Compression Test 1. Sit on a chair without any arms. Flex or bend your back forward and then grab the seat of the chair and pull up. This position puts compression through your spine. Did this make your back pain worse? Did it make your leg pain worse? If you have a herniated disc you often will feel increased pain or symptoms down the leg with this test. 2. Sit on a chair without any arms. Straighten your back (arched back) as much as possible with your feet flat on the floor. Grab the seat of the chair and pull up. This puts compression through the spine. If your pain does not get any worse, it is a demonstration of how correct posture can make a difference. You now know the pain maker for many types of back pain and sciatica, including yours. What is promising is that the pain makers can be eliminated. In some of the remaining videos, we will demonstrate the correct and incorrect ways to perform tasks in your life. Our goal is to address each activity or position that causes pain and we hope to give you an alternative. The incorrect way places your back in the C position. The correct technique will keep your back in a straightened and less stressful position. Why don’t we start with the first thing most people do in the morning, which is getting out of bed. See: Have Sciatica? How to Get Out of Bed Without Making It Worse. Check out the full Sciatica series of videos along with downloadable guide sheets for each video on our website. DISCLAIMER We insist that you see a physician before starting this video series. Furthermore, this video series is not designed to replace the treatment of a professional: physician, osteopath, physical therapist, orthopedic surgeon, or chiropractor. It may however serve as an adjunct. Do not go against the advice of your health care professional. When under the care of a professional make certain that they approve of all that you try. This information is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. Any information given about back-related conditions, treatments, and products is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this publication. Before starting an exercise program, consult a physician. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in November of 2021. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/3B79sz7C13k Bob: You know, Brad there are times that a massage gun is the perfect gift, but there are times where you should not use it. Brad: Right. They could cause some problems, even some injury. There are not a lot of them, but there are some things you need to be aware of. Before you purchase one for yourself, or if you want to get one for someone else, be aware of these things. It may be a game-changer, most people are fine with them. There are certain areas even on the healthiest body you do not want to use these on. Bob: Let’s start with number one, Brad. Brad: Okay. Let’s say you have one of these, your nephew is a football player, and he wants one of these. You’re going to give him the nice one, the biggest one they have. We have our line, we have our name on them. We know this works well. The X6 has a lot of power, but even the largest, muscly, beefy football player, if they put this on their neck, there is potential to cause serious problems. Bob: It’s going to rattle your cage. There’s not a lot of soft tissue there. You’re going right into the bones and it’s uncomfortable. Brad: So, depending on where you go, I don’t even like to get close. You can go down into the shoulders or on the traps. Bob: Right, you get up to your upper trap. Brad: Especially like this one, it has a steel head that could get aggressive and deep. If you go over a bone with that, it’s going to hurt. It’s not going to be fun. You do not want to use it. Bob: I wouldn't even go it into the suboccipital area. I would not do that. It might feel good but it's not good. Brad: Yeah, no. Do not use it on the neck or any part of the head. Not on the jaws, some people are like “oh, TMJ, it might be good for that.” No. Do not use it from the neck up, it’s completely out of question. Number two, over an artery or a nerve. Often arteries and nerve bundles are in the same area. Like in your armpit. Bob: Well, there’s a neck one too. The carotid artery right there. Brad: Yep. Bob: You want to avoid a pulse to a large extent. Brad: There’s a pulse right in the bend of your arm you can feel. Anytime where you can feel a pulse, you’re going to stay away from that. Again, in the axillary or the armpit, there’s an artery vein and a nerve bundle in there. Femoral crease, or groin, you never want to go on there. There’s a nerve bundle in there. Plus, there are also lymph nodes. You don’t want to massage a lymph node. Bob: Not that aggressively. Brad: Right, stay away from those areas. You want to stay on the muscle belly. Bob: Right. Brad: There are a few exceptions where you can get to a bone, but then you must use a special head. The next one, varicose veins. Bob: Brad, you want to show yours. Brad: Yeah, I just had someone ask this and I thought this is a good question because I’m very active for my age. I do have varicose veins. It’s getting to the point where I better go to the doctor. Bob: They’re they are, in all their glory. Brad: Yeah, they’re not pretty, but I do not want to use a massage gun on those veins. Those veins have valves that are not working properly. Bob: Right and it’s not going to help them to work any better by massaging them. Brad: Beating them up, right. So, stay away from varicose veins. If you have an open wound, it might be a cut, it might be a burn. Bob: Fragile skin. Brad: Fragile skin, right. You stay away from that. Only on healthy skin. Bob: Fragile skin shouldn’t be massaged because you can break skin down. Brad: Yeah, and when you have a skin tear, they don’t heal up fast, very miserable. Boney areas, stay away from boney areas. Here are the heads that you can get on all of these. They all have five heads each. One is an air cushion head. This is the one, if you want to get close to the bone, on the muscle close to the bone, this is the one you would use. The air cushion head has some give to it. Bob: You can get right to the bone. Brad: But there’s no reason to massage a bone. You can get close to it, there’s no reason to massage a bone. Infected area, that’s common sense. Some people may think, oh, I have a red, infected area, maybe the massage is going to increase circulation. Bob: I think obviously cancer would fit in that area too. Brad: If you have a recent hip or a joint replacement, stay away from that. Maybe after it’s all healed in a year or so, you’re going to have to talk to your surgeon. Bob: You could do below it or above it, but not on it. Brad: Not close to it, yes, be safe with that. Manual massage is going to be better for that. Abdominal area, you know, you’re not going to massage that with a massage gun. You’re just asking for problems. Bob: Not a big fan. Brad: No, I always stay away from that. Bob: A numb area. Brad: Yeah, for example, if you have diabetes and you have neuropathy, a lot of people have that where kind of below the knee is very common where they don’t have sensation. You’re not going to massage your calf if you don’t have good sensation there because you might be creating some damage and you don’t feel it. Bob: You want the feedback. Brad: Yeah, you must have feedback. You don’t want to massage any part of the body that creates pain. Bob: It’s not going to help with the sensation either. Brad: Right. Bob: It’s not going to help you regain it or anything like that. Brad: So, for most people, you can easily avoid this. So, massage guns are good for most people, but these are some red flags. Bob: They are good for a lot of problems. I just did a podcast on fascia and the guy there felt like it was one of the top things you could do for fascia. Brad: Oh, really? Bob: Yeah. Brad: So, this fascia thing has been out for a while, but now they’re starting to recognize more widely how important it can be. Bob: How important it is, it can be a source of pain. Brad: Right, exactly. How to relieve it through massage and stretching and other things. Brad: Yeah. Okay, good luck. Bob: Thanks. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd , Rumble Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull-Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Bob and Brad Blood Pressure Monitor Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

