Whole Body Healing 9780878574414

Explains how to improve health and physical fitness through a variety of methods, including running, acupressure and wei

1,981 156 53MB

English Pages 584 Year 1983

Report DMCA / Copyright

DOWNLOAD FILE

Polecaj historie

Whole Body Healing
 9780878574414

Citation preview

Digitized by the Internet Archive in

2009

http://www.archive.org/details/wholebodyhealingOOIowe

Natural Healing with Exercise,

Movement

Massage and Other Drug-Free Methods

Who!

H

By CARL LOWE, JAMES W, NECHAS

and the

Editors of Prevention

-'

Magazine

Rodale Press, Emmaus,

Pa.

Copyright

©

1983

b)'

Rodak

Press, Inc.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by an)- means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrie\al s-)'Stem without the written permission of

All rights reserved.

the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Lowe,

Carl.

VC'hole

body

healing.

Includes index. Tlierapeutics, Physiological.

1.

fitness.

James III.

3 Health.

Vi'illiam.

II.

4.

Healing.

Pre\'ention

I.

2.

Physical

Nechas,

(Emmaus,

Pa.)

Title.

61.3.7 RM701.L68 1983 ISBN 0-87857-441-7 hardcover

2 4 6 8

10 9 7 5 3

1

hardcover

82-16577

Notice Tlie therapies discussed in this

book

are strictly

or complementar}' to, medical treatment. Self-treatment can be hazardous with a serious ailment. We therefore urge you to seek out the best medical assistance }'ou can find whenexer it is needed. adjiincti\'e

Editor William Ciottlieb

Research Chief: Carol Baldwin Assistant Research Chief: Carol

Matthews

Research Project Coordinator: Joann Williams Research Associates: Martha Capwell, Holly ('lemson, Takla Gardey, Sue Ann (iursk)-, Christ)- Koiiler, Susan Nastasec, Susan Zarrow Cop)- Editors: Robert Warmkessel, Jan Barckley Assistant Editor: Marian

Wolbers

Office Personnel: Diana Gottshall, Sue Lagler

Book Design: Joan Peckolick Art Direction: Karen A. Schell Illustrations by:

Michael Radomski

Project Photographer: Margaret Sm)'ser

Supplementary Photography: Photo on page 1 S3 by Alice Bissell Photo on page 92 by Paul Boyer Photo on page 3''3 by T L. (iettings Photo on page 94 by Mitchell T. Mandcl Photo on page 3^ ©Karsh Ottowa, courtesy of the Rolf I

Institute

Photos on pages 12-13, 189, 223, 470-73 and 476-77 by Christie Tito

Photos on pages 89 and 9 1 by

We thank the

Sally

Ann Ullman

following for ad\ice on various parts of this book: Irmgard Hartenieff, Andre Bernard, Dcbonili (laplan, Dianne Dulicai. Sharon Holmes, Anna Hyderjudith I^sater, Ph.D., Norma U-istiko, William Newman, Ph.D. James Purse>, Ph.D.

Back Troubles 753 Bicyclin g /86

Biofeedback 793

Biorhythms 7107

Body Therapies 7115 Calisthenics

7158

Chiropractic 7174

Crosscountry Skiing 7188

Dance Therapy 7193 Contents

Dru^ s and Exercise 7206

Introduction /ix

Fasting

7210

Acu puncture and

Fati g ue

and Stamina 7213

Acupressure /I Feet and Footwear 7221

Aerobic Exercise and Dance 730 vi

CONTENTS

Headaches 7227

The Heart 7232

Running

Heat Therapy 7244

Sex and Exercise 7405

Hug Therapy 7248

Shiatsu

Hypnosis 7267

Slee p

Knitting 7275

Spinal Manipulation

Martial Arts

7280

Inj uries

7395

7408

7415

Stretching 7432

Massage 7298

Swimming 7443

Music Therapy 7309

Vacations 7451

Nutrition 7315

Varicose Veins 7457

Posture 7329

Walking 7462

Reflexolo gy 7346

Water Therapy 7469

Rolfin g7351

Wei ght

Ro pe

Ski pping

Running 7372

7365

7422

;Vbga

Trainin g

7480

7508

Indices 7553 CONTENTS

vii

INTRODUCTION

Most

of us probably dont think of the body as our ally in the quest for good health. That's because most of us don't usually think about the

body

at all.

We

take

it

for granted.

At least

while we're healthy. But the truth is, the body constantly works to keep our s)^tem balanced and strong. That work is called healing. And healing is a process as ne\'er-ending as your breathing or heartbeat. Ever\' time you cut yourself, the body heals, mending damaged skin and tissue. Every time a virus takes hold, the body heals (or tries to), as white blood cells rush to repel the invader. A cough in a smok}' room. A pain that alerts you to a medical problem. A good night's sleep after a tough da)'. All are healing. In Viljole Body Healing, the editors of Pretention magazine offer natural healing through phv'sical activities: exerci.se (like walking), movement (like yoga), and massage (like acupressure). Yet even though these methods don't contact your cells directly like a vitamin supplement or food, they still nourish and help ever)' part of your bod)'.

How?

like the relationship between TV broadcasters and the images on )'our telev-ision set. You watch shows without the broadcasters coming into your house. They just sit at the station with their controls, and the picture appears on It's

T\'. The methods in Whole Body Healing work the same way. What you do to your body on the outside broadcasts messages to the organs and s)'stems on the inside. For instance, when you exercise, your body sends a set of

)our

your inner organs that tell your circulatory system blood flow to )'our muscles. Your body raises your metabolic rate, burning more calories than if you just sat around. Your bf thumbs are used to press the Yuyao points. aire headaches.

Wese points can

brow, all of my head pain usually disappears, including the dull throb of my dexeloping headache." >X'hat one of our authors, Carl Lowe, has been doing is stopping his headaches through the use of acupressure. Acupressure, acupuncture and elertro-acupuncture are meridian therapies - methods of treating ph\-sical problems thnjugh manipulation of points on the skin. The name "meridian therapy" is derived from the positioning of the points along lines, or meridians, that tra\el along the body. Acupressure manipulates these points through pressure on the surface of the body, electro-acupuncture through electrical stimulation, and acupuncture through needle insertion.

Why MDs

Rejected Acupuncture

Meridian therapies, originally Chinese treatments, ha\e been to American medicine since the 1890s but were mostly ignored by the American medical establishment until the 1970s. The reason for their long disuse? First of all, the philosoph)' of these therapies doesn't mesh well with the principles American MDs usually apph'. The traditional Western medical approach to remedying disease or discomfort is to appl>' a drug or therapy that directh- attacks the problem. For example, when confronted b>- a patient suffering from an infection, a doctor will prescribe an antibiotic known to be effective against the ailment. Chinese methods, on the other hand, work indirectly by encouraging the bod>' to rectifS' the problem itself The emphasis is on pre\enting

known

disease and gi\ing the bod\- the tools to presene health. To the inejqierienced obser\i;r, the manipulation of certain meridian points to remedy functional problems can .seem like

hocus-pocus. The point that gets stimulated often has no obvious connection to the bodily area where the problem exists. You can successfully treat a stiff neck, for instance, through manipulation of the Hegu point, a point on the hand near the thumb.

These are the stomach,

gall-

bladder, and colon acupuncture meridians. Each meridian point controls a different part of ttie body. Two particularly important points are stomach 36 and colon 4 (also

krwwn as the Hegu point).

The Headache Point intrepid author, Carl Lowe, uses pressure on the midpoints of his eyebrows to treat all of his headaches, no matter where the pain originates. The (Chinese name for this point is Yu>-ao. It is an unusual point because, unlike

Our

most acupuncture

WHOLE BODY HEALING

points,

it

is

not associated with any par-

organ in the body. Howard Kurland, M.D., originated the acupressure technique Carl uses, identi-

ticular internal

who

point in his booic Quick Headache Relief Without Morrow, 19"'"^). This point on the eyebrow in a small depression right above the pupil of the eye

fies this

Drugs lies

(Vi'illiam

where the brow narrows. fish, this point would be

If >'ou its

supraorbital ner\e emerges, and

much more

touch,

think of the

waistline. This

sensiti\e than

it

is

ver\'

eyebrow as a is where the tender to the

most meridian

points. like the "^'uN^o point, most meridian points are associated with a ner\'e ending near the skin surface.

The proximit)^ of meridian points to emerging nerves on the skin or just under it, and meridian therapy's abilit)'

many kinds of pain, ha\e suggested the "gate explanation of how the therapy works. According theor}-. pain is a slow neural signal that travels from lem area to the spinal column and then up tlie spinal to cure

to the brain. spinal cord

The point

is

at

theory" to this a prob-

column

which these impulses enter the The sense of touch,

a kind of "nerve gate."

which meridian therapy

stimulates, travels four times as fast

as pain impulses. Therefore, these faster impulses reach the

ner\e gate first and block the entrance of pain signals, preventing the brain from registering them. Many dentists, for instance, use electro-acupuncture as a painkiller during dental

work.

up

If

the gate theor\'

is

correct, then acupuncture sets

a "nerve block" that prevents the pain of tooth drilling

or extraction from reaching the patient's brain.

Good

Nutrition Helps

Several studies have suggested that meridian therapies also relieve pain

and cure dysfunction by stimulating the release

of neurotransmitters. These chemicals, which include serotonin, norepinephrine and the endorphins, are normally secreted by the bod>- in order to deal with stressfi.il situa-

They are antidepressants, and they can have a morphinelike effect on the brain. According to Ronald I,awTence, M.D., a Los Angeles neurologist with extensive experience practicing and teaching tions.

meridian

therap>',

the ther^y's relatioaship to the neurotrans-

makes good

nutritional practices a must for those undei^oing treatment. ""VCTien \x)u put the acupuncture needle in, you generate more serotonin or more endorphins, but you will not be able to increase the level of these neuro-

mitters

ACUPUNCTURE AND ACUPRESSURE

Good Sources of Vitamin Food 1

3 ounces

Mackerel, Atlantic Chicken, light meat

3 ounces 3 ounces 3 ounces

Beef liver Sunflower seeds

"4

cup

3 ounces 3 ounces

Halibut Tuna, canned

cup cup 3 ounces

Lentils, dr>'

)/4

brown, raw Kidney, beef Rice,

)4

Brewer's yeast, debittered

1

Dietary-

tablespoon

^ cup

whole Buckwheat flour, dark Filberts,

SOLiRCES:

(milligrams) 0.892 0.633 0.597 0.510 0.465 0.453 0.389 0.361 0.285 0.275 0.238 0.200 0.184 0.142

medium

Salmon

The Recommended

Amount

Portion

Bananas

'/»

Allowance

is

B6

cup

2-2.2 milligrams.

Adapted from

Pantothenic Add, Vitamin Bb and Vitamin Biz in Foods, Home Economics Research Report No. 36, by Martha Louise Orr (Washington, D.C.: Agricultural Research Ser\ice, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1969). U.S.

Department of Agriculture Handbooks No. 8-5 and 456.

Information obtained from Nutrient Data Research Group,

U.S.

Department of Agriculture, 1981.

transmitters unless the basic nutritional material

is

there.

For instance, to de\'elop serotonin, the body needs tryptophan, a basic amino acid, as well as \itamin B6 and B12." Good sources of Be are bananas, organ meats, fish and whole grain products. Bi? is found in meat, milk and eggs. Meat, milk and cheese are high in tryptophan.

Eliminate Painkillers Meridian therapy often eUminates the need for painkilling drugs. Carl has used acupressure for his headaches for the past six months and has almost completely stopped taking aspirin or acetaminophen. "1 find that acupressure works better and faster than aspirin," he says. "It's cheaper than aspirin, too. Pressing

WHOLE BODY HEALING

on my head doesn't cost

a thing.

r

Good Sources of Vitamin Food

B12

Amount

Portion

(milligrams) 49.0

Tuna, canned

3 ounces 3 ounces

Lamb

3

ounces 3 ounces 3 ounces 2 ounces 1 cup Vi cup

1.7

Beef

li\'er

Beef, lean

Haddock Swiss cheese Milk,

whole

Cottage cheese, low-fat

Egg Cheddar cheese Chicken, light meat

1

large

2

ounces

1.9

1.5

0.95

0.95 0.87 0.80 0.66 0.47 0.29

3 ounces

» The Recommended Dietary Allowance

is

3 micrograms.

SoiRCES: Adapted from

Pantothenic Add. Vitamin Be and Vitamin B\i in Foods. Home Economics Research Report No. 36, b> Martha Louise Orr (Washington, D.C.: Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1969). U.S. Department of Agriculture

Handbooks No. 8-1 and

8-5.

Information obtained from Nutrient Data Research Group,

U.S.

Department of Agriculmre, 1981.

