Perhaps you are taking my "What’s in my Walk? Unlocking your pain…" (walking course) or have been to my "HowToStopKneeAnkleBackPain" webpage, either way...here is a quick trick to realign your hips and release your pain.
If you are able to ride a bike, you are able to take advantage of this trick. (however please read disclaimer below)
Remember when you were a kid and you would take off on your bike, without sitting on the seat, to get the bike going faster or create momentum to go up hill? Perhaps those with multiple speed bicyclists have never experienced this process but the old style, fat seat bicyclists know what I am talking about.
That is what you need to do, if you are riding a multiple speed bike, set the speed to a higher resistance so as not to hurt yourself by slipping.
Start out on your bike however you normally do, then when you have the chance to lift off the seat and pedal standing up (use caution and see disclaimer), instead of rocking your hips from side to side as some do in this position, keep your hips more stable/level and only use the muscle of your legs, be sure to have your feet pointing forward on the petals with your weight centered on the ball of your foot between your Great Toe/big toe and your 2nd toe (or the one next to the big toe).
This actually realigns the leg muscles. It incorporates a type of contract/relax technique that some massage therapist/physical therapist use to restructure muscle function.
Commonly the hips are out of alignment because of the leg muscles being unbalanced. The outside of the leg is hypertonic/too tight and the inner leg is hypotonic/weak, which can be from walking improperly, injury or other issues. Also if your stomach and back muscles are weak or imbalanced, this could also be a cause of hip misalignment.
Disclaimer: this is mainly for minor hip alignment and not recommended for anyone with injuries, knee, ankle, back issues, also if you have not ridden a bike for some time or are not comfortable, please, use your common sense, this may not be the method for you. At the very least, take your time and ease into it, start with a stationary bike in the gym, or don't stand up, just rely on your leg muscle, keeping your hips more stable or level and feet as described above. And most of all, consult your physician before any exercise. I highly suggest you read and follow the above walking course before you try this bicycle method. Also, if you do not understand the above directions, please do not try this method. (You would definitely need a bike that is correct for your size to avoid any injury)
Take it easy and have fun!
www.healingx.org
pahner@healingx.org
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Plantar Fasciitis: What has Ice got to do with it?
I had a patient that was diagnosed with Plantar Fasciitis.
Her doctor had her wearing a restrictive device at night and told her to stay off her feet to recover, which of course for her, was impossible but actually, that is exactly what is needed to repair.
First, I will explain a little about Plantar Fasciitis, so you will understand why, and then
I will give you another option to consider that helped my patient recover...
Fasci"itis" is inflammed Fascia:
Fascia is the connective tissue that for illustration purposes, connects the bone to the tendon, to the muscle, to the skin.
Imagine fascia as the matrix of the body. I liken it to a sponge. When the fascia or the matrix "sponge" is dry, it is unflexible, in fact if you try to bend a dry sponge, it will crack and that is what is happening to your fascia, it is cracking or being injured and becoming inflammed, every time you walk. Why? It can be for several reason...
First, the bone in your foot could have had an external injury, or your fascia could be dry or compressed/restricted and deprived of body fluid to nourish it or keep it flexible (perhaps from improper walking or restricted movement) but more commonly your calf muscle could be tight and pulling on the tendon that connects the muscle to the fascial sheath around the bone.
Generally, I have found that people who love to walk, overdid it one day and now they have this issue.
A little background on bone: when bone is "pulled" as by the tendon pulling on the fascial sheath that covers the heel, or when rubbed together as in a 2 bones rubbing in joint, it actually begins to create more bone, usually this bone substance is not beautiful, it is a little disorganized and can be sharp or pointy depending on the pulling.
This pointy bone then irritates the sheath that encapsulates the heel bone and creates tearing which creates inflammation and it becomes a viscious cycle.
Considering that you now have this plantar fasciitis, (whether or not you are to the stage of having the bony build-up) and that most people are like my patient and cannot simply stay off of their feet, I will offer to you, what I offered to my patient, that eventually corrected her fasciitis:
Ice your calf muscle as often as possible.
When I say ice, this is the most beneficial process...
