Hello!
Thank you for coming by and thank you for your concern about
your or someone else's pain, and expressing an active interest in
pain management. Often, pain management transforms into complete
pain relief.
My name is Evan Davis, and I have information for you about pain. I am
a licensed massage therapist (state of Iowa lic.# 03041) specializing
in pain management and the reduction of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular pain
conditions related to the neck and back. A desire to understand the
mechanisms of pain and to learn how to help others with pain management
lead me to study shiatsu, or Japanese medical bodywork and massage.
But what I have to tell has nothing to do with me or my services.
If you are reading this, then you or someone you care about probably
suffers from neck and back pain, or sciatica (which has its source in
the lower back) and would like greater relief. What I have to tell
you concerns you taking care of you without the necessary intervention
of a therapist.
If you are one of the lucky ones able to take advantage of physical
therapy, oriental bodywork, neuromuscular therapy, acupressure or
acupuncture, then I congratulate you. It may be, though, that these
are
not options for you, or you are still hurting, or maybe you simply
don't like to be touched, and you find yourself at the mercy of
pain relievers and muscle relaxants.
If you suffer from neck and back pain, or sciatica, and therapists
and
doctors haven't really been able to tell you why, there is a good
possibility that posture may be the root cause of your pain. Hard to
believe, but yes, posture--while sleeping, standing, sitting, (reading
a book, working at the computer), walking, stooping, lifting,
squatting or bending to pet the dog or vacuum a rug, or even engaging
in favorite sports--is often the culprit hiding behind
horrible pain.
What happens is that over a period of time poor posture brings about a
harmful relationship between one or more of your spinal vertabra. This
causes a compacting of the vertabrae and pressure to be placed on the
disc between vertabrae, and this is what causes pain.
(I apologize if this is either too technical or not technical
enough).
There is a kind of formula here,
incorrect posture + gravity + time = pain
In this case, the key to relief depends on spinal decompression, or
allowing the vertabra to move apart and "educating" them back into
normal position. It is important to know that pain management is
possible and with diligence, you can very likely lead a pain free
life.
We both know that there is no panacea, no single remedy for pain, and
unfortunately what I have to say won't apply to everyone. First, I am
going to tell you how you can know whether or not this applies to you,
and next show you how you can learn to take care of you free from
dependence on anyone but you. Let's put you in charge of your pain
management.
World famous physical therapist Robin MacKenzie (look him up on the
web) has created a set of criteria you can use to evaluate your pain.
If you see yourself below, chances are you can take charge of your pain
with MacKenzies' 7 Steps to a Pain-Free-Life. First, please read
over the checklist below:
1. Are there periods in the day when you have no pain?
2. Is the pain confined to areas above the knee?
3. Are you generally worse when sitting for prolonged periods, or
when
standing up from the sitting position?
4. Are you generally worse during or right after prolonged bending or
stooping, as when making a bed, vacuuming, ironing, gardening, or
laying concrete?
5. Are generally worse when getting up in the morning but improve
after about half an hour?
6. Are you generally better when walking?
7. Are you generally better when lying face down?
8. Have you had several episodes of lower back pain over the past
months or years?
If you answered yes to the items above, then there is a good possibility
that you are in pain because of posture, and that you can reverse the
formula mentioned above through the application of gentle, low-stress
exercise. I would like to suggest that you consider Robin
Mackenzie's book, 7 Steps to a Pain-Free-life. Many people have
used
the exercises clearly illustrated in this book to attain a degree
of
relief you might have thought impossible.
If you cannot com to see me or one of my colleagues,
it is important
that you find the tools necessary to assist in management of your
pain.
Your pain does have a cause, one that you can take charge of by
application of these simple exercises done lying, sitting, or
standing.
These 7 Steps are "easy," but make no mistake, the simplicity
is
profound and taking charge of your pain requires dedicated commitment.
Robin Mackenzie is a world famous physical therapist, and his book will
be found in most libraries. If you answered "yes" to the list above,
please find this book and read it. You can preview the book right now, along
with publisher comments and reader reviews, by clicking on the link below.
RELIEF
NOW
Unfortunately, I cannot just describe to you how to do the exercises. They
are indeed very easy, but words alone cannot give you the proper detail
needed to get the most out of them. The key--or one of the key points--however, to handling pain
described by the checklist, is spinal decompression and extension. You might
now be thinking, "Welllll, that doesn't do me much good!" And you
are quite correct. The words don't give you the picture. (Sigh).
In the future, I hope to provide a free e-book demonstrating some of exercises and
principles involved in pain relief. There is also a DVD in the works. But for now,
find the book at a library--it isn't necessary to spend money--or sneak a peak at the
Amazon link I've given above (the blue "relief"). In the meantime,
I hope you'll please take care and stop back from time to time.
IIn fact, if you've stuck with me this far, I'll even show you
personally over the internet, for free, how to do some of the exercises.
(You will need NetMeeting, which you already have on your computer if you have
XP, and a web cam.) Feel free to e-mail me personally at the address below.
If you happen to be in Iowa City, contact me for a free consultation.
Best regards,
Evan Davis MA, LMT, NCTMB
http://www.gainwithoutpain.net
PS: If you have questions you would like to ask me personally, please
e-mail me at: painrelief@gainwithoutpain.net
WebMaster: ecdavis info@gainwithoutpain.net
Copyright ŠNovember 08, 2004 GainWithoutPain.Net. All rights
reserved.
Revised: December 28, 2004
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