Discussion Board

Has anyone had any experience with the Corevolution machine. I just got one and I have 30 days to decide to keep it. I probably should have checked first. But if anyone has tried it I am interested to know. I have problems with L-4 and L-5. I am hoping this will help.
Thanks,

Pete Egoscue's book, Pain Free, helped me end all of my many pain problems.

Steve--I don't know anything about the system you mentioned. Do you have a link to show us what it is?

I found out about Egoscue's Pain Free book from Burgess, who has written about it on this forum. I also found it (and find it) very effective for hip and shoulder pain, specifically, but many people have used his method for back pain. Perhaps there is some overlap between the two methods; we might be able to share some thoughts if you tell us more.

Anna:

The subject is the link. My chiropractor thought it would be safe for me, my wife and daughter. My wife and me have a slight rotation. I have problems with L-4 and L-5. The chiropractor said it would be dangerous if someone had something like Spondolosis. Not sure of the word. Best to check with the doctor before trying something like this. The last one I tried was called "True back" about a year ago. It hurt both me and my wife. The doctor told me at the time that nothing will work for everyone because the back problems vary so much. The Trueback went back quickly. It cost me more in adjustments then the price of the equipment. That is why I checked with the chiropractor first this time. I have done the exercise twice and it seems to help. I will know more later. My wife tried it and did not like it. My daughter is 5 feet tall and it seemed that she is too short. The maker says it is good for people 5' to 6'5" tall and up to 300 pounds. Sorry for not making a metric equivalent. I am about 5'9" and it works for me. My son is 5'4" and it worked for him fine. I will try my daugther again later to see if she can use it. I want it to work very badly. I need to get my back strong so I can exercise more. By the way, I believed in cold fusion when that theory was in vouge so I tend to be a little gulible. I have a 30 day period to find out if it will work. Sometimes things work out well, like the McDougall Program. I actually was first exposed to the McDougall program watching their infomercial in the early to mid 1990's. Boy that infomercial was priceless. I did not buy the infomercial but I did buy the 12-day program book which was part of the infomercial. I get all of the DVD's and books now. Hey Doc, if you are reading this, maybe it is time to try an infomercial again. Sorry for droning on Anna.
Steve

Hi, Steve--I looked at the website. I'm not knowledgeable enough to comment, pro or con, on that exercise, but I hope it helps you. It sounds like you are proceeding cautiously, so that is good.

It is true that strengthening your back will often help with pain. I had lower back pain for many years, and I was mostly a sitter. When we bought some land and I wanted to establish a garden, I had to dig lots of trenches--it was more work than I'd ever done in my life, and after a few weeks of that my back was cured! Since then I've stayed in better shape and I've never had any more trouble with my back.

I've had other hip, shoulder issues, which I've addressed with a combination of strengthening exercises and Egoscue exercise, which is based on the principle of correct alignment and correct posture as the basis for pain prevention.

--Anna

p.s. I like your statement about being 'gullible.' Well, I guess there's a fine line between being gullible and being willing to try new things! Most of us here are the experimenting type, I think, or we'd never have found Dr. McDougall! Good luck to you

have you tried Iyengar yoga? I can't emphasize enough how this type of yoga is really helpful for any type of muscular skeletal problems -- if you can find a good iyengar yoga teacher in your area, let them know exactly what your problem is and they will help you through it. it is absolutely amazing. i have avoided all kinds of surgeries due to sports injuries, herniated discs in my neck, etc because of this wonderful type of yoga.

Anna, Thank you for the kind words. I looked at the Egoscue method on line and will probably get the book Pain Free. Thank you Burgess for sharing. Jackie, thanks for the Yoga recommendation, but I have memories of trying to get into a lotus position in the 1960's or 70's. I never seemed to be flexible enough for that type of yoga. Thank you to everyone.

I would suggest reversing the process. A competent teacher will prepare the student to gradually become more flexible. The main approach of Iyengar yoga is to proceed a tiny step at a time, always making a little progress toward becoming (1) stronger, (2) more flexible, and (3) more symmetrical (which is the most important point for people who have certain kinds of pain problems, as I did).

Lotus position is very untypical of the sort of yoga poses that would treat pain or disability problems. Plank pose is a better example. Imagine a full push-up, at the "top" of the cycle. Hold that. That is plank pose. It is a great strengthener. But, of course, as always, beginners must work their way into it, over a period of weeks. Anyone looking for quick solutions won't find it in yoga. Long-term health requires long-term work, I believe, based on my experience.

