Re: Report from doctor visit - Back to Lana

[Guest guest]

OK - let's take it from the top.

The issue on the bone spurs is the direction of growth of the spur.

You said the spurs are on the back side, pressing against the spinal

cord. The next question is are they growing toward the cord or away

from it? This is important because spurs are just a calcification, a

build-up of bone caused by some kind of stressor. You are at far

greater risk of spinal cord injury if the spurs are building up in

an inward direction toward the cord than if they are building up

away from it. And yes, we have a fax. It is one digit off of the

phone number. The phone number is . The fax is 253-835-

1735. Fax or attachment - your choice, whichever you think would

come through clearer and easier to read.

I'm drawing a blank on MSM - can't place what it is off the top of

my head. As for glucosamine, the recommendation for maximum benefit

is to take a combination of glucosamine, chondroitin, vitamin E and

Selenium. The combination is much more effective than the single

ingredient.

As for the two-second gloss over, you got what you paid for. You

saw a " spine specialist " , not a pain specialist. " Specialist " means

lots of detailed knowledge about a very narrow subject and jacks***

about anything else.

I am not sure about the specific long-term adverse effects of

cortisone other than there are some. My classmate I mentioned

yesterday (MD/LMP/Acupuncturist) specifically mentioned cortisone

yesterday in conversation with a couple of us. He was saying that

the general safe recommendation is to receive no more than three

cortisone shots in a life-time to avoid problems with it.

Don't be surprised when you ask the PT about alternatives if you get

the old thousand-mile stare. When I checked with the PT at the ER

clinic after we got rear-ended in October, she didn't even know what

I was talking about, let alone how to do it. And I am NOT referring

to some of the more far-out stuff I do. I mean something as basic

as MFR.

I will do some snooping around and see if I pick anything up by that

name - Sundee Heggen.

You are correct that " straight " is not a normal configuration for

the spine. There are three normal curves to the spine, a lordotic

(abdomen forward) lumbar curve, a kyphotic (shoulders/head forward)

curve in the mid-thoracic (shoulder blade) region, and a cervical

lordotic (head up) curve. A " military spine " is one that is ramrod

straight without the normal curvatures. My own neck also lacks the

proper lordotic curvature.

Bad posture is the outward appearance, not the problem - it is the

symptom, not the cause. Anybody can " look " at you and say " you have

bad posture, " but what does it mean? It doesn't mean squat unless

they can tell you WHY you have bad posture. Is it functional or

structural? Is it a physical problem or an emotional problem? Are

you tired or just plain lazy? And I am NOT being facetious with

these comments.

All we really know at the moment is that the outward appearance of

your " bad posture " is a shoulders rolled in and forward, head

sloping down, position? Is this a correct description? Let's

assume solely for the sake of discussion that it is to illustrate my

point. Taking a " snapshot " look at someone in this posture means

nothing. It could be something as simple as them just being tired

and not having enough energy to stand straighter. Or it could be

the teenage fad of the day, like pants with belt lines dragging

around the knees. It could be a structural defect in the spine like

scoliosis, hyperkyphosis or hyperlordosis. It could be chronically

tight muscles - and then you need to identify which ones. Or weak

muscles, or fascial restrictions.

The above primarily discuss physical causes. There are also

emotional causes. How do you hold yourself when depressed? How

does anybody stand when depressed? Or anxious? Or in pain (like

severe abdominal discomfort). If someone has " bad posture " because

of depression or grief, you work physically with them all you want

with zero effect. You get no change at all until you address the

underlying emotional issue.

What I am telling you is that you have been identified as having bad

posture. Big deal - you already knew that. Before you let ANYBODY

put you on any kind of long term program or take any drastic,

invasive, measures to " fix " your posture - you need to be damn

certain in your own mind that they know what they are talking about

and have in fact identified the cause and not just the symptom.

Because if you don't, then you are going to just spend a lot of

time, money and effort for zero long-term benefit. And I don't care

if the person giving you the " advice " is a doctor, a PT, an LMP or

any other " professional. " If all they do is look at the superficial

symptom and immediately start you on " their " treatment program, they

are in my highly biased opinion incompetent and not worthy of your

time and attention, let alone your money.

Sorry for the soap box, but I have seen far too much of the above

crap over the last three years (not to mention the 15 years that

Barb went through it). It flat drives me nuts.

