgets, scientific research and training programs.
I'm an extrinsically motivated person. I ran to have a heart rate monitor, super cute outfits and the "right shoe" to cushion or stabilize the load.
I'm also a classic first born child. I ran because it was on my goal chart (even if I dreaded the workout of the day). I did it to lose weight, to honor a goal I set for myself, to be like my friends. Should I go on?

I never ran for fun or pure enjoyment. Run for fun? Weird. Never. Run just because I can? Nope not a chance. I always had to have a goal or a reason.

Because I didn't run for an intrinsic need, it also didn't take much to talk me out of running. I had all sorts of excuses! I didn't like the weather. I had a history of an unstable ankle. What if I had to go potty? Sometime running made my knee swell on the opposite side of the unstable ankle. The best one was, I just plain didn't like it. For me, running always had to have a purpose, and I had to look good doing it.

A Posture Specialist's Barefoot Running Evolution

My conversion to barefoot running came as my understanding of postural imbalances and dysfunction evolved. As I began to re-shape my thoughts about what the human body is truly capable of as my skill as a restorative posture and pain relief professional developed.

My transition into the Nike Free was the catalyst. Nike Free technology (catch the word - technology - Deb's still all about the gadgets at this point) is designed with the premise of making a shoe that mimics being barefoot. Made sense to me, so why not give it a try?

Within a very short period of time I couldn't stant to put on any other type of shoe. They felt "wrong" on my body, especially all my old "support" shoes. I was in a Nike Free, a pair of flip flops or completely barefoot for most of the time.

My relationship with running began to change. After three solid years of exercising solely in the Nike Free or going bare foot, my body and my brain began to come around.

Over the 3 years, there were two important steps I took.

Balance the Body. Relieve the Pain. | I incorporated postural therapy exercises into my daily routine to address postural imbalances and dysfunctions in my body.
Function Runs | I became more functional, I added in "function running" in my Nike Free shoes.

I began to notice a distinct difference in how my body responded to the demand of running, particularly after adding in the function running. All of a sudden running was not as hard as it used to be. Oddly enough, I was starting to enjoy it a bit (but I wouldn't go as far as saying I was in love with running just yet!).

I started to experience pain free running. No more knee swelling or acute muscle soreness /injuries related to the activity. Hallelujah!

Around this time I began to hear about these shoes called the Vibram FiveFingers from my colleagues in the Postural Therapy business. (image source Vibram FiveFingers)

Yuck! Are you kidding me? I'm all about looking pretty people. Remember Deb was very into the stuff. There was no way I was going to put those bad-boy gorilla shoes on my tootsies.

Problem was I'd a very good job of preaching barefoot technology to anyone who would listen. I was teaching my clients and friends about posture and function and encouraging them to transition into the Nike Free. I was in them, my kids and husband were in them, heck, I even had my mom, dad and extended family in Canada and England in them. I was so passionate about "barefoot technology" that Nike should have been paying me royalties!

My "tribe" was also experiencing the freedom of better function and pain free movement. Clients started asking me about the Vibram FiveFingers (they are a very smart bunch). The thought was, "if I'm feeling better in less shoe, then true barefoot must be better". It made sense to explore more.

So I was forced into it. As a person who values integrity above all other things, if I was going to practice what I preach, and continue to address postural imbalances and dysfunctions, I couldn't just ignore the "monkey shoes" any longer.

The more I read about barefoot running, it made perfect and complete sense from the body's "blue-print design" point of view.

So why wasn't I trying it for myself?

Honestly, I just thought they were ugly.

Along this entire process, my sweet husband patiently prodded me to read the book Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes and the Greatest Race the World has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall.

Now that my mind was on the Vibram, I finally picked up the book and began to read. It was a catalyst for me! You can't read that book without feeling I inspired.

The joy of running? Running for community and service to others? I wanted to experience that. I went out and had myself fitted for my first pair of Vibram FiveFingers. and began practicing true barefoot running out in my neighborhood while waiting for those gorilla shoes to arrive in the mail.

Weird things started to happen. For starters,running barefoot was just plain awesome. It felt good, light and easy.

I had never run without working hard right away and oddly enough, I it made me feel like going right back outside to do it all over again. Seriously, me? Go a second time, just for fun?

Unheard of! Did I say weird? Not to mention that every other runner and walker out on the road had an opinion to share with me. I got looks of shock, disbelief, comments and snickers. The biggest was - "dosen't that hurt?", and "you're crazy".

I loved it! It kind of fueled my fire and I felt like I knew a secret that they didn't. Actually, I did know the secret. I wasn't working nearly as hard as they were. My foot and body were just complying with their perfect design and function. It fueled me.

I kept going back out for small barefoot running increments. True barefoot running didn't hurt at all. Of course you have to watch where you're going. Yes, look out for rocks, glass, and doggy messes! I felt the run musculoskeletally in a very different way, but it didn't hurt my feet. When you're functional in your body, running barefoot automatically changes how your foot contacts the ground.

Daniel Lieberman, professor human evolutionary biology (Harvard University) was quoted in Wired stated :

“People have been running barefoot for millions of years and it has only been since 1972 that people have been wearing shoes with thick, synthetic heels.

Strong evidence shows that thickly cushioned running shoes have done nothing to prevent injury in the 30-odd years since Nike founder Bill Bowerman invented them, researchers say. Some smaller, earlier studies suggest that running in shoes may increase the risk of ankle sprains, plantar fasciitis and other injuries. Runners who wear cheap running shoes have fewer injuries than those wearing expensive trainers. Meanwhile, injuries plague 20 to 80 percent of regular runners every year."

I'm not sure about millions of years, but I'm positive humans we've been running a mighty long time. I noticed all the changes McDougall wrote about right away. I became aware of muscles engaging in ways I had never felt before when running, and surprisingly enough never experienced debilitating muscle soreness after those runs.

As soon as my Vibrams arrived, I was out of the house and logged 4 miles like it was nothing. All without a heart rate monitor, iPod sensor and belt to hold "my stuff". You have to understand for the former me, 4 miles required mental fortitude and it needed to count on my tracking system. This first 4 miles was easy, light and felt good. I actually let myself give up my toys and ran just to experience my body moving against the earth.

I was hooked! In fact within a week, I jwent out and ran 8 miles! All at once. Just because I felt good, and just because I could.

I know 8 miles isn't a being deal in the running word, but let me tell you it ROCKED mine! I hadn't run 8 miles all at once in almost 10 years. And I'll tell you that it wasn't for joy. The last time I ran 8 miles all at once was because I was training for a half marathon and a 10 mile race. I made myself do it. Not for fun. Not because I could. Because I had to to meet an extrinsic goal.

Now I understood what Christopher McDougall was writing about. Running could be intrinsic, from within myself. It could be about community and joy and togetherness. I had actually experienced it for myself, and am still amazed. In fact, all I can think about is going out again.

Now that is an evolution!

Postural Therapy Practice - Inspiration by The Tarahumara

Deb Preachuk — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:23:00 GMT

Today I'm pleased to announce the WINNER of our What Inspires Your Postural Therapy Practice contest! Our winner is Joshuah J!

Our contest was simple. We asked our readers to submit their stories along with a photo of what inspires their regular postural therapy practice.

Joshuah will receive a new online postural therapy menu courtesy of Pain Free Posture MN! It's our small way of saying THANK YOU for your commitment to yourself! You story will indeed help inspire another person to change!

I'll let Josh take it from here:

One big inspiration for my journey with [Posture Alignment Therapy aka] The Egoscue Method (realigning the body to its original design blueprint through proper functional muscle engagement and without the use of drugs, surgery or manipulation) is seeing native peoples who still live lives that require enough motion to keep them aligned and healthy, along with the fact that they instinctively exhibit traits that we in civilization are now realizing as essential to our well being. This would include natural childbirth, eating whole local foods, use of wild medicinal plants (herbalism) among many others. Alternative health care has been learning much from so-called primitive peoples.

I remember seeing a tribe from northwestern Mexico called the Tarahumara and their amazing feats in long distance barefoot and/or minimalist shoe running. They sometimes ran for two days(!) for a distance of 200 miles and even hunting prey in this fashion. Simply incredible and a testimony to the beauty of the functional human structure. I figured that there must be a lot my body could achieve as well and got my thinking about my feet.

Recently I read a blog by John Elder from Egoscue Nashville. He talked about Vibram Five Finger shoes and some other seemingly great footwear. I get hunches sometimes and feel an excitement inside when I think I found something new to add to my overall health routine that will take things to the next level. So I got myself to a nearby shoe store and picked up a pair of vibram bikalas.

Not long after I put them on and walked around I knew I fell in love. I even wore them to work and endured all the weird gawking that came my way. I could with greater ease feel the changes that where happening in my therapy. I felt more grounded. I even enjoyed the soreness in my feet/lower legs that I imagine comes to a lot of folks who first venture into the minimalist footwear scene. My old shoes really stink in comparison.

So I would like to take my hat off to all the simple barefooted natives everywhere for reminding me of our roots and showing us a way to wholeness which is still embedded in our beings. As an often quoted proverb says, "The meek shall inherit the earth."

