What’s Makes Egoscue DIFFERENT when it comes to treating chronic pain?

Pain Free Chronic Therapy does not treat symptomatic pain, or the pain site itself.

Instead, we focus on identifying the underlying root cause of the symptoms and/or pain.

The major differences is that at Pain Free Chronic Therapy your Egoscue University Instructor and  Certified Posture Alignment specialist Deb Preachuk looks at the entire body rather than just the area where the symptom is showing. By looking at the body as a whole, it allows us to identify the root cause of a problem.  

Can Egoscue fix what’s wrong with me?

YES!

Postural Therapy in The Egoscue Method is unlike other therapeutic methods. In other treatments, something is done to you by professionals – medicine is prescribed, pills are taken, injections administered, and manipulation or surgery is performed.

In contrast, at Pain Free Posture MN, your Certified Posture Alignment Specialist Deb Preachuk is highly trained to analyze what your body is doing, what it is lacking in stimulus and then guide you to engage in appropriate corrective exercises based upon your personalized postural demand needs. So as such, The Egoscue Method does not “fix” anyone, per se.  We put YOU in the drivers seat.  You do the exercise, and make yourself better.  We just help by giving you the correct information, postural analysis and guidance in technique.

That said, there is every reasonable expectation that responsible practice of the Egoscue Method will be effective for you to experience Pain Free Life and Living.

Does success in the Egoscue Method depend on new-age meditation, yoga techniques, or the power of positive thinking?

No. 

If it did, there would be no need to work with a highly trained Egoscue University Posture Alignment Specialist who is certified to analyze your posture, relate it to your condition and then design an appropriate corrective exercise regimen specifically suited for each client’s unique needs.

However, your thoughts, actions, habits and outlook on life can and does have a profound effect upon one’s physical well-being and perception of pain.  As you go through Posture Alignment Therapy you will be encouraged to explore how your thoughts, words and actions are highly correlated to your perception of pain and ability to heal and get well.

How long will it take me to see/feel results?

Factors such as adherence to the menu of exercises and your emotional state while doing the exercises play a significant role in determining your success.  You should experience a difference after your very first menu such as walking or standing taller, improved balance, even some pain relief. As you become more and more functional, these benefits will become long lasting and your pain will be eliminated permanently. However, most chronic pain and postural imbalances did not occur over night, so plan on giving your mind, body and spirit time to recover.

To be completely without symptoms depends on the severity of your problem and how long you have had the problem. It is important to remember that your problems may have developed over a very long period of time time, and therefore it will take time and work to correct them. I’ve had students who are completely pain free and on a maintenance program in as little as two sessions and others who have continually experienced pain reduction and improved quality of life at each session, but have spread out their sessions to once/month or more and have therefore spent months working on becoming pain free. The variables are many and each person’s unique circumstances make it difficult to put an exact date and time to it.

Posture Alignment Therapy is not a quick fix!

The longer a problem has been in the body, the longer it will take to get out. If a person has had a problem for 10 or more years, it will take much more time and effort than a person who has had a problem for 5 years or less. Similarly, it is much easier to clear out problems caused by an acute injury the instant it happens than a chronic problem that has been embedded in the body for years even if the level of pain felt by the acute injury is significantly higher. Think of the problems in the body like a bad habit. It is much harder to break a bad habit that existed for a long time than a bad habit that has just started.

The severity and duration of your pain problem is the greatest factor determining the amount of time it takes to resolve. Pain from a recent sprained ankle or slight bulging disc in the spine can be resolved much earlier than someone who has chronic pain from conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, or degenerative disc disease.

Some problems have not been in the body for a very long time, however, they can be very challenging to overcome (think competitive athlete) when a person has built an incredible amount of strength on top it. Adding strength on top of a postural dysfunction only magnifies the intensity of the pain. This issue tends to be more predominant in males, competitive, “Type-A” personalities, especially those who have done a lot of weight lifting and strength training. The problem of strength being built on top of a postural dysfunction occurs in both men and women however, and especially in those who have completed unproductive traditional physical therapy.

Other clients have not built an incredible amount of strength overtop of their problems, but they have further ingrained the postural deviations by continuously engaging in various other skilled physical activities and movements. When physical skills are developed with a problematic body, the body learns that the problematic issues are a part of “normal” function. This only solidifies the problem, the compensation movements making it more challenging to re-pattern the correct movements.  We have to “un-lean” old movement patterns.

Many people often engage in daily activities and routines that have caused or enhanced their problems. For example, it is extremely common to see neck pain in people whose jobs consist of sitting all day.   The body was not designed to be hunched over  for 8 – 10 hours a day. If a certain daily routine is the cause of the problem and a person is unable to change their situation, then it should be clear that it is going to take much longer to fix the problem since there is something that is consistently having a negative affect the body.

