THE LUMBER ROTATION AND GAIAM BALANCE BALL CHAIR

Well I must say sorry as its been a very long time since I have written anything, too much time surfing and practicing yoga that I decided to give it a break for while. But now I’m back with some new information and new ideas. This week two fantastic stretches to help you free your back, and some shameless product promotion.

I hope things have been going well over the past few weeks, and you have been practicing some of the stretches from previous blogs, and maybe it has inspired you to research and look in to more things you can do to help yourself. Don’t forget my website has a lot of useful information, directories of chiropractors and a very interesting frequently asked question section (FAQ) please add to these if you have any.

The Balance ball chair is something I have found to be fantastic in strengthening my core and consistently reminding me to sit up straight, a friend had one at his house one day, and I took one look at it and laughed, but then I sat on it and instantly realized how weak more core was, and went out the following day and brought one, ok it doesn't look like much, but trust me after an hour of sitting on it, you will see why I am writing             about it.

With that aside it’s onto the good stuff, the long awaited stretches. Lets talk a little about Lumber Rotation, as there has been a lot of discussion about it this week online. It is quite common for adults, including athletes, to develop tightness and a limited range of motion in the spine. The spine can be tight in one area and have normal or even extra flexibility in another. For example, an adult can have a tight lumbar spine with limited flexion, while the thoracic portion flexes well. This is because of the structure of the vertebrae and the manner in which the spine is aligned. Practicing Lumbar Rotations will keep the lower back muscles both strong and supple, which is one of our goals in dealing with scoliosis.

Lumbar rotation

·  Fold your arms across your chest.

·  Gently and slowly rotate from the lower back.

·  Start off with a small movement and gradually increase.

·  Repeat 10-20 times each side.

The lumbar spine has the largest set of vertebrae and bears the most weight. Its function is to stabilize your spine and hips to prevent joint diseases and injury when you move and exercise. Although stretching your lumbar spine can improve its range of motion, you should not stretch beyond its normal range of motion because it can cause laxity in the tissues, tendons and ligaments. Practice the Lumbar Rotation exercise with care, start off slow and work you way up, this lower back stretch is a great way to start off.

Lower back stretch

·  Lie on your back.

·  Pull both knees up to your chest as far as they will go.

·  Hold for 10+ seconds and repeat 5 times.

Well that’s all for this week, as always I’m always after tips and feed back. Please remember to take it easy with all poses, and to consult a doctor if you are worried about starting anything new.

Don’t forget to have a look at the website a few things have changed and the Latest research has been update in the past few weeks.


Until next time,

Mr Scoliosis.

THE MAD CAT!

Women and cats will do as they please, 

and men and dogs should relax 

and get used to the idea.

-Robert A. Heinlein

Welcome to this weeks post, how did last weeks stretches go? How is the back feeling now? How is the fitness? This week, well same as last, 2 more stretches and more pillow talk.

As I alluded to last week, when I use my body pillow I sleep with it lower down, and use a supportive neck pillow, the reason why I suggest the extra large model, is as you can see from my neck pictures on the website, I need to regain as much curve as I can, so the higher the wedge is under my neck, the more curve I get. I have tried a lot of different types of pillows, and while this one looks simple, it does the job. Just last month I brought a TRI-core cervical pillow, firstly it didn't give me any support for side sleeping, and secondly when I lay on my back, after 2 or 3 nights, my neck started to hurt, after talking to my chiropractor, who happens to be my neighbor, he told me that he believes that this type doesn't provide enough support and the head does not fall back far enough into the hole in the center. So I went back to my original. Have a look, see what you think.

Now on to this weeks stretches, they are again mainly for lower to mid back pain. The Simple Twist improves flexibility of the spine, waist, and front side of the hip. The Mad cat stretch promotes better movement in the back, shoulders, and hips.

Simple Twist-

· In a seated position, bring your right leg behind your body by bending at the right knee.

