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Oftentimes, my patients start to feel better and then try to do all the things they haven’t been able to do. As a result, they end up overdoing their activities and fall backwards in their progress.
I see this pattern over and over. Even when I try to warn patients that the most dangerous time to increase activities is when they start to feel better, they ignore my warning and go beyond what is a safe limit for them, risking an increase in pain. They can’t help themselves and still try to make up for lost time and do the things they haven’t been able to do in a long time. I tell them that it is a simple human reaction and they are not the only ones to violate their safe limits. The strategy to avoid this backward slide is to pace yourself. Break up the tasks into smaller, doable units and intersperse rest periods in between. I often use the example that even though you might have a car with 6 cylinders, your car is only running on 4 cylinders. So, if you floor the gas pedal to go as fast as you can, your car will break under the strain. So, simply go at a 50-60% capacity then take a rest. Then go for another 50-60% unit of work, with rest periods in between until you reach the end of the task. Like the story of the tortoise and the hare, slow and steady wins the race. You start where you are, not where you used to be. Listen to your body and respect your limits. Enjoy the fact that you are getting better and are going in the right direction. It may help to think that you have an opportunity to develop new skills. Savor this time to take your time to rest and heal and develop patience, putting your attention on new sensations, reflecting on a new approach to living. Learn how to listen for cues from your body that tell you it’s time to take a break. Instead of waiting for the pain signals to stop you, look for more subtle signs, for example - it’s taking more effort than usual, or you are starting to feel some fatigue. Your body will be less likely to rebel and give you pain that lasts much longer than you would like. Coaches have often said, “no pain, no gain.” I think that approach is 2 steps forward and 1 step backward. The body communicates to you that pain means damage is occurring to the cells. Rather, I believe you can take 1 step forward and 1 step forward and so on, without having to experience pain. Try it and see if you don’t get more done in a much more pleasant way.
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Not long ago I was looking at the very dry, and mostly dead, plants in my balcony planters. I made a decision to go out and buy new plants to spruce up the balcony. I ended up throwing most of the dead looking plants away and kept a few of the sad but possible renewable plants. I also made a promise to water the plants regularly and stuck to my promise.
To my surprise, the old, almost dead plants started to sprout new leaves and even flowers! What a miracle, I thought. I kept up my daily schedule of watering and now the balcony is alive with color! Then, I decided to pot some of my pothos plants from water to dirt. To my surprise again, I started to see new leaves sprout from the branches. Could it be that plants not only need water, but nutrients from soil? I also recently applied some fertilizer to my lemon tree and again to my surprise, tons of new lemons popped out of the branches. It looks like I will have a bumper crop this year. There are so many lessons that can be learned from watching nature. After all, our bodies are 70-80% water. There is even a book written by a doctor, who was a political prisoner, called “You’re not sick, you’re thirsty”. He says how he treated many of the other prisoners for many different conditions just by giving them water. Amazing! I learned from the president of the Hydration Foundation that desert dwellers got most of their water from food. Apparently, eating your water is more efficient than drinking your water since you are taking in structured water, which is more easily assimilated into the body. I also found out that in Iran, the phrase for consuming water is “eating water”, not “drinking water.” How about that? My qigong teacher always encouraged us to drink warm or at least room temperature water. He said that Americans drink too many iced drinks that deplete us of energy. Recently, I saw a video of someone showing with a volt meter how room temperature water produces a small current of electricity. When he used body temperature water, it produced a lot more energy. So, I guess my qigong teacher was right. Our connective tissue, particularly the fascia, connects all the cells in our bodies, and when it is functioning like it should, it looks like delicate spiderweb material that glistens with water. Some scientists feel that this weblike structure is a communication network that works faster than our nervous system. So much to learn about water. But just think, our bodies are mostly water. Our planet is mostly water. Maybe we should embrace the idea that we need water on a daily basis. I have been reading many articles about microplastics in our food supplies, in the air, in the ocean and in our bodies. It is estimated that we have about a credit card size amount of microplastics in our bodies. An article by Wendy Meyers, ND, stated that the brain tissue has 10-20 times more microplastics than any other organ in the body. One study has found that in Alzheimer's brains there is 10 times more microplastics than in normal brains.
