From the category archives:

exercise

Self Help for PMS

by Ed

Chinese Medicine has an excellent success rate in treating PMS and other disorders related to the menstrual cycle, including menopausal symptoms. PMS, however, can usually be treated with lifestyle changes. It is related, to a large degree, to stress. So, many of the recommendations I give here are generally applicable to most people in our society today.

In Chinese Medicine the various energy systems are named after one of the internal organs they are related to. So when I am talking about the Liver throughout this post, don’t think I am necessarily talking about the actual Liver organ.

The Liver, according to Chinese Medicine, is responsible for the free flow of energy throughout the body, and it is responsible for cyclical events in the body, including the menstrual cycle. Stress, frustration, and emotional suppression are the main disruptors of the Liver. Deep relaxation is probably the most important antidote. Ideally you should spend 20 minutes twice a day in deep relaxation, especially if you are having symptoms. Once a day is fine for maintenance. To the meditators who are reading this: although meditation is a great way to de-stress, it is not usually a great way to attain a deep state of relaxation. Try different forms of guided relaxation. Some people respond best to visualizations, and some best to conscious relaxation of each muscle. If you are interested, I have made a CD with three different, 20 minute guided relaxation sessions on it. Most likely, one of the three would work for you. Contact me at edward@prhealthworks.ca.

The second most important thing you can do for yourself is exercise. 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, 3 days a week, will improve the Liver’s ability to maintain a free flow of energy.

The third thing is make a few dietary changes. Avoid difficult to digest foods, as well as foods that affect the Liver, such as caffeine, alcohol, greasy foods, and processed foods with preservatives, and other artificial ingredients. Also most drugs, including over the counter medicines and recreational drugs, have a heavy impact on the Liver.

Following these guidelines, most women will be symptom free, within 2 months. If you are not symptom free within 3 months, I suggest you find a competent acupuncturist or practitioner of Chinese herbology.

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Pain Relief

by Ed

One of the healing modalities I practice is postural alignment therapy. After a thorough evaluation of my clients posture and structural alignment, I design an exercise program to correct the misalignments. When the body is properly aligned, pain and other symptoms often go away. But when the pain is too great for even the gentle program I design, what to do?

There are three exercises that most people can manage. These three exercises are particularly useful for musculoskeletal pain involving the back, hips, knees, and shoulders. Between them they relax and realign the body very well. With dedication, they can help reduce disabling pain, and often relieve pain altogether, at least temporarily. At that point I can introduce a program that will really help them get permanently out of pain.

So what are those three magic exercises? I’ll show you, but first some Do’s and Don’ts:

Do consult with a qualified health professional before embarking on any self-help plan. Make sure you know the cause of your pain.

Don’t do any exercise if it causes pain.

Do relax and breathe deeply while doing the exercises.

The first one is very simple: Lie on your back with your calves on a chair or other suitable support. The thighs should be vertical and the calves should be horizontal. Stay here for 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the severity of your pain.
static back

The next exercise is similar. Only you have one leg up and the other stretched out straight, on the floor. Support the foot on the floor so it stays vertical. Do this for about 15 minutes on each side.

Supine Groin Stretch

The last one, called air bench, is the most difficult, so you should slowly work into this one. Stand with your back and hips against a wall. Your feet should be parallel, about shoulder’s width apart, and far enough in front of you so that you can slide down the wall until you are in a sitting position. The position is very important. The knees should be over the ankles, not in front of them at all! Try to get your thighs horizantal, but don’t hurt yourself. If there is any discomfort in the knees, move up the wall until it disappears. Press the hips and low back against the wall. Feel the weight in your heels, not the balls of your feet. Hold this for up to 2 minutes. You may have to start at 10 seconds and slowly increase.

airbench

I first learned these exercises from the book, “The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion”. It was after reading that book and Pete Egoscue’s “Pain Free”, that I studied at the Egoscue Method Clinic.

For more information check out my web site prhealthworks.ca or egoscue.com

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