-Josh-

Disclaimer: As a Certified Posture Alignment Specialist (Egoscue University), it's important to point out that I personally recommend you begin a postural therapy practice to correct underlying root cause of pain prior to going straight into barefoot technology.

Our contest winner, Joshuah J did exactly that prior to investing in his Bikalas. He worked diligently on correcting his postural imbalances first. His transition into the Five Finger product was truly a natural progression of his postural therapy. Walking and running barefoot requires excellent function in all joint, ranges of motion and biomechanics in gait.

Barefoot shoes like the Vibram's do allow your foot and ankle to connect to the earth which will make a positive impact throughout your kinetic chain. However, in my opinion, I do not recommend using the product without first addressing your posture and biomechanics.

If you have dysfunction in load joints such as the ankles, knees, hips or shoulders, simply wearing barefoot shoe technology will not solely correct the problem (without guided assistance). However, they will assist in helping your gait pattern and proper joint biomechanics return back to it's blue-print design, and this process will be maximized if done in conjunction with postural therapy.

For more information see:

Eliminate Spondylolisthesis | Treat the Root Cause NOT the Symptom

Deb Preachuk — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 17:22:00 GMT

Spondylolisthesis. A word that makes people cringe! If you or anyone you know has "spondy", then you're acutely aware of how painful the condition can be.

According to MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, Spondylolisthesis in the adult population is "a condition in which a bone (vertebra) in the lower part of the spine slips out of the proper position onto the bone below it. In adults, the most common cause is abnormal wear on the cartilage and bones causing degenerative disease (such as arthritis)."

The slip of bone usually occurs in between the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae.

Overtime, spondylolisthesis is associated with other spinal changes.

An increased lumbar lordosis (aka swayback, when the bones of the spine appear to be forward when viewed from the side; most commonly seen in lumbar lordosis where the concave part of the low back has too much curve).
Kyphosis at later stages (roundback, is when the upper back and shoulders are overly rounded forward) as the upper spine falls off the lower spine. (Image Source: About.com)

It is not unusual for some people to be completely asymptomatic, and others can have severe pain. When pain symptoms so present themselves, they may include:

Lower back pain
Muscle tightness (tight hamstring muscle)
Pain in the thighs and buttocks
Stiffness of the low back
Tenderness in the area of the slipped disc
Weakness in the legs

Nerve damage (leg weakness or changes in sensation) may result due to an increased pressure on nerve roots and can cause pain that radiates down the legs.

Interestingly to me, if you do a websearch on the cause of adult Spondylolisthesis, most often the blame goes to aging, arthritis, or certain sports/activities.

According to About.com, "Certain sport activities, such as gymnastics, weight lifting, and football, put a great deal of stress on the bones in the lower back. They also require that the athlete constantly overstretch (hyperextend) the spine. This can lead to a stress fracture on one or both sides of the vertebra. A stress fracture can cause a spinal bone to become weak and shift out of place."

However at Pain Free Posture MN we disagree in part. While each of the activities listed above can certainly cause the vertebrae to slip, you have to ask a different set of questions.

Why is the spine out of place?"
Why can one athlete go through the exercise just fine and never develop spondy, when another develops the condition/injury? Is it really the activity?
How come some folks age easily and never develop disc degeneration, and the next one does? Is it really age?

Think about it. Unless you have a genetic abnormality, you weren't born with Kyphosis or Lordosis. These curve deviations are the result of muscular and joint imbalances that develop when the body is out of balance. When you look at the posture going into the activity, it's much easier to see why certain activites can exacerbate an underlying root problem.

We believe that it's the body, or better said, the posture you take into the activity that affects the outcome. Instead of asking "what's wrong", we look for the deeper issue.

In my opinion, the true cause of Spondylolisthesis is not the activity itself, but the cumulative result of postural imbalances taken into the movement.

Our bodies have 8 Laws of Physical Health that they must adhere to. When we violate these laws, it leaves us prone to imbalances which make us susceptible to pain and prone to injury. Your spine has a design and function it should adhere to. When the body is out of balance at any of the four major load joint, compensations and dysfunctions set in. This causes a shift in our pelvis and spine, moving it out of position.

If you take those imbalances into your activity, problems like Spondylolisthesis can easily occur over time.

Below you'll see a video by Brian Bradley (Vice-President, Therapy Protocol, Egoscue Inc) explaining the cause of Spondylolisthesis from a posture alignment therapy point of view, what needs to be done to correct it and why postural therapy is a highly successful way to resolve the root cause of the symptom.

Remember like Pete Egoscue says, "health isn't the absence of pain. Health is the absence of limitations"! If you are struggling with Spondylolisthesis, start asking different questions. What is your body telling you? What is the root cause? Healing can happen once you identify the "why".

Hip Degeneration & Replacement Surgery

Deb Preachuk — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 21:17:00 GMT

Today I'm pleased to bring you Part 2 of my friend and fellow Certified Posture Alignment Specialist, Catee Ingwersen's blog on , Joint Replacements and Joint Degeneration.

If you're just joining us, be sure to read up on Knee Degeneration by reading:

Part One: Knee Replacements
Knee Replacements Under Fire

Hip Replacements

By Catee Ingwersen: The Posture Clinic

The pelvis and hip joints work together.

The pelvis is designed in the shape of a bowl except that it has two identical halves. Imagine a bowl cut in half. Now imagine the two halves are designed to move like opposite "See Saws" (the children's playground apparatus). As one half moves downward the other half moves upward. This is called flexion and extension.

The "hip" is referred to as where the leg bone inserts in the pelvis or hip socket. The hip joint is shown here. This joint is a ball and socket joint and should be able to move freely in a rotational multidirectional fashion.

In general, proper functional pelvic and hip movement is where the pelvis is doing it's "See-Sawing" and the head of the leg bone or the hip joint is freely moving too. All these components are free to move and there is freedom of blood and nerve circulation without friction inside the hip joint.

Over time due to inactivity, sitting too long, injury etc. the muscles that coordinate the flexion/extension pelvic motion and the leg/hip motion become imbalanced, impaired, problematic and then do not function properly.

Degenerative changes in the hip socket occur when the pelvis stops moving, stops flexing and extending properly but the leg bone continues to move in the socket. This can be seen where pelvic function and movement becomes impaired and immobile and begins to rotate versus flex and extend or stops moving entirely.

This causes a serious lack of blood supply and a great deal of friction and wear and tear inside the hip joint. It affects muscles, joints, ligaments, cartilage, bone.....all components! Many other muscles, joints and in many cases, organ systems will be adversely effected including the spine.

When bones and joints have reduced, compromised blood circulation, the bone actually dies. Dying bone is called Necrosis. Avascular means without blood flow. Avascular Necrosis, a common diagnosis, is a SYMPTOM -- a CONSEQUENCE of the ROOT CAUSE of muscle and joint dysfunction.

Take your fist pretending it's the head of your femur or leg bone, put it in the palm of your other cupped hand. Your cupped hand acts as the deep hip socket, the acetabulum, which is part of the pelvis. Now move, rotate and grind your fist in your palm (keeping the palm stationary) for 30 days and see if you don't develop major blisters, friction and damage. This is what happens with hip dysfunction but the friction goes on for years. The head of the femur or leg bone keeps moving in the socket BUT the pelvis and hip socket stops moving.

The key to preventing Hip Joint Degeneration and avoid Hip Replacement is to get the pelvis and hip joint SYSTEMATICALLY functioning properly again. This does not mean go to the gym and start using weight machines or the pool or doing Pilates or exercise classes. It does not mean start using the Elliptical Trainer. It means finding a posture therapist who works with the entire body and does not focus on symptoms.

Once you have developed degenerative joints anywhere in the body, it is time to look at the ENTIRE body because 100% of the time, there are other joints and muscles that have also been seriously compromised in the process of you creating your joint degeneration.

If you only focus on the one painful area (the steering wheel analogy see the second paragraph above) you are missing many other important areas that need as much if not more rehabilitation. If you are not bearing weight equally front to back, side to side, you have a snowballs chance of getting pain free and life without limitation.

Go to a trained skilled Posture Therapist who will help rehabilitate the dysfunctional posture, muscles and joints for the entire body.

If the hip joint is replaced and the pelvic dysfunction and immobility is not addressed there will be more wear and tear elsewhere in body. It's coming.

Don't Settle for Band-Aids on SYMPTOMS - Find & fix the ROOT CAUSE

When you are dealing with pain and the possibility of invasive procedures that will not solve the underlying problem, make sure you know exactly what the root cause is. Keep asking your doctor "why". Answers like "arthritis" or "Avascular Necrosis" or "torn Meniscus" or "ACL/PCL tear" or "Labral tear" are not Root Causes. If you are confused by the answer to "why" or aren't sure, it's time to get more information.

Modern medicine is only focused on the body part in pain--the symptom. Unfortunately seldom is the part in pain the root cause of the pain. Because the body functions AS A UNIT, just working with the painful part will not address the total underlying problem.

Now is the time to fix the muscle and joint dysfunction and start living without limitation.

If you'd like more information about Catee, or The Posuture Clinic, be sure to visit her on the website, or call 772-559-1532.