Good Sources of Tryptophan \

Food Beef

liver

Calf liver

Chicken, light meat

Chicken liver round Beef, round

\'eal,

Bluefish

Swiss cheese

Cheddar cheese Milk, whole Peanut butter

Portion

don't want to sound like a commercial for It's not perfect - you don't get full relief all of the time. And pressing on the "\\nao points hurts like the de\il. My wife is unable to use these points because she

"But

I

acupressure.

down on them too intense. But I because I know that when I stop, my headache will usually be gone. If it isn't all gone. I'll press some more. That's another ad\-antage acupressure has over drugs -you can do it as often as you like, and >x)u can't overdose. Anywa)', the next time m)- wife has a headache, I'm going to help her find another point she can press that won't hurt so much." Using different points for the same problem is another advantage of the meridian therapies: the>- can be indi\idualized. Some points will work better for you than for others. If you use acupressure for a particular problem, it is perfectly safe to experiment with sexeral points to see which works best for >'ou. According to Dr Lawrence, rehing on standard points to treat problems rather than finding the best points for an individual is "cookbook therapy," which

finds the pain of pushing find the pain bearable

is

never as effective as exploring the meridians to see w+iere

the

problem is. "Cookbook acupuncture

popular because Americans Lawrence. "And let's face it, are always in a burn,-," sa)-s Dr. we doctors are sometimes to blame. We'll be treating a patient, and we have others out in the waiting room, and we don't alwav-s feel we can take the time to find the best points when we know the standard points that usuall\- solve a particular problem. But the best wa\- to do this therapy is take your time and find the points that will have the most is

on the individual," he sav's. "One way to find the right meridian point to use is bv' soreness. The tenderness of a point is a good sign that

effect

its

you're in the

riglit

place.

Wonderful for Asthma "Another good sign when using acupuncture - and think acupuncture is the mt)st effective of the meridian therapies - is a red histamine flare that is generated bv the in.sertion of the needle, "^bu might say. Isn't that hi.stamine reaction bad for the bodv?' No. Becau.se Dr. I^awrence continued. 1

it

cau,ses the bodv' to generate

can then

WHOLE BODY HEALING

its

own

antihist;imines,

which

fight again.st things like bronchial asthma, lliat's

why acupuncture

is

a wondcrllil treatment for asthma.

had a mother come in with a ten-x-ear-old had asthma, and I could tell when 1 put the needle in and we got a strong red tlare reaction that we were going to get good results. You can also feel a temperature rise on the skin around the point where \ou ha\e the needle insert"Just yesterda\'

I

who

ed,

when

you're in a

good

spot. Feeling this heat

on the

skin requires some sensiti\ity. I've de\'eloped the sensiti\it)of my fingers using m\- hands a lot in this work. This is one

of the great lacks, b}' the \\a}; in American medicine. Not in chiropractic or osteopathic but in medicine. It's that MDs don't learn to use their hands or their fingers to feel. It's a

common

medical shortcoming. It's important. They don't touch people enough. That's hopeftilh- going to be changing. People that manipulate, people that do acupuncture, learn to feel - and it's all in the teel. "As a matter of fact, once you have enough practice, you can hold your hand above a person, over the acupuncture points, and \ou can feel the change in temperature.

Try a

Little

Tenderness

AXtien doing self-applied acupressure, tenderness of a meridian point is the easiest way to be sure }'ou are in the riglit place once the approximate anatomical location has been found. A ainner we talked to used this method to treat a shin splint in his left leg that caused him pain in the front of his calf. His story illustrates some of the right and wrong ways to use acupressure. "I got m) shin splint from running too much on concrete and then twisting my leg coming off a curb. The pain

was

just

belcm- the knee, and

I

decided to

treat

it

When doing self-applied acupressure, tenderness of a meridian point is the easiest way to be sure you are probing in the right place once the approximate anatomical location has been found.

by press-

ing the standard points for shin splints.

"The first point I used was stomach 36 (point 36 on the stomach meridian: see photo) on the outside of also aibbed spleen 9 on the inside of the leg my leg. around the knee level. But these points only seemed to make the pain viorse, .so I stopped acupressure treatments I

for a while.

"But my shins kept hurting, e\'en when I wasn't runI thought about going to the doctor to ha\'e an X-ray had a small stress fracture, but I just didn't want to see if to be bothered. Al.so, I figured the only thing the doctor could do would be to tell me to stop running for six weeks. ning.

I

ACUPUNCTURE AND ACUPRESSURE

Rubbing stomach J6 can

n'liet'e leg

pain.

So I decided to tn- to find other points that might help. traced the spleen meridian up m>' left leg. and when

came

I

I

where

I thought spleen 10 was I found a small pressed this point on both legs and the pain went swAx. I still haven't started running again, because the pain in my shin keeps coming back. But when it does, just rub spleen 10 again to relie\'e it. "But one great thing happened that I ne\tr expected - in using spleen 10 for my leg, 1 also relie\'ed lower back pain that has bothered me tor a long time. Since I had been concentrating so much on my leg, didn't realize the pain was gone until 1 got up off m\- soft couch one da> and noticed that the stiffiiess usually feel in my back when first stand up had v"anished. >X'hen 1 thought about it. it

to

knot of pain.

I

I

I

1

1

dawned on me

that my back hadn't bothered started pressing .spleen 10."

Diagnose

First,

Our ninner made ha\'e

8

WHOLE BODY HEALING

been

me

since

I

Press Second t\\() mi.stakes. First,

a serious

he treated what could

problem (a su.spected

stress fracture)

spleen 9

on

is

the loicer

leg.

without seeking medical ad\ice. Pain that persists e\'en after the acti\it)- that caused it has been stopped should be taken If his

seriously.

injun-

had been a stress fracture and

acupressure had relie\ed the pain enough to allow the resumption of running, a more serious injury could have resulted (such as multiple fractures). "The meridian therapies should only be used when there

sure diagnosis," sa)'5 Todor GencheflF, M.D., a who teaches acupuncture to other doc"Othervsise, by relie%ing the pain you may mask the is

a

VC'isconsin phA'sician tors.

sjmptoms of

a serious problem."

any problem, make sure that you if you suddenly de\elop chnjnic, blinding headaches, see a doctor before So, before

you

know what \ou

treat

are treating. For instance,

them }'ourself. The second mistake our rimner made was stopping the treatments when the shin pain became worse. "Very often meridian therapy will make the problem seem worse before it begins to help," .says Dr Lawrence. "I caution patients that the pain may become more intense tr}ing to treat

ACUPUNCTURE AND ACUPRESSURE

spleen Id

is

during the

good be

on

the thiiih

2-i hours after the first treatment. That's a and usually indicates the treatment is going to

first

signal,

beneficial."

Acupressure:

Do

It

Yourself

For best results with acupressure, you'll have to get used to pressing hard with your fingers on your skin, sometimes as hiird as \'ou can. Needles are used in acupuncture because the points for treatment lie a little below the skin, sometimes as deep as an inch and a half. With acupressure, you're not substituting your fingers tor needles; \ou're substituting pressure for direct stimulation, and that pressure

down to the treatment points. For most treatments, the thumb seems to work best. Dr Kurland recommends bending the thumb so that it forms a right angle: this position, he .saN-s, enables you to appl> the most force. Our experience, howe\er, shows that travels

10

WHOLE BODY HEALING

the position you should use depends If \ou press a point

bod)- >ou treat.

on the piirt of the on the top of your

example, you can probably get sufficient force if a fist \\ith >our thumb straight out alongside it and press down using )our iirm and shoulder, muscles. For this point - and man\- others - >'ou need maximimi loerage and force. But if \ou press a point on the back of the neck or on the back of the head, then follow thigh, for

wu

make

Dr. Kurland's ad\ice.

For Best Results, Relax

how to press hard -don't. Not you first start, \ou ha\'e to accustom yourself to finding and pressing the points. During this learning period \'ou should be relaxed and comfortable, so don't jab yourself too hard in the beginning. Tliere will be plent)- of time for that later. Lying and sitting down are the best positions for

Now

that we've told

you

right awa>', at least. >X1ien

acupressure; the\'re more relaxing than standing. Unfortunateh', it's not alwa\7» possible to sit or lie down when you

interviewed who uses acupressure tor his backaches often has pain while shopping in .supermarkets; shopping imolves .standing tor a long time and pushing a hea\y cart. The man uses points around his knees for his pain. To massage them in the supermarket, he finds a relatixeh' untraveled aisle, bends over and pre-

need pain

relief.

One man we

for best results with acupressure, you have to get used to pressing hard with your fin-

gers on your

slhine.se: traditionally, they forbid the use of meridian therapies on pregnant women. They belie\e the manipulation of a pregnant woman's bodil>- energy by these techniques can harm the fetus. Modern research has neither pnnen nor di.spro\en that belief, but, to be on the safe side, it is best nol to use acupressure, acupuncture or electro-acupuncture on a pregnant woman. As we said before, the technique you use to appi}' pressure can var>'. Experience will show which technique works best for you. To apph- pressure on a small, specific point, use the tip of your finger and your fingernail (.see photo). Keep your fingernails .short to avoid cutting >-our-

ACUPUNCTURE AND ACUPRESSURE

11

Pressing straight in

on an acupoint.

self. For general stimulation over a wider portion of your body, use the meat>' section of your fingertip av^'ay from the fingernail. If you're a beginner, the .second method

preferable until you gain more accurac)- in finding the wider area increases the possibility of hitting the right spot and not letting inaccurac)' deprive is

points. Stimulating a

you of results. You can press a point in four main wa^-s: • Pushing straight down in a series of pulses, alternately pushing and releasing pressure; • Moving your finger in shrinking concentric circles on the skin, starting the motion in an orbit around the point and gradually ck)sing in on the point; • Spiraling your finger outwiird from a point (the reverse of the previous motion); or • Making a stead)' cirtoilar motion in and around the point.

As a beginner, use this last motion - in and around the you use this motion, pressing the meat of \our finger against your skin, you'll have the best chance of finding your acupressure points.

point. AXTien

12

WHOLE BODY HEALING

I

Rubbing a

circle

anmnci

the

Hegu point.

aC

/ ou run )'our finger along \'our e>ebrow, youll notice a dip in the surface that feels as thougli two bones are joining under the skin. This is the "^'uyao point. It is In

supraorbital nene comes closest to the surface of your head. This point, in the middle of your eyebrow, is right over the pupil. Use the knuckles of your thumbs to press on the \'m'ao point. In a seated position, place the knuckles against both points in the eyebrows and slo\\i\' turn them back and forth, increasing the pressure until you feel pain. If pressing with your knuckles doesn't produce a good deal of pain, then you probably are pressing in the wrong place. This point, so close to a ner\e, should be ver\- tender when you

where the

appi)' sufficient force.

If

you don't

feel pain,

chances are

you're just pressing on the bone behind your eyebrows. When treating the Yuyao point, press both sides

simultaneously - that seems to produce the best results. According to Dr. Kurland, this point is good for relieving headaches caused by sinus problems. We ha\'e found that it can clear up other kinds of headaches as well. Don't be afraid of the pain that arises while pressing on this point. It subsides when you stop. And so will most or all of your headache.

The Hegu Point— Key

to the

Upper Bod>'

The Hegu point helps

reliexe any pain in the head and necks as well as headaches succumb to pressure on it. Dentists use this point to induce analgesia during tooth extractions. In Chinese, Hegu means "meeting of the valle)'s" - it's an influential point, and stimulating it can affect many important areas of the body. To locate the Hegu point, lay your left hand on a flat surface. Position the thumb so that it forms a right ;ingle with the index finger Now feel along the bone that extends back from the knuckle of the index finger Along the index

arms.

Stiff

finger little

14

WHOLE BODY HEALING

bone

is

the

Hegu

down and under

point. Tlie point actual!)

the index finger bone.

If

wu

lies

a

press

bone. \ou ha\e to press sidewa\'S. you reach a sufficient depth, to reach the point under the bone. To make sure you touch the Hegu point and not just a random point on the hand, .see if you get a "funny bone" t)pe of feeling when \ou apph pressure. As you press harder you should feel the pressure radiating along the nenes in your hand. This .sensation signals that you clo\\n riglit alongside the after

are

on the Hegu point. An earh-moming stiff neck

stimulation.

To get the best

breakfast. In fact, stimulate

will usiialh'

respond to Hegu

point before before you e\en get out of

results, treat the it

web of \T>ur left hand (the part between thumb and index finger). Rest the thumb of your right

bed! Grasp the meat)

the

hand on the back of your left hand and the other four on its palm. Probe with your thumb until you locate the Hegu point. Rub the point in slow circles for at least 30 seconds and then switch hands. '\bu should notice an almo,st immediate improvement in the condition of your

fingers

neck.

If

the pain

comes

back, repeat the procedure.

\ou treat .someone elses Hegu points, it is easy to treat both points at the same time. Your friend should be sitting and facing )'ou, hands on his or her knees. \'ou simply reach out, gnisp both hands and treat the points (.see photo). If

}bu can easily

treat

both

Hefiti pnitits

simultaneously.

ACUPUNCTURE AND ACUPRESSURE

15

ha\c an urgent dc-ntal problem. \()u can use \()ur for relief until \()u see the dentist. But don't substitute acupressure for dental help! Just as it would be If \()u

Hegu point

foolhardx and dangerous to take a painldller like

morphine

broken leg and not ha\e a doctor .set it. so you should ncA'er use acupressure to put off treating a serious medical problem. Use it until you can .see a doctor or dentist, but for a

If you have an urgent dental problem, you can use your Hegu point for relief until you see the dentist. But dorft substitute acupressure for dental

help. Use it until you can see a dentist, not instead of see-

ing one.

instead of seeing one. also use the Hegu point to make pressing the ^'uNao point less painful. In fact, since stimulating the Hegu point ma\ relieve a headache entireh, \ou ma\ not ha\e to don't u.se

it

You can

use Yu>'ao

be it

at

all.

less sensitive

But even if it doesn't, the \'u\'ao point will than if \-ou treated your headache with

alone.