Now - getting back to your specific, shoulders forward even when

sitting thing. Yes, it makes sense, especially considering how much

time you spend at a computer. Shoulders rolled in, forward, and

down is very common with office workers. The first thing I

generally test for in this case is tight pec minor muscles. These

attach at the corocoid process of the scapula up by the shoulder and

along the ribs. Desk workers frequently end up with these muscles

in a chronically shortened position.

A back support for your chair is a start but not the best solution.

The best solution is a properly designed, fully adjustable chair.

And they don't have to be that expensive. You can find an ideal

chair on sale at office supply places for usually around $120-$160.

Without knowing exactly what your work station looks like, there

isn't too much more advice I can give on the subject over the net.

As for this summer, you were on my list to see regardless of the

conference. Just a matter of getting around to setting up the

actual trip itinerary.

[Guest guest]

OK - let's take it from the top.

The issue on the bone spurs is the direction of growth of the spur.

You said the spurs are on the back side, pressing against the spinal

cord. The next question is are they growing toward the cord or away

from it? This is important because spurs are just a calcification, a

build-up of bone caused by some kind of stressor. You are at far

greater risk of spinal cord injury if the spurs are building up in

an inward direction toward the cord than if they are building up

away from it. And yes, we have a fax. It is one digit off of the

phone number. The phone number is . The fax is 253-835-

1735. Fax or attachment - your choice, whichever you think would

come through clearer and easier to read.

I'm drawing a blank on MSM - can't place what it is off the top of

my head. As for glucosamine, the recommendation for maximum benefit

is to take a combination of glucosamine, chondroitin, vitamin E and

Selenium. The combination is much more effective than the single

ingredient.

As for the two-second gloss over, you got what you paid for. You

saw a " spine specialist " , not a pain specialist. " Specialist " means

lots of detailed knowledge about a very narrow subject and jacks***

about anything else.

I am not sure about the specific long-term adverse effects of

cortisone other than there are some. My classmate I mentioned

yesterday (MD/LMP/Acupuncturist) specifically mentioned cortisone

yesterday in conversation with a couple of us. He was saying that

the general safe recommendation is to receive no more than three

cortisone shots in a life-time to avoid problems with it.

Don't be surprised when you ask the PT about alternatives if you get

the old thousand-mile stare. When I checked with the PT at the ER

clinic after we got rear-ended in October, she didn't even know what

I was talking about, let alone how to do it. And I am NOT referring

to some of the more far-out stuff I do. I mean something as basic

as MFR.

I will do some snooping around and see if I pick anything up by that

name - Sundee Heggen.

You are correct that " straight " is not a normal configuration for

the spine. There are three normal curves to the spine, a lordotic

(abdomen forward) lumbar curve, a kyphotic (shoulders/head forward)

curve in the mid-thoracic (shoulder blade) region, and a cervical

lordotic (head up) curve. A " military spine " is one that is ramrod

straight without the normal curvatures. My own neck also lacks the

proper lordotic curvature.

Bad posture is the outward appearance, not the problem - it is the

symptom, not the cause. Anybody can " look " at you and say " you have

bad posture, " but what does it mean? It doesn't mean squat unless

they can tell you WHY you have bad posture. Is it functional or

structural? Is it a physical problem or an emotional problem? Are

you tired or just plain lazy? And I am NOT being facetious with

these comments.

All we really know at the moment is that the outward appearance of

your " bad posture " is a shoulders rolled in and forward, head

sloping down, position? Is this a correct description? Let's

assume solely for the sake of discussion that it is to illustrate my

point. Taking a " snapshot " look at someone in this posture means

nothing. It could be something as simple as them just being tired

and not having enough energy to stand straighter. Or it could be

the teenage fad of the day, like pants with belt lines dragging

around the knees. It could be a structural defect in the spine like

scoliosis, hyperkyphosis or hyperlordosis. It could be chronically

tight muscles - and then you need to identify which ones. Or weak

muscles, or fascial restrictions.

The above primarily discuss physical causes. There are also

emotional causes. How do you hold yourself when depressed? How

does anybody stand when depressed? Or anxious? Or in pain (like

severe abdominal discomfort). If someone has " bad posture " because

of depression or grief, you work physically with them all you want

with zero effect. You get no change at all until you address the

underlying emotional issue.

