Kathryn Merrow | SIMPLE PAIN RELIEF with Kathryn Merrow, the Pain Relief Coach

Hip Pain? Try Nordic Walking to Relieve Pain in Your Hips

If your hips hurt, you might wish to consider walking a different way.

Nordic Walking uses “walking sticks” (poles) and can help people with hip pain more than using a cane. A cane supports you on only one side, but walking with a pole in each hand gives you support on both sides.

Using these walking poles helps propel you forward.

They also cause you to swing your arms in a good, neutral position. When you swing your arms correctly as you walk (next to your body rather than in front of your body, and with your thumbs pointed upward as when you shake hands) you use all of your Continue reading “Hip Pain? Try Nordic Walking to Relieve Pain in Your Hips”

April 8November 7

Is Your Posture Good Or Poor? How Can You Tell?

Is your posture good or not-so-good?

People with poor posture look like they are leaning or collapsing forward.

Often their head is way forward in front of their body (“forward head posture.”) The curve in their neck is either too much or too flat, and so is the curve behind their waist. Their shoulders round forward.

Poor posture impacts a LOT of your body! Almost every part of your body is affected by collapsed posture.

Here are several things you can check so you will know whether your posture is good or not-so-good.

1. Stand up and hold your arms at your sides in their usual position. Look down. If your thumbs are pointing to each other, your shoulders are rounded forward. Your chest muscles are tight and shortened. They are pulling your shoulders forward. 🙁 But, if your thumbs point straight ahead, your shoulders aren’t rounded forward. 🙂

2. Are you constantly straightening up and constantly collapsing forward again? That’s a clue that the muscles in the Continue reading “Is Your Posture Good Or Poor? How Can You Tell?”

April 8November 7

Does Poor Posture Cause Pain? How Do Arch Supports Help?

Can your posture cause pain?

Oh Boy! It surely can! In fact, it does.

Poor, or collapsed, posture can cause pain in your head, neck, feet, legs, hips, hands, arms, upper and lower back. Why?

Because being out of muscular “balance” means that you are using muscles to do the job of bones.

With poor posture, your muscles are trying to hold you upright, but that’s the job of your bones. Muscles are for moving. Bones are for supporting.

All of your muscles attach to bones. When a muscle is overworked or overstretched because of poor posture, it causes pain.

Poor posture can even cause your organs–heart, lungs, intestines, stomach–to have difficulty functioning. Why? Because you are collapsing forward.

As you bend forward, all of your organs are compressed, or squashed. It is much harder for your organs to do their best job when they are squashed.

What can you to to correct your posture?

One important thing is to get arch supports (orthotics) for your shoes if your feet are “flat.”

How can you tell if your arches are flat?

Stand up with your weight the same Continue reading “Does Poor Posture Cause Pain? How Do Arch Supports Help?”

April 8November 7

The Muscle That Causes Carpal Tunnel & Knots in Your Back

There is a set of muscles on each side of your neck that can cause pain in your upper back, arm, wrist and hand. Those muscles are called the scalenes.

If the “knot” between your spine and shoulder blade “won’t” go away, blame the scalene muscles. It can’t go away until the scalene muscles are released (relaxed.) The knot is a symptom; the scalenes are the cause.

If your carpal tunnel symptoms “won’t” go away with conventional treatment, blame the scalenes. The symptoms can go away when the cause (the scalenes) are released.

Nerves run from your neck bones to your upper body and arms. If those nerves get compressed, or pressed on, by the scalene muscles they can cause uncomfortable sensations in the areas that the nerves serve (enervate.)

If your doctor thinks your pain is “all in your head,” boy, is he Continue reading “The Muscle That Causes Carpal Tunnel & Knots in Your Back”

March 5November 7

Trigger Points and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Trigger points are a type of really crabby spasm in your muscles or other soft tissues. Trigger points “trigger” (cause) pain and symptoms like weakness, tingling and numbness in other parts of your body, sometimes at quite a distance.

When I was getting a presentation ready about the causes of trigger points. I realized that the same things that cause trigger points also cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome!

