Rami's Blog

Like the Yin-Yang, Eastern Martial Arts and Western medicine are two halves of a whole. My mission is to preserve the ancient mind-body tools and pass them on to you.

 

Dealing with Sciatica

Pain that shoots up or down the leg and into the lower back can be caused by a few different things, and the first step in treating this kind of pain is understanding where it's coming from.

One possible cause of this leg and back pain is an issue with your Sacroiliac Joint. SI joint issues are often mistaken for lower back injuries or sciatica. They can occur due to age, posture, lifestyle, and are more common in women.

Another cause of this pain is sciatica. Instead of being caused by improper functioning of a joint, sciatica is usually the result of a herniated disc, or other spinal issue. The disc or soft tissues pinch the nerve roots in the lower back , which send pain singles down the sciatic nerve and into the legs.

The pain from sciatica can range from hardly noticeable to incapacitating. When it gets bad, doctors will often suggest cortisone injections. But this fix is only temporary.

If you want to prevent sciatica, or treat your current sciatic pain and prevent reoccurrence, follow this mind-body exercise routine, similar to the one for SI Joint pain:

  1. Calf Stretch: Remember to utilize 60% effort, less is often more with joint and nerve issues
  2. Vitamin H: Do whichever hamstring stretch works best for you. The video shows a few ways to safely stretch your hamstrings if you back is giving you problems.
  3. Chair Twist: Again, go only to between 60% and 80% effort. 
  4. Outer Hip Stretch: Can be done on a chair, or on the ground. (Video coming Tuesday!)
  5. Groin Stretch: You can use a chair or a machine, like I show in the video.

Remember, meditation is a huge part of healing and relaxation. Pairing your physical exercises with breathing patterns and Tai Chi forms will only improve your results. Consider combining this exercise with my Sunrise Tai Chi form, visualizing the energy from the sun flowing through your body, into the SI Joint or Sciatic Nerve, and then down into the Earth, dissolves the pain like a river eroding a stone.

Mind-Body Wellness for Cancer Survivors

This Sunday is National Cancer Survivors' Day, a day for appreciating all of our loved ones who got through the trials and tribulations of cancer, and are now rebuilding and redefining their lives in the wake of their remission.

It is also a reminder of how cancer never truly leaves us. Even if our body is free of malignant cells, the impact it has on our lives, one way or the other, stays with us.

But survivors also have the power to change their lives for the better on the other side of this experience: not all the baggage we take from going through cancer has to be a burden. Many people find the motivation to change their lifestyle in the battle with cancer. But to really improve your life as a survivor, those healthy changes need to stay with you long after the countless hospital visits and surgeries and chemo sessions have ended.

I've talked a lot about how a mind-body exercise routine is key to boosting your immune system and preventing chronic illness. I've talked about how to take baby steps for learning mind-body techniques, how to commit to a regular routine, and even how to fit it into your busy schedule.

But today, the message is this: make sure you don't leave your mind-body tools behind when you walk out of that oncology ward for the last time. 

The Biggest Misconception About Pain

"I can't exercise, I'm in too much pain."

This can be true sometimes, like when you've just broken a bone, or if you just began treatment for cancer, among other things. But 99% of the time that you say this to yourself, you are tricking yourself. Or, you don't know the right exercises to do.

I have done research in both fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis, two of the leading causes of chronic pain. In both cases, regular exercise helped the patients experience less day-to-day pain. 

"But I've tried exercise! It hurts too much, trust me."

I believe you. But I can almost guarantee that the exercise you were doing was too intense. In America, when we hear the word 'exercise' we think of running, or lifting weights, or doing jumping jacks. It's true, those are all exercises, but they are only one kind of exercise: fast and hard. They get your heart rate up, they make you sweat, they make you lose your breath.

There is an entire category of exercises that Americans are missing out on: the slow and gentle exercises. These exercises should be done using between 40% and 80% of our effort. Something like walking is good, but it doesn't get your mind and body working in sync.

Yoga is good too, but it can be very challenging at the beginning for people with chronic pain, or joint issues.

The best place to start is with Tai Chi. The nature and speed of Tai Chi movements is exactly what the body needs to relieve chronic pain and restore joint tissues.

Trust me, sitting and doing nothing will make your chronic pain worse. I've seen arthritic inflammation get much worse from inactivity. I've also seen symptoms get worse due to too much activity.

Tai Chi provides the balanced approach that these conditions require to improve.