Thursday, December 3, 2015

Back Pain Simply Happens

Most of the human race suffers some form of neck and back pain during their lifetime just as common as a headache, stomachache or knee pain. “Until it was turned into a medical condition in the early 20th century, back pain was considered an inevitable human experience,” said Canadian surgeon Hamilton Hall, MD. “There is no simple cure because there is usually not a clear-cut precipitating trigger associated with many forms of musculoskeletal pain,” notes Hall.

Despite the liberal use of the words “back injury” across modern societies, most episodes of back pain do not have an obvious cause. “Research indicates that approximately two of every three people who experience pain in the spine are unable to identify any specific event that may have caused their problems,” states Hall. Back pain simply happens!

The modern perspective that neck and back pain is a variable, intermittent illness rather than a one-time condition should not be considered a threatening event for most people. In the vast majority of cases, recurrences of these painful conditions are not signs of advancing disease, an omen of chronic disability or even a cause for significant worry.

Some researchers draw an analogy between back pain and upper respiratory infections. Many individuals contract colds or respiratory infections several times each year, yet are typically not viewed as a significant threat to their health. Colds don’t require high-tech diagnostic testing, heroic treatment interventions or significant absence from work. These conditions, like most cases of neck/back pain, simply are bumps in the road.

Intrinsic muscles and joints are inseparable; what affects one always affects the other. Therefore, it is important to work both muscle and ligaments and tendons when addressing back pain symptoms.

As the research rolls in and causality is eventually decided, it is in the client’s best interest to immediately begin routinely scheduled bodywork sessions in conjunction with a specialized corrective exercise regime… regardless of origin. Well structured manual therapy sessions and individualized rehabilitation programs appear to be the treatment of choice for this chronic and sometimes disabling condition that affects an estimated 2 million Americans each year.



Monday, October 26, 2015

News You can Use… for better Health and Wellness

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Dealing With Posture and Headache Pain in a Flexion Addicted Society


FIGURE 1
A: Headache - B: Dowager’s Hump - C: Rib Pain - D: Low Back Pain - E: Hip Pain - F: Knee Pain - G: Faulty Breathing - H: Rotator Cuff - I: Carpal Tunnel

 
Why do so many people with forward head posture complain of headaches?  It is true that many people who struggle with recurring headaches in America today do indeed have forward head posture and slumped shoulders.  Obviously there are many causes of headaches, but the suboccipitals (those muscles that connect from your cervical spine to the base of your skull) are one of the primary culprits.
 
Notice in Figure 1 just how many areas of your body are affected by constantly sitting in a flexed position at the computer.  If you look at letter A in Fig 1. notice how the head wants to look downward but the eyes in an effort to remain level extend the head backwards creating a reverse C (lordosis) in the neck.  This puts tremendous pressure on your spine and strains those sub-occipital muscles even more.
 
If this neck problem along with rounded shoulders and a tight back are to be dealt with so there is some long lasting success you need to work patterns and groups of  muscles for overall balance.  Some muscles are chronically tight (hypertonic) like pectorals, upper trapezius,sternocleidomastoid, anterior scalenes and suboccipitals.  These muscles are in chronic spasm and contracture and need to be weakened. Other muscles such as rhomboids and serratus anterior are weak or inhibited which means they need to be strengthened.
 
You may not be able to name these muscles but you can sure feel them. We will review them before we start a treatment program if you suffer from these constantly flexed symptoms.
 
FIGURE 2
One of the most common complaints clients have is pain between the shoulder blades. This is many times caused by an imbalance between the upper trapezius, rhomboids and serratus anterior. One group of muscles is tight and overstretched while the other group is weak. A strategy must be developed to treat the strain pattern. Just working on trigger points or one group of muscles will give only temporary relief.


 
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EFT  (Emotional Freedom Techniques) is a wonderful self help tool that can help clients deal with pain and a variety of emotional issues. Below I have provided an easy to use introduction.  Please read, explore, and call if you have any questions.
 

What is EFT?

EFT is a powerful self-help method based on research showing that emotional trauma contributes greatly to disease. Clinical trials have shown that EFT is able to rapidly reduce the emotional impact of memories and incidents that trigger emotional distress. Once the distress is reduced or removed, the body can often rebalance itself, and accelerate healing. Here's how you can experience this for yourself:

  • Try EFT yourself by downloading a free starter package which includes starter manual @ www.emofree.com,  It gives you all the basics and allows you to test drive EFT on your own issues (although at a beginner's level). If you like what you see and want to learn more or try a session give me a call. Caveat: For people who are emotionally or physically frail, qualified health professionals should be consulted before using any health procedure, including EFT.
  • Read the exhaustive list of actual cases on the website. These are written by clients, therapists and physicians and allow you to see EFTs possibilities through the eyes of both newcomers and professionals. Note the wide variety of successes. This is why you are encouraged to, "Try it on everything."

