How to Use the TENS Unit: If you are using an iReliev TENS unit we provide step-by-step video instruction on how to use the following types: iReliev 1313 iReliev 5050 iReliev 8080 Just go to the program section at BobandBrad.com and click on the TENS series. Under the series look for the videos with the 1313, 5050, or 8080 TENS units. If you are using a TENS unit from another manufacturer you will need to follow the instructions provided with the product. Where to Place the Pads: There is NOT a specific right way to position or place the pads. The best approach is to place the pads wherever they relieve pain the most. Experiment and see what will work best for you. General Guidelines for Top of Foot: Use of one channel and two pads for top of foot Option One: Use one channel and two pads. Place one pad (either one) directly on the pain. Place the other pad either in front of the other pad or behind the other pad (at least a pad’s width apart). Option Two: Use one channel and two pads. Place one pad (either one) in front of the pain and one pad behind the pain or place one pad on each side of the pain. Use of two channels and four pads for top of foot In our demonstration channel, one has yellow pads and channel two has green pads. Option one: place one pad from channel one placed behind the area of pain and one pad placed in front of the area of pain. Place one pad from channel two placed on the right side of the pain and another pad from channel two placed on the left side of the area of pain. This arrangement forms a cross pattern. Option two: place one pad from channel one in the upper right corner of the area of pain and one pad from channel one in the lower left corner of the area of pain. Place one pad from channel two in the upper left corner of the pain and one pad in the lower right corner of the pain. This arrangement forms an X pattern. General Guidelines for Bottom of Foot: Caution: If you place a pad over a calloused area on your foot, the conduction of electricity may be affected (diminished). Experiment and see. Option One: Use one channel and two pads. Place one pad (either one) directly on the pain. Place the other pad either in front of the other pad or behind the other pad (at least a pad’s width apart). Option Two: Use one channel and two pads. Place one pad (either one) in front of the pain and one pad behind the pain or place one pad on each side of the pain. Use of two channels and four pads for bottom of foot. In our examples channel one has yellow pads and channel two has green pads. Option one: place one pad from channel one behind the area of pain and place one pad in front of the area of pain. Place one pad from channel two on the right side of the pain and another pad from channel two on the left side of the area of pain. This arrangement forms a cross pattern. Option two: one pad from channel one in the upper right corner of the area of pain and one pad from channel one in the lower left corner of the area of pain. One pad from channel two in the upper left corner of the pain and one pad in the lower right corner of the pain. This arrangement forms an X pattern. General Guidelines for Pain Referred from Another Area: An example would be foot pain that is coming (referred) from the back. Using channel one, place the two pads along the nerve pathway. The two pads from channel two could be placed on the foot. See Photo for Example Reminder: do not place pads over open wounds or areas with excessive hair. Clean the area with soap and water prior to placement of the pads. Treatment before or after TENS: Circular and splaying massage. See video for demonstration. For more information on the TENS programs visit: https://www.bobandbrad.com/tens-program If interested in purchasing the TENS/EMS unit by iReliev visit: https://ireliev.com/bobandbrad/?uid=15&oid=1&affid=10 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 May of 2021. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlmF9PM3Kg0 Bob: Today, we’re going to talk about the dominant exercise for great health, including weight loss, cardio, and back pain. Brad: It’s got to be one good exercise, Bob. And we’ve got it all raveled out in here. We are going to show you exactly. Bob: Exactly. Brad: I’m excited about this one. What does it take to be the best, the dominant exercise? Number one, it has to be something that the majority of people can do. Bob: Right, what good would it be if it’s the dominant exercise if only 10% of the population can do it. Brad: Or just high-level athletes or whatever. We want it for the masses. Number two, good compliance. It has to be something that most people will be willing to do. It’s not like, you know nobody wants to do crunches. Laying down and doing abdominal work. Most people don’t. Bob: Well, some of the really high intensity workouts too. People have trouble sticking with them. Brad: Yeah, you get sore muscles. Bob: They do it for a while and they burn out on it. Brad: And number three, something low cost. You don’t have to go out and purchase a large piece of equipment or something. The next thing for this exercise, there’s 7 benefits that are really important. Number one it should burn some calories. We want some weight loss. Lower blood pressure. It’s going to lower blood pressure, which is wonderful. Improved digestion. It’s a broad exercise. This is great. It’s going to help joint and back pain. Also, good for osteoporosis, osteopenia, bone loss and improve your sleep. Then just simply make you live long. Bob: I know you like seven, Brad, but I’m going to add a number eight. Brad: Oh, the bonus. What’s number eight? Bob: Number eight is it’s going to help your mental health, without a doubt. Brad: Yeah, you’re right, you’re right. Bob: Exercise in general helps mental health. Brad: But there’s been studies on this particular exercise. Bob: Especially when done in a certain way. Brad: So, everyone’s wondering what is the exercise? The answer is so simple. Many people have already guessed, I’m sure. It’s simply walking. Get out and walk. Dr. Steven Blair has done a lot of research on exercise for the general population back in the eighties and nineties. This was his go-to exercise. We talk about back pain, Stuart McGill, leading back expert. Bob: What Stuart recommends Brad, is actually if you’re having back pain, he recommends getting out four times a day with walking for even just 5 minutes each time. He said even up to 20 minutes, four times a day. Probably the number one thing you can do for your back pain. Brad: And if you are doing it with back pain, walking on the flat is going to be much preferred because it keeps that pelvis stable. Bob: In regards to mental health, Brad, we’ve also seen this, they had done studies that it's so much better to walk out in nature. Brad: Yep, get away from the hustle and bustle if that opportunity exists, some people may not have that. But if you can jump in the car and take a 10-minute ride to get to the park, that kind of thing. Bob: Well, it’s an hour ride, ha-ha. Brad: Duration, well how long should we walk? People are going to want it. 20-30 minutes is typically recommended. And then, 5-7 days a week. If you’re just starting out and you have not walked much, start out on five-minute walks, maybe 10 minutes and then do it every other day so your body gets used to it. Bob: If you’re really not fit, go to the end of the driveway and back. I mean, just a couple times a day. Start off in a manageable bite. Brad: You know, I was just listening to Sara Meeks, and she was talking, if you’ve been in bed, let’s say you’ve maybe had COVID and your bed-ridden for a week. That just takes your whole cardiovascular system down to an incredibly low level. So, you’re going to go out and walk, short distances. Like you said, maybe to your mailbox and back. Bob: I got pneumonia when I was a sophomore in high school, and I was in track at the time. I came back mid-season, and it wasn’t until the end of the season that I stopped getting last in the mile because it just took so much out of me. Brad: And that’s as a young person. Bob: Right. Brad: If you’re older, it’s way worse. Let’s talk about anything else with back pain. Bob: So, this was recommended by Dr. Stuart McGill. I found this fascinating. I tried it on some patients, and it worked. What he recommended is that you actually pick up your pace when you walk. Brad: That sounds weird. Bob: It does sound weird because it seems like it might hurt your back more. It does, you actually take less weight on a spine if you are walking at a faster pace. I had a guy come in. He was limping like you wouldn’t believe. He looked like he was walking through a desert on a hot day. I said, we’re going to try walking at a faster speed. He looked at me like I was crazy. But by the end of the session, he was walking around, and he looked normal. Brad: Was he smiling? Bob: He was smiling. I was the Messiah after that. I mean, I knew everything, ha-ha. Brad: It is fun to be a therapist when that happens. Bob: Yeah, once in a while that happens. Brad: I do want to mention though, if you’ve been walking for a while, you’re up to 20-30 minutes and you’re starting to get bored and you need something to break it up, do some interval walking. Or actually kind of a modified HIIT, high intensity interval training. You can do this very easily. Walk for one minute or pick a distance out. Maybe if you’re walking in a city, you could go one block where you walk very quickly and briskly and the next block you take your time and slow down. So, you go fast then slow then fast. You can break that up, two minutes, one minute. Bob: Whatever interval you want to go with. Brad: With these cell phones you can actually put a little beeper timer there, so it beeps after one minute. If you’re that kind of person. Bob: Which you are. Brad: Well, sometimes I swear at the phone because it doesn’t do what I want it to. Then I have issues. Bob: It’s a great thing because you can actually get your heart rate up. Brad: Yes. That’s where that cardio comes in. You do not have to go out and run to get cardiovascular benefits, but you do have to walk briskly. Bob: Even if it gets to the point, you’re still able to talk. Only one sentence, but that’s getting your heart rate up high enough. Brad: That’s one of the common tests I use with cardio rehab after a heart surgery. Bob: Remember, we can fix just about everything, Brad: Except for, Bob: A broken heart. But we’ll help relationships. Give us your relationship problems and we’ll solve it. Brad: Well, we haven’t really proved that we’ve helped any yet, but we think we are. Bob: Yeah. Brad: In our minds, we’re helping. Bob: Right, that’s all that matters. Brad: Just go home and enjoy your life. Bob: Thanks. 