What’s hypermobility? Hypermobility is when the joints in the body can bend further than is considered a normal range of movement. Many people live with asymptomatic hypermobility without any pain or discomfort. It can even be an advantage for dancers, athletes, and gymnasts who need to achieve a large movement range for their profession. Hypermobility can even be ‘acquired’ in some cases, where people are forced into positions required for dance or gymnastics. These people know how to move well, control their range of motion, and do not experience any other symptoms with their hypermobility, such as chronic pain or injury. Being hypermobile does not mean you have a hypermobility syndrome. But what if the hypermobility becomes symptomatic or you have a connective tissue disorder such as Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome? What’s Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome? Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes or EDS are a group of hereditary disorders of connective tissue. The underlying cause is the abnormal structure or function of collagen and connective tissue proteins. There are 13 different types of EDS – some are very rare and only affect small numbers of people or families. The most common form of EDS is the hypermobile EDS type – hEDS. What are the main issues a doctor or rheumatologist would look for in diagnosing EDS? · Generalized joint hypermobility – often accompanied by joint, muscle, and nerve pain. · Soft, velvety skin, stretchy skin, stretch marks or skin that bruises or tears easily, and poor wound healing. EDS comes with many other symptoms and related issues too. Here are just some examples · Chronic, widespread pain – not resulting from any particular trauma or accident. The pain can often be made worse by exercise. · Joint pain and muscular tightness. EDS can often be mistaken for Fibromyalgia. · Headaches and migraines – caused by instability, posture, tension amongst others. · Dizziness upon standing or overexertion from exercise. This can be due to a drop in blood pressure. · Heat intolerance or chemical sensitivity – this can be due to the over-activation of mast cells (more on mast cells in the next blog). · Chronic fatigue – extremely common with EDS. People with EDS need to work so much harder just to be upright as gravity wants to pull their joints down. · Joint subluxations or dislocations – due to the ligament laxity, some people experience subluxations (which are partial dislocations) of their joints. · Irritable bowel syndrome and other digestive issues. · Pelvic girdle pain, pelvic floor issues, prolapses, and hernias. · Pronated or flat feet and frequent ankle sprains. People with EDS can experience painful walking or use mobility aids. · Frequent chest infections and pneumonia. · Mitral valve prolapse in the heart. This is a very common sign of EDS. · Poor sleep habits. This can be due to pain, insomnia, not being able to get comfortable. · Allergies and food intolerances. This is another sign of mast cell activation, which we will discuss next time. If you notice the list of symptoms, they impact not just the muscular system of muscles, joints and ligaments. There is impact to the digestive system, circulatory system, autoimmune system, cardiovascular system, endocrine system, and nervous system. Connective tissue is present everywhere in the body. It connects, supports, binds, and separates other tissues or organs. If we have a connective tissue disorder, therefore, it could make sense that multiple systems in the body are going to be affected. Think of the connective tissue as a cellular glue that keeps everything together and strong. If the glue is not as strong as it should be due to a disorder, it is going to have a far-reaching impact that for many people can be very disabling. Some people can suffer from the Terrible Trifecta – EDS, Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTs), and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS). We will delve deeper into these conditions in future blogs in this series. But living with this overlap of conditions needs careful management and can make daily life very challenging for some people. Other connective tissue disorders you may come across are: · Marfan Syndrome · Osteogenesis Imperfecta · Epidermolysis Bullosa These disorders are not curable, so it is really a case of finding a strategy to help with the management of the symptoms. Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD) is the new name for Joint Hypermobility Syndrome. This can be diagnosed when EDS has been ruled out. It is more common than EDS, but its severity can be similar and requires the management of symptoms too. This sounds like me - how do I get a diagnosis? You would think that a condition like this with so many features would be easy to spot. There’s an old saying “if you hear hoofbeats, don’t expect to see a zebra”. Basically, our medical system is not looking for EDS. It is looking for ‘horses’ – more general conditions. Many doctors have not heard of this condition and don’t know what to look for. Sadly, this means that for many people the journey to diagnosis can be long and convoluted. Poor awareness amongst medical professionals means it can go undiagnosed. It is common to be wrongly diagnosed with another condition (like Fibromyalgia, for example). Most medical doctors should be able to follow the diagnostic criteria and give a diagnosis of EDS or HSD, but because EDS are genetic disorders, physicians may refer patients to a geneticist for testing. I have EDS. How should I manage it? EDS and HSD require a multi-disciplinary approach to care and management often involving teams, specializing in pain, physical rehabilitation, gastroenterology, urogynaecology, neurology, and mental health professionals. I’m a movement therapist specializing in the management of EDS and HSD, so my focus is on the appropriate exercise plans for people. For a condition such as EDS or HSD, there is an overall agreement in the medical profession that exercise is key to the health of these clients. A recent quote states that people with EDS and HSD “need to try to retrain or increase their muscle strength and tone as much as possible in order that their muscles can compensate for the effects of defective connective tissue in other supporting structures such as ligaments” Understanding hEDS & HSD, Claire Smith An appropriate exercise program can be essential to help reduce pain, decrease tissue sensitivity, build strength and reduce injury. But not all exercise is equal, and it is important to work with a therapist or teacher who knows about EDS and HSD. Or if they don’t know about it, are they willing to learn? Aside from the physical symptoms of EDS, it is known that people with this syndrome also lack motor control skills, lack coordination, and have a lesser sense of proprioception (our ability to sense where our body is in space). There tends to be a lack of body awareness, which goes with control and stability. A modified and individually adapted exercise program is often an excellent way forward to build these much-needed skills. As a movement therapist, I am also looking out for things like - Lack of awareness can mean we are not aware when joints are locked, or posture is out of alignment. - The unconscious act of locking joints can set up a spiral of pain and dysfunctional movement. - Due to a lack of proprioception, hypermobile people can be more accident-prone. I make my exercise environment safe and calming. - Due to lack of proprioception and control, hypermobile people can potentially move into ranges of movement that are considered beyond ‘normal range’. - Moving into these bigger ranges of movement does not tend to hurt – it is normal when the body has not been taught joint control. - Remember “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should”. Part of my role is to teach people controlled joint movements to avoid injury and strain. If you’re living with chronic pain due to your EDS or HSD and are looking to explore new ways of managing it, I recommend that you start at the very beginning: breathing. This is the first principle in my hypermobility movement method – The Integral Movement Method. But how does the way I breathe make any difference to my pain? I hear this a lot. Without breath, there is no movement. This is a mantra I return to with each and every client. Our breath is our very essence and to be present with our breath is the first step to relieving the body of stuck stress and pain. Breathing has a huge impact when it comes to powering and relaxing the body. Each breath allows you to release tension in the body and promote fluidity when it comes to movement. Taking control of your breathing can help unlock movements you may have thought were beyond you. As you take the first steps towards thinking about your breathing, here are some easy steps you can follow at home: · Sitting or lying in a quiet place, close your eyes and place your hands on your belly. · Try to observe your breath flowing in and out of your body without trying to change it. · Notice the rise and fall of your belly and begin to count every breath in your head. Inhale 1, exhale 2, inhale 3, exhale 4 and so on until you come to 10. Then start again at number 1. · Try to stay focused on the counting of the breath, without distraction. · With every exhale, feel the tension melting from your muscles and mind as the body softens and tension dissolves. I’m a huge believer in the life-changing power that movement can have for people living with chronic pain conditions like EDS, but without breath, we can’t have effective movement. So, take a moment to focus on your breathing – it’s the best place to start. You can read more about my Integral Movement Method in my two books: Pilates Without Tears and Hypermobility Without Tears. My Instagram Account @jeannie_di is full of useful advice and exercise tips and for longer classes please browse through my YouTube Channel – Jeannie Di Bon. See you soon for the next blog in our hypermobility series. Jeannie Movement Therapist and Hypermobility Specialist www.jeanniedibon.com www.thezebra.club