So what causes both trigger points and carpal tunnel symptoms? Here are seven causes:

Stress.
Allergies and chronic infections.
thyroid and blood disorders, like anemia.
Vitamin and mineral imbalances or deficiencies.
Doing repetitive movements, incorrectly.
Asymmetric bone structure: having one leg longer than the other or one-half of your pelvis being smaller than the other.
Forward-head posture or collapsing-forward posture. This is very common and it causes a lot of strain on your upper body muscles. Muscle strain can cause trigger points which “fire” into your hands, arms and wrists.

Certainly, you don’t have all of those, but you may have one or more.

It’s relatively easy to release your trigger points, once you know where there are “hiding out.”

You can go to Carpal Tunnel Radio to listen to a little 15-minute audio about “Carpal Tunnel Triggers” that I did on Thursday, March 5, 2009. It will give you a lot more information about triggers and trigger points for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

“Because You Deserve to Feel Better!”

March 1November 7

How Long Does It Take To Create A Healthy Habit?

I hate to tell you, because you probably already know, but, er…a lot of your pain and diseases just may be caused by unhealthy habits. There. It’s out.

So how long did it take you to develop these “bad” habits? And, what are they?

Only you can answer the first question, but it probably happened over a long time. You probably already know the answers to the second question, but I’ll list a few here.

Poor or slouchy posture.
Not enough healthy, fresh foods; too much processed, “fast” and “junk” foods.
Too little movement and exercise.
Too much television viewing or device use and too little sleep.

I have GOOD NEWS for you! You can change all of those things, and more. Your body wants to be well and healthy. Sometimes it just needs some help from you.

Unhealthy habits interfere with your good health. They are not health promoters. You want to feel good until you die, right?

So, how long does it take to create a healthy habit?

I have read that if we do something faithfully for 21 days, it becomes a new “habit.” That’s not too long, that’s only 3 measly little weeks, right?

If you forget, forgive yourself and just get going again.

Here are some tips to help you get started so you can change “bad” habits into “good” ones.

Let’s use slouching Continue reading “How Long Does It Take To Create A Healthy Habit?”

February 15November 7

Senior Citizen Pain, Posture & Exercise

Lots of times doctors tell us we have pain “because, after all, you are 60 years old.” Or 50, 49, 72, or 84 years old.

They often neglect (just because they don’t know) the roles of your muscles and posture as causes of pain.

What are some of the benefits of senior citizens exercising and doing movements to get a straighter, stronger back?

You will have less back pain.
It will be easier to breathe.
There will be less pressure on your internal organs so they can function better (heart, etc.)
You will feel better about yourself because you will be straighter and taller.
You will have less pain in your back, neck, arms and hands.
You’ll have less constipation. (Increased movement helps your bowels move. Straighter posture takes compression off your intestines so they have more space to move.)
Your blood and lymph circulation will improve.
Your strength will improve.
And, your balance will be better and that’s really important!

If you go to SimpleStrengthening.com you will find lots of articles which explain both why people have pain and how simple strengthening movements, that you can even do in bed, are done.

You can see there are many benefits for you, as a senior citizen, to exercise, move and get a straighter, stronger back. And that’s a good thing

“Because You Deserve to Feel Better!”

January 10November 7

Simple Stretches for Short Muscles in Your Chest and Arms

Here are some simple ways to stretch the muscles in the front of your chest and arms.

But first, are you wondering why you would want to stretch those muscles? It’s because short muscles in the front of your body very often cause pain in the back of your body (and headaches, too.)

It’s “cause and effect.”

Short front muscles are the cause of your pain. The pain in your back, arms, neck and head is almost always caused by short anterior (front) muscles.

Your pain is the symptom. Pain means something is not right. Pain can mean that shortened muscles are pulling you out of balance.

So, back to the stretching…

Gravity will work with you, instead of against you, if you use this simple tool to stretch: a long, thin, foam noodle.

The foam noodle is also called a swim noodle, or a foam roller. Kids use them to play in the water. They are sold in many stores and only cost a few dollars. I’m going to tell you how to make your own roller, too, in case you can’t find one.

This foam noodle is about 5 or 6 feet long, and about 4 or 5″ across (diameter.)