Ice your muscle until it is numb: first it will feel really cold, then it will burn and feel tingly or hurt/ache, after that stage, you will not feel it, that is numb. Now take the ice off, if you do not take the ice off that will create a loop of inflammation again, so pay attention, it may only take 5 or 10 minutes, but don't go by the time, go by the numbness that occurs after the burning/ache/tingly period.
Now allow the area to warm up, you could massage the calf a little to get the blood to flow in the area again, or wait about 15-20 min and do the icing again if you have time. The way I see it, if you can ice it once a day, that is better than nothing but ideally 3 times in a row, allowing it to warm up in-between is a good starter.
Now, what does that do?????? It releases any contraction in your calf muscle and puts less pulling on the tendon, which then puts less pulling on the sheath around the bone, which stops pulling on the bone and so the bone stops growing more pointing bone "spurs".
But what about the bone that is there??? Actually an age old recipe of rubbing a good castor oil on the area of the heel that is sore and keeping the area warm is what I have found to break up bony deposits. Don't ask me why this works but it seems to do the trick. But before you use castor oil, you might want to talk to your physician as it can also interfere with medication absorption on some level.
My patient, however only used the icing method and some nutritional information I gave her.
As for the dry fascia cause, consider rehydrating your body and rubbing the area around the fascia (not on top of any sore spot) to get blood flowing in the area.
When I say rehydrate, I mean getting some electrolytes or good purified water and an organic, food based mineral, but that is a whole other blog :)
Best of Luck!
www.healingx.org
pahner@healingx.org
Her doctor had her wearing a restrictive device at night and told her to stay off her feet to recover, which of course for her, was impossible but actually, that is exactly what is needed to repair.
First, I will explain a little about Plantar Fasciitis, so you will understand why, and then
I will give you another option to consider that helped my patient recover...
Fasci"itis" is inflammed Fascia:
Fascia is the connective tissue that for illustration purposes, connects the bone to the tendon, to the muscle, to the skin.
Imagine fascia as the matrix of the body. I liken it to a sponge. When the fascia or the matrix "sponge" is dry, it is unflexible, in fact if you try to bend a dry sponge, it will crack and that is what is happening to your fascia, it is cracking or being injured and becoming inflammed, every time you walk. Why? It can be for several reason...
First, the bone in your foot could have had an external injury, or your fascia could be dry or compressed/restricted and deprived of body fluid to nourish it or keep it flexible (perhaps from improper walking or restricted movement) but more commonly your calf muscle could be tight and pulling on the tendon that connects the muscle to the fascial sheath around the bone.
Generally, I have found that people who love to walk, overdid it one day and now they have this issue.
A little background on bone: when bone is "pulled" as by the tendon pulling on the fascial sheath that covers the heel, or when rubbed together as in a 2 bones rubbing in joint, it actually begins to create more bone, usually this bone substance is not beautiful, it is a little disorganized and can be sharp or pointy depending on the pulling.
This pointy bone then irritates the sheath that encapsulates the heel bone and creates tearing which creates inflammation and it becomes a viscious cycle.
Considering that you now have this plantar fasciitis, (whether or not you are to the stage of having the bony build-up) and that most people are like my patient and cannot simply stay off of their feet, I will offer to you, what I offered to my patient, that eventually corrected her fasciitis:
Ice your calf muscle as often as possible.
When I say ice, this is the most beneficial process...
Ice your muscle until it is numb: first it will feel really cold, then it will burn and feel tingly or hurt/ache, after that stage, you will not feel it, that is numb. Now take the ice off, if you do not take the ice off that will create a loop of inflammation again, so pay attention, it may only take 5 or 10 minutes, but don't go by the time, go by the numbness that occurs after the burning/ache/tingly period.
Now allow the area to warm up, you could massage the calf a little to get the blood to flow in the area again, or wait about 15-20 min and do the icing again if you have time. The way I see it, if you can ice it once a day, that is better than nothing but ideally 3 times in a row, allowing it to warm up in-between is a good starter.
Now, what does that do?????? It releases any contraction in your calf muscle and puts less pulling on the tendon, which then puts less pulling on the sheath around the bone, which stops pulling on the bone and so the bone stops growing more pointing bone "spurs".
