Episode 10
Functional Movement for Pain Relief
My guest, Carl Reader, addresses the root causes of pain. He is a Functional Movement Coach, Personal Trainer and have a background in Exercise Physiology and Pilates.
What this means for you is the possibility of exercising safely without risk of pain and injury or getting to the root cause of your pain so you get relief.
I had a virtual session with Carl during which he corrected my posture getting up from a chair to protect my sometimes achey knees, showed me a safer stretch for my hips, and approved my aerial yoga inversions. That was good news because I love to hang upside down!
He did suggest that one of my favorite core body exercises, the plank, might not be the best way to get the results I'm looking for. This was actually good news as my wrists are not so happy in plank pose.
But let's talk pain. Pain is a thief isn't it?
One of the questions that led Carl to do this work is "Why does the pain keep coming back?" after treatments even with Chiropractic or other so called functional movement therapies.
Because something is not being addressed he said.
Sometimes it's a habitual wrong movement we return to after treatment, and sometimes, Carl says, it's more than just balancing the muscles there are thoughts and emotions and beliefs intimately connected with out movements.
Yes we did get into the mind/body connection.
He has anecdotal evidence that I find fascinating.
Listen up women. He has noticed over the years that women's pain is often on their left sides. And women are more relational. "So any sort of relational stress--that can be relationships to friends, family, and even to yourself, how you view yourself, negative body images, thoughts can show up as pain. It's just is so connected. So men are on the right side. That's the ego side of the power, it's the striving and trying too hard. Worry, anxiety and fear are also right side pains."
He points this out to say that sometimes just hearing that your pain could be related to or caused by some kind of relationship--even to yourself--can start the healing process. Acknowledging this can move the needle.
More on that Carl said another reason for pain could be that we're carrying, literally carrying this emotional weight or pressure in the body, in the muscles.
Bottom line? Don't suffer with pain. Get help.
We talked about something called "The sit to rise test" When I described it to Carl he said he'd be surprised anyone over 5o could do it, In his practice he has people start on a short stool, maybe a foot off the ground. This test is said to predict how long a life you'll have. I tried it again before posting this and I've lost a point in the past few years. But as with all other forms of strength building, it's never too late to improve.
Here's a page with a video and directions: Sit to Stand Exercise
Carl has virtual sessions on offer on his website.