Put it on the floor. Lay on it lengthwise, so the noodle is behind your spine and head. The whole length of your spine (and your head) is supported on the noodle. There will be some “leftover” noodle between your legs and over your head.

And, just lay there.

How simple is that?

While you are on the noodle, let your hands be at your sides. Put the outside edge (baby finger) of your hands on the floor. Better still, place Continue reading “Simple Stretches for Short Muscles in Your Chest and Arms”

January 10November 7

Simple Stretching Tips for Muscle Pain Relief

If you have back pain, neck pain, pain in your arms, or headaches, there is a really great chance that you need to open, relax or stretch the muscles in the front of your body.

The muscles in the front of our bodies shorten and become “tight” because those are the muscles we use in shortened positions most of the time.

You sit with your legs bent and in front of you. You work with your and hands in front of your body. And, if your posture is not the best, you also have your head in front of your body most of the day.

How do short front muscles cause headaches, back pain, pain in your neck or arms?

Simply like this. When any of your muscles are tight, they pull on other muscles and cause them to be stretched. Muscles which get over-stretched complain–they give you pain.

Stretching will help you get your muscles and body back in balance.

Here are some simple stretching tips.

Use gravity. Let gravity help you. It can be your friend. You know how the force of gravity is always pulling you forward and down? If you lay down on your back, and let your arms drop gently backward, that same force will pull them farther back and help stretch your chest and front-of-arm muscles.

It is so much easier to do a stretch while gravity “assists” you, when you are laying down, rather than when you are upright.

You can stretch your chest and arm muscles at the edge of your bed. Be on your back and let your arms “fly” like a butterfly, in gentle wide swoops. You can also Continue reading “Simple Stretching Tips for Muscle Pain Relief”

January 1November 7

You Went to a Massage Therapist for Your Back Pain–Why Didn’t It Help?

I recommend therapeutic massage for almost every type of physical pain.

Why? Because it works!

Massage is old medicine. It’s used all over the world for a wide variety of ailments.

Why? Because it works! (Oh, I already said that, didn’t I?) 🙂

But sometimes when you go to a massage therapist your pain doesn’t go away. Maybe it feels better for a short time, or even just while the therapist is working on your painful area. But, it comes right back. Or, it is back within just a few hours. Or, doesn’t feel better at all.

When that has happened to one of my clients, I told them what that means.

That means I was wrong about the cause of their symptom (their pain.) It means I didn’t work on the muscles or soft tissue that was the true cause of their pain. That means we have to try again.

The unfortunate thing is, many massage therapists only know how to do a relaxation-type massage. Relaxation or stress-reduction massages can be really great, but…

When you have pain, a relaxation massage probably won’t give you much benefit.

If you have pain symptoms, and you want relief, you will have to find a massage professional who “knows his or her stuff.” Someone who can assess WHY you are having pain. Someone who can figure out a “treatment” plan to help you become pain-free.

If your massage therapist rubs and presses on the painful area (and some will do this for the whole hour) and your pain doesn’t go away, then that therapist doesn’t “know their stuff.”

And, if that therapist can’t figure out why your muscle won’t release (relax) then she doesn’t “know her stuff.”

And, if she says it’s the worst “knot” she has ever seen, she should not be in the massage field at all, in my opinion. Her job is to help you feel better, not worse.

When your painful muscle spasm won’t release, it Continue reading “You Went to a Massage Therapist for Your Back Pain–Why Didn’t It Help?”

March 31November 7

Another Cause For That “Knot” Or Muscle Spasm In Your Back

Does your upper back pain feel like a “knot” or muscle spasm between your shoulder blade and spine?

Last time we talked about muscles in your torso that could cause this pain. Today we will talk about another cause, which is almost always overlooked.

The muscles that can cause that miserable “knot” in your back are on the side of your neck. There is a set of muscles on each side of your neck called the scalenes.

First, you’ll notice and feel a thick set of muscles on either side that run from the notch in your collar bone to behind your ear. Those are the sternocleidomastoid muscles (SCM). The scalenes are tucked behind the SCM’s.

When the scalene muscles get tight, or aggravated, they develop “trigger points.”