But what about the bone that is there??? Actually an age old recipe of rubbing a good castor oil on the area of the heel that is sore and keeping the area warm is what I have found to break up bony deposits. Don't ask me why this works but it seems to do the trick. But before you use castor oil, you might want to talk to your physician as it can also interfere with medication absorption on some level.
My patient, however only used the icing method and some nutritional information I gave her.
As for the dry fascia cause, consider rehydrating your body and rubbing the area around the fascia (not on top of any sore spot) to get blood flowing in the area.
When I say rehydrate, I mean getting some electrolytes or good purified water and an organic, food based mineral, but that is a whole other blog :)
Best of Luck!
www.healingx.org
pahner@healingx.org
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Get in the Zone!
Do you feel out of whack? Nothing quite going your way? Keep running into the proverbial wall? Are you off your game?
You are not the only one.
I have been working with patients that are coming in with the same complaint.
I have another blog devoted to these types of things but thought I should tie it into this one since it seems to be a needed thing right now. (http://spiritualhealingblog.blogspot.com)
If you are an athlete, you know when you are "in the zone" and some of you know how to get there, others just never learned. If you are one of those that just can't get in or feel like something has gone horribly wrong lately. You might be kicked off the Universal "Axialtonal Lines".
How do you get connected again?
There are several ways, the easiest is to go to an Acupuncturist and have them do the Axialtonal Alignment treatment. Acupuncture is actually painless, even though they use the word needle, it is nothing like an injection needle that has a hole in the middle which punctures the skin, these needles are about the thickness of a hair and actually go between the skin cells and it is painless. Often patients do not even know if they have already been inserted, and will say "tell me when you start, o.k?" I have to laugh each time - Acupuncture is so misunderstood!
Another way is to have it done intuitively. I have been using this technique since I developed the protocol and have been getting great results and feedback. Needle free!
You can also connect via meditation and visualization, but you need more information to attain the connection.
There is an easy way to do this through imagination, by using different affirmations, which raise your vibration and seem to snap you back in.
Most importantly, once you are back in, how do you stay aligned. Simple. Remove all negativity from your thinking, talking and exposure to negativity.
Did you ever notice, you are clipping along, feeling great when someone comes at you with their negative attitude directed at you and suddenly, your world is upside down, nothing is right again.
They just kicked you off alignment.
Here is an emergency CPR for when this happens...say the word in your mind or aloud...
cancel, cancel, cancel or neutral, neutral, neutral until you cannot even remember what happened that caused you to feel bad. Now quickly redirect your thought to something constructive and positive, a project you love or person you like being around. You will be reconnected if you catch it right away. Otherwise, if you wait too long, you will need to redo your connection.
So stay positive and enjoy being "IN THE ZONE"
read about Axialtonal Lines and how they work
www.healingx.org/AxialtonalLines.com
http://spiritualhealingblog.blogspot.com
Why take Drugs when you can eat Chocolate?
Superfood: feed your brain, stimulate your mind, hype up your body, have a Superfood party and watch your grades soar, your energy spring into action, get you back in the game, and your body will be calm, cool and collected...
What the @#?* (bleep) are Superfoods?
First and foremost, they are raw, unprocessed, unfiltered, all natural, hopefully organic or wild.
Their properties sometimes need to be unlocked, so powder form is good or get a few friends together, chip in for a 3 Hp Blender (great gift to hint for) and start making your own powerhouse smoothies.
Here are 11 good Superfoods, that should get you off to a good start, there are more and Superherbs as well...when I first saw some of these, I never even heard of them!
Wolfberries or Goji Berries
Maca
Acai Berry (pronounced like: ah-sigh-yee' berries)
Camu Camu Berries
Coconut Oil
Cacao Beans
Hemp Seed
Spirulina and Blue-Green Algae
Bee Pollen (organic, raw, wild, unfiltered)
Medicinal Mushrooms (Shitake, Reishi, Maitake, Cordycepts, etc.)
Seaweed / Kelp
Yacon Root
Best Chocolate Smoothie I ever made...
