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austingary
USA
95 Posts |
 Posted - 06/18/2004 : 14:30:48
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What kind of stretching should I do before walking, or is it necessary?
It's not necessary to stretch before walking. |
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Simona
USA
7 Posts |
Posted - 06/20/2004 : 15:01:56
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| Thanks Austingary on your advise about walking. I will definitely try the gradual approach. Sounds like it worked well for you. I do have Pete Egoscue's book having bought it about 6 months ago when I had a flare up of symptoms. Having been "diagnosed" with a hip problem, I thought I would try the hip exercises first. My symptoms seemed to worsen with the exercises and I put the book aside. Now that I am gaining strength and confidence through exercise, I'm going to try the book again. |
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JayP
USA
54 Posts |
Posted - 06/22/2004 : 07:33:17
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Austingary,
I have to personally thank you for your post on 6/17 regarding tensing up our muscles. I read that and began trying to relax my muscles in my low back and pelvis areas. It didn't take long before I was able to relax them, and what a difference it made! Tensing my muscles is exactly what I've been doing and why I've had such pain. Thank you, thank you! |
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austingary
USA
95 Posts |
Posted - 06/22/2004 : 09:43:38
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Tensing my muscles is exactly what I've been doing and why I've had such pain.
Good. Glad that helped. When someone pointed it out to me, it sure helped me. But -- it took me months to relax the muscles around my hips & pelvis, layer by layer, like unpeeling an onion. I would think that I was walking with them relaxed, then realize that another layer was still tight as hell, held unconsciously.
I remember the day when I was walking around our bedroom and suddenly felt, for the first time, how I was holding my pelvis tight as I walked. I was able, right then and there, to just let it go. I started walking around the room with a loosey-goosey middle, knees bent like Groucho Marx.
I also remember how much intense lower back pain I put myself in at age 18, after sitting in a college class every day where the seats were old soft-bottom chairs with worn-out, sunken bottoms. I did not realize that for hours I would sit there, unconsciously tensing my lower back muscles, pulling my butt up out of that seat bottom. Given that I was overweight and out of shape, that constant flexing soon put my back muscles into spasm. But the advice I got from chiropractors was that I was "out of alignment". That wasn't the problem! I just had a bad habit of tensing my muscles. If I had known that, bolstered the seat, then paid some attention to letting that part of my body be relaxed as I sat, I could have saved myself a hell of a lot of pain.
In Pete Egoscue's book, "Pain Free", he makes the point that many of us are walking around with our ab muscles tightened up. Consciously loosening them, I find, accomplishes much of what I achieved by, piecemeal, learning to relax the muscles around my pelvis. Also, doing the daily exercises at the back of that book seems to have helped me relax muscles in that area.
My current thinking is that most of our body pain is caused by things we do -- mostly, things we do unconsciously. This would include the aforementioned muscle tightness and also TMS, which is unconsciously turning deep-seated rage into pain. But medical and pseudo-medical practitioners concentrate not on things we do but on things we have, like bones "out of alignment" or externally-caused disease processes.
Most people do not want to take responsibility for themselves any more than absolutely necessary. But no responsibility = no power. When we take responsibility for our own health, then we begin to see what we can do by discovering our bad habits and replacing them with good habits. That is a long and arduous process for most of us, but it is the only effective way to health.
The medicos and pseudo-medicos take advantage of our fear of responsibility. They assign outside causes for our pain and then offer to cure us for a price. Which is not to say that they do this consciously. I doubt that. But you should not ask a barber if you need a haircut. Neither will you usually get good advice about finding and changing your own bad habits from someone who makes his living off of telling people the cause of their pain is from outside them, which is usually not the case.
Well, keep working on relaxing as many muscles as possible. And on moving them. Muscles are meant to move and respond favorably to gentle, relaxed movement in a wide range of motion. As you learn to walk with your body relaxed, you will be amazed at how different your posture and stride have become.
Keep in mind that this is like practicing anything else. For example, I am taking flute lessons. As a rank beginner, I find everything about it hard: just holding my instrument, keeping my fingers on the keys, remembering the fingering for the notes, putting the flute to my mouth right, and on and on and on. But I practice everyday, having to consciously think about all that stuff, knowing that at some point in the future (in theory, at least), those things will all become unconscious habits. The same is true of learning to sit, stand and walk with your hips, pelvis and abs relaxed, with good, balanced posture. Now you have to "practice" it consciously but someday it will just be an unconscious, good habit.