A Postural Therapist's View on Joint Degeneration & Replacements

Deb Preachuk — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 21:17:00 GMT

Today we have a special guest blog post on hip and knee joint degeneration and replacement sugery by Catee Ingwersen. Catee is the owner of The Posture Clinic (Vero Beach, FL) and both a Certified Posture Alignment Specialist (Egoscue University) and licensed massage therapist.

Hip and knee joint degeneration and replacement surgery is becoming more and more common place as our baby boomer and (what I like to call) "children of convenience" populations age.

Catee does a fantastic job discussing the topic in further detail in this first of two part series. Enjoy!

Joint Replacements & Joint Degeneration

By Catee Ingwersen: The Posture Clinic

This couldn't be simpler. Just because a joint is replaced doesn't mean the joint or the body will be pain free and/or functional.

Think about your car. If you were riding on the highway and notice your steering wheel vibrating quite a lot, perhaps even shimmying, you would be concerned there is a problem. Does that mean your steering wheel is broken or needs replacement? If you had the steering wheel replaced would you have corrected the underlying or root cause of the shimmying problem?

The point is: a shimmying steering wheel is a symptom and is not the underlying problem in and of itself. The root cause of the shimmying steering wheel is misaligned unbalanced wheels. Correct the underlying cause, the misalignment, and you correct the shimmying problem. This analogy can be applied to joint pain, degeneration, joint replacements and the entire human body.

Knee Replacements

If you have knee pain or have degenerated knees, bone on bone knees, it has nothing to do with old age. A client said his knee problem "is just old age. It's hell getting old!" I asked, "does your other knee hurt?" He replied, "no." "Then how could your knee pain be caused by old age?"

What then is the cause of knee pain and degeneration? Genetics? How could that be? Some relatives have knee pain and some don't.

The knee joint is a HINGE joint. It operates just like a door hinge. Do you have hinges that twist? No, definitely not. Hinges only operate properly as long as there is no rotation or torquing. Imagine leaning hard on a cabinet door, chances are good you may bend or damage the hinge. Does the hinge work smoothly and well after bending or twisting it?

If there is rotation or twisting or torquing IN YOUR KNEE JOINT (which is due to your leg/femur bone rotating inward or outward in gait), there will be impaired function, friction and wear and tear. Then there will be inflammation, the body's way of attempting to protect the vital inner joint surfaces and structure. The cartilage will in time be worn away and there may be tears to the meniscus and or bone spurs, another last ditch effort by the body to protect the joint.

Going back to the steering wheel analogy:

Then where does the knee pain come from? Look in a full length mirror.

Do your feet turn out or in, duck footed or pigeon toed?
Do you knee caps point straight ahead or angle to the sides or towards the other knee?
Has someone told you have a leg length difference?
Is your pelvis elevated on one side?
Is your rear end flat?

These are all strong indications that your hip joints are not functioning properly.

The hip joint is analogous to the "handle of the whip." Let's think about the thigh bone, knee, ankle and foot as the whip or lash. How and where the handle of the whip moves (the hip joint), the rest of the whip (leg, knee, ankle, foot) will follow.

If you have arthritis, degenerative changes in the knee joint or meniscus, ACL, PCL tears etc. you have a posture (or position) problem caused by muscle imbalances. The root cause is not a faulty "steering wheel" (see beginning of this article) or faulty knee joint. You have a faulty hip joint and pelvis function due to muscles not keeping the leg and knee joint straight during use.

If you replace the knee joint - that is not the end of the pain and dysfunction. Why? Because you don't have a knee problem, you have a hip problem caused by hip muscles being imbalanced. You have knee pain but not a knee problem. And it's very likely back pain is or will soon be part of your life.

Don't Settle for Band-Aids on SYMPTOMS - Find & fix the ROOT CAUSE

Be sure to join us tomorrow for part two where Catee discusses the hip joint!

Mistake #2 with Postural Therapy

Deb Preachuk — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 13:12:00 GMT

Continuing on in our series The Three Biggest Mistakes you Can Make with Postural Therapy, today we'll be discussing Mistake #2. (Image Source: LifeStyle Updated - How to Learn From Your Mistakes).

The intent of this series is to help people who have done postural therapy identify, address and correct what I believe are the 3 most common errors made in postural therapy, and help you grow from them.

If you've missed our previous posts on the subject, be sure to get completely caught up by visiting:

Mistake #2 with Postural Therapy

2. You did one or two menus with a Posture Alignment Specialist (Egoscue University Certified) and found symptom relief weeks, months (or most often) years ago then stuck with that menu without ever changing it or going back in to finish your postural therapy progression

Admit it. How many of you started the process of postural therapy and did one or two menus, got pain relief and effectively thought "I'm better, I don't need to go back?"

I see a lot of clients who have made this error. It happens all the time.

Why?

Because simply, postural therapy WORKS!

Postural Therapy is very successful corrective exercise program that helps people overcome physical pain and limitations. It's attractive because of its simple, yet profoundly common sense apporach to treating the human body as a unit.

When you successfully partner with a Certified PAS who can connect with your learning style, anlyze your postural compensations and joint dysfunctions, and write an effective postural therapy menu, you WILL experience pain relief right away.

You will see and feel positive immediate physical changes as a result of your personal effort in your menus. But, YOU the client have the responsibility of making that happen. And you get to decide at what point you want to follow through to.

And therin, lies the trap. Postural therapy is a PROCESS. It's the process that sometimes get's lost in translation.

At it's core, Postural Therapy is a Results Oriented Program Designed to:

Identify anatomical dysfunction and limitations
Restore and maintain the body's full range of motion
Provide a method for overcoming physical limitations
Develop optimum levels of physical and mental wellness
Promote well-being through empowering clients
Enhance performance of professional and recreational athletes (source Egoscue University)

Along your pain relief healing path one of two things happened. Either your Certified Posture Alignment Specialist:

DID NOT adequately communicate and/or ensure that you fully understood the process of how postural therapy is applied/progressed (see above) OR,
DID communicate this to you fully, but you felt better after a few menus and it was GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU at the time. As a result YOU CHOSE not to follow-through on the therapy process all the way to completion.

Either way, a mistake was made and you got caught in the chronic pain merry-go-round once again. You effectively did enough menus to alleviate symptoms by partially restoring your posture, but made a classic error of not finishing it to completion.

I can't tell you the number of times I've had clients call and make an appointment a year or more after doing one or two menus. They are surprised, frustrated, disappointed, and sometimes bewildered that pain has returned.

You can imagine how challenging it is when I have to ask clients hard questions like:

How many menus have you done?
Why did you stop your therapy process?
What was your understanding of where you were in your postural therapy process?
What was your body telling you before the pain came back on?
What do you believe about your ability to heal and be well? Did that change for the better since you did your menus?
Are you emotionally reacting to your body versus stopping to listen and address the signals your body is giving you?
Do you feel that you truly accompished a pain free life and living?
Are you willing to accept responsibility and move forward without making the same error again?

In my opinion, the most beautiful thing about postural therapy is that ultimately it's all about PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.

If an error was made on the end of the Certified PAS, and the process wasn't communicated properly, unfortunately, I can't fix that for you. Because I can't eliminate it as one possibility for error the subject has to be brought up. It is a possibility.

All I can say to this point is that here at Pain Free Posture MN, I diligently work to communicate the Guiding Principles and process of therapy concepts to my own clients. And as an Adjunct Instructor of The Egoscue University, I can tell you that it is a universal component of what we teach and train our seminar students to communicate to their clients.

However, most frequently, the error comes down to the client and his or her personal choices to follow through or not.

As you can see from the list above, the absence of pain is only a small part of the process. If you chose to only do a menu or two because it restored your posture enough to alleviate your physical pain and that was good enough for you, then, what can I say? You're a grown up.

Certified Posture Alignment Specialists go into our profession because we are dedicated to helping our clients achieve a pain free live and living! It's our desire and mission to partner with out clients through to completion of their postural therapy.

Unfortunately, not everyone client follows through. Even the founder of The Egoscue Method has run into this common postural therapy error with his clients. In his most recent book, Pete Egoscue writes:

"My mistake was to regard the absence of pain as the principal requirement. By eliminating pain, I assumed people would continue to eagerly work on recovering their musculoskeletal system to full function because it felt good. I underestimated the power of the thinking mind to remain locked in crisis mode." [Pain Free Living: The Egoscue Method For Strength, Harmony, and Happiness p. 11]

So really the big question is:

"If you started the postural therapy process and only did a menu or two, where and why did you choose to stop progressing on this list?"

Clearly if you've made mistake number two with postural therapy, you can now see that the entire process of postural therapy was not finished to completion. Chronic pain doesn't just happen overnight. It's the accumulation of poor posture, and repetetivie muscular and joint imbalances taken through a lifetime of activities of daily living.

Yes, you will feel better after a few menus, BUT it's very important to understand that although your pain is reduced, it will take more than one or two menus to truly unravel and correct this accumulation of muscle and joint imbalances to truly restore your posture and become balanced in mind-body-and-spirit.

Mistakes happen. It's what you choose to do with what you've learned from it that makes a difference. Call up your Certified PAS and get back at it. I promise your body will thank you!

Listening vs. Hearing | The Signal of Pain & Your Body

Deb Preachuk — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 23:09:00 GMT

Today we have a guest blog by my fellow Canadians and Certified Posture Alignment Specialist, Catherine Hull and Luke Rowan. Catherine and Luke own Free 2 Move a postural therapy and personal training company located in Ottawa, Ontario.

