exercise

Getting enough sleep and exercise is crucial to the wellbeing of those suffering with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Qi gong can be very helpful in both areas. Qi gong is a Chinese form of therapeutic exercise and meditation. There are many different styles that have developed over the centuries.

According to Chinese Medicine, FM and CFS are due to a deficiency and a stagnation of the body’s vital energy. There may also be latent toxins (viruses, bacteria, etc.) in the body. Qi gong, which means energy work can increase our store of vital energy, improve it’s flow and strengthen the immune system, which can help expel the latent toxins.

The movements in most forms of qi gong are gentle and flowing like the movements of tai chi, making it easier for people with low energy reserves to do them. They provide the body with needed exercise while slowly building strength and stamina. Meditative forms of qi gong help to calm an agitated mind and body, improve sleep, and strengthen the immune system. Most practitioners also report an increased pain tolerance.

If you live near Berkeley California, check out Dr. Bingkun Hu. He is an excellent teacher of the Wild Goose style of Qi gong. Wild Goose includes both active and meditative qi gong forms. You might also want to check out Ken Cohen’s The Essential Qigong Training Course.

One of my favorite qi gong meditations is the inner smile meditation. If you would like to download a free mp3 of the inner smile meditation, mention it in your comment, below.

photo credit: blentley

Frozen shoulder is limiting and it can be painful. In Chinese medicine it is called 50 year shoulder because people tend to get it at middle age. Now you can learn how to avoid it, and how to to recover from it.

The most important thing in avoiding frozen shoulder is keeping it moving. Do gentle range of motion exercises every day, to keep the shoulder joint fully mobile. A good video example of some of the exercises you can do can be found here. If you injure your shoulder, get treatment to heal it quickly. Avoid putting ice on it. Ice, though popular in the West, is considered harmful by the Chinese medical practitioners. It causes blood to coagulate and tendons to stiffen.

Treating Frozen shoulder

If you already have frozen shoulder, the therapy obviously changes. Exercise to increase range of motion, although painful, is vitally necessary. See an acupuncturist who specializes in injury management, or a physical therapist, for a good set of exercises targeted to your limitations. Regular deep massage, to break up the adhesions is very helpful. Use moist heat on the shoulder joint, daily. Wrap a hot moist towel around the shoulder and leave it in place for about 15 minutes.

Using Chinese herbal plasters and liniments: There are many liniments and herbal plasters designed for

701 Plaster

various stages in injury management. 701plasters are the best plaster for frozen shoulder. It comes in a long roll, and you can cut off a piece with scissors. You may want two or three pieces at a time, as it won’t stick as well going around the joint. Peel off the plastic and place the plaster on the joint. You can leave it on for 24 hours. After a break for a day put another one on. Some people don’t like to walk around smelling like Chinese medicine, so they only leave it on over night.

The most easily available liniment that is useful for Frozen shoulder is Zheng Gu Shui. Like 701 plaster, Zheng Gu Shui is very warming, it panetrates the muscles and improves blood circulation. Massage the liniment in to the shoulder and the tight muscle around the shoulder, twice a day.

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As both 701 Plasters and Zheng Gu Shui are very warming, they should not be used on acute injuries, or

when inflammation is present. However they are useful other chronic injuries and arthritis, and other aches and pains that are worse when it is cold.

Acupressure Points for Frozen Shoulder

There are a number of points on the body that you can press or massage, that speed the healing of frozen shoulder. Generally it is best to use the point on the opposite side of the body from the frozen shoulder.

TH3 is on the back of the hand, between the last two bones of the hand, just above the fingers. The point should be tender.

ST38 is on the shin, just outside of the crest of the shin bone, half way between the knee cap and the ankle.

GB39 is one hands width above the outer ankle bone, just in front of the leg bone that runs down to the ankle.

Press or massage each of these points for about one minute, two or three times a day. Do it immediately before massaging liniment into the shoulder.

Check out Tom Bisio’s book, A Tooth From The Tiger’s Mouth, for more on treating yourself for frozen shoulder and other chronic and acute injuries.

Exercise for travelers (and anyone short on space or money)

The benefits of exercise, for both mind and body are numerous. It fights cancer, it fights dementia, it fights osteoporosis, and it fights insomnia. Just to name a few. We should not be letting a day go by without it. Yet, there are a million and one reasons not to exercise. One is lack of space, another is lack of money. There are a several ways to get a good workout without space or money.

There are plenty of bodyweight exercises that are strenuous enough to provide a good work out. One of my favorites is burpees. Burpees are a full body workout and aerobic exercise in one. They can get boring after a while though.

To do a burpee, stand in a place where yo have room behind you. First squat all the way down, then put your hands flat on the floor and jump your legs straight behind you so you are in a push up position with your arms straight. Do a push up, and jump your feet back to the original position. Finally, quickly stand up and jump with your hands in the air above your head. That’s one round.

Suryanamaskar, or sun salutation, from hatha yoga is a bit like a burpee, but more complex, and usually not quite as vigorous. I like to do variations on suryanamaskar, to avoid boredom. Sometimes I speed them up for a more intense workout.

I don’t understand why people are always buying ab equipment. There are several great ab exercises that do not require any equipment. In fact you probably get a better workout without the equipment. If the equipment is designed to make it easier, it’s not better, just easier. Generally easier exercise is less effective exercise.

Tai chi and yoga are both excellent forms of exercise. Learning one or both of them is well worth the effort and expense. Both of them can be managed in fairly small spaces.

A chinning bar is a good cheap addition to round out your exercises, but not so easy to take on a trip. Especially if, like me you like to only take carry-on luggage. These days, they probably wouldn’t let you on with a big metal bar like that!

The best way to get a good all round workout on the road (or at home) is probably with exercise bands. Not just any bands, though. You need a system that will give you a full body workout, at your ideal resistance. The only one I have found that really does the job is the bodylastics system.

You may have noticed that I don’t do much advertising on this site. My main purpose is not to make money, but to share information. However, when I find something worth promoting I will do that. Bodylastics is worth promoting. I suggest you check them out.

Get Your Bodylastics NOW!

Some of these facts most doctors don’t even know!

One fact every surgeon should tell you is that research shows that surgery does not have a better success rate on back pain than other treatment modalities, such as physical therapy or acupuncture.

Here is another juicy one. Usually they don’t even know what is wrong with you. Let me quote an important text book:

“The causes of many painful conditions of the low back remain obscure. Low back pain, which is one of the most common types of pain, continues to puzzle experts…Even when these signs and symptoms are objective, variation is often found between examiners as to the proper interpretation of their clinical significance.”

Muscles: Testing and Function With Posture and Pain, Kendell et al.

Posture has a great deal to do with back pain. Most Doctors won’t even mention that unless you have obviously bad posture. Correcting subtle structural misalignments can go a long way toward getting free from back pain. There are two good self help books for assessing and improving your postural imbalances.

Back Care Basics: A Doctor’s Gentle Yoga Program for Back and Neck Pain Relief

The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion: Revolutionary Program That Lets You Rediscover the Body’s Power to Rejuvenate It

Here’s a biggy: Pain medication tends to have a rebound effect. Did your doctor tell you that when prescribing them? You will tend to feel worse when the drugs wear off. I wonder if the drug companies do that on purpose, to sell more drugs.

Increased self awareness combined with appropriate exercise are probably the best things you can do for your back. And acupuncture works wonders, of course.

If you’re looking for more medical advice, take a look at these diabetes symptoms and allergy relief along with other health info and start feeling better today!