E-cise Menu Questions

 1.  Do I have to do my e-cise menu everyday?

Yes it is highly encouraged.

In order to not only see improvements, but to feel tham, you must establish new muscle stimulus and memory on a daily basis in order to have the corrections hold over time.

Prior to coming to Pain Free Posture MN, your body had developed incorrect and/or poor motor habits to compensate for your dysfunctions. Posture alignment work is not a quick fix.  It is corrective exercise designed to re-educate and train your body back to restore its blue-print design and function.

However, we understand that sometimes life gets busy and that you may miss a day or two. No problem.  We recommend that you do your menu as often as you can (ideally,no less than five days per week for the best results, especially at the beginning). It is also very important that you let us know how much time you are (realistically) able to dedicate to doing a menu of corrective exericse each day.  We are happy to design a program that meets your lifestyle needs.

2.  Can I pick and choose my favorite exercises and skip the rest?

 NO!

Even though certain exercises may make you feel considerably better, or you just prefer some over others, it is imperative that you understand that each exercise is selected based on your unique postural imbalances and deviations at the four major load joints.

There is a method to the sequencing of corrective exercise movements.  Each exercise is designed to stimulate proper muscle activation in and around a load joint thus affecting/stimulating function.  While you may enjoy one or two exercises more than others, you must follow the sequence given.  They are all very important to the design and overall outcome of your program.

When you do, I promise that your body will thank you!

3.  Should I feel pain when doing my menu of e-cises?

No.

You should not feel the old-symptomatic pain that brought you to Pain Free Posture.

However, keep in mind that people define pain differently. Some people may feel a very strong stretch and/or new muscular activation and may refer to that as pain beause he/she is unfamiliar with the stimulus to an underutilized area.  

It’s very important to work privately with a Certified Posture Alignment Specialist so we can educate you about the difference between old pain symptoms and new body sensations.  They are different!  

We will help you interpret what is actually going on in your body.  Often people with a history of chronic pain will call muscular fatigue and neuromuscular sensations pain when in reality it is just that the discomfort that is new and unfamiliar.  Posture Alignment Therapy does not hurt or cause pain.  It is not the same as being injured, or the old pain sensation. If you are unsure whether a certain type of discomfort is normal, please make notes of the type, intensity, location, and duration and contact me.  Remember, we are here to help you restore function.  Our first and primary goal is to reduce your pain.  Always.

4.  I’m already Pain Free. Why do I need to change up my menu? Can’t I just keep doing my initial program?

No.

When it comes to realigning your body, it is not possible to address everything at once. There are certain issues that must be resolved before others. Such as pain.  Without fixing those high priority issues first, working on anything else have little effect.  

My first priority is to mitigate your symptoms by reducing the rotation in your body and neutralizing your pelvis and spine.  You will feel tremendously better right away, and even Pain Free in just one menu.  However, this is where the danger lies.  We have not strengthened you from the inside out or fully restored proper range of motion and function to all of the four major load joints.  Posture Alignment Therapy is not a quick fix, but rather one that works on total restoration.  It took a number of years for your body to get into it’s current condition.  The greatest gift you can give yourself is working through menu sequencing to completion.

Second, as your body begins to change, your program should be updated to match those changes. Some parts of your body will change faster than others, so it is important to have a program is correct for you at that moment.

Lastly, postural deviations often have a way of “flushing” themselves (as I like to call it) down and out, or up and out.  Many times, as certain problems begin to peel away, other problems are revealed. It is very common for the human body to hide its dysfunctions in order to perform the tasks it is called upon to do.

5.  Will I be sore after doing my E-cise Menu?

Yes and No.  

The best and most honest anser is, it depends.

As you begin to integrate new muscle action and neuromuscular integration you may experience brief periods of soreness known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

It is not uncommon to initially feel sore in what I like to call an “awareness of new movements” way after the first few days because you are re-training certain muscle groups that have not been working properly. In addition, your body is changing, so it may take a little while for your body to get accustomed to its new position. As your body adapts to the new stimulus the feeling of soreness will subside.  In my expereince, this soreness is more of the “posturally aware” variety, meaning, you are aware of new found muscle activation.  However, if you are unsure if any type of discomfort is abnormal, please email or call.

 6.  Do I need to buy special equipment?

No, but….

There is no requirement to purchase any equipment.  You may already have items around your house that will work for you such as empty boxes, yoga blocks, yoga straps, pillows, chairs and ottomans.

However, from my experience, investing in equipment that promotes you to adhere to your menu is very worthwhile.  Posture Alignment equipment is available for purchase at Therapy Zone.   If you are interested in purchasing, Deb will recommend which equipment is appropriate for you.