Luke brings a fresh insight into learning how to decipher pain signals in your body and how there is a BIG difference between hearing the signals your body is giving you and actually LISTENING to them.

When it comes to addressing chronic pain due to muscle and joint imbalances, it's amazing how in today's culture we are bombarded by messages to look for the quick fix to make it go away. And therein lies the beauty of postural therapy. We're here to LISTEN to you and help you connect the signals between your posture and pain.

Listening vs. Hearing | The Signal of Pain & Your Body

By: Luke Rowan

Have you ever had the feeling your body is trying to tell you something? It could be saying “give me more of this” or “stop doing that….” Do you know how to listen to it?

We can all HEAR what our body is saying but the key is to LISTEN it to. The difference between hearing what your body is saying and listening to what your body is saying is AWARENESS!

Awareness is the difference between hearing and listening. It is the difference between hearing a good song or seeing a great movie, and really EXPERIENCING it. When you are aware of what you are hearing and processing it in your mind you are truly listening.

So how can we not only hear what our body is saying but also listen to it?

First, you will need to understand the language your body is speaking. It may seem as if your body is speaking in a foreign tongue like Tuyuca, (a language of the eastern Amazon Jungle) but rest assured you already know your body’s language, it is coded into your DNA and only you can truly hear it.

Our body speaks to us by giving us a dose of pain. This pain is your signal that something is wrong and needs to be addressed. At first, the body will whisper – a little bit of pain, tightness or discomfort. If you’re not aware and listening, the volume is cranked up, more pain to get your attention! If you’re still not listening your body will shout at you with severe chronic pain and injury. This pain interferes with your day-to-day activities, your work and even your sleep.

So how do you have more awareness and really listen to what your body is telling you? It takes practice and this is a great first step:

Lay on your back with your legs over a block or chair. You should have a 90 degree angle at your waist and your knees.
Place your arms at the forty-five degree angle from your body with your palms up.
Relax your body.

This is where you need to start being aware of how your body feels against the floor.

Be aware of your pelvis against the floor, is there equal pressure on both sides? Or does it feel like one side is pushing into the floor more? Next, move your awareness to the back of your shoulders. Is there equal pressure pushing against the floor on both sides, or a little different?

Feel a difference from left to right? Now you’re listening to your body!

Is your low back so arched that your cat, Mr. Whiskers could run under it without you noticing? Don’t try to force it down, let gravity do the work.

The goal is to feel a balanced, equal pressure at all four points of contact and have your low back flatten to the floor.

Practice this position at least 5 minutes everyday to sharpen your listening skills.

Leave a comment on how it feels..

Great job Luke! If you'd like more information or want to book postural therapy services with about Catherine and Luke, please visit them at:

Free 2 Move: Movement for a Pain Free Life
Facebook
Twitter

And if you're looking for more articles on the art of Listening vs Hearing please visit:

Static Back
The Body Talk Connection
STOP The Chronic Pain Cycle
How Does Postural Therapy Get Rid of Pain?

Is it All About the Numbers? My CrossFit & Whole9 90 Day Challenge

Deb Preachuk — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 15:59:00 GMT

Today I'm getting personal.

I had a crappy few days and threw myself a pity party becasue I didn't get what I wanted. Thank goodness, I decided not to permanently park in "boo-hoo-poor-me-ville" (yep - I made that one up myself!), and survived the storm. The experience really got me thinking about how easily I gave power to something I had no control over, and I realized that sharing my story could help someone else. So I'm going to expose my wound.

I've been on personal journey with fitness, health and wellness my entire life. Most recently, I "drank the CrossFit cool-aid" and transitioned into the Whole9 nutrition program. My story of evolution has in these two areas has been positive in absolutely every aspect of mind-body-and-spirit.

Except for one. And today I'm going to talk to you about numbers and how they can inflict great damage when given power to do so. This is my story, and what I decided to do with it.

My CrossFit & Whole9 Challenge: Is it All about the Numbers?

Let's start at the beginning.

If you've been a subscriber to Achieving a Pain Free Life and Living, you well know my workout of choice (after a regular postural therapy practice of course) is CrossFit (see 3-2-1 Go! My Jump from Postural Therapy to CrossFit). I joined CrossFit Templar back in August 2011.

At the time I thought I was pretty strong. But the numbers didn't lie. I realized that I was group fitness "fit", but somehow, I had lost my way as a former athlete. My CrossFit Total was 265 (Shoulder Press = 55 lbs., Dead Lift = 135lbs., Back Squat = 75lbs.) I had some work to do.

That day, I remember my Elements Coach telling me the one thing she directly attributed to a dramatic affecting her performance for the better was her diet. And by diet, I mean eating Paleo. If you saw my Elements Coach doing a WOD, you had to take notice. She was (and continues to be) amazingly strong and powerfully fast.

I payed attention, but freely admit I also had the typical knee-jerk reaction most people have when introduced to the concept of Paleo. I thought okay..... whatever... seems extreme. I politely dismissed it and I went to work.

It didn't take long to fall completely in love with CrossFit. CrossFit was everything I knew and loved about sports and training all wrapped up in a power packed hour (or less). As a former competitive rower, I knew and loved these kind of workouts, and it felt like "coming home".

I got strong, and my body changed pretty quickly. By the time January 2012 rolled around, I was totally "in" and ready to take on a 30 Day Paleo Challenge.

I'd had time to read and learn more about what Paleo actually was and what was required of me. Considering my history of severe allergies, it made complete and total sense. Why wasn't I doing it? And what the heck? What's the worse thing that could happen? 30 days wouldn't kill me now, would it? At this time, a BodPod analysis (University of Minnesota) was NOT mandatory, but highly encouraged as a measurement tool.

So being a Phys.Ed grad myself, I jumped at the chance to get a baseline number and took the BodPod plunge!

Here's me Day 1 of my first 30 Day Paleo Challenge (January 2nd, 2012)

Here's my results:

% Fat = 29%
% Fat Free Mass = 71.0%
Fat Mass = 44.373 lb
Fat Free Mass = 108.656 lb
Body Mass = 153.028

Hmmm. The numbers didn't lie.

At that time, I wasn't overly surprised. In fact, I was regretful that I hadn't done one at the very start of my CrossFit journey because I knew my body had already changed for the better.

The numbers were motivation. I was committed to making dietary changes through the Paleo challenge and was very happy to have a baseline to measure my results from.

Here's me Day 31 of the 30 Day Challenge (January 31st, 2012)

My BodPod analysis was:

% Fat = 27.9%
% Fat Free Mass = 72.1.0%
Fat Mass = 42.484 lb
Fat Free Mass = 109.946 lb
Body Mass = 152.429

Improvement! The numbers were in my favor. Everything was going in the right direction, so I was happy.

My body composition, strength and performance in the gym was noticable. I felt great and loved what the addition of the BodPod analysis did for me as a motivational tool.

I didn't win that Paleo challenge at my Box, but it didn't matter. I felt like a winner! This was a new lifestyle and I loved it.

So fast forward through the next 7 months. Because I hadn't made the complete connection between my diet and performance I played the numbers game. You know, the one where you say you're eating "Paleo" 90% of the time. I thought it was a great compromise.

Even though I could feel the difference in my phsical performance and allergy symptoms when I ate non-paleo foods (grain specifically), I thought my 90% solution was working for me. I'm mean hey, I had a busy life - a husband, three kids, a business to run, WOD's to do, and I sometimes eating "clean" wasn't always easy and accessible. I justified it.

And the numbers supported me. After 7 more months, and adhereing to the "90% Paleo concept", I went back in for a BodPod in August, 2012. (Sorry, no photo taken this time).

% Fat = 27.2%
% Fat Free Mass = 72.8%
Fat Mass = 41.435 lb
Fat Free Mass = 110.948 lb
Body Mass = 152.383

I was on a roll! Even without eating so strict, the numbers were still moving in the right direction.

So when my Box decided to offer a 90 and 180 Day Challenge in October of 2012, I was IN!

But this one was different.

This time a BodPod analysis was required as a before and after comparison. We were given the option to look into Dallas and Melissa Hartwig's Whole9 Program and consider using that for our dietary guidlines for nutritional change using Paleo.

I am SO GLAD I did!

What I learned in their book "It Starts With Food" and from their free resources truly changed my dietary habits and life for the better.

They were able to convey very complex nutrition information in a simple and concise way. I finally understood that eating 90% Paleo wasn't doing me any favors. As long as I believed that lie, I would never truly know what being 100% healthy felt like.

I learned that I had every marker of inflammation and insulin resistance due to my history of severe food allergies, a love of super-abnormally flavored foods, and eating disorder brought on by my participation in competitive weight-class rowing in my late-teens and early 20's.

Eureka! I finally made the connection between allergies, chronic inflammation, low energy and how it all related to food and my body's ability to process it. I understood how it important nutrition was on my physical performance. it was as if everything came together and finally made sense.

A Change For the Better!

Not only did the Whole9 nutrition program change me, but I now had an easy to share resource to give my own clients who were experiencing chronic pain (once the body is aligned, and you still have pain, then you HAVE to look at the diet). I was able to educate them about the connection between physical pain and diet. I began sharing it with my clients and family. And they began to change and get better too!

