July Newsletter 2017
July acupuncture special… Purchase two acupuncture treatments and get the third one for free! All three sessions must be used within the month of July.
The McKenzie Method…You may have heard of the “McKenzie method” to help with back or neck pain. The types of pain this method helps are sharp pain that is new (acute), constant pain (chronic), and pain that comes and goes. Most health professionals that work with helping patients’ neck and back problems have at least heard of it. This newsletter will explore the claim: ‘You can heal your own back’.
First, a posture analysis is done to make sure you are standing and siting straight. The feet are about shoulder width apart, hips are over the shoulders and the pelvis is ‘tucked in’ to belay sway-back. This posture takes the locked knee tendency away. Knees should be straight, but not locked. The vertebrae are straight up all the way to the shoulders. The three curves; lumbar, thoracic, and cervical are visible from the side. The ears are over the shoulders. In most of us, getting the ears that far back takes effort. Good posture is key to good neck and back function and most of us have to constantly remind ourselves to use it.
“The McKenzie Method is grounded in finding a cause and effect relationship between the positions the patient usually assumes while sitting, standing, or moving and the generation of pain as a result of those positions or activities.” Information is gathered using test movements and gauging the patient’s response. That informs the therapist to design a set of movements that will centralize or alleviate the pain. ‘Centralize’ means the pain moves to the center of you, as in your spine, and out of your arms, shoulders, legs, buttocks, etc. “Pain is generally better tolerated in the mid-back or neck than if it remains in the legs, hips or low back.”
At the office. When in a chair, practice good posture by pulling the shoulders back and down, head up, and ears over the shoulder. Now slump down gently with your legs apart and reach for the floor behind the chair. Repeat this motion slowly three times. This is a gentle spine stretch you can do best in an office chair or straight back chair.
At home stretches. I suggest doing these next to the couch so that once you are done you can use the couch to stand back up again. If you can lay on your stomach, stretch and extend your back by propping yourself up on your elbows. Hold that for 20-30 seconds, then rest (repeat three times). If you find that helps relieve the pain, you can try progressing to be on straightened arms.
If you can’t lay flat on your tummy, then put a pillow lengthwise under your tummy. Bend your arms and support your forehead with your hands. Lay there until the pain subsides. Then lift up to your elbows as in figure 2.
Then roll over lying supine (on your back) with knees bent. This is a typical stretch of pulling your knees to your chest and holding that for 15-20 seconds, then rest (repeat three times).
Next, lift up only one leg while still on your back with knees bent. Put your hands behind that one knee and pull it to your opposite shoulder. hold that for 15-20 seconds. Let the leg down and repeat with the other leg. Do each leg 3 times and you should be able to pull it closer to your body each time. If you don’t feel the stretch, straighten the knee a bit.
The next McKenzie move is ‘the flop the leg over’ stretch. Still laying on your back, mostly straighten one leg down but bend the other up (without grabbing it), then let it flop over the other leg all the way to the floor if you can. Hold there at the point of ‘feeling a stretch’ for 15-20 seconds. Come back to the original position and switch legs. Do each leg 3 times.
Next, roll to your front onto your hands and knees. Slouch your belly towards the floor and count to 5, then pull your spine up to the ceiling and count to 5. Repeat this stretch 4 or 5 times. This has many names, McKenzie calls it the cat-camel.
Before you get up I suggest you stretch your arms out in front of you on the floor while you stick your buttocks back behind you.
These are the first motions taught by the McKenzie method for the back. A simple internet search shows more information about this method, including books and charts. Next month I will give you a peek at what McKenzie suggests for neck stretching.
Our July fundraiser… will be on Saturday, the 29th, from 9am until 1pm. Come in and receive a chiropractic adjustment or meridian balancing treatment in exchange for a donation of your choice. Proceeds from this month’s fundraiser will benefit the Community Cupboard.
The McKenzie Method…You may have heard of the “McKenzie method” to help with back or neck pain. The types of pain this method helps are sharp pain that is new (acute), constant pain (chronic), and pain that comes and goes. Most health professionals that work with helping patients’ neck and back problems have at least heard of it. This newsletter will explore the claim: ‘You can heal your own back’.
First, a posture analysis is done to make sure you are standing and siting straight. The feet are about shoulder width apart, hips are over the shoulders and the pelvis is ‘tucked in’ to belay sway-back. This posture takes the locked knee tendency away. Knees should be straight, but not locked. The vertebrae are straight up all the way to the shoulders. The three curves; lumbar, thoracic, and cervical are visible from the side. The ears are over the shoulders. In most of us, getting the ears that far back takes effort. Good posture is key to good neck and back function and most of us have to constantly remind ourselves to use it.
“The McKenzie Method is grounded in finding a cause and effect relationship between the positions the patient usually assumes while sitting, standing, or moving and the generation of pain as a result of those positions or activities.” Information is gathered using test movements and gauging the patient’s response. That informs the therapist to design a set of movements that will centralize or alleviate the pain. ‘Centralize’ means the pain moves to the center of you, as in your spine, and out of your arms, shoulders, legs, buttocks, etc. “Pain is generally better tolerated in the mid-back or neck than if it remains in the legs, hips or low back.”
At the office. When in a chair, practice good posture by pulling the shoulders back and down, head up, and ears over the shoulder. Now slump down gently with your legs apart and reach for the floor behind the chair. Repeat this motion slowly three times. This is a gentle spine stretch you can do best in an office chair or straight back chair.
At home stretches. I suggest doing these next to the couch so that once you are done you can use the couch to stand back up again. If you can lay on your stomach, stretch and extend your back by propping yourself up on your elbows. Hold that for 20-30 seconds, then rest (repeat three times). If you find that helps relieve the pain, you can try progressing to be on straightened arms.
If you can’t lay flat on your tummy, then put a pillow lengthwise under your tummy. Bend your arms and support your forehead with your hands. Lay there until the pain subsides. Then lift up to your elbows as in figure 2.
Then roll over lying supine (on your back) with knees bent. This is a typical stretch of pulling your knees to your chest and holding that for 15-20 seconds, then rest (repeat three times).
Next, lift up only one leg while still on your back with knees bent. Put your hands behind that one knee and pull it to your opposite shoulder. hold that for 15-20 seconds. Let the leg down and repeat with the other leg. Do each leg 3 times and you should be able to pull it closer to your body each time. If you don’t feel the stretch, straighten the knee a bit.
The next McKenzie move is ‘the flop the leg over’ stretch. Still laying on your back, mostly straighten one leg down but bend the other up (without grabbing it), then let it flop over the other leg all the way to the floor if you can. Hold there at the point of ‘feeling a stretch’ for 15-20 seconds. Come back to the original position and switch legs. Do each leg 3 times.
Next, roll to your front onto your hands and knees. Slouch your belly towards the floor and count to 5, then pull your spine up to the ceiling and count to 5. Repeat this stretch 4 or 5 times. This has many names, McKenzie calls it the cat-camel.
Before you get up I suggest you stretch your arms out in front of you on the floor while you stick your buttocks back behind you.
These are the first motions taught by the McKenzie method for the back. A simple internet search shows more information about this method, including books and charts. Next month I will give you a peek at what McKenzie suggests for neck stretching.
Our July fundraiser… will be on Saturday, the 29th, from 9am until 1pm. Come in and receive a chiropractic adjustment or meridian balancing treatment in exchange for a donation of your choice. Proceeds from this month’s fundraiser will benefit the Community Cupboard.