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This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded June in of 2021. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-gCo08Kjo8&t=404s Brad: Today, Bob is on a little hiatus, he’s taking the day off. Chris: Attaboy. Brad: So, we are going to do this, Chris and I. You’ve seen Chris before. He has excellent information and presents himself well, much better than Bob or I. Today’s topic is “Understanding Cramps Stopping and Preventing Them.” We’ve got some updated science and we’ve got some good information on how you can stop cramps when they start and perhaps on how you can prevent them. Really interesting information. Pretty much everyone has experienced painful cramps, I think I’m safe in saying that. Some people more than others. Often times they are induced by exercise or excessive fatigue. Other times they come on for no apparent reason. So, Chris got his desk out and he commenced on researching this to the nth degree and we’re going to come up with what he has to tell us. I’m going to tell you some things I’ve worked with my patients on over the years, what’s been the best solution to prevent and stop them once they start. So, cramp: it’s when a muscle contracts into tetany; tetanus. That’s when a muscle contracts to maximum potential. Very painful. Chris: It’s awful. Brad: It’s not done volitionally. In other words, your brain isn’t telling that muscle to cramp. It just happens. Chris, can you explain a little more on that, technically? Chris: Cramps are awful. We’ve all experienced them at one level or another. Young or old, you can get them, it doesn’t make a difference. What we do know, cramps are a by-product seemingly of fatigue and dehydration. These are probably the two most prominent causes that we are going to see. Brad: So, not enough water. Chris: Not enough water, not enough electrolytes. You could throw diet in there to a lesser degree probably. It can be age related; you’re going to see it. As we get older, we lose some muscle mass. So, if we were standing all day, working all day in the yard, we don’t have as much muscle mass to support our bodies so as a result it just creates more fatigue on the muscle. When you’re sitting in the chair at night, watching TV, reading a book or when you’re sleeping, all of a sudden, boom. You got that cramp and it’ll wake you up in the dead of night. It’s miserable. Brad: You kind of holler a little bit. Chris: Yeah, you might say some magical words. It’s different from magical thinking, but either way it’s not fun stuff. So, what do we do? It’s one of those things where there’s not a lot that really happens. There’s not a lot of preventative maintenance but what we can do is light stretching, maybe before bed. Brad: So, really the bottom line is the research has no definitive answer. Chris: No, it’s really a by-product of fatigue. It’s a by-product of hydration. There can be a couple other things, maybe some hypothyroidism. Brad: Maybe eat a lot of bananas, get that potassium in your system. Chris: Yes, potassium definitely seems to be something that’s beneficial. There are some correlative studies that talk about magnesium supplementation, because you’re going to have your electrolytes, sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. They’re all part of the action potential of the muscle to make the muscles contract and relax, contract and relax. The muscle is just in a hyper contracted state when we get there. It seems like if we’re not getting enough fluids and maybe we have sweated out too much of our own salts or our electrolytes, it becomes an operative problem. If we can supplement that through our daily diets, and there’s a couple of things we’ll go through as we go further into this about what to do to prevent it as much as we can. Brad: So, as far as my experience in the clinic, the biggest muscle groups that cramp are in the legs. The toe, the muscles in the toe and the bottom of the foot that make her toes curls is pretty common. The calf muscles and the hamstrings and the quads as well, but probably the hamstrings are more on the top of that list. We are going to focus more on those because I think we’re safe on saying that is covering the majority. What I’ve had with elderly people in particular, the people who come to me in the clinic and say, “I get these night cramps,” and say your calf cramps. What happens is, your toes are going to plantar flex or go down cause those muscles to cramp. When you get that, it’s very painful. The first thing you have to do is dorsiflex or pull that foot back up. Now, this is very awkward in bed to reach up, especially if you’re older, to reach your toe and pull back. Chris: Especially when you're in the dead asleep. Brad: Yeah, so, I suggest when you need to get out of bed safely; if your balance is off, have something there. If you have a walker possibly or the wall, would depend on your situation. Be safe but get up and put your body weight through that to stretch it. It seems to work the best. It’s easier than pulling on it and you’re going to stretch out. In other words, a foot from plantar flexion to the neutral position, the pain should start to lessen. Then you can bring your foot behind you. Hold onto the dresser or whatever to dorsiflex or bring the ankle up even further. You can push your knee forward to stretch it more. By that time, the pain should be gone. It may be painful, but you won’t have that severe cramp pain. You’re going to hold it there. Don’t let it go back and cramp right away. Try and hold it. Give it a stretch. Walk around a little bit before you go back to bed. And so, you’ve had it stretched. Brad: One thing that can trigger a cramp is if you stretch and yawn in bed and you kind of like think you’re stretching your legs because it feels better. Those are times where you can get those quadriceps, those calf muscles and the toe cramp where your toes curl under. I’ll talk about toe cramps because they’re very painful. I usually get them swimming. When you push off the floor, not many people swim laps. Anyways, swimmers get them a lot. If you get them and your toes curl down, this is one of those things where it’s, I think it’s easiest. As long as you can get to your foot, if you can reach it, to get on those toes and just stretch them the opposite direction the best you can and work on that. Brad: This includes a family member; anybody around can help you if they know what to do. I thought it interesting, I got certified in scuba diving last year. You have to learn how to stretch someone’s legs in the water with your gear on. Chris: I bet that's kind of tricky. Brad: It’s not so bad once you get used to it and how to work your BC but that’d be another video. Chris: Maybe underwater filming. Brad: Yeah. So, you need to stretch that. And the hamstrings; the tendency is it’s going to want to pull your knee up and flex it. You’ve got to do whatever you can. If you’ve got someone there to help if you can lay on your bed. On your stomach. So, if this cramp is pulling and if the person can lay on their stomach and someone else can go here and push, push, push this leg down. When you get this out to here (all the way straight), that cramp should relieve. Brad: If you don’t have someone to help you, then you’re going to need to do what you can to straighten that leg. Can you lay on your back, Chris? Chris: Yeah. Brad: You get these don't you Chris? What do you do to relieve yours? Chris: Scream, ha-ha. Actually, I try to stretch as quickly as I can. Brad: What techniques do you do in bed? Chris: Well, I get out of bed as quickly as I can. For me, whether it’s my calf or my hamstrings, those are my two most common cramping points. But, with my hamstring, actually what I’ve found is that I’ll get my foot up on my bed and then I’ll just lean into it. So, if you can imagine me standing, I’d have my foot on the bed and just gently stretch. Then I’ll walk. Brad: So, if you’re doing this, just from my point of view, think about keeping your back straight and leaning forward. You’ll get a more aggressive stretch a little quicker as opposed to rounding. When you’re in this kind of pain, you’re probably not going to think about that. Just get over and stretch it out the best you can. Again, balance is an issue. If you’re not stable on your feet, this is not going to be an option. If you’re lying-in bed, go do this stretch where you go underneath and then straighten the knee. If you can do this and straighten that knee out and do the best you can and get that cramp relieved. Brad: Is there anything else that you wanted to cover? Chris: I think that one of the things is, we’re in summertime now so a lot of people are out there in the heat and enjoying exercising, being more active and certainly doing things. So, a lot of times one thing that is overlooked is hydration. We want to make sure we are drinking plenty