I have been reading other threads on neck, back and shoulder pain and I wanted to pass along an amazing book that was recommended to me last fall. It changed my life.
I work out regularly and am in good shape. Still, I have had shoulder and neck pain for years. Last year, my hip started aching and I did the usual chiropractic visits. Though my chiropractor is amazing - he treats many professional athletes - the pain persisted. I went to physical therapy, again nothing. Gravity inversion table - little help.
The pain started going to my lower back and I had an MRI that showed L4/L5 impingement. I had 2 cortisone shots. They helped briefly.
The pain worsened to the point where I could barely sleep and when when I could, I had to be in the fetal position. Believe me when I tell you the pain just about drove me insane. I prayed to God that if I could get through this, I would never look at life the same again.
About this time, a friend of my wife's recommended a book, "Pain Free" by Pete Egoscue. She said that before having surgery make sure to buy this book and do the exercises.
I was beyond desperate. I bought the book and it changed my life. For real.
My wife ordered the book off Amazon and I opened it on Sunday. By Weds, my pain was 50% better. 2 weeks later, more improvement. That was 3 months ago. I sit here today "Pain Free." My neck and shoulder pain have improved dramatically to the point where they rarely bother me.
Jack Nicholas - he of the famously sore back - has written that he has been all over the world and seen the best back specialists. Nothing he writes, has ever helped his back as much as the Egoscue Method. I believe him.
The exercises are simple and I won't go into them here. Buy the book. Before you have surgery, buy the book. Do the exercises.
It will be the best $11 dollars you ever spent.
JPW
I was trying to look it up and find that there were 2 books but they had a diff. titles and was wondering if the title actually reads Egoscue Method?
David
Sounds like it's definately worth a try.......
I've done the family doctor thing when my back pain first started.Tried the chiropractor,3 times a week.......I'd feel alright for a few hours.Then a back specialist,2 cortisone shots and 3 nerve blocks later I now take quite a bit of pain medicine for any relief for any amount of time.
I have 2 deteriated disks,C5 and C6,with a bone spur to boot.$11 is definately worth a try.....been putting off surgery since 2000.
Thanks for the recommedation.
Sounds like it is worth a good hard look, thanks for the heads up.
I just got my sister to order the book for me in Sydney - when I get back from New Zealand am going to read it. I am having hip problems after a fall at work about three months ago - a lot of pain and woeful prognosis from the ortho surgeon.
thanks - Sutto
Thanks for the info,my wife needs help.
I fell out of a tree and broke my back which healed badly out of alignment, age and earlier injuries bulged my L5 S1 disc to the point I couldn't walk to the mailbox. I tried the various chiropractic treatments, even the DRX machine that stretches you several times a week over several months. I came to the conclusion that recovery was up to me and I compiled a list of stretching and exercises to target my problem area. 6 months of my regime and I was pain free. 3 days a week I do my routine, 3 days a week I go to the gym for light weight lifting and machines targeting my stomach and lower back.
I can still turn the wrong way and have my leg go numb but this is rare and has no associated pain.
Bottom line, couch potatoes suffer endlessly, people with a committed recovery program get much better.
"Bottom line, couch potatoes suffer endlessly, people with a committed recovery program get much better."
Excellent quote Eric, a gold nugget for sure!
I also highly recommend Egoscue's books. Too many injuries, too much time at a computer, and too much stress had messed me up. That book and some others (e.g., Verstegen's "Core Performance Essentials") and doing the exercises religiously made a huge difference.