Let Your

Headache Out the Back Door

Another good location for dealing with headaches and stiff necks is the two Fengchi points on the back of the head. To find the points, sit down, lean your head forward and look at the floor. Just behind either ear \()u should feel the mastoid bone. Then, using both hands, locate in the center of your neck a long mu.scle that connects the base of the neck to the skull. With your head bent forward, this central muscle feels like an upside-down ice cream cone with its point at the skull and its ice cream at the knob at the base of your neck. Next, mine your hands along the ba.se of the skull out from this central muscle, toward the mastoid bone; you should come across a depression on either side of \our head midwa\ ben\een the central mu.scle and the ma.stoid bones (see photo). If \-ou push hiird into the.se depressions, up and into your skull, you are pressing on the Fengchi points. >Xlien \()u treat headaches or

stiff

necks, use the Fengchi

points either along with or instead of the

Hegu or

YuN-ao

Remember, it depends on what works for xou. If the Fengchi points alone gi\e \ou immediate relief, stick with them. Or you may find a certain .sequence of points that works best. For example. \ou ma\ haw earh -morning headaches. One pos.sible remed> is to rub your Hegu points for a tew minutes just after you awake. Then, after you sit up in bed. t:ike the same amount of time pressing the Fengchi points. That might end your problem. Later on in the morning, if the headache comes back, treat it again. points.

16

WHOLE BODY HEALING

7Zh'

IhniNhs uiv Ideal / that attacks many runners. As we mentioned earlier in the chapter, a nmner who treated his Xuehai point because of shin splints unexpectedly cleared up the pain in his lower back. To locate this point on your left leg, sit down, then cross >'our legs b\' placing your left ankle on your right knee; your right toot should be flat on the floor Now lean .splint

forward and place the palm of your right hand as flat as you can o\er your left knee. With >'t)ur palm on your kneecap, put your thumb at a right angle to your hand and bend it so that the joint forms a right angle. Xuehai is underneath your thumb. To be sure you have located this point, apply

ACUPUNCTURE AND ACUPRESSURE

17

Xuehai

is

on the

thii>b.

thumb pressure around your thigh in the area we just described until you feel a sensation radiating out from the pressure. Some low back pain sufferers will also experience a certain ;unount of pain and tenderness at this point, lliats a good sign! Tlie tenderness means that the point is related to your problem and when treated ma\ help alle\iatc a lot

of \()ur pain.

There's another way to find the Xuehai point. Sit with on the floor and trace a line with Nour thumb from the inside border of \()ur kneecap straight back along

>'our feet flat

your thigh. Press down periodically with your thumb as it moves along your leg: when xou feel a point that causes feeling we described before, pain, or the 'funm bone you've found the point that you want to treat. If your sensitive point doesn't seem to be in exactly the right place according to our directions, don't let that stop \()u from using it. Ilie only important criterion for using a point "

18

WHOLE BODY HEALING

Ptx'sshii; lUiiv^ijiii itilh

I

lie IhiiDih.

acupressure is that it works. The Liangqiu point, another good bacioche treatment point, is also located on the thigh but is along the outside. To find it, sit with \'our feet flat on the floor. Next, extend one of your legs out straight and lay one of your thumbs alongside the top border of your kneecap. Then place your other thumb along that one, on the side not touching the knee. Next to this second thumb, on a line with the outside border of the kneeciip, is the Liangqiu point ( see photo ). A woman we talked to who uses the Liangqiu point tor backaches always has her husband press the point for her "It's too ticklish tor me to do it myself," .she .saj's. "Even when my husband presses the point, it's almost too much wouldn't let him do it if it didn't help my back so to take. much." You, too, may find both the Liangqiu and the Xuehai points very tickli.sh. That kind of sen.siti\ity is a good sign of in

I

a point's effectiveness.

ACUPUNCTURE AND ACUPRESSURE

19

77jf

Tiantu point can help asthnui

Acupressure against Asthma Tlie Tiantu point at

the base of the throat

is

combating colds, coughs and asthma. To locate

usefiil it

for

(unlike

the other points, Tiantu is at one spot rather than two), your finger along your neck toward \()ur chest. As you reach the place where the throat meets the chest, you'll discover an indentation bordered hy a round, bony

mn

structure called the suprasternal notch. To reach the Tiantu point, press your index finger into the depression abo\e the

supntstemal notch, and then put pressure downward toward the chest cavit)- (see photo). A word of caution: be carefijl if you ma.ssage a \t)ung ciiilds Tiantu point. As \. .\s a result, it comes iis no surprise - to traditionalists, at least - that mas.saging some of these points can pep >'ou up as well as cure pain and aid healing. Traditional Chinese practitioners would explain this result by saying that acupressure dissolves blockages in the energ)' channels and lets the energ\' flow freely. In turn, this flow gi\'es )'Ou an increased feeling of alertness and well-being. The '^'u\ao point in the middle of the eyebrow is also good for clearing up mental fatigue. Another good point for pulling yourself out of drowsiness is Taichong, which is on the foot. Dr Lawrence told us that he uses this point to overcome fatigue. "After a long day at the oflSce, when I'm bushed but I want to go out at niglit or I ha\'e something else that 1 ha\e to do. 111 needle my foot to give m)'self a

Acupressure points

lie

on

meridians— channels of energy that flow through your l3ody. Massaging ttiese points can pep you up as well as cure pain and aid healing.

It's a great pickup." Massaging Taichong with your fingers can give you almost

boost.

Taichong

is

located

on the foot.

ACUPUNCTURE AND ACUPRESSURE

21

the same results that Dr. liiwrence gets. The point is located on the top of the toot behind the webbing that joins the big toe and the second toe. To find the point, run \()ur finger back from this webbing, in a straight line between first and second metatarsal bones). It groove betv\een the bones. This groo\e lies just behind a firm mound of flesh that, in turn, lies just behind the toe webbing. Probe this groove with your finger until you find a point that is more sensitive than the surrounding area. That is the Taichong point.

the toe bones (the

will enter a

Zusanli, a point just

below the knee,

is

also

good

for

getting your juices flowing. Massaging this point can also

abdominal pain and motion sickness. is approximately three inches below the kneeon the outside edge of the leg (see photo). The point cap between the tv\'o bones in the leg, the tibia and the lies fibula. These bones meet just below the kneecap, and Zus:inli is just below that juncture. To find it, sit with your feet on relieve

Zusanli

T1.K'

22

Zusanli l)(>int

WHOLE BODY HEALING

is

just ntuler the knee.

the floor iind v\Tap your cap. lies

left

hand around

\'Our

ri^t knee-

Mo\e )()ur hand down your leg until \c)ur index linger just below the border of your kneecap. The Zusanli below the

of your pinkie. Zusanli tor shin splints and other pains in the lower leg. If one of your legs is swollen or badly inflamed and >ou want to use Zusanli, massage it on the leg that doesn't hurt (of course, see a doctor, also, to find out what's wrong with your leg). That's a good general rule for all acupressure: if a point that you want to treat lies right on an injured spot, go to the point on the other side of vour body.

point

lies just

tip

Some doctors recommend

The "Smelling

Salts"

Point

Yongquan means "jumping spring" - for a good reason. Located just behind the ball of the foot, this point helps revive

someone who has

fainted.

It's

usually

\'er\-

sensitive,

but

if

you can stand pressing on it, it will also revive your energy and rescue vt)u fix)m fotigue. Just remember, go eas>'. Yongquan the acupressure version of smelling

is

To

find this point,

of one of your

the bottom notice that the top of the ball of

first sit

feet. You'll

salts.

down and examine

your toot near the big toe has a mound of flesh. Put your finger at the border of this mound, in between the big toe and the second toe, and trace the semicircle that surrounds it. The "S'ongquan point is along this border at a spot one-third the distance toward the back of the foot. There should be a slight depression here and a lot of tenderness v\ hen you push the tip of your finger into it. When you push on the "Yongquan point in the right place and with enough pressure, vou'll want to pull your foot away (just like a is

"jumping spring"). That's

-and how powerful acupressure

that turn

on your body's healing

is

how in

sensitive Ytjngquan

pushing the buttons

energies.

Acupuncture: Pinpointing the Cure As

we

told vf)u

earlier,

acupressure

is

only one

way

stimulate the points. And, although acupressure works,

to it's

not the most effective method for chronic ailments. Acupuncture - direct stimulation of the points with needles takes the laurels in that categorv. And a doctor who thinLs it highly deserves them is Arthur Kaslovv, M.D., who prac-

ACUPUNCTIJRE AND ACUPRESSURE

23

'ihiiiiqiaiii is

ii

sensitiiv /xtini

tices in California's Santa

"For

more than 30

icine, prescribing

mi

tlw

Ynez

\'ears,

drugs and,

bottom of the

foot.

Valley. I

practiced comentional med-

when

necessan,,

recommend-

ing surger\-," Dr Kaslow told us. "But about 8 years ago a patient of mine came in and insisted that I do acupuncture

on him. He had seen

a

demonstration on tele\ision

in

wtiich acupuncture needles were used during sut^er\- instead of anesthetic. Tliis man had agonizing piiin as a result of a

trucidng accident that happened

more than 2S

years ago.

I

had seen him for S or 6 years and had gi\en him medicine to keep him comfortable. "I begged off. But he iasisted. Vie pulled out ;in acaipuncture chart from a magazine and he .said, "\bu\e got the needles. Do it. If it doesn't work, it doesn't \\x)rk! Let's see what happens.' So tried it. He forced me into it, reaih. XXTien \x)u .see a m;ui in agon\ the wa> he was - he liad .se\vre pain running down his legs - the least )'ou can do is try. I

24

WHOLE BODY HEALING

Impressed by Results worked! He came back a tew another treatment and that worked, too. I was deeph' impressed. I guess if I hadn't seen such immediate good results I would ne\'er ha\e gone into acupuncture. I had ne\'er done amthing like that before with such quick

"Amazingl)-, the first treatment da^-s later for

relief to the patient.

looked around to see where I could get some trainto Canada, where Oriental doctors had been doing it for >ears, and studied with a Japanese doctor. I talked to a lot of his patients with a variet)- of problems, and they all said the same thing: they had real relief for the first time in years! So I became interested. VChile training in Canada, I learned about electroacupuncture, came back and tried it on my one acupuncture patient. He was relie\'ed of his agonizing pain after three or tour treatments! "Now this is a small town. Within da}'S, people had found out about my success with this man's pain and were coming to see me in dro\'es; the office was filled, iind people sat outside on the patio and in their cars waiting to get in." Not long after that. Dr. Kaslow started using what he calls "response point therap>'. "It's a modification of acupuncture. We use the principles of acupuncture to find points on the body that will give us a re.spoase. But instead of puncturing with a needle to stimulate the points, 1 de%eloped a dull-tipped, specially designed probe which tran.smits a ver>' low-intensitA', .s;ife amount of electrical current. Tliere's no "shock, but rather "I

ing.

1

went up

'

"

a pleasant tingling feeling

when

the probe

response point. "And it gi\'es immediate relief

is

u.sed

on the

This treatment gives immediate relief. I know of no ttierapies ttiat are getting better results for pain relief than we

are. I

seldom have

a patient

And we dont

tiave to

use toxic drugs.

who

doesn't ha\'e some relief I know of no therapies that are getting better results for pain relief than we are. And as

an added benefit, v\e don't have to use toxic drugs. In the treatment of arthritis, for example, it exceeds any results I've e\er been able to get with dnigs or ph^-siotherapy. Se\ent\' to 80 percent of m\- patients ha\e long-term pain relief without daigs. have thouglit "I don't know for sure how it works, but out a possible explanation, think there is electrical energ)' continually flowing in the bod>'. We can't measure it precisely, but we know it's there. We can take electrocardioI

i

ACUPUNCTURE AND ACUPRESSURE

25

grams and electroencq^halograms. which measure a certain kind of electric energ\- flow in the heart and brain, tor instance. But when we zero in on certain points - response points - and apph- an electric stimulus, we either speed up or slow down the energ\ flow. think this tends to bring the body back into a state of balance - or, as the Chinese I

refer to

it,

a state of yin->ang.'

"We've been

successftil

with rheumatoid

arthritis,

migraines, multiple sclerosis, foot drop, and bladder incontinence. Bladder incontinence is one of the most anno\ing and humiliating problems people can ha\e. We can usually stop incontinence with two or three treatments. One of my

me to tell me that .she was wanted to thank me for gi\ing her something she hadn't had in years - a night's sleep in a dr>' bed. "Many of the people who come to us are desperate. The\' consider them.selves medical rejects' The>'\e been to a dozen doctors, and they come to us with a bushel basket of drugs. Now, with response point therap\, we do things for many of them that we could ne\er do before. After multiple sclerosis patients called so grateful and

many

years of practice, the satisfaction

I

get out of this

is

We're not all that smart, either The Chinese haxe been doing this for 5,000 years!

just unbelie\'able.

