Back pain is a signal - Here's what to do about it

Before I pass on the following advice, I'd like to be clear about how I personally use Chiropractic care as well as how I recommend using it - for the overall improvement of body, mind and mood function, for the overall improvement of health and immune system and for the overall improvement in quality of life.

Using Chiropractic for the relief of pain only is like going to a nice restaurant and buying an expensive meal, just for the sake of sitting in a comfortable seat.  You miss out on the most valuable aspects of the experience.  I have an older post that gives more detail about this idea, look here.

Having said that many people are still suffering with a lot of pain, and the good news is, there is a lot you can do on your own to help yourself in a very effective way.

1) Get up and move more.  Every hour stand up and change body positions.  Sitting all day at work, in the car, on the couch and at the table is terrible for you, in many ways.

2a) Stretch in the morning.  It does not need to be formal or fancy.  Just a big ole' fashion grunting spastic stretch is great.  Can you picture your baby, dog or cat as they wake up?  What's the first thing they do?  The reason it feels so good, is because it is stimulating your brain in the right way, and your brain rewards you by feeling good.

psoas muscle

2b) Stretching upward specifically helps a particularly important muscle called the psoas.  It attaches at the lower spine and connects to the top of the leg, on both sides.  When it flexes it bends the leg up, like being in the sitting position.  So when we spend all the time we do seated it shortens that muscle, and it pulls on the spine, overtime this increases the chances of the spine functioning poorly and with it more pain.  So, stretch up...  And grunt, it always helps me.

3) Check this out: Foundation Training and do the training daily.  For the most part, pain is a desperate request from your body saying to you "we're not doing something right!"  Follow this training and begin to use your magnificent body in line with the way you were designed.  Also this video can help to avoid common mistakes when doing this exercise.  I personally have gotten a lot from this exercise.  I know the developer of this work has written a book.  I'm sure it's good, in fact quite good, I just can't speak from experience about it.

If you're interested in learning more about this work go to Mercola.com, an indispensable tool to living healthier.

4)  Regarding books I do have experience with is Pain Free by Peter Egoscue.  Very helpful stuff, particularly the chapters related to the low back and pelvis.

A Flourishing Life

Below is the outline to a recent class I gave in my office.  This class received a lot of notice so I've posted the outline of the class for those of you who are interested.  If you would like to hear the talk, click this link to access the audio file from Google Drive.

A Flourishing Life

by Aaron Rossi DC

December 11th 2013

I. Mindset

   A. Growth (getting better) vs. 

   B. Fixed (being good)

II. Flourishing – P. E. R. M. A.

    A. Positive emotions 

       1.“Happiness comes from within, and happiness comes from without. “

           a. Set Point 50%

           b. circumstances 10%

           c. outlook, choices, behavior 40%

       2. Exercises

           a.“What went well?”  

           b. A Kind Act – most powerful mood enhancer

       3. Practice of Self Esteem

           a. Self acceptance

           b. personal integrity

           c. self assertiveness

    B. Engagement – 

       1. Flow; where challenge and skill meet, Presence of mind

       2. Drive; Autonomy, purpose, Mastery

    C. Relationships

       1. Communicating with Children

           a. Praise Effort not outcome, 

           b. Positive Constructive Style, 

       2. Communicating with Partner

           a. 5 love languages – Time, Gifts, Touch, Words, Service

           b. 5:1 ratio positive to negative interactions – sarcasm the killer

    D. Meaning / Purpose-

       1. Intrinsic - meaningful relationships, personal growth, community contribution 

       2. Extrinsic - wealth, beauty, fame, power

    E. Achievement 

       1. Grit – perseverance and effort

       2. Goals 

           a. Hard to achieve

           b. and Expect them to be

       3. Happy successful effort/work results from:

           a. 25% training and education

          b. 75% positivity, support, perception of stress (challenge or threat) 

