Relief for Repetitive Stress Pain

I have a book for you that is excellent for self-care of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and other repetitive strain injuries. It is the book I've recommended the most to clients. Written by Sharon Butler, a fellow Hellerworker, after going through her own injuries. It's easy to use, full of excellent diagrams and descriptions of various stretches. My favorite is the "if it hurts here, do these stretches" part of the book. Sharon also describes the most effective way to do the stretches, which is very different than what most people think of as stretching.

Book: Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Other Repetitive Stress Injuries by Sharon Butler

Barefoot running & walking

I've long been a fan of walking barefoot for the health benefits. The stimulation the feet receive in barefoot walking is enough reason alone, in my book.

But barefoot running? When I first heard of it, I thought it would be a passing fad. But the testimonies of some close friends and also Hellerwork colleague David Murphy made me think again and take a closer look.

Most of us land heel first, both walking and running. Barefoot running theory believes shoes have made our feet "dumb"...all that thick padding encourages heel striking, especially in the heels of typical running shoes. Without shoes, most people will naturally avoid landing on the heel. It's simply too painful to land on the heel when running barefoot.

NPR ran an excellent article about barefoot running that eased the part of me that thought this would be an over-hyped fad.

While reading this article, I had an "aha!" moment. Suddenly, I saw a big part of the ingenious design of the foot I had been missing. Landing on the heel does not absorb much shock...the shock gets sent up the leg into the knee, hip and spine. Landing on the forefoot allows the 33 joints in the foot to flex, absorb the shock into ligaments and then release the energy stored in those ligaments as usable energy up into the leg. Over 100 muscles mobilize those 33 joints and when we land on our heels, those muscles don't get used in a way they were designed to work.

In fact, I've been experimenting while walking, trying to land forefoot first whenever I have shoes on. It's really hard to do! I mean it just doesn't feel as natural to do as without anything on my feet. I think a large part of this is due to habit because as I continue practicing, it is becoming easier to do.

If you decide to give barefoot running a try, a bit of advice:

• Don't run more than 5 minutes your first time, unless you want to be miserable the next day. You will be using your feet and legs in ways they are not used to and it will take some time to adjust.

• Go fully barefoot for a while before rushing out to purchase the Vibram Five Fingers or other minimalist shoes. This will give you valuable feedback from your feet and help you develop your barefoot running strength slowly. You want to land on the forefoot first, finishing gently on your heel. You also want none to little scuffing, twisting or other unnecessary foot movements. The reason is blisters, and if you get them, you're out of running commission until they heal. Running in any sort of shoes will limit your sensations of how you are using your feet and therefore you may be prone to overdo it too easily.

• Pain: Some muscle soreness the next day (especially when you first start) is normal. But pain that "doesn't feel right" is a sign to respect. The pain may be due to your form, if so, seek some qualified instruction. The pain may be also coming from doing more than your body can handle right now. When I started, I found 5 minutes was too much and that 2-3 minutes was ideal. Muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones in your feet are being used very differently during barefoot running. It will take some time. Think in terms of months, not days or weeks.

Since we spend most of our time walking,I highly recommend watching David's video giving a lesson on how to walk with greater ease without landing heel first.

90% of Your Brain Power is Focused on Posture

Nobel Prize Recipient Dr. Roger Sperry demonstrated that 90% of the brain's energy output is devoted to maintaining upright posture in relation to gravity. That leaves just 10% to everything else, such as thinking and imagination.

So do you think that a 2-3% reduction in available energy for thinking and creativity make much of a difference over all? Definitely! Those of you who use a computer for hours each day with a poor ergonomics setup know what I am talking about.

A very common way to reduce the available energy is in a forward head posture, which Rolfer Erik Dalton calls the "42 Pound Head".

Everything You Know About Muscle is Wrong

Want to learn how to do push-ups that feel nearly effortless?

Men's Health has a great article discussing fascia, how it affects you and more efficient ways to exercise your body. It's several pages long and well worth the read.

Once you've read the article, try this:

Stand facing a wall a couple feet away. Do some push-ups, with palms flat, and notice the effort involved in doing so. Now, come up onto your fingertips, activating your hands as if you are grasping a grapefruit (or an orange if you have smaller hands) in each hand. On the push-up part of the exercise (where your body moves away from the wall), try to pull the wall towards you as you come up. It's as if you were gripping the wall through your fingers on the way up, which may take a few tries to get it correct. It should feel much easier to do than the standard push-up. Go back and forth between the two methods to really notice the difference. Got it? Congratulations, you are now using your fascia to your benefit!

Accepting Aetna Starting May 3

I have good news for those of you with Aetna as your health insurance provider. As of May 3, 2010, I now accept clients with Aetna as an in-network provider. This means that you simply pay a deductible or co-pay (if you have one) at the time of service and I will bill Aetna directly.

Also, for those of you with a different insurance company or do not have in-network massage therapy benefits, check your plan to see if you have out-of-network benefits. I have several people who are able to receive partial reimbursement for their visits under their out-of-network benefits.

Soon to be accepting insurance

I am currently in the credentialing phase to be a preferred provider for Aetna, Uniform, Cigna and CorVel (Group Health) insurances within the state of Washington. This means that very soon, I will be billing directly for these insurance companies. I also bill for work injuries and car accidents. There's no need to go on in life injured!

Hellerwork Demonstrations: March 27th & April 22nd, 2010

A picture is worth a thousand words, so the saying goes. This definitely applies to a personal experience of Hellerwork. Come join me for a free hands-on demonstration of how Hellerwork can help you and others. Sure, it’s great for feeling more connected to your body, for various aches, pains and injuries. But those are just words on a page—feeling it in your body is a whole different experience. The group will be small enough that each person will have the opportunity to receive some work and there will be time for questions.

To register: contact me at (206) 941-8811 or jason@jasonrumohr.com

When: March 27th, 10:00-11:30AM
April 22nd, 7:00-8:30pm

Where: The Lakeshore Studio in Northeast Seattle (near 97th & Sandpoint Way)

New website!

After five years, my website has a new look. I owe many thanks to my partner, Sharon, for her wonderful design work and photography. Credit also goes to my long-time friend and photographer, Rick Ehrenberg, for the portrait photo. In addition, I’ve updated the testimonials section.