What I am telling you is that you have been identified as having bad

posture. Big deal - you already knew that. Before you let ANYBODY

put you on any kind of long term program or take any drastic,

invasive, measures to " fix " your posture - you need to be damn

certain in your own mind that they know what they are talking about

and have in fact identified the cause and not just the symptom.

Because if you don't, then you are going to just spend a lot of

time, money and effort for zero long-term benefit. And I don't care

if the person giving you the " advice " is a doctor, a PT, an LMP or

any other " professional. " If all they do is look at the superficial

symptom and immediately start you on " their " treatment program, they

are in my highly biased opinion incompetent and not worthy of your

time and attention, let alone your money.

Sorry for the soap box, but I have seen far too much of the above

crap over the last three years (not to mention the 15 years that

Barb went through it). It flat drives me nuts.

Now - getting back to your specific, shoulders forward even when

sitting thing. Yes, it makes sense, especially considering how much

time you spend at a computer. Shoulders rolled in, forward, and

down is very common with office workers. The first thing I

generally test for in this case is tight pec minor muscles. These

attach at the corocoid process of the scapula up by the shoulder and

along the ribs. Desk workers frequently end up with these muscles

in a chronically shortened position.

A back support for your chair is a start but not the best solution.

The best solution is a properly designed, fully adjustable chair.

And they don't have to be that expensive. You can find an ideal

chair on sale at office supply places for usually around $120-$160.

Without knowing exactly what your work station looks like, there

isn't too much more advice I can give on the subject over the net.

As for this summer, you were on my list to see regardless of the

conference. Just a matter of getting around to setting up the

actual trip itinerary.

[Guest guest]

OK - let's take it from the top.

The issue on the bone spurs is the direction of growth of the spur.

You said the spurs are on the back side, pressing against the spinal

cord. The next question is are they growing toward the cord or away

from it? This is important because spurs are just a calcification, a

build-up of bone caused by some kind of stressor. You are at far

greater risk of spinal cord injury if the spurs are building up in

an inward direction toward the cord than if they are building up

away from it. And yes, we have a fax. It is one digit off of the

phone number. The phone number is . The fax is 253-835-

1735. Fax or attachment - your choice, whichever you think would

come through clearer and easier to read.

I'm drawing a blank on MSM - can't place what it is off the top of

my head. As for glucosamine, the recommendation for maximum benefit

is to take a combination of glucosamine, chondroitin, vitamin E and

Selenium. The combination is much more effective than the single

ingredient.

As for the two-second gloss over, you got what you paid for. You

saw a " spine specialist " , not a pain specialist. " Specialist " means

lots of detailed knowledge about a very narrow subject and jacks***

about anything else.

I am not sure about the specific long-term adverse effects of

cortisone other than there are some. My classmate I mentioned

yesterday (MD/LMP/Acupuncturist) specifically mentioned cortisone

yesterday in conversation with a couple of us. He was saying that

the general safe recommendation is to receive no more than three

cortisone shots in a life-time to avoid problems with it.

Don't be surprised when you ask the PT about alternatives if you get

the old thousand-mile stare. When I checked with the PT at the ER

clinic after we got rear-ended in October, she didn't even know what

I was talking about, let alone how to do it. And I am NOT referring

to some of the more far-out stuff I do. I mean something as basic

as MFR.

I will do some snooping around and see if I pick anything up by that

name - Sundee Heggen.

You are correct that " straight " is not a normal configuration for

the spine. There are three normal curves to the spine, a lordotic

(abdomen forward) lumbar curve, a kyphotic (shoulders/head forward)

curve in the mid-thoracic (shoulder blade) region, and a cervical

lordotic (head up) curve. A " military spine " is one that is ramrod

straight without the normal curvatures. My own neck also lacks the

proper lordotic curvature.

Bad posture is the outward appearance, not the problem - it is the

symptom, not the cause. Anybody can " look " at you and say " you have

bad posture, " but what does it mean? It doesn't mean squat unless

they can tell you WHY you have bad posture. Is it functional or

structural? Is it a physical problem or an emotional problem? Are

you tired or just plain lazy? And I am NOT being facetious with

these comments.

All we really know at the moment is that the outward appearance of

your " bad posture " is a shoulders rolled in and forward, head

sloping down, position? Is this a correct description? Let's

assume solely for the sake of discussion that it is to illustrate my

point. Taking a " snapshot " look at someone in this posture means

nothing. It could be something as simple as them just being tired

and not having enough energy to stand straighter. Or it could be

the teenage fad of the day, like pants with belt lines dragging

around the knees. It could be a structural defect in the spine like

scoliosis, hyperkyphosis or hyperlordosis. It could be chronically

tight muscles - and then you need to identify which ones. Or weak

muscles, or fascial restrictions.