2 cups purified water
16 Cacao Beans (raw, organic, whole)
1 teaspoon Maca Powder
2 dates (pitted)
coconut milk (can imported from thailand)
1 Tablespoon Hemp Oil
1 teaspoon Vanilla (non alcohol - blends smoother)
handful of green pumpkin seeds
handful of sunflower seed
Blend 3 cycles in Blendtec 3 Hp blender, comes out steaming hot like hot cocoa, YUM
sometimes I add big handful of ice before last cycle if I want it cooler, double YUM and double boost (sometimes when things are heated, they lose their SuperPower, better at room temp)
Not sure where to find Superfoods?
Most can be found at your local health food store or
online at places like www.food-healing.com
and other sites, google each one separately if you can't find it.
They will be the best natural drugs you have ever spend money on and when you are 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80+ years old, your mind will be clearer, you will be stronger, you will have done and accomplished more that you can imagine and you won't be taking prescription drugs to the tune of $800-$1000.00 a month, like everyone else around you.
Get hyped up with Superfood - stimulate yourself, get your focus back, reach your full potential, amaze your family and friends.
Too tired to get up for class? why struggle with school, feeling depressed and out of energy with no desire or interest in much of anything...if I knew when I was in College what I know now, about foods, I would have my PhD by now!
Want to learn more about food and food therapy?
www.healingx.org/FoodTherapy.htm
Sunday, December 21, 2008
A Healthy Perspective for a Healthy Mind, Body and Life
Do you think sometimes, why me, why can't I feel good like her/him. Why do I have to be the one driving the crappy car, struggling day to day?
Actually, perspective is everything. There is a saying...
"Change your mind to change your life"
Begin to change your perspective with one verse...
"Everyday, in every way, I am getting better and better."
First, write down how you see your life now, from your current perspective.
But, before you say the verse, try to FEEEEEL it, envision your ideal life. Be sure to include how you make other people feel good about themselves, you could include ideas like: I am healthy, wealthy and wise. My family is healthy and happy. Love is all around us. Imagine people smiling and laughing the belly laugh, they cannot stop because they are so happy and you are there, laughing also. Imagine children playing and giggling. See the world is getting better, everyone is helpful and friendly, the economy is skyrocketing, everyone is making money, etc.
Then say the above verse to yourself 20 times.
On a separate piece of paper, write the verse down and put it next to your bed and read the verse when you go to bed and/or when you wake up.
In a week, write your new perspective of your life, compare it to the one from a week ago. Report back with what has changed!
Stay positive!
pahner@healingx.org
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Let's Talk About Health
Feel free to email me your health questions related to food, nutrition, energy healing, etc.
I'm here for you, just ask, or maybe I can direct you.
pahner@healingx.org
www.healingx.org
Body Electric: function and dysfunction
Dupuytren's, Tendonitis, Plantar Fasciitis and Electrolytes:
In Chinese medicine we see the body on some level as fluid and electricity.
Our bodies are made up up mostly fluid. Electrolytes are the conductors of the electricity that comes from the Sinoatrial Node (referred to as the pacemaker of the heart)
To create an illustration in your mind...think of a car battery...if the fluid is low, the battery heats up and burns out. The fluid and the minerals that make up the electrolytes are what conduct the electricity or the energy. When fluid is low, energy is low. Caffeine drinks are like battery acid, they burn up fast and leave you with less energy than before, because they burn up fluid along the way.
Our bodies need to be supplemented with fluid and electrolytes when we have been burning them or perspiring. Often when it is hot outside and you are in the sun, you do not tend to even feel yourself perspiring, but you actually are, it is just being evaporated off your skin just as fast. If you are in hot weather or working out, you are losing fluids and with them some electrolytes.
In Chinese Medicine, yin is a condensed fluid and it is believed to lubricate the joints and tendons. It is a thicker substance like the oil in a car engine that makes everything run smoothly.
Generally stiff or unflexible tendons are referred to as dry (meaning without yin or oil as lubrication) without the flexibility needed, tendons can pull on the sheath encasing the bones, and that pulling action tells the bone that it needs to create more bone...this can lead to spurs and unorganized bone structure causing things like plantar fasciatis where the bony spurs are irritating the fascia around the plantar bone of the heel and creating inflammation (thus the "itis" part of the work meaning inflammation)
Dupuytrens Contracture can also be considered dry tendons. Generally people with dry tendons in one area, begin to experience the same issue in other tendons as well.
