“Every patient carries her or his own doctor inside.” – Albert Schweitzer
What is the first thing you do if you bang your leg on the edge of a table? What do you do if you feel a sudden pain in the lower back? After perhaps shouting or swearing under your breath what do you do when you stub your toe? The likelihood is that you rub or massage the area in the hope of easing the pain. And more often than not, it works! Our own hands are the most healing and powerful tool we have and instinctively we know exactly what is needed to get rid of a sudden acute complaint. So why don’t we know what to do when we have a chronic problem? How come we can’t cure our lower back ache, stiff neck, shoulder or knee without seeing a doctor? Well, perhaps we could have, if we had taken notice of the pain the very first time it appeared. Possibly, if we had paid attention and acted upon the tingling sensation, that slight ache, twinge we felt when we moved, sat down, stood up, bent over………..it wouldn’t have developed into the never ending chronic problem which requires continuous treatment by a professional. Your body has its own language. It doesn’t talk to you in words but instead it uses sensations to convey the message. The greater the sensation, the more important is the message. Tuning in to your body as you would to a baby crying for attention and responding to it at the first sign of need can very often prevent a trip to the doctor. The following exercises are a great way of dealing with those little aches and pains when they first appear. I call them “Hula Hoop Exercises”.
Before doing any kind of exercise it helps if you can take a few deep breaths to calm and relax the mind and body.
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Stand in a relaxed position, knees slightly bent, feet pelvic width apart. Imagine you have placed a hula hoop on the ground and you are standing in its center. Begin rotating your body in a clockwise direction, keeping the feet rooted to the ground. The heels do not lift off the ground. Pay attention to the ankle joints, imagining that the hula hoop is now making circles around the ankles. Gradually work the “hoop” up the body, placing emphasis on the joints: ankles, knees, hips, pelvis.
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With the arms hanging loosely by your sides and keeping a circular motion going at the waist and hips, rotate the right arm backwards, allowing the “hoop” to circle the shoulder, then the elbow, the wrist and finally the fingers. The movements should be slow and continuous, without any tension in any part of the body. The circles can be as small or as large as you wish.
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courtesy of Patrick Doheny Now rotate the body counterclockwise. Circle the left arm backwards, bringing the “hoop” to the left shoulder, elbow, wrist and fingers. -
Alternate the shoulder circles, or return to the waist movements only.
During these exercises the whole body should remain loose and flexible, like a piece of cooked spaghetti. Make tiny adjustments in speed and/or size of the circular movements so that you continue to feel relaxed. If necessary slow down as if you are in a slow motion movie. Continue for as long as it feels good or until the pain goes away.
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