The above primarily discuss physical causes. There are also

emotional causes. How do you hold yourself when depressed? How

does anybody stand when depressed? Or anxious? Or in pain (like

severe abdominal discomfort). If someone has " bad posture " because

of depression or grief, you work physically with them all you want

with zero effect. You get no change at all until you address the

underlying emotional issue.

What I am telling you is that you have been identified as having bad

posture. Big deal - you already knew that. Before you let ANYBODY

put you on any kind of long term program or take any drastic,

invasive, measures to " fix " your posture - you need to be damn

certain in your own mind that they know what they are talking about

and have in fact identified the cause and not just the symptom.

Because if you don't, then you are going to just spend a lot of

time, money and effort for zero long-term benefit. And I don't care

if the person giving you the " advice " is a doctor, a PT, an LMP or

any other " professional. " If all they do is look at the superficial

symptom and immediately start you on " their " treatment program, they

are in my highly biased opinion incompetent and not worthy of your

time and attention, let alone your money.

Sorry for the soap box, but I have seen far too much of the above

crap over the last three years (not to mention the 15 years that

Barb went through it). It flat drives me nuts.

Now - getting back to your specific, shoulders forward even when

sitting thing. Yes, it makes sense, especially considering how much

time you spend at a computer. Shoulders rolled in, forward, and

down is very common with office workers. The first thing I

generally test for in this case is tight pec minor muscles. These

attach at the corocoid process of the scapula up by the shoulder and

along the ribs. Desk workers frequently end up with these muscles

in a chronically shortened position.

A back support for your chair is a start but not the best solution.

The best solution is a properly designed, fully adjustable chair.

And they don't have to be that expensive. You can find an ideal

chair on sale at office supply places for usually around $120-$160.

Without knowing exactly what your work station looks like, there

isn't too much more advice I can give on the subject over the net.

As for this summer, you were on my list to see regardless of the

conference. Just a matter of getting around to setting up the

actual trip itinerary.

[Guest guest]

> OK - let's take it from the top.

>

> The issue on the bone spurs is the direction of growth of the

spur.

> You said the spurs are on the back side, pressing against the

spinal

> cord. The next question is are they growing toward the cord or

away

> from it? This is important because spurs are just a calcification,

a

> build-up of bone caused by some kind of stressor. You are at far

> greater risk of spinal cord injury if the spurs are building up in

> an inward direction toward the cord than if they are building up

> away from it. And yes, we have a fax. It is one digit off of the

> phone number. The phone number is . The fax is 253-

835-

> 1735. Fax or attachment - your choice, whichever you think would

> come through clearer and easier to read.

--------------------------Mike, I will scan or fax you one of the

printouts that he did of one of the xrays today. All I can tell you

is that my doctor said they were on the back side of the spine

pressing on the cord. I thought he meant pressing 'in' towards the

heart, but I'm not sure! and unfortunately, the MRI report doesn't

address those I don't think.

--------------------------

> I'm drawing a blank on MSM - can't place what it is off the top of

> my head. As for glucosamine, the recommendation for maximum

benefit

> is to take a combination of glucosamine, chondroitin, vitamin E and

> Selenium. The combination is much more effective than the single

> ingredient.

--------------------------I think MSM is really more for pain. I take

E regularly every day. What is selenium - is it a mineral??

--------------------------

>

> Don't be surprised when you ask the PT about alternatives if you

get the old thousand-mile stare.

--------------------------Yes, I'm afraid of that

>

> You are correct that " straight " is not a normal configuration for

> the spine. There are three normal curves to the spine, a lordotic

> (abdomen forward) lumbar curve, a kyphotic (shoulders/head forward)

> curve in the mid-thoracic (shoulder blade) region, and a cervical

> lordotic (head up) curve. A " military spine " is one that is ramrod

> straight without the normal curvatures. My own neck also lacks the

> proper lordotic curvature.

--------------------------Maybe you can tell more when I send the

report - I hope so!

