Oregon Exercise Therapy
SCHEDULE YOUR FREE POSTURE EVALUATION!
  • Free Posture Evaluation
  • How It Works
    • Therapy Options >
      • Zoom/Skype/FaceTime Exercise Therapy
    • FAQ
    • OET News Archive
  • Advanced Training for Therapists
    • Education Workshops
  • Testimonials
  • About Matt
    • Contact Me
    • Recommended Products >
      • Therapy Equipment
      • Books and DVDs
      • Shoes
      • Apparel
      • Exercise Equipment
      • Cool Stuff
  • Blog

E-cise of the Month: Wall Drop

2/26/2018

1 Comment

 
The Wall Drop is an Egoscue e-cise that uses a Slant Board to create bilaterally symmetrical ankle dorsiflexion which creates a chain reaction throughout the body to improve postural alignment. 
How does the Wall Drop affect posture?
The Wall Drop takes advantage of gravity and uses the position your feet are in and the wall to cause reactions and postural changes throughout your body. When you position your feet hip width apart and straight you are creating symmetry and balance in your foot position and this will create a chain reaction up your legs, into your pelvis, up your spine, and affect every joint and muscle in your body. ​

Read More
1 Comment

The Key to Flexibility

1/11/2018

0 Comments

 
We all want to be flexible. Flexibility is beautiful. Flexibility helps with injury prevention. Flexibility improves performance. People who have flexibility are graceful, fluid, and effortless in their movements. 
But what creates flexibility? How can we gain flexibility and maintain flexibility?

Read More
0 Comments

Happy New Year!

1/1/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture

Related articles/videos:
​How to make this year your best year yet
How to keep and achieve your New Year's Resolutions
​
New Year's Functional Egoscue Workout
Your mindset and becoming pain free
0 Comments

E-cise of the Month: Bear Crawl

12/28/2017

2 Comments

 
This month I am going to highlight the Bear Crawl. The Bear Crawl is an amazing e-cise that almost everyone can do, but many people do it incorrectly. 
Picture
When done correctly, the Bear Crawl has many benefits and can improve movement, posture, and performance. When done incorrectly, the Bear Crawl can reinforce bad movement patterns, poor posture, and cause pain and injury.  ​

Read More
2 Comments

Immobilization, braces, and body casts

12/7/2017

0 Comments

 
With 206 bones, over 300 joints, and over 600 muscles, the human body is designed to move. Movement is what keeps our bones, joints, and muscles healthy. When a joint stops moving things start to break down and get weaker. Bones lose density. Muscles lose strength and size. Cartilage thins. Bad things happen. 

Yes, there are times when immobilization is helpful and a good idea. If you break your arm it's a good idea to get a cast to protect your arm as it heals. If you severely sprain your ankle it can be helpful to wear an ankle brace for a week or two. But most immobilization we experience is not that type, but rather body casts that we don't even think about. Anything that limits joint movement is a body cast and will have negative effects on the body.

​
Here are examples of things that cast or hold the body in a certain position or limit movement:

Read More
0 Comments

Importance of the 10 Baby Physical Developmental Phases

11/30/2017

1 Comment

 
You have a newborn baby and want more than anything that he/she grows up to be a healthy and happy child and then adult. In this blog I am going to explain the important phases of gross physical development that are the essential to developing a strong and capable body. Missing or skipping these developmental stages can mean less efficient movement patterns, being more injury prone, and being more likely to develop physical pain throughout life. ​
Picture
Picture
To fully develop their physical strength and function needed for life, your baby should go through and master each of theses phases: wiggle & kick; superman & swimming; rock & roll; army crawl; crawling; sitting up; squatting & standing; cruising; walking; running; and jumping. 

Read More
1 Comment

E-cise of the Month: Supine Foot Circles and Point Flexes

11/20/2017

0 Comments

 
Our feet are our connection to the earth and when they are not functioning well it has a negative impact throughout our body. I am going to explain how Supine Foot Circles and Point Flexes helps to restore normal foot function and links that together with normal knee and hip function. 
Picture

Read More
0 Comments

Fit But Unhealthy

11/16/2017

0 Comments

 

What does it mean to be fit? Healthy? Well? Can you be one without the other?