 7.  My doctor says that I need surgery, why do you say I might not need it?

It Depends on the Severity of Your Condition.  

You may, in fact, need surgery. We’re not against western medicine at all.  Sometimes surgery is the best decision (ruptured tendon, ligament, bone on bone).  But perhaps your body has not deteriorated to that point just yet.  Wouldn’t you rather explore the option of lasting pain relief prior to submitting to that diagnosis and/or procedure?  If there is cartilage left, it can heal.

Take one of the most famous Egoscue Method clients – Jack Nicklaus.  Jack is well known for writing the forward to Pete Egoscue’s best selling book The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion.  

“Pete Egoscue has totally changed my life.  

Never have I experienced such complete pain relief as I have by following the Egoscue Method”.  

– Jack Nicklaus 

Jack was at his lowest of lows with pain, unable to golf and contemplating an early retirement.  He began working with Pete and went on to finish his career strong and pain free.  He later chose to have his hip replaced, and recovered magnificently, continuing to do his e-cises and maintaining the health of the muscles surrounding the replaced hip.

You don’t have to be famous to have this happen.  My own mother has a similar story.  Sometimes we need the surgery, but both my mom and Jack Nicklaus worked on correcting the underlying root cause of what made their hips break down in the first place, had their surgeries due to bone-on-bone circumstances and came out of it with flying colors. 

Here at Pain Free Chronic Therapy, we have a demonstrated and overwhelming success rate resulting in sustained Pain Free Life and Living for our clients.You can correct the underlying root cause of the problem (why your joints degenerated, herniated, etc), improve your joint position and muscle length tension relationship around the area, reduce pain, increase mobility, and then if you have to have the surgery… so be it.  You’ll recover faster and return to health faster.

We’re confident that that the same will be true for you.  The Egoscue Method of Posture Alignment Therapy offers hope for relief without surgery, manipulation, or medication.

Is Posture Alignment Therapy different from Pilates or yoga?

Yes, absolutely.

Your Posture Alignment Therapy exercise menu is designed to address your specific dysfunctions and goals.

Think of it as the Ibase layer of functional movement upon which all other movements hinge upon.  While you may see benefits of taking pilates and yoga classes,  a body with pain and postural deviations will pull to the dysfunctional movement patterns in those classes, and even more so if taking classes without an instructor who is highly trained in identifying postural deviations, compensations, injuries or special populations.

Working one-on-one with a Certified Posture Alignment Specialist like Deb Preachuk will ensure that you receive personalized instruction in a safe training environment, thereby maximizing your potential and minimizing your risk.  Once you are pain-free, and fully functional in your blue-print design, the sky’s the limit!  Pilates, Yoga and other forms of functional fitness are fantastic forms of exercise upon which to build upand further strengthen your foundation.  In my opinion, they are natural soul mates that work alongside Posture Alignment Therapy.

Can I continue with my current activities?

Yes.

 Our goal at Pain Free Chronic Therapy is to get you pain free and back into enjoying your activities of daily living as soon as possible.   Physical exercise is good as long as you are bringing a functional and aligned body to the activity of choice   Initially, you may be asked to avoid certain activities that reinforce your dysfunctions.  This means that we encourage you to LISTEN to your body.  You may start out in your activity and be pain-free, but as time goes on you may feel old symptom.  We encourage you to respect the body.  It is telling you that something is wrong.  Time to stop and do your menu of corrective exercises.  As you become more and more functional, you can increase your time in your favorite activity and begin re-introducing other activities you’ve been longing to do.

Pain Free Posture Studio Questions 

1. What are your Studio Hours?
2. How do I start Posture Alignment Therapy Sessions at Pain Free Chronic Therapy?
3. What is Pain Free Chronic Therapy’s Cancellation Policy?  Pain Free Chronic Therapy strictly adheres to a  24-hour cancellation policy.  If you cancel within this period you will be charged for one therapy session.
4. Will my insurance cover the cost of Posture Alignment Therapy at Pain Free Chronic Therapy.  No. Pain Free Chronic Therapy is a non-medical form of postural therapy. However, your health savings account may offer programs that can be used to cover your sessions.  We’ve had many clients able to successfuly submit their cost of sessions for re-imbursement from HSA accounts.

What if I have more questions?

Great!  We love questions!  I always like to say, “You don’t know what you don’t know”, so please feel free to contact us at your convenience!

Here at Pain Free Chronic Therapy, we believe in the importance of living life to the fullest!

Your life should be PAIN FREE – fun, full of energy, freeing, spirited and uniquely about you.

If it doesn’t feel that way for you, give me a call.  I can help get you going again.  I promise.  We’re in this together, and I am here to help.

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