III. Your Mind and Your Health 

     A. Positive Emotions and life and death and colds

     B. Your Brain

        1. Relationships

           a. Longevity

           b. Loneliness

        2. Meditation

            a. genetic effect

           b. parasympathetic response

        3. Exercises – 

            a. brain damage insulator: off-hand, cross-crawl, learning cognitive reserve 

            b. Naperville Ill., Texas Public schools

            c. Depressant 

        4. Brain Chemistry changes: received, given, observed

IV. The Weird

    A. Molecules of Emotion

    B. Earth Grounding, Brain Magnetic Sense

    C. Heart Magnetic Field

    D. DNA – selective change and magnetic influence

    E. Placebo Knee surgery

Internet RESOURCES

Heartmath – heart and emotion research   

www.Heartmath.com   http://youtu.be/QdneZ4fIIHE      

John Gottman – Relationship expert     

http://www.gottman.com/

http://www.azgrowth.com/4Horsemen.pdf

Brian Johnson's Philosophers Notes
http://www.entheos.com/philosophersnotes

Success Magazine (They're my curator for good stuff- I love this magazine)
http://www.success.com/

TEDx talks: 

Brene Brown on vulnerability: 

http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html

Shawn Achor on Happiness:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXy__kBVq1M

Health newsletter:    

www.Mercola.com             

University of Penn

Signature Strengths Surveys

http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Default.aspx

Book RESOURCES

Flourish by Martin Seligman PhD

Mindset by Carol Dweck PhD

Succeed by Heidi Grand Halveson PhD

How of Happiness by Sonja Lubimurski PhD

Why we Do What we Do by Edward Deci PhD

Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt

Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi 

Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor

Drive by Daniel Pink

Switch by Chip and Dan Heath

Super Brain by Depak Chopra MD

Molecules of Emotion by Candice Pert PhD

Spark by John Ratey MD

Relaxation Revolution by Herbert Benson MD

Think Smart by Richard Restak MD

Health is a state in process

The latest idea I'm bringing to focus in my office is a more accurate understanding of health.

Health is not a fixed thing that you do or do not have.  That you have lost or found.  Broken or repaired.  Health is a state, and is constantly in process.  Applied properly, Chiropractic moves the process forward, where ever the state of health currently is.

It takes diligent applied effort to achieve mastery at work.  It takes conscious, frequent attention to make family life harmonious.  It takes concerted regular action to make health flourish.  And there is no upper limit of achievement, fulfilment or expression of these or any other worth while endevor.

Your First Technique

When I was in Chiropractic college at Life University, I remember the very first day of adjusting.  I was half way through my Doctor of Chiropractic program and just entering "Student Clinic."  This is where young untested Chiropractic students start learning how to adjust - upon each other.

There was a group of 12 of us, young students, coincidentally all male, gathered around in the space of a large hallway intersection in the crammed, drab student clinic building.  We were all neatly dressed in ties, slacks and fresh pale blue clinic jackets.  Most of them still showing creases from being recently unfolded out of their package.

There was an air of great excitement and anxiety.  This is the time in school that the whole academic experience begins to shift.  Going from strictly academic to incorporating hands on practice.  Some were terrified, some exhilarated, both for the same reason; beginning the marque experience of being a Chiropractor.  The moment was further charged with a feel of competition as well.  Chiropractic students become deeply clanish, picking certain techniques and vocally promoting it above all others.  To be sure, we were ripe ground for those attitudes.

Gradually our attention turned down the hall.  We watched as a old gentlemen approached.  A few scattered hairs upon the top of his head, round spectacles, brown suit and tie, a bent but distinguished posture, complete with a wooden cane.  We watched speechlessly as he stode to the center of our group and  he slowly looked around, passing his gaze upon each of us.  He spoke slow, deliberate and quiet.

"Gather round men, gather round.  My name is Dr. Oliver.  I learned Toggle from BJ (the actual developer of Chiropractic and that technique) and I've been a Toggle Man for 60 years.

"But regardless of if you do Thompson, or Gonstead or any other,,  your FIRST technique gentlemen, is love.  Remember that."

I always have.

My personal Motto

Work hard toward a purpose worthy of you.  Love your family and make sure they know it.  Know yourself and be true.

In Short:
Work hard, Love your Family and Be true to yourself.