Stiffness and Chronic Pain ARE Reversible!

Have you ever been told that you "have to live with pain and stiffness, it's just part of getting older". I call bulls**t!

That's not just me being provocative. My class members tell me every week of their exciting light bulb moments  in unlocking movements that had been lost to them for months or years.

Here are some of their amazing breakthroughs:

1) Finally getting relief from a headache that dragged on for 3 months despite seeing a doctor and optician for blood and eye tests
2)  A keen amateur tennis player who went from being unable to lift his serving arm above shoulder level to circling his arm over his head
3) Helping a member to drive comfortably again after getting squashed by elevator doors led to deep shoulder blade pain when sitting in a car
4) Easing chronic foot pain after a metatarsal (toe) fracture and ankle sprain last year so this member can now enjoy walking her dogs without getting cramp
5) A 74 year old member who was able to roll over from lying on her back to her side and sit up for the first time in years

These members were able to get these stunning outcomes with just 1 to 3 simple exercises that take 10 mins or less daily in the comfort of their home.

Read on to find out the exercises that made the biggest difference to these 5x members movement and mobility, plus a 6th member's uplifting story that shows mobility can be improved at ANY age.....

1) Member 1 - The Case of the 3 Month Headache

Outcome = After just 1 week of doing her exercises, the headache was less intense, and she'd had her first morning in 3 months waking up without the damn headache!

The Problem:

Headaches can seriously suck the joy out of any day, and drain your energy. This unfortunate member had this headache since the beginning of October. It was with her every day, and she wasn't sleeping well at night.

She'd seen her doctor, had some blood tests and an eye test....all came back normal. So she resigned herself to putting up with it and cracking on with life, as you do.

After one class at the end of January, she mentioned this headache and that her head felt less heavy. I worked with her for about 10 mins, and she made a surprising discovery.

The breakthrough moment = Her head was tilting slightly to the left, but her eyes were looking to the right. 

The Breakthrough Exercises:

• C1 / C2 (Top 2 neck vertebrae - Atlas and Axis) release using a soft 7cm Pilates overball
• Centring the eyes in the eye sockets
• Restoring the coordination of the eyes and head

2) Member 2 - The Tennis Player Unable to Lift His Serving Arm

Outcome = Range of motion increased from being unable to lift his serving arm above shoulder level to circling his arm above his head

The Problem:

He's a keen amateur tennis player, but his game was being hampered by his limited arm and shoulder motion.  Knock on effects were lower back pain and knee pain, because he was compensating by over-twisting his spine and landing heavily on his opposite knee when playing his serve.

The issue began after a motorbike accident many years ago, when he seriously fractured his right arm. When the arm healed, he was left with severely restricted overhead movement on that side.

The trauma and pain of the accident and fracture sent his body into a Side Trauma Reflex, also known as the reflex of compensation. This stress reflex pulls the body into a guarding side bend to protect the injury:

The Breakthrough Exercise:

• Side Lying Side Bend exercise taking the arm into an overhead reach to restore conscious motor control of the side waist muscles (Obliques) and Lats (Latissimus dorsi)

3) Member 3 - Getting Back In The Driving Seat

Outcome = Being able to drive without pain after an accident on holiday left her unable to sit comfortably in a car

The Problem:

A bizarre accident where she got caught and squashed between two closing elevator doors whilst on holiday left her with a deep, nagging pain underneath her shoulder blades.

The pain was worse in the morning after sleeping on her side, carrying her rucksack and particularly bad when sitting in a car.

.For most people, driving is their independence. Not being able to drive or sit pain-free in a car would be very limiting for many of us who rely on our cars to commute to work, the gym and all the other places we need to be in our busy lives.

The Breakthrough Exercises:

• Side Lying Side Bend exercise to release her body from the Side Trauma reflex, likely initiated to protect from the closing elevator doors
• Rope Climber exercise to release held tension from the muscles around the back of the rib cage and shoulder blades

4) Member 4 - From Fed Up With Her Foot to Feeling Fantastic

Outcome: Enjoying walking her dog without having to stop because her foot cramps up just 10 mins into the walk (I imagine her dog is happier too!).

The Problem:

This member came to me feeling totally fed up with her foot cramping and ruining her dog walks. She said her foot felt it was continuously stretched, and the muscles were always tired and achy. She also wondered if her foot might be swelling, as the velcro fastening on her right spin shoes kept undoing during classes.

The cramping started 9 months ago when she fractured her 4th metatarsal (the 4th toe towards the outside of the foot, next to the little toe). It got worse after she tripped and sprained her ankle 2 months later.

The Breakthrough Moment = During a workshop I was running in February we observed that the inner arch of her right foot was higher than her left. The right foot looked shortened and "startled".

The Breakthrough Exercises:

• Reorganising the toe lines using a lightly padded wooden dowel
• A pandiculation exercise of the right foot's inner arch muscles to release held tension here, and help the inside of the foot to relax and lengthen back into it's previous shape before the accident

5) Member 5 - Restoring Long Lost Movements

Outcome: Being able to roll over from her back to side lying and sit up for the first time in years!

The Problem:

My 74 year old member approached me in a state of some excitement after Friday morning's Stretch class. We'd been exploring exercises to return conscious control of the waist muscles for pain-free rotation and walking with ease.

At the end of my Stretch classes, I cue members to make a quarter turn from laying on their back to side lying, and then to sit up. This gets them up off the floor into a seated position without unnecessary twisting of their spine, pelvis or sacroiliac joint.

This member has been unable to roll over and sit, but on Friday she was able to complete the whole movement... "For the first time in years", she said!

How would you feel like if you were able to do a movement that you haven't been to do for years after a single 45 mins class? 

The Breakthrough Exercises:

• Arch and Flatten to centre the pelvis and release tension from the muscles at the front and back of the body
• Diagonal Arch and Flatten to restore coordination of the head / arm / shoulder blade and ribs moving to the opposite hip
• Side Lying Side Bend variations to restore freedom to the ribs through conscious control of the waist muscles
• Washrag

Takeaways

1. Stiffness and pain ARE reversible and you can improve your mobility at ANY age!
2. You DON'T have to live with chronic pain, and stiffness is NOT just because of your age.
3. Getting relief from pain and improving your movement doesn't have to be complicated - these 5x members, and many others who come to my classes, are able to get satisfying outcomes with a 10 mins routine of just 1 to 3 exercises that they can easily do at home.

NEXT STEPS

• Indicate your interest in a 15 mins clarity call, on Zoom where I'll offer insights and tips for a pain or injury you're struggling with, so you have a clear path to recovery. Complete the interest form HERE
• Book into a Stretch, Yoga or Pilates class with me - these are a good introduction to The BYB Method for pain relief.
• Come to a pop-up class - a different theme each month, open to everyone, run at a peaceful retreat venue, small group. See the class schedule HERE
• Subscribe HERE to receive "The Movement Chronicle", a weekly e-newsletter delivering mobility and pain reduction tips directly into your inbox every Monday morning,

If you would like help with managing pain or a particular injury please reach out to me on any of these channels:

• Email at norma@unicornhealthandfitness.com
• DM me on Facebook Messenger 
• WhatsApp message to 07801 867361.