News from Maggie Phillips, Ph.D.: July 2010

July 2010

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* A Note About Advertising & Your Quarterly Bonus

Calendar of Training Events

July 15
Teleseminar with Maggie & Jesse Cannone
How to Lose Your Back Pain

September 25 - 26
Workshop in Heidelberg, Germany with Maggie
The Body as Ultimate Healer of Trauma and Pain: Meeting Life with Your Whole Body

October 2 - 3
Workshop with Maggie
Location TBA
Master Class in Ego-State Therapy

October 8 - 10
Conference in Heidelberg, Germany with Maggie
Energy Psychology in Psychotherapy

October 16 - 17
Workshop in Paris, France with Maggie
Expanding Heart Coherence: Connecting with the Heart of Healing

Maggie Phillips, Ph.D.

www.maggiephillipsphd.com

Greetings!

July is the month when many people begin to prepare for well-deserved vacations. Fortunately, I am in this category and more than ready to get away! Below you will find news of several upcoming training events including my July 15 teleseminar with Jesse Cannone on How to Lose Your Back Pain. If this topic appeals to you, this might be an opportunity to take advantage of Jesse's The Seven Day Back Cure so that you can more fully enjoy time away or help someone else to do so. You'll also find an article this month on "News You Can Use About Back Pain" (scroll down to find this section).

With my best wishes for a replenishing summer time out,

Teleseminar Calendar

On Thursday, July 15, from 9 am - 10:30 am Pacific time, I will host a special teleseminar with author, Rehabilitation Specialist, and Co-Founder of the Healthy Back Institute, Jesse Cannone on How to Lose Your Back Pain. I met Jesse some years ago when he invited me to be on his popular radio show to discuss my mindbody approach to various types of pain. I'm happy to return the favor now by inviting Jesse to co-present with me.

If you don't know about Jesse, you may want to visit his website at www.losethebackpain.com. You will notice immediately Jesse's passion for the services and products he offers. He regularly offers free CDs, audio downloads, and other products to people on his email list and brings together a diverse range of professionals who offer ideas and presentations related to back problems as well as overall health. You may want to sign up for his newsletter, Less Pain, More Life. Go now to register for our teleseminar at www.maggiephillipsphd.com/courses_teleseminars_jc.html

Please consider joining us for this dynamic event. Here are some of the topics we will discuss:

Myths about herniated and bulging discs
Nutrition that supports back health
How and why to decompress your spine
Pitfalls and benefits of back surgery
How stress causes and keeps you in pain and the best remedies
Choosing the most effective back pain treatments
Your topic -- go here now to suggest your topic or post your questions so this seminar will be one you're compelled to attend.

As usual, your $50 teleseminar package includes the following features:

A 60-minute presentation on important information and techniques for how to resolve and reverse your back pain
A study guide to help you organize your learning
Audio replay of the teleseminar so that if you want to review the workshop or hear it for the first time because your schedule will not permit you to participate live, you have ample time (60 days) to participate at your own pace
A 30-minute live question and answer session to help you apply the methods to your own situation and specific issues

Again, go here now to register at www.maggiephillipsphd.com/courses_teleseminars_jc.html

In August, we'll be offering "Back to School" Specials on some of our most popular teleseminars. This is your opportunity to rejuvenate by treating yourself to dynamic information that can inspire you for a fresh start in September. Watch for specific offers in our August newsletter.

Our Reversing Chronic Pain Group Coaching program is going full steam! Here is one of the recent comments we've received:

"I am experiencing both joy and the urge to cry in hearing you describe so thoroughly what I have anguished over for years. Thank you for putting some light at the end of my tunnel."

If you missed out on this program, we'll open up links again sometime in the fall so keep watching our newsletters for updates!

Save the Dates

For those who like to plan ahead, here is my fall schedule of live workshops:

25-26 September
"The Body as Ultimate Healer: Meeting Life with Your Whole Body."
Milton H. Erickson Institute, Heidelberg, Germany.
Contact: office@meihei.de

2-3 October
"Master Class in Ego-State Therapy"
Contact: mphillips@lmi.net for location and details.

