What Causes Degenerative Hips?
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Brian Bradley discusses degenerative hips and why Egoscue thinks it happens in the first place. To see more videos on topics like how to use the tower or a testimonial from a client who faced scoliosis visit Egoscue.com
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The Centrality of Neutrality
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In a functional person, going from flexion to extension is like changing gears in an automobile's manual transmission: The gearshift level passes through neutral before it goes from first gear to second, third, or fourth. Similarly, a muscle takes the joint (any of them, not just the hips) from flexion to neutral, whereupon another muscle takes it from neutral to extension. Neutral, then, is the balance point, where the joint can smoothly open, close, or rotate depending on demand. When the joint is prevented from going into neutral, the body loses balance and vertical alignment because the joint remains locked in either flexion or extension. Try walking without bending your knees. To do it, you're forcing them to stay in extension. The problem is that most people cannot fully relax contracted joint muscles. These muscles are either too strong or too weak. -Pete
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Client of the Month: Dennis O'Neill
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 Coming out of the Hip Specialists office back in August '12 I remember just sitting in my car thinking....I'm done. All the things that I loved to do athletically had been taken away from me with one quick x-ray and some not so encouraging words from the Doctor I had just left. He basically told me that he was a surgeon, and that he wanted to operate on my hips but that I was too young, and that a hip replacement wouldn't be right for me right now. So his advice was simply "just keep doing what you are doing, and when the pain gets to be too much come in. I'm guessing I will see you in 5 years". Meaning my days were numbered and I had no other choice but to accept that my hips' condition is degenerative and there's nothing that can be done to offset the inevitable outcome. Both hips would have to be replaced and anything active would cause pain because that's just the way my hips were.
Discouraged isn't really the word for what I was feeling. Depression is probably more like it. So that was it? Everything was out the window. I had always used surfing, running and working out in general as a mental outlet as well as a physical release. So not being able to do these things anymore wasn't even fathomable for me. My Mother in Law had bought the Pain Free book for her husband a few years ago and suggested I read it. When I read the chapter on hips I thought a lot of it made practical sense and I wanted to know more about what was possible with Egoscue.
So I set up an appointment a few days later at the Santa Monica location and had my consultation. I finished my initial set of visits in November '12 and I feel that I'm very fortunate to have come across Egoscue. The Santa Monica team was outstanding as I went through my menu each week. They have really pushed me to work at getting better. The progression from static to functional exercises was easy to follow and I feel like I really have the tools now to keep working at being pain free. I recently even went on a surf trip and was able to surf 4 days in a row without pain. No small feat for me. Before Egoscue I would have been complaining about my pain after a 30 minute jog much less a 2 hour surf session. A few words of advice from what I've picked up...
- Do your menu! It's not always easy to carve out time or to stay on it but you have try and fit it in.
- Stay positive. It's easy to let doubts creep in but there is a method to the madness. It can work for you if you work at it.
- It's a lifetime process but it gives you the tools to work towards getting better and staying active.
For anyone that has doubts about Egoscue, I would say that I did too. I think it's natural. I am happy to report though that I've found out that they are sincerely interested in you getting better, and that if you follow what you are told and give it your all you can see the kind of results that you are looking for.
Thanks to everyone at Egoscue Santa Monica for essentially giving me the encouragement and hope that I did not have back in August. I look forward to continuing to come in periodically for appointments and Function Fridays, and working as hard as possible to not see my Hip Specialist in 5 years or the next 35!
Dennis O'Neill
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Spring into Action with Function Fridays!
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Fun, Functional, and Free! Come get a more active workout!
Join us for function Friday at our Egoscue Santa Monica Clinic
Thank you for making Function Fridays a continual success!!! We had a great turnout both Fridays last month and it's all thanks to you!
Friday, March 15th at 6:30 AM
Friday, April 5th & 19th
Call today to reserve your spot (310) 450-2549 or drop in!
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