Pain Maker Positions 1. Sitting (even with good posture) is more stressful on most backs than standing or lying down. Sitting is acceptable, of course, but limit time sitting as you are able to and intersperse movement with sitting. 2. Sitting in the C position is more stressful on the back than sitting with good posture. 3. Sitting in the C position and holding additional weight is much more stressful on the back. 4. Twisting the back and holding additional weight is stressful on the back. 5. Lying on your back and curling up your spine (as in a sit-up) is stressful on your spine. 6. Lying on your back, curling up your spine and twisting it is very stressful on your spine. 7. Lifting a weight with your back in the C position is very stressful on your back. 8. Lifting an extremely heavy weight (even with the back in perfect posture) is very stressful on the back. 9. Bending forward in the C position is more stressful on your back than bending forward with good posture. 10.Bending forward in the C position and twisting is more stressful than bending forward in the C position. 11.Bending forward in the C position and holding on to additional weight is much more stressful than positions 9-11. 12.Bending forward in the C position, twisting, and adding weight is the most stressful position of all. The type of twist one might do when shoveling snow or moving a laundry basket. Moving laundry basket The added twist will place even more strain on the parts of your back and the discs, and it will make the problem worse. If you desire to hurt your back, this would be one of the best ways to do it. Performing any of the positions (1-12) in a repetitive manner places a large amount of cumulative stress on the back. Basically, with repetitive poor movements, you wear your back down and make it less able to handle stress. Back pain, disc herniations, and sciatica are rarely the result of a single, unsafe act. It is often an accumulation of many factors that have deteriorated the back over a long period of time. Most of those factors occurred in the pain maker positions. Although you may not initially feel any pain or discomfort with a pain maker position, it may be giving increasing the damage to your body on a microscopic level. Assume the pain maker position long and often enough and yes, you will begin to experience pain. Most individuals are unaware of the extent and prevalence of being in a pain maker posture. The difficulty with poor posture is its insidious and stealthy nature. When you settle into a slumped position year after year, eventually that abnormal position feels normal and upright to you. In fact, when we encourage our patients to straighten up, it feels strange to them. Throughout the day observe those around you and you will quickly note the C position is extremely widespread and common (and so is back pain and sciatica). People are in the C position and they are not even remotely aware. Check out the full Sciatica series of videos along with downloadable guide sheets for each video on our website. DISCLAIMER We insist that you see a physician before starting this video series. Furthermore, this video series is not designed to replace the treatment of a professional: physician, osteopath, physical therapist, orthopedic surgeon, or chiropractor. It may however serve as an adjunct. Do not go against the advice of your health care professional. When under the care of a professional make certain that they approve of all that you try. This information is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. Any information given about back-related conditions, treatments, and products is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this publication. Before starting an exercise program, consult a physician. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in November of 2021. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/Xo6LvSrpcno Brad: We’ve got Chris here today. He’s done an incredible amount of research. He has great information. What we’re going to talk about is wound care. Burns, cuts, even bad wounds that you see in the hospital. Chris: Ulcers. Brad: That’s right. Also, the treatment for this is so interesting because it’s so simple and it’s been around for thousands of years and you can go to the store and buy it off the shelf, well not exactly. Chris: Not exactly. Brad: Close. I mean, he’ll tell us all about it. So, should we get on? Wound care and what are we talking about? Chris: Well wound care and honey, Brad. So that’s the interesting concept. Brad: That’s it? Honey? Chris: Yep. Short and sweet. Brad: But you can’t just go buy it in the store? Chris: And that’s the interesting distinction, is that when we’re treating wounds specifically with honey, you want to use a medical grade honey. This is not the stuff that you buy in the little honey bears at the grocery store. That is very processed, vastly different. It’s not the same as say, raw honey. Or even, slightly processed or very processed honey. So, it’s a medical grade honey. The one that I’m most familiar with and what I’ve done, basically most of the research with is Manuka honey, which comes from the Manuka tree, which is in New Zealand and Australia. So, happy to everybody that’s down under in the southern hemisphere. The bees that work on the Manuka tree and do all their pollen and making their hives and creating this honey, the Manuka plants, pollen carries lots of large anti-microbial properties, as well as antifungal properties. In the processing of the honey, which is kind of interesting itself, they make it medical grade. Brad: The bees do? Chris: No, the bees don’t. This is where people step in. They collect it from the bees who’ve done all the hard work. Brad: With the Manuka trees. Chris: Yeah, it’s just like how bees buzz around, they grab their pollen, they bring it back to the hive and they create a honeycomb and honey and it’s their fuel source. With respect to wound care, they talk about the Manuka factor, and you want the higher factor. If you’re buying it and the product that I always recommend is Medihoney. That’s the manufacturer that makes it, and it’s special. They process it so that it’s medical grade, it’s irradiated so there’s no impurities, bacterial properties, just bits and things that could cause a problem with wound care. Brad: Which, you’re talking the biggest thing is creating an infection. I’m assuming. Chris: Yeah. We’re going to stop an infection. It’s one thing if we cut our hand, it’s a bad laceration, you can just toss a little Medihoney on there. You would put it on the dressing, cover it up and let it go. It’s probably going to heal quickly. The wound care I’m talking about is much more severe wounds. We’re talking about like a diabetic foot ulcer, maybe a first or secondary burn. Keeping in mind guys, if you are going to use Medihoney for wound treatment, you can’t be allergic to bees, you can’t be allergic to certain pollens. With some of these more serious wounds, let’s say a diabetic foot ulcer, you’re going to want to make sure that you talk to your doctor about medical guidance and/or maybe even get together with a wound care clinic to make sure you’re applying it right, making sure you’re observing these proper things with wound care management, because obviously with some of these wounds, they can be very serious, and they can go sideways in a big hurry. Brad: I just want to clear it up with some people who haven’t been in the diabetic field or in the medical field, these wounds are open wounds. They’re deep, they can be one to two inches deep, and they can take months to heal. So, these are serious wounds. Chris: These are serious wounds that we’re talking about and if those of you have experienced some of these, maybe you already know what we’re going to talk about, but it’s something that you’re already going to have had doctor guidance within many cases, because you’ve been on antibiotics, debridement, surgical debridement, which is where they’re pulling away to try and get the healthier tissue. Brad: Taking the dead tissue off. Chris: Exactly, so not to get overly gory, but yeah. This is serious stuff, folks. Make sure that you’re clear with your doctor. Make sure that you’re not allergic to bee pollens, honey, or any component of that because we don’t want to make something worse. That’s the most important thing. With respect to these types of wounds, and a lot of the evidence surrounds burns and diabetic ulcers. Those are the two that we’ll focus on, but first and second-degree burns, it’s an excellent choice. The reason that, the principles of honey are a couple of different things. You want to talk about that it’s moist healing. You want to talk about its pH. Brad: Acidic level? Chris: Yeah, because honey is naturally acidic. That acidic environment specifically, we’ll just jump right in, is something that bacteria do not dig. So, it’s just not good for them, but it also provides a moist healing environment. It also provides natural debridement and natural anti-inflammatory activity. Sometimes you think all that inflammation is good for wound healing, but it controls it a little bit more to allow for better healing, but it also keeps it moist. So, when you apply it to the wound, whether you must pack it in there or if you’re going to apply it to something more topical, usually you want gloves. Wash your hands with soap and water, wash the wound area. Usually, I recommend using a normal saline or you could use a dilute, warm, soapy water. Rinse well, pat, let the area dry first before you apply to the wound. You’ll squirt a measured amount of honey onto the wound itself, or if it’s a little deeper you’re going to want to make sure it covers the entire wound depending on the size of your wound, so you want to get it in there. Brad: Could you just use distilled water? Chris: Well, distilled water you could rinse with, but I think I would use normal saline specifically because it’s naturally antimicrobial and it also flushes. Brad: That’s something you can easily get? Chris: You could buy wound wash. It’s just a product you can get at any pharmacy, you can buy it online, Amazon has it. So that’s going to be an aspect that you will use to help to prep the wound. Brad: So, you want to clean the