Be Well, Do Well and Keep Moving
Gentle Reader, If I could tell you why some days I wake up with no pain whatsoever– like today– and catalog the food I ate yesterday, the stretches I made, the delicious sleep, the supplements, the aerobic activity—why surely I would have a recipe for a pain free life. I cannot. I cross country skied …
Continue reading “How about Stinging Nettles?”
Dear Gentle Reader, With the strains of Vivaldi’s 4 Seasons setting the tone, spring has finally come to Seattle. While so many of you are enjoying unseasonably warm weather, we have seen snow flurries, much rain and the thermometer has not climbed into the upper 50’s. Until the last couple of days. The parking lots …
Continue reading “Go ahead and dig in the garden”
Gentle Reader, My morning routine of lying on the floor, legs over the Back2Life machine, followed by several gentle yoga poses gets my body functioning. I am then ready for the chair chi gong exercises, free weight lifting both standing and the lying on an ethafoam bolster and more stretches with a theraband, emphasizing the …
Continue reading “Yoga and arthritis”
Gentle Reader, Have you dried off from your most recent visit to the Y’s water aerobics for arthritics? Not there yet? Today I want to share information about replacing those joints that just keep hurting so much that you prefer to sit or lie down rather than try to move through the pain. …
Continue reading “Ankle replacement? How bad is it?”
Gentle Reader, A month ago, reflecting on managing arthritis when traveling, http://nowheelchair.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/pain-free-flying/, I promised more hints for healthy travel. Here they are. Overnight flights: these are the killers for a bad back, especially when you really do need that sleep to begin your first day functioning. I can usually sleep with the help of a …
Continue reading “More Travel tips for a healthy back”
Dear Reader, Have you sat with your plans for the New Year and included weight management? If you are suffering from arthritis pain and stiffness, and you are even 15 pounds over-weight, your plans will turn out better if they include weight management. The bloggers are full of advice on this topic. I would like …
Continue reading “Speaking of weight”
Dear Reader, I have mentioned this energetic trainer, Lisa Stuebing in a former blog post. She and I walked the 3 miles around Greenlake at a quick pace. I was impressed with Lisa’s own story of sitting at a desk most of her professional life and slowed putting on weight and losing mobility. You should …
Dear Reader, Feldenkrais for back pain. My neurologist, head doc for theUniversityofWashingtonsports teams, suggested I see Becci Parsons, former dancer, now Awareness Through Movement and private Feldenkrais practitioner. “Watch out for your pants,” she said. “Your clothes can be dangerous to your health.” Her levies were on the baggy side. You could put your balled …
Continue reading “Feldenkrais for back pain?”
Gentle Reader, If you suffered trauma to your back, perhaps you would turn to a traditional medical practitioner. An orthopedist, a neurologist, at least your primary care physician. Surely, a medical problem like an excruciating pain in the lower back and the inability to walk unaided would send one to a regular doctor. I chose …
Continue reading “I need a doctor! What kind?”
Traumatic injury: my story Posted on October 18, 2011 Hello, Gentle Reader, In 1989, I lifted, or should I more accurately say, yanked a large drink box full of wine bottles out of the back seat of a two door Datsun. I heard something go in my lower back. I was angry about carrying these …
Continue reading “Traumatic Injury: my story”