Chapter 9 - Putting It All Together
“So many people spend their health to gain wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health.” –A.J. Reb Mater
Richard came to me with pain in the right side of his back he has been dealing with for over 25 years. Asking him about his history, he described to me the fateful day with surprising detail. He could remember the weather, where he was, and even what he was wearing. He was picking his newborn up from a chair. As he turned to reach down and pick his baby boy up, he twisted again on the way up and heard a little pop, then a rush of pain to the area. Richard rested for about two weeks as the pain decreased, then went back to his regularly scheduled exercise. He was never the same. One day his back would ache in the area, another day it was pinching, and yet another day it would be stabbing. It was a roller coaster of pain, some days lighter than others, but it was never fully gone. Not one for doctors, he took to seeing a chiropractor in hopes that the adjustments would help whatever was wrong. After two years he realized he wasn’t getting any better, and futility started to settle in. This may be something I just have to deal with, he thought .
Our first assessment uncovered an extremely tight left glute, and some pretty serious scarring in the right lower back. Our first order of business was to return that left glute to its normal length. Once that glute was open we could attack the lower back and get that to calm down too. Richard took to rolling and stretching the left glute, as well as rolling out the entire fascial sheet of his back, concentrating on the lower right side to break up the adhesions. Within 6 weeks Richard was pain free. He still does his glute and back strength training exercises every day, realizing it’s easier to stay well than it is to get well!
If the Pieces Fit
Nothing works without structure. At least not optimally, and I want my program to be optimal for you. This section is dedicated to being a quick reference guide for you to look at before you start each session.
Rule #1 – Always roll before you stretch; this makes stretching 10x more productive.
Rule #2 – Always roll and stretch before you strengthen. We want to reset the body before we reprogram. Rolling and stretching will place the muscles in a better position, and will help them remember their own neuromuscular firing pattern. This breaks down and corrects the old incorrect firing pattern.
Rule #3 – Always use the proper modality (ball, roller, etc.), and the minimum effective time is 2 minutes; anything less than that and we are wasting our time .
Rule #4 – When stretching, slow going in, slow coming out. Inhale before, exhale during. Stretch actively, not passively.
Sample Program
So how do we fit all this stuff in? Simple. When people are in pain I tell them their only job is to get better, which means all the exercises in this book become your other full-time job besides your job, your family, or any other obligations you have on a day-to-day basis. Remember to be consistent; even 10-20 minutes a day is better than nothing. Here is what a 7-day program may look like.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
I know I’ve been doing this a lot longer than you, but hopefully you can pick up on the pattern I was using. Two or three mobility exercises, one stretching exercise, and one strength exercise. On a side note, whenever I mobilize the hip flexors or abdominals, I always like to stretch them that day as well.
My Wish for You
Everybody is different, but the same. We all have our own story to tell about our pain and the things we have been through in our life. The one thing we all share in this life is that we all experience pain. Some of us recover faster than others from pain, and in some cases we heal in the same amount of time, but take different roads to get there. I sincerely hope the message I put forth in this book helps you see the body from a different perspective. I hope you see how delicate it is, and also how complex. You may start this program with a family member or friend and they may get better before you. Maybe you heard about someone else healing in half the time. Do not be discouraged. Be patient and work diligently at getting better and you will. A Chinese proverb reminds us to never mock progress, no matter how slow. My wish for you is that everything in this book comes easy to you. That you feel a major difference from day one. That the knowledge presented breathes new life into you and brings hope for a happy, pain free future .
The pain we all experience is for us to remember and appreciate how good life truly is to us when we treat our bodies, and life, with respect. Disrespect your body and it will rebel no doubt, but as adults these are conscious decisions we are making so we hold all of the guilt and shame. It’s very easy to blame your job, your commute, your family, the wrong play your coach called back in high school, or a defect in the mattress you bought. The tough part is ownership. Owning up to the fact that we are in pain because of the way our brain thinks about it. Owning up to the fact that we bought into someone else’s idea of pain that doesn’t quite serve you and the direction you want to go in your life. We listen to other people’s stories and have the ability to feel compassion for them, but where is our compassion for ourselves? We get frustrated and angry and give up. My final message is to help you realize that as long as you’re holding this book you are holding the key to live a pain free lifestyle, because your journey with me does not end here; it’s just beginning.
Ask the Coach – How Do I Become a Client?
If you are looking for accelerated results and would like to work with me, the easiest way to do so would be to email me at:
chris@influentialhealthsolutions.com
Please put “Back Pain Solutions” in the subject line, then tell me your name and give me a brief description of what has been bothering you and for how long. I tell people that the time it would take you to heal yourself is 4x greater than if you were working with me. Everybody needs a coach if they want to get to the next level and I’d love to be yours. I look forward to hearing from you if you feel we are a good fit for each other. And don’t forget, you can get access to the video course by sending me a simple email.  Be happy, be healthy, and be well –
CK