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When man is living, he is soft and flexible.
When he is dead, he becomes hard and rigid.
When a plant is living it is soft and tender.
When it is dead, it becomes withered and dry.
Hence, the hard and rigid keep company with the dead,
The soft and supple keep company with the alive.
Lao Tzu
Most muscle and joint pain syndromes are caused by easily correctable
faults in function. Many of these
mechanical faults can be greatly improved by self care methods. The following guide will assist those with a wide variety of
conditions -- headaches, neck and back pain, tendonitis, arthritis, jaw pain,
carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica, to mention a few. It should not be used as a substitute for proper evaluation
and treatment by a qualified health care professional but can greatly help
accelerate health improvements made with other therapies.
Usually, the most effective way to deal with musculoskeletal pain
syndromes is to consult first with a reputable chiropractor.
Chiropractors are usually the best qualified to properly diagnose these
conditions and prescribe a cost-effective treatment plan that has the lowest
risk of complications or adverse side effects.
Problems with treatment are greatest with dangerous drugs and invasive
surgery. The fewest and mildest
problems occur with natural methods.
Most muscle and joint pain syndromes have the following contributory
elements:
1. Muscles can be too
tight. This causes pain itself
but will also stress joints and cause pain that way.
2. Muscles can be too weak or lack sufficient endurance which will
cause joint movement irritations.
3. Joints can be too tight which can cause them to become arthritic,
muscles to go into spasm, and nerves to become irritated.
4. Joints can be too loose due to lax ligaments or weak muscles.
This results in excessive wear and tear of the joint surfaces leading
to arthritis. It can also cause
muscles to go into spasm in response to trying to stabilize the joint.
Nerve irritation can also come from joints with excessive mobility.
5. Insufficiently nourished tissues can lead to fatigue, injury,
difficulty healing, or degeneration.
One of the main, indispensable functions of a chiropractor is to
mobilize joints that are too constricted.
Often there is no other way to loosen up these joints completely. The exercises which are recommended will greatly help in this
process but can’t restore all movement to all joints. Consulting with other
professionals such as massage therapists, acupuncturists, and biofeedback
technicians can be helpful for the best health recovery and health
maintenance.
These guidelines are not designed to take the place of these important
health care professionals but rather be a valuable aid to self-care.
The more we can do for ourselves the less we have to pay and depend on
others for services. Self-care is
very economical and very appropriate for muscle and joint problems.
1. Good nutrition provides the building blocks for on-going repair,
rejuvenation, and energy needs. (healthy
diet plus nutritional supplementation)
2. Relaxed nerve signaling allows muscles to rest when not needed for
movement. (sufficient sleep, periodic daily rest periods, massage, relaxation
practice, meditation, biofeedback training)
3. Well conditioned muscles have the endurance to sustain good posture,
efficient movement, and joint stability.
(aerobic sports and exercise)
4. Strong muscles need to withstand the maximal stresses we impose on
them daily so that they do not tear or that the joints they move are not
injured. (variety of strength
training techniques)
5. Flexibility of muscles, tendons, and ligaments allows full range of
motion to joints. (stretching exercise, massage, and chiropractic joint
mobilization)
6. Coordination of movements protect the body from injuries as in
falls, awkward positioning, or poor ergonomic lifting. (sports, Tai Chi, etc.)
Ideally, a health professional can help you evaluate which of these
components might be deficient in your unique situation so that it can be
appropriately addressed. Adding
to this type of clinical examination and prescription these guidelines can
help you understand your problems and apply self-care methods to compliment
advice and therapy gained from your health professional.
Everyone should make efforts to improve the nutrition component of
their life, particularly if muscle and joint pain syndromes are a factor.
One basic, simple, but excellent way to do this is to use the book, Staying
Healthy with Nutrition by Elson Haas, MD.
It is, by far, the most comprehensive, scientifically-sound nutrition
guide that goes beyond the fad diets. Everything
you would want to know is included in a very readable format.
Not only are the dietary guidelines excellent, but recipes for healthy
meals are included. Therapeutic
nutritional supplementation guidelines for different conditions, sexes and
ages are a strength of the book. This
book belongs in every home. Another,
more specialized book is Clinical Nutrition for Pain, Inflammation and
Tissue Healing by David Seaman
Here are some tips to make bedtime therapeutic.
Keep the bedroom dark and quiet. Light
and sound tends to activate our “awake centers” in the brain.
Our nervous system can’t rest as well.
Proper sleeping support is very essential and is different for every
person. Some people feel more
comfortable and sleep better with a firm mattress and others with a soft one.
Choose what feels best for you. Needless
to say, old sagging mattresses or ones with the springs surfacing need to be
replaced.
Comfortable pillow support is also essential, particularly with
individuals who have neck discomfort. Here
again individual comfort is the key but certain generalities usually apply.
Too high of a pillow or none at all is seldom recommended except in
very unusual circumstances. When sleeping on one’s back a pillow that provides gentle
neck support is ideal. When
sleeping on one’s side it is important not to have the neck kinked left or
right with too high or low of a pillow. Also when side sleeping your high knee
should not touch the mattress. Otherwise,
it will cause an irritating twist to the low back.