So I'm sure you're thinking - what's the point of your story girl?

It was all well and good until two numbers didn't do what I wanted them to do.

At the start of my 90 Day Challenge we repeated the CrossFit Total. My numbers had gone up dramatically in one year, going from 265 to 455 (Shoulder Press = 90, Dead Lift = 205, Back Squat - 160). We did a Baseline Test (500 m Row, 40 Air Squats, 30 Sit Ups, 20 Hand Release Push Ups, 10 Pull-ups) and I recorded a 5:10 .

I was happy, until it was BodPod time. This time the numbers didn't seem to be playing by the rules. My results got worse.

In October, my results were:

% Fat = 29%
% Fat Free Mass = 71.0%
Fat Mass = 44.373 lb
Fat Free Mass = 108.656 lb
Body Mass = 153.028

What? The body fat went up? Hmmm.... I wan't too pleased. Now that I had read It Starts With Food, I realized that I had not been eating enough. But honestly, who really knows? I took the results and plunged into my Whole9 90 Day Challenge with a re-newed commitment and vision to truly change my nutrition.

Boy of boy! Were Dallas and Melissa right. I changed. My body changed, my mood changed, I got stronger, I felt good, and nothing was going to stop me. I was hitting PR's and RX'ing WODs at a pace that truly surprised and motivated me.

I made it though Thanksgiving, birthdays, family visits, Christmas, New Years, and traveling out of state an abroad without any slip up. I could always find proper nutrition wherever I went as long as I planned accordingly, and that's what I did.

So you can imaging how excited I was at the end of my 90 Days. I figured for sure I had lost body fat and gained muscle. My CrossFit Total went up from 455 to 495 (Shoulder Press = 95, Dead Lift = 215, Back Squat 185) and CrossFit Baseline went down from a 5:10.0 to a 4:51.0

Set up to Fail?

I was expecting good things (results wise) the day I went in for my BodPod analysis. Except, I didn't get what I wanted. Not even close.

Day 98 of the 90 Day Challenge (January 26th, 2013)

% Fat = 32%
% Fat Free Mass = 68.0%
Fat Free Mass = 99.286 lb
Body Mass = 146.088

Sure I lost almost 7 pounds, but what the heck? It said my body fat went up by 3%.

I was super confused by that, and told the operator those results couldn't possibly be right. He didn't know what I had done, the sacrifice I had made, the hours I had put in. It couldn't possibly be right.

I asked him to re-test me right away.

So he politely obliged me, re-calibrated the bodpod and re-ran the test. This time my body fat decreased by 1.8% and my muscle mass was down by almost 2 pounds.

% Fat = 27.2%
% Fat Free Mass = 72.8%
Fat Free Mass = 106.367 lb
Body Mass = 146.080

My head was spinning. I asked how there could be such a difference (a 5% change in body fat from one test to the next? A ten pound muscle difference?) Irregardless of the two results, I think we can all agree that the BodPod has potential calibration issues and technical error).

I couldn't figure out how this could have happened? I lost weight, I was stronger, and eating really clean. It wasn't fair! How could the numbers at worse be up 3% body fat and at best only down 1.8% with a loss in muscle mass? I felt like my body betrayed me.

A gamut of wild emotions coursed through me. I was devastated and frustrated, and honestly, super bummed out! I wanted to win that challenge and well, those results were'nt going to do it for me.

I Gave Away My Power and Lost Focus

It didn't matter that all the other numbers were positive and in my favor. I mean come on, all you have to do is look at my photos and gains in the gym. But, no. I took the bait, and let the body fat calibration and muscle mass numbers rule my emotions.

I'd be lying if I was okay at the time. Nope. I went to "boo-hoo-poor-me-ville". I could not understand how my body fat can was still so high and that I had actually lost muscle mass. I ate clean, put in the time at the box, and got lots of rest. I was so proud of myself. In that 98 days I did not blow a single day. Not once. I just couldn't believe my body fat was still as high as I was a year ago.

I allowed those numbers get the best of me emotionally went to a dark familiar place that used to let my self-worth be determined by a scale.

Is There Power in the Numbers?

It didn't matter that I looked different and performed different. I focused on what I had no control over. The numbers. I got engrossed in things over I had no control over, and allowed it to adversely affect the things I did. My emotional health and well-being.

I couldn't argue with the BodPod result but at the same time I couldn't find my inner voice and personal strength to say "screw that" and enjoy how much different my appearance and performance changed.

It turned into a test of my character. Would I throw in the towel if I didn't get what I wanted. I wanted to be normal and have a lean body fat percentage around 20-25% not 32%. Unfortunately, I failed the test for the first few days.

There had to be a purpose in all of this. So I had to ask myself the bigger question. Why did I care?

My family and circle of grace didn't care about the numbers. Only I cared. I know that numbers are just numbers and I get to choose if they define me. I know that my self-worth cannot be based on a scale or what a machine says is my body fat is or isn't. The truly sad part is that as a health and wellness professional, I

know all this
believe all this, and
coach all this for my clients and group fitness students

But I faltered for a bit in my ability to delivering on it for myself. After praying and healing I decided to just let it go. So why was I truly upset?

After some soul searching, it was simple. I wanted to win the challenge. And because I wanted to win so badly, I totally lost sight that actually I had already had won. I just couldn't see it at the time, because I gave away my power.

Numbers Are Just Numbers - They Don't Define Me

Out of 24 original participants, I was one of only 10 that made it to the end. I gave this challenge my 100% and I wouldn't change a thing about it!

In 98 Days, I learned that:

I can do anything I decide I want to do. I did not stay from my nutrition plan at all. Not once, not one slip. I made it though Thanksgiving, birthdays, work trips, Christmas, Boxing Day, New Years day,traveling to out of state competitions, and out of country. I ate clean, ate what I believe in, I did my best to educate others, and I'm very proud of that accomplishment.
I did not suffer. I never went without food or felt like I was being denied. I learned how to eat with intent and to nourish instead of fuel emotions and sugar-cravings.
Even though I felt good before, I feel better following a Whole9 paleo based nutrition plan (sounds weird, but I can't explain it different than that).
My performance has improved tremendously. Most noticeably is my speed and endurance. My strength has gone up as well and I have more endurance for more repetitions at higher weight.
My shoulder injury healed completely.
I have not been sick or fallen prey to all the crud going around .
My body looks different and I like how I look. In fact, I feel good in my skin!
I found a teaching voice to share this powerful nutrition information with my clients and family. As a result, I am helping to change more lives for the better!
I was always a good sleeper, but I can feel the need to sleep more and have given myself permission and learned how to sleep more (it's GREAT!)
The BodPod is what it is.... just a bunch of numbers. I wish my body fat wasn't so high, but there's nothing I can do about the results. They are what they are.
My bone density is 2.5x higher than what is considered normal for my age group (I'm almost 44 years old)

So yes, what I really wanted was to win the 90 Day Challenge. I thought my work and commitment would give me a chance, but the BodPod (which I had no control over) said otherwise.

I was disappointed because I felt like the body fat and muscle mass numbers did not reflect my work and dedication, so I let it defeat me. What a baby! All I had to do is look at the other numbers and my photos, but sadly I didn't. In hindsight, it was most likely a gift.

I did put in the work and I am pleased. I've made my peace with the experience now. I just had to work and grow though it.

So, I guess I actually won my 90 Day Challenge after-all. I won because I was able to get my act together and focus on the real results in mind-body-and-spirit. And really that's what the whole point was in the first place. Screw the BodPod numbers, they are just numbers.

My life has changed for the better because of CrossFit and Whole9.

And I'm never going back....

Posture Matters! The Positive Effects of Practicing Good Posture

Deb Preachuk — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:48:00 GMT

Your posture matters! I just had to pass along today's post from one of my favorite blogs, the Bottom Line's Daily Burst of Energy! Entitled, Good Posture, Good Thoughts, todays motivational tip of the day was about how good posture is positively correlated to confidence in a person's thought life.

Of course as a pain relief and posture restoration specialist, I know this to be true! Excellent posture is well known to give a person confidence and self-esteem, makes you look leaner and gives off a sense of authority to others.

I get to see it in action every day as my clients move from despair and hopelessness, to a new found confidence in their bodies (see our Testimonials page).

Daily Burst writes:

"It turns out that our posture affects not only how we look, but how we feel, say researchers from Ohio State University. A confident, upright posture gave study participants more confidence in their own thoughts. Those who were slumped were less convinced by their own thoughts. It’s easy enough to sit up—or stand up—straight, and if you are thinking positive thoughts, all the better."

Your posture affect how you see the world and how the world sees you! Just think about how we make immediate judements/assessments on people when we first meet them. It may be unintentional, but admit it, it's our human nature.

When we see a particular posture,

we start to judge others and make assumptions about people.

Not only does poor posture have a negative effect on your overall health (chronic muscle and joint pain, nerve and blood constriction, bone spurs, tension headaches, herniated discs, etc), it affects how people perceive you and your ability to sucessfully navigate the world. Take a look at the photo to your left.