If you have a therapeutic massage to work out your knotty back problem, and it doesn’t help, then the problem isn’t in your back. (I am assuming here that your therapist worked ALL of your back and rib muscles, not just the knot.)

The problem is in your scalenes.

Trigger points in your scalene muscles are “firing” or causing pain in your upper back. If you get a well-trained massage therapist to work on your neck muscles and release the trigger points, your back pain will go away.

If you suspect this may be what is causing that knot in your upper back, you can try to release the scalenes yourself.

Press gently into the side of your neck. Using the pads of your fingertips, explore the muscles that run on the side of your spine, or neck bones.

If you feel hard, knobby things, those are probably the edges of your vertebrae, or neck bones. If you feel a pulse, move off it.

Thoughtfully and carefully explore the length of your neck from your jaw to your collarbone. If you run into a very tender area, gently hold pressure there for about 12 seconds. If it doesn’t “release” or become less painful, move on. You can come back to that tender area a few more times, after letting it rest for a few minutes, to see if it will release.

If an area refers pain into your “knot” on your back, you have found the trigger Continue reading “Another Cause For That “Knot” Or Muscle Spasm In Your Back”

March 18November 7

Back Pain – Spasm Between Shoulder Blade and Spine

You probably know the back pain I mean. It’s that nagging, cannot-be-ignored pain between your shoulder blade and spine. It often feels like a knot or spasm.

It’s usually on the side of your dominant hand. If you’re right-handed, it will probably be on the right side of your back.

There are two likely causes and one that often gets the blame, but usually isn’t the cause.

The rhomboid muscle (there is one on each side of your back) often gets blamed as being the cause of that pain. The reason for this is probably because the muscle happens to be in the same area as your back pain. This is the muscle most massage therapists will probably try to rub out for you, but it may or may not (probably not) be the cause of your pain.

If this massage doesn’t help, or the muscle “won’t release,” then the rhomboid muscle is not the cause of your pain.

A more likely cause is that the muscles where your knot is located are being overstretched or strained. They are complaining about this by causing pain. Overstretched muscles will go into spasm to keep from being stretched further and torn.

Your back muscles can get overstretched when the muscles in front of your body (your chest and neck) are short and tight. Over-stretching can also occur when you work or play a lot with your arm stretched out in front.

You can correct this by strengthening the muscles between your spine and shoulder blades. The stronger muscles won’t be so easily overstretched and so won’t go into spasm like they do now. Also, strengthen the muscles behind your neck gently so you won’t go into “forward-head” posture, which also strains your upper back muscles.

Loosen, relax and open the muscles in front of your body, too, with stretching or massage.

Another likely cause of this back pain could be the scalene muscles, which are located on each side of your neck. These muscles can harbor trigger points. Trigger points in the scalenes refer, or cause, pain into the rhomboid area.

Often a massage therapist will try to work out a pain by working where it hurts. That only works sometimes, in some situations.

You can see in the two likely causes above, that the problem can be elsewhere. The pain between your spine and shoulder blade may be caused by muscles in front of your body being short or trigger points in your neck.

The first thing I would suggest today would be to begin a strengthening program for your upper back. This will help you get rid of that nagging pain between your spine and shoulder blade.

It doesn’t matter whether you call them “knots” or muscle spasms or contractions, they hurt! And you CAN get rid of them naturally. 🙂 This is good…

Because You Deserve To Feel Better!

February 28November 7

Work Place Stress? 7 Strategies To Reduce Work Stress

Do you have stress at work?

There are physical as well as emotional stresses. Some stressors make us feel powerful, in charge and are fun, and some make us feel anxious and cause pain.

If we run on stress-fuel most of the time, we need to give our bodies a break.

1. Watch your posture. When we slouch, we can’t breathe as deeply. We don’t get as much oxygen into our brains and bodies. Slouching makes us tired and stressed. Slouching makes our backs ache.

2. Feel your “sit bones” on the chair. Center yourself so your weight is equal on both sides. You want to feel your sit bones equally. Rock slowly and gently, rolling on your sit bones from front to back, front to back. This relaxes your back and neck. Let your head move slightly forward as your round your waist backward. When you round your tummy forward (closer to your knees)let your head move over your shoulders.