Pain Clinics Discover Acupuncture Since acupuncture is extremely eflFcctive in controlling pain, the therapy has become increasingly popular in hospital pain clinics around the countn. Medical specialists ha\e found acupuncture to be an eftective long-range analgesic that can control chronic pain more safely than repeated doses of addictive drugs. One such .specialist is Philip H. Sechzer, M.D., an anesthesiologist at the Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, who heads a team of pain control experts that includes neurosurgeons, internists, psychologists and oral surgeons. Tlie main goal of this teiim is to present pain during surgen- and to relie\e it when it accompanies a chronic disea.se such as arthritis. An example of the kind of ca.se Dr Sechzer deals with is that of a man who had been out of work for two \ears v\ith painful arthritis. "He walked onh with difficulty and with the help of a cane, Dr Sechzer told us. "During the first four acupuncture treatments, the swelling in ills feet "

26

WHOLE BODY HEALING

went down to the point \\here he was able shoe on without difficult}'.'"

to get his left

During the fourth to sixth treatments, the pain in the feet subsided completely, but his left knee remiiined the se\enth treatment, stiif, according to Dr. Sechzer B) there was no pain, just some discomfort in the left knee and in the right toot and hand. Treatment continued, and by the time the man underwent his tenth to sixteenth treatment.s, he was well enough

mans

to return to

work

part-time.

Another case in\ol\ed a 55-year-old housewife suflering from tic douloureux, an extremely painful condition that afflicts the muscles of the face and forehead. Dr Sechzer sa)'S that the woman had been suffering from the condition on the left side of her face tor about years. "She came to us and described her condition. We told her that we were extremeh pessimistic about any possible results," he sa^'s. But \\ith each of the first six treatments, the facial contractions decreased little by little. The muscles of her fiice that had been contracted and contorted became more relaxed. At the end of 9'/2 months of treatment, the problem was gone, and she had no pain. "And more importantly," say« Dr. Sechzer, "her features are normal 1

'

Complete Relief from Dr.

Arthritis Pain

Sechzer and a colleague. Soon Jack Leung, M.D., com-

on patients who ciime to the Maimonides MedCenter for treatment. The figures included 223 patients who recei\ed a total of 1.2"' acupuncture treatments tor conditions ranging from arthritis to multiple sclerosis. The largest group of patients consisted of 109 individuals who suffered from different t\pcs of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Final figures showed that 8 1 patients cla.ssified ds having arthritis of one kind or another experienced either complete or partial improvement of their conditions (4 patients experienced complete impnnement, 77 exhibited only partial). Of the remaining 28 patients, 2"" had no improvement, and became vvorse. Tlie greatest impnnement v\as achieved in the group suffering from orthopedic problems, including disc disease, sciatica and lower back pain. Of the j3 patients treated, 36 experienced significant improvement from acupuncture piled figures ical

1

1

ACUPUNCTURE AND ACUPRESSURE

27

6 patients improved completely, and 30 got The condition of the remaining ~ was unchanged (Bulletin of the New Y(/rk Academy of Medicine, therapy:

partial

relief.

September, 1975). According to Dr. Sechzer, acupuncture works best in problems of a "mechanical" t}pc. In this classification he included pain problems brought on by the .swelling of arthritic joints or the pain of deep back disea,se.

Finding a Local Acupuncturist you are looking for an acupuncturist, there's you out. Elizabeth Frost, M.D., a doctor at Albert Einstein Hospital in New M)rk (jty who has had experience revi\ing comatose patients with acupuncture, Unfortunately,

no

if

director)' to help

suggests contacting )'our local hospital's pain clinic (if has one) and asking if it employs an acupuncturist or if

can

recommend

one.

(iher

Hsu, M.I)., of Flushing,

it it

New

York, an anesthesiologist affiliated with Flushing Hospital

Acupuncture has become popular in hospital pain clinics around the country. Medical specialists have found ttKit acupuncture can control pain more safely than strong drugs.

wlio uses acupuncture in his work uith clironic pain patients. sa)s that the best bet is referrals from others who have u.sed a local acupuncturist. The alternative, he says, is referral b)' your famih doctor.

Some

states, like C^alifornia

and

New

York, ha\'e licens-

ing procedures for acupuncturists. These states test acupuncturists for basic proficiency in their technique. If )'()ur state has a similar certification procedure, it could help you find certified acupuncturists nearb\'.

What

to

Tlie

first

and

for

Look For

in

an Acupuncturist

thing to find out about an acupuncturist is where long he or she has studied acupuncture. If the

how

acupuncturist's total

amount of learning was

a

weekend

seminar in the Bahamas, you should seek help eLsewhere. Tlie more extensive the educational background, the more the acupuncturist probabh knows about the techniques benefits and dangers. The chief danger of the technique, when it's done by an inexperienced practitioner, is the puncturing of a lung. According to Dr. Liwrence, needling of the points in and around the chest carries the slight danger of hitting and deflating a lung. Any acupuncturist you consult .should be aware of this danger.

You

28

WHOLE BODY HEALING

.should also

make

sure that the acupuncturi.st either

or her needles between treatments or uses disposable needles. The most commonh used needles are stiiinless steel, wliieh, among acupuncturists, is considered a 'neutral'" metal. In other words, when the acupuncturist manipulates the "chi," or bodily energ)-, the stainless-steel content of the needle has no effect on where the energ\- goes. Occasionally another metal, such as gold, will be used in order to ha\e a particular effect on the energ)'. Many excellent acupuncturists, howc\er, use stainless steel exclusi\el\. Tlie sterilizing technique for the needles should contbrm to the same sterilizing standards as those for surgical instalments. They should be heated and pressurized (the same way you pressure-cook food) in an autoclavx? or similar de\ice. Although infections from improperl)- sterilized needles are rare, just dipping needles into a chemical .solution between treatments is insufficient to a\'oid contamination. "\'ou shouldn't use an acTjpuncturist who doesn't clean the needles properly. Finalh, the most important thing to know about an acupuncturist is his or her effectiveness. If you can, talk to former patients helped b)' the acupuncturist to learn how he or she deals with patients. As we mentioned before, a good acupuncturist should examine each patient carefully to determine which points will be the most effective for the indi\idual. An acupuncturist who is in tune with the needs of the patient will disdain 'cxx^kbook acupuncture - the practice of treating standard points for standard problems. Standard points are not neces.sarily the best points to treat. Each person has different trigger points that hold the key to better health. A good acupuncturist takes the time to test a patient's reactions and find these points. There is no guarantee that acupuncture will cure or help everyone; no medicine or treatment can miike that claim. But the acupuncture needle, in the hands of a skilled acupuncturist, can tap hidden sources of health energy that many of us never knew existed. sterilizes his

sterile,

"

ACUPUNCTURE AND ACUPRESSURE

29

AEROBIC EXERCISE

AND DANCE Geez!

Isn't

tliat

always

tlie

way

it

is?

Just

when

you discover something that's good tasting or g{M)d tor you or fun, someone turns it into a brand name or a commercial enterprise. Like

granola or the London Bridge. Or aerobic dancAerobic dancing used to be a wa)' of doing serious exercise in a decepti\el\ nonserious way - a wa\ of combining walking, jogging and ainning with rintlimic dancelike movements and setting the whole gumbo to music, a way of working yt)ur heart and blood-pumping mechanism by doing fun stuff you miglit want to be doing an\Ava>'. All that's still true, but aerobic dancing is now Aerobic Dancing, Inc., with an address and a chief executi\e officer. 'Writing to the address ( 1890^ Nordhoff Street, Box 6600, Northridge, CA 91328) now gets you the name of a carefully trained local in.structor who can guide \'ou through .some preplanned g\Tations to produce limited-guarantee fitness. Of course, he or she will also take some of your monc)'. Bming a lxx)k c;illed - appropriatel) - ^«t;Wc Dancing (Rxiwson, Wade, 19^9) by Jacki Sorensen, the cliief executi\'e (jfficer we talked about, will get you the same program between hiird covers and a leg up (so to speak) on getting in shape at home. Naturally, the book costs money, too. The question we'd like to ask is this: is it necessan' to have an incorporated fitness program? Well, ma\t)e yes. and ma>t)e no, but the an.swer invokes a number of other questions. Some of them have to do with aerobic dancing, and some ha\e to do with )'ou. Wliat is aerobic exercise? Is dancing good and safe exercise? C^an dancing become an aerobic exercise? On your side of the issue: what kind of person are you - better yet, w hat kind of exerciser are \()u? Are you a self-starter? (^an nou discipline \()ur.self to do someing.

When you take the pulse from place your index fingers near the arm's outer edge. your

wrist,

and second

is difficult and demanding (but ftin) on a regular, three-times-a-week basis? Or do you need a taskmaster? Do you know enougli dance .steps to keep your legs (and he;irt) moving during se\'eral six-minute bursts of the Bee Gees or (Ihuck Mangione (or c\en (liubby (Checker or the Do\elIs-

thing that

a'memlx'r "Ilie rapher? Let's

30

Bristol

Or do one step

Stomp")?

t;ike this inquir)'

\x)u at a

need a cIioa*ogtime.

I

The Meaning of "Aerobic" "Aerobic" is not a particularly new word, and it originally had nothing to do with exercise. It means "li\'ing or t:iking place only in the presence of oxygen" (which, of course, includes most of what we do e\'er)' da)), and in Biolog)' 110 classes it is often paired with "anaerobic" to describe germs - aerobic bacteria require oxygen to be gemi)-, and anaerobic ones do not. Before \ou assume that we are comparing you all to microbes, let us hasten to sa)' that we are using "aerobic" with one of the sideline meanings it has developed thanks to the work of an Air Force doctor, Kenneth H. Cx)oper M.D. Dr Cooper was entmsted with the health and fitness of the service's hotshot pilots several years ago, and he discovered that in order to please his superiors, he had to ha\e results the da\ before he started. That meant know ing exacth- what fitness was and which exercise activities would take his charges there mo.st efficiently. Dr Cooper once told Runner's

World magazine (December,

19''9) that fitness

was

the abilit)' to do the things in life you wanted to do "with energ) and enthusiasm in a s;ife and effective manner."

That belief led him to look at the people who are normally thought fit to see which of them do all the things the}- want to do, not just their particular athletic passion, "with energ) and enthusiasm." He looked at a healthy but inactive person, a muscle-blossomed weightlifter, and one guy who rode his bike three miles to work each day. Wlien he got all these folks in the laboratory- to measure their "energy and enthusiasm" scientifically, he found that the bike rider's e and e index was the highest. Tlie rider had the best "endurance fitness," which Dr Cooper defined as "the abilit} to do prolonged work without undue fatigue." This kind of fitness "has little to do with pure muscular strength or agilit) But it has a lot "to do with the body's "

overall health, the health of the heart, the lungs, the entire

cardiovascular [heart, lungs and circulator)-] .s^-stem and the other organs, as well as the muscles." like we said: fitness is being able to do what xou want to with "energ>' and enthusiasm, ea.se and grace. "

Oxygen All

Is

the Fuel of Exercise

of this led

Dr

(hooper to look

still

more

closely at the

bike pedaler. VCh)- exactly was he more gu>'s? After

some

than the other

fit

mad-scientist-like tinkering in the lab, he

decided that the "key to endurance training is ox)gen consumption." The body needs ox)gen to produce the energ)' that fuels all acti\it)-. Since it cant store this fuel, it must constantly bring the stuflf on board and deliver it to the muscle or organ that's performing. Therefore, the amount of ox)'gen "that the body can bring in and deliver - your maximum oxygen consumption - is the best measure of fitness." In other words: for most things, our abilit)' to take in and process oxygen is sufficient. But because "most things usually means watching T\' or otherwise sitting these days, as

some

things

become more demanding

than these

acti\i-

our capacities fall way behind. The spread, or difference, between the minimum fuel requirement of a particular task and our maximum abilit)- to supph it, then, is the best measure of our fitness, according to Dr. C^ooper. "The most ties,

physically least

fit,

fit ha\'e the greatest spread" (or reser\'e); the the lowest spread. In some, the minimum and

maximum

are almost identical."

To get crudel)' scientific about it and to put the problem in still other words, the air we inhale contains 21 percent oxygen. During exhausting work, the percentage of this available oxygen that we exhale (or dont use) decreases and can be used as a rough sign of the exhaler's fitness. A flabby, unconditioned man may puff' out air which is still 18 percent oxygen, and that means that he's using only 3 percent of what's around. The average guy racquetball a couple times a week rejects

who maybe

plays

but -t percent of the oxygen he brings in, while the serious exerciser in good shape may be able to use 5 percent of the total.

A New

all

Definition of Exercise

Now

How

does one improve his ability to deli\er and use it once it gets there? He does exercises that exerci.se the Ixxly's oxygen deli\f n system, pump up the lungs (which extract oxygen from the air we breathe and inject it into the blood), beef up the heart (which circulates the blood), and strengthen the blood vessels (which carry the oxygen-rich fuel to muscles that need it). You notice that Dr Cooper does nt)t suggest that you build big mu.scles. which may merely proxide added Ixxly weight to cart iiround and generate more endurancerobbing lactic acid, the waste product of muscle activity. So Okay.

oxygen

32

WHOLE BODY HEALING

what?

to his muscles

what do you do? To find out. Dr. Cooper and his staff tested hundreds of acti\ities, from calisthenics to Parcheesi, to determine which ones best exercised the lungs, heart and blood-circulation mechanisms. Along the \\ay they ( 1 ) created an exercise rating system, (2) developed an accompaming exercise program, (3) came up with a new and very elaborate definition of fitness and exercise, and (4) wrote a book about the whole experience. That book. Aerobics (M. E\'ans. 1968), has now been glossed h\ Tlje New Aerobics (M. E\-ans, 19^0), Aerobics for Women (M. Evans, 1972) and The Aerobics Way (M. E\'ans, 1977), but the whole libran- still contains the same message. It has a view of exercise that savTS the proper program is "doing a certain amount of specific exercise four or five times a weekwalking, jogging, nmning, s-wimming, cycling, any number of familiar activities - long enougli to push your heart rate up to 130 to 150 beats a minute, depending on your age and the duration of the activitv." This pnxluces wiiat Dr. Ccxiper calls "the training effect,"

simph the boost to the heart, lungs and blood he defines as acceptable exercise. How long do you have to work out under the new- regime?

which

is

ves.sels that

If the exercise is vigorous enough to produce a sustained heart rate of 150 beats per minute or more, the training-effect benefits begin about five minutes after the exercise starts and continue as long as the exercise is performed. If the exercise is not vigorous enougli to produce or sustain a heiirt rate of 150 beats per minute, but is still demanding oxygen, the exerci.se must be continued considerably longer than five minutes, the totiil period of time depending on the oxygen consumed (Aerobics, M. Evans, 1968).