of fluids. Brad: Plenty of fluids. Chris: Water is ideal but some people like sports drinks and it’s debatable about what’s best and what isn’t. I will tell you that many of them have lots and lots of sugar. Some of them use high fructose corn syrup which is a natural sweetener. It’s a natural carbohydrate source. Brad: Can you give an example? I think we can mention that. Chris: I mean, like Gatorade. I think actually their a better choice, if you can get to it, is the Gatorade Bolt that actually uses sea salt. I think it’s much better than the traditional Gatorade. Brad: Because it has less sugar? Chris: It’s considerably less sugar. I mean, you need the carbs, but you don’t need as much carbs as was in a traditional can or bottle of Gatorade. At that point, the powder Gatorade does use sugar for sweetener, but the bottle pre-made is always made out of high fructose corn syrup. I honestly think that natural sugar is something your body processes better. But the Bolts specifically use a sea salt and actually sweetener from watermelon specifically. It’s about as natural a sugar as you can get. The less calories but plenty of water in there because it’s a very watery drink but it gives you the sea salt and it gives you the other electrolytes. With those electrolytes in there, it’s going to help to minimize that. Further than that, from a drink, people don’t think of this, but you see a lot of marathoners and a lot of runners going to Pedialyte. Brad: Pedialyte, which is for kids. Chris: It’s for kids. Brad: Babies. Chris: Babies all the time when Mom and Dad come in and baby’s dehydrated, for whatever reason, it’s my go-to choice. There’s not a lot of excess sugar in there and it’s got all the good and none of the bad, so inexpensive stuff. It works very very effectively. Brad: Pedialyte for the adult for electrolytes and hopefully they start marketing it towards adults and athletes now. Chris: They’re just kind of starting to tap into that. Brad: They better change the name. Chris: Maybe they’re going to have to but nonetheless, it’s actually really affordable stuff. Sometimes you buy them in like cases of these sports drinks that can actually get expensive on the pocket books. So, you know, fruits and veggies. Honeydew, the melon actually works really well. It’s got a perfect blend of carbohydrates, potassium and sodium. It’s excellent. Brad: And it tastes good. Chris: Tastes great. It’s excellent, after a run or a workout. Brad: You have to cut it up with a big knife and work out that way. Chris: Or you just scoop up the seeds, get a spoon. It works great as a post exercise or post activity or even a snack in the middle of the day. Let’s say you’re at work and you’re working a construction site where you’re sweating because it’s hot, go for some melon. It works very effectively for you. And don’t forget the water. Brad: Right, plenty of water. As far as preventing cramps from stretches, I’ll have a lot of people that cramp at night. I’ll do the exact same stretch as we talked about once you get a cramp, but you do them preventatively. Chris: Right before bed. Brad: Right. You could be laying or lying. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Karen about that. Karen, she’s our English major. When you lay in bed, you can stretch out your hamstrings if standing. Doing the standing stretch on the bed isn’t good. Make sure you do pull your ankle back dorsiflex it. You should do that lying down with your knees straight. You’ll get a better stretch on those calf muscles there. That covers all of it. Chris: That’s pretty much it. Brad: There’s one thing I want to say. If you have a lot of calf cramps, get yourself an inclined board. If you do a lot of walking, a lot of running. It just makes calf stretches easier and it’s more effective, I think. Chris: There’s a better balance to it. Brad: This is about a 25 degree. You can buy them. 25 degrees is what I feel will fit most people. They’ll tell you what the degree is. You put your foot on there and boy does that work while you can just relax. You should do it with a shoe on, works a lot better, in my opinion; you get a better stretch. Hold that for 20-30 seconds once or twice before you go to bed or before you run or after you run or walk. Actually, I made this one. If you’re handy, you can make these. Chris: Heck, you made me one. Brad: Oh yeah. Made Bob one, my wife one, Bob’s son got one. They were Christmas gifts. Chris: One thing I didn’t touch on with the supplements, salt tablets actually. There’s a variety of different ones. Hammer makes Thermotabs. There’s a variety of different ones that also work well. The key to making those work well is make sure you have plenty of hydration with it too, but they get rid all the sugars and things but they’re just putting the electrolytes in a tablet or capsule. Brad: One thing that always kind of confused me about this and I think other people might wonder, what if there’s a little high blood pressure. Chris: That’s an interesting point you bring up because you know, one of the other causes that people that maybe take diuretics so that which can make you lose fluid, and you lose electrolytes when you’re on a diuretic. Brad: Water pills. Chris: We have to be careful. Why don’t you check in with your doctor with just about anything just to make sure or talk with your pharmacist. If they know your profile to make sure that it’s going to be safe and effective for you. But with respect to a salt tablet, the number one, when you look at the studies, the by-product of cramping is usually lack of sodium but what do we say to people that have hypertension? “Don’t use salt.” Brad: Yeah! So, it’s a double-edged sword. Chris: So, I would say work with your physician to make sure that it’s appropriate for you to maybe use either a little bit of table salt on your food or let’s say you have a big yard work project that you’re going to get done and you’re going to be perspiring quite a bit. When we sweat, we lose a lot of our electrolytes. So, we want to make sure we’re keeping you safe. We still want you drinking water. If you can get most of your electrolytes for your diet, it’s certainly appropriate. Some people can certainly use the salt table or the sports drinks. Brad: So, if they don’t have high blood pressure. Chris: Yeah, no hypertension issues, it’s not going to be a big issue. If it’s well controlled and on certain medications, it can be appropriate in certain situations. Being more careful around diuretics, so the water pill, so to speak, and there’s several of those out there. It’s something to always work with your doctor, work with your pharmacist. Make sure it’s appropriate for you. Brad: That always made sense to me once I thought about when you’re sweating a lot out in the heat and the sweat goes down your face. You can just taste the salt in it. Then it’s like, oh, yeah, maybe we should replace that. Chris: There’s a balance with everything we do. Brad: Alright, Chris, I think we pretty much hammered everything we needed to. Chris: I think so. It’s a lot about cramping. Brad: Don’t cramp your style, or my style. Whatever. Chris: Thanks guys. Brad: Take care, be careful. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/user/physicaltherapyvideo Website: https://bobandbrad.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobandBrad/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialbobandbrad/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ptfamous Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mostfamousPTs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bob-and-brad TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bobandbrad Wimkin: https://wimkin.com/BobandBrad Mewe: https://mewe.com/i/bobandbrad Minds: https://www.minds.com/bobandbrad/ Vero: vero.co/bobandbrad SteemIt: https://steemit.com/@bobandbrad Peakd: https://peakd.com/@bobandbrad For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun US: https://amzn.to/36pMekg Now available in EU: https://amzn.to/3eiruwV Now available in Canada: http://amzla.com/t4qn7uniltfb Q2 Mini Massage Gun US: https://amzn.to/3oSMBu9 Now available in UK: http://amzla.com/qe4bmn3puczb Now available in EU: https://www.amazon.de/Massagepistole-Muskelentlastung-Handmassageger%C3%83%C2%A4t-Muskelkater-Entspannen/dp/B08M8YSFC7/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=bob+and+brad&qid=1620323625&sr=8-2 Handheld Massager: https://amzn.to/2TxZBqU X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head: https://amzn.to/38zRLEv T2 Massage Gun: https://amzn.to/3GfflX1 Foot Massager: https://amzn.to/3pH2R2n Knee Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com Fit Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Fitness: Resistance Bands: https://amzn.to/36uqnbr​ Pull Up Bands: https://amzn.to/3qmI4Rv​ Resistance Bands for Legs and Butt: https://amzn.to/2G5mXkp​ Hanging Handles: https://amzn.to/2RXLVFF​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Wall Anchor: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Exercise Ball: https://amzn.to/3cdMMMu​ Pull-Up System: https://www.optp.com/Pull-Up-system-by-Bob-and-Brad Stretching: Booyah Stik: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Stretch Strap: https://amzn.to/3muStbi Wellness: Bob and Brad Blood Pressure Monitor: https://amzn.to/3hm721f Bob & Brad Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/2RTSLLh Check out other products Bob and Brad Love: https://www.amazon.com/shop/physicaltherapyvideo?listId=3581Z1XUVFAFY Check out our shirts, mugs, bags and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop here: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/bob-brad​ Check out The Bob & Brad Crew on YouTube by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/c/thebobbradcrew 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.