>

> Bad posture is the outward appearance, not the problem - it is the

> symptom, not the cause. Anybody can " look " at you and say " you have

> bad posture, " but what does it mean? It doesn't mean squat unless

> they can tell you WHY you have bad posture. Is it functional or

> structural? Is it a physical problem or an emotional problem? Are

> you tired or just plain lazy? And I am NOT being facetious with

> these comments.

>

It could be chronically

> tight muscles - and then you need to identify which ones. Or weak

> muscles, or fascial restrictions.

>

-------------------------- Mike, some of your statements before are

ones that I should ask her? I do know some of it is laziness - I'm

not consistently aware of how I'm sitting every moment. My personal

feeling is, it's a combo of that, and maybe tight pec minor muscles

or fascial restrictions, like you said. Any way for ME to tell for

sure??? I have a suspician SHE won't be able to tell me. I may have

to wait until you come.

--------------------------

>

> A back support for your chair is a start but not the best

solution.

> The best solution is a properly designed, fully adjustable chair.

> And they don't have to be that expensive. You can find an ideal

> chair on sale at office supply places for usually around $120-

$160.

-------------------------- Well, I can look at that and present it,

but I'm doubting they would go for it. I told my boss I wanted to

make some changes, and she already kind of pooh poohed a fancy

chair! Typical!

>

> As for this summer, you were on my list to see regardless of the

> conference. Just a matter of getting around to setting up the

> actual trip itinerary.

-------------------------- That makes me feel MUCh better!

[Guest guest]

I will take a look at whatever you send but can't guarantee I will

be able to tell anything from it because I have neither training nor

experience in reading them.

Selenium is a mineral supplement.

Personally, for a first session, I would see what she came up with -

how does she approach it? What does she do or suggest? Does she

just jump in and try to start you on some program without addressing

the issues I brought up earlier? Or does she instead try to first

identify the actual cause. Let her approach be your guide. You can

learn a LOT by what she does. You can also learn whether you are

willing to see her again or put her into your past.

On the other hand, if you start firing off all of the questions, you

could get one of a couple of reactions. A typical (arrogant) one

is " who do you think you are? I'm the professional. " In other

words, they get all snippy and uptight on you. By contrast, you

could end up with someone who welcomes and encourages your

participation - which is a very good sign.

I would personally let her start off and judge what I did

accordingly.

I agree that you probably have a combination of factors going on.

One thing you can do as a form of self test is to start at the edge

of your shoulder, just below the end of the collarbone. There is

kind of a hollow or depression in there. Press in and feel around.

You should find a sharp, pointy bone. That is the corocoid process

of the scapula. From that point, start palpating diagonally down

your from your shoulder onto the chest on a line toward the bottom

of your sternum. That will put you on the pec minor muscle. If it

feels really " tight " and especially if it is painful when pressed,

then you have a hypertonic or shortened pec minor muscle.

There is a treatment technique called Passive Positional Release

that is effective for getting it to release but it is not something

you can do on or for yourself. It has to be done passively, with no

assistance from you at all, to be effective. You can, however, do

some gentle stretches that help.

One easy one (and highly recommended for office workers no matter

what), is to simply stand up several times during the day, clasp

your hands and wrists behind your back at butt level and then try to

touch your shoulder blades together. This stretches all of your

chest muscles as well as helping loosen up the rhomboids and traps

in the back.

Another good exercise is to stand in a doorway and place your hand

on the edge of the doorway above your head and then step or lean

into the doorway while applying pressure with that hand. Do this in

three positions - high, middle and low. Above your head, shoulder

height and about the height of solar plexus. This stretches all of

the individual fibers of the chest muscles.

As for your comment about the PT " I have a suspician SHE won't be

able to tell me, " - if she can't, don't waste your time with her.

Because if she can't - she doesn't know what she is doing.

As for the work situation, are you falling under any kind

of " disabled Americans " legal protection? Check with Barb on this,

but there are certain things that your employer is required by law

to do to make accomodations. And many times, employers will jump at

an opportunity to " document " their compliance using quick, cheap and

easy fixes.

And I am not talking about a " fancy " chair. More often than not,

the fancy, expensive chairs are the worst things you can buy. What

you are looking for is a good, properly adjustable " task " or steno

chair. The " executive " chairs more often than not are pure junk

ergonomically.

As for your " That makes me feel MUCh better! " hopefully you will

be saying that with even more emphasis after the summer.

[Guest guest]

I will take a look at whatever you send but can't guarantee I will

be able to tell anything from it because I have neither training nor

experience in reading them.

