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Fitness Expert and Rehabilitation Specialist Reveals the Secrets to
Eliminating Those Aches and Pains Forever!
By
Jesse Cannone CFT, CPRS, SPN
Do you suffer from
various aches and pains? Do
you find yourself avoiding certain activities?
Do you have trouble performing your daily activities?
Have you been suffering for months or years from a problem that
just won’t go away? Wouldn’t
you like to eliminate those aches and pains?
I’m assuming you answered YES to at least one of those questions.
My name is Jesse Cannone, I’m a Certified Personal Fitness
Trainer and Certified Pre-Post Rehabilitation Specialist, and I am here
to tell you that YOU CAN eliminate those aches and pains!
Many people suffer unnecessarily from various aches and pains.
4 out of 5 people suffer
from low back pain, that’s 80%!
Often times, people assume they have to live with this, and
it’s all part of life or growing old.
Absolutely not true! Unfortunately,
many people are misinformed and do not understand the basics of how
their bodies work. I meet
people every week who have aches, pains, or conditions that can be
corrected in a matter of weeks with just a basic stretch!
The medical community doesn’t help when it comes to the misinformation
and lack of education among patients.
I frequently meet people who have been diagnosed with conditions
that they don’t even have! Many
patients with back pain are wrongly diagnosed as having spinal
arthritis, degenerating discs, or bulging discs when the cause of their
problem is actually due to muscle imbalances.
Nearly all of the aches and pains people experience are due to
muscle imbalances!
What is a muscle imbalance?
A muscle imbalance is when two or more muscles that oppose each other
are not equal. A common
example of this is the difference in the amount of pull of the
quadriceps muscles (front of thigh) and the hamstring muscles (back of
thigh). Another good example
of this is the difference in pull between the low back muscles and the
abdomen. That’s why so
many people recommend strengthening your abs if you suffer from back
pain. In some cases it may
help, however, there is a lot more to it then just strengthening your
abs.
In order to eliminate those aches and pains you must first have a basic
understanding of how muscles work. Muscles
connect to bones at both ends of the muscle.
For movement to occur, the muscles must contract (shorten), which
pulls on one end of the muscle, which is attached to a bone.
Let’s use sitting in a chair and straightening your leg as an
example. The quadriceps
muscles attach at the upper part of your thigh and just below the knee.
When you contract the quadriceps muscles, the muscles shorten and
pull on your lower leg bringing it up to the straight position.
Think of your body as
a marionette and your muscles are the strings.
If one of the strings pulls more than the other, things won’t
be even. Everyday life sets
us up for numerous muscle imbalances.
There are muscles that get
over worked and too tight, and there are muscles that get neglected and
aren’t strong enough. An
example of this would be, how sitting for long periods of time tightens
the hip flexor muscles and the hamstring muscles because they are in a
shortened position while sitting.
How much time do you spend sitting each
day?
Most people spend at least a few hours each day. Poor positioning
and overuse are the 2 main causes of muscle imbalances.
Whenever a muscle is held in a position other than normal for
long periods, it adjusts in length accordingly. The example mentioned
before about sitting is an example of poor positioning.
An example of overuse would be how the underside of your forearm
(flexors) is usually too strong and tight, while the topside of your
forearm (extensors) is too weak. That
is the number one cause of wrist problems, such as Carpel Tunnel
Syndrome.
Muscle imbalances can
exist in every part of your body. Low
back pain, shoulder impingement (rotator cuff), tennis elbow, and
runners knee, are just a few of the common conditions that are caused by
muscle imbalances.
Basic exercises and
stretches can eliminate most aches, pains, and conditions people
experience!
Without muscles your body would
crumble to the floor! Muscles
hold your body together and allow for movement.
They play a very big
role in your overall health! Unfortunately,
most medical professionals zoom
in on your problem, which is often just a symptom, rather than assessing
the body as a whole. Remember,
the human body functions as a whole and therefore, it should be assessed
as a whole.
Many medical
professionals do not educate their patients as to how muscle imbalances
affect their problem or condition!
It is
extremely important that you understand how your body works and also
that there is a big difference between a symptom and a cause.
Often times the cause of a problem is in another area of the
body!
So
how do you figure out which muscles are out of balance?
In order
to determine which muscles are out of balance you must first know what
is normal for that muscle and then compare it to the same muscle on the
other side. For example,
compare the tightness of the right hamstring to the left.
Unfortunately, there are many factors to consider when assessing
for muscle imbalances. I
highly recommend you get the help of a qualified professional who
specializes in assessing and treating muscle imbalances.
When looking for the right professional you should ask them
numerous questions such as: What is their background and education?
How do they treat muscle imbalances?
Are they licensed, insured, and qualified?
I would also recommend that while talking with this person you
listen to hear if they mention the things I’ve just taught you.
If they don’t, then they are not going to be a wise choice
How
do I correct a muscle imbalance?
The
most effective method for treating a muscle imbalance is to attempt to
bring the muscles closer to balance with a combination approach.
The muscles, which are too tight, or pulling too much, should be
stretched daily. And the
muscles that are too weak, or not pulling enough should be strengthened
with progressive strength training 2-3 times per week.
Massage and manual physical therapy
are also very effective when used in conjunction with the right
exercises and stretches. It
is very important that you are performing the exercises and stretches
that are best suited to you and your situation.
Don’t just think that going to your gym and starting a general
exercise routine will take care of things – it won’t!
It is very likely that a lot of the exercises you do will worsen
your condition. However, you
shouldn’t avoid activity all together.
That will only allow muscles to weaken which will worsen the
condition when you do try to use the muscles again.
The
ONLY long-term solution for eliminating those aches and pains is to
learn about where you have muscle imbalances and work on correcting them
with the RIGHT exercises and stretches!
Listed below are 5 strategies,
which, if implemented correctly, will guarantee your success in
eliminating those aches and pains…forever!
1.
Learn
how your muscles work.
When you understand how something works you are much more likely
to figure out how to fix it.
2.
Get
the help of a qualified professional!
I can’t stress this enough.
It is very important that you learn what the cause is.
A qualified professional can help you learn what’s causing the
problem and teach you how to treat it!
A physical evaluation consisting of tests to determine strength,
flexibility, and balance should be done to determine which muscles are
out of balance.
3.
Perform some form of progressive
strength training!
This
doesn’t mean you have to join a gym, or follow some bodybuilding
workout program. You MUST
strengthen the weak muscles and the fastest, safest, and most productive
way to do that is with strength training.
You can use free weights, rubber exercise bands, your body
weight, soup cans, or anything else.
All you need is resistance.
4.
Spend five minutes every day
stretching!
In
order to correct or improve the condition of a muscle imbalance you MUST
lengthen the tight muscles, or get them to release a little.
5.
Drink water!
A well hydrated body
functions better in every way; you’re less likely to have muscle
cramps, your body recovers quicker, your immune system is stronger, and
muscles and joints function better.
There you have it.
5 strategies you can implement to easily and quickly work on
eliminating those aches and pains!
You now know what needs to be
done if you plan to rid yourself of those nagging aches and pains.
I strongly urge you to implement these 5 strategies.
I know some of you probably think that you’ll never get rid of
your problems and that these simple strategies can’t make that much of
a difference. Some of you
probably also feel like you have tried everything already.
Have you tried
chiropractic treatment, physical therapy, massage, acupuncture, or seen
an orthopedic specialist?
If you have, how did they treat
your condition? How well did
their treatment work? Do you
still suffer from that same condition?
How many months or years have gone by?
Aren’t
You Ready To Eliminate Those Aches And Pains And Start Feeling Great
Again?
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