Instant Method For Knee Pain Relief

Newport Beach Knee Pain Relief

Knee pain can be one of the most painful and humbling experiences that any runner can have. I remember the first time I experienced excruciating knee pain was right when I started learning and had just bought a new pair of custom fitted (and expensive) orthopedically correcting shoes. After that day (the first time I ran in them), I put the shoes on the shelf for about 3 years before I tried running again.

The knee pain had me completely convinced that I was not a runner and should, under no circumstances, attempt running again…but, see, I had convinced myself. 3 years later, I took up triathlon and had an incentive to learn how to run pain free. I am here to tell you the secret that I, along with many, many runners have discovered, that allows us to run pain free- even from chronic knee pain.

So, the number one problem that I found with my own running, and with the running of my running clients, is…running form. Believe it or not, there is a proper way to run efficiently, and painlessly and it has everything to do with your posture, how you are landing on your foot, whether you reach with your feet, etc. 

Consider that the shoes on your feet may, in fact, be part of the problem and a barrier to your quest to run pain free. Feet that are covered up and protected in a cushion deprive a runner of the immediate feedback (read pain) that would cause them to change to a soft mid/forefoot landing, a shorter stride, and less push off.

Now, what I have found to be successful for myself and my clients is to take the shoes off. I am not suggesting that you do all of your running without shoes, merely a small portion of it to train your body quickly. I am talking about short distances with bare feet, like half of a block to start. Try this:

Take your shoes and socks off and keep them in your hands. Run at normal speed down the block barefoot and notice how much more lightly you are stepping. Pay attention to your cadence (should be about 180 spm). When you get half way down the block, put your shoes and socks back on and run the remainder of the way around the block keeping aware to maintain your barefoot running form.

You should now be landing on the outer mid/forefoot and rolling across to the big toe which is the last to leave the ground. Heal rises directly toward the buttock and gravity takes over to swing your knee forward. You should be landing with your foot directly below your hip.

Try this drill out and let me know how it works for you. Call directly for a customized treatment plan. (949) 375-7278

 

How To Stop The Cravings And Lose Weight

How To Stop Cravings And Lose Weight

 

One of the most common questions I get from people with a desk job is: “ I’m constantly hungry throughout the day and it causes me to want to snack pretty much all day. I know the snacking is causing me to put on weight but I just can’t seem to stop. Is there anything I can do to stop the cravings?” 

In a word, “Yes.” There are actually two simple things that you can change to stop the cravings; diet and exercise.

Lets start with the diet. A very simple and straightforward way to address this problem with diet is as follows: 1) Stop or minimize your intake of simple carbohydrates and grain based processed foods such as sugar, anything with flour or grain, sweetened drinks, artificial sweeteners, sauces, salad dressings etc. 2) Eat whole food based meals. Here’s a tip, your meals should consist of some sort of protein and fat (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, raw nuts) and slow absorbing carbohydrates (vegetables- not potatoes as these are a simple carbohydrate).

Why Eat Organic?

 

How To Change Your DNA And Your Fate

Last week I wrote about the two major life patterns that I see in my practice in people with joint degeneration and how to prolong the life in your joints and improve the overall health of your body by eating foods that nourish your joints and by and realigning and repatterning your body structure with Structural Integration. This week, I am going to give you a few more specifics on the hows’ and whys’ of this strategy.

To reiterate, the number one pattern that I see in people who come into my practice associated with joint degeneration is misalignment of the body segments themselves. So, how then do the body segments become misaligned in the first place? In other words, what is the cause or origin of this misalignment and how can you then more properly align the body segments relative to one another? This is a question that I get asked all the time and it is one that requires a bit of a bigger picture view of how your bodiy respond s to the various life events that you experience.

You see, some of the deepest structural patterns are formed while in the womb- the position of the developing baby, the shape and confines of the mothers body, the patterns that she uses her body in during pregnancy, her posture, any trauma that may have occured, etc.. These all have an effect on the the structural patterns present in a newborn baby. Add to that a lifetime of patterns of use, various accidents, trauma, and the effects of gravitys’ downward pull on the body. In an attempt to fulfill the functional demands that you put on your body, your body develops structural compensations to make up for the functional challenges.

In the end you have a relatively inefficient, relatively uncomfortable human body, out of alignment, and at war with gravity. This is not the optimal situation, however, it IS a typical situation. No wonder, then that the joints wear quickly and unevenly. Luckily though, by reorganizing and realigning the body segments relative to one another, you can actually use gravity to our advantage. The result is a body that moves more efficiently, has more energy, joints wear evenly and last longer, sleep improves, amongst many other benefits. In short you look and feel about 10 years younger.

So, “what about genetics?” you may ask. Its a great question and one that needs to be addressed. Because for the last 30 or so years the idea that our “genetic fate” is predetermined and set in stone has been beaten into our head by the very scientists who now talk about epigenetics or the plasticity of the very DNA code itself. (DNA Is Not Destiny) The idea here is that the human form has greater plasticity and therefore greater potential than we once thought. Your DNA changes depending on what you eat, feel, think, and experience. Your structure does the same. In light of this discovery, then, the bottom line is that the quality of life that you choose to experience is just that -a choice.