How to Use the TENS Unit: If you are using an iReliev TENS unit we provide step-by-step video instruction on how to use the following types: iReliev 1313 iReliev 5050 iReliev 8080 Just go to the program section at bobandbrad.com and click on the TENS series. Under the series look for the videos with the 1313, 5050, or 8080 TENS units. If you are using a TENS unit from another manufacturer you will need to follow the instructions provided with the product. Where to Place the Pads: There is NOT a specific right way to position or place the pads. The best approach is to place the pads wherever they relieve pain the most. Experiment and see what will work best for you. General Guidelines for One Channel and Two Pads on Outer Ankle Pain: Use one channel and two pads. Place one pad (either one) directly on the pain. Place the other pad either above the first pad (at least a pad’s width apart) or below the first pad. Another option with two pads: place one pad directly above the pain and one pad directly below the pain or place one pad on each side of the pain. General Guidelines for One Channel and Two Pads on Inner Ankle Pain: Use one channel and two pads. Place one pad (either one) directly on the pain. Place the other pad either above the first pad (at least a pad’s width apart) or below the first pad. Another option with two pads is to place one pad directly above the pain and one pad directly below the pain or place one pad on each side of the pain. General Guidelines for Using Pads on General Ankle Pain: Use one channel and two pads. Place one pad (either one) directly on the pain. Place the other pad either above the first pad (at least a pad’s width apart) or below the first pad. In our examples channel one has yellow pads and channel two has green pads. Option one: One pad from channel one is placed above the area of pain and one pad is placed below the area of pain. One pad from channel two is placed in front of the area of pain and another pad from channel two is placed behind the area of pain. This arrangement forms a cross pattern. Option two: Place one pad from channel one in the upper right corner of the area of pain and one pad from channel one in the lower left corner of the area of pain. Place one pad from channel two in the upper left corner of the pain and one pad in the lower right corner of the pain. This arrangement forms an X pattern. General Guidelines for Pain Referred from Another Area: An example would be ankle pain that is coming (referred) from the back. Using channel one, place the two pads along the nerve pathway. The two pads from channel two could be placed on the ankle. Reminder: do not place pads over open wounds or areas with excessive hair. Clean the area with soap and water prior to placement of the pads. Ankle treatment: Movement- ABCs For more information on the TENS programs visit: https://www.bobandbrad.com/tens-program If interested in purchasing the TENS/EMS unit by iReliev visit: https://ireliev.com/bobandbrad/?uid=15&oid=1&affid=10 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 January of 2021. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeLyt67rMak&t=60s Bob: Today we're going to show you how to cure urinary incontinence with Kegel exercises. I was asked by a family member a ling time ago to show her how to do these. I really didn't have much experience with them though. So now, I've read a couple books on it and I've been doing them myself, but I'll talk about that some other time. Brad: You read some self help books then? Bob: Yep. So, what is urinary incontinence? It is an involuntary loss of urine. Brad: It's embarrassing. Bob: It is embarrassing. You could be laughing, you could be getting off the floor, you might be jumping. It's really common among young women in sports. You might be on a trampoline, obviously. And as you know, you have to rush to the bathroom if you don't make it. I had an older family member that really had trouble with this, and it really socially isolated him. It's not a laughing matter at all. Brad: No it isn't. Bob: It causes depression and loneliness. It's going to effect your social life. It's hard to date someone if your afraid or it. Brad: Or your spouse might not want to be with you. I mean they do, but it's awkward. Bob: So a lot more common in women, some reports, I saw one out of three women have it. And over 65, one out of two women. Brad: Yeah. Bob: So that's very common. Actually, believe it or not, one out of 20 men also have it. My wife made the observation, she goes, you go into the store and there is all these male Depends diapers there. Brad: Which are made for incontinence. Bob: So it may be a bigger problem than we're letting on. Brad: I think men just won't admit it. Bob: Men won't admit it. They'll, let it go. Brad: Not me though, I wouldn't. Bob: Yeah. All right. So what we're talking about here for Kegels exercises is we're trying to strengthen the muscles on the bottom of the pelvic floor. So the pelvic floor is attached to the coccyx or tailbone, and up to the pubis. So it's right in this area here where my hand is. Brad: It is, that's why they call it the pelvic floor. It's literally on the bottom of the pelvis. Bob: Right, it supports everything. It supports all those structures down there. You've got two layers of muscles a superficial and deep layer, but you don't have to worry about that because you can't work them separately. If you're working one, you're working on both. So it was developed by Dr. Arnold Kegel in the fifties, very popular now. So the pelvic floor, you can control voluntarily, which is an intentional muscle contraction but it is also an automatic type of muscle that's working when you're not even thinking about it. Brad: Right, it'll automatically contracts to take care of business. Bob: Yeah. So like when you're lifting something or carrying something it's kicking in so that you don't go to the bathroom while you're doing it. Brad: Yep, it closes those sphincters off and you're sealed. Bob: So, what should happen when you feel a pelvic floor contraction? You know, you're going to have like a gathering of the pelvic floor muscles, and it's going to contract and lift up a little bit. That muscle is actually going to lift up. And also we are going to apologize ahead of time here. We're going to use some graphic language here. I mean, it's appropriate. Brad: We'll be professional. Bob: Yeah. But your anal sphincter it should also be lifting up. Now with the ladies and the men too, you're going to feel the perineal body lift up. Now the perineal body is the area between the vagina and the anus. And for the men, that's between the scrotum and the anus. So that you and you we'll talk about that. That you can actually feel that with your hand, you won't do it in public, but you know, when you're trying to learn them. Brad: So you want to feel that movement and you want to be able to do it on command, your mind is telling you and you feel like you have good control. Bob: Yep, you should continue to breath normal. People should not be able to know that you're even doing it. My wife and I are joking that we've been doing these and you could be talking to each other and doing it. I mean, we could be doing it right now. What should not happen when you're doing the pelvic floor, Brad is you don't want to contract outside muscles. I've seen this on some other channels. Like you don't want to tighten up the glutes, the inner thigh, or the abdominals. You don't. The muscle that you want is working down there. Brad: You want to isolate it. Bob: Isolate it. Don't hold your breath. You should be able to talk, don't tense your eyebrows, or your shoulders, or your body parts. Brad: I would think that this is going to require initially some practice by yourself. Bob: Practice by yourself get used to it and becomes easier. And if you have trouble, there's therapists that specialize in this area, we had a couple of therapists that's all they did. See our experts page for those therapists. Brad: Right. Sure. Bob: So these are the common cues and these are the ones that tend to help. We'll talk about it for women and for men. So women, they tell you to squeeze lift the pelvic floor. They've told you the contract like you're trying to stop the stream of urine from happening, but they don't recommend doing that because it can actually result in a urinary tract infections. I guess you can screw up your urinary reflex. So you don't want to actually start going to the bathroom and then stop it. Brad: Oh, sure. Mid stream. Bob: Yeah. You want to think about how that feels and then apply it. You can, again I'm going to get a little graphic here, Brad but you're supposed to imagine lifting and holding something in your vagina. That's another one, you're supposed to squeeze like you're trying to hold in gas. I think we've all done that. Or imagine pulling your sit bones together. So these are the sit bones. I first misstated at first, that's these two bones. They're the bones you can feel when you're sitting down. Brad: If you're on a hard surface, you can feel those bones. Bob: Yeah. You're supposed to feel like you're pulling those together. Brad: Sure. Bob: And that'll help lift that area up. Now for men, this is kind of interesting. They did a study on this Brad, and they had all these cues and the best cue that