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Understanding How Postural Alignment Therapy Works

4/7/2016

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If you've heard of Postural Alignment Therapy or read Pain Free by Pete Egoscue and are trying to understand how personalized one-on-one therapy in a clinic works this video by Somina is a great starting point in understanding how therapy works. 
When you have any chronic pain symptoms the most important information for you to understand is what is causing the pain and what can you do about it. And when I say "what is causing the pain" I am not talking about things like "you have moderate osteoarthritis in your hip" or "you have a herniated disc at L4-5" or "you have a partial rotator cuff tear". 

To find the underlying reason for the pain you have to ask the next question:
  • Why do I have arthritis in one hip and not the other?
  • How could age be the cause of my arthritis when my other hip is the same age?
  • What caused the disc to herniate at L4-5 and not any other location of my spine?
  • What caused the rotator cuff muscle to tear?
  • What caused that?

These questions help you dig much deeper than the easy answers (that are often not true at all) and get to the root cause of your pain. After asking these questions you can begin to look at your postural alignment and movement patterns to see why you were wearing the cartilage away in one hip and not the other or why you herniated a disc at a certain level. 

These questions, answers, and solutions take more effort than the easy ones, but the results are much better and longer lasting. If you think age caused your arthritic hip, there's nothing you can do about your age, so your only options turn into live with the increasing pain and disability as you get older, take pain medication to hide the pain, or get a hip replacement (which will limit your activities, often not relieve all the pain, and sometimes has complications). But if you ask more questions you'll discover that the reason why your one hip is arthritic is because the other hip is not helping. Strengthening the weaker hip and restoring normal range of motion to the arthritic hip might take a year but if you're able to return to your normal activities without pain and avoid drugs and surgery most people will say that's worth it!

When you're ready for help contact me and I'll work with you on asking and answering these questions and finding the way for you to get well and return to a pain free and active life. 

Related videos/articles:
What is "normal" aging?
Orthopedic doctor and postural alignment specialist discuss osteoarthritis
Knee joint osteoarthritis
Could a simple misunderstanding really cause all my pain?
Cause of back pain is never found in 85% of patients. Really!? Why?
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    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.

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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. 
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