 
 

Five Benefits of Massage

Five great reasons to get a massage for yourself or give a gift to the one in your life you would like to thank.

  • Improve range of motion
  • Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow
  • Realign body structures
  • Strengthen and tone weak muscles
  • Prevention of pain and poor posture patterns of dysfunction created by muscle imbalance


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Certificate is valid for one year from date of purchase. Click here to purchase your gift certificate (click the services button and choose your Gift Certificate).

 
Did You Know?
 
Melatonin which is associated mainly with sleep also protects against several types of cancer particularly sex hormone mediated cancers of the breast and prostrate
 
Women recover more slowly from back pain than men and are more likely to develop chronic pain.
 
Caffeine reduces risk of not only Parkinson's and Alzheimer's but also MS
 
entree salads often have more calories than a burger and fries
 
treating gum disease which affects 85 percent of patients with chronic kidney disease, reduces risk of heart attack.
 
Spinal surgery rates are twice as high in the U.S, as in C and five times higher than in the UK.
 
Posture and Health
 
Poor posture can make your back ache and your shoulders tense, but it impacts other aspects of your health and well being.  Hunching over can decrease your lung capacity, impair digestion, depress your mood and elevate stress hormones.  Harvard researchers found that when men and women assumed a high powered posture with a straight spine and open shoulders, their cortisol levels decreased by 25%, and their testosterone increased by 19%, slouching had the opposite effect. Posture also affects your self confidence and the way others perceive you. So even though it seems to simple, standing straight with good posture can change many aspects of your health for the better.  You can go on youtube and search for some easy exercises. Of course there are many massage techniques that can help restore alignment and move those rounded shoulders and curved spine back into the correct place.

____________________________________
 

Refer to the Tapping Chart below to tap on the correct acupuncture points. Just use two fingers and tap lightly on each point for five to seven seconds.




 

In Northern KY
Monday 10am -7pm
Call me for more information 513-324-3211

The Holistic Wellness Center
562 Buttermilk Pike # A
Crescent Springs, KY 41017-1674
 
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Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Exercise Is Better With Massage




Exercise Is Better With Massage
 

From beginner athletes to elite professionals, massage therapy has shown to have major benefits regardless of the participant's fitness level. Athletes seeking enhanced performance, improved conditioning, faster recovery, injury prevention and assistance in maintaining peak fitness can benefit from massage therapy.  Massage has been shown to have myriad positive effects including:
  • Reducing muscle tension
  • Helping athletes monitor muscle tone
  • Promoting relaxation
  • Increasing range of motion
  • Improving soft tissue function
  • Decreasing muscle stiffness and fatigue after exercise
  • Improving exercise performance
  • Decreasing delayed onset muscle soreness
  • Reducing swelling
  • Reducing breathing pattern disorders
  • Enhancing athletic performance
  • Helping prevent injuries
By combining your exercise routine with a massage therapy treatment, you will be able to train longer and harder and make the most of your workout. Not convinced? Research some of your favorite world-class athletes, and you're likely to see that a massage therapist is a key component of their strength and stamina routine.
 

Background Information
 

Millions of people around the world play sports and exercise, from the elite professional athlete to the novice just starting a walking program for general health and wellness benefits. Exercise is recommended for everyone. Although other government groups in the past have recommended exercise and fitness, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the first official U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines in October 2008, as the official guidelines of the U.S. government. The Guidelines indicate that some activity is better than none, and then go on to make several specific recommendations:
  1. Moderate amounts of physical activity provide substantial health benefits for all adults. This dose is defined as 150 minutes/week of moderate intensity activity such as walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity/week such as jogging or vigorous sports.
  2. Additional health benefits can be obtained by doing more than the moderate dose. This higher target is described as 300 minutes of moderate intensity, 150 minutes of vigorous intensity, or combining moderate and vigorous intensity.
  3. All adults should participate in 30 minutes of strength building exercise on two days of the week. These exercises should engage all major muscle groups.
  4. Children and adolescents should participate in 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Most of this should be moderate to vigorous intensity activity, and should include vigorous activity at least three days/week. It also is recommended that children and adolescents participate in muscle-strengthening three days/week and bone-strengthening activities at least three days/week.

