Twisting and Back Pain, Joint Pain

Photo: joystiq.com

Twisting one of your joints in an awkward way is an easy recipe for injury, especially in the low back, shoulder, knee and ankle.

How To Avoid Twisting Your Back:

Turn your entire body by turning your legs.

Change positions in order to reach the object with ease.

Turn toward the object, then squat down.

Don't be afraid to get down onto your hands and knees to reach for something.

How To Avoid Twisting Your Shoulder:

Don't reach for objects in the backseat of the car.

Don't reach for an object behind you when you are sitting; simply turn around.

Don't close heavy doors carelessly.

Turn your body toward the object you are reaching for.

Keep your arms as close to your body as possible when reaching.

How To Avoid Twisting Your Knee:

Be cautious when playing sports.

Use a knee brace when playing sports if you have had a past knee injury.
Take time when turning around.
Don't turn your body if your knees are locked.

How To Avoid Twisting Your Ankle:

Use an ankle brace for your sport if you have twisted or sprained your ankle in the past.

Be extra cautious when walking, hiking or jogging on uneven terrain.
Try to avoid walking on ice. If it is icy, stay indoors (especially if you live in the South).
Watch where you are walking. Prevent falls by not doing 5 things at once.

A Healthier New Year

Photo: Ruben A.Navarrete

Looking back on this past year, are you happy with your health? Are you as healthy as you should be or want to be? Are you physically doing all you hoped and expected at your age? You cannot change everything about your health. You cannot control if you get cancer or are in a bad car accident or if everyone in your family has high blood pressure. But what can you control to make you as healthy as possible in order to live every day to its fullest?

1. Attitude. I recently met a man who had been paralyzed from a car accident when he was 21. He had an unusually positive attitude, so I asked him how long it took him to accept the fact that he was paralyzed. His surprising answer was "about 3 months." He told me how God used the accident to change his life and show him that he was not living how he should. So now he is--from his wheelchair. He just got married and is working and volunteering. He is not bitter, angry or depressed but sees his wheelchair as his legs, and it takes him everywhere. 

Having the right attitude will help you this new year because you can see your life as an opportunity instead of a struggle. Even if your circumstances are hard, such as being overweight or struggling with a health condition, you can still make the most of what God has given you. If you can walk, don't just sit. And if you can run, don't just walk. Use your body to its utmost potential this year!

2. Exercise. This is one area that only you can control. You can choose to be lazy or active. It takes work and discipline to exercise effectively, but everyone can do it in some form. Picture yourself 10 or 20 years from now. What physical condition do you expect to be in? If you don't take practical steps in that direction, you will likely fall short of that goal.

3. Time. How have you spent your free time this year? Do you have any regrets? Did you spend more time on Facebook and Instagram than playing with your kids? Did you waste time on TV or video games? There is a time for restful leisure, but at the end of next year, wouldn't you rather say you trained for a marathon or went skiing or hiking instead of just talking about the latest celebrity news? Remember that you are not guaranteed another day or another year. Think about what really matters in your life, and invest your time wisely. 

4. Excuses. Making excuses for an unhealthy lifestyle will only put you in the same or worse condition this time next year. Everyone is tired of your excuses, and you should be too. Don't blame anyone or anything else. Simply choose to take charge of your body right now and all year long. If you have lost a good amount of weight this year, I can guarantee it was because you worked your tail off. And it has paid off! 

One of the most important things in life is to leave a legacy. You cannot take anything with you to the grave, but you can take souls to heaven with you. You may not be the next Billy Graham, but maybe your son will. Or maybe the person you influence will become the next Mother Teresa. Maybe you will start a company that gives millions to cancer research. Or maybe those two pints of blood you donate will save a child's life.

Knee Pain From Jogging

IT Band and Knee Pain:

If your pain is in the lateral or outer part of the knee (not the front nor within the joint) and feels muscular, then it may be coming from your IT Band. In this case, here are your guidelines for jogging.

1. Warm up for 5 minutes (fast walk, bike, etc).

2. Stretch for 5 minutes, including a lot of IT Band stretches. Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds and repeat 3-4x for each leg.

3. Start jogging on a flat surface and at a slow-moderate pace. 

4. If you feel IT Band pain while jogging, you may need to stop and stretch.

5. Do not increase your pace, distance or frequency until you can do so without increased pain.
6. Stretch the IT Band after workouts and throughout each day.

For example, you may be able to jog 20 minutes, 3x/week without increased pain. Try to increase by 3-5 minute increments to see if you can tolerate more. Do not push through pain in order to maintain a certain pace or distance. In that case, you would continue to worsen the problem instead of giving it a chance to heal completely. The goal with jogging is to slowly progress in order to do so without pain. 