Hey!...Don't screw around like I did! You are not a doctor!I had surgery on C4/C5 about 5 years ago. Man am I glad for modern medicine! I put off surgery also, for 7 years...trying everything, including all the injections, books and chiropractors to try to get better and get by with the day to day pain. Well, I waited too long, the nerve damage got worse at an accelarted rate, pain was unbearable, I lost about 90% use of my left arm. One week after killing a buck, I went out out hunt again and discovdered I could not keep my bow arm from collapsing while drawing my bow, I tried a 20lb kids bow and could not hold it no matter how hard I tried. That night I could not even brush my teeth, My arm was useless! The next day my arm was just kind of hanging there usless but with burning pain all over it. I got the surgery, it took longer than expected to heal,It sucked, by I was so glad I did it. my arm will never be 100% but is is much better. have a bout 85% strength back and 95% of control. I still have cramps and tremors in the muscles. Sometimes my arm flies across the table and spills my drink for no reason but that is getting rare. I do get a cramp in my bicep everytime I wash my hair. Pulling a bow with my left arm (I'm right handed) will give me a cramp in my bicep so bad I have to lay down and scream. (So I don't do that!)
I can tell you that nerve damage is scary. Don't screw around, take adavantage of modern medicine. I'm pretty sure ruptured discs don't heal by reading a book.
So if I can't set a good example...I am a dire warning!
Whew just typing this much makes my forearm burn and neck pain come back. Don't wait!
Tedd
that sounds like something i need to look into. In 2004 my bro and i were in a terrible car wreck-really dont know how we walked away from it-and the seatbelts tore our shoulders out of socket tearing muscle away from bone. We went through 6mo of therapy 2 shoulder surgeries and more therapy to bat...we were not able to hunt, work out, or anything for a lil over 2 years. As luck would have it, on May 29th i was working for a contractor when i fell through a roof over 20 feet damaging my lower back, and severly damaged right eye by catching a nail on the way down. Although i have regained most of my vision, my back is killing me. im too young to feel this damn old, at 21 i shouldnt have these kinds of problems.
Thanks for the heads up about the book
Pintail
wow, talk about good timing, i was getting ready to set up my shoulder surgery when I spotted this. had troubles for a while and had chiropractic and massage therapies that gave some temporary relief. orthopedic doc told me surgery was only alternative and i had reached the point of taking him up on it---pain, numbness, weakness--you name it
I'll be ordering this one in a minute
FWIW- Jack Nicklaus, the golfer- if he's whom your referring to, is also a BIGTIME bowhunter along with his son the caddie.
I think he'd be a great referral eh?
I too need to find the book.
http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0553379887/ref=s9_asin_title_1-serq_g1/103-1088698-9406208?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=18A05CS9F3ECQ45ZKMPW&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=2782 40301&pf_rd_i=507846 (http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0553379887/ref=s9_asin_title_1-serq_g1/103-1088698-9406208?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=18A05CS9F3ECQ45ZKMPW&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=278240301&pf_rd_i=507846)
Thanks, Tedd,
Sounds like one needs to have a full work up, ask a lot of questions and then make informed choices.
I would agree MANY of us would benefit tremendously from a specific regimen of exercises. I have to do mine daily due to arthritis trying to freeze my spine into a bamboo stick, but then there are things that require...REQUIRE surgery to fix.
Doc's wasted 1/2 year on a torn rotator w/ PT and it REQUIRED surgery to fix. But it takes exercise to ward off the advance of arthritis.
As ole Clint once said, "Man gotta know his limits..." There is a place for surgery and for exercise and... knowledge to know the difference.
By all means, you should see your doctor when you have back pain. I did and while the treatments were not very effective, I did know what was going on.
Be aware though that many doctors will go right to the surgery route - especially it seems, the orthopedic surgeons. Egoscue believes that with proper spinal alignment and muscle balance, the body can and will heal itself. It is hard to argue with the results.
Dale - you are correct, it is Jack Nicholas the golfer and bowhunter who is quoted in the Egoscue books.
I have been recommending this book to my friends for a while now and I am starting to hear back from them - to a person, they all are amazed at the results.
To those who pick up the book and apply it, post your results so we can compare notes.
Good luck all -
JPW
Hey Tatonka
Let me tell you my story. As I said earlier I had a woeful prognosis from the ortho surgeon in Sydney - regarding a fall I had at work several months ago. I had to finish work because the pain at night was excruciating.
The doc wanted to do a surgery procedure to scrape out my hip. He said I would prob need a hip replacement within ten yrs. Wow that totally freaked me - that is supposed to be for really old people.