I realize that this is the "TMSHelp" forum and I am not talking about TMS here. Yes, I think that TMS plays a part in just about every pain syndrome. I have some pains, from time to time, that I think are 100% TMS and I treat them that way. But I think that bad habits in the way we use our bodies is probably a more important primary cause of back pain than TMS, with TMS as a secondary cause on top of that. But that's just my opinion, to a great extent based on my own experience. Everybody is different and others have different opinions, which I respect. (Well, up to a point.) |
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JayP
USA
54 Posts |
Posted - 06/22/2004 : 10:34:44
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Austingary,
Thanks for your last post. I think I might check out the "Pain Free" book. I believe my TMS is causing me to tense up my muscles, but that I have the power to untense them. As you said, it will take time and may be layer by layer for me too. I know that I still need to do the "TMS work", but by working at both together, I should see some good results.
I agree that we need to use our muscles. That's hard for me since I sit in front of a computer 9 hours a day. Since I work in a "secured area" and don't interact with other departments in the building, I have to consciously make an effort to get up and walk the halls. Taking a lunch hour is frowned upon by management, even though we are allowed one. Since I bring lunch everyday, I usually eat at my desk. But, I'm ready for an exception today. Mgmt is out for lunch, so I'm heading out, too....thanks again for your thoughts and advice. |
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austingary
USA
95 Posts |
Posted - 06/22/2004 : 12:17:59
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That's hard for me since I sit in front of a computer 9 hours a day.
Well, here's the concept: your health and fitness comes first on the priority list. Health first, everything else after that. If you are a rational person, grounded in the real world, then you have to see that, since you are a biological creature, you must attend to your biology first.
That doesn't mean that you do not shift your schedule around to accomodate your job and other responsibilities. Of course you do. But it does mean that if your job or other elements in your life force you to maintain a poor diet, restrict your body into positions that harm it or keep you from exercising, then you have to make changes so that is no longer the case.
Yes, you have to "make an effort" to get up and walk. Attending to your health and fitness is just one such "effort" after the other. The good thing is that after you force yourself to make these efforts for a period of time they will become habits so that it is actually harder to not make those efforts than it is to make them.
I go to the gym 3X a week, run 2 or 3X/week. To someone who does not have those habits, they would be a big effort but for me, who has been doing them for 20+ years, it would be much harder not to do them.
How you sit those 9 hours a day at your computer and the things you don't do while you are sitting there are probably the primary cause of your pain. Related to how the human body evolved in the evolutionary environment, what you are doing to your body is extremely unnatural, a form of physical torture. So, you must learn to counter that. You probably need to learn a new way to sit as well as exercises you can do while sitting and during constant small breaks during the day. Yes, getting up and walking around will certainly be one of them.
Egoscue also has a book, "Pain Free at Your PC". I have it but have not read it. It appears to cover pretty much the same territory as the "Pain Free" book with special emphasis on people in exactly your situation. So, you might want to check that out. |
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austingary
USA
95 Posts |
Posted - 06/22/2004 : 12:45:14
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One other point: your work environment, as you describe it, sounds extremely oppressive. That alone could give you body pain, even without torturing your body by putting it in front of a computer for 9 hours a day with no exercise.
The last time I worked in a situation that oppressive -- which was about 35 years ago -- I had stomach pain until the day I quit.
There is an article, btw, about bullying bosses in today's NY Times "Science Times". |
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JayP
USA
54 Posts |
Posted - 06/22/2004 : 13:24:56
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Austingary,
Thanks for your responses. I will definitely check out the bullying bosses article.
Yes, my environment is difficult. Before coming here 2 years ago I was on the road a lot working for a big software company doing presentations. Lots of variety, which I thrive on. My travel has shrunk to next to nothing now because of budget cuts, but I'm actually glad since all of the trips I've been on have included my boss. So staying home and just going to work everyday is easier on me than schlepping bags through the airport and putting in 14-15 hour days, trapped with my boss! I do want to move on, but as I've said in past posts, I have too much at stake. Jobs at my pay level are difficult if not impossible to find. Plus next year I'll have 5 weeks of vacation per year, which is important to me. I actually like the work I do. It's challenging, interesting, and some times Fun! I'm constantly learning new things, everything from writing articles on a topic I know nothing about (that got published last year!), to working with state and federal law enforcement. With a new boss, I'd love it!
The older I get the more I realize how important fitness should be in my life. I just can't seem to get out of the gate. I have a mother who never exercised...ever. Great role model. I have a husband who also doesn't exercise. My father on the other hand, at 82, still works as a golf ranger and will begin playing golf as soon as he's recovered from his knee replacement. My brother, 52, is the sports fanatic in the family...windsurfer, hockey player, snow skier, runner, to name a few. I was very active until after college. Biking, skiing, and figure skating were all sports I enjoyed. Fitness has truly taken a back seat to work, and other activities that I'm involved in. So, I think it's time to bite the bullet and turn one of my guest rooms into a home gym! I've been talking about it for over a year, but just haven't made the effort to do it. Thanks for giving me the motivation to get the ball rolling!