VCtiat

you want

kinds of things should you be doing? Anything actually, as long as the activity has gotten a

to,

high grade in Dr. (hoopers scientific

Dr. Cooper's Point

tests.

System

Most of the space in Dr. Cooper's books is taken up with explanations of his point and rating system. He measured the medical effects of most popular sports and recreations in the lab and gave each a point value according to its abilitv to produce the training effect. Twenty-eight received passing marks, and his tables, found in his books, will tell you how long a person of y^oiir age and ynjur present con-

AEROBIC EXERCISE AND DANCE

33

do each of them to achie\'e this desired end. need one of the books to get the whole ston. but let it be said here that Dr. Cooper belioes running, s\%imming, cycling, walking, ainning in place, handball, basketball and squash (in that order) are the best aerobic exercises. These acti\ities give )ou the best return on your energ)' investment, a return which your bod)- records as gains in strength in its oxAgen-processing equipment and Dr. Cooper records as "points" - the more energy you invest in an activity, the ditioning must

You'll

more

points (>)oper's sv'stem awards )our sport. For instance,

you can earn 5 CooperPoints each

for:

• Running one mile in less than 8 minutes; • Swimming 600 \ ards in less than 1 5 minutes; • Cycling five miles in less than 20 minutes; • Running in place for 12|/2 minute.s; or • Pla\ing handball for 35 minutes.

sav-s,

Aerobic training can change your whole outlool< on life. Youll learn to relax, develop

a better self-image and be able to better tolerate the stress of daily living. Youll sleep better and get more

work done with

less fatigue.

To get in and sta>' you must earn at

in

good aerobic shape.

least .30

points

(

if

Dr.

vou are

Cooper a

man

and 24 points (if \()u are a woman) on your invested energ\principle each week. And youll need to know the.se point values when, sweat dripping and spirits dropping, you ask yourself, "How much of this is enough?" Just that answer might make listening to Dr. Cooper worthwhile, but there are other dividends to his investment program, dividends that offer considerable health securitv' at any age. After getting into CooperShape, you'll - but let's let

him speak •

The

for him.self:

training effect increases the efficiency of the lungs,

conditioning them to process more air with less effort. During exhausting work, a conditioned man mav process nearly twice as much air per minute as a deconditioned man, providing his body with more oxvgen for the energv-producing process. • The training effect increases the efficiencT of the heart in several wav-s. It grows stronger and pumps more blood with each stroke, reducing the number of strokes necessary. A conditioned man may have a resting heart rate 20 beats per minute slower than a deconditioned

man, saving as many ;ls 10,(M)() beats in one niglit's sleep. Even during maximum exertion, a conditioned heart can pump all the blood (and oxygen) the bodv needs at much lower rates than a deconditioned heart. In contrast, a deconditioned heart may pump dangerously

34

WHOLE BODY HEALING

during

fest

maximum

exertion in

its

attempt to deliver

enough ox-)gcn. • The training effect increases the number and

size of the blood vessels that carr\ the blood to the body tissue, saturating the tissue throughout the body with energ) -producing oxygen.



The

training effect increases the total

again pro\iding mt)re

means

blood volume, more oxygen

tor dcli\'ering

to the bod}- tissue.



The

training effect improves the tone of the muscles

and blood ti.ssue

changing them from weak and flabby and firm tissue, often reducing blood

\'essels,

to strong

pressure in the process. •

The

training effect changes fat weight to lean weight,

often toughening

up the body without

actual weight

loss.



The

maximal ox}'gen consumpmeans of supply act of doing so, it is improv-

training effect increases

tion by increasing the efficiency' of the

and

deliver)-. In

the ver\-

ing the overall condition of the body, especially

its

most important piirts, the lungs, the heart, the blood vessels and the body tissue, building a bulwark against many forms of illness and disease. • The training effect may change your whole outlook on life. You'll leiirn to relax, develop a better self-image, be able to tolerate the stress of daily living better And, what is \'er\- important, you'll sleep better and get more work done with less fatigue, including desk work.

Wliich should bend us back to aerobic dancing.

But Of

Is

Dancing Good Exercise?

buy one of Dr. Cooper's books do vou have to indulge in one of his certified healthful activities. All you have to do is find some sufficiently vigorous pastime and do it regularly - and nonstop enough. You might, in fact, trv' aercourse, >'ou don't have to

to get in life-extending shape, nor

obic dancing. Most people who have tried it claim that it's more fun than mcjst of the things Dr (hooper recommends: it's less boring than running around a track or living room, less puckering than sAvimming, less expensive than bike riding and less Super Bowlish than handball or squash. But if Dr Cooper doesn't mention it, how good can it be? 'Well, that depends. Dancing is rigorous. William G. Hamilton, M.D., orthopedist to the New York City Ballet and consul-

AEROBIC EXERCISE AND DANCE

35

tant orthopedist to several other ckuice

companies. sa>N dance

"requires tremendous strength, endurance and timing, niobilit)'

of joints and great

flexibilit\'. Unless you ha\e all these you simp!)- cannot, tor example, jump turn twice and land in fifth position, exacth

factors going tor you, in

the

air.

facing the audience."

we

miglit add.

Cit)' Ballet

And do

Edward

now

three times in

it

Villella. a

semiretired,

.sa)^

two hours,

principal dancer with the

that

"it

takes

more

strength

to get tlirough a six-minute fxis cle cieiux than to get through vva.s the welterweiglit boxing of his college. VChat's more, the Institute of Sports Medicine and Ath-

four rounds of boxing," and he

champ letic

Trauma

at

Lenox

Hill

Hospital in

New

^'ork Cit},

a

medical-.school think tank that measures athletic acti\it} the

way

Dr. (hooper does, claims that ballet

football in the seriousness of

its

pln-sical

second only to demands; that is,

is

more demanding than basketball, wrestling or e\en h(x:ke\-. you say, were not professional dancers. And. we reph', that's not the problem. The problem here is that when most people dance - in a di.sco, at a bar mitzvali or wedding reception - the}' don't do it long enough or continuously enough to achiexe the training effect. Tliey stop, start, sit down, have a piece of c;ike and so on. To be aerobic, dance has to keep you in motion constant!)'; it must gradually build up your heart rate to alxjut 150 beats per minute, it's

But,

keep the heart rate there for a period of time determined by your age and current conditioning, and then slowly let it down to its normal pace. When dance does all of these it is ven good exercise indeed. Herb Weber, Ph.D., a member of the ph>sical educadepartment at East Stroudsburg State College in East

things for you, tion

Stroudsburg, Penns) Ivania, has studied the demands of aerobic dancing on ten normalh' fit (or unfit) young women who were part of a carefulh designed research stud)' at the school. Tlie women danced six routines of about y/2

minutes each and alternated them with five nearh 2-minute periods of walking or jogging. Tliey did this three da)^ a week, and the whole business took about a half hour each da)'. When Dr. Vieber hooked the women up to his laborator)' equipment, he discovered that the ph)>.ical ct)st ami benefits of this high-intensit) dancing were equal to that of either a half-hour jog at SV.' miles per hour or a half hour of basketball, handball or sAvimming. So dancing be a good aerobic exercise.

am

36

WHOLE BODY HEALING

Where

to

Aerobic-Dance

M)u say you're convinced of the benefits of aerobic dancing but don't kno%\' how to get started. \bu could get professional help at a health club, Y or dance studio offering the senice. '\'ou might get in touch with one of the corporate dispensers of aerobic dancing information and find one of their franchised teachers in your area. "\'ou could even bu\ a corporate program's book or record and work from it. Or vou might do everything on your owTi. AXTiich of these options you choose depends on who you are. If vou put stuff off forever, or if you start a million things you don't finish, try corporate aerobic dancing. Here are some addresses to help you:

Okay

(again).

Marv' Mavta

Aerobic Fitness, Ill"'

Inc.

Oakwood Court

Derby, KS

6"'()3"'

Nancy Kabriel RliUhrnic Aerobics, Inc.

4740 Tulsa.

S.

Mingo Road

OK

7-1145

Judi Sheppard Missett Jazzercise, Inc.

2808 Roosevelt ,Street CA 92008

Carlsbad,

If none of these groups nor Jacki Sorensen's Aerobic Dancing, Inc., has an outlet nearby, try the Y. If it doesn't offer dancing, get Ms. Sorensen's Aerobic Dancing or Jazzercise (Bantam, 1978) by Judi Sheppard Mi.ssett. Both of the.se books contain all you need to know to get going. If, however, you finished >our macrame project, your adventure in canning, or that dabble in cabinetmaking, you might consider designing your own aerobic dance program. To help, we visited a bunch of the professional ones and offer this description of the best as a guide and a recipe for yours. First, though, how do vou know if it's safe to proceed? Dr. Ken (iooper's wife, Millie, in Aerobics for Women offers this ten-item checkli.st as a help:

1.

My

phv'sician

is .sati.sfied

with

my

weight.

AEROBIC EXERCISE AND DANCE

37

I have adequate control over my eating, smoking and drinking habits. 3. I can run a ft-w blocks or climb a few fliglits of stairs without becoming short of breath. 4. My resting heart rate is usually in the efficient 55 to 70 beats per minute range. (As a test, sit and relax for five minutes, then check your pulse for a minute against a watch or clock with a second hand. 5. My doctor says my blood pressure is normal. 6. My heredit)' gi\'es me nothing to worrj- about in terms of heart or lung disease or diabetes.

2.

My

blood \'es.sels seem to be health) enough - for example, I dont ha\'e a problem w ith \aricose \eins. 8. I rarely have trouble with acid stomach, heartburn, indigestion and the like. 9. I m seldom if e\'er constipated. 10. I have nice firm muscle tone - no flabs or sags. 7.

If

your

an.s-wer to

Cooper suggests

Aerobic dancing requires

good

foot support. Tennis shoes are tietter ttian running

stioes, because they offer side-to-side support as well as front-to-back hold.

that

any of these questions is no, Mrs. a doctor before beginning.

you see

Aerobic Dancing, Inc., otFers these precautions: if \()u"re under 30, you can start at once if you've had a checkup within the past year and the doctor found nothing to frown about. For people betAveen the ages of 30 and 39. the

company recommends a checkaip no more thiui tliree months before you start and sa>^ that the exam should include an EKG (electrocardiogram) look at your heart while \()u are resting. Between 40 and 59, Aerobic Dancing, Inc., wants the EKG -still in the la.st three months -done while you are exercising. Tliis is called a "stress test, and it will help determine what heart rate you should aim for while dancing. For people over 59, the group requires a stress test "

immediatel)' before embarking

on the

exercise.

Getting Supplied for Aerobic Dance All clear? Let's

ing?

A

go on.

VCIiat

do >ou need

reasonable amount of

.space.

for aerobic danc-

Tlie goal in aerobic

simph to keep mo\ing in time to pcpp\ music, more fun if \-ou dont ha\e to sta\ put or dodge furniture while doing it. The fixing r(H)m is ok;iy, we guess, but an empt> ba.sement is better, and the backyard (weather and neighbors permitting) is terrific. Hie more dancing

is

but

a lot

it's

.space )'ou have, the less confining \()ur cht)reography has to

be. That's

38

WHOLE BODY HEALING

one reason why many people choose

professional

organizations for aerobic dance. Tliey lia\'e g>Tiis and studios to offer. You won't need special clothing for this activi-

but you might want to consider these things in choosing to wear. Miur clothes should not be confining, and shorts and shirt or a sweat suit are perfect. If you want to be xcT) authentic, >()u can go for a leotard and tights, but remember this: )Ou might become chilled during a slow period in your routine. VCith them or with shorts, think about the knitted leg warmers real-life dancers use to combat cold. Dont go barefooted! (Unless you're going to be on a beach.) A lot of aerobic dancing is a second cousin to jogging, and you'll need good foot support. Ms. Sorensen, the executive officer of Aerobic Dancing, Inc., recommends tennis .shoes o\'er running .shoes, because the)' offer side-toside support as well as front-to-back hold. Ms. Sorensen also suggests - in another footnote - that you prance on the front half of your feet or even flat-footed; she warns that dancing high on the toes can strain the Achilles tendon, the one that stretches from the calf to the heel. One is tempted to prance on the toes because most teachers ask students to lift their knees a bit as they jog, dance or run to r\,

what

increa.se their effort

The right

and juice up

way —feet flat on

its

training effect.

the floor.