Selenium is a mineral supplement.

Personally, for a first session, I would see what she came up with -

how does she approach it? What does she do or suggest? Does she

just jump in and try to start you on some program without addressing

the issues I brought up earlier? Or does she instead try to first

identify the actual cause. Let her approach be your guide. You can

learn a LOT by what she does. You can also learn whether you are

willing to see her again or put her into your past.

On the other hand, if you start firing off all of the questions, you

could get one of a couple of reactions. A typical (arrogant) one

is " who do you think you are? I'm the professional. " In other

words, they get all snippy and uptight on you. By contrast, you

could end up with someone who welcomes and encourages your

participation - which is a very good sign.

I would personally let her start off and judge what I did

accordingly.

I agree that you probably have a combination of factors going on.

One thing you can do as a form of self test is to start at the edge

of your shoulder, just below the end of the collarbone. There is

kind of a hollow or depression in there. Press in and feel around.

You should find a sharp, pointy bone. That is the corocoid process

of the scapula. From that point, start palpating diagonally down

your from your shoulder onto the chest on a line toward the bottom

of your sternum. That will put you on the pec minor muscle. If it

feels really " tight " and especially if it is painful when pressed,

then you have a hypertonic or shortened pec minor muscle.

There is a treatment technique called Passive Positional Release

that is effective for getting it to release but it is not something

you can do on or for yourself. It has to be done passively, with no

assistance from you at all, to be effective. You can, however, do

some gentle stretches that help.

One easy one (and highly recommended for office workers no matter

what), is to simply stand up several times during the day, clasp

your hands and wrists behind your back at butt level and then try to

touch your shoulder blades together. This stretches all of your

chest muscles as well as helping loosen up the rhomboids and traps

in the back.

Another good exercise is to stand in a doorway and place your hand

on the edge of the doorway above your head and then step or lean

into the doorway while applying pressure with that hand. Do this in

three positions - high, middle and low. Above your head, shoulder

height and about the height of solar plexus. This stretches all of

the individual fibers of the chest muscles.

As for your comment about the PT " I have a suspician SHE won't be

able to tell me, " - if she can't, don't waste your time with her.

Because if she can't - she doesn't know what she is doing.

As for the work situation, are you falling under any kind

of " disabled Americans " legal protection? Check with Barb on this,

but there are certain things that your employer is required by law

to do to make accomodations. And many times, employers will jump at

an opportunity to " document " their compliance using quick, cheap and

easy fixes.

And I am not talking about a " fancy " chair. More often than not,

the fancy, expensive chairs are the worst things you can buy. What

you are looking for is a good, properly adjustable " task " or steno

chair. The " executive " chairs more often than not are pure junk

ergonomically.

As for your " That makes me feel MUCh better! " hopefully you will

be saying that with even more emphasis after the summer.

[Guest guest]

Thanks so much, Mike! I need to try this tonight and see what I find. I'll

print it off and try it and get back to you. The one stretch, with the

hands on the wall, I did for shoulder PT about 3 mo. Ago - have stopped it

though - oops! I had to go somewhere w/my son tonight that I forgot about -

that's why I'm so late in this. I sent a personal email to you as well

about the MRI. I really appreciate your input!

Love Lana

Re: Report from doctor visit - Back to Lana

I will take a look at whatever you send but can't guarantee I will

be able to tell anything from it because I have neither training nor

experience in reading them.

Selenium is a mineral supplement.

Personally, for a first session, I would see what she came up with -

how does she approach it? What does she do or suggest? Does she

just jump in and try to start you on some program without addressing

the issues I brought up earlier? Or does she instead try to first

identify the actual cause. Let her approach be your guide. You can

learn a LOT by what she does. You can also learn whether you are

willing to see her again or put her into your past.

On the other hand, if you start firing off all of the questions, you

could get one of a couple of reactions. A typical (arrogant) one

is " who do you think you are? I'm the professional. " In other

words, they get all snippy and uptight on you. By contrast, you

could end up with someone who welcomes and encourages your

participation - which is a very good sign.

I would personally let her start off and judge what I did

accordingly.

I agree that you probably have a combination of factors going on.

One thing you can do as a form of self test is to start at the edge

of your shoulder, just below the end of the collarbone. There is

kind of a hollow or depression in there. Press in and feel around.