worked for men was you're supposed to feel like you're shortening your penis. Don't make a joke. Brad: It's like a turtle. Bob: Like a turtle right. Brad: Guys understand that. Bob: Yeah. But it's funny, when I do that it feels like, one it works, and at two, it's an easy cue to understand. So I don't know why? Brad: I bet your wife knows when you're practicing that. Bob: Yeah. (laughing) Brad: I mean, she knows you. Bob: Okay for positioning, you can lie on your back propped up on a pillow or you can have your knees up. You can be in a quadrupedal position, Brad. And if you don't start that way you might want to progress that way to doing it that way, to do it sitting, to do it standing so you can apply it to all. Brad: So you would start lying on your back. Bob: You'll start lying down, yes. That's what I would do. Brad: How many repetitions? Bob: They have different ways of doing this. One, you can start with eight to 12 reps and do a ten second hold. So hold for 10 seconds. Do another one, do eight to 12 of those. Brad: And then rest for 10 or? Bob: Then you can do it like three times a day. Brad: So you're going to hold it for the contraction and then rest for whatever. Bob: Yeah, whatever. Brad: And then do it again. Bob: They said, you want to get up to like a hundred reps a day. Brad: Not in a row. Bob: Not in a row. And there's also, it's a slow Twitch and a fast Twitch muscle fiber. So you can actually do some where you do one second hold, one second release, one second hold one second release. Brad: Sure. Bob: So you want to throw both of them in there Brad. So, these are the ways to feel it. This is a little bit, I don't know if you want to say grotesque, but one way you can tell whether or not it's working is you could take a small piece of tissue paper and put it over your anal sphincter. And if you're doing it right, it's actually gonna kind of suck that paper up a little bit. Brad: Really? Bob: Yeah. It's going to grab onto it and pull it up. Brad: Well, it's like therapists, when we talk about working your gluten muscles. Since I started therapy back in the eighties as the teacher would say, well pretend you have a quarter between your butt cheeks and you're trying to squeeze that quarter, so it doesn't fall out. And it's like, boy that works. Bob: It works. Brad: Patients really respond to it. And they do it right. Bob: You won't want to do that now because you're not trying to move the butt cheeks. But this is the one that I thought worked the best for me. And for people, it seemed like. So again, the perineal body is that area between the vagina and anus or the scrotum and the anus. That area right there. If you put your hand on that, again you won't want to do it in public, but you just put your hand there when you do it, you'll feel it lift up. I think that's the best cue you have. It seems like it works really well. Brad: Basically biofeedback here. You're feeling what's going on with the muscles. Bob: Speaking of biofeedback and we can laugh because we're men. You can actually see your penis lift a little bit if you're doing it right so. Brad: I have to laugh. Bob: I should have said, see if you cannot laugh. We're laughing but we know this is a serious problem. We really do. Brad: You have to have fun with life, don't you Bob? Bob: I know. Because it's a terrible thing. So you wouldn't be doing this after surgery unless you're doctor has okayed that. And you don't do it with a urinary catheter either. Brad: Sure. Bob: So that's it, Brad. I know we're not experts on this but it's definitely, it's helped me with some issues and we'll talk about that in another video. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/user/physicaltherapyvideo Website: https://bobandbrad.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobandBrad/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialbobandbrad/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ptfamous Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mostfamousPTs Wimkin: https://wimkin.com/BobandBrad Mewe: https://mewe.com/i/bobandbrad Minds: https://www.minds.com/bobandbrad/ Vero: vero.co/bobandbrad SteemIt: https://steemit.com/@bobandbrad Peakd: https://peakd.com/@bobandbrad For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun US: https://amzn.to/36pMekg Now available in EU: https://amzn.to/3eiruwV Now available in Canada: http://amzla.com/t4qn7uniltfb Q2 Mini Massage Gun US: https://amzn.to/3oSMBu9 Now available in UK: http://amzla.com/qe4bmn3puczb Now available in EU: https://www.amazon.de/Massagepistole-Muskelentlastung-Handmassageger%C3%83%C2%A4t-Muskelkater-Entspannen/dp/B08M8YSFC7/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=bob+and+brad&qid=1620323625&sr=8-2 Handheld Massager: https://amzn.to/2TxZBqU X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head: https://amzn.to/38zRLEv T2 Massage Gun: https://amzn.to/3GfflX1 Foot Massager: https://amzn.to/3pH2R2n Knee Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com Fit Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Fitness: Resistance Bands: https://amzn.to/36uqnbr​ Pull Up Bands: https://amzn.to/3qmI4Rv​ Resistance Bands for Legs and Butt: https://amzn.to/2G5mXkp​ Hanging Handles: https://amzn.to/2RXLVFF​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Wall Anchor: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Exercise Ball: https://amzn.to/3cdMMMu​ Pull-Up System: https://www.optp.com/Pull-Up-system-by-Bob-and-Brad Stretching: Booyah Stik: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Stretch Strap: https://amzn.to/3muStbi Wellness: Bob and Brad Blood Pressure Monitor: https://amzn.to/3hm721f Bob & Brad Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/2RTSLLh Check out other products Bob and Brad Love: https://www.amazon.com/shop/physicaltherapyvideo?listId=3581Z1XUVFAFY Check out our shirts, mugs, bags and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop here: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/bob-brad​ Check out The Bob & Brad Crew on YouTube by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/c/thebobbradcrew 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.

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This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in November of 2020. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP4gka-BQ0o Bob: Today, we’re going to talk about the seven most important questions to ask your shoulder surgeon. We actually have more than seven, but we have kind of seven categories of questions. Let’s start right into them. In any surgery that you have, has to be taken very seriously. You want to give it much consideration. Brad: And I think this is really important, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had patients or myself go to the doctor, and you leave, and you say, “I forgot to ask him that question. It was a really important question.” It could give other feedback that would be helpful for the therapist or for you and your family. Bob: If you’re watching this program, if you go to Bob and Brad, our website, and go to the program section, find the shoulder program and look for this video. There is a printout that you can actually do that has all these questions listed for you. Brad: Yeah, which is really nice. You can just highlight the ones that you want to ask your surgeon and just carry this with you to the doctor. Bob: Right, and make sure they answer all your questions. Let’s start off with the first one. Now this isn’t self-promotional here, but can you try physical therapy first? That’s really the first question you should ask. Brad: Right, it is. Bob: Yes, if you can avoid surgery obviously you want to avoid surgery. Brad: Some surgeons, that’s what they do. They will skip the physical therapy option, unless you ask for it. Then they’ll say, “Oh sure, we’ll give it a try.” So don’t be shy about it. Bob: This second one kind of ties into that. You’d ask, “What is the risk to not performing surgery now? What would happen if you waited six months or a year?” Because in some cases, let’s say, the tendon was actually ripped away from the bone. Maybe the muscle is going atrophy so much, it’s not going to heal. That’s why we’re going to ask the surgeon. Can I wait at all? If you have an impingement and it’s the shoulder tear going to actually get worse, if you wait? These are all things to keep in mind. This is a good question also for people who are under the age of 30 who are considering surgery due to shoulder dislocation. Quite often when you’re younger than 30 and you have shoulder dislocations, they want to do surgery because it’s most likely to happen again. They don’t want to have you experience the damage that occurs with dislocations. Brad: Sure, right, that unstable joint. Bob: Yeah, I always hate to tell people that but if you’re younger than 30 and your shoulder has been popping out quite often, my recommendation is you have the surgery. Brad: Get it tightened up and be done with it. Bob: So, number three kind of ties into all the other ones. What are the alternatives to shoulder surgery? So besides physical therapy, there’s injection, taking anti-inflammatories. Sometimes just the education. Sometimes you need to avoid it. Let’s say, you’re an older person, has shoulder dislocations, don’t be doing stuff like grabbing