However the constant pain in my hip was telling me that perhaps he was correct.
The short of the long is that I started doing the exercises from the book religiously about two weeks ago. I have had my first week back at work with no hassles.
You have no idea how relieved and gratefull I am - God is good. I had given up teaching and have returned to my trade. I am working in a gold mining town in Western Australia to capitalize on Australia's mining boom.
Lots of money here to be made and opportunities. It looked as if all my future plans had ground to a halt with the injury and the doctor did not give me a lot of hope returning back to work.
You are a legend Tatonka and have no idea how eternally grateful to you I will be - just that one little book and a few stretches and exercises made all the differnce hah!!.
Sutto
I have also bought the book recently and started the excercises. Unbelievable....my problem lower back from an injury 15 years ago is not a problem anymore, and I've been a firm believer in routine chiropractic care. I also urge anyone with back, knee, shoulder, ankle, neck, hand, wrist, or elbow pain to get the book and follow the steps to be pain free. This is awesome stuff.
I am still spinning at the base - this time a fortnight ago I was limping around like a cripple in stacks of pain - today I even forgot to 'take it easy' and went for a quick sprint - unbelievable!
Sutto
I just finally looked at this thread. I will definately look into this book. Years of working constuction, car accident,football in highschool.I have more aches and pains then I have hair on my head.As a matter of fact I usually work out but after spending three hours on my roof last Sunday cleaning out my gutters,my lower back has been killing me. For the few dollars for the book I will definately purchase it. Thanks Folks.
I just heard about this book from friend...it will help almost anyone with pain, all I know is it works , and the people that suggested it to me , cant say enough about it. Great topic...good luck my archery buds! :)
Sutto - It is great to hear stories like yours! I am hearing more and more like it from the people I have recommended the book to. I agree, it is truly amazing!
Good luck and remember to keep doing the exercises!
JPW
TTT for Steve
I already had major lower back surgery back in the early 90's. My surgeon told me back then it may take another operation and he was right.
I've been suffering from lower back pain ever since..just not nearly as debilitating as before the operation.
I've had two open heart operations and they were easier to get over than the back, so have never had the second back operation just deal with the pain.
I am definitely going to order the book.
Just ordered a copy !
I will order a copy. I just had a CT scan and a milogram. I havent been back to the doctor to see the results. I know from my last MRI that C2 thru C6 is ruptured. I live in pain daily and have to take pain meds to get thru the day. Let me say PAIN MEDS is not the answer.
I just had surgery , L4. L5 rupture , enlarged vertebrae pressing against the nerve bundle. This is the worst injury and pain I have ever had and I'm in my 5th week of recovery.
Slow go but I think I'll be fine. I had no choice but to have surgery, they had to haul me off in an ambulance, in the hospital 5 days and all I was doing was shoveling dirt. I had no prior warning with any back pain.
Need to check this book out for sure.
Thanks for the heads up
Thanks Totanka!
I have been having recurring pain in neck/ shoulder area (induced by long road trips and sleeping wrong and shooting the bow. I may sound crazy but, quitting smoking has drastically helped correct my posture/ pain in that area.) and some issues in lower back from time to time (sometimes , if I lay on a flat surface and try to sit straight up, it feels like my back is going to dislocate. I freeze up in pain. carefully lay back down until I feel like I can move again, then I have to gently roll over on my side and push myself up with my arms). I'll be buying this book. If not for a little preventative maintenance.
I ordered the book this morning...but just as a side note. I try to shoot my recurve every day and most days twice a day and on occassions three times a day...about 50 to 100 shots per session.
Shooting gives me really bad pain in upper spine and neck (no pain while shooting only afterwards when I kinda stove up). Right below my left ear and down my neck especially. Can't turn my head to the left without serious pain. Hard time sleeping and pain when I wake up in the mornings. This has been going on for two yrs...I got other serious problems and just deal with it. I know it's caused by shooting because when I stopped for a wk the pain went away.
