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Your Knee Bone's Connected to your Butt Bone - Part Deux
Today a new patient reminded me of the knee related article I recently added to the Alignment First website blog.
This young lady was born with a hyperextended right knee that was casted and then surgically corrected when she was two years old. In spite of this unlucky start she is very athletic and even danced professionally for ten years. Nevertheless, at the ripe old age of thirty she has knee pain that interferes with her ability to lead an active lifestyle.
Her MD wanted to inject her sore right knee with a substance said to reduce friction in the joint, but my patient decided that she would prefer to solve the root cause of her knee pain, not smother it in Band Aids. I like her already!
When I assessed her posture I saw that her entire body was tilted to the left. Her pelvis was torsioned (tilted too far forward, more on the right than the left). Her /hips/knees were very forward of her ankles. There were many more alignment issues than what I've listed here, but these were the biggest ones, and they are more than sufficient to explain her symptoms!
Here is a sentence from Your Knee Bone's Connected to Your Butt Bone: "Most people who have chronic or recurring knee pain have a hip/pelvis alignment problem, a foot/ankle problem, or both." This gal has all that and much more. However, I'm happy to report that her pelvis straightened significantly during her first appointment! She is off to a very encouraging start in her Alignment First process.
Recently another happy patient was on the treatment table contrasting past unsuccessful therapy experiences with the newfound success he is having with me (and a couple of associates of mine).
This patient believes that these therapy approaches are producing results because they are based upon "first principles". First principles thinking involves breaking down a problem into its assumption-free, fundamental building blocks. Bestselling author, James Clear, says "first principles thinking is a fancy way of saying “think like a scientist".”
In the chronic-pain-elimination-game the following fundamental truths have served me well over the years:
1. The nervous system is paramount.
- your nervous system is not only the software that makes your body function but it also includes the pain response, which is your "fire alarm".
- whatever therapy is attempted can only produce successful results to the extent that it improves the health and happiness of your nervous system.
2. Malalignment of the skeleton adds stress to the neuromuscular system.
- is it possible for you to have a malaligned skeleton and also be pain-free? Yes, but there is an upper limit to what you can tolerate, in terms of time and degree, and those limits vary from person to person and can also vary over time within the same person.
- and,... just because you can survive with dysfunctional posture, doesn't make it a great idea.
3. Postural malalignment can usually be reduced with the practice of appropriately prescribed corrective exercise.
- "appropriately prescribed corrective exercise" can be a very tall order, however, since corrective exercise as a postural tool is so poorly understood within the rehab universe.
Over the past three decades I have seen the Alignment First Protocol evolve and improve in its ability to retrain pain-producing postures into healthy, functional and pain-free postures. You know the system is working well when you can bring about successful results using video consults!
Anyway, lecture time is over for today, folks. Go do your Alignment First exercises and I'll wait over here until you're done.
Until next time...
Yours in health,
Geoff Dakin
Alignment First Inc.
I have found that most people will stretch as aggressively as their pain threshold will allow. However, there is this thing called the “Stretch Reflex.” In other words, stretch too hard and all you are doing is making yourself sore! All pain, no gain. Stretching "the wrong muscles"??? I can hear the gears turning in your head. "The wrong muscles" doesn't make any sense!
Although chronic back pain is the most common chronic pain problem worldwide, of course, it's not the only one. In my practice, I also help people struggling with foot pain, hip pain, shoulder pain, and many others!
In fact, today I want to share with you my perspective on KNEE PAIN, one of the most common problems I'm asked about.
“Impossible” is usually an opinion, not a fact. Although you may’ve taken a very long and winding road to get relief from chronic pain, and you’ve probably even had experiences that suggest that solving your pain problems are “impossible” If you come to the clinic or work with me using video conferencing I can guide you through your rehab training even faster and easier!
This morning I got thinking about something a patient said. She has felt “heard” and she is no longer fearful that she will be “forced to do things that cause undo pain". I put a lot of time, effort, and yes, thought, into making sure you’re getting the care your body needs, not what some system says you SHOULD need.
I continue to see chronic pain problems being mismanaged and misunderstood. Or better said, mismanaged because they are misunderstood. Is it any wonder that people aren’t getting the help they need and instead end up relying on painkillers and surgeries to “solve” their problems?
With people living longer than ever before, more and more individuals find themselves sandwiched between caring for their children and caring for their aging parents. You may experience feelings of grief and loss, as you see your parents changing and the roles of your family shifting. You may also feel fearful and anxious about your parent’s mortality, and that gets you thinking about your own.
The body holds much of the information we need to function at our best, but too often we ignore its messages and plow ahead with what our minds tell us. Instead of asking our body what it wants, we go for the quick fill-up or the comfort food that may be the last thing we really need. So, what to do to give your body an equal say in how you use it?
In challenging times such as these, taking care of ourselves is more important than ever—yet it’s often the last thing on our minds. We all know the negative impact on our health that stress can have—so, let’s find some balance. Take this self-quiz to see how well you are taking care of yourself.
What many people fail to realize is that fear is nothing more than a conditioned response. It's a natural reaction to a frightening or unfamiliar situation. While it is usually automatic, there are things you can do to overcome it. Here are three…
Although we like to think of ourselves as logical, rational beings, the truth is that we are extremely emotional. In the past year, COVID-19 has brought us social isolation, fear of infection, and for many, financial hardship. Whether or not already feeling anxiety surrounding recent events, public or personal, COVID has pushed many into overwhelm. If you’re struggling, please reach out. We’re here for you. If we’re not able to help you solve your current challenges, we promise to help you find someone who can.