You should find a sharp, pointy bone. That is the corocoid process

of the scapula. From that point, start palpating diagonally down

your from your shoulder onto the chest on a line toward the bottom

of your sternum. That will put you on the pec minor muscle. If it

feels really " tight " and especially if it is painful when pressed,

then you have a hypertonic or shortened pec minor muscle.

There is a treatment technique called Passive Positional Release

that is effective for getting it to release but it is not something

you can do on or for yourself. It has to be done passively, with no

assistance from you at all, to be effective. You can, however, do

some gentle stretches that help.

One easy one (and highly recommended for office workers no matter

what), is to simply stand up several times during the day, clasp

your hands and wrists behind your back at butt level and then try to

touch your shoulder blades together. This stretches all of your

chest muscles as well as helping loosen up the rhomboids and traps

in the back.

Another good exercise is to stand in a doorway and place your hand

on the edge of the doorway above your head and then step or lean

into the doorway while applying pressure with that hand. Do this in

three positions - high, middle and low. Above your head, shoulder

height and about the height of solar plexus. This stretches all of

the individual fibers of the chest muscles.

As for your comment about the PT " I have a suspician SHE won't be

able to tell me, " - if she can't, don't waste your time with her.

Because if she can't - she doesn't know what she is doing.

As for the work situation, are you falling under any kind

of " disabled Americans " legal protection? Check with Barb on this,

but there are certain things that your employer is required by law

to do to make accomodations. And many times, employers will jump at

an opportunity to " document " their compliance using quick, cheap and

easy fixes.

And I am not talking about a " fancy " chair. More often than not,

the fancy, expensive chairs are the worst things you can buy. What

you are looking for is a good, properly adjustable " task " or steno

chair. The " executive " chairs more often than not are pure junk

ergonomically.

As for your " That makes me feel MUCh better! " hopefully you will

be saying that with even more emphasis after the summer.

To learn more about EDS, visit our website: http://members.rogers.com/ceda2/

[Guest guest]

Thanks so much, Mike! I need to try this tonight and see what I find. I'll

print it off and try it and get back to you. The one stretch, with the

hands on the wall, I did for shoulder PT about 3 mo. Ago - have stopped it

though - oops! I had to go somewhere w/my son tonight that I forgot about -

that's why I'm so late in this. I sent a personal email to you as well

about the MRI. I really appreciate your input!

Love Lana

Re: Report from doctor visit - Back to Lana

I will take a look at whatever you send but can't guarantee I will

be able to tell anything from it because I have neither training nor

experience in reading them.

Selenium is a mineral supplement.

Personally, for a first session, I would see what she came up with -

how does she approach it? What does she do or suggest? Does she

just jump in and try to start you on some program without addressing

the issues I brought up earlier? Or does she instead try to first

identify the actual cause. Let her approach be your guide. You can

learn a LOT by what she does. You can also learn whether you are

willing to see her again or put her into your past.

On the other hand, if you start firing off all of the questions, you

could get one of a couple of reactions. A typical (arrogant) one

is " who do you think you are? I'm the professional. " In other

words, they get all snippy and uptight on you. By contrast, you

could end up with someone who welcomes and encourages your

participation - which is a very good sign.

I would personally let her start off and judge what I did

accordingly.

I agree that you probably have a combination of factors going on.

One thing you can do as a form of self test is to start at the edge

of your shoulder, just below the end of the collarbone. There is

kind of a hollow or depression in there. Press in and feel around.

You should find a sharp, pointy bone. That is the corocoid process

of the scapula. From that point, start palpating diagonally down

your from your shoulder onto the chest on a line toward the bottom

of your sternum. That will put you on the pec minor muscle. If it

feels really " tight " and especially if it is painful when pressed,

then you have a hypertonic or shortened pec minor muscle.

There is a treatment technique called Passive Positional Release

that is effective for getting it to release but it is not something

you can do on or for yourself. It has to be done passively, with no

assistance from you at all, to be effective. You can, however, do

some gentle stretches that help.

One easy one (and highly recommended for office workers no matter

what), is to simply stand up several times during the day, clasp

your hands and wrists behind your back at butt level and then try to

touch your shoulder blades together. This stretches all of your

chest muscles as well as helping loosen up the rhomboids and traps

in the back.

Another good exercise is to stand in a doorway and place your hand

on the edge of the doorway above your head and then step or lean

into the doorway while applying pressure with that hand. Do this in

three positions - high, middle and low. Above your head, shoulder

height and about the height of solar plexus. This stretches all of

the individual fibers of the chest muscles.