What's your initial impression of this person? The first words that came to my mind were sad, depressed and low self-esteem. But, here's the thing. None of that may be true. The photo is simply ment to demonstrate that how ones posutre can powerfully affect people's perceptions of us and ultimately how they interact with us.

Aside from the many positive health benefits you will receive by regularly engaging in a postural therapy practice, it's really important to know that posture is something you can PRACTICE and get better at.

As it turns out, great posture can also gives an impression of confidence and strength to others (even if your own emotions don't match the position)!

Amy Cuddy, a Social Psychologist and Associate professor at Harvard Business School gave an amazing TED talk presentation discussing her research on how nonverbal body language affects how we perceive ourselves. She found that our posture (even if we don't feel a corresponding emotion) can affect other people's perceptions of us, AND our body chemistry for the better. Two major point stand out:

Specifically, when you stand in a posture of confidence—making yourself bigger with things like opening your shoulders, standing up straight, and putting your hands on your hips—your hormones respond accordingly.
Study participants who spent two minutes in these postures had a 20% increase in testosterone levels and a 25% decrease in cortisol levels.

"Don't fake it till you make it. Fake it till you become it". ~ Amy Cuddy

The experts do agree. Good posture really does make you think better thoughts. Make a decision today to affect how the world sees you! Your posture matters! And remember, if you don't know where or how to start, give us a call!

At Pain Free Posture MN, we're posture experts and know what to do to help you achieve good posture and change how both you and the world sees you!

What Inspires Your Postural Therapy Practice?

Deb Preachuk — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 18:52:00 GMT

The reason I do what I do, is simple.

I have the tremendous privilege of sharing my love of movement, balance, anatomy, postural analysis using posture alignment therapy and other mind-body modalities to help my clients overcome real-world chronic pain challenges.

I get to partner with people to educate them about

the body's amazing innate ability to heal itself
the link between posture and pain
the importance of the mind and emotions in the healing path
listening to the body's signals instead of masking them
how total change is possible when realistic and achievable goals are set

and so much more. Yes, I get to guide and coach, educate and motivate, but it starts with a willingness to LISTEN to my clients and hear their needs.

My clients are my Inspiration! Your desire and commitment to total change in order to truly achieve a pain free life and living is why we do what we do here at Pain Free Posture MN. When all is said and done, my clients walk the walk to get the job done!

To over come chronic muscle and joint pain to acheive a pain free life and living they committed TOTAL CHANGE in thoughts, actions and ultimately habits.

I want to dedicate the month of February to YOU - my blog readers, twitter followers, Facebook fans, Egoscue University colleages and students AND especially my in-studio and online clients.

In honor of you all, and your hard work and fierce determination and dedication, I want to create a place where your success can be shared. I'd like to start an album of photos on my website, Facebook Fan page and YouTube channel dedicated to you, those that inspired you and your amazing stories of transformation.

“You are my Inspiration!”

What Inspires Your Postural Therapy Practice?

Here's How It Works.

During the month of February 2013, we want to celebrate your success and share your stories of engaging in a regular postural therapy or mind/body practice in the hopes that you'll become the inspiration to another person and help change their lives for the better!

It could be ANYONE at all (it could even be yourself) who has had a current or former impact in your life.

Please share a bit about who they are, and a little something about how they inspire you to commit to a regular postural therapy practice!

Here's an example:

"Me and my favorite Pilates teacher! I started working with Deb when I was 15... I'm 22 now, and though you can't see it I'm wearing 2" heels in this picture. I blame that entirely on Deb fixing my scoliosis and hypermobility" :)

Context: it was this client's goal to wear high heels at her graduation and I'm proud to report that she not only accomplished this goal, but she did it in grand style! To read more visit our Testimonials Page

What I Need From You:

1. Email me (deb.preachuk@gmail.com), with a JPG photo of you and the person that inspires you to do your postural therapy, along with your story of how they helped you to achieve a pain free life and living.

2. Film and Upload a quick video of you talking about the person that inspires you to do your postural therapy in order to achieve and maintain a pain free life and living. If you're not sure how to do this, you can email me the file or mail me a DVD and I'll upload it to my YouTube channel. Please limit the video to 4 minutes or less.

What Do You Get?

Drum roll please! I will select one story of inspriation on March 1st, 2013.

The winning story of inspiration will receive either a FREE online postural therapy menu with Skype time, OR an in-studio postural therapy menu and session.

You do not have to be a current client of mine to participate in this challenge.

Are you ready? I'm excited! I can't wait to get your emails and video stories of inspiration! Let's do this!

4 Ways to Correct Mistake #1 with Postural Therapy

Deb Preachuk — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 15:27:00 GMT

Today I'll be discussing four helpful ways to correct the biggest mistakes a person can make when doing Posture Alignment Therapy.

You can get caught up on this blog loop by reading our previous posts:

If after you've read these posts and recognize that you've fallen prey to any or all of these mistakes, I'm here to tell you, you're not alone.

That's exactly why I'm writing. I want you to be well! You can heal from chronic musculoskeletal pain using this profoundly powerful method. If you've made some of the errors, then you've not truly given your mind-body-and-spirit the chance it DESERVES to be well. My intent is to simply share these common errors, so that you can learn and grow from them and truly achieve a Pain Free Life and Living!

Mistake #1 with Postural Therapy

I'd like to share an exerpt of an email I received just the other day from one of our website members.

Hi Deb,

I am reading Pain Free right now. I have had it for years but only read the knee part. Now I am reading the rest so I know what is actually happening. I plan to take the pictures this weekend and send to you. Thanks for your help.

The first common mistake people make with postural therapy is exactly what you read above.

1. You worked out of the "book" (The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion, Pain Free, etc) without reading the first three chapters that explain the linkage between your posture and pain.

Here's what I love about that note. Honesty without judgment. It's a simple acknowledgment of missing a piece of the puzzle in the healing path, coming to a new awareness and understanding, and making a proactive change!

This is a person who understands the value of what postural therapy can provide, but now understands that the connection between posture and pain had not been fully made.So, if you've made any of these mistakes, here's what you need to do.

4 Ways to Correct Mistake #1 with Postural Therapy

Start Over. Get The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion and start from the beginning. This book in my opinion is the best explanation of the link between posture and pain and what I believe to be a great foundational building block to understanding The Egoscue Method.
READ the introduction and first chapters. Take notes and time to check your posture in the mirror and compare it to what is described. Isolate if you are a Condition 1, 2, or 3 Posture. For more information on assessing posture, pick up our FREE Posture Assessment Guide.
LEARN more. Educate yourself and learn more about what postural therapy is and how it works by visiting my website Pain Free Posture MN. We have a ton of sample exercises, information and resources available.
EVALUATE whether or not you're in need of a trained postural specialist's professional help (For more information visit our FAQ, What is Postural Therapy, Hire a Pro pages) If you feel that you can benefit from instruction, guidance and a customized menu desigend for your unique postural needs, invest in your health and hire a pro!

The best part about mistakes is that we can learn from them. Thanks goodness that life allows "do-overs".

If something deep inside you said, I think postural therapy is right for me, but you didn't have the kind of experience you were looking for, I'm here to tell you, "Listen to your inner-self". Reach out. Hire a pro. Get a coach and an educated eye.

And if you feel that I might be the right trainer and coach for you, it would be my privilege and honor!

My mission is to help anyone who feels that they can benefit from posture alignment therapy. We're here to listen and help you make SMART proactive healthcare decisions. It would be my privilege to help coach and guide you towards accomplishing your goals. To book your session in-studio or online please visit our SERVICES page.

We're in this together, and I am here to help!

Mistake #1 With Postural Therapy

Deb Preachuk — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 15:50:00 GMT

A few days ago I posted a blog about what I believe are The 3 Biggest Mistakes you can make when doing Posture Alignment Therapy.

The feedback I received certainly confirmed my opinions and I'm sure that as we dive deeper into the discussion, some other key areas will come up.

Today I'd like to talk about and expand upon my first point.

Mistake #1 with Postural Therapy

1. You worked out of the "book" (The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion, Pain Free, etc) without reading the first three chapters that expalin the linkage between your posture and pain.

If this first mistake describes you, let me first start off with saying "it's alright". No one is going to go to jail over this.

You certainly aren't the first person or the last who will do this. My goal here is to simply share the common errors I see people who are in chronic pain and looking to postural therapy for help make.

It's been my experience as a Certified Posture Alignment Specialist that many people who try postural therapy on their own first start off with a copy of Pete Egoscue's best selling book Pain Free, or The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion.

This book is about responsibility.

It's about you, and about the answer to a question I hear almost every day in my clinic: "How did I get in this condition?"

~ Pete Egoscue [The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion p. xvii]

That's GREAT! Let's face it. If you're in pain, you're on the internet searching for help. This book truly is a revolutionary method for stopping chronic pain... BUT

I can honestly tell you that I have new clients come into my studio here all the time who have done any or all of the following:

Missed the powerful book dedication and introduction written by Pete Egoscue himself which discusses RESPONSIBILITY.
Skipped the chapters that explain the link between posture and pain (who isn't distracted by photos of the exercises?)
Gone straight to the chapter about where they feel the most pain (which is the symptom) not the condition
Start doing the exercises, but not necessarily in the order given (if you didn't read the previous chapters you definitely missed this important piece of information)
Stop doing the exercises as soon as they feel better (classic boo-boo and an easy error to make. Why keep doing correcitve exercise if your symptom disappears and you feel better?)
Try the exercises, and experience problems getting into the positions or have difficulty doing the movements. (Guess what? You missed the part about it's the body [the posture] going into the exercise that's the problem, not the exercise in of itself).