back or grabbing behind the seat. Brad: Like, when you’re driving, you need your bag and then, "ahhh", that can really cause pain sometimes. Bob: You want to avoid shoulder dislocations, bring in the arm back beyond this plain. Brad: That’s where it can really get unstable and cause some pain when it pops out. Bob: Number four is a general question. Then there’s some sub-questions here. Brad: Sure. Bob: It’s basically about the length of recovery off from the surgery. How many days will you be in the hospital after surgery? The norm seems like now, it’s in and out, right? Brad: Right. Same day. Maybe one night for observation depending on the person’s other medical conditions if they have any. Bob: I just want to state this. So, the first time I worked in a hospital as a physical therapy student, the first four patients I had, had rotator cuff surgery. They were all men, and they were all, I hate to say it, but they were all the biggest babies I’ve even seen. They were having so much pain. Maybe I’m just being judgmental after I found out how bad it is after. But I had some women after that and they acted like they didn’t have surgery. Brad: They typically are tougher. Bob: They are tougher. Alright, some sub-questions here. Will you need full time or part time care? You might. You can’t, if you’re down to one arm, you have to plan ahead and know this. Brad: Sometimes after surgery, your arm is going to be completely immobilized for so many days where you can’t move it. Other times it’s going to be in a sling when there is some mobilization. Bob: Yeah, and that’s the next question, Brad. How long will you be in a sling? Maybe 4-6 weeks. Your restrictions may be continual for up to six months. Again, your family has to plan from a functional and from a mental standpoint. Brad: Right, or can you work? If you have a job, you have to have that arm, it’s a disability. If you’re going to have some kind of insurance so you have coverage financially during that time, if it’s available. Bob: Absolutely. Ask the surgeon. When can you expect the shoulder to be pain-free? When can you lay on the operative side? When can you drive? Somebody could be driving around for a long time. When can you return to work? When can you return to sporting activities, if that’s your thing right now. And how soon can you resume housework and gardening and so on? That one for me, if I can’t ever get back to it, okay! Brad: Yeah, no housework, no gardening. Let’s go. Maybe you can emphasize that to the doctor. Bob: That’s right. Give me a note. Number five, okay, we’re back to the main questions now. This is kind of determining the competence of your surgeon and you shouldn’t be afraid to find this information out. You don’t want to ask the surgeon, maybe ask his nurse. Or get the information from the hospital. How many procedures do you perform every year? How many surgeries of this type have you done? Not surprisingly, they found out that the more times a person does a surgery, the better they are at it. Not shocking there. Brad: Right, it’s a pretty basic thing and practice makes perfect sort of thing. Bob: If they’re a general surgeon and they rarely do this surgery, I’m sorry, I’d go find someone else that’s done 100 of these last year. Brad: There’s one thing, I have a friend who was going to get the ankle surgery and he said, “Oh, I want to go to Rochester, go to Mayo and have the guy who does all the athletic, the top people.” And I’m sorry, he was not an athlete. He just wanted to walk. So, I don’t now if that’s the best fit because he’s working with athletes. There may be a difference in treatment afterwards. Bob: I understand completely. Brad: All that, people need to understand that. Bob: Just because they’re the best at treating athletes, doesn’t mean it’s good for you who are not an athlete. Brad: If you’re a standard person, like us. Bob: Right. Number six, what are the risks of complications? And what is your complication rate? Again, you don’t necessarily have to ask the surgeon, but you want to find this out. I remember this was a different doctor, he was a radiologist, but they do the test where they stick the catheter up through your femoral artery. Brad: Right, up into the heart. Bob: There’s actually generally a high percentage of problems with that. And at the time I’m just throwing a number out there, I don’t remember what it was. It was like 5% of people have problems. And he was one that would be like less than 1%. He’s like, I am meticulous at everything I do. So that’s the kind of person you want. It’s funny how I had a test done and I could just tell by meeting the guy, he was one of those guys that was really particular. I’m like, good, he’s, my guy. Alright, number seven, the final question. If you’re going to have a shoulder joint replacement surgery, you should ask these specific questions. Brad, do you want to throw one out there? Brad: What is the implant made of? Bob: Yeah, you want to know if you’re going to set off metal detectors in the airport. Brad: You know it’s amazing because there’s the plastic component, there’s the metal, there’s ceramic. I’m trying to think of some of the other things they use. Bob: I don’t know how long shoulders are suppose to last. I know knees are like 15-20 years. Brad: Yeah, and they get better. I’m not sure of shoulders because really shoulder replacements have just really gotten popular in the last 5-10 years, I think. Bob: When you think about it, a shoulder there’s not as much stress on it as a knee. Brad: Yeah, the weight bearing. Bob: No weight bearing. So, I don’t know with shoulder replacements, we have to find this out, we don’t know. And that’s one of the questions. How long will your shoulder replacement last? Number 3, Brad, what’s that? Brad: What can you do to make the new joint last as long as possible? Bob: What do you want to do? What you want to avoid. The Do’s and don’ts. Brad: There’s different types of replacements. There’s the reverse in placement. So, that’ll all be informed. They’ll probably give you some literature to read on your own as well. Bob: The last one ties right into that. What activities or factors could make your joint replacement wear out more quickly? So, you want to avoid these things obviously. That’s it. If you just happened to stumble upon this video, this video is a part of a series of videos on shoulder pain and rehab. Just go to bobandbrad.com and go to the program section and you’ll see all these different programs we have. We have one on shoulders. There’s a printout with each one as well. This one will have all these questions. You don’t have to write them down. Brad: Okay, take care. Bob: Thank you so much. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/user/physicaltherapyvideo Website: https://bobandbrad.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobandBrad/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialbobandbrad/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ptfamous Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mostfamousPTs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bob-and-brad TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bobandbrad Wimkin: https://wimkin.com/BobandBrad Mewe: https://mewe.com/i/bobandbrad Minds: https://www.minds.com/bobandbrad/ Vero: vero.co/bobandbrad SteemIt: https://steemit.com/@bobandbrad Peakd: https://peakd.com/@bobandbrad For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun US: https://amzn.to/36pMekg Now available in EU: https://amzn.to/3eiruwV Now available in Canada: http://amzla.com/t4qn7uniltfb Q2 Mini Massage Gun US: https://amzn.to/3oSMBu9 Now available in UK: http://amzla.com/qe4bmn3puczb Now available in EU: https://www.amazon.de/Massagepistole-Muskelentlastung-Handmassageger%C3%83%C2%A4t-Muskelkater-Entspannen/dp/B08M8YSFC7/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=bob+and+brad&qid=1620323625&sr=8-2 Handheld Massager: https://amzn.to/2TxZBqU X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head: https://amzn.to/38zRLEv T2 Massage Gun: https://amzn.to/3GfflX1 Foot Massager: https://amzn.to/3pH2R2n Knee Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com Fit Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Fitness: Resistance Bands: https://amzn.to/36uqnbr​ Pull Up Bands: https://amzn.to/3qmI4Rv​ Resistance Bands for Legs and Butt: https://amzn.to/2G5mXkp​ Hanging Handles: https://amzn.to/2RXLVFF​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Wall Anchor: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Exercise Ball: https://amzn.to/3cdMMMu​ Pull-Up System: https://www.optp.com/Pull-Up-system-by-Bob-and-Brad Stretching: Booyah Stik: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Stretch Strap: https://amzn.to/3muStbi Wellness: Bob and Brad Blood Pressure Monitor: https://amzn.to/3hm721f Bob & Brad Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/2RTSLLh Check out other products Bob and Brad Love: https://www.amazon.com/shop/physicaltherapyvideo?listId=3581Z1XUVFAFY Check out our shirts, mugs, bags and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop here: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/bob-brad​ Check out The Bob & Brad Crew on YouTube by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/c/thebobbradcrew 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.