AEROBIC EXERCISE AND DANCE

39

Weight can be on the ball ofyour foot

Paying the Piper need music, obxiously. Anything with a rapid disco or pace will do, and \()ur own tastes can be your guide. If you can't keep up with your first choice, try Mjmetliing slower until you can. With dance mu.sic, of course, go dance steps, but v\e cant help \ou much there. We don't have the space to describe a whole routine, but most of the programs we s:iw combined the classic calisthenics e\er\one learned in junior high .school with jogging and simple jazz and rock steps. The point is to keep moving. You'll

stead)' four-beat

40

WHOLE BODY HEALING

I

Don't dance on your

toes.

and almost amthing you do in time to the right music will Some people we talked to took a few jazz dancing lessons to build up a fund of routines to do. One suggested that )'ou buy a good dance instruction book for the same reason. She used Jazz Dancing (Vintage, 1978) by Robert Aud\' in her work. Professional aerobic dancers' books contain dance instructions and musical selections, and these firms will also gladly sell you records or tape cassettes with both music and narrated lessons. Here's the easiest solution we heard for the what-to-do dilemma: try the early 60s rock-and-roll records that teach a dance along

get the job done.

AEROBIC EXERCISE AND DANCE

41

You know - "The Twist," "The Pon\/' "The fhe Flie Mashed Potato," "The Stroll. Watusi." They're fast enough, and the>- combine music and steps in the same package. VXTiat \ou don't need in this regard is a special skill in dancing. The object in aerobic with their

lyrics.

Jeriv," "Tlie Frug,

is health, not artistr)'. Ballet dancers are supposed to look good - and untaxed - as the)' float through the air, but you aren't. Your heart will never know that you kx)ked dumb while helping it out.

dance

The Heart of the Matter piece of special knowledge before we get to how together. Before )ou can aerobic-dance properh', you must know how to take your pulse, and )ou will have to determine where your pulse rate should be at \-arious points in your routine. For, if the CooperGoal for all aerobic exercise is to have the pulse ho\er somewhere around 150 beats per minute, you must know when yours gets there, and, more important, you must know how clo.se or how far away from 150 it should be, given \our age and general health.

One all

last

this

The pulse

42

WHOLE BODY HEALING

stuff fits

is

coninionly taken at the

it-iist.

ne

cortvct

A strong

method

/)iilsc

for taking the pulse at the temple.

can he felt on the neck.

AEROBIC EXERCISE AND DANCE

43

First things first: taking your pulse. I'sing your index and middle fingers, find your pulses gentle throb ( ) inside your wrist on the thumb side, (2) in the prominent Nrssel on the temple or ( 3 ) in the carotid arten on either side of the 1

neck. The carotid arten is usual!)' the easiest tor beginners, but don't press hard, and do not put pressure on both sides of the neck at once. If you ha\'e trouble proving you're alive, tn one of these shortcuts. On your wrist, find the central bone and move out until you feel the last band of connective tissue. Stop. Right there (or thereabouts) you should find a pulse with a light touch. On the temple, feel gently around the area just above the outside corner of your eye. And on the neck, touch gingerly alongside the

windpipe

until

you

feel a beat, (iot it? All right.

Count the

beats for six seconds using a watch %\'ith a second hand to help you. Now multiph' the total by ten - that is, add a

Working Heart Rate Range Beats per Minute

Resting Heart Rate'

(BPM)

Your answer will be a fairly accurate estimate of your and its all youll need tor these puqx)ses. in tact, this method is probably more accurate in inexperienced hands than tr\ing to count a whole minutes \\'orth of thumps. zero.

pulse,

If )()u

\\ere sitting

now (and had been

still

while

\()u

took }'our pulse

inactive tor a while before),

just

what you've

is }our tvsting pulse rate. Fven aerobic dancing session should begin with such a pulse measurement.

calculated

"Normal

"

tor

most

women

minute. Tlie a\erage tor will

falls

men

is

between 78 to 84 beats per 72 to 78. This resting rate

be used throughout the session as a comparison to the

several n'orking heart rate figures that are tiiken. Tliey, of

course, will be higlier, because that's what's necessan' for Dr Cooper's training effect. But the\ shouldn't be too high.

How high should the) be? Vi'ell, most aerobic dancing books contain tables of working heart rates adjusted tor all ages and stages of physical conditioning. We've included the one from the Aerobic Dancing. Inc., book. To get a good idea of what \'our working heart rate should be, it is suggested that you take 220 - the maximum scife human heart rate - subtract }'our age and then subtract, sa>, 15 more. WTien using a f)ook table and staiggling under the burden of rotten conditioning, stick to the lower end of \'our pulse range at first. VCIien doing your own estimates, keep \()ur pulse under 150 to begin with -no matter what your calculations say.

'We

To get a good idea of what your woridng heart rate stmuld be, take 220— the maximum safe human heart rate—subtract your age and then sub-

tract 15 more.

Go Aerobic Dancing

Finally. You have e\'er\thing you need but a routine, so it's time to go to class. The one we'd like to talk about was conducted by Sharon Holmes, an experienced dance teacher who has been certified to conduct aerobic dance ses.sions by sc\eral of the corporate dance companies. The class we attended was for beginners and met once a week for 90 minutes. This schedule - according to Dr. Cooper, most of the corporate teachers and e\en Ms. Holmes - is not the best idea. It is better to dance three times a week for 30 minutes a shot. That wa); you have more energ\' throughout each session, can go harder and can stay in the training effect's grip longer It's also true that the bod)' is less stiff and sore after three short sessions spaced out over a week than after one long blitz.

AEROBIC EXERCISE AND DANCE

45

Rolling the head while dancing.

Keep muscles

loose.

Holmes began her

class b)- ha\ing us put mats the grade school g\Tn floor where we met and bypassing out 3x5 index cards to each of us. The)' would be used to record the many pulse readings we would t;ike

Ms.

down on

throughout the afternoon. Before we did amthing else, she asked us to sit down, take a resting pulse and jot it down. It is important, she said, to have this point of reference later. A higher pulse now may mean a higher rate during the exercises and ma^-be trouble. Eating too soon before class, smoking or having something alcoholic all may mean an ele\:ated resting rate iind ma) lead to o\ertaxing. One embarrassed woman among us had munched a chocolate bar on the way in, and she constantly went over her target figure during the next hour and a half

A Warm-up The

active

46

WHOLE BODY HEALING

to the Warm-up began at 3:30 i'm At 3:^0 we were into the first phase, a group of stretches and flexes that were meant

class

Riilliitii

the tnitik.

Bend from

the

ivaist.

to warm us up for the harder warm-up calisthenics to come. VCe roiled heads and necks, shoulders and trunks; touched our toes, stretched our arms (punching the air) -all sorts of mild things and all in time to a disco beat. The point was to take about ten minutes and mo\'e up and down the body, getting all of its parts awake and flowing. Since the body is an elaborate construction of bony levers and the muscles that mo\e them, its best to work on one set of muscles and levers at a time and then to move on to combinations of them - to let head rolls fade into shoulder rotations and on to torso twisters and so on. After eight minutes of this, we took our pulses and were told to walk around the gvm. Keep moving! Then we took our pulses again to see how well we had recovered from the activity, how quickly our pulses fell from their peaks. A recoverv' period that slowlv gets shorter, sav' the experts, is a sign of improving condition, and a lowered resting puLse is a .signal of being in shape.

AEROBIC EXERCISE AND DANCE

47

StivtcJjiiii^

the feci

and

/ci^s

fniiu

a

sUui(ll)iii Ixisition.

The Warm-up wc

riKned into the honest-to-goodness warm-up old-ta-shioncd calistiicnics that grew iiardcr and harder and more and more elaborate as their ten minutes wore on. On hands and tcnee-s, we did "hydrant.s"; we Ivicked our legs up and back; we rotated them: we bent

After that,

period,

some

tiiem under us. Lying on our sides, we lifted one leg; we swirled it; we lifted both legs at once (groan). We pedaled

48

WHOLE BODY HEALING

1.

3.

We fire hydrant exercise begins on Extend the leg to the side.

all fours. 2. Lift

one

leg.

on our backs. And cwrs' six to eight minutes we our pulses again. This phase ended with some sit-ups done with legs bent at the knees (to pre\'ent lower back strain and went out in a blaze of effort, grunts and giggles. Evenone was pooped, and e\er)()ne was at his or her target heart rate. One nice touch, though, was Ms. Holmes's suggestion that we beat time to the music on the mat as we sat up. It was llin and made >'ou forget about your stomach. bicycles tool:

)

AEROBIC EXERCISE AND DANCE

49

Side leg

lift.

Sick' leg lift - niisiiig

50

both

tegs.

WHOLE BODY HEALING

Bent leg

sit-up.

Some Jogging We

Didn't Expect

After the sit-ups, wc walked and jogged for S minutes around the g\ni to the blare of music from Rocky. More pulse counting. And then what passed for a "break." were told we could get drinks from the water fountain, this after -45 minutes of class. In fact, Ms. Holmes made it clear

We

that

we

could have water whene\'er

to old coachlore,

when

the

body

earthh reason not to replace

it

is

we needed

it.

(lontrary

losing water, there

is

no

immediately.

Finally, the

Dancing

Then back

work again, this time with 45 minutes of week Ms. Holmes teaches the class a routine

to

dancing. Each

or rvvo of her own or of others' de\'ising, and c"\'er\x)nc goes through them all in turn. It's a good way of increasing the difficult) of the workouts as the conditioning of the class members impnnes. Hie better fit the\ become, the more routines they can get through -a maxim you .should keep in mind \\ hen designing your own. We took off simpH' with 'ITie Hustle" and then got down to business, which meant ending with a nc-v\ Rockette number invohing jump ropes and more skill than we visitors could manage. Still, it was

AEROBIC EXERCISE AND DANCE

51

evident that fitness, not disco expertise, was the object here, and there was no hooting at cjur clumsiness. Again, at regular intervals

again.

we

took pulses, walked, recovered and pulsed

And wrote

it all

down.

except for five minutes of cooling down at the end to a slow blues tune and another pulse. The cooldown routine was done in place and was filled with eas)' s-woops and bends, a good suggestion tor your routine. This has not been all that you need, of course, but with this outline and the books recommended, you should be able to get into aerobic dancing with comfort and styie. And do iv\it. It's fun and terrific exercise. Our 3x5 pulse record said that we had had a stiff workout, but - wonder of wonders - we That's

it,

didn't feel it. We simply with our afternoon.

52

WHOLE BODY HEALING

felt

good and relaxed and

satisfied

I

BACK TROUBLES it seems like just about e\ent)od\ \()u talk to has a bad back, its because just about e\'er\-body does. "Anyone who li\'es an a\erage life span without suffeiing from backache belongs to a pri\ileged minorit)," contends back expert Hamilton Hall, M.D., author of The Back Doctor (McGraw-Hill, 1980). Indeed, an estimated rvNO-thirds of all adults suffer from back pain at .some point during their li\es. Like bunk beds, bad backs come in two layers, upper and lower Vle'll talk about both here, but let's start with some general background information, then move on to lower back troubles, which seem to be more common, and finish up with - naturally - upper back problems. Along the wa\-, of course, we'll ha\'e some remedies to suggest and

f

I

some success

stories to

Some Background

tell.

Material

we were a little hasty About four million years ago, could get more done if I someone's brain said, "1 think didn't ha\'e to u.se m>- hands as feet." So that person stood up. And the rest of us followed. And our backs have been tr\ing to catch up e\er .since. Not that our backs are so archaic that we should be ashamed of them. The human spine is a wonderfully intriWh\' are our backs so weak? Because in getting

up

off

all

fours.

1

cate structure (see illustrations). It's just that we are now asking it to fimction vertically when its bxsic design is still more suited ft)r life on the horizontal. Indeed, \irtualh' all

This is one of the lumbar vertebrae. Virtually all common back problems are from wear and tear on these bones of the spine and the pads (discs) between them.

common

back problems are a result of dcwnward pressure causing wear and tear on the bones of the spine (vertebrae) and the pads (discs) that separate them. Backitche is a di.scouragingly "normal" development, Dr. Hall .says. So what do we do with these backs of ours that can lock up on us at the drop of a hat? VCe learn to li\e with them, Dr Hall says. We learn to sit, stand, bend, lift, sleep, brush our teeth, bowl, ha\e sex, work and gi\e piggyback rides with them. Becau.se, in time, most back problems will cure themselves. Studies show, in feet, that backache is more of a middle-age than an old-age

53

T\TE THREE

pain might btr thought of as T\pe Two Plus, because it involves a disc that has protruded to the point of pressing on a ner\e. Hence, it has many of the SNTiiptoms of T\pe Two pain but also some of its own: pain can extend not just into the thiglis but also lower, sometimes e\en to the feet and toes. T\pe Tlaree pain usually comes on over a day or two, builds, and then stag's for weeks. It is made distincth- worse b> bending forv\'ard, and it is potentialh' the most .serious of the three t\pes because prolonged pressure can damage ner\'e function. It is also the least common, howe\er, and it is responsible for only about 10 percent of all back woes. WTiat causes these three tjpes of back pain? In the case of T)pe One pain, it's usually a disc that has flattened to the point of allowing the bones of a facet joint to rub against one another. Discs can flatten because of a gradual dr>ing-out process (a natural consequence of aging), and that process can be hastened by a life of hard ph)'sical labor and hea\y lifting. It can also be aggra\'ated by bad posture, pregnancy or a potbelly, because amthing that causes \'Ou to arch )our back causes facet joints (located Dr. Hall sa>^,

the rear of the spine) to press together. Type Two back pain is the result of a disc doing more bulging than collapsing, because discs are not "dead tissue. at

"

The\- contain

nene

fibers,

and they hurt when they get

pushed out of shape. T\pe Three back pain is the result of a disc bulging to the point of pressing on a spinal ner\e - one of the few cases in \\ hich surgery' may be required for repair. .Maybe n'Our knees. Or, if you

pillows into a bolster to raise

on your stomach, "tr)- sleeping with a pillow under the front of your pehis to reduce the sag in your low back," Dr Hall says. Side-sleepers should curl into a ball and place a pillow between their knees, llie purpose of all these positions is to reduce pressure on spinal discs. prefer sleeping

How

to Sit The first rule of thumb is not to sit for very can create a greater load on spinal discs than standing, ^bu can reduce that load by niiiking sure to support yourself ^ith >'our elbows if you must lean forward to work at \our desk. In other more recreational sitting situations, tr}' to keep your feet raised - on either a step stool or a stack of books -and place a small pillow between the back of your chair and the area just above your buttocks. long. Sitting

A

uvllplntecl irillow can ease

hack

strain.

