1. What's makes Posture Alignment Therapy DIFFERENT when it comes to treating chronic pain?
At Pain Free Posture MN we DO NOT treat symptomatic pain, or the pain site itself.
The major differences is that we will look at YOU AS A WHOLE - your entire body as it presents itself relative to your "blue-print" design. Rather than treating the symptom, we address the context that sets the stage for the symptom. By doing so we can identify how your body has shifted away from it's proper function which ultimately resulted in your current pain/symptoms. By looking at the body as a whole, it allows us to clearly identify the root cause of your pain/problem.
By identifying the underlying root cause of the symptoms we have a platform to work from where we can re-build your structural foundation. By restoring your foundation, your whole body begins to moving properly again. End result? The symptoms of poor body mechanics (pain, fatigue, numbness, stiffness) are resolved.
2. Can Posture Alignment Therapy fix what’s wrong with me?
YES!
Postural Therapy 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, 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. As such, postural therapy does not “fix” anyone. 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 Posture Alignment Therapy will be effective for you to experience Pain Free Life and Living.
3. Does success with Postural Therapy 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 an Egoscue University Certified Posture Alignment Specialist who is highly trained 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.
We'll coach, empower and encourage you to identify "What's wrong with me. Can you fix me?" with "What is my body trying to tell me. Where is the underlying cause of my pain. Could my flat feet (or hiked up hip) be causing my hip (or neck or shoulder) pain?"
For more on this please visit our BLOG - 3 Keys to Successfully Overcome Chronic Pain
4. Is Postural Therapy different than Pilates and Yoga?
Yes, absolutely.
Your Posture Alignment Therapy exercise menu is designed to address your specific dysfunctions and goals.
Think of it as the foundation or base 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 up and further strengthen your foundation. In my opinion, they are natural soul mates that work alongside Posture Alignment Therapy.
5. Can I continue doing my current activities/sport for exercise?
Yes.
Our goal here at Pain Free Posture MN 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.
6. How long will it take me to see/feel results?
Honestly, Results will vary from client to client.
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 will experience a difference after your very first menu such as walking or standing taller, improved balance, even dramatic 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.
Remember: 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 over top 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.
7. How did I get this way?
Due to trauma, injuries, or just faulty motor patterns, your body has figured out ways to compensate so that you can "do life". It's much like a chicken vs the egg scenario.
When the body is out of alignment it begins to compensate for the imbalance causing muscle tightness, decreased flexibility, and eventually the onset of pain. If left untreated, this can also lead to injury and or poor athletic performance.
While many treatments target symptomatic pain relief, these modalities usually only offer temporary fixes to the underlying problems. Whereas, postural alignment therapy seeks out the root cause of your pain. By treating poor posture and its dysfunctions/compensations you can eliminate the reason why pain occurs, prevent common injuries, and increase athletic performance.
8. Is posture alignment therapy a quick fix?”
No, this is not a quick fix.
Your body didn't deteriorate over night, nor should the solution be as fast. While you will experience immediate pain relief, there is more to posture alignment therapy than just pain relief. That's what makes us different.
We will help you address the pain by mitigating your symptoms, reducing the rotation in your body and neutralizing the pelvis and spine. But from that point forward, we will help you straighten out your posture and structurally strengthen you to better preform your activities of daily living, and athletic pursuits.
Structured around the theories and principles of postural therapy taught at Egoscue University, you will begin to experience the benefits of better posture immediately. After your initial session, you may experience walking and standing taller, improved balance, and slight to complete pain relief. Because this is a new stimulus for your body, it may only last for a brief period of time. However, with continued sessions and re-training and re-educating your posture, it will become more and more functional and provide long lasting and permanent pain relief. Remember, it has taken you a lifetime to develop these specific muscular and mechanical compensations.
9. What’s the difference between posture alignment therapy other traditional forms of therapy?
We do not treat the symptom (your pain). We address the underlying root cause of your pain which is your posture as it relates to "blue-print" design.
Current modalities such as chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, or traditional physical therapies offer a “hands on” manipulative approach to pain relief. As a result, these modalities require you to return on a normal basis, yielding dependency upon others to relieve your pain. On the other hand, Posture alignment therapy provides YOU the client, with the tools necessary to take back and manage your health care on your own.
If you would like to schedule an appointment, please contact us.
7. 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 Posture MN, 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.