What happens in all of these scenarios? You blame the the book, the method, or the concept without a truly informed decision.

Postural Therapy (aka The Egoscue Method) gets a bad name.

Woah... hang on there cowboy! That is completely unfair to a truly remarkable and effective pain relief program.

"We’re living in a microwave society,

but living right ....... is a Crock-Pot concept."

-- Dave Ramsey

Resist the urge to have someone fix you.

You must be personally responsible for the results you get with postural therapy.

The greater your personal involvement, the greater your success.

Do not be in a hurry. It took weeks/month/years to get into the mess, it is not right to expect an instant result especially if you haven't made that initial investment to understand the bigger question.

Turn off the TV. Turn off the internet. Turn off your smart phone and iPod. Your Twitter feed can wait. I'm serious.

Stop. Read the first few chapters. Read slowly. Read it out loud if you have to. Read it again. Understand it.

It is crucial to fight the 'microwave' mentality. Knowing what Posture Alignment Therapy is - and what you're going into - will greatly increase your likelihood of success.

To read the dedication, introduction and first 3 chapters is to understand

HOW we got out of balance in the first place
WHAT Posture Alignment Therapy is capable of achieving, and
WHY you can be healed

The best part about making mistakes is that we can learn from them and start-over! Please reach out if you have questions or concerns or want to share your experience with the readers here at Achieving a Pain Free Life and Living!

We're in this together, and I am here to help!

The 3 Biggest Mistakes You Can Make with Postural Therapy

Deb Preachuk — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 14:59:00 GMT

I love the New Year. It's a time when people get re-focused on making positive change, and I'm no exception to that.

For that exact reason, January always brings new clients in my studio. These new clients are full of hope that Posture Alignment Therapy just might be the modality that finally helps them get the chronic pain relief they've been searching for.

Postural Therapy is all about hope. We offer a simple, yet powerfully profound way to eliminate chronic musculoskeletal pain and improve posture and athletic performance without medication, manipulation or surgery.

We're fond of Pete Egoscue's famous quote "The body can heal itself, if given just half a chance" because we get to see the profound simplicity of balancing out the body, do exactly that.

So we welcome new clients in to help get them on their way to achieving a pain free life and living.

But I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about the other type of client that comes back in to the studio in January.

We also see a return of former clients and people who have been using the Pain Free books without any help from a Certified Posture Alignment Specialst over the years come into Pain Free Posture MN.

Wonder Why?

Well for starters, there's something about the start of the New Year that get's people re-motivated to be consistent with habits.

In general, it's been my professional experience that former clients and folks who have been working out of the Pain Free books, are most often the people who have made one, two or all of what I believe are the The Three Biggest Mistakes you can make with Posture Alignment Therapy.

My intention in writing about this isn't to wag a finger at anyone (I'm just as susceptible to these errors as anyone), but to simply share my own personal and professional experience with you.

There's a saying that mistakes are the stepping stones to learning, and it's my hope and intention that I can help shed a light to help you learn and grow.

Enjoy!

The 3 Biggest Mistakes with Postural Therapy

As a Posture Alingment Specialist (Certified by Egoscue University), I've come up with what are in my professional option the THREE BIGGEST MISTAKES people make when doing Posture Alignment Therapy.

I know you're on the edge of your seat waiting...... so here they are:

Missed the Link Between Posture & Pain | You worked out of the "book" (The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion, Pain Free, etc) without reading the first three chapters that expaline the linkage between your posture and pain.
Didn't finish the Progressions | You did one or two menus with a Certified Posture Alignment Specialist and found symptom relief weeks, months (or most often) years ago and stuck with that menu without ever changing it or going back in to finish your postural therapy progression
All Alone on Your Own | You tried a menu out of one of the books on your own, experienced discomfort you were unfamiliar with, and/or struggled (getting into or doing) with the corrective exercises and simply gave up blaming the methodology without investigating further (why).

Do any of these point describe you? I'm curious to know if you're surprised if you've done one of these or are currently committing one of these errors.

Interestingly, as soon as I finished writing this list out, I realized that this is by no means an all inclusive list. I can already think of others points to add, so this post may evolve over the next few days.

If you have made one of these 3 Mistakes with Postural Therapy, I'd love to hear what your experience was/is and what you did about it or plan to do to change it. (Please leave your comments in the box provided below).

Over the next couple of days I will be expanding on each of these three mistakes and expanding the discussion.

I'd love to have you join the conversation.

Ensure Success with Postural Therapy - 12 Ways to Make Change Stick

Deb Preachuk — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 13:20:00 GMT

Yesterday I shared a Facebook post written by one of my favorite blog writers and motivational speakers, Craig Harper. In light of the New Year and the time when people are most inclined and motivated to implement change in their lifestyle habits, Harper wrote a profound list called 15 Ways to Waste Another Year.

I took that list and used it as a springboard jump and translated it to 15 Ways to Ensure that You are NOT Successful with Postural Therapy.

Creating lasting change be it with Egoscue Approved Postural Therapy or any other lifestyle habit isn't something that just magically happens by itself. It takes a plan and concious effort. Ever heard the quote by Michael Jordan

"Some people want it to happen, some people wish it would happen, and others make it happen"

~ Michael Jordan

Whenever you are about to embark on change, it requires more than just a hope and a wish. Real stick-to-it determination has to be applied when it comes to creating a change in mind (thought), action and habits. I believe that you can make your intentions happen in 2013.

What we learned by yesterday's post, was that if you continue to practice Insanity (doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results) then that's all you'll get. Nothing. The same outcome as before and a wasted year.

BUT if you put your intentions down on paper and make yourself accountable by getting a partner or hiring a coach there's a much higher correlation to accomplishing your goal and achieving the success you are looking for.

I invite you to share your intention with me if you need someone to be accountable to (I promise I won't beat you up!).

I was pleasntly surprised that Mr. Harper followed up his post with 12 Ways to Make Change Stick! Awesome. Again, you can apply this to Achieving Success with Egoscue Approved Postural Therapy, to getting more sleep at night, avoiding processed foods, or eliminating toxic behaviors/relationships. This list trancends it all. I thought you'd all enjoy what he had to say.

12 Ways to Make Change Stick

by: Craig Harper

Don’t give yourself an escape clause.
Create an accountability system.
Identify your non-negotiable behaviours.
Turn down the emotion and turn up the strategy.
Identify what didn’t work last time.
Exchange self-loathing for self-awareness.
Don’t aim to undo ten years of bad habits in ten days (extreme doesn’t work).
Be solution-focused not problem-focused.
Don’t rely on (the emotional state of) motivation to get you there.
Get comfortable with discomfort.
Be productive and proactive early in the day.
Hang out with people who will drag you up (not down).

Here at Pain Free Posture MN we're all about partnering with our clients to help them make these 12 Ways to Make Change Stick a reality!

When you hire a Certified Posture Alignment Specialist, we're here to EMPOWER YOU to create the change you want to see in your life. If you are in chronic pain, we start by identifying the ROOT CAUSE of your pain, and help you learn and implement your corrective exercises. But there's more. We'll also help you identify the negative thought patterns about yourself, your physical abilitites, and your body's innate capability to heal. Sometimes our mind is our own worst enemy! Like Pete Egoscue loves to say, "the body can heal itself if given just half a chance". Sometimes we just have to stop the negative self talk!

We'll call a spade a spade, but do it in a positive way to help you implement those positive changes in your thoughts, actions and habits to help you Achieve a Pain Free Life and Living!

Be sure to check out our Testimonials, Good Words and YouTube Videos to see how our clients have done just that.

It would be my honor to be your coach. If you're ready to take that next step, be it in-studio, online or via Skype, remember "We're in this together, and I am here to help". I'm just a phone call or email away.

Go get em' Tiger!

15 Ways to Ensure You're NOT Successful with Postural Therapy

Deb Preachuk — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 15:24:00 GMT

I just had to pass this along to the Achieving a Pain Free Life and Living subscribers. (Photo courtesy of Someecards)

One of my favorite blog writers is a very cheeky Australian motivational speaker by the name of Craig Harper.

I've shared his work with you all in the past. Check out :

50 Habits of Highly Successful People

I really love his work and feel that he has fresh and insightful perspectives on change and habits that can be applied to what we do here on a daily basis at Pain Free Posture MN.

Aside from the pain relief, posture restoration and corrective exercises which are the fundamental components of Egoscue Approved Postural Therapy, achieving lasting success requires more. Egoscue is all about CHANGE. Not just the physical.

Often I think the physical is the easiest part. In my opinion, the best success with Egoscue or really anything you choose to focus on in life truly is a total transformation. A complete mind-body-spirit change, in which the most success comes from individuals who are willing to change their thoughts, actions AND habits.

This concept is vital to Egoscue Approved Postural Therapy and something I've written about numerous times. See:

But I digress. Yesterday, Craig Harper posted Fifteen Ways to Waste Another Year on his personal Facebook page.