BACK TROUBLES

57

How

to Stand "\e\er stand flat-tooted if you can put one up on a stool or a low shelf- the posture drinkers assume at a stand-up bar. Saloonkeepers discoxered the com-

foot fort

of this position long before doctors de\'eloped the theor\'

behind

I*nttiii}i

58

WHOLE BODY HEALING

it,"

Dr. Hall

one foot up

sa>'s.

ttikcs stivss oj) the hack.

How

to Lift

Lift

with the back as stniight as possible.

bend o\'er. The more work you can pass on to the legs, the better. "The most hazardous lifts are the ones for which \ou are unprepared," Dr. Hall saj-s. And the most difficult, e\'en when you are prepared, are the ones where >'ou must hoist something over a barrier at arm's length - for example, a 40-pound nephew out of a high-sided crib. Make it a habit to think before you attempt a lift. If e\'en the thought of it hurts, chances are Squat, in other words, but don't

that

it

will.

77k' (.(inxxl

nay

to

lift

mi

olyccl ~ kiuvs Iwnt. Inich stniii>ht.

BACK TROUBLES

59

Never

How

lift

to

something witixml hencling

Have Sex

Tliere are a

}'i>Hr

knees!

number of

both partners on

painfree

\\a\-s:

or foce-tobaek, in what is sometimes called the "spoon" position, with the female nestled against the male's lap. Tliere are. of course, man) other possible positions, and the key to a\()iding strain "is to make sure you do not arch your back or tace-to-tace, v^ith

your neck"

60

WHOLE BODY HEALING

in all

of them, says Dr.

tlieir sides;

Hall.

I

How

Keep

imohe some wear and tear no reason to sit on the sidelines, Dr Hall sa>s. "Apart from the trauma of an accident which, after ;ill, can happen am-\A here to amt)od\ - exen the most \igor(jus sports acti\ities won't harm )'our back; they may simply make it hurt for a few daj'S. But 'hurt is not the same xs harm, Dr Hall assures us, "and the trade-off may be worth it to \()u, in immediate pleasure and in feeling like a normal person instead of a semi-invalid Tliree forms of strain ma\ be imposed upon your spine to

on the

Fit

sports

.\11

spine. But that's

"

"

"

b\' \'our fitness efforts,

according to

Dr

rotation and arching." >Xeight-loading, \\cightlifting ;ind jogging, tends to

Hall: "weight-loading,

which happens during

compress discs and causes

facet joints to settle

e\en more

common maneuver

in squash, racquetball, tennis

can

tiglitly

together Rotation, a

and

golf,

strain discs b> tugging at the fibers of their outer shells.

And

common

occurrence during hockey, basketball, baseball, rowing, canoeing, skiing, archery and certain forms of sw imming, especially the breaststroke, tends - like weight-loading .sports - tt) create friction bet^veen facet joints. >X1iate\er you do for exercise, though, don't feel bad for learning to "cheat" in wa^-s that minimize your discomfort. Hurt may not be harm. But it's not much fijn, either Most of the things v\e'\e just ticked off might be considered first aid for backs, and their use - their .successflil use arching, a

you shouldn't bend forward to pick up anyttiing unless ttiere's something there to support your weight.

implies that a back problem isn't too serious or too far along. Siics

the

to

tell

you

things without lowering your

among other

is,

movement of bodies

person to

lift

a ph\>iics professor at Tufts University in

how

to

lift

and

things, the stud> of

there is no better the miscellaneous weights of

in .space,

.so

R. Tessman. F'h.D., in and \en likable \()lume My Ikick Doesn't Hiiti Anymore (Quick Fox, 1980), strips the he-man .show-off and the Don't worn; can do it niN'self from most lifting j(jbs and treats them like the mechiinicid problems he teaches his students. What's the best, most efficient way to get this job done, he a.sks in each case.

\()ur

life

than a ph\sics teacher jack

his practical

I

BACK TROUBLES

6l

In brief, Dr. Tessman's ad\ice is that you shouldn't bend forward to pick up amihing unless there's something there to support }our weight. The phj'sics behind tliis ad\ice is simple and straightforward. Imagine that you and a friend want to ride on a seesaw at the neighborhood playground. Your friend weighs 100 pounds and sits down ti\e feet away from the pivot point at the center of the plank. You sit down on the other side of the plank but only a foot away from the pivot point. To balance your friend, you would ha\e to weigh 500 pounds. Now imagine your body as a seesaw. Your arms, reaching down and forward, are like your friend's half of the plank. \'our hips are like the pivot point. Now your lower back muscles strain to lift that load. But since they are close to your hips, they have no le\erage. It has been estimated that, in an acti\it)' such as shoveling, the back muscles must pull with a force 15 times the weight of the

object

lifted.

The solution

to this

problem is simpl}' to lift and carr\making the load work with

things beside or behind you,

your back muscles instead of against them. Specific examples, illustrated and explained, are the best part of Afy Back Doesn't Hurt Anymore. In the past, you ma\' ha\'e receixed \'ague advice about not lifting heav'v objects. But Dr Tessman shows how to prevent back pain wliile dealing with the inevitable burdens that present themselves every

A

da)'.

Day's Worth of Lifting

Imagine, for a moment, a normal day: The alarm clock is ringing; it's 6 .\m Getting out of bed is your back's first test of the dav". Push yourself up and forward with v'our hands, and saving your feet around. Next stop is the bathroom. \X'hen shaving or washing your face, take a load oft' your back by flexing at the knees

or supporting your weight with a free hand. Tlien, while you're dressing, bring your toot up instead of bending forward to slip on socks or stockings. Outside, on the welcome mat, lies the morning newspaper. Instead of bending over, tlex at the knees and keep

your back as straight as pt)ssible. At breakfast, even little exertions such as reaching into the refrigerator tor a gallon jug of milk or reaching across

62

WHOLE BODY HEALING

lb get out of heel. Jhst

Ihen suing your

legs

sit ul)

oivr the side oj the

l)ed.

BACK TROUBLES

63

Tlje

convcl shin iiiii

/xisilion.

the table tor a platter of eggs eould aggravate an existing

back problem. Liter, before \ou go out tor the day. >()u might want to give your child or grandchild a bear hug. Avoid reaching cner a crib railing or a safet\- gate to pick

64

WHOLE BODY HEALING

Someone

with strong t>ack

muscles is more likely to pick up a load ttiat^ too fteavy for the discs.

I I

When putting on

socks, hiin}'

your foot

up.

Don't hem/

over.

him

up. Instead, lower the railing or open the gate, and flex your knees rather than bending (ner Assuming that you have been to work and are now ready to come home (there's no room here to cover the

BACK TROUBLES

65

^'r/r^

Ihc

lii^ht iviiy to

pick

iij)

a ncus[kil>cr

multitude of hazards on the job), you might stop to buy groceries. Supermarkets can pose a real dilemma for someone with a bad back. Hea\y-dut)' paper bags are loaded too heaNily, and deep-well shopping carts create av\-k\\~ard lifting situations.

66

WHOLE BODY HEALING

I

I

Tfje /)ir>/iiT ivciy to lift

a

child.

Instead of one big sack, try carrying two smaller ones, one under each arm. If you can, use the new carts with

When loading bags into the car, don't put them on the floor Put them on a seat, or on the rear deck if you have a station wagon. waist-level bottoms.

BACK TROUBLES

67

In spring

and summer, you ma\' vvant

to

knock around

the garden after work. If you're spading compost or soil, keep the payload end of the spade at \()ur side or behind you. Dr. Tessman e\en suggests digging behind yourself, as

you were paddling a canoe. If you're putting in seeds, kneel rather than lean over and, if you kneel, use your forearm to prop up your weight. if

Changing tires is another chore that can be a disaster your back. To a\'oid the crunch, squat or .sit on a stool when you pull off the tire and wheel. When loosening the lug nuts, always push down with the wrench. Back inside the house, it miglit be time to open a window that's hard to budge. for

Opening a whuiow hehhul

68

WHOLE BODY HEALING

)\)tt

tfon't

hw1 your

back.

i

face the window and pull up on the handles or your back will think you're tning to lift the house. Instinct may tell )'ou to do it that way, but it's far better to put your back to the window and raise it behind you. If yoii

grips,

Tlie

same principle

applies to c;irr\ing a tnink, a sofa

or an air conditioner. Hold the end that you're canning

behind you.

The

almost done. You might want to give your on your shoulders before he or she gets swaddled up and sent to bed. If you let the child use a sofa or chair to climb on \our shoulders, you won't hurt \'Our back. ( For \\'omen who want to take infants with them during the day, what's best for their backs is to carr\' da>' is

child or grandchild a ride

»

Frir /)ig}i^]'h(iik' lidcs. let the child Jhst

sland on a kihic or

chair.

BACK TROUBLES

69

)

A backpack the child

^bur

clislrihulcs

a child s

on the back,

uvii^hl civilly.

in a knapsacklike

;ilt'air.

chore of the e\ening in\oKes that hallowed ritual: taking out the trash. If you try to carr>' a loaded trash can in front of you, by the handles, your back ma> ne\er forgive you. (>et \our teenage son to take it down to the curb, or drag the can behind you, or best of all, put the can on a cart with wheels.

70

WHOLE BODY HEALING

last

I

Myths Worth Puncturing As well as gmng ad\icc. Dr. Tessman also punctures a few m>ths about the back. Strong arm and back muscles, he sa^'s, can't protect your discs. On the contrary, someone with strong back muscles is more likel}' to pick up a load that's too heavy for the discs. Certain traditional exercises are also taboo. Dr. Tessman sav-s that bending over to touch your toes and doing sit-ups place unnecessar)' strain on the discs. He prefers deep knee bends for strengthening the thigh muscles and deep breathing exercises for de\eloping the abdominal muscles.

Doing the

Pelvic Tilt

Another wa) to a\oid back problems is by practicing the "pehic tilt, a technique invented by Robert Lowe, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon and founder of the Low Back School at Cabell Hutington Hospital in West Vit^nia. Dr Lowe explains that most of the forvvard and back bending of the spine takes place in the joint between the fifth (last) lumbar vertebra and the sacrum, which is the hea\y bone forming the back of the pelvis. (It is really five vertebrae fused into one.) The .sacrum is rather rigid compared to the fifth lumbar vertebra, and bending, lifting and even prolonged sitting put stress on the muscles, ligaments and disc which make up that joint. Ideally, strong stomach and buttock muscles will keep this part of the spine correctly aligned, but over time poor posture, sedentarv habits and overweight can combine to accentuate the natural lumbar curve, producing a s\vavt)ack, potbeliv appearance. The stress from such a weakened condition falls most heavily on the joint between the fifth lumbar vertebra and the sacrum, and the pelvic tilt "

an exercise designed to help reverse the curve temporarily, on the discs and strengthening the supporting muscles. It is incredibly effective, considering its simplicity. >X'hile iving on your back, bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor near your buttocks. Raise your pelvis and "tuck it under, concentrating on pushing your lower back gently to the floor. Your shoulders, legs, neck and upper back should be relaxed. As you gently push your lower back to the floor, three things begin to happen; your pelvis rotates forward (reversing the curve of your lower back), your buttock muscles tighten, and your stomach musis

easing pressaire

"

If it's eas)', you're in prett>- good shape and will be able to keep >our back near to or on the floor without straining, if you find it difficult, \our back needs work. For some people, the pehic tilt becomes an automatic part of their posture with little training. For others, it

cles are exercised.

requires a great deal of

effort.

