What I meant is I have had a few bad injuries over the years, but was able to avoid an operation and heal myself in each case (the hip I mentioned above). The main recent one is I tore the meniscus in my knee exactly one year ago. It was a real beauty because I even heard it go 'pop'. I could barely walk for weeks. Doctors said (after many tests), that I would definitely need an operation on it, or it would only get worse and worse. I decided to try to heal it myself. It was a very slow process, but now one year later it is about 95% better and getting better all the time. I do weights and exercises every day to keep fit and strong. Before the operation I did squats with my wife on my back as resistance (I am lucky, she only weighs 42 kilos), and after I hurt my knee I thought I would never be able to do this again. Wonderful news is that just this last few weeks I have slowly started the squats again and now I can squat my wife again (after doctors telling me I would never walk properly without an op).
I healed it using the regime I described above with a few other things thrown in for good measure. Good health is not good luck or some magic wand. It is living a balanced life, good food, avoid sugar like the plague and soda pop drinks and junk like that (very acidic and attacks the joints, teeth bones etc), and hydrate the body with lots of fresh filtered water every day. I always close the day with a fresh peppermint tea.
However, I think my 'secret sauce', is that book. When I fell from a height 8 years ago and jammed my femur into my hip, it was a major injury and I was in real pain, and for a long time too. I tried all of my tricks mentioned above, but nothing seemed to work. It was actually while reading here on Tradgang, that somebody mentioned that book by Pete Egoscue, so I immediately ordered one. I followed the regime every day for the hip and it worked magic. The simple stretches and exercise realign our whole frame and allow the body to do the rest.
I am not trying to be some smart a?? by writing this stuff or some 'holier than thou'. These are very real things that have helped me get back on track many times. I have a very bad back injury when I was an apprentice carpenter in another life (I mean, it seems that long ago), and have carried that injury all my life. The doctors wanted to operate on my back when I was in my 30's because I was in constant pain and agony. It was then I started to realise I had to help myself or be a cripple all my life. I read everything I could. The answer I discovered was rock hard ab's. Most people with bad backs and back pain have floppy languid abdominal muscles. There is a huge girdle of muscles that wrap around the abdominals in the front and wrap around the back - these support our upper frame. Throw in a back injury and floppy abdominals, and there is your chronic back pain. People live on anti inflammatories and wonder why they have stomach problems. 20 odd years ago I bought one of those little mini-tramps (called a 'rebounder') and I have religiously used that every day for the last 20 odd years. By doing my regime on there every day (because it is soft and bouncy, no jarring on the back), I have rock-hard abdominals and zero back pain now.
AS I told the Dutchman, there is lots more but do not want to overwhelm with too much information. I risk being criticised as some 'nutter', but these are real experiences I have had and many times felt I was down for the count. However, the body is a marvelous thing and if we give it the best chance - it really can work miracles.
Sutto