wound and then put the honey directly on the wound? Chris: You can, but it’s better to put it on the dressing itself. Sometimes when the wound is very deep, there’s an applicator tip that you can place it in there. Some of these wounds that people may have experienced are deep. Even like an inch down into the skin with folds. You want to make sure that it gets in there, but it’s easiest to put it right on the gauze dressing and then apply it to the wound. Then you want to tape it down with a gentle tape so like a paper tape or a Nexcare pore tape by 3M type of thing, that’s breathable. It has micropores in it. You want good air transfer. A lot of times this skin is already broke down from the wound itself. We don’t want to cause anything. You don’t want to be using duct tape. Don’t want to be using something as aggressive as athletic tape. Brad: That’s something I would think of. Chris: We’re talking your language. Brad: Physical therapists are all trained in wound care. I had training in it. I did not do it much once I got out in the field. A lot of this stuff is making sense to me when I think back. I think the paper tape you’re talking about is something that it’s relatively inexpensive. Chris: It’s inexpensive, it’s breathable, it’s adhesive, but it’s not going to damage the skin per se. Brad: So, you could go online or to the pharmacy and ask for paper tape? It’s easy to work with. I’ve always enjoyed working with it, itcomes off easy. Everything’s good about it. Chris: Yeah, it’s very easy to use. It sticks and more importantly, it comes off well. The other thing you want to know, honey, just like anybody that’s ever-had honey, it’s sticky. So, with that, the other thing you want to do is put an occlusive dressing, a covering, over the gauze. I’m a cheapskate, cellophane works, you know, saran wrap works well. Cut out the same appreciable size, tape that over the wound and just keep the honey in place. If you’re sitting around watching TV, you’re not going to get honey on your furniture. You’re just not going to make a mess. Brad: Then the dog comes along and wants to lick it. Chris: Yeah, we don’t want to go there. The nice thing about it being a clear dressing and there’s more expensive ones like Tegaderm too, that you can use. To me, you want something that’s inclusive and clear so you can see it. Basically, when that dressing fills up with the exudate from the wound, all the byproducts, and we’ll talk about more of that in a minute, that’s time to change. So, what do you do? You’ll gently pull it off. You’re going to wash the area out, and then you’re going to start over. With these wounds early on, you’ll see more frequent dressing changes and more frequent applications of honey. As time goes by, you’re going to see that dressing gets less and less messy, the integrity of it and the wound starts to heal more. That’s how you know healing is taking place. Less dressing changes. Brad: What’s the dressing again that you put the honey on? Chris: It’s going to be a sterile gauze. I always like a non-stick gauze too because the wound itself and the material that you’re using it’s still going to be absorbent and some people may even put another layer of gauze over it to help drain, depending upon the type of wound that it is. That’s one of the things we should interject here. One of the concepts of why honey works so well is it’s got a high sugar content. So, what it does, it draws fluid from inside your body and the wound to the honey where it absorbs that. When it gets saturated, that’s another sign, and you’ll see that in your gauze. That means you’re going to have to change it. You have a dirty dressing at that point. Brad: I know I mentioned that high sugar content draws and works by osmosis. Chris: So, what you are going from, basically a low to high concentration. It creates a natural pump, so to speak, and it brings water into the honey. So, what that does from an anti-bacterial principle is it takes water always from bacteria. Water is important for bacteria to survive and proliferate or procreate. So, if we can eliminate the ability for those bacteria to try and thrive, you’re going to help your body’s natural immune system fight that and begin to heal faster. That’s one of the reasons why it works. Brad: This is just one of the natural things that happens. Chris: It’s a natural thing because of the honey and why it’s so effective and it’s been used for thousands of years. Along with that, the pH of the honey is slightly acidic. The bacteria don’t like that either. To date, we know of no anti-microbial resistance with honey. Brad: Oh, really? Chris: We’re talking about some of the big bugs. We’re talking like MRSA, Klebsiella. These are big, long words but just types of bacteria that they don’t like, C. Diff. All very serious infections that are just not good. And we found so far, honey is standing up to the test and I think it’s the environment that it creates for it. It’s pulling water away from bacteria, it’s acidic. Those are two things that bacteria do not like. Brad: Sure. Chris: As a result of that, with frequent wound changes, doctor’s guidance, they’ve shown that even diabetic foot ulcers can heal within four weeks. You’re talking about some of that with wound vacs, antibiotics, colloidal silver, just a lot of different things, maybe slower healing. Sometimes it’s appropriate. Brad: Chris is mentioning all these things, maybe if you’re not in the medical field, you wouldn’t know but wound vacs are very complicated. I’ve worked with them. There’s literally a little vacuum cleaner that sits on the side of your waist, usually clip it there and then that other silver, what was it? Chris: It’s an antibiotic. Brad: Yes. All these high-end, expensive things, and then we have honey, is standing up to the test. Chris: Yeah, it’s kind of weird. It’s been around forever, and it seems to work, and it doesn’t work for everything. That’s why it’s always good to have medical guidance with this. Brad: Sure. Chris: If you see it going sideways, you see more redness, a fever develop, pain. It’s calling your doctor right away because when these wounds get away from you, it can be a very serious thing. I think realistically, it has a lot of strong aspects to promote quicker, safer, faster healing. Brad: Would it be appropriate if you read this and you have a wound and you’re not using any honey, I mean, ask your doctor, is this honey treatment going to work for me? Chris: Let’s say you spill some coffee on your hand. We’ll call it first or second, it could easily be second degree, so you get the nice blister. With wound care, you never want to pop that blister. You want to leave that as a natural band-aid, but eventually that blister is going to pop. At that point, it’s appropriate to use the honey to allow it to heal quicker. They show it speeds up the healing time by a few days or even weeks if it’s a more severe infection. One of the unique aspects again with the acidity of honey is when these nasty wounds occur, they create a slimy barrier. Once the wound has had that, it’s very difficult to treat. Honey doesn’t allow that to happen because of the acidity, it debrides that, it pulls that stuff away and not like in a painful way, but it just breaks it up. Because of the natural anti-inflammatory aspects of the honey, it allows the healthier tissue to develop and heal. It’s fascinating stuff, how it works. Again, I want you to use a medical grade honey. The one that I’m most familiar with is the brand Medihoney. I think it’s an excellent product, but there’s other types of medical grade honeys out there that are perfectly acceptable to use as well. Brad: Well, I am excited about this. I mean, I’m glad, I’m grateful, Chris seriously. Also, we talked about some other benefits of honey which we decided to put it into another one down the line, but we’re talking about some cough suppressant properties. Chris: Honey itself, now this is where we kind of change gears, because Medihoney, we’d be going to the raw honeys and the less processed honey’s and I think something as simple as a cough, you can’t use it on kinds under the age of one. That can cause botulism. Be careful with that. No babies under the age of one, no honey ever. It’s basically their digestive tracks have not been able to handle the spores from botulism. Brad: Right, but you’re saying that honey was better than some cough medicine. Chris: Dextromethorphan’s. So, that’s the chief ingredient in say, Robitussin, Vicks, Delsym, Mucinex DM. It’s a commonly used cough suppressant. Brad: Well don’t tell them, we’ll get into that another time. Chris: Yeah, we’ll get into that. It will stop a cough. It’ll stop a sore throat, heart health, cholesterol health. It’s some interesting stuff. Brad: It’s a good naturally healing, natural substance. Okay, Chris, I appreciate everything you’ve done for us today and really opened some avenues and some information. Thank you, very much and good luck, with wound healing! Interested in learning about the products mentioned: 1) Medihoney Dressing Gel Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd , Rumble Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull-Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Bob and Brad Blood Pressure Monitor Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in September of 2019. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/k1SlmlqHXF8 Bob: Today we’re going to talk about if you are diagnosed with cancer, top three things you should do immediately. A lot of this information is from the “Patients Playbook.” It’s by Leslie Michelson. It’s how to save your life and the lives of those you love. I thought this was a good comprehensive book, kind of a guideline of what to do with any serious illness, not just cancer, but any serious illness. How to approach it and save your life. Brad: And how to work with the medical community. Bob: Exactly, which is a very complex issue now. All right, first off, let me extend my greatest sympathies to you and your family of people who are reading, if you’re reading this because someone in your family has been diagnosed with cancer. I’ve gone through this with my daughter. It’s devastating. One thing that I’ve found that worked out the best for us, Brad, is that you feel better acting. If you’re just sitting there and lamenting over it, you feel better doing these things that we’re going to mention today. The first thing is you want to choose the right place for treatment. That seems obvious, but a lot of people, I know, they have a hospital in their town, it might be smaller and they’re going, “well I have cancer, I’m just going to get treated here. It’s a lot easier.” You don’t want to do that. You want to pick, basically a center of excellence. If you have small problems, you can go to a small hospital, but when you have large problems, you must go to a large teaching hospital. Brad: Sure. Bob: Most of these, your insurance, a lot of time, and Medicare will cover these large institutions. I mean, you can go to some of the best institutions in the world and they’ll take Medicare. Brad: Sure, wow. Bob: So, in our area we’re very lucky. We have two within, what would you say, and hour and a half? Brad: Right, an easy drive. Bob: Yeah. We have Mayo Clinic, and we have Gunderson Health Systems. So, all very good. Brad: I don’t know. I’m kind of going against you a little bit here, Bob. I know my friend went to Gunderson and then he went to Mayo, and then he went to a third place which was a small, but very specific. All they treated was that specific cancer. Bob: That’s a good point. Brad: There are exceptions to that. Bob: If you have a clinic that just specializes in that one cancer, absolutely. All right, number two, get the second opinion. At least have the pathology report reread. So, one study they cited in the book and they had a whole chapter or section on this, how important this was. There were 742 patients in this study, and they all had cancer, and they got a second opinion and 69 of the cases, that’s nine percent, it came up with a different diagnosis on the second opinion. Brad: It was a different kind of cancer, or it wasn’t cancer? Bob: I don’t know, just a different diagnosis. Either way, it’s important to know. Brad: I have a good friend of mine, his father was diagnosed with lung cancer. It was from the chemical, Asbestos. He was diagnosed with it, so they went to get the best surgeon they could which happened to be in New York that they found. He flew to New York to have the surgery and he was good, the surgeon was, because something didn’t look right about it, so he got another biopsy of it, sent it in while he was on the table. Ended up not being cancer. Bob: Oh wow. Brad: That was five or six years ago and he’s healthy as can be today. So, they lived with this diagnosis for, I don’t know how many weeks, before they had gone to the surgeon. The whole family was obviously in turmoil. That nine percent, that second opinion can be a real good idea. Bob: You don’t have to go necessarily to see another doctor, just send the pathology report. I used to work at Mayo Clinic, and I saw this all the time. I remember one time they go, “Well we saw it in our scan, but we also look at it and we can see it in their scan. They were wrong.” I don’t know what it is, but there’s human error still. Brad: The human body’s complicated. Bob: Yeah, it is. Lung cancer is a notorious one for that. They can kind of misdiagnose as bronchitis and all that. Okay, number three, you want to immerse yourself in knowledge from reputable sites. The worst thing you can do is go on google and put in your diagnosis and you start reading things and who knows who you’re reading from. There’s a couple sites and they go over a lot of them in the book, the NIH, National Institute of Health has a site called PubMed.com. That’s all research studies and that’s a little bit more difficult for the lay person to weed through, but you know, if you start reading a lot of the studies, it starts to make sense to you, some of the verbiage they use. There are certainly other ones that are written for the lay person. Mayo Clinic has a website, just mayoclinic.com, and WebMD, I’ve found that to be a good solid site. Brad: Just knowing if we Google and stuff for physical therapy and it’s just something written by someone who is not a therapist, doesn’t have background in it, but they have some exercise background and they’re trying to treat. Bob: Yeah, we see some crazy stuff. Brad: They give information on back pain and it’s like, they clearly haven’t seen patients for back pain over a period of years. Bob: What I often see, and this is on YouTube a lot, is that someone treated their own back using a certain method and it worked, but in most of the cases that’s not going to work. In fact, it’ll probably make things worse. You want to go to reputable sources. Good luck with it. I hope things turn out great for you, thanks. Interested in learning about the products mentioned: 1) The Patient's Playbook: Find the "No-Mistake Zone" Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd , Rumble Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull-Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Bob and Brad Blood Pressure Monitor Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

What is causing the pain in your back, buttock, thighs, calves, or feet? What is the movement, position, injury, or thing causing the pain to occur? We refer to the cause of your sciatica/back pain as a “pain maker”. Your job will be to figure out what the pain makers are in your life. We will show you how to avoid them. We estimate your pain levels can improve by 50% or more just by eliminating the pain makers in your world. Common pain makers for back pain and sciatica: Most cases of sciatica are caused by a herniated or bulging disc. But what caused the herniated or bulging disc? We provide this simple demonstration to our patients. We use two coffee cups shaped like back bones (vertebra) to represent two bones from your low back. We use a gel filled ball to represent the disc that is located in between the bones of the low back. The discs act as cushions between the bones in your spine. With a healthy disc you can bend forward as demonstrated in photo A or sit as portrayed in photo B and initially nothing happens to the disc. However, in both positions you are putting stress on the back part of the discs. The back part of the discs may start to weaken with repeated stress due to poor lifting techniques and poor posture as well as when you age. See photo C. The repeated stress may eventually cause a crack in the disc to occur. With more time and more stress, the gel in the disc may even seep through the wall of the disc. Some people refer to this as a slipped disc or ruptured disc, although the whole disc does not slip or rupture. Once the disc herniates, it may press or irritate one of the nerve roots coming off of your spinal cord. The pressure on the nerve root can cause pain, numbness, tingling, and burning sensations down your leg. In our opinion, the main contributing factor causing a herniated or bulging disc is repeated poor positioning of your back. This is your pain maker. Repeated and prolonged poor positioning of your back will almost always result in some sort of back pain or sciatica. In addition, your disc may not heal if you continue to put your back in poor positions. The most common position culprits are slumping, slouching, or curved postures of the spine. Poor positioning of your back can occur when you are picking up keys from the floor, getting out of bed, making the bed, vacuuming, picking up laundry, or when you are sitting at your computer. All these activities can be pain makers if performed with incorrect technique. Below are examples of pain makers: Picking up small objects from the floor incorrectly Getting out of bed incorrectly Making a bed incorrectly Vacuuming incorrectly Picking up a laundry basket incorrectly Staring at a screen with head forward posture and rounded back Examine each photo carefully. You will note the common denominator. Each of the images shares one trait: a back that is in a slumped, slouched, or curved position. Sadly, this is a common position for most of us when standing, carrying, lifting, and sitting. It is often referred to as the C position because the back resembles a Giant C. THE C POSITION IS A COMMON PAIN MAKER. Placing your back in the C position can cause, increase, and/or perpetuate back pain and sciatica. The C position is stressful and harmful to many parts of your back. The stress becomes most evident when the C position is repeated frequently or held over a prolonged period. If you are recovering from sciatica, the C position can delay your healing. The C position held over a prolonged period can also cause the ligaments holding the vertebra together to slowly stretch out. As they stretch out, the spine becomes less stable. Furthermore, your back parts are more apt to move out of proper position when your back is in the C position. In general, your back is more likely to “go out” when your back is frequently in the C position. When your back parts “go out” of position, you are likely to experience increased pain and discomfort. The reverse is also true. Keep your back in the correct position and posture and it is very difficult for the ligaments to stretch out or the back parts to move out of place. We refer to the correct position of the spine as “a locked in spine”. The spine is locked in the correct, safe position. The critics will say “I have been placing my back in the C position for years and have not experienced any problems”. Bravo for you, but beware. You are not Gumby and you are not Pokey. Check out the full Sciatica series of videos along with downloadable guide sheets for each video on our website. DISCLAIMER We insist that you see a physician before starting this video series. Furthermore, this video series is not designed to replace the treatment of a professional: physician, osteopath, physical therapist, orthopedic surgeon, or chiropractor. It may however serve as an adjunct. Do not go against the advice of your health care professional. When under the care of a professional make certain that they approve of all that you try. This information is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. Any information given about back-related conditions, treatments, and products is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this publication. Before starting an exercise program, consult a physician. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