As for your comment about the PT " I have a suspician SHE won't be

able to tell me, " - if she can't, don't waste your time with her.

Because if she can't - she doesn't know what she is doing.

As for the work situation, are you falling under any kind

of " disabled Americans " legal protection? Check with Barb on this,

but there are certain things that your employer is required by law

to do to make accomodations. And many times, employers will jump at

an opportunity to " document " their compliance using quick, cheap and

easy fixes.

And I am not talking about a " fancy " chair. More often than not,

the fancy, expensive chairs are the worst things you can buy. What

you are looking for is a good, properly adjustable " task " or steno

chair. The " executive " chairs more often than not are pure junk

ergonomically.

As for your " That makes me feel MUCh better! " hopefully you will

be saying that with even more emphasis after the summer.

To learn more about EDS, visit our website: http://members.rogers.com/ceda2/

[Guest guest]

Thanks so much, Mike! I need to try this tonight and see what I find. I'll

print it off and try it and get back to you. The one stretch, with the

hands on the wall, I did for shoulder PT about 3 mo. Ago - have stopped it

though - oops! I had to go somewhere w/my son tonight that I forgot about -

that's why I'm so late in this. I sent a personal email to you as well

about the MRI. I really appreciate your input!

Love Lana

Re: Report from doctor visit - Back to Lana

I will take a look at whatever you send but can't guarantee I will

be able to tell anything from it because I have neither training nor

experience in reading them.

Selenium is a mineral supplement.

Personally, for a first session, I would see what she came up with -

how does she approach it? What does she do or suggest? Does she

just jump in and try to start you on some program without addressing

the issues I brought up earlier? Or does she instead try to first

identify the actual cause. Let her approach be your guide. You can

learn a LOT by what she does. You can also learn whether you are

willing to see her again or put her into your past.

On the other hand, if you start firing off all of the questions, you

could get one of a couple of reactions. A typical (arrogant) one

is " who do you think you are? I'm the professional. " In other

words, they get all snippy and uptight on you. By contrast, you

could end up with someone who welcomes and encourages your

participation - which is a very good sign.

I would personally let her start off and judge what I did

accordingly.

I agree that you probably have a combination of factors going on.

One thing you can do as a form of self test is to start at the edge

of your shoulder, just below the end of the collarbone. There is

kind of a hollow or depression in there. Press in and feel around.

You should find a sharp, pointy bone. That is the corocoid process

of the scapula. From that point, start palpating diagonally down

your from your shoulder onto the chest on a line toward the bottom

of your sternum. That will put you on the pec minor muscle. If it

feels really " tight " and especially if it is painful when pressed,

then you have a hypertonic or shortened pec minor muscle.

There is a treatment technique called Passive Positional Release

that is effective for getting it to release but it is not something

you can do on or for yourself. It has to be done passively, with no

assistance from you at all, to be effective. You can, however, do

some gentle stretches that help.

One easy one (and highly recommended for office workers no matter

what), is to simply stand up several times during the day, clasp

your hands and wrists behind your back at butt level and then try to

touch your shoulder blades together. This stretches all of your

chest muscles as well as helping loosen up the rhomboids and traps

in the back.

Another good exercise is to stand in a doorway and place your hand

on the edge of the doorway above your head and then step or lean

into the doorway while applying pressure with that hand. Do this in

three positions - high, middle and low. Above your head, shoulder

height and about the height of solar plexus. This stretches all of

the individual fibers of the chest muscles.

As for your comment about the PT " I have a suspician SHE won't be

able to tell me, " - if she can't, don't waste your time with her.

Because if she can't - she doesn't know what she is doing.

As for the work situation, are you falling under any kind

of " disabled Americans " legal protection? Check with Barb on this,

but there are certain things that your employer is required by law

to do to make accomodations. And many times, employers will jump at

an opportunity to " document " their compliance using quick, cheap and

easy fixes.

And I am not talking about a " fancy " chair. More often than not,

the fancy, expensive chairs are the worst things you can buy. What

you are looking for is a good, properly adjustable " task " or steno

chair. The " executive " chairs more often than not are pure junk

ergonomically.

As for your " That makes me feel MUCh better! " hopefully you will

be saying that with even more emphasis after the summer.

To learn more about EDS, visit our website: http://members.rogers.com/ceda2/