It sure stuck a cord with his friends and fans. Last time I checked there were almost 100 shares. In this list, he simply offers concrete ways to ensure that any steps you take to create a positive change in your life will be nullified and void if you continue to practice the following actions. BRILLIANT!

I believe it certainly applies to the total change concept that is inheret to maximizing success with Posture Alignment Therapy. You can be sure there is no way to successfully overcome any negative in your life, be it chronic pain, or over-eating if you continue to practice these 15 behaviors.

15 Ways to Waste Another Year

Keep being the people pleaser.
Keep waiting for the ‘right time’.
Keep trying to fit in.
Keep looking for the short cut.
Keep spending money you don’t have on things you don’t need.
Keep hoping things will ‘work themselves out’ in 2013.
Keep over-thinking the crap out of everything.
Keep seeking approval.
Keep telling yourself fairy tales.
Keep medicating, motivating and rewarding yourself with food.
Keep avoiding anything that makes you uncomfortable.
Keep feeling sorry for yourself.
Keep doing what doesn’t work.
Keep having the same conversation with the same people about the same issues.
Keep procrastinating; there’s always next year.

How'd you like them apples? I'd say it was a good dose of tough love. I'd love, love, love to hear your thoughts on this list. I'm having a hard time choosing a favorite, but I'd have to say it narrowly comes down to #13 "Keep doing what doesn't work".

Please comment and SHARE if you enjoyed this blog. Happy New Year!

Hip Pain and Degenerative Hips: A Postural Therapy Point of View

Deb Preachuk — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 19:15:00 GMT

Happy New Year Achieving Pain Free Life and Living! Welcome to our first NEW blog post of 2013. Today I have a must share YouTube video prepared by Brian Bradley (Vice-president of Therapy Protocol at Egoscue, Inc.) that explains Hip Degeneration and how Egoscue Approved Postural Therapy can undo the damage.

Let's start with some background prep work. Perhaps the most common postural imbalance I see in clients who work with us here at Pain Free Posture MN is a hip dysparity.

Hip Dysparity & Chronic Pain

A Hip Dysparity from an Egoscue Approved Postural Therapy perspective is simply this: a misalignment of how the pelvis is sitting in relationship to it's proper position from "blue-print" design

Because the hips joints are unaccessible to palpate, we Egoscue University Certified Posture Alignment Specialists use the position of the pelvis to tell us what your hips are and are not doing. Long story short if your pelvis is sitting in a misaligned position, there are muscle length-tension imbalances at the hip joint, the pelvis is forced to move out of it's normal place and function. This has a cumulative effect on your whole musculo-skeletal system, including your spine (including the neck and head).

The spine really has no other choice but to follow the leader and change it's position relative to the pelvis and hips. The pelvis can tilt (anterior/posterior) rotate (froward or backward) and/or hike (elevate or depress).

Other postural markers which indicate a hip dysparity are:

pelvic tilt (anterior or posterior)
increased or decreased lumbar lordosis
a lateral shift of the lumbar area
femur (upper thigh) rotation (inward or outward)
knee hyperextension or over-flexion

Let's take a tilt for example. Depending on the direction of a tilt, there will be a corresponding tightness and weakness of the iliopsoas and rectus femoris, overly tight or weak gluteus maximus and medius and will create joint dysfunction at the hips and particularly at the L4-L5 and L5-S1 joints.

Pelvic muscles are disrupted, along with a kinetic chain response that extends up into the thoracic area affecting the scapulo-humeral rhythm and shoulder joint function. [For an excellent and well-written tutorial on the different types of pelvic disruptions we Certified Posture Alignment Specialists see on a regular basis, please read Matt Whitehead's (Egoscue Portland) article Understanding Posture - What's Your Pelvis Doing?]

Hip Degeneration: Cause & Effect from a Postural Perspective

When you look at it from this perspective it's much easier to see how hip degeneration can occur, but also how neck or shoulder pain can just as easily result from a hip disparity due to muscular imbalance in all the muscles that act on the hip.

Think you might have a pelvic disparity but not sure how to assess it? Download our FREE POSTURE ASSESSMENT GUIDE so you can test your posture in the comfort of your own home.

The major point is that each muscle and load bearing joint (including our pelvis and spine) in our body has a specific action and function. When imbalances occur in muscles and joints, our body is smart enough to figure out ways to compensate around it. We might not feel physically pain for a time or season, but eventually, these imbalances cause over AND under worked muscular activity which ultimately leads to the most common form of joint degradation (osteoarthritis).

I firmly believe that the human body has a "blue-print" design and function it must adhere to to function optimally. From a musculo-skeletal perspective, each muscle in your body has a specific length and function. When the muscle becomes dysfunctional it sets off a ripple effect. All it takes is for one muscle to lose some of its functional "blue-print" integrity and the ripple effect begins to take place.

Other muscles are forced to compensate (aren't you glad to know you're not doing this on purpose?) to keep you upright and doing your life. That's all well and good until the ripple effect turns into a riptide and the compensations get bigger across more muscle groups and affecting more joints. As more and more muscles lose their proper length-tension relationship, the compensations and dysfunctions continue to grow placing you at risk of joint degeneration.

Aside from a genetic abnormality or acute trauma, this is the main reason how hip degeneration occurs (as well as spinal disc herniations, meniscal tears, shoulder impingement, and so on and so forth)

So, enjoy this video and remember, "Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional" -~ Pete Egoscue

Hopefully after reading the commentary and watching the video you have a better idea why Egoscue Approved Postural Therapy is DIFFERENT. We identify, treat and restore the ROOT CAUSE of your pain versus chase your symptoms. Symptom chasing is what I call the chronic pain merry-go-round. You might temporarily feel better for a time and/or season, but if you do not address the ROOT cause of your pain, it will only return.

If you've been given the diagnosis of a degenerate hip(s) I pray that you know can better understand that your hip joints and muscles that act on your pelvis both above and below the site are not working correctly.

No matter where you are at in your progression, Postural Therapy using The Egoscue Method is a medication, manipulation and surgery free option to try. It's never to late to restore proper function through the power of a corrective exercise program with a trained pro. Let us know how we can help you! We're in this together and I am here to help!

Helping You Achieve a Pain Free Life Living

Is Posture Alignment Corrective Exercise Covered by Insurance?

Is Posture Alignment Therapy Covered by Insurance?

Can Postural Therapy Help Alleviate Sciatica Pain?

Can Postural Therapy Help Alleviate Sciatica Pain?

Tips to Alleviate Hip Pain and Avoid Surgery

Tips to Alleviate Hip Pain and Avoid Surgery

Live Aloha - My Postural Therapy Story Comes Full Circle

Chronic Inflammation & Posture Alignment Therapy

Chronic Inflammation – What Does It Mean?

Mistake #3 With Postural Therapy

Mistake # 3 With Postural Therapy

Kinesthetic Dysfunction

Other Benefits of Hiring a Certified Posture Alignment Specialists:

You Are Not Broken - Favorite Pete Egoscue Quotes

You Are Not Broken

A Life Pain Free: A Story of Inspriation

Move From Woe to Pain Free

By: Natalia Dashkovskaya

What do you LOVE about Posture Alignment Therapy?

What Do You LOVE About Postural Therapy?

A Posture Specialist's Barefoot Running Evolution

A Posture Specialist's Barefoot Running Evolution

Postural Therapy Practice - Inspiration by The Tarahumara

Eliminate Spondylolisthesis | Treat the Root Cause NOT the Symptom

Hip Degeneration & Replacement Surgery

Hip Replacements

A Postural Therapist's View on Joint Degeneration & Replacements

Knee Replacements

Mistake #2 with Postural Therapy

Mistake #2 with Postural Therapy

Listening vs. Hearing | The Signal of Pain & Your Body

Listening vs. Hearing | The Signal of Pain & Your Body

Is it All About the Numbers? My CrossFit & Whole9 90 Day Challenge

My CrossFit & Whole9 Challenge: Is it All about the Numbers?

A Change For the Better!

Set up to Fail?

I Gave Away My Power and Lost Focus

Is There Power in the Numbers?

Numbers Are Just Numbers - They Don't Define Me

Posture Matters! The Positive Effects of Practicing Good Posture

What Inspires Your Postural Therapy Practice?

“You are my Inspiration!”

What Inspires Your Postural Therapy Practice?

Here's How It Works.

What I Need From You:

What Do You Get?

4 Ways to Correct Mistake #1 with Postural Therapy

Mistake #1 with Postural Therapy

4 Ways to Correct Mistake #1 with Postural Therapy

Mistake #1 With Postural Therapy

Mistake #1 with Postural Therapy

The 3 Biggest Mistakes You Can Make with Postural Therapy

The 3 Biggest Mistakes with Postural Therapy

Ensure Success with Postural Therapy - 12 Ways to Make Change Stick

12 Ways to Make Change Stick

15 Ways to Ensure You're NOT Successful with Postural Therapy

15 Ways to Waste Another Year

Hip Pain and Degenerative Hips: A Postural Therapy Point of View

Hip Dysparity & Chronic Pain

Hip Degeneration: Cause & Effect from a Postural Perspective