1. Drink water immediately after working out. May add salt or Nuun tablet. Getting dehydrated can be hard to determine, especially since it usually takes a few days for your body to rehydrate. But, with the right color of urine, you can tell when you’re dehydrated. Drinking water helps keep your body hydrated and helps nourish the muscles. Also, it can reduce inflammation and provide nutrients to your body. It’s also important to remember that taking vitamin supplements can cause urine to look darker. 2. Eat something within 20-40 minutes of working out. You can speed up the recovery process by providing your body with the nutrients it needs to repair and grow stronger. To start, we suggest consuming protein and carbs within 30 minutes of a long and intense workout. Carbs and protein are known to provide the amino acids needed to rebuild muscle tissue. They also contribute to the recovery of the stored fuel in the body. Source: https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8 3. Keep moving. Cool down. A cool-down helps lower blood pressure and improve the circulatory system after vigorous exercise. It can also help prevent muscle soreness and improve the recovery process. 4. Massage gun as an alternative to keep moving. A review conducted in 2015 revealed that rolling foam can help improve range of motion and reduce DOMS. This treatment increases circulation to the affected area and helps reduce swelling. Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4637917/ Performing a simple and effective self-massage using a massage gun is similar to a traditional massage. These devices can stimulate blood flow to the muscles by delivering rapid vibrations. After a session, Bob and Brad suggest using a massage gun to gently sweep over the muscle. It’s important to avoid doing too much work in one area to prevent irritation. If you’re interested in using a massage gun post-workout, we have developed a series of massage guns. 5. Wear compression socks after working out. Wearing compression socks can help reduce muscle soreness and improve the recovery process after vigorous exercise. Gradient compression socks deliver controlled pressure to the ankle, which helps prevent swelling. Ideally, wear socks that are comfortable and supportive to avoid restricting the movement of your legs. 6. Get plenty of sleep. One of the best recovery things you can do. Although sleep is often considered crucial for recovery, it’s also a vital component of keeping up with exercise. For instance, sleep can improve the production of protein synthesis, which is a process carried out by the body to repair damaged muscles. Getting enough sleep is also very important for recovery. Seven hours of sleep is recommended on average. 7. Take vitaminD3 to help with muscle recovery. Vitamin D is a vital component for muscle and bone health. It can help lower joint pain and prevent inflammation. Try a Bob and Brad Massage Gun to Reduce Muscle Soreness: 1) C2 Massage Gun 2) Q2 Mini Massage Gun 3) T2 Massage Gun 4) X6 PRO Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in December of 2021. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PjElgjTtnc&t=29s Bob: Today, Brad, we’re going to be talking about seven alarming ways bad posture is ruining your health and success. Plus, a simple fix is going to be shown. Brad: Right, Bob, I really wanted to do this. We both have a passion for posture and literally there are seven things that can drastically affect your life, your appearance, your body, your health, your orthopedic issues. All those things. We’re going to get to it. Bob: It’s a little bit shocking. You can start having pain to the point where you can’t even function. Brad: Right. It can lead to a surgery. Okay, posture. Let’s go to the first reason why posture gives you so many problems. It has to do with your neck. When you have poor posture, your head goes forward, puts a great deal of stress, particularly on the low neck or the upper cervical vertebra causing headaches, a disc can actually herniate or rupture, cause a pinched nerve. So we really need to take care of our necks with our posture. Bob: For every inch you go forward, it’s another 10 pounds of stress on your neck. Brad: Right. Bob: Number two is the shoulder. People don’t realize that poor posture affects your shoulder. Look at me here. I’m going to have poor posture and I’m going to try to raise my shoulder up. Look how far I go, that’s it. I can’t go any higher. Now, I’m going to sit with good posture. Whoa. I can raise my arm all the way up. Bob: If it’s down like this, that means it’s pinching. It’s giving impingement, it’s causing pain. So, if you’re at the computer and hunching forward, you’re causing pain and problems and impingement. Brad: They say 70% of shoulder pain is from an impingement problem. So, we need to work on that posture. Bob: It’s not a minor thing. Brad: Number three, how you can breathe as incredibly affected by your posture. I’m leaned forward and slouched forward, it takes your visceral organs, your abdominal content pushes that into your diaphragm, which limits your volume of breathing. Also, your rib cage is not able to expand as it would like to as when you’re sitting straight up and then you can breathe and take in a lot more volume which is going to give you more energy. It will make a big difference in your life. Bob: It’s the problem with ankylosing spondylitis, Brad, everything starts tightening up and they have trouble with breathing. Brad: Sure. Bob: I thought I’d throw it in there. Brad: I’m glad you did. Bob: Next one, back. You can start, if your back, you’re holding it in a flex position most of the day, like you sit or lift or carry things with a bent posture, you start to develop a disc problem. That puts pressure on the disc, and it can push out the back and it can push on a nerve. It can give you sciatica. It’s probably the number one cause of sciatica. Brad: Poor seated posture or biomechanics. Right. The next one, this is huge. It has nothing to do with pain and as far as being sick. It has a lot to do with your appearance. You look so much better when you’re up, tall posture. If you go to a job interview and you walk in slouched, you’re not going to get the job unless everyone else looks like that. Well then, they’re going to look for someone else, but appearance is an incredible amount of what people think of you, what you think of yourself. Bob: I think it also makes you look older. If I see someone and they’re slouched over, like an older man or woman, they look that much older. But if they come along and they have good posture I think, Oh, they must be younger. Brad: Right. Head up, shoulders back. You’re going to get the job. They’re going to look younger. All good stuff. Bob: The next thing is, people don’t understand this, but believe it or not, if your head is forward, it affects your jaw. The way you can chew. Just try to put your head way forward and try to swallow. Brad: Yeah. Bob: It’s hard to do. So, one of the things that when I went to TMJ courses, the temporal mandibular joint, that’s the jaw joint, you teach the person you work on posture is the first thing you do to try to help take away jaw pain because poor posture will lead to poor arthrokinematics. Brad: Yeah, the mechanics of the joint. If you think about it, if you ever try to swallow, you always bring your head back. You straighten up a little bit. Things go down easier. As opposed to going through a zig-zaggy esophagus. We should be speech therapists. Your daughter, she could probably show us. She's a Speech Language Pathologist. Bob: She could fill us in on that. Brad: That’s right. Next one, should we talk about dowagers hunchback? That hunch back. Bob: You get that big bump at the bottom of your neck or in the middle of your back. Both are very unattractive, I’m sorry to say. Brad: And painful. They can relate to a lot of painful changes. Bob: And that’s from posture. I mean, people think that it just grew on its own, but no, that’s because of poor posture. Brad: There could be some genetics involved, but one way or another, there’s the seven things that are affecting or could affect your life just by poor posture. So, we’re going to show you some ways to correct it now. Should