Join me next week when I will get more into the specifics of what types of foods you can add to your diet to build, heal, and preserve your joints.

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Are Your Joints Going To Last?

Recently, I read an article in the NY Times entitled “Caring for Hips and Knees to Avoid Artificial Joints” that rankled me a little bit partly for what advice it gave but also for what it left out. Rather than go over what they said in detail, I will let you read the article for yourself and will focus on what, I believe, would serve you best in your endeavour to keep the comfortable function of your joints for a long, long, time.

While joint wear has many variables, over my years in practice, I have noticed many similarities in the life patterns of those with failing, failed, repaired, or replaced knee, hip, and vertebrae. The similarities fall into several categories of which I will address two today. Then, I will offer some useful suggestions for you to consider integrating into your daily regimen.

The number one proximal cause of joint degeneration that I see in my clients is improper alignment of the joint (knee, hip, vertebra) leading to non uniform loading of the joint and premature wear on one side of the joint. A good example of this is the knee joint. The knee joint is designed to hinge in one plane only (front to back-with slight mobility supported side to side). Generally though, knees are not well aligned. That is the lower leg is not well aligned with the upper leg. There is a twist in the joint which then leads to uneven weight and force distribution across the joint. Now this is common enough, but add to that uneven wearing, an overweight body, unbalanced muscular strength across the joint, and malnutrition caused by a deficient diet and you are in for fast uneven wear of the joint, likely inflammation, and possibly joint failure.

Prior to joint failure, there are several, fairly simple solutions to this problem: the twist in the joint can be alleviated by proper alignment of the joint, the weight can be lost through diet and movement, and the inflammation can be alleviated by the first two plus anti inflammatory herbal and nutritional supplements.

So then, what are the specifics of these individual solutions? Glad you asked.

Proper alignment of the joints can be effectively addressed by properly balancing the tensioning of the muscles that cross the joint and hold it in its alignment. This is best accomplished by going through the Basic Series of Structural Integration- a process designed to lengthen, balance, and align the body along its central axis- and with the pull of the gravitational force. Better balance and alignment mean that the force of gravitys downward pull on the body is neutralized. This is because the upward force of the earth is transmitted more efficiently relative to the vertical alignment the body structure itself. Better alignment= more even wear of the joints and less downward force means happy, long lasting joints.

Weight, nutritional deficiency, and inflammation can be addressed fairly easily with a bit of attention to dietary intake. The easiest things to remove from your diet to minimize inflammation are processed foods such as white bread, white pasta, white rice, sugar. All of these things not only challenge the digestive tract, liver, and adrenal, but they also deplete the pancreas and promote insulin resistance (a symptom of type II diabetes). Additionally, these foods promote (relative) internal acidity which the body tries to balance out by putting mineral ions into the blood. These mineral ions have to come from somewhere and the biggest stores of the mineral ions in the body are the teeth, bones, and joints.

So- if you are chronically pulling minerals from your teeth, bones and joints- you are continually weakening your teeth, bones and joints. An added bonus of limiting these foods is that as you break the insulin resistant cycle you will begin to lose weight as well. Stay tuned for next weeks article where I will give you more specifics on the how and why of nutrition and Structural Integration for joint longevity and comfort.

As always, comments and questions are appreciated and retweets are welcomed.

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Is Reflux Simply Caused By A Pulled Diaphragm?

Last week I gave you some tips on how to get a better idea of the root cause for your digestive problems. This week I am going to cover a simple test that will let you know if your over acid condition has a structural component to it. Generally these structurally caused over acidic conditions are completely overlooked for something far more serious and then medicated as such. This is actually quite a dangerous scenario as then you are medicating for a condition that doesnt exist and not treating the condition that does exist.

Some of the signs of a structurally over acid condition, or hiatal hernia, are- dizzyness, trouble concentrating, trembling and weakness, heart palpitations, and reflux. If this sounds like you then I suggest that you perform this easy partner test (which most physicians dont even know about- hence the reason why they mistake the problem for something far more serious) to narrow down your possible causes.

When I am talking about hiatal hernia, I am talking about a strain in your diaphragm. Remember the diaphragm is the strongest and most central core muscle in your body and when it isnt functioning well, you may feel like you are going to die. It can be pretty profound. This is the muscle that allows you to breathe..or not.

These signs can show up to varying degrees and up to 50% of the population over age 60 is estimated to have some form of diaphragmatic strain that traps some portion of the stomach above the diaphragm, both inhibiting the action of the stomach as well as the diaphragm but also stimulating the nerve that signals the stomach to produce acid (hence the over acid condition that drugs only temporarily treat).

The key here is to first find if this applies to you and then if it does, to correct the structural component with the same action as the test, but done often and on a regular basis. For sudden onset, often a single test will resolve the issue but for chronic situations, ongoing treatment from a professional trained in this technique is the best pathway for success.