I am always more interested in how we can remedy the situation. A recent talk by Dr. Dale Bredesen from UCLA that I listened to states that cognitive decline can be reduced; a very different story from a few years ago, when he said that dementia rates were increasing so fast that it would bankrupt our economy. Very good news! Here are some tips to decrease those microplastics in our bodies and brains:
Unfortunately, we live in a very polluted world and have to do our best to keep our environment as clean and healthy as we can. We can start by using less chemicals, planting more trees and plants to help detoxify the air and create more oxygen. We can do our best to reduce the trash and waste in our homes and work. We can teach others to take care of our environment and our own bodies. Take the time to learn more of how we can be more responsible in making this the best planet to live on and to be the best versions of ourselves. Everyone seems to lack energy. Some people get more energy from certain foods, or movements. Others get energized by music, or deep breathing.
Asian cultures call energy "chi" which describes the life force. Movement characterizes "life." Many sources of energy exist all around us and we need many forms of it to live. For example, air brings energy. Food can be ingested and converted to usable fuel, or energy. Sunlight has certain energy qualities necessary for life. Magnetic energy is also essential for life. People and other living things give off energy that is absorbed by other living things. Both biochemical and electromagnetic processes occur in the body. Electrical impulses travel down the entire length of a nerve, but when they get to the end, the continued transmission is done with chemical transmitters. Typically, Western medicine uses biochemical agents to fix problems in the body. Movement is created by chemical reactions. With Chinese medicine, homeopathy and some forms of osteopathy, the approach is more electromagnetic. With these electromagnetic approaches, movement is created by electrical or magnetic flows. The nerves in your body transmit messages through electrical impulses. When electrical impulses move along a nerve, a magnetic field is produced in the body similar to an electrical current passing through a wire, producing a magnetic field from the flow or movement of electrical particles in that wire. Acupuncture is based on the belief that hidden pathways within our bodies flow with natural energy. It is assumed the energy flows are blocked, slowed, imbalanced or too strong, thus causing problems such as pain, stiffness, weakness, or disease. Tiny sterile needles are inserted gently into specific points on the body corresponding to these pathways, changing the internal energy flow. The acupuncture treatment stimulates or unblocks the energy flow to allow natural healing to begin. The nervous system is the first system to develop in an embryo. It is thought that electrical impulses direct the cells in an embryo to develop into specialized body parts such as internal organs, skin, or muscle. As such, it stands to reason that perhaps electrical impulses can also affect changes in body parts in a fully developed body. Many people, including some doctors think this is how positive thinking can change disease processes in the body. Thought patterns may be very important in physiological conditions. For more information this topic, many books are available such as Spontaneous Healing, by Andrew Weil, MD and Vibrational Medicine; The Secret Life of Your Cells, by Richard Stone.  Image Provided by Amy Minori April Health & Wellness Lecture on Essential OilsPlease join us at Yonemoto Physical Therapy for a night to learn more about how you can use essential oils in your everyday lifestyle. Learn how certain oils can help you get a better night's rest, help rid your body of aches, get better circulation, breathe easier and learn all the other added benefits of essential oils. Presented by Sheila Yonemoto, PT.
Location: Yonemoto Physical Therapy 55 S. Raymond Ave, Suite 100 Alhambra, CA 91801 Time: 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM Date: April 15, 2020 (Wednesday) Price: FREE Please use side entrance across from the restrooms on the ground floor. Parking is available on the street or in the lot for the medical building. Upcoming Lectures: Every other Wednesday there will be a CBD Oil lecture available for those who wish to know more about CBD oil and how it can help you. Lectures are by appointment only, please call (626) 576-0591 for more info. Lectures will be given at YPT and presented by Sheila Yonemoto, PT |
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55 S. Raymond Ave. Suite 100
Alhambra, CA 91801 Main Phone: (626) 576-0591 Alternate Phone: (626) 538-3966 Fax: (626) 576-5890 Email: [email protected] |
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