My Journey from Pain to Posture Alignment
The Physical Discomfort (after 40)
- Before age 40: I did not think about my physical body much. It worked in the background and I felt strong and comfortable. I jogged regularly, walked a moderate amount and did yoga.
- After age 40: I started to notice my neck, low back, hips and shoulders were sore and stiff often.
- Age 42: Ankle Fracture: This led to chronic foot/ankle pain and plantar fasciitis making jogging and long walks impossible. I had trouble stepping off a curb and going down stairs as there was constant pain.
- Age 45: Rotator Cuff Tear: This injury caused pain, limited my movement (can’t throw a ball, reach behind back) and negatively impacted my massage therapy career.
- What did I do: I went to regular fitness classes to improve strength and to Physiotherapy (for my foot, ankle, shoulders and neck) but there was little improvement even after years of working at it.
Why was I getting more sore and stiff: Poor Posture
I discovered my pain wasn’t just from aging and injuries, but from worsening poor posture:
- Head/Neck: my head hung forward, causing upper back and neck muscle strain and a “hump” to form at the base of my neck. Also cause of the hump at base of my neck.
- Shoulders: Rounded and slumped contributing to shoulder, neck and upper back pain and weakness.
- Feet/Ankle: Both feet pointed out, especially the Left fractured one and my left arch was collapsing inward (pronating).
- Pelvis and Ribs: My pelvis and ribs were both rotated
What helped: Improving joint positions and Posture Alignment
- Age 50: I became a client at an Egoscue Clinic, specializing in Posture Alignment Therapy.
- They took pictures of my posture and showed me where my posture had deviated out of proper anatomical functioning state. The major load joints in my pelvis, shoulders and ankles were not properly aligned. I had no idea how many areas were misaligned in my body. The pictures were proof of that.
- Why did this help me: Muscles and joints respond to poor posture by becoming too short and weak or too stretched and weak. It also causes grinding in the joints from poor anatomical positioning, a recipe for arthritis.
My Ultimate Goal for you
EGOSCUE exercises will transform your body. I am confident saying this because I have experienced it myself and I have guided a number of people back to comfort. I am 51 years old now and I feel the more comfortable (free from pain) and stronger than I have in over 15 years. I have been doing EGOSCUE exercises 3-4 times per week for 8 months and I started feeling significant improvements after only two weeks. I had to try the EGOSCUE method personally before I took many months of training through their Institute in the US.
My ultimate goal is to teach you how to change and manage your postural alignment and physical health. I want you to be able to do the activities you love, free of pain and injury, for years to come.