· Place the sole of your left foot against the top of your right knee and thigh.

· Remain in a tall-seated position as you reach back behind your body with your left hand and twist your torso to the left.

· Keep your left hand anchored to the floor and bring your right to the left knee to assist in the twist.

Mad cat stretch

·  Support your body on all fours, with your hands below the shoulders and your knees below the hips.

· Breathe out as you arch your back upward.

· Breathe in as you bow your back downward.

· Move your head in the opposite direction of the back.

· The movement should be continuous, without pausing at the top or the bottom.

I hope this week has helped, please don’t feel shy to leave me a comment or ask a question, or if you have an idea for a stretch, or can't relieve the pain from a certain area, leave a comment and I will make it a post for next week.  Until next time, stay safe, stand tall and practice your stretches.

MrScoliosis

www.relievingscoliosis.com

2 weeks off 1 week on.

A successful man is one who can

lay a firm foundation with

the bricks others have thrown at him.

-David Brinkley

Welcome back to another post, sorry it’s almost been two weeks since the last one, I’ve been away traveling on some of the worst buses Peru has to offer and have consequently paid the price. So this week I’ve been pushing myself with the stretches and seen the chiropractor twice, but it was worth it for the adventure. 

The quote above is one I particularly like when it’s related to Scoliosis, our maker has thrown at us our bricks and we are the ones that have to figure out how to make them work for us.

This week I have some more stretches, and also a little bit of product promotion, really the product is an aid that I use every night and I love it so much that I want to share it. Heck I even brought it with me to Peru in a suction bag and paid extra to get it on the plane. Its called a Body Pillow-

Since the first night I got it, the pain in the morning that would make me get out of bed early stopped, I however do not use it as the only pillow, I also use a neck supportive pillow and leave the body pillow down lower. Now there is a lot of different types, styles and shapes on the market, this basic model is all you really need, and best of all, its not the most expensive one on the market and its worth every cent for the rest and comfort you receive.

Now with that out of the way, the stretches! The Crossed Knee Life stretches tight hip and lower back muscles and enhances torso rotation. The Bridge Pose has a multitude of benefits the most important ones to us are- Stretches the chest, neck and spine, reduces backache and also it can help relieve menstrual discomfort.

Crossed Knee Lift

Lie on a soft surface to protect your back facing up, with your arms straight out from the sides of your body and palms down.  Cross one ankle over the opposite knee. Life the knee up directly above the hip and hold for at least 15 secs.         Repeat using the opposite leg.

Bridge Pose

·   Start by lying with your back on a mat and arms next to your sides.

·   Your palms facing down, your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Slowly raise your hips up off the floor, tightening the glutes and hamstrings as you lift.

·   Once up hold for three to five seconds. Repeat up to 10 times, trying to keep yourself in alignment each time.

I hope this week has been helpful, and as always please leave any comments or questions you have below, and don't forget to check out my website for more information www.relievingscoliosis.com

Regards,

MrScoliosis

BOWEN THERAPY AND ROBOT WALKING

 If someone has an infection, we can't help that.
Broken spine, cancer. There are some things we can't help with. 

-By Michael leroux

Welcome back to another post, another week has gone by and I’ve been busy looking at a lot of different stretches and new techniques, and to be honest a lot of it is crap! It’s either some new gadget that will lock you up and make you as stiff as concrete afterwards, or will basically make you feel good while the treatment is being done.  There is one thing I did come across by accident and which I had totally forgotten about, its called Bowen Therapy, now to say its like chiropractic then that would be like comparing cheese to milk. Yes it still works with your back and spine, but has more to do with the soft tissue or fascia. Fascia is a specific type of connective tissue that forms a three dimensional web surrounding every tissue in the body. Bowen Therapy, through specific soft tissue or fascial release and integration techniques, stimulate specific receptors that enable the body itself to correct dysfunctions and restore balance through treating the cause rather than the symptoms. Bowen Therapy has consistently shown it can have profound and permanent healing and pain relief outcomes. Do a quick Google search on Bowen Therapist and you will be sure to find one in your area.