I appreciate your posts. They're definitely having a positive impact on me! |
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austingary
USA
95 Posts |
Posted - 06/23/2004 : 09:36:30
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Fitness has truly taken a back seat to work, and other activities that I'm involved in.
But you sound like a rational person and a rational person has to realize that we are biological creatures, therefore everything else in your life comes tumbling down in ruins if your biology suffers a major hit. So, your first attention must be to your biology -- your physical fitness.
Because of the way we have evolved, we are healthiest when we eat certain foods and eschew others, don't eat very much so that we stay quite lean, and exercise consistenly so that all of our musculature gets regular movement against some resistance. So, those are the things that a rational person does.
In addition, we have to defend ourselves against the particular threats to our health that are posed by modern civilization. For example, a body that evolved to be more or less constantly on the move while awake, just squatting down occasionally for rest, now sits for 9 hours straight in a chair (invented 6000 years ago), leaning forward unnaturally, moving only in a very small circle right in front of the body. When this ends, the body moves to another chair (car), then another (recliner), then to bed. And that's it. Punctuated only by eating manufactured food that destroys the body and far too much of it, at that. And we wonder why we get sick!
Yesterday, I was reading an interesting article in Science Times about potassium metabolism. Seems that, because we evolved eating mostly fruits and vegetables (high potassium, low sodium),our bodies excrete potassium quickly but hold onto sodium. But now, most people eat manufactured foods loaded with sodium but few fruits and vegetables. Result? Diseases directly related to too much sodium and not enough potassium in the body. Just one more example of how ignoring the evolution of our bodies leads to trouble.
I strongly recommend that Egoscue book, "Pain Free at Your PC" to you. Sounds to me as though it's written for you. |
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JayP
USA
54 Posts |
Posted - 06/23/2004 : 11:56:36
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Thanks, Austingary. I will definitely check out that book. I just started reading Sarno's MindBody Prescription last night and it's got a lot of great new information.
With regard to health/fitness, I used to be more health conscious when I was younger but somehow it slipped away from me. It's time to begin anew, but the older I get, the harder it is. Maybe by beginning a regular exercise program, I'll start feeling younger! Fortunately, I look 8-10 years younger than I really am, due to excellent genes on both sides of my family, but mentally and physically, I'm beginning to feel ancient as I approach the big 5-0. Age is a big issue for me, and it may be contributing to my TMS. I catch myself talking about age quite a bit, and someone recently said to me, "You sound like you're 80!". Wow, that hit home! I definitely need some de-programming about age!
Thanks again for your last post.
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Texasrunner
USA
60 Posts |
Posted - 06/23/2004 : 12:56:54
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JP- Dr. Sarno mentions in his book, how "rage against age" is a common and often overlooked source of tension. He mentioned how he didn't realize how prevalent it is until he discovered that it was a source of rage in himself. It's probably more common than we think.
PS- I'm 49 and approaching thebig 50. Although I am not conscious of the rage against getting older, I bet it's there, big-time in my sub-consicousness. |
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JayP
USA
54 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2004 : 07:14:22
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Texasrunner,
Thanks, I was skimming his book quickly yesterday and saw something on age, but didn't have time to read it, so I'll definitely check it out tonight. So how do we get over the rage...or does just accepting that it's a problem for us help? |
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Carolyn
184 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2004 : 11:36:49
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I just want to comment on the 'rage against age'. I don't remember this from Sarno's book but I think this is really interesting because in my journaling just last night, I was exploring why I have certain self-destructive behaviors and how they may come out of a form of self-loathing. One of the things I uncovered is that I think 'my mind is angry at my body' for letting it down. By this I mean both by getting older and by getting sick. My body is no longer perfect and my mind needs all things perfect and under my control, according to my TMS-prone personality. So I am angry at my body for betraying me and getting in the way of all the things my mind wants to do. I remember reading somewhere (The Power of Now -I think)that if you have the sensation of "I just can't stand to live with myself anymore" that must mean that 'I' and 'myself' are somehow different parts of you. I think aging gives me an uneasy feeling that I don't belong in this body anymore because it no longer represetns who I really am and maybe this split between body and mind is incredibly stressful to the sense of self and contributes to TMS and rage against age. Just some food for thougth.
Carolyn |
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JayP
USA
54 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2004 : 14:45:12
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Carolyn,
Thanks for your comments. I think the rage against age was brought out in the Workbook I just bought or possibly Fred Amir's book. I bought 3 books at the same time and quickly scanned each to determine which to read first, so it may not have been in Sarno's.
