A Time For Change: Stage 1 – Precontemplation

Changing our lives is not easy and as discussed in our last blog post there are five distinct stages that we must go through in order to achieve this change.  These changes can be as little as drinking one less cup of coffee each day or as big as entering a workout regimen in order to prepare for an Ironman.  Stage 1, precontemplation, is where almost 50% of the public is currently situated and getting past this stage can be very difficult.

This stage is marked by you not even thinking about change.  Your physical therapist, physician, spouse, family member, or friend may be urging you to make a change, whether it is working out more or eating better, for example.  During precontemplation you hold onto the belief that nothing needs to change and you think that things are fine the way they are.  You read a blog article or see a billboard explaining how much changing your health matters but you ignore it.  You sit there and say to yourself, “I am healthy; I am in good physical shape.”1  In your mind you are immune to any health problems that your peers or physical therapist is trying to explain to you.  If you have found yourself constantly dismissing the advice of others you may be stuck in this phase; here are some ways to move on to the next stage.

Weigh Your Options – In this stage “people tend to focus on the downside of adopting a healthy new behavior while ignoring the upside.”¹  Get past this by making a pro and con list.  Take out a piece of paper.  No, I mean right now, take out a piece of paper and write five to ten pros of changing to a new healthy behavior. On the other side write five to ten cons for changing.  Look at the two columns. “Is there a stronger case for or against making a change?”¹

Find a “Change Partner” – It is hard to take nutrition advice from someone who is extremely overweight.  Find someone who has made a change in their life that is somewhat similar to the change that you want to make.  If you have a physical therapist, friend, coworker or anyone else who wants to change or has changed their behaviors, start a conversation with them.

Just talking about your issue will catapult you into the next stage, Contemplation.  So start today.  Don’t worry about changing your unhealthy behavior now, just start to think about it and the consequences if you don’t change. Keep coming back as we will continue to talk about the next four steps, what they entail, what needs to be overcome and how to move to the next stage.

http://www.arthritisselfmanagement.com/newsletter/12-15-2011/time-for-a-change/?page=all

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5 Tips to Avoid Travel Associated Aches & Pains

It’s summer time again and that means people are heading off on vacation to catch up on a little rest and relaxation. One would think that a week or two of relaxing would be the perfect prescription for nagging low back or neck pain, but in many cases the opposite may be true. Most trips include sitting for extended hours in a car or plane to reach a particular destination, increased stress at the beginning and end of the trip, eating junk food, drinking alcohol and most likely exercising less. All of these factors can lead to increased aches and pains and make your trip that much less pleasurable.

In order to reduce the effects on your system associated with travel, implement these tips and you will hopefully feel like a million bucks by the time you return home.

Tip #1 - Move Regularly

Whether traveling by car, plane, train or some other method of transportation, prolonged sitting is usually involved. Extended periods of sitting often results in tightness through the spinal, pelvic and lower extremity musculature and may ultimately bring on a pain response. Ideally, a person should plan on getting up at least once every hour and spending approximately 5 minutes walking and stretching.

Tip #2 - Stretch Muscles Prone to Tightness

1: Neck half-circles - roll the head from one shoulder across the chest to the other shoulder to maintain the flexibility of the neck musculature

2: Seated lumbar stretch - reach your right hand to your left knee and twist your spine to look as far behind you as possible. hold 10-20 seconds and repeat on the other side.

3: Standing hip flexor/calf stretch - stand in a lunge stance with one leg forward and the other behind you. Keeping your spine straight lunge forward until you feel a stretch at the front of the thigh and in the calf of the leg that is behind you. Hold for 10-30 seconds and repeat on the other side.

4: Standing hamstring stretch - with your knee locked out, bend forward toward your toes until you feel a stretch at the back of the thigh. Hold 10-30 seconds.

Tip #3 - Pack a back or neck support and use heat and ice packs

Using a portable lumbar or neck (cervical) support on long plane or car rides will provide stability to the spine’s natural curves and help reduce pain. Also, filling a small bag with ice or packing portable heat packs that warm upon opening can be great tools for reducing pain.

Tip #4: Pack light and lift with proper body mechanics

Heavy luggage is often a recipe for low back pain, so only take those necessary items. Once your suitcase is packed with only the essentials, make sure to lift slowly and in such a way that allows you to keep your back straight and requires that your legs do the work. On plane rides, don’t be shy to ask someone for help when loading into the overhead compartment. Lifting 45 pounds above shoulder level puts a great deal of stress on the low back, shoulder and shoulder blade/neck musculature and can cause an instant muscle strain if not performed in a controlled manner.

Tip #5 - Drink plenty of water and avoid alcoholic beverages

It’s definitely okay to consume alcohol, but make sure you follow up with plenty of water. Alcohol is known to inhibit anti-diuretic hormone, which leads to increased urination and dehydration. Our muscles, tendons, cartilage and most other structures depend on water for normal flexibility, so being dehydrated can contribute to increased stiffness and pain.