3. Get more sleep. If you are not sleeping as much as your body needs, your stress level will go up. You will be more easily irritated. Arrange your evening or morning schedules so you can get 30 or 60 more minutes of sleep.

4. Grab a funny story or joke to share or to laugh privately about. Laughter makes stress hormones go down. A good laugh is like a massage from the inside out. Sharing something funny makes us feel better.

5. Pretend you are chewing gum. Keep your lips together, teeth slightly apart. Open and close your jaw without opening your lips. Your teeth should stay apart. This relaxes tense muscles around your jaw and temples.

6. Sit up and close your eyes. Roll your eyes around. With your lids closed, look up and roll your eyes in a complete circle. Roll your eyes in the opposite direction, in a complete circle. Do this several times in each direction. Eyes have muscles, and they can get tired. This relaxes the muscles around your eyes.

7. Take a “re-focus break.” Stop what you are doing and look around. Look at something at a distance. Look at something very close, perhaps your hand. Look far away again. Re-focusing helps tired eye muscles and gives us a quick mini-break.

Lots of little breaks reduce stress and actually help us be more productive, because we have less discomfort. When we take a lot of mini-breaks, we feel better and we get more done, not less.

Now you have several strategies you can use to reduce your stress at work.

Which will you use first?

In my experience, the people who are more proactive get the most benefit from a stress reduction program. Get started now!

“Because You Deserve To Feel Better!”

February 28November 7

Work Stress–7 Steps To Get Rid Of Stress At Work

Work stress can cause pain, just like all stress can.

Since we don’t like having pain, we want to eliminate as much stress as possible.

Here are seven steps to start lowering your stress level now.

1. Start reducing your stress level outside of work. When you are calmer at home,that will carry over and you will feel more calm at work. The same tools that work at home will help you feel less stressed at your job.

2. Learn how to breathe for relaxation. Practice at home in bed. At work, sit up straight and do the same deep belly breaths you practiced in bed. Count to four on the inhale, slowly, hold for four, and exhale to the count of four. Let your neck relax. Let it rock gently front to back as you breathe. Repeat several times.

3. You are very good at what you do. Remember that. Keep reminding yourself. You are good! Negative self-talk causes stress.

4. Take frequent stretch breaks. Get your arms up and back. Open up the front of your body like a cat or dog does when they stretch. This will get the blood flowing again, you will feel more energized and less stressed.

5. Lift your shoulders up and roll them back, while your arms are hanging at your sides. You can do this often at your desk. It helps release muscle tension in your neck and shoulders. Less muscle discomfort equals less stress.

6. Learn to meditate, visualize or pray. Take a few minutes every hour to recharge your mind by going to your safe place, in your mind, for a mini-break or to bask in the warmth of God’s grace. Sit up straight, close your eyes, breathe. Relax.

7. Be grateful for the day, your job, your wonderful body, your life. Gratitude knocks out negative thoughts. Negative thinking causes stress. Think, “I am grateful for…” Say, “I am so fortunate that…”

Which of these tips will you incorporate into your life today?

Will you practice breathing tonight, so you can do it tomorrow? Will you practice rolling your shoulders to reduce your stress?

Choose any three of these tips and use this stuff.

“Because You Deserve To Feel Better!”

February 28November 7

Work Stress–7 Ways To Get Rid Of Stress At Work

Work stress can cause pain, just like all stress does.

Since we don’t like having pain, we want to eliminate as much stress as possible from our work place and our life.

Here are 7 ways to begin lowering your stress level.

1. Start reducing the things that stress you outside of work. When you are calmer at home, that will carry over and you will feel more calm at work, also. The same tools that work outside of work will help you at your job.

3. Remember, you are very good at what you do. Remember that. Keep reminding yourself. You are good! Negative self-talk causes stress, so talk yourself up!

6. Learn to meditate, visualize or pray. Take a few minutes every hour to recharge your mind by going to your safe place, in your mind, for a mini-vacation or to bask in the warmth of God’s grace. Whatever makes you feel peaceful will work.

It is possible to reduce your stress. Just give yourself some practice time and see the results.

And when your stress is less, your pain will be less also.

And, that’s a good thing.

“Because You Deserve to Feel Better!”