I think the toughest part about aging for me is becoming invisible to men under 40, even though I'm 9 years older than that! My mind isn't middle-aged and the thought of seeing my mother when I look in the mirror is killing me! My weight is probably affecting me more than I care to admit. I'm 20 lbs. overweight, but I carry it fairly well since I'm 5'8"...but, I think I would look and feel more my "mind's age" if I lost the lbs. I love good food and good wine and can't seem to give either up...for long. So I guess I just made the circle and now I'm back to exercising, which I know I need to do and stop my procrastinating!! |
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Connie
USA
11 Posts |
Posted - 06/24/2004 : 15:53:30
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| "Rage against age" probably applies to me too. I'm surprised that such a large portion of membership in support groups such as this one is of those near the 5-0. I turned 49 this year and have been having a lot of trouble dealing with aging for awhile already, especially since prolonged poor health has kept me from many experiences those of my age usually have. The loss is particularly hard to bear. I hadn't thought of it in connection with causing more TMS, but it certainly makes sense. My first reaction was, Oh no, not that too! Seems to be SO much to straighten out in order to be healthy! |
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JayP
USA
54 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2004 : 07:44:21
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Austin Gary,
Thank you for telling me about the Bullying Bosses article. I gave a copy to a friend who also works with me and we were amazed at how our boss fit the profile...now we have to figure out the best way to handle her. I've done some searching on this topic on the Internet, but as yet haven't found ways to deal with it that are new or that I think will work. I'll keep trying. Meanwhile, my TMS has settled down and over the weekend I was actually able to get on my knees and put my shoulders and head on the floor and it was mid-morning! My low back was very tight, but this was a first since January, so I'm making progress.
Thanks again. |
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Carol
91 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2004 : 08:46:04
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I have to weigh in on the "rage against age" subject. I am 65, and this has been a HUGE issue for me. The pain began in ernest at age 61. I had been, and thankfully am again, a VERY active person. My husband and I hike, climb, mountain bike, and kayak during the good weather. In winter we ski and snow shoe, plus working out in a gym.
When I found Dr. Sarno I also found Dr. Sopher, right down the road from me. I went through his program, had a short lived recovery, then went right back into the pain. I e-mailed him to see if he had any suggestions as to what might be blocking my recovery. He said that my age was one factor that could be a problem. He also suggested therapy, which I did have for nearly a year.
Ultimately what finally began to help me, after doing all the psychological work to no avail, was to resume my physical activities. I simply refused to be a "pain criple" when there seemed to be nothing seriously wrong physically. I started by doing almost exactly what Gary recommends, walking and gradually increasing the time and intensity. Then I gradually added back my other physical activities. At the same time I continued to do the emotional work. Currently I am 100% back to full physical functioning, and take no pain medications at all.
As for the ageing issues, I am currently dealing with the issue of whether to get long term care insurance, which is a VERY emotionally loaded subject. I also have to update my will to reflect some changes that have taken place in my family during the past few years. These issues, when they surface, are always preceeded by huge pain increases. The pain dissapates as I actually deal with the problems and make the necessary decisions.
Carol |
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goodguy
26 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2004 : 13:34:07
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| Does anyone have a copy, or know where to get a copy, of the bullying boss article? Does it make any mention of physical, TMS type symptoms? |
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austingary
USA
95 Posts |
Posted - 06/28/2004 : 14:46:36
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Does anyone have a copy, or know where to get a copy, of the bullying boss article?
If you mean the one I mentioned in a post to this topic on 6/22, that article was in the NY Times "Science Times" section, 6/22/04. You should be able to pull that up from the Times website. Requires free registration, if you haven't already. |
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JayP
USA
54 Posts |
Posted - 06/29/2004 : 07:26:51
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Good Guy,
When I read the bullying boss article, I couldn't believe it. I passed it on to 2 other people that are confidants and they too were shocked. We are all trying to figure out ways to deal with those humiliating incidents where one of us gets singled out during a staff meeting. She does exactly what the article says, she moves from one to another like clockwork. Before every meeting we all say, "I wonder who's turn it is this time?" The article also talks about the #2 person in the department who takes on the same bullying qualities. That's certainly true for us! The article starts off quoting a person who would start twitching on their way in to work due to a bullying boss--certainly a sign of TMS.
This morning at 5:00 AM I woke up from a weird dream that I can't even remember, but suddenly I remembered my first humiliating experience where I was the one in the hot seat at a staff meeting. It was last September. I kept telling myself it didn't hurt. I threw it all on her and what an ass she made of herself, but I refused to acknowledge my own feelings. Crying in bed (quietly) at 5:00 AM over something that happened 9 months ago certainly made me realize how much I'd suppressed/repressed these feelings. (Dave, you were right...sometimes we don't know what's really bothering us down in that well of rage we all have.)
I read in Amir's book last night how "self-talk" is very effective in healing TMS. But in doing that and acknowledging what you are mad about, does that make you angry for awhile? My anger is at an all time high, especially after my self-talk session this morning on my way into work. I'd be interested to know what others have experienced.
Thanks again, Austin Gary, for telling me about the article...it will come in very handy next year as our reorganization begins to take shape (if not sooner)!
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Exercise