Pain in Knee Joint: Book for Self-Treatment:

If your pain is within the knee joint, I recommend a book called Treat Your Own Knee by Robin McKenzie. It will teach you which knee movements may treat your pain and which movements to avoid.

Knee Strengthening to Prevent Knee Pain:

Joggers need to do leg strengthening in addition to jogging. You should spend at least 1-2x/week doing strength training for the lower body including all major muscle groups. One of the single best exercises to stabilize the muscles surrounding the knee is Straight Leg Raise. Lie on your back with unaffected knee bent. Straighten your knee (of painful leg) and slowly lift the entire leg ~10 inches and slowly lower (keep knee straight the whole time). Repeat 3 sets of 8-15 reps. Once you can do 3 sets of 15 easily without weight, increase resistance by using an ankle weight. Progress slowly in 1-lb. increments.

Photo: celiajohnsononline.com

Cross Training To Prevent Knee Pain:

Frequently, knee pain can be prevented by cross training. If your goal is cardio exercise, replace 1-2 jogs per week with another form of cardio. I highly recommend biking, swimming, or cardio workout machines. Of course, there are various other forms of cross training such as strength training, plyometrics, flexibility, interval training or various sports.

Jogging Modifications To Decrease Knee Pain:

1. Jog on grass instead of roads/sidewalks.

2. Decrease distance. For example, instead of 3-4 miles each on 2 consecutive days, do 2 miles every other day.

3. Modify shoes using inserts, orthotics or a new type of shoe.

4. Decrease speed. Lower your pace and see if it changes your pain.

5. Try interval training in order to increase your power without having to do as long distances in order to achieve an excellent cardio workout.

Postpartum Jogging and Knee Pain:

After pregnancy, it may be challenging to get back into jogging, especially if you are having knee pain. Your knees may not be ready yet to return to 3-4 miles, as the ligaments are still lax from pregnancy/childbirth. Progress very slowly as your body tolerates. If you are first returning to jog since having a baby, try 1/2 or 1 mile of walking/jogging. Jog for a bit but stop and walk as needed (keep a moderate to fast walking pace). Once you work up to jogging for a mile with no walking needed, increase to 1.5 or 2 miles of walking/jogging. If it is painful, decrease your jogging intervals. Slowly, as your knees tolerate, you should be able to jog more and walk less. But do not push through moderate or severe pain in order to jog a certain distance or speed. 

Always consider why you are jogging. If for weight loss, there are alternate exercises that you can do, so find one that is not painful. If for exercise outdoors, try biking instead. If for alone time/mom's sanity, join a gym with good childcare. If for specific race preparations, take a longer time to train. If you continue to injure your knee, you may have to stop jogging completely, so it is better to treat and prevent the pain than to jog through it.

Best Book for Self-Treatment of Painful Joints

Do you have joint pain that you cannot afford much medical treatment for? Robin McKenzie, a world-famous Physical Therapist and bestselling author, wrote a series of books about self-treating pain in various joints. I would highly recommend any of these if you have pain but cannot afford much therapy or other treatments.

Treat Your Own Back
Treat Your Own Neck
Treat Your Own Knee
Treat Your Own Shoulder

There may be various editions of these. I would recommend looking at Amazon or other websites to find the best prices, but you should be able to purchase one for $10-$15.

For more of McKenzie's exclusively-designed products such as lumbar rolls and pillows, check out OPTP.com.

Of course, if you have serious joint pain that is not resolving, please see your physician and request a prescription for Physical Therapy.

Knee To Chest Back Exercise: Yay or Nay?

Lying on your back and bringing your knees toward your chest is NOT the best stretch for your back nor is it even beneficial. While it is common to do these types of back stretches, they are generally not good for your back because you are forcing your spine into a flexed position that it already does more than necessary. For example:

Ways You Forward Bend (Flex) Your Spine
1. Sit for long periods
2. Slump sit
3. Bend forward to reach for things
4. Sit in a reclined position

Clearly you achieve more than sufficient forward movement of your spine and do not need any additional stretching such as knees to chest. If your back feels tight and you want to stretch it, remember that your back muscles have been on a constant stretch during all of the above listed activities. So continuing to stretch your back in the forward direction will not decrease your back tightness.

Best Replacement for Knee To Chest Exercise
Roll over onto your tummy and press up onto your forearms or hands (your hips and lower abdomen will stay down). This can be done by repeating 5-10 times or by holding for 15-20 or more seconds. This puts your spine into a backwards position (extension), which is healthier for your back than knees to chest. The photo shows a pretty difficult stretch, so start with pressing up onto your forearms. If you tolerate that well, then you can progress up onto hands.

