Injury Recovery
Pain is Your Ally In Healing
“Pain is part of the body's defense system, producing a reflexive retraction from the painful stimulus, and tendencies to protect the affected body part while it heals, and avoid that harmful situation in the future.” This is the evolutionary and behavioral...
Healing is an Individual Process
Road to Recovery Healing is not a neat and tidy process with well-defined steps from pain to wellness. Instead, it is an individual journey that is unique for each person. The source of chronic pain and the strategies needed for recovery can be simple or complex. Some...
My Low Back Hurts Because I Can’t Breathe!
Did you know that respiration (breathing) and back pain are intimately linked? News to me! A 2006 study found that "the presence of respiratory disease is a stronger predictor for lower back pain than other established risk factors." And "clinical observation supports...
Relieve Back Pain with Foundation Training
I continually want to provide you with tools to help you take care of your body and reduce your pain. However, that's not as easy as it sounds. In other words, I know that not every approach is going to work for everyone. So, having a variety of options is essential...
Love Your Body Today and Everyday
When was the last time you showed appreciation for your body and all it does to support and move you? If you are like many, you've had a ore negative tone during recent conversations with your physical structure. Perhaps you've heard yourself expressing resentment for...
4 Ways to Improve Your Running this Winter
1. First, Run in Soft Snow for Good Technique The unstable surface of the snow does not allow you to push off for propulsion. This backward force may cause you to slip as the snow moves with your foot. Thus, you lose traction. If you don't push off from behind,...
Treat the Cause, Not the Symptom
I've heard a saying regarding pain in the body, “the victim screams while the criminal is silent.” When Tom Myers, internationally known fascia expert and author of Anatomy Trains, said this, he was referring to the interconnected relationships between the soft...
What to Eat and Avoid to Reduce Joint Pain
What's one of the main causes of joint pain? Inflammation. And did you know that the foods we eat affect inflammation? If you'd like more information on inflammation and lifestyle-contributing factors beyond nutrition, please read my blog, 4 Steps to an...
5 Recovery Lessons I Learned from My Dog
A few years ago I had to say good bye to my beloved 13 year old yellow Labrador retriever, Coral. At seven and a half Coral became paralyzed in her hind end from pouncing too aggressively on a tennis ball during a game of fetch. Through months of canine physical...
Can you heal yourself?
During a discussion with a potential client, I made the statement that we could heal ourselves. She admitted that she had heard this wisdom but did not know if she could believe it. As she described it, she had been dancing around the idea but wasn't sure she was...
Injuries are Opportunities – Making the most of your time off the bike
Please enjoy this re-print of an article I wrote for mountain flyer magazine a few years back. Lying on the couch with fresh stitches in my thigh, as the ice pack begins to drip, my head is spinning from the pain medication. The sun is shining and I can see the...
My Diagnosis of Osteoarthritis
I was diagnosed with severe bone-on-bone Osteoarthritis (OA) in my left hip in 2007 after arthroscopic surgery. When my doctor and I parted, his last words were, "I'll see you in 15 years for your hip replacement." In my late 30s I was too young for a joint...
My Egoscue® Experience, A Client’s Perspective
Guest Column: by Lynn Bjorklund I started Egoscue® with Jessica in 2010 when I was in a downward spiral with numerous injuries. Each year I tried harder and could do less. Most people chalk it up to just getting older and that is what is normal to expect. I didn't...
Use Positive Psychology to Heal
Healing happens not only physically but is also influenced by your psychological state. While suffering from various injuries and surgeries I found the teachings of Positive Psychology helpful to my recovery. How we think about our situation and what we say to...
The Most Important Question to Ask About Your Pain
You know that kid who is always asking questions to the point of being annoying? What does s/he want to know - WHY? Why this, why that, why, why, why. It can be a difficult question with a complex answer. Adults interacting with this child may become drained...
Meet Jessica!
I believe we are designed to move and play throughout our entire lives. I don’t buy into the idea that we should slow down with age, or that pain, injury and physical restrictions are unavoidable aspects of growing older. So, here’s my philosophy. Our mental mindset, combined with the physical position and condition of the body that we bring into any activity (from walking to skiing to everything in between), determines our chance of hurting when we move. If we have a positive mindset, and if we have proper positioning and move with correct body biomechanics, all activities should be possible.
This is the goal I have for everyone: to overcome pain and limitations so you can Stay in the Game for Life!
Visit The Pain Free Athlete website for additional resources and opportunities.
