Egoscue Method to relieve pain.

I like to be active but sometimes gravity and my body don’t get along too well.  Snowboarding?  Great fun when all is going well but there’s almost an infinite number of ways to fall and I have found most of them.  Exercise?  Weightlifting? Running?  Well, these activities don’t cause me to fall but eventually each in its own way has been able to tweak various muscles and tendons.

So what to do?  I’ve been to chiropractors, medical doctors, physical therapists, massage therapists and various witch doctors.  Attempts at treatment have included  x-rays, MRIs, ultrasounds, rest, ice, heat, epsom salts, aspirin, and various other anti-inflammatory drugs.  And all of these have had some benefit or at least they haven’t made things worse.

But the one source of therapy that I’ve found to be the most effective is a book entitled Pain Free:  A Revolutionary Method For Stopping Chronic Pain, by Pete Egoscue, an anatomical physiologist since 1978.  He was injured serving as a U.S. Marine in Vietnam and, while going through his own rehabilitation, he gradually moved into the profession of helping others alleviate their own pain.  Egoscue now operates 25 clinics, including the main clinic in San Diego, California.  Probably his most famous client has been Jack Nicklaus, who heartily endorses the Egoscue Method.

The book, Pain Free, has 13 chapters.  The first three chapters explain Egoscue’s philosophy regarding the human body and how to keep it healthy and pain free.  Most of the remainder of the book has a separate chapter for each part of the body such as feet, ankles, knees, hips, back, etc.  Each of those specific chapters has an explanation of the cause of common injuries along with a recipe of stretch and strengthening exercises to address the pain in those specific body parts.  The last two chapters have exercises geared towards specific sports along with a more general exercise program to help people remain pain free in everyday life.  If the idea of “exercise” sounds a little unpleasant, don’t worry because very little of the program is even remotely strenuous.  Often the exercises use gravity to help realign the body.

I’ve never felt the need to visit one of the clinics, which can be rather expensive.  But I have received a great deal of benefit just by following the exercises in the book.  The first time I used the book was after having a nagging knee injury that caused me to limp for over a month.  Before getting the book, I had been to a doctor, had an x-ray, and prescribed various medications.  I had rested, stretched, used ice and tried everything but nothing worked.   One day I happened to be in a book store, saw the book Pain Free, and took it home.  After reviewing it, I flipped to the chapter on knee pain and did the recommended exercises.  The next day my knee had significantly improved, the limp was gone, and all that remained was slight residual pain. The following day all the pain was gone and all that was left was a slightly weakened leg from limping.  Then it was back to a normal workout routine as if nothing had happened.

Obviously this is only my own anecdotal bit of evidence to support the Egoscue Method.  But other  injuries to my lower back, ankles, wrists, and shoulders have been eliminated by following the book’s advice.  So if you have pain or an injury from athletics or just everyday life, then consider getting the book.  I believe there’s an excellent chance you’ll be pleased with the results.

Also, as a side note . . . Amazon had over 200 reviews for the book with a rating of 4.5+ stars.  Not a scientific survey but it looks like I’m not the only one that benefited from the book.