Now for the best part, the stretches! Once again I have two more, I hope you are book marking each blog? or copying them so you can refer back to them. But don’t worry in another 4 weeks or so I will do a review and post all of them at once.

The Side Reach is my personal favorite especially after doing a new sport or demanding one like skateboarding that locks my back up, it stretches the torso muscles while strengthening the leg muscles. The Seated Lower Backstretch improves flexibility to each side of the lower back, which is great unless of course your desire in life is to walk like a robot!

Side Reach

· Stand with your legs 3 feet apart

· Keep the right foot pointing forward and turn the left foot sideways so your feet are perpendicular to each other

· Bend your left knee while your right leg remains straight as you shift your body’s weight sideways to the left.

· Lower your left hand to contact the left ankle as you reach up and over your head with your right arm.

Hold for 10 seconds to 1 minute before switching sides.

Seated Lower Back Stretch-

·    In a tall seated posture, straighten your right leg in front of your body, with the foot pointing to the ceiling

·    Bend at the left knee and cross the left foot over the right leg and down to the floor so that the foot can be pulled flat toward your groin.

·    Place your left elbow against the inside of your left knee as you reach around with your right arm and then anchor it to the floor behind your body.

·    Hold for 10 seconds to 1 minute before switching sides.

I hope this has been helpful and saved you a lot of research. Please leave me some feed back on any of the stretches. Have you tried Bowen before? What was the outcome? Is there something else that is different again to Bowen or Chiropractic? Let me know, I will give it a try and the share my thoughts on it.

Until next time,

MrScoliosis

www.relievingscoliosis.com

THE TWISTED SQUEEZE FOR BACK TENSION

"THE BEST LIGHTENING ROD 

FOR YOUR PROTECTION 

IS YOUR SPINE"

-Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803-1802

Welcome back for week 3, I hope you have had a chance to try out the past 2 weeks exercises and feel free to send me your comments. This week I have two exercises that I feel should loosen you up if things are tight in the lower back and mid back.

The Squeeze helps with upper back muscle strain and very quickly strengthens your upper back muscles. The second, the Spine twist promotes proper spinal rotation and torso flexibility.

The Squeeze-

· Sit up straight in a chair

· Squeeze your shoulder blades together towards your spine

· Repeat 3 times a day.

Upper Spinal Floor Twist-

· Lie on one side, with your knees pulled up into right angles with your hips and ankles.

· Extend your arms in front of your body, with the palms together.

· Exhale as you reach over your body with the upper arm and down to the floor on the opposite side.

· Keep your legs firmly anchored to the floor so the rotation occurs in the spine and torso.

· Hold for 10 seconds to 1 minute.

· Repeat on the opposite side.

I hope these have been of some help, once again please let me know if you have any others. Don't forget to check out my website for more helpful tips 

Until Next time,
MRScoliosis
www.scoliosisrelief.com

Abs without crunches that will stop back pain! Too good to be true? read on......

The Neck Roll 101

Hi there,  this is my first ever blog post and all I want is to share some tips and advise that I have been given over the years to help me deal with Scoliosis. I hope this helps and most of all if you have any ideas or tips that you have been given, please share them.


This weeks tip is slightly away from the back, but concerns the neck, many people have told me that if your neck has the correct curve, you can then work on the rest of the problems lower down. So I am going to start there and move on.

Neck Roll-

Do you suffer from a straight neck like I do? Here is a good exercise that a chiropractor showed me, and by doing this, I have been told my natural neck curve will once again return.

· Roll up a towel

· Lie on your bed on your back with your head hanging off the end

· Place the rolled up towel behind your neck and relax over it

· Hold this position for 20 minutes.

Do you think this will work? any suggestions to improve?


Until next time,


MRScoliosis
www.relievingscoliosis.com