How to Use the TENS Unit: If you are using an iReliev TENS unit, we provide step-by-step video instruction on how to use the following types: iReliev 1313 iReliev 5050 iReliev 8080 Just go to the program section at bobandbrad.com and click on the TENS series, or click the link below. Under the series look for the videos with the 1313, 5050, or 8080 TENS units. If you are using a TENS unit from another manufacturer you will need to follow the instructions provided with the product. Where to Place the Pads: There is NOT a specific right way to position or place the pads. The best approach is to place the pads wherever they relieve pain the most. Experiment and see what will work best for you. General Guidelines for One Channel and Two Pads on Calf: Use one channel and two pads. Place one pad (either one) directly on the pain. Place the other pad either directly above the other pad (at least a pad’s width apart) or directly below the pad (at least a pad’s width apart). Use one channel and two pads. Place one pad directly above the pain and one pad directly below the pain or place one pad on each side of the pain. General Guidelines for a Larger Area of Calf Pain: In our examples, channel one has yellow pads and channel two has green pads. Option one: one pad from channel one placed above the area of pain and one pad placed below the area. One pad from channel two placed in front of the area of pain and another pad from channel two placed behind the area of pain. This arrangement forms a cross pattern. Option two: one pad from channel one in the upper right corner of the area of pain and one pad from channel one in lower left corner of the area of pain. One pad from channel two in the upper left corner of the pain and one pad in the lower right corner of the pain. This arrangement forms an X pattern. General Guidelines for Pain Referred from Another Area: An example would be calf pain that is coming (referred) from the back. Using channel one, place the two pads along the nerve pathway. The two pads from channel two could be placed on the calf. Reminder: don’t place pads over open wounds or areas with excessive hair. Clean the area with soap and water prior to placement of the pads. Calf Treatment: Cross-fiber massage using the massage gun For more information on the TENS programs visit: https://www.bobandbrad.com/tens-program If interested in purchasing the TENS/EMS unit by iReliev visit: https://ireliev.com/bobandbrad/?uid=15&oid=1&affid=10 *Update: Bob & Brad now have their own brand of massagers: C2 Massage Gun: https://amzn.to/36pMekg 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 July of 2021. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkH6tTHuulU Bob: Today, we’re going to talk about the number one best exercise for depression/anxiety. Brad: They interlock. Bob: So, we got some research on this and we’re ready to go. Really, when you think about depression, quite often, people are depressed, there’s a lack of movement. They’re within themselves. Brad: You’re talking about physically, they’re not moving. Bob: Right, they’re not moving, you can see from their posture. They’re in this huddled type of posture and that means they’re not moving. So really, the opposite is what we’re heading for. We want to get movement of some form. We’re going to talk about different forms of movement and why they might be helpful, but you know, running and even sprinting, if you’re still capable of sprinting. It’s a high intensity interval training. Brad: Yeah, get into that anaerobic zone. Bob: When you run on a regular basis, like a steady basis, to me it’s almost like mediation. It reduces food cravings, which is a different bonus too. You get more serotonin, which is a good drug, and you also get some of the endorphins. Brad: Right, yeah it helps get you in a good mood. I can definitely speak about that. You know, if you’re not a runner, and you don’t plan on running, we have options that will work just as well. Bob: Lower-level options. Brad: It’s going to work better for you, but I was a runner. At one point in my life, I was depressed. I was going through a divorce, personal issues, financial issues, coming from every end you know, and I used to run. Bob: It builds up on you. Brad: Yeah. I used to run, and I always always felt better when I ran. I used to run two times a day and it was just wonderful. A lot cheaper than going to see a therapist. Literally, I mean, it worked. Bob: The thing is, with endorphins, you might get some carryover. They may last for an hour afterwards; after you’ve gone running. Brad: Right, absolutely. Bob: So, you just feel better about yourself. The other one is biking. Spin classes. The nice thing about spin classes is that you’re in a group too. You’re getting the social aspect of it. Brad: I did that as well. You can talk to people who are next to you. You can joke around a little bit; forget about things before you get that heart rate up and if you do try a spin class and you’ve never biked before, it’s a little challenging at first. There’s a learning curve so be patient with that. Bob: Yeah, it’s going to help with anxiety too. Next one is hiking in the woods. We’ve seen many studies on this. Nature. It’s amazing how nature helps heal the body. Brad: Calm things down. You’re looking at things. You’ve got audible input from the birds and whatnot. You’re watching where you’re going. Make sure you know where you’re going so you don’t get lost because that could cause some anxiety. Bob: But it’s funny, you know, we saw studies where they compared hiking in the woods to walking in the cities. They are both good but hiking in the woods was obviously better. It was much less stressful and a lot more beneficial. Brad: Right. You don’t have to worry about cars running you over. Bob: Right. You don’t have to think about anything. Next one was yoga, and one of the nice things about yoga is they really concentrate on breathing and breathing plays a large role in controlling your anxiety and depression. That vagus nerve they keep talking about, Brad, if you can control that, it’s going to help control the rest of how you feel. Brad: That vagus nerve, there’s a lot of studies going on in the last few years with the gut and everything else. Bob: Tai chi, do you really know what it is? Brad: Well, Tai Chi it’s a martial art form, but it’s done very slowly, you work on your balance, you’re thinking about what you’re doing because some of the poses are very difficult. But it gets your mind to relax and your body. I have not done it. I’ve watched it. Bob: I have the same thing. I had a friend that did it every lunch hour. It’s nice to do that in a group because you’re going to get that social aspect to it. Brad: You don’t really talk during it though. Bob: No, you don’t, but you know what I mean. Brad: Before and afterwards. Bob: When you’re part of something. Then we’re going to talk about most of us can do walking. All you need is a pair of comfortable walking shoes and off you go. So, again, you try to look for nature if you can. If you have a park nearby you or something. Brad: You’ll probably want to walk a little faster. It’s not a real casual walk when you’re looking around. You want to get your heart rate up probably. Bob: Now this one is, I think, somewhat of the trifecta. Because that means three, Brad, because in this case, you’re actually exercising high level, you’re actually doing it with friends, and you’re out in nature. Golf is my trifecta. I’m walking, I’m with friends and I’m in nature. Brad: And you’re focusing on the game, thinking about the game. Bob: Exactly, you’re swearing about the game and you’re going, why am I so bad at this game? Brad: Why me? Bob: Ultimate frisbee. You’re sprinting, you’re on a team. You can’t think about anything else besides the game. Brad: Exactly, Bob. Bob: Hiking with friends, biking with friends. You’re big on biking. Brad: Right, I actually like to bike by myself, but I do like to bike with one other person. I don’t like biking in big groups. You have to worry about the person in front of you, the person behind you, traffic is a little bit different to negotiate. So, I do one other person but by myself is fine. I do want to mention that I have a friend of mine, he’s 59 years old and he likes mountain biking. He says it forces you to get your mind focused. When your road biking, your mind can travel but when your mountain biking, you have to watch the trail because you don’t want to wipe out. It’s aerobic. It does everything for him. He’s very happy with it. Bob: I would just be upset though or depressed once I fall off and break something because I would. Brad: That is something that requires good judgement. Bob: So, give these things a try. The worst thing that’s going to happen is you’re going to get in better shape and you’re going to feel better about things. Brad: I think anybody who does increase your activity when you’re depressed, you’re going to go in the right direction. Bob: The other thing, Brad, is if it’s a sunny day and you go out, the sun’s going to help. People need the sun. Seasonal affective disorder of course my daughter has it. She lived in Portland, for a while, which was not sunny. A lot of cloudy areas. Brad: I think even activities like cleaning your house aggressively. It’s activity plus when you’re done, you have your finished product. You feel good about yourself because you did something good. You’re active. It’s another one of those antidepressants. Bob: Right, I agree. You can come over to my house and get antidepressant. Brad: I’ve got plenty at my house too. Bob: Thanks everybody for listening. Brad: Good luck, and I’m sure you’ll feel better. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/physicaltherapyvideo Website: https://bobandbrad.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobandBrad/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialbobandbrad/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ptfamous Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mostfamousPTs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bob-and-brad TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bobandbrad Wimkin: https://wimkin.com/BobandBrad Mewe: https://mewe.com/i/bobandbrad Minds: https://www.minds.com/bobandbrad/ Vero: vero.co/bobandbrad SteemIt: https://steemit.com/@bobandbrad Peakd: https://peakd.com/@bobandbrad For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun US: https://amzn.to/36pMekg Now available in EU: https://amzn.to/3eiruwV Now available in Canada: http://amzla.com/t4qn7uniltfb Q2 Mini Massage Gun US: https://amzn.to/3oSMBu9 Now available in UK: http://amzla.com/qe4bmn3puczb Now available in EU: https://www.amazon.de/Massagepistole-Muskelentlastung-Handmassageger%C3%83%C2%A4t-Muskelkater-Entspannen/dp/B08M8YSFC7/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=bob+and+brad&qid=1620323625&sr=8-2 Handheld Massager: https://amzn.to/2TxZBqU X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head: https://amzn.to/38zRLEv T2 Massage Gun: https://amzn.to/3GfflX1 Foot Massager: https://amzn.to/3pH2R2n Knee Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com Fit Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Fitness: Resistance Bands: https://amzn.to/36uqnbr​ Pull Up Bands: https://amzn.to/3qmI4Rv​ Resistance Bands for Legs and Butt: https://amzn.to/2G5mXkp​ Hanging Handles: https://amzn.to/2RXLVFF​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Wall Anchor: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Exercise Ball: https://amzn.to/3cdMMMu​ Pull-Up System: https://www.optp.com/Pull-Up-system-by-Bob-and-Brad Stretching: Booyah Stik: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Stretch Strap: https://amzn.to/3muStbi Wellness: Bob and Brad Blood Pressure Monitor: https://amzn.to/3hm721f Bob & Brad Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/2RTSLLh Check out other products Bob and Brad Love: https://www.amazon.com/shop/physicaltherapyvideo?listId=3581Z1XUVFAFY Check out our shirts, mugs, bags and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop here: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/bob-brad​ Check out The Bob & Brad Crew on YouTube by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/c/thebobbradcrew 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 April of 2021. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubenTjbIdJw. Bob: Today, we’re going to talk about should you stop icing? Are you delaying healing by doing so? Brad: So, we are talking about cold packs. Bob: Yep. We’ll get into it. So, we’re definitely undecided on this yet. I’m listening to the arguments, and I’ll certainly think about it and maybe take it on a case-by-case basis. Brad: Right, because historically, we’ve both been pretty big proponent of cold packs, ice packs, which I think was pretty much over the board over the years. Bob: Yeah, in fact, you use ice a lot, Brad for your chronic pain, your spondylolisthesis. Brad: Right, back pain, yep. I use it if I do something I shouldn't have been doing. I have a cold pack in my freezer and it’s available 24/7. Not that I use it a lot but it’s not unusual either. Bob: So, the argument was presented by Gary Reinl. He’s the author of “ICED! The Illusionary Treatment Option.” The other person that supports this is Kelly Starrett. We’ve had him on our podcast. He’s a best seller of the book, “Becoming a Supple Leopard.” Brad: It’s a hunting book? Bob: No, it’s about muscles and tissue and mobilization and moving right and lifting right. If you are an athlete, you definitely want to take a look at it. If you’re just trying to get some mobility back, you should look at it. This all started in 1978, Gabe Mirkin coined the phrase RICE for treatment after an injury. You have rest, ice, compression and elevation for soft tissue injuries. Brad: Right. So, the ankle sprain, you do those four things and it’s the way you start out your treatment. Bob: This is where things get a little interesting. In 2000, I can’t remember what the date was. It was something in the teens, I believe 2000 teens, he announced rest and ice can actually delay healing. So, the guy that came up with the phrase said it can delay healing and actually cause additional damage. As far as the studies, I did see one recently about moving. Rest versus moving after injury and they had found that yes, low intensity movement was a lot better than rest after an injury. Now, we’re not talking about a fracture, of course. We’re talking about a strain, but getting the muscles moving, I can buy into that. Brad: I can. I mean, obviously if it’s a real severe sprain and it’s swelling up like a watermelon and is very tender, the movements going to be pretty subtle at first, I would imagine. Bob: Right. Brad: Even just get the muscles to contract so we get some fluid movement in the tissue. Bob: Right. So, Gary Reinl, the author of the book that we were talking about, when asked if you should ice something, he said, “No, it’s the worst thing you can do.” Brad: We’ve been doing the worst thing for the last 30 years. It takes me a while to swallow that. Bob: I know. So, you’re trapping waste in and around the damaged site. I do buy that. You prevent the flow of oxygen, so anything supplied via that blood circulation is not being supplied because ice does slow it down. Brad: Well, it vasoconstricts is what the theory is. It pushes out fluid. Bob: It might bring it back in. Brad: Bring it back in, I know that was the theory. Now we’ve got a different theory. Bob: He said also, it can cause additional damage to tissues and nerves. You don't remember this Brad. Brad: How do you know? Bob: Because you don’t. Brad: LOL Bob: So, Chris and I had this discussion when we were talking about ibuprofen and I said, “Does that delay healing because it’s delaying the swelling?” He said, “Yeah, it could.” So, it’s interesting. Brad: So, the inflammatory phase of an injury is good. It’s part of what the body is supposed to do to heal but the theory is it over does itself. Bob: It overdoes it, right. Exactly and so that’s what ice is supposed to help with, but they are saying, no, it really doesn’t overdo it. You just have to control that swelling in some other way. You know, through wrapping or active motion. So, again, what they recommend is active recovery or using a muscle stimulator. Like on the areas to make the muscles work on their own. Brad: So, like a TENS unit that has EMS. Bob: Yeah, EMS units. Electrical muscle stimulation. Brad: So, I would think water, you know, if you had a pool or something where it may be more comfortable to move the ankle or the knee but that’s not very accessible for certain people. Bob: Well, are you talking about an ice bath? Brad: No, no, no. Just water. Like a pool. Bob: Oh, sure. So, ice does help with pain and swelling, there’s no doubt, but they’re saying the body knows how to heal. Ice was never around for the early ancestors. Brad: Well in the wintertime it was. Snowbanks. Bob: There we go. So, again, we are not arguing one way or another, we’re just presenting it to you. You can decide. I’m sure there’ll be more studies that come out. Brad: This is really good news because there are people; I’ve had patients, they just do not like ice whatsoever. If it touches them and it just makes them jump. So, get it moving, get the part moving. Don’t overdo it. Bob: Well, it has to be pain-free movement. Brad: And of course, the compression, the wraps. Bob: Right, compression is still a good idea. Brad: It’s not that far out, once we think about it, just a little. Bob: Yeah, I like the movement idea. Brad: The compression’s good too. Good luck without icing. One less thing to do. Bob: Go ahead and give us your opinions. We always like to hear people opinions so lay them on us. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/physicaltherapyvideo Website: https://bobandbrad.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobandBrad/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialbobandbrad/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ptfamous Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mostfamousPTs Wimkin: https://wimkin.com/BobandBrad Mewe: https://mewe.com/i/bobandbrad Minds: https://www.minds.com/bobandbrad/ Vero: vero.co/bobandbrad SteemIt: https://steemit.com/@bobandbrad Peakd: https://peakd.com/@bobandbrad For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun US: https://amzn.to/36pMekg Now available in EU: https://amzn.to/3eiruwV Now available in Canada: http://amzla.com/t4qn7uniltfb Q2 Mini Massage Gun US: https://amzn.to/3oSMBu9 Now available in UK: http://amzla.com/qe4bmn3puczb Now available in EU: https://www.amazon.de/Massagepistole-Muskelentlastung-Handmassageger%C3%83%C2%A4t-Muskelkater-Entspannen/dp/B08M8YSFC7/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=bob+and+brad&qid=1620323625&sr=8-2 Handheld Massager: https://amzn.to/2TxZBqU X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head: COMING SOON! 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Foot Massager: https://amzn.to/3pH2R2n Knee Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com Fit Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Fitness: Resistance Bands: https://amzn.to/36uqnbr​ Pull Up Bands: https://amzn.to/3qmI4Rv​ Resistance Bands for Legs and Butt: https://amzn.to/2G5mXkp​ Hanging Handles: https://amzn.to/2RXLVFF​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Wall Anchor: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Exercise Ball: https://amzn.to/3cdMMMu​ Pull-Up System: https://www.optp.com/Pull-Up-system-by-Bob-and-Brad Stretching: Booyah Stik: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Stretch Strap: https://amzn.to/3muStbi Wellness: Bob and Brad Blood Pressure Monitor: https://amzn.to/3hm721f Bob & Brad Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/2RTSLLh Check out other products Bob and Brad Love: https://www.amazon.com/shop/physicaltherapyvideo?listId=3581Z1XUVFAFY Check out our shirts, mugs, bags and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop here: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/bob-brad​ Check out The Bob & Brad Crew on YouTube by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/c/thebobbradcrew 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.

How to Use the TENS Unit: If you are using an iReliev TENS unit we provide step-by-step video instruction on how to use the following types: iReliev 1313 iReliev 5050 iReliev 8080 Just go to the program section at BobandBrad.com and click on the TENS series, or click the link below. Under the series look for the videos with the 1313, 5050, or 8080 TENS units. If you are using a TENS unit from another manufacturer you will need to follow the instructions provided with the product. Where to Place the Pads: There is NOT a specific right way to position or place the pads. The best approach is to place the pads wherever they relieve pain the most. Experiment and see what will work best for you. General Guidelines for a Small Area (Shin or Lower Leg- Front): Use one channel and two pads. Place one pad (either one) directly on the pain. Place the other pad either directly above the other pad (at least a pad’s width apart) or directly below the pad (at least a pad’s width apart). Use one channel and two pads. Place one pad directly above the pain and one pad directly below the pain or place one pad on each side of the pain. General Guidelines for Pain Referred from Another Area: An example would be shin pain that is coming (referred) from the back. Using channel one, place the two pads along the nerve pathway. Reminder: do not place pads over open wounds or areas with excessive hair. Clean the area with soap and water prior to placement of the pads. Treatment recommendation: Cross-fiber massage using the massage gun For more information on the TENS programs visit: https://www.bobandbrad.com/tens-program If interested in purchasing the TENS/EMS unit by iReliev visit: https://ireliev.com/bobandbrad/?uid=15&oid=1&affid=10 *Update: Bob & Brad now have their own brand of massagers: C2 Massage Gun: https://amzn.to/36pMekg 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.