However..for the last two wks. I have made a point to do overhead, arms extending and spread wide, stretching exercises before shooting.
I use a walking stick and grip it as far apart with my hands as they will go. Then reach up as high as I can and rotate the walking stick all the way backwards and down and forwards and down while stretching my head and neck as far forwards and backwards as I can and rotate around in a circle. All this is done with emphasis on stretching everything out as far as I can.
I have to start out real slow and easy at first because all my joints and muscles hurt, snap and pop. Then they kinda smooth out and pain stops. I do 10 or 15 rotations, go out and shoot.
I can shoot my bow now and am almost 100% pain free. At first I didn't think it was going to do any good...it took a while for me to even notice it was (about 2wks), but it's working for me and I feel pretty sure that book should help with my lower back.
Thanks Tatonka777
I am sure being a couch potato takes it's toll on an older body and the right exercise program will be a great help. I went to a chiropractor with a ruptured disc and almost got myself paralized in the process. I had emergency back surgercy and after 3 days I ran out of the hospital. That was 25 years ago and I am careful with my back but have been almost pain free since.
Just ordered it for the wife, then realized that it would probably benefit me, too, since I started having a few back and shoulder issues a few years ago. Thanks for the info, Tatonka!
-rich
Just placed an order. I figured what the heck.
I have a deteriorated disc between L5-S1. There are days it doesn't bother me and days that life is TOUGH. I hope this helps.
I'm right in the middle of that pain you were talking about, suffering badly. Worst time of my life.
Thanks, I'll be getting the book ASAP.
This is an interesting thread.
I did some research on the net and feel I have nothing to lose.
Ive had so many problems with my neck and back and now just had a total hip replacement at 55 years old. I was bone to bone with no cartiledge left. So Im pretty sure stretching couldnt have helped that. But a pretty active life of sports and being a large city firefighter for 26 years took its toll on my body and have lived a long time with a lot of pain. So I am open to try things for relief before committing to more surgeries.
Had L5 trimmed up several years ago. With each passing year it gives me more trouble. Just placed an order...got nothing to lose. Thanks.
I have the book. It helped my back pain immensley a few years ago. Recently i pulled a groin muscle and did not realize i was putting pressure on the heealing process by my body being 'out'. After rereading the book and two weeks of excercises i am again almost pain free.
Great book and info...a lifesaver.
Glad to hear the book is helping out. FYI - you can also see many of the exercises on YouTube by searching on Egoscue.
One trick I do know to prevent soreness and pain after shooting is to draw your bow 7-10 times with your opposite arm. This gives you like 90% of the muscle benefit of shooting and helps keep your neck and shoulders balanced so they don't pull your neck out of alignment.
Glad the program worked for you I know all to well dealing with chronic pain. When they never could find the problem it was very depresing. I would have to tell myself there are people worse of and they get up each morning with a smile. But it does wear on you. I was lucky and finally got a doctor who listened. It ended up he found I had a partialy torn bicep tendon that had happened 3 years before in a horse shoeing deal. They fixed it and I have about 4 more weeks of PT. I feel better now than I have in a long time.
Thanks for the info, Tatonka!
I had severe back problems My self a few years back Got those exercises by getting excerpts from the book mentioned and it helped me almost 100% Have been great since then
BUT CHECK with your Doctor first before anything else so you don't agrivate something that WILL NOT be helped buy this method
Last: Started YOGA about 8 months ago it has helped MORE than the book and I found that most of his exercises are based on yoga practice BUT like anything else Make sure you have a good instructor and that he/she knows of your problems and limitations
Thanks, Tatonka!! I just ordered it. Been dealing with a bulged disk between L4/L5 for 20+ years, and it just keeps getting worse. Percocet has become a friend, though it's a love/hate relationship. I don't like the stuff, but it helps. I've developed knee pain in the last couple of years, too. PT helps, but I still can't pound the pavement like I used to (4.5 mile brisk walk with a pack on).
I hope it gets here soon. Got a date with caribou this Fall.
Jerry
I will give it a try too. Thanks.