Best Shot of My Life

I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to do this again, but as least there was a camera nearby when it happened!  Keep doing your menu and stay functional…it sure has helped me!  This was with an 8-iron from 145 yards away while at Quail Ridge Golf Course in Memphis, TN as part of the Phenomenal 4 Celebrity Weekend:

Phenomenal 4 Weekend

Just got back from taking the Patch to the Phenomenal 4 Celebrity Weekend in Memphis.  The Egoscue Foundation is planning on donating a Patch to a school in Memphis this fall as a result of the relationships made while we were there.

The Phenomenal 4 is a non-profit group comprised of former NFL players Marcus Bell, Reggie Howard and Mike McKenzie and current Carolina Panther DeAngelo Williams.  You can find out more information on them at www.aagfoundation.org.  It was a great event that featured a golf tournament, two one-day football clinics, a celebrity basketball game and a health fair/community day at a local park.

The Patch and Egoscue Foundation received some great exposure and made some great contacts.  This will further help grow our partnership with the NFL’s Play 60 Campaign, which promotes 60 minutes of physical activity each day for children.  Thanks to the Phenomenal 4 and the city of Memphis for hosting us!

Walk a Mile in My Shoes

Or how about run a mile…in no shoes at all.  I recently went for my first ‘barefoot’ run in my Vibram Five Finger shoes.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check these out: www.vibramfivefingers.com.  These are, by far, the most functional and odd looking shoes on the market.  I have two pair of them and can’t say enough good things about them.  They are taking the body back to the way it was designed to be…barefoot.  Vibrams let the foot move–they separate the toes and let the metatarsals spread.  As the metatarsals spread, the muscles of the foot are allowed to work and grip better.  This causes a functional chain reaction up the body, because the foot bone is connected to the leg bone.  As the foot becomes more functional, the ankle will do the same, followed by the knee, hip, etc.

What I thought was really interesting about running in my Vibrams was the fact that I could HEAR my hips functioning better.  Hang with me and I’ll explain what I’m talking about.  I was running on the indoor track at my local YMCA.  At this particular location, 22 laps is equal to one mile.  The first few laps went pretty much how I thought they would.  When my heel would strike the ground, my forefoot slapped down with a loud ‘thwack’ sound.  The good news is that both feet were ‘thwacking’ equally.  I felt that I was striking both sides with the same amount of weight and getting equal toe-off on both sides as well.  However, things started to change around lap 17 or 18.  My hips finally started to kick in (remember the chain reaction I talked about earlier?  It had finally reached my hip flexors by that point) and the ‘thwacking’ of my feet became much, much softer.  I was finally able to control my forefoot strike and I was running quieter.  My hips were functioning better, so my knees were functioning better, my ankle functioned better and my foot functioned better.  The last 5-6 laps were extremely different from the first 17-18.  I finished the mile in about 9:30 (for you competitive/professional runners reading this posting you can stop laughing now!), so my pace wasn’t blistering, but I also wasn’t out to break any records.

The after affects of running in my Vibrams was much different than I expected as well.  I for sure thought I was going to be sore, but I wasn’t at all.  My feet felt great, my hips felt great.  I felt better after my run than I did before it.

So, if you’re interested in trying out the Vibrams, go for it.  Do your Egoscue menu to get functional first, and then take them for a test run.  If you do it, or if you have done it, leave a comment and share your Vibram experience!

How Can I Help?

I want your feedback.  I know some of you stop by from time to time to check what’s new, and I want to give you what you want.  What things do you enjoy most about this blog?  What would you like to see more of?  Less of?  Let me know!  Comment on this post with any ideas you might have.

Thanks,
John

Another Success Story

Another great testimonial from a client of mine.  Beth had multiple symptoms that included physical pain but also non-pain issues–severe allergies, digestive problems, and bladder issues just to name a few.  Now, Beth is WELL on her way to recovery!  Great job Beth, and thanks for writing your testimony.

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Since I was a teenager I have had misalignment problems. Even then I had back pain and leg pain but doctors couldn’t find anything wrong.  Since then I’ve been diagnosed with chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, allergies, chemical sensitivities, irritable bowel, and sinusitis.  More recently I was diagnosed with osteopenia and prolapsed bladder.  I also “catch” a lot of viruses.  I’ve tried traditional medicine, alternative medicine, chiropractors, osteopaths, massage therapy, physical therapy, detox therapies, yoga, and tai chi.  Some therapies made me worse.  Most medications made me worse.  Allergy shots, mercury detox, yoga, and Healing Touch treatments have helped.

One of my doctors, an alternative doctor who diagnosed chemical sensitivities, said, “What are we missing with Beth?  What is the missing link?”  I was seeing other patients at the alternative clinic get well while I made minimal progress.

I believe now that the missing link is body alignment through the Egoscue Method.

I first came to the Nashville clinic with pain in my foot and leg, every step I took was painful.  I noticed after my first visit at the Nashville clinic that my sinuses and digestive tract  were better.  A few days later, I could tell that I was stronger, had better balance, and could walk up steps without holding on to a banister.

Since I’m 62 years old, I was thinking I might never get any better.  But after doing Egoscue for 4 months, I know I am getting a lot better.  There are good days and bad days.   On the good days, I feel vibrant, have more energy, and less pain.  Gradually I am having more and more good days.

Even though we’ve spent a fortune on treatments that didn’t help, Egoscue was something I had to try.  Since starting Egoscue, I’ve had 3 colds/sinus infections, but they were mild compared to what I usually have.  My bladder problems are better, and my bone density has improved.  My gynecologist said to keep doing whatever it is that I’m doing.

One of the things I struggle with is obsession with my symptoms.  In The Egoscue Method of Health through Motion, p. 142, Pete says “obsession with symptoms gets in the way of recovery.  Think of them as dysfunctions, not as[sinusitis, or chronic fatigue, or allergies].  We are dealing with problems that can be solved, not a condition with a scary name.”

To anyone out there with pain or any health problem, I would encourage you to call John and try Egoscue.  The body is a unit.  These exercises not only work to eliminate muscle and joint pain, they help every organ and system in the body, including the immune system.  I would like to again quote Pete from The Egoscue Method of Health through Motion, p. 176, “Reintroducing the elderly to motion is the quickest and cheapest way to fight cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.”  Based on my experience so far, I believe that.

Thanks so much!

Beth Eiler
Imperial, MO

Hip Replacement Testimony

This is from Theresa Mathes in our Austin Clinic.  John was doing Egoscue in preparation for his hip replacement.   Theresa predicted that if John worked on his posture prior to surgery, his recovery on the back end would be MUCH quicker.  Theresa predicted things correctly!  Nice work John, and congrats on the speedy recovery!

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Well, John just may have joined the ranks of the medial record books. Dr. Thoulson said that out of 800 hip replacement patients, John is his number one in recovery. He even sent over a video camera team to film John walking down the hospital corridor without a cane — this just two days past surgery! The likely combo was that he had three unique nerve blocks, spinal, sacral, and lumbar and then was given the twilight drug. This all fooled his brain into not knowing he even had a new hip put in! Second to that, the Egoscue Method advocates that doing postural movement menus readies a person for a superior surgical recovery, so I have to believe that John’s exercises these last two years made a wonderful difference for him. Whatever combo prepared him so well, and many hands contributed, he is one happy man, now recovering at home! Thank you for your calls, visits and e-mail and all!

We’re so happy that this long pain cycle just got beaten down!
Barbara