We have been treating severe pain conditions for more than 20 years.
It is obvious that patients who do not take care of themselves at home and do not participate in wellness care develop greater problems that cost more time and money. Most important, quality of life is decreased — sometimes permanently.
Here are some tips to help you stay well. We also highly recommend signing up for one of our effective and affordable Wellness Programs.
Exercise principles: Exercise improves posture and movement awareness, and relieves strain on nerves, muscles and joints. We teach a new way to approach exercise through the Feldenkrais Method® — focused on staying within pain constraints and not moving into pain. Our emphasis is building movement and body awareness, which will erase inefficient posture and movement habits and allow you to move with the ease of a child. Ask us about our Wellness Programs, which include Feldenkrais “Awareness Through Movement” classes, where you will learn to move with freedom through every aspect of your day.
Nutrition: Always minimize sugar, white flour, alcohol and caffeine. This will help decrease inflammation in your body and allow for increased cellular healing. Take a whole-food multivitamin and mineral, plus extra vitamin C and probiotics/enzymes daily for improvement absorbing nutrition. For high-quality, affordable products, visit our website and click on the link for Natural Partners. For a comprehensive, scientific look at what happens when food hits your body and a nutrient-dense diet, purchase the book, “Nourishing Traditions,” by Sally Fallon at amazon.com $25.
Ice and heat: If you have had an injury within the last 48 hours, ice 20 minutes on, 50 minutes off, throughout the day. If it is after 48 hours from the time of injury, feel free to use ice or heat. Apply for no more than 20 minutes and alternate ice and heat: 20 minutes ice, 20 minutes heat. Rest the area for at least one hour before reapplying.
Posture and joint support: When sleeping, sitting or traveling, be sure to properly support the curves of the spine. On the couch or in the car, use a small pillow in the low back. This will support your mid-back and torso from collapsing onto your low spine. With the torso upright, the head and neck shift up and back, decreasing strain on the spine. When lying down, place a flat, folded towel under your pelvis/low back and a pillow under your knees. This will keep the joints from collapsing into the bed and opening up, causing strain on the ligaments. Place a pillow between your knees when lying on your side. This puts slack into your spine, relaxing it. Kinesio-taping can help to maintain decreased myofascial strain, superficial nerve tension, and provide joint support.
Proper gait and activity: Be sure to reset your body with periodic stretching. This can be done prior to house cleaning, washing dishes, working on a hobby, or simply walking. After you get up from a seated position, stretch briefly for 10 to 20 seconds before you begin moving again. This will help realign your joints, relax strain in your muscles, and lessen irritation. If you are out of alignment, you are causing damage.
Balance your energy: Throughout the day and throughout life we only have so much energy in the tank. Use it wisely. Do not waste unnecessary emotions, thoughts or actions as they will slowly drain your tank. Running low on energy and having poor sleep makes for poor healing and increased pain. Get at least 7-8 hours of sleep.
Wellness Program: Do not underestimate supportive care! “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” —Ben Franklin. Once your recovery has reached an optimal level, the body needs an outside influence of manual therapy/exercises to maintain proper posture and alignment. With proper posture and alignment everything else that you are doing is much more effective. We have several affordable options for weekly wellness. Ask the front desk for information.
Conjunctive therapy: Our goal is to help every patient get out of pain and stay pain-free permanently. When necessary Dr. Bonacci co-manages patient care with naturopathic and/or medical doctors to achieve fast, long-lasting results. If you feel your treatment is not effective, ask Dr. Bonacci for referrals. There are many options and it is our pleasure to help you on your journey to get well.