 
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Wednesday, June 10, 2015

If You Produce What you Fear Why do you Intentionally Think About Your Fears in EFT?


 
If You Produce What you Fear
 Why do you Intentionally Think About Your Fears in EFT?


  
This is a question I get asked frequently.  It seems counter intuitive but it is a key difference between traditional psychology and the EFT method.  It is true that you tend to produce what you fear.  If you think about avoiding the water on the left...you go left.  If you think about avoiding the out of bounds on the right...you tend to go right.  It is as if there is a little computer in your brain that makes your body twist and contort to execute the exact shot you are trying to avoid.  One obvious solution is to think about where you want the ball to go rather than not go!That is definitely a better choice but still not foolproof because there is always a tiny voice in the back of your head whispering your fear. A Golf psychologist will try to get you to  understand your fears and choose different responses to them.

For example if there is water lining the left side of the fairway and you were deathly afraid of pulling your drive into the water a golf psychologist might get you to think about visualizing your shot going to the right. He might also get you think about the consequences and realize that if you hit into the water it isn't life or death.

With the EFT method however we work with emotions. Therefore we are not trying to trick the fear, out maneuver it, choose different responses, or re-frame it. It is easier than that. We are going to tune into the fear see how it makes us feel and then tap on a series of acupuncture points to rid ourselves of the fear and the discomfort it creates.  We will then automatically look at the situation differently without having to try so hard.

So in FFT you would tune into your fear and tap while repeating  phrases about the fear and how it makes you feel.  For example.
 
Set-up Phrase. While tapping on the karate chop point on either hand I would start with;
Even though I'm afraid of pulling the ball left into the water I accept myself.
Even though I'm scared of getting a penalty shot because of one bad swing I accept myself” 
Even though my arms feel weak and my legs go numb thinking about this shot I accept myself” 
Shortcut phrases that focus on the problem. Tap on each of the following points while repeating the phrase next to it.
Eyebrow “I'm afraid of pulling the ball left”
Side of eye
 “All I can think about is that water
Under eye
 “I hit the ball in the water last time I played this hole”
Nose
 “My arms are week 
Chin
 “My legs are numb
Collarbone
 “I can't afford another penalty shot “
under arm
 “My arms are weak “
Top of head
 “My legs are numb” 


These are phrases I made up but they are similar to what I'd feel. The key is to use your own words and your own feelings. You might “get angry at yourself” or “feel stupid” or “want to give the game up” or “blame it on that worthless lesson you took the other day”. The power in EFT is using your feelings and words and not reciting some made up tapping script.

As  you tap on the different fears and emotions that crop up  for you the emotional charge that these fears create starts to diminish.  It is a good idea to measure the intensity of a fear before starting so you can check in after your done and measure your success.

Steve Botuchis
Steve@stevebotuchis.com
www.stevebotuchis.com
www.eftgolf.com
513-324-3211


"Better Golf with EFT" is now also available on your Amazon Kindle, Google Android, and Apple devices.

Five Benefits of Massage

Five Benefits of Massage


Five great reasons to get a massage for yourself or give a gift to the one in your life you would like to thank.

  • Improve range of motion
  • Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow
  • Realign body structures
  • Strengthen and tone weak muscles
  • Prevention of pain and poor posture patterns of dysfunction created by muscle imbalance
Visit www.stevebotuchis.com to learn more about deep-tissue, Myofascial Release, Swedish massage, and more.

Monday, April 13, 2015

How to Detect Forward Head Posture

FHP (forward head posture) is fairly easy to detect. Have someone look at you from the side.  Look up at the ceiling, down at the floor and straight ahead. Then have the person draw an imaginary line up through the shoulder. The line should extend up through the hole of the ear. Ideally the head should sit on top of the shoulders like a golf  ball sits on a tee. Remember for every inch your head is forward past that imaginary line you are adding approximately10 lbs. of weight to your spine.


To learn more visit Steve's website.

Friday, February 27, 2015

How to Detect Forward Head Posture (FHP)

FHP is fairly easy to detect. Have someone look at you from the side.  Look up at the ceiling, down at the floor and straight ahead. Then have the person draw an imaginary line up through the shoulder. The line should extend up through the hole of the ear. Ideally the head should sit on top of the shoulders like a golf  ball sits on a tee. Remember for every inch your head is forward past that imaginary line you are adding approximately10 lbs. of weight to your spine.

To learn more about FHP, or ask Steve Botuchis a question, visit his website at www.stevebotuchis.com.