Jackie, I think your suggestion is excellent for anyone willing to work hard to earn maximum health. In an earlier post, I recommended Pete Egoscue's book, Pain Free. Ironically, your suggestion supports that. Many of the exercises in Pain Free are yoga poses -- in some cases directly and in other cases as adaptations for the specific purpose of therapy. (Yoga, in my experience is not designed primarily for therapy but for prevention of posture-related pain problems, though it can be therapeutic, as you suggested, when working with a competent teacher.)

All yoga instructors are definitely not alike. I've been in classes at gyms, where everyone's doing the same thing, there are big mirrors that encourage you to compare yourself with others, and there's little or no personal attention. A teacher I just found has a private studio, there's only 6 students, no mirrors, and she constantly emphasizes that you do the stretch/pose as far as you can because that's the best for you, and that it might even change day to day. One student has back problems, so the teacher gives her alternate things to do at times.

Giving up dairy helped my back/shoulder/neck pain tremendously, but prior to that, physical therapists were the biggest help--it's amazing what good posture can do for you!

Most 'gym yoga' teachers are so far away from iyengar yoga -- i have known many people past the age of 30 to suffer injuries from 'gym yoga' --in the iyengar system, it's quite the opposite. one takes a rigorous 3 year training program and difficult exams to get a just a beginner's certificate. The senior teachers have incredible in depth knowledge and are very capable of helping to heal back, neck, knee ankle problems at the very least -- ucla now has a study to see how iyengar yoga can help people with ms since iyengar yoga teachers have had great success in minimizing symptoms in people with ms. it is truly amazing but as burgess said, the student must be willing to put in the effort and have patience - much like a student learning to play the violin -- it takes time and discipline - like mcdougalling, not for everyone -- but well worth the effort if one is up for it.

I decided to keep the machine. After about a month of rehabilitation on the Corevoluiton trainer I have been able to add back some of my old exercise routine, cautiously. I am now doing some pushups, situps, toe toushing and have been able to start adding some Nordick Track ski exercise instead of just the treadmill. The Nordick track has been a place for hanging clothes for over a year and I am happy to be using it for more than a hat rack now. All of these activities had been irritating my poor back and I felt like I was in decline.
My chiropractor told me that the area of my back that is injured is greatly reduced, and best of all the nerve is no longer being irritated and there is no more sciatica.
I did purchase the Pain Free book that Burgess recommended. I probably could have saved a lot of money if I started with the book. I am still reading the book and the exercises look relaxing I will add these once I have read enough chapters.
For those younger or older than me, I am 52, Yoga was the big craze, especially with women, when I was a teenager. Not ready for Yoga yet, but I think the Pain Free book may be a the same type of thing without the name Yoga.
Steve

Nikitasa:

Sorry about the pain. You need medical advice. Please see a medical doctor or a chiropractic doctor. Please let us know what they tell you.

Good luck,

Steve

This is probably either the Erector Spinae or Quadratus Lumborum muscle group. Given the location you described- I am leaning towards the Quadratus Lumborum. Both of these muscle groups can cause a variety of pain responses from dull and achy to sharp and burning when they are strained or torn. The best advice I can give you is to see a doctor that specializes in the area of musculo-skeletal injuries. If you don't want to go that route then rest, and ice combined with compression on the area, is how the majority of muscle pulls and tears are treated. If you try the ice- leave it on 20 minutes per hour, then 40 minutes off. Make sure to wrap the ice in a towel so you don't freeze the tissues. You can do this several times a day. This is a hard area to heal oftentimes because these muscles contract every time you move since they are core stabilization muscle groups- which is why I would seek out a specialist in this area rather than attempting to treat it yourself.

Jackie J - Yoga has already been confirmed to help the back.

http://www.pranamaya.com/kraftsow-vyt-lowback.html

Gary Kraftsow has realeased DVD's based on NIH studies on the effectiveness of treating yoga with back pain.

Ultimately I'm not sure if science will ever make great strides in proving the effectiveness of yoga. Science wants a one pill solution. Therapeutic yoga is taught for the individual. A good yoga therapist evaluates where the student is and applies techniques for the particular individual.

It's the same with McDougalling. People eat similar foods. But some eat more or less carbs, fruits, greens, grains. Depending on their own individual needs and situation.

Vic