A cushioned support between the knees can help prevent this twisting.
Stomach sleeping is strongly disapproved since it twists the neck severely and
excessively arches the low back.
Daily Relaxation and Rejuvenation Periods
For those who still find it difficult to relax with the self care
relaxation practices in Full Catastrophe Living it may be wise to
consult with a biofeedback specialist for a number of training sessions to
reprogram your responses to stresses of daily life.
This may be particularly important if you have myofascial pain
syndromes related to your neck and jaw such as headaches.
Muscles that have good endurance, the ability to sustain repetitive,
prolonged activity, improve posture and prevent injury.
Postural strain often occurs when our muscles can’t sustain efficient
positioning. Injuries often occur
near the end of sporting endeavors or work shifts when muscles no longer have
the energetic capacity to protect sound movements.
Sedentary lifestyles are fraught with frequent and enduring
musculoskeletal problems because of lack of muscle endurance.
There are several ways to ensure good muscular endurance. Proper diet and good nutritional supplementation is one
important factor. Getting
regular, full-body aerobic exercise is very important.
There are numerous non-impact or low impact exercises that are ideal
– swimming, water aerobics, Non-Impact Aerobics, cross-country skiing, stair
climbing, bicycling, rowing, skating. Many
sports like soccer and basketball supply the needs for aerobic exercise.
A good book that will help you with this and strength training programs
is Therapeutic Exercise: Foundations and Techniques by Carolyn Kisner
and Lynn Colby.
Abdominal and low back muscles are examples of muscle groups which if
they have good endurance really have a profound impact on preventing or
recovering from spinal injuries.
There is an important place for strength training in the prevention of
and recovery from muscle and joint injuries.
Muscle, tendons, and ligaments that are strong naturally resist strain
injuries. Making tissues strong
amounts to periodically stressing those same tissues in safe, controlled
progressive exercises. For the
average person an ideal way of getting good strength training, inexpensively
is with the use of some simple aids. Rubber
tubing in various thickness’ (giving different levels of resistance) can be
used in resistance exercises while moving joints through a full range of
motion. This is good for arms and legs. A
neck attachment can be added to exercise a weak neck during rehabilitation
from an injury. Large inflatable
“Swiss” exercise balls can be used to strengthen the trunk and stabilize
the spine. These can also be used
in coordination exercises.
A frequent error in rehabilitation from injury is the overemphasis on
strength training while ignoring the relaxation, stretching, and massage of
excessively tight muscles. If a
person has a pain syndrome that involves excessively tight muscles and even
trigger points, signaling those muscles to tighten even more with strength
training may be counter-productive. It
is often necessary to train the muscles to return to their relaxed resting
state with its normal length before slowly training them to be strong again.
Heed this warning well!
Self Massage Aids
An easily accessible area to use one’s own fingers for self massage
is on the forearm near the elbow. This
area is often the location of trigger points (excessively tight muscles which
won’t relax and radiate pain and/or unusual sensations to a distant
location, like the hand.) which mimic
the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. Cross
fiber friction massage of this area brings rapid healing.
This type of massage only needs to be done for five minutes or so every
other day or every third day until the problem is resolved.
Another good place to practice self massage with one’s own fingers is
the jaw muscles. It is remarkable
how many headaches are due to tight jaw muscles which could be easily
alleviated with simple self massage.
Often our thoracic spine (middle back where our ribs attach) is too
stiff and has been posturally trained to flex forward much easier than
backward. This poses problems for
not only this region of the spine but for the neck and low back also. An incredibly simple, self-care exercise that helps this
imbalance in movement is arching back over a six inch styrofoam cylinder (some
people use a basketball or soccerball). Stretching on this for a few minutes periodically can greatly
reduce neck, mid-back and low back discomfort.
Using it regularly will also help at reducing the need to be adjusted
by your chiropractor.
Books
Auto Stretching by Olaf Evjenth and Jern Hamburg
From Chatanooga Educational Services (800-592-7329) {approx. $35}
Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Therapeutic Exercise by Carolyn Kisner and Lynn
Colby
Functional Soft Tissue Diagnosis and Treatment Methods
by Warren Hammer, DC
Rehabilitation of the Spine by Craig Liebenson
Clinical Nutrition for Pain, Inflammation and Tissue
Healing by David Seaman, DC
The
last three books are more expensive clinical manuals and available from
(800-359-2289)
Self Massage Aids
Theracane
Backnobber II
Index Knobber
Therapeutic Massage Ball
Therapeutic Massage Wand
Acu-masseur
Shiatsu Massager
Postural Supports
Pillows between the knee cushions for sleeping
Lumbar Supports for sitting
Exercise Devices
18”x 6” cylindrical thoracic stretching roll
Thera-tubing
Swiss Balls
Homeopathy
Aromatherapy
Medication, particularly pain relievers or muscle
relaxants. Short term
anti-inflammatory use has a place in cases of run-away inflammation, but over
16,000 Americans die from use of this class of drugs every year.
Ointments, salves, lotions, rubs, balms.
Hoping the pain will go away if you wait long enough.
Home Health Care Center FAQ's Holistic Health Research
Body Physical Health Courses Physical Health Articles Physical Health Resources
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