Stay tuned for next week when I will address the absurd advice that I found masquerading as an authoritative article in the NY Times on how to best “preserve” your joints and keep from having to have joint replacement.

As always, comments and questions are appreciated and retweets are welcomed.

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Simple Solutions For Indigestion, Heartburn, Reflux, etc.

Last week I explained the logic behind the use of acid/enzymes in addressing chronic indigestion, gas, bloating, and heartburn and how the various pharmaceutical remedies often make the situation worse over time. This week, I am going to give you a few actionable self test methods to better help you pinpoint the root causes of the digestive issue(s) that you may be experiencing.

First off, I will be separating the test methods into those for folks who are currently NOT taking any prescription medication for the problem and then, for those who are. It is an important distinction to make because, generally, prescription meds have many more actions on the body than simply the intended action and so, keeping that in mind, we approach the system a bit more circumspectly than for those who are not taking meds.

With that in mind, bloating and gas are almost always the result of an over alkaline (non acidic) gastro intestinal tract and are generally resolved immediately with the addition of hydrochloric acid (stomach acid). But we must first make sure that the stomach lining has not been damaged by the chronic organic acidic conditions brought on by putrefaction of undigested food from lack of stomach acid excretions. That is we do a test called The HCL (hydrochloric acid) Sensitivity Test to essentially test for the presence of ulcers. Click HERE to get a copy of the test protocol.

If the HCL test results in any burning sensation- do NOT use a HCL supplement. You will cause further damage at this point. Use instead, a full spectrum food derived digestive enzyme with the meal. The protocol for healing the stomach lining of ulcers requires an empty stomach and a simple complex of both absorbent as well as healing phytonutrients (contact me if this applies to you for complete details).

If the HCL test results in no burning sensation then supplement with a food derived HCL and pepsin (protein digesting enzyme active in highly acidic environments that your stomach should be excreting) and pancreatin (pancreatic enzymes).

Now for those who are already on pharma drugs, start with a full spectrum whole food derived digestive enzyme (with the meal) for best results. Note if your digestion improves with the use of the enzyme. If so, then continue to use the enzyme and talk with your doctor about slowly weaning you off of the drug. If you have been on meds for a while do not go off of them cold turkey as there is some dependence developed over time. (contact me for more details on when adding acid supplementation is appropriate).

The rare case of true hyper acidosis (too much stomach acid) is often mis diagnosed and treated with drugs while the cause is generally, in fact, structural. It is always good to check whether the structural component is causing the situation because, drugs and other treatments will only provide temporary relief of the symptoms while failing to address the root cause. Thus, if you are medicated over a long period you will induce nutrient deficiencies as I described in the previous article.
Stay tuned for next week where I will reveal the often missed structural cause for having too much stomach acid AND a simple test that you can do to check if your acid challenge is structural in origin.

As always, comments and questions are appreciated and retweets are welcomed.

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Indigestion, Gas, Bloating, Reflux, or Heartburn?

Most people with indigestion, gas, bloating, heartburn, and reflux suffer from too little stomach acid, not too much. The burning in your esophagus is from acid- organic acids from the putrification of undigested food that has not moved from your stomach. The lack of stomach acid and enzymes in the presence of food means that you are unable to digest your food and instead it sits in your stomach, emitting gaseous organic acids-the byproduct of putrification. Of course, you burp to relieve the excess pressure and viola! You have heart burn.
Now the medical advice on this one has been to take antacids or better yet, expensive pharmaceuticals like Histamine-2 blockers (Zantac, Pepcid, Tagamet and Axid) or Proton Pump inhibitors (Nexium, Aciphex, Prevacid, Prilosec, Protonix) to either neutralize the acid or as in the case of the pharma drugs, stop the acid production altogether. Because for most the issue is not making enough acid, using the above remedies will cause a more major problem of malnutrition over the long term without addressing the root cause.
Think about it this way- if you take away your body’s ability to properly break down food then how are you going to absorb the nutrients properly? Not only that but you will now be sending food downstream for processing steps that it has not been prepared for. This is not rocket science. If you have a part of your body that has a specialized task that it performs, the task is performed best when the material that it processes arrives in the expected condition. If not, it cant be properly processed. This has a cascade effect in the digestive system which is made up of roughly 7 highly specialized regions each requiring food to be in a particular state prior to processing and absorbing.
The best way to address the issue of heartburn, etc. then, is to look at the root cause of heartburn, reflux, bloating, and gas which generally falls into one or more of three general categories:

1) Poor diet, poor food combining, overeating, and a high refined carbohydrate-sugar intake.
2) Poor or inadequate digestive enzyme function in the stomach, pancreas, and small intestine.
3) Perscription drugs that contribute to reflux problems.

For numbers one and two dietary changes and acid/enzyme supplementation usually do the trick. Number three can be readily solved by working with your MD to get off the offending medication. In most cases, it really comes down to whether or not you are ready to make minor lifestyle changes to avoid serious long term problems.
Stay tuned for next weeks article where I will discuss more specifically, what you can do to address this issue.

As always, let me know your comments and needs surrounding this posting.

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