we go to the first one? Bob: Yeah. Brad: Alright, seated posture. Which is a big part of the problems, especially at the computer, the workstation or in the car. Bob: One of the keys to this is that you do it throughout the day. Don’t do it once and think you'll have good posture. You must fight it constantly. Brad: So, up, and back. I like this one from Bob. It reminds me of when you say, “Hallelujah.” You don’t have to say that, in my head I say that. Well, at home maybe, by myself. But you bring your arms up, it’s kind of like the W’s stretch. W for Wisconsin, not for Minnesota. It’s a personal inside joke. Bob: You can bring it all the way overhead too. You are going to be doing the W’s too, right? Brad: Oh, yes. Bob: So, just put the arms straight up. Brad: W’s, and if you have a chair, you can lean back because it doesn’t go too high. Just go right back over the edge of it. Breathe in and exhale. You’ll notice when you do this, you can clearly get more oxygen, more air into those lungs. Bob: This little trick here, developed by Mike, one of our crew members. Brad: Right, he’s a physical therapist assistant. He came up with this idea and we’ve been using it for years with our patients as well as each other. You take the ball, get it behind your back. It must be a soft ball, not like a basketball. Bob: We’re using a kickball. Brad: Yeah, we took it from the neighbors kids. Just kidding. They gave it to us. Bob: After we took their candy. Brad: Yeah. Anyways, stretch back. Bob: The thing that is nice about the ball is you can put it in different spots of the back. Honestly, if you work at a desk, you should have one of these balls, just go to the big box store and get a ball. You are going to find out that this alone, not only reminds you to do it, but it can hit all spots in your back. It just works well. Brad: I can tell right now I’m a little lower and that feels like that’s what needs it a little bit more. Bob: He’s stretching the chest muscles so he can open the breathing up and can solve that problem of not being able to breathe well. Brad: All right, good. What’s the next one? Bob: Wall angels. Do you want to do chin tucks since you’re down there, Brad? Brad: Yeah. You can do this one while you’re driving, while you’re sitting. To do the chin tucks, you need to have good posture first. Bob: You don’t want to slouch for the chin tucks. Brad: I was doing these once at a red light in my car to pick up my posture, “let me do some chin tucks.” The person in the car over looks at me “what the heck is he doing?” “I’m doing chin tucks, what do you think?” It was kind of funny. I was laughing inside. Next one. Bob: The final one is wall angels. Brad: I think you came up with this one, Bob. Bob: Oh no, this has been around for years. Brad: It has? Oh, I can’t remember. Use the wall, lean up against the wall, put your butt up against the wall, your shoulders, bring your shoulders back and then do the W again. Now, if you’re tight, you will not be able to get your arms up against the wall yet, but don’t worry, you can do them away from the wall. Bob: That’s where he’s doing the wall angel. He’s making the wings. Brad: Yup. Bob: You can see any progress by how close to the wall you are. Brad: How close you are and how high you can get. Bob: Even with your head. You want to see if you can get your head back. Brad: Some people can’t touch their head to the wall. Bob: A lot of people can’t. Brad: If you tilt your head back, that’s cheating. We want to tuck your chin back. I’m thinking this is going to be a little project, right? When I’m painting next at our house, when the wall is all wet, I’m going to go up against the wall and I’m going to do this and then take a picture of it and use that for show and tell. Bob: Why don’t you do it when they pour your cement driveway or whatever. Brad: Another good idea! Excellent. That’s a Haikou. All right, next one. Bob: That’s it! Brad: That’s it, that’s all of them! Thanks! Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd , Rumble Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull-Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Bob and Brad Blood Pressure Monitor Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

Trying to floss your nerves is done just as we would use floss to glide through and clean between your teeth. We are trying to get the nerves to glide better, which can reduce your pain. You must be VERY CAREFUL in performing this exercise because while it can make your pain better, it can also make your pain worse. We recommend you start by performing just 10 repetitions of the nerve flossing and then wait a day to see how your body reacts. If you experience increased radiating pain (in the buttock, leg, or foot) stop immediately. Wait a week and try it again. A week later, before trying the flossing again, attempt the first exercise demonstrated in #1 Sciatica Exercise for Disc Bulging, Herniation, etc. After the first exercise, repeat 10 repetitions of the flossing. If pain still increases, this technique is not for you. If your buttock, leg, or foot pain remains the same or improves, continue with the flossing once per day. How to floss: Sit on a table or desk high enough and with enough space underneath to swing your leg. Your head, neck, painful leg should be moving in tandem (together). Sit in an upright posture. Next, extend your neck and head back at the same time you straighten your knee and pull your foot up toward your chest. Then proceed to flex your head and your knee at the same time while you push your foot down. Those two movements make up one repetition. Do this for 10 repetitions total. Flossing can help desensitize a nerve. However, it can take anywhere from a few days up to months to help. If possible, continue to perform the prone progression and elbow prop prior to flossing, if able to do so pain-free. Check out the full Sciatica series of videos along with downloadable guide sheets for each video on our website. DISCLAIMER We insist that you see a physician before starting this video series. Furthermore, this video series is not designed to replace the treatment of a professional: physician, osteopath, physical therapist, orthopedic surgeon, or chiropractor. It may however serve as an adjunct. Do not go against the advice of your health care professional. When under the care of a professional make certain that they approve of all that you try. This information is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. Any information given about back-related conditions, treatments, and products is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this publication. Before starting an exercise program, consult a physician. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.

Photo by Joseph Pearson on Unsplash There’s something about nature that’s good for the soul. It’s refreshing to kick back in the sun with sunglasses and a good book. It’s fun to run through water on a sunny day or even to run through the rain. Being outdoors is good for anyone with an ailment, but it can prove especially beneficial for people recovering from troubling life experiences. Seniors, especially, need to make sure they’re spending enough time in the sunshine and fresh air. Courtesy of Bob and Brad, here are some reasons why those struggling with anxiety, stress, and depression can greatly benefit from spending time outdoors. The Sun Provides Much-Needed Vitamin D Direct exposure to sunlight produces vitamin D in the body. Although many people don’t get enough of it, vitamin D is essential for the body’s calcium levels and immune system. The vitamin has also been linked to decreased depression and anxiety and is being used more and more in addiction treatment, according to Science Direct and the Journal of Medical Hypotheses and Ideas. Although you can obtain vitamin D by purchasing supplements and eating certain foods, why not go outside and get it naturally? Not only is it free, but you’ll be able to reap all the other benefits of being outside along with it. You Get More Exercise One of the worst things you can do when struggling with depression is to become a hermit who never goes outside. Spending too much time indoors is unhealthy for anyone, and for someone suffering from stress and anxiety, it could be extra detrimental to their overall well-being. On the other hand, National Geographic notes that going outside and moving helps you feel productive and can lead to higher self-esteem. Naturally, people are more physically active when they are outside. Hiking, running, cycling, swimming and any kind of ball sport are all examples of fun and healthy outdoor activities. You should choose something you enjoy; otherwise, you’re likely to give up on it. The benefits to outdoor exercise and recreation for the body, mind, emotions and social life are endless. Like vitamin D, exercising can also help decrease depression and anxiety, so putting the two together makes for a great combination. It’s Healthy for Your Mind Being outside is also good for the brain. Taking a walk in nature is believed to be better for your mind than walking on the treadmill or in urban areas. It can improve short-term memory and concentration, which can help you conquer everyday tasks at work and home. Even sitting or standing for a moment amidst the sounds of nature can be relaxing and restorative. It’s worth making it a regular part of your day, if possible, to close your eyes and listen to the birds chirping, the wind rustling the leaves, and the stream running nearby. You could even transform your backyard into a relaxing oasis where you can just sit back, relax