8-10 October
Energy Psychology in Psychotherapy conference
Heidelberg, Germany.
Contact: office@meihei.de for more information or visit www.meihei.de

16-17 October
"Expanding Heart Coherence: Connecting with the Heart of Healing"
Paris, France.
Contact: Bernard Mayer at IETSP - mayer@ietsp.fr

A Note About Advertising and Your Quarterly Bonus

I always appreciate your feedback about the work we are doing. Most of you support the practice of sending multiple emails that alert you to teleseminars and other events, for several reasons. Sometimes one email does not reach you but another does, you forget to sign up and value a reminder, or you may be out of town and the volume of seeing several emails from me alerts you to open at least one of them!

Occasionally, we hear from someone who resents the intrusiveness of a "sales approach." For any of you who share this sentiment, we appreciate your staying with us and understand your irritation with emails that may be irrelevant to your interests and needs. One tip to avoid this situation and still stay with us is to be sure to read each monthly newsletter, which will give you a full overview of our offerings plus a featured article (This month's article is "News You Can Use About Back Pain" -- see below). You can then choose not to open additional emails that are promotional in nature. We respect your privacy and want you to feel comfortable with the way we inform you about our programs. Whenever possible, We will label the emails that go out so you can "spot" those that contain a promotional focus.

As a thank-you for remaining part of our email community, we also share with you a quarterly bonus. This quarter's bonus is an interview on using Energy Psychology with Pain. Mary Sise, past president of ACEP, the international organization for Energy Psychology, interviews me and we have a dynamic and in-depth discussion about this important topic. We will be sending you the link for this free download by email in the next few days.

News You Can Use About Back Pain

The incidence of back pain continues to rise. Recent figures are that 80% of all Americans, or 8 out of 10 adults, will experience back pain at some point in their lifespan.

One way to equip yourself to cope with back pain is to update your understanding of this complex problem. Below are some common myths and misconceptions about back pain along with factual responses.

Myth: I'm physically active, so I shouldn't get back pain

Fact: While it's true that well-conditioned individuals are less likely to have an episode of back pain than sedentary individuals, back pain can affect all people regardless of the level of activity. Some sports are more likely to cause back pain, such as golf, volleyball and gymnastics. In all cases, however, the back should be considered a priority in conditioning, because it creates a stable platform from which the arms and legs work.

Myth: The spine is delicate and easily injured.

Fact: The spine and its surrounding muscles, tendons and ligaments comprise a well-designed structure that's incredibly strong, flexible and supportive. To help maintain the back and spine, proper conditioning is needed -- including strengthening, flexibility and aerobic conditioning. While there are some exceptions to the rule (such as an unstable spinal fracture), the back does not need to be overprotected after recovering from a typical episode of back pain.

Myth: Severe back pain correlates to the level of back damage

Fact: With acute pain, the level of pain correlates to the level of damage (e.g. if you touch a hot iron, you will immediately feel a great deal of pain). However, with back pain longer than 6 weeks, the amount of pain does not typically correlate the amount of damage.

Myth: Bad back pain can result in paralysis

Fact: The spinal cord ends in the upper part of the low back (lumbar 1). Further down the low back there are only nerve roots, which are very tough structures. In most cases, a great deal of back pain does not usually indicate a back problem that could lead to paralysis. Examples of rare cases where paralysis may be a risk include spine tumors, spinal infections and unstable spine fractures.

Myth: If I have back pain and back problems when I am young, it will get worse as I age.

Fact: The incidence of back pain is actually highest between the ages of 35 and 55. After age 55, people usually have less pain -- especially discogenic pain (back pain or other pain or symptoms caused by disc problems). While disc degeneration is a natural part of the aging process, it is not always accompanied by pain.

Myth: My father (or mother) had bad back pain and back problems so I'm likely to have it.

Fact: For the vast majority of conditions related to back and neck pain, there is no genetic predisposition, which means that parents do not pass their back conditions on to their children.

Myth: An MRI scan or other diagnostic test is needed to diagnose my back problem.

Fact: Most health professionals can develop a successful treatment approach based on a thorough medical history and physical examination. Only specific symptom patterns in a minority of cases indicate the need for an MRI scan or other sophisticated tests. Typically, an MRI scan is used when patients are not responding to appropriate back pain treatment.