Photo: www.themanualtherapist.com

Remember to consult your physician before doing any back exercises. If you have back problems, I recommend you see a Physical Therapist before beginning this exercise. 

Do I Need To Lose Weight? Women, Weight Loss and Skinny America

Photo: Vince Connare

American culture is obsessed with women being skinny; almost every Hollywood actress is super thin. So why should you diet or exercise? Simply to lose weight and to become thin like the girls on TV?

Should You Lose Weight?
There are so many reasons to exercise and eat right other than to get down to your desired dress size. If you are healthy, eat well and exercise regularly, then likely you are maintaining a good weight, regardless of what any book or chart may say. This may mean you are size 16 or size 2. Your weight depends on many factors such as genetics, metabolism, medical issues, activity level, exercise history, muscle mass, and eating habits. You cannot control how God made you, so it is better to accept your body than to fight against it. Before you start a diet, check your motives because you may not even need to lose weight. If you are overweight, simply focus on improving your health through good eating and lots of exercise in order to jump start your weight loss.

How Do Naturally Thin Women Eat?
I rarely see thin people eating salads at McDonald's. The super-thin people I have known eat what they want. They do not overeat; instead, they may forget to eat when they get busy. But when they are hungry, they enjoy a wide variety of tasty foods that may be full of fat, calories and sugar. They do not necessarily exercise, so how do they stay so tiny? Probably everyone in their family is "small-boned." I have known many super-skinny women who are not healthy at all. So don't confuse being healthy with being thin. One thing everyone can learn from naturally super-tiny folks is that they rarely overeat.

Eating Should Be Fun!
My kids love lollipops and ice cream cones simply because they are fun to eat. I don't give them junk food all the time, but if they eat a healthy meal, I allow them a fun dessert sometimes. Moms, please don't go out for ice cream and just watch your kids eat their chocolate cones with sprinkles. Join in with the fun! That does NOT mean to order a large, extra-large or double-dipped cone with 5 toppings. Just order something small that you really love and savor every bite!

Exercise More To Eat More
If you exercise a lot, your appetite will increase. If you truly love to eat and cannot decrease your food volume to lose weight, try exercising more. This will help to increase your metabolism and, of course, burn calories. Another benefit is that exercising will motivate you to eat better, so you may end up replacing your french fries and cookies with blueberries and protein shakes.

What Makes You Beautiful?
First, beauty comes from within, so spend some time today exercising your heart, mind and spirit. The Bible says that beauty is shown by a gentle and quiet spirit. Second, every woman has equal value regardless of how she looks. Third, being thin will not take away all your insecurities. Even the most attractive super models are self-conscious about certain things and may not even like how they look. A lot of girls want to be pretty in order to attract a boyfriend, but remember that being in a relationship does not increase your worth.

Food Addiction
It is interesting that obesity has been increasing throughout this skinnifying of American culture. I believe obesity is so prevalent because of food addiction and sedentary lifestyle. I recently heard: "Anything you cannot live without is an addiction." So if you think you are not addicted to your late night binge, try giving it up for 7 nights.

Weight in Other Cultures
Not every culture has skinny women all over their media. For example, in Latin America, female stars are generally very curvy. Some cultures even revere large women. Remember that each culture's view of beauty changes over time. Being skinny or tan or having a certain hair color may be in fashion now but not 20 years from now.

Overcoming Skinny American Culture
If you feel caught up in wanting to look like a model, spend less time reading magazines and watching TV. The media has more effect on your mind than you may realize. Focus on becoming healthier instead of thinner. Learn to enjoy food but within logical limits. It may sound like an impossible task for most women, but try to accept your body. Then maybe you won't put so much pressure on yourself or those around you.

Reading Position That Decreases Back Pain

Photo: Rachel Sian

Do you read every night before going to bed? Next time you do, lie on your tummy and prop up onto your forearms as you read. This is an ideal position because it arches your back, which is a very healthy movement that most of us rarely do. Our backs do a ton of forward bending each day, as we sit, slump, bend, stoop, and recline. But how often do we stretch our spines backwards? This is one reason why so many elderly folks, or even younger individuals, are hunched forward and cannot stand tall or even sit up straight.

If you do not achieve any backward movement of your spine in daily life, you will progressively lose the ability to fully bend backwards as a normal spine should. So lying face-down and propping on your forearms is one easy way to start moving your spine in the right direction. At first it may be a little uncomfortable, but soon you will grow to like it. Start with 3-5 minutes, and if it feels fine, increase your time up to 10-15 minutes or even more.

Not only is this healthy for your back, but it has good potential to decrease your low back pain! 70% of patients with low back pain need backward movements to get better!

Lastly, this position is the perfect adjunct to reading your Bible every night. That way you are promoting both your physical and spiritual health.