The fitness industry and our culture teach us that fitness is having six-pack-abs, defined triceps, and a good tan. 
Fitness by this definition in no way means that being "fit" also means you are healthy. A person can be a very fit marathon runner (Jim Fixx, Alberto Salazar, Micah True), cyclist (Scott Ellis, Leonard Zinn), or fitness pro (Bob Harper) and still be unhealthy and suffer a heart attack. ​

Alberto Salazar NYC Marathon 1981 #albertosalazar #oregonproject #nike #nikerunning #nyc #nycmarathon #nike #run #runner #running #marathon #runners

A post shared by aglet (@aglet.es) on Nov 2, 2015 at 2:04pm PST

On the road to recovery. I'm required to wear these monitors to see what my heart is doing throughout the day. I feel like a robot from WESTWORLD thank you all for your kindness. You have no idea how much it helps. ❤❤

A post shared by Bob Harper (@bobharper) on Feb 28, 2017 at 6:51am PST

Health is defined as the absence of disease or being free of injury and illness. Being healthy again doesn't mean one is "well". Plenty of healthy people are not well. 

​Wellness is:
  • "...a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." - The World Health Organization
  • "a conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving full potential." - The National Wellness Institute

I would further define wellness as being free from limitations, thriving, and enjoying peace of mind. 

Read More
0 Comments

Pete Egoscue's Simple Solution to Chronic Pain

11/6/2017

0 Comments

 
Listen to Pete Egoscue, founder of the Egoscue Method and Posture Alignment Therapy, and Paul Tudor Jones, billionaire investor, hedge fund manager, and philanthropist, discuss Egoscue's simple solution to chronic pain at the J.P. Morgan Robin Hood Investors Conference. 
If you suffer from chronic pain or injuries and would like to restore your posture as Pete Egoscue describes and live a pain free life contact me for a free posture evaluation. Your free posture evaluation can be done in my Portland, Oregon clinic or via Skype or FaceTime from anywhere in the world. 
Related articles/videos:
3 things you must do to be pain free for life
What do you think is causing your pain?
10 biggest myths about your body
New paradigm of chronic pain treatment
0 Comments

How upper back and shoulder posture influence each other and cause pain

10/27/2017

8 Comments

 
Continuing my series of blog posts about how the body works as a unit and how posture deviations in one area cause reactions throughout the body, today I'm going to focus on the relationship between the upper back and shoulders. 
​
Here are the first three blog posts in this series:
Part 1: Introduction to how the body works as a unit
Part 2: Foot and leg posture
Part 3: Hip and spine posture
Picture
Picture
The upper back or thoracic spine is intimately related with the shoulder complex including the scapula, clavicle, and humerus and any injury or pain symptom in this area can only be effectively treated by looking at the entire upper body as a unit. 

Read More
8 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>

    RSS Feed

    About Matt Whitehead

    I'm an Egoscue Institute certified Postural Alignment Specialist (PAS) and Advanced Exercise Therapist (AET), certified personal trainer, PatchFitness performer, FiveFingers wearer, trail runner, mountain biker, dad, music lover, environmentalist, and wanna-be slam dunk champion. I will be providing you with the latest posture exercises to help you live, play, and be pain free.

    Archives

    January 2023
    August 2022
    July 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    February 2021
    February 2019
    October 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013

    Categories

    All
    Beliefs
    Chronic Pain
    Emotions
    Exercise
    Health
    Play
    Posture
    Sports Injury

WHAT OUR CLIENTS HAVE TO SAY

I really just wanted to express my gratitude for what you do and your great help. And, great help it was!! When one is in constant great pain for as long as I was and so desperate for help...words cannot express what I want to say....how can I thank you enough? You helped change my life. 
– Carrie
I feel soooo limber and free in my hip movements and relaxed in my low back. Outstanding and I'm very impressed with the pdf's and the videos, great support to the client. Wonderful job, keep up the great job. – Mike
It is amazing! I've been in pain for 5 years and worked with other therapists and no one has been able to help me. Working with you I am 95% pain free! It feels so good to not have any pain and be able to walk and do things I haven't been able to do for years. Thank you so much! - Joni
Storybrand Website Design by Red Door Designs
Photos used under Creative Commons from mynameisharsha, Jon Grado