Myth: Any abnormality/back problem that shows up on my MRI scan needs to be cured.

Fact: An abnormality that is seen on an imaging test (MRI, CT scan) does not necessarily cause back pain or other symptoms. In fact, the vast majority of people who never have had an episode of low back pain will have abnormalities (such as a herniated disc or degenerative disc) on an imaging test. For patients experiencing low back pain, 92%-96% can be treated successfully without back surgery.

Myth: If no specific back problem is found, my pain must be psychological.

Fact: Most cases of back pain will not follow the typical medical approach of specific structural diagnosis and remedy, but the pain is still real. While psychological factors, such as depression and sleeplessness will often need to be included as part of a comprehensive treatment program for back pain, there are also a variety of conservative care options that can help alleviate the back pain. Additionally, persistent back pain symptoms should be investigated by a qualified spine specialist to rule out serious problems such as tumor or infection.

Myth: There is a standard "cure" for most causes of back and neck pain.

Fact: Compared to other medical conditions, there are relatively few standardized approaches to diagnosis and treatment of back problems. Spine specialists from various areas of expertise (such as physical medicine and rehabilitation, chiropractic, osteopathic medicine, physical therapy and surgery) will often disagree on the diagnosis and most appropriate treatment plan for back pain and back problems, and specialists within a discipline will also frequently have different opinions. A few diagnoses for back pain as a result of back problems are relatively straightforward (such as a spinal tumor, infection, or fracture) and there is generally more consensus for diagnosis and treatment of these back problems.

Myth: Rest is the key to recovery from back pain and back problems.

Fact: The two main reasons bed rest may be recommended for back pain are to reduce pressure on the discs in the spine and to stop the mechanical stresses that are irritating pain receptors. A short period of bed rest may help reduce acute back pain. However, in most instances, more than 1 or 2 days of rest can be detrimental to recovery from back pain, potentially leading to increased pain and other adverse results, such as:

Muscle atrophy (1% to 1.5% per day)
Cardiopulmonary deconditioning (15% loss in 10 days)
Bone mineral loss
Risk of blood clots
Loss of wages
Creating an "illness" mindset.

So why is exercise good for the spine?

Many people who have a sore back think of exercise as the last thing that they would want to do, even though the risks listed above are considerable. You might want to think of the muscles of the trunk and spine as being like the supporting wires of a sailboat mast. If the mast does not have any supporting wires, it is very flimsy and likely to topple over. Without any support, it will be unable to withstand the forces of the wind in the sails and the entire structure is likely to fail.

The muscles that surround the spinal column serve a similar purpose. They help to balance the spine during normal activities and athletic exercise and prevent the weight of the body from being carried by the spine in a harmful way. The stronger and better conditioned these muscles are, the more support there is for the spine, which results in better balancing of the load that the spine carries during daily life.

Unfortunately, when people develop back pain, they have a tendency to want to avoid all types of exercise, and become more sedentary rather than more active. This can become a bit of a vicious cycle, because avoiding exercise when your back hurts causes the muscles of your back to become weaker and weaker, which makes them even more susceptible to injury.

Currently, we recognize that the best treatment for a back sprain or strain is early mobilization and a relatively rapid return to normal activities. Most doctors recommend a brief period of rest, generally one or two days, during which most patients are advised to take a course of anti-inflammatory medications in order to help reduce the pain and inflammation. After this period of rest, it is usually advisable to return to your normal activities and also begin gently exercising, especially walking or swimming, in order to stretch out your muscles and help them to recover. As soon as possible, you should restart your regular exercise regime, especially those exercises that have been specifically designed to help stabilize the core of your body and spine.

Myth: Long-term pain indicates I need back surgery for my back problems.

Fact: Spine surgery actually has a reduced likelihood of being successful when treating chronic back pain.

Typically, back pain symptoms that suggest back surgery occur early in the course of pain and are relatively apparent.

This information is provided courtesy of www.back.com and www.livestrong.com/article/117872-back-pain-natural-treatment.

To learn more about how to prevent and treat back pain, please join us for How to Lose Your Back Painwith Jesse Cannone. Sign up now at www.maggiephillipsphd.com/courses_teleseminars_jc.html.

With my best wishes for your ongoing health and well-being,

Maggie

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