So, what to do about it? Where do I get yin? How to start?
Check out these yin producing foods along with getting some high quality food-based minerals when needed (most over the counter minerals are not the best quality). Food source minerals (eating foods high in minerals like a variety of seeds and nuts or working with a phytonutrient smoothie diet for optimal health), of course, are the best and easiest for us to absorb. Note: Most spring water has minerals, but the molecules are generally too big for our bodies to use them and they can end up being deposited all over the body and clog things up, creating a bigger problem.
Get enough good water to go along with your good minerals for good electrical conductivity. Fluid converts to "yin". Without fluid, yin becomes depleted, so keep your fluid up and work with some yin producing foods to bump up your yin, limit your caffeine...then watch what happens to your tendons and also pay attention to your skin, you might notice it is more moist and supple as well.
Hint: A cup or 2 of hot water in the morning, flushes the overnight sludge that collects in the kidneys and the action of heating the water also makes the water molecules "thinner" so your body can absorb it more easily and rehydrate you. You want to get those small bubbles to form just before a big rolling boil, that is the key. And drink it when is it on the hotter side of warm before it converts back to the normal sized molecule (or gets "thicker" again).
That should get your body lubricated for healthier tendons and help reduce the inflammation
pahner@healingx.org
Patricia J Ahner, LAc
www.healingx.org
In Chinese medicine we see the body on some level as fluid and electricity.
Our bodies are made up up mostly fluid. Electrolytes are the conductors of the electricity that comes from the Sinoatrial Node (referred to as the pacemaker of the heart)
To create an illustration in your mind...think of a car battery...if the fluid is low, the battery heats up and burns out. The fluid and the minerals that make up the electrolytes are what conduct the electricity or the energy. When fluid is low, energy is low. Caffeine drinks are like battery acid, they burn up fast and leave you with less energy than before, because they burn up fluid along the way.
Our bodies need to be supplemented with fluid and electrolytes when we have been burning them or perspiring. Often when it is hot outside and you are in the sun, you do not tend to even feel yourself perspiring, but you actually are, it is just being evaporated off your skin just as fast. If you are in hot weather or working out, you are losing fluids and with them some electrolytes.
In Chinese Medicine, yin is a condensed fluid and it is believed to lubricate the joints and tendons. It is a thicker substance like the oil in a car engine that makes everything run smoothly.
Generally stiff or unflexible tendons are referred to as dry (meaning without yin or oil as lubrication) without the flexibility needed, tendons can pull on the sheath encasing the bones, and that pulling action tells the bone that it needs to create more bone...this can lead to spurs and unorganized bone structure causing things like plantar fasciatis where the bony spurs are irritating the fascia around the plantar bone of the heel and creating inflammation (thus the "itis" part of the work meaning inflammation)
Dupuytrens Contracture can also be considered dry tendons. Generally people with dry tendons in one area, begin to experience the same issue in other tendons as well.
So, what to do about it? Where do I get yin? How to start?
Check out these yin producing foods along with getting some high quality food-based minerals when needed (most over the counter minerals are not the best quality). Food source minerals (eating foods high in minerals like a variety of seeds and nuts or working with a phytonutrient smoothie diet for optimal health), of course, are the best and easiest for us to absorb. Note: Most spring water has minerals, but the molecules are generally too big for our bodies to use them and they can end up being deposited all over the body and clog things up, creating a bigger problem.
Get enough good water to go along with your good minerals for good electrical conductivity. Fluid converts to "yin". Without fluid, yin becomes depleted, so keep your fluid up and work with some yin producing foods to bump up your yin, limit your caffeine...then watch what happens to your tendons and also pay attention to your skin, you might notice it is more moist and supple as well.
Hint: A cup or 2 of hot water in the morning, flushes the overnight sludge that collects in the kidneys and the action of heating the water also makes the water molecules "thinner" so your body can absorb it more easily and rehydrate you. You want to get those small bubbles to form just before a big rolling boil, that is the key. And drink it when is it on the hotter side of warm before it converts back to the normal sized molecule (or gets "thicker" again).
That should get your body lubricated for healthier tendons and help reduce the inflammation
pahner@healingx.org
Patricia J Ahner, LAc
www.healingx.org
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