with some self-care products from Bob and Brad, and enjoy the outdoors. Hire some professionals to touch up your yard — search “yard maintenance near me” and read through reviews to find a service that can make your backyard a relaxing escape. Man’s Best Friend On top of trying to incorporate healthy lifestyle choices, many people experience loneliness on a regular basis. However, spending time with animals can really improve your life. One of the best ways to alleviate negative emotions is to get a dog. For one, being responsible for another living being gives you purpose beyond yourself, and it can be a great way to build character and keep you accountable. Having a dog is also a way to engender unconditional love and affection, and has been known to decrease sadness and help with stress and anxiety levels. This is particularly beneficial to seniors, who often experience isolation and loneliness as they grow older. Be Realistic While it’s important to live healthily, sudden massive changes in your lifestyle aren’t always effective. According to Zen Business, “By focusing on the goal, and not on the process, sometimes we try to do too much at once.” That’s why it’s important to set reasonable, achievable goals for yourself. Remember, depression is tough. Getting over it takes time. Go easy on yourself. Use the resources available to you -- including fresh air! There are many benefits to spending time outdoors for those recovering from troubled times. The sun provides the body with vitamin D, and you are more likely to be active when you are outside. Also, being outdoors serves your mind well by boosting concentration and memory. Perhaps the best thing you can do if you’re feeling lonely, however, is to get a dog. After all, they are called man’s best friends for a reason.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in of . For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLlfQDwTYz0&t=286s Bob: Today we’re going to talk about how much activity do older adults need? So, the subject is physical activity, Brad and I want to make sure right now, we emphasize how important physical activity is for health. Even modest amounts can affect your health. You don’t have to run a marathon. Brad: Right. Exactly. Bob: We just want you to get off the couch. Brad: Right, and we’re physical therapists. We work with all ages of people. We’re literally experts at this. Bob: That’s right. I think we can talk to it. Let’s name some benefits, Brad, of physical activity. Brad: Well, one thing, it helps keep you thinking and learning skills sharp. If the body is not active, it affects the mind and how the mind works. Bob: It’s funny how that works. Okay. It’s going to improve your sleep quality. You work hard, you’re going to be ready for bed. Brad: Right and when you sleep better, everything’s better. Your body needs that time to relax and rejuvenate. Also, it strengthens your bones and muscles. I think that’s one thing that people may not be aware of, we know it strengthens your muscles, but your bones are directly influenced. Bob: Osteopenia, osteoporosis. I mean, the bones react to stress on them. They become thicker. It can reduce the risk of depression and anxiety. Mental health is so important nowadays and this helps keep you on track. It’s probably one of the best drugs you can do. Mental health is the natural drug of physical exertion. Brad: I can speak to that personally. Bob: So can I. Brad: My wife, if I’m getting a little ornery, she says, you need your exercise. And I'm happy to do it. It decreases the risks of cardiovascular disease and type two diabetes. Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the United States. Bob: Yup, I saw that. They just mentioned that. Brad: 500,000 people roughly. I don’t have the exact number in my head. Bob: It also, can reduce the risk of certain cancers, just by being active. So, there are some guidelines. We have different organizations that provides the guidelines. According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, you should do at least 150 minutes. That’s two and a half hours a week. That’s a fair amount. I saw a lot of that ended up being about 60 minutes a day. Brad: If you’re starting out, you’re not going to jump in to 150 minutes in a week. You take weeks to build up. You find things you enjoy doing and make it into an enjoyable part of your life. Bob: Exactly, we’re talking about a lifestyle approach here. So, don’t jump right into this. The other ones, I want to mention, the Institute of Medicine, U.S. Dietary Guidelines, and the American Cancer Society all recommend around 45-60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity. Brad: Sure. Again, don’t get scared off by this. Everyone has their own levels of moderate and vigorous. Bob: Well, I just want to say if you get off the couch and do something, I’m really happy with you. Let’s give some examples of moderate activities. Brad: Walking briskly. Bob: Sure. Brad: So, if you’re walking with someone, you’re talking to them, you should be able to keep a conversation going, but you notice that you’re working. Bob: You’re working a bit hard. Cleaning heavy, boy. Brad: Heavy cleaning. Bob: I bet you do that a lot, don’t you? Brad: Well, I clean the bathroom once a year, whether it needs it or not. Bob: There we go. Brad: Just kidding. Bob: Next one, Brad. Brad: Washing the windows. Bob: Ah, Mike our camera guy used to do that professionally. Brad: So, obviously you must be careful reaching up high if you have shoulder problems or balance issues. So, it’s just an example. Bob: Vacuuming, we find this with a lot of people with back pain, it’s difficult on their backs. It can be moderate intensity. Brad: It depends if you have one of those vacuum cleaners that have the power motors in it or not. Mopping the floor, obviously, if your back is healthy. Bob: Same with sweeping the floor. It’s like the next one, Brad. Brad: Slow dancing, ballroom, and line dancing. Bob: That’s what you can do with your broom and your vacuum. You can slow dance with them. Brad: Mowing the lawn. Be careful, I have a friend he’s in his seventies and he’s mowing the lawn yet. Bob: We’re not talking about a seated lawn mower, we’re talking about a push mower. Brad: A push mower and it may be one that has the power transmission, which is kind of nice. Especially if you have some hills. So, good judgement on all these. Bob: Bicycling. Especially a light effort. I’m not talking about really gearing down like you do. Brad: Yeah, if you have a hill to climb, that’s a major issue versus bicycling on the flat or gentle rolling hills. Bob: Okay, how about badminton? Brad: Badminton, yeah. It’s another one of those activities where you forget about getting tired so much because you get involved with the activity. Bob: We were just talking about this one, Brad, pickleball. It’s gone crazy over the nation. Brad: Does the ball have a pickle? Bob: I don’t know why the pickle comes in there. Brad: We’re not pickleball players, yet. Tennis, but doubles. Bob: Doubles, right. Brad: So, you’re not going back and forth so far. Again, all these with good judgement and moderation involved. Bob: Using an elliptical trainer. It’s nice because they’re easy on the legs, easy on the knees. Brad: You don’t have that impact, it’s a smooth motion. Bob: Right, it’s smooth. Brad: You have something to hold onto with your hands and it helps your balance. If you get on and off it safely, of course. Bob: Any others, Brad? Brad: Gardening. Bob: Yeah. That was my dad’s thing, boy. He always said too, that keeps him in shape, his gardens. Brad: There’s something, I think, I have a friend who’s a farmer. He talks about getting out into the soil and the fresh air. Bob: The nature. Double benefit. Brad: Yup and watching things grow and have that feeling of feeling good about what you’re doing. Then water aerobics. I go swimming two to three times a week and there’s always a water aerobics class that comes in. They kind of kick me out, but it’s wonderful. There’s usually about 20-30 people. It is the retired crowd and they’re just having a ball. Bob: Yeah. It’s a great community type activity. Brad: I mean, they’re not playing water polo with a ball, but their enjoying it very much. Bob: Again, we want you to work up to that 60 minute maybe, every day, but that would take a long time. There are multiple studies that show the benefits of walking anywhere from 2,000 to 10,000 steps a day. Brad: That sounds like a lot. Bob: A lot of people have that watch. You know, the Fitbit. Brad: Yeah, don’t count it, literally. I mean, you could. Bob: My wife is addicted to hers. Oh gosh. Brad: I would get addicted to one if I had one. Bob: At night, she will often, “Oh my god, I’m 800 steps light.” And she starts walking around the kitchen. I’m not kidding. She’s addicted to hers. She does 10,000 steps by 10 in the morning. Brad: Oh really? And then she can rest? Bob: No, then she does 20,000 steps by night. So, if you can do 2,000 steps a day, we’re happy with you. That’s going to be highly beneficial. Brad: I just want to clarify, if you want 60 minutes, I think it’s fine to do 20 minutes in the morning, 20 minutes in the afternoon, and 20 minutes at night. Break it up. Bob: Exercise bits. Brad: Enjoy the day and be careful! Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd , Rumble Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull-Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Bob and Brad Blood Pressure Monitor Bob & Brad Amazon Store and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced in order to help you make the best choice for you.