Neck - Back - Shoulder Pain - READ THIS!

[Tatonka777]

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

[Big Dave]

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

[varmint]

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.

[nd chickenman]

Sounds like it is worth a good hard look, thanks for the heads up.

[suttoman]

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

[Ray]

Thanks for the info,my wife needs help.

[Eric Krewson]

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.

[SlowBowinMO]

"Bottom line, couch potatoes suffer endlessly, people with a committed recovery program get much better."

Excellent quote Eric, a gold nugget for sure!

[JockC]

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.

[Tedd]

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

[pintail_drake2004]

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

[joel smith]

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

[Dale Hajas]

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.

[TexMex]

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

[Doc Nock]

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.

[Tatonka777]

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

[suttoman]

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

[Nate Steen .]

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.

[suttoman]

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

[bentpole]

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.