Inside your back, the benefits from this simple exercise are great: the pressure discs

is

on the

rear part of the

lumbar

eased, the stretched muscles and ligaments are relaxed,

and the supportive muscles of the stomach, buttocks and pehis are toned and exercised. You can, and should, perform the peKic tilt v\+iiie standing. Stand ^'ith your lower back against a wall and \our feet six inches from the wall. Keep the lower back tight against the wall with your heels, buttocks and shoulders also touching the wall. Again, neck, shoulders and legs are relaxed, and stomach and buttock muscles are taut. In time, you should be able to assume the pehic tilt posture without a supporting wall. Can such a simple exercise really help? If faithfulh practiced, the answer is yes. The benefits of the pehic tilt have been documented by precise measurements of the pressure inside the spine. When \'ou sit upright, 30() pounds of pressure per square inch is bearing on your lumbar discs (if you are of average weight); when standing, 200 pounds,

and when lying

flat

on your back, 100 pounds

bear on the area. But hing the force to 60 pounds per square inch! in the

pehic

tilt

is

brought to

position reduces

Now, the Upper Berth So we'\'e seen the good, the bad, and the achy- in troublesome backs, and we're done, right? >Xrong! >X'e're only half done, in fact. Up until now we've talked mainh- about muscular and skeletal distortions of the .spinal column and those of just the lower back to boot. V('e must still talk about pains in the upper back and, of course, in the neck. Fortunately, much of that task is accomplished b\ merel>- saying, "Ditto." Most of the things that go wrong with the lower

back can also go wrong with the upper back, and they're avoided and treated in the same way. One problem that's very common in the upper reaches of the .spine (and not so common down below) is the tiglitness and pain that's caused by the stress, miscellaneous distress and fatigue of

72

WHOLE BODY HEALING

Here the lower

The pehic

tilt

hcicL' is in its lutnyuil Jxisitiou.

presses the lower hack into the

ground and

straightens the spine.

BACK TROUBLES

73

clan's. Tljat we must talk about. Pain in the upper back and shoulders afflicts almost as many people as low back pain, which is the most common

getting through e\'cn normal

back problem. As

in so

are the victims of the

The way we

live

many other

cir\' life,

illnesses,

the sitting-down

and work

in

our modern

our backs

way of

life.

socict}' puts

too much of the wrong kind of stress on this part of the body. For most of our daily activities, we sit over a desk, bench, typewriter, sewing machine or steering wheel. Washing dishes, cooking, tvping, driving - our arms are alwav's in prettv' much the same position, straight out in front of us. if we lived a more rural life, our daily chores would guarantee plentv' of twisting and verv' little sitting in the same tensed position. Poor posture of this tvpe causes a gradual buildup of tension, which affects the man>' nerve pathwav's in this area that control the hands, arms, head, heart, lungs and upper abdomen. Hour after hour of this tension builds up to a point where the tightness follows us to bed. We wake up with numb arms, a painful back or a headache.

You Are Your Back's Worst Enemy in mind that manv' of our dailv' routines are potential troublemakers and that taking early steps in strengthening the upper back will prevent attacks of severe stiffness and pain in the future. Ask yourself if V'our working and plaving hours put a lot of strain on this area. If vou spend hours sitting in a stooped position over a desk or bench or steering wheel, you're probably giving little or no motion to the upper spine - motion it needs to .stay healthv" and loose. Of course, we occasionally have the natural protective reaction to this poor posture in the form of restlessness or the desire to get up and stretch, (iiving in to that urge is sometimes all that's needed. But it's important to do it frequently enough to make sure the effects of poor posture don't climb into bed with you. If you don't get rid of them by bedtime, vou mav' wake up with aching shoulders and a stiff', painful upper back. There is nothing so helpfijl as regularlv- moving the.se tense areas, which is what nature tries to tell us with the "restlessness reflex." Tmck drivers, for instance, can niiike a habit of turning their heads to look over their .shoulders once even,' mile and to stop ever)- two hours for a good

Keep

five-minute stretch and a short walk.

74

WHOLE BODY HEALING

And

this advice

is

The curl-up is a good way to strengthen your stomach muscles and tvla.x your hack. Slowly your hack off the ground, taking only three vertebrae off of the floor Then slowly let

lift

yourself dowti.

Rocking on

tlx'

ground

in

t/jis

nuinner

Ls

a g(xxl hack

relief metLtun'.

BACK TROUBLES

75

good

for

amone who must be at the wheel for long periods Modem cars are made so low that the seats are

at a time.

more conducive to sleeping than to pacing attention to the To overcome this, the driver has to thrust his or her

road.

head forward and concentrate, with little or no motion given to the upper back. Tliis builds up tension. How often have you heard people say that the)' must rest up after a long driving trip? You won't need that rest at the end of your trip if you follow these suggestions for stretching and relaxing during the

trip.

Treating Injury In a

manner of

speaking, you could call this chronic, unre-

lieved stress to the shoulders an injurv; But the u.sual,

sudden

or sprain can also lead to lingering pain and stifihess. Usually, the shoulder joint injur)- causes pain and swelling immediately. But a minor strain that might be caused by a sudden rwi.st or jerk ma)' go unnoticed for a da)- or more until pain, swelling and stiffness leave vou \irtuall) disabled. First aid for an injury of this t)pe - or for am- sudden strain, sprain or bruise - is to apph' cold in the form of ice or cold water packs tor the first 12 to 24 hours. Applications of cold should keep the swelling to a minimum. Heat should be applied after a day or so, when you are getting t)pe of

injur)-

the injured area back in operation. TTie most important thing to remember in treating a sprain or injur)' to the upper back is to get those joints moving again as soon as possible. If motion isn't restored

within a few da)'S, tension and stifiiiess will build up as nerve reflexes reduce circulation to these parts. This condition can get even more debilitating if the pads of fatt)tissue that surround the joints or the ligaments which connect bones to other bones become inflamed. It ma)- then be called a "frozen shoulder, and it can take a long course "

of therapy to "break the ice." Pain and stifihess across the back and shoulders can also be cau.sed by an upper respirator)- infection such as cold or flu. Tliis is possible because the tissues in the nose, throat and chest are supplied b)- nerves centered in the spinal cord which come around frc^n the upper back and neck. Messages sent over these nerve pathwa)> go both wa)'s, so we have the inflammation of the nose and throat ti.ssues sending messages of trouble back to the spinal cord.

76

WHOLE BODY HEALING

Some of these messages result in pain reflexes in the tissues around the spine, while others help heal the inflammation. But the messages to the upper back unlbrtunatel)- result in aches, pains and stiffness, some of nature's warning signs. Most likeh, howe\'er, it's reall\- posture that is gi\ing your upper back a bad time. Check your posture for round shoulders or a stooped position. Does one shoulder tilt downward or more forward than the other? Do the head and neck assume an erect, straight position? Do you spend much of your time at a bench or desk? If so, your upper back pain is probabh the result of poor posture. And the sooner you establish a routine that will prcxent back and shoulder problems, the better >our health will be.

I

A

straiiihl

neck feels

fiood.

BACK TROUBLES

77

A

curled neck' shvsses the body.

Preventive Exercises Presented on the next se\eral pages are some simple routines that cA'enone can do, that oenone should do to pre\'ent the

problems

we

hii\e

been

discussing.

of all, almost any exercise will do some good, by stimulating circulation and gcneralh increasing motion in this area. Sv^imming, golf, tennis and walking all have this beneficial effect. But concentrating on the .specific area can reduce the amount of time required to relie\e or pre\ent shoulder aches. First

78

WHOLE BODY HEALING

is stiflhess and soreness in the bending forwiird and supporting \-ourseLf with the good arm and hand on a chair Allow the aftlicted arm to drop downward. Then swing this arm back and tbrth, side to side, and finalh in circles both clockwise and counterclock\^ise. This gi\es the joint a gentle stretching motion w ithout the added weight of the arm when you are standing erect. Bending over this wa>' is more effecti\e because it stretches the ligaments, where the swelling is.

For instance,

if

large shoulder joint.

/.

Lean on a chair

there tr\-

to stretch

your shoulder.

2.

Gently

let

your arm

swing.

Another gentle stretching exercise for a stiff shoulder is to lie down on your back with knees raised and arms out at \()ur sides. Cienth' roll awa\ from the stiff shoulder side until it feels ready to rise oflF the floor Now gently rock back and forth. ITie weight of \X'hile \'Ou're doing this, be careful not to hold your breath; just breathe easily. If you add a slight bouncing motion at the point when \ou begin to feel the stress, you will help for

all

release tight tissues.

The Peanut

Roll

While you're down

in this position, you can also tr\- the "peanut roll." First, bring your hands back until both arms and upper legs are perpendicular to the floor. Now, from this neutral position, allow }our elbows and knees to bend in order to bring your chin or nose close to the floor near

/.

82

The peanut mil sUnis on

all Join's.

WHOLE BODY HEALING

I

2.

Brin^ \fjur chin to t be floor.

4.

Then raise your

J.

Hare your chin JbmanJ as though

txAling

a nut on

the floor

chin.

BACK TROUBLES

83

1.

start this sljoiilcler roll

84

on

)'our hack. 2. Jljen

WHOLE BODY HEALING

touch

\'oiir

elhow

to the floor

)Our knees.

Now

nio\'e

your chin forward to

)'our fingers, as

you were rolling a peanut forward on the floor. Then come up to the neutral position. Re\'erse the stretch by first getting down with your nose or chin near )our fingers and then "rolling the peanut" back toward your knees, ending if

the neutral position. The entire exercise should take only three to five seconds. Repeat it three or tour times, and don't hold your breath. If these exercises are going quite easily, you can add a different stretch b>' turning the head at the starting neutral position and rolling the peanut with one ear both forward and back^\ard. then repeating with the opposite ear. Another good stretching position is the "shoulder roll." Frequently a sudden release of tension is felt during this stretch as more motion is given to the upper spinal vertebrae. Lie flat on your back, with legs a little apart and hands clasped in back of the neck. Keep the elbows forward while \'ou pull }-our head off the floor a few inches. From this neutral position, twist the head and shoulders to the right so that the elbow touches the floor Then twist to the opposite direction, and touch the floor with the other elbow. As )'ou go from side to side, rolling across the upper back from six to eight times will stretch and tone the upper spinal tissues. Again, let's emphasize that the ideal motion involves relaxed breathing and taking just one or in

two seconds

to go from left to right. Even if you don't ha\'e any pain or stiffness in the shoulders or upper back, these exercises can stUI benefit your health. Of course, they are not meant as substitutes for exercise such as running, ocling, walking, swimming and other sports. The healthy person who will best weather the effects of aging and stress is the person who gets as much motion as possible into his or her life.

BACK TROUBLES

85

"

BICYCLING day at lunch a 52 year-old sheriflf Los Angeles area rides his bicycle. He rides

ust about c\er> in the

for pleasure,

he rides to

rides to save his heart.

and he amazing to me," Rudy

train for races,

"It's

Berteaux marvels. "About 15 years ago the\- discovered had high blood pressure and problems with m>-

I

heart cardiogram - it showed irregularities. In fact, I'd had a heart attack but we didn't realize it. I weighed 200 and some pounds. I had lots of trouble breathing, and I could the lawn, so they told me to exercise. barely

mow

During the next fne years he began jogging, impro\ed his eating habits, and reduced to 185. Because his knees eventually hurt him, he had to give up running, but fortunately he had begun cycling for pleasure. He started enjo\ing the scener\' and riding with a bike club. So he stepped up the cycling and began competing four years ago. The man who formerly had to .stay in bed just to keep his blood pressure down was soon winning medals. In the California Police Ohmpics two years ago, he took two sil\er medals in the over-40 categor}-. Last \ear, just to see how he'd fare, he entered open competition and won a gold in the sprints, "which was a super surprise." He also copped two silver medals in the 10-mile criterium and the 30-mile road race. "So I've been getting better." That is an understatement indeed. "VX'ith the California team he entered the International Police Ohmpics. "and we had guys from all over the countn and from Europe. 1

got a third place in the open in the 25-mile. The gu\-s who He's twice their age. beat me were 25 His training is regular and monitored by his doctor with twice-yearly stress tests. 'He keeps telling me. Go at "

.

.

Mr. Berteaux smiles. the best thing you can do.' Averaging about 150 miles a week, he rides back and tbrth to work 20 miles each way in summer. In winter he gets up "

it!

It's

early

and bikes 10 or 15 miles on good mornings and an

hour

at

He good,

I

lunchtime. is

enthusiastic about the change in himself. "I look And it's nice to ha\e a cardiologist tell

feel trim.

you, '\'ou're in great shape.

86

Go

out there and ride that

"

30-miler."

can't get over the fact that

just

I

"

what they can do if the\' want to. there e\'en- da\- and jog. they'll get better; realize

on

there

that bike. the\

can ride to work

If if

people don't they get out they get out

"

Bad Hearts

Bikers with

It's exciting to know Mr. Berteaux and what he's done. It's equalh- plea.sing to know that he is not alone. He told us. in fact, about the Rancho Los Amigos Hospital cycling club,

comprised entirely of riders who bike for rehabilitation as well as sport. Organized in I9''-4 by Randy Ice. a therapist at the hospital, the club accepts cyclLsts only after their coronar) disease shows

some degree of

stability'.

Most

ha\'e

program conducted at the hospital: there they ha\e been monitored while exercising on a bicycle er^ometer or treadmill, and the>' monitor themselves at home. The)' get st;irted on a proper diet and give up

participated in a training

cigarettes

the)-

if

Bike riding is pleasurable, and it^ also a great source of aer-

obic fitness. You can get into tt)e bike scene gradually and build up your endurance and ability as you slowly increase your fitness.

smoke. E\entuall)- the) phase into the

Saturda) club. in the group is just unbelievable, "The big thing for most patients when the)- have heart diseases is that the)' are ven* depressed and uncertain about what they can and cannot do. When they get into a group of people like this who are making incredible improvements - some rapidly and some slowly, but impro\ing-it gives them the chance to talk to other guys "Tlie

camaraderie

reports .Mr

Ice.

about their problem. Mr. Ice told us about

one member,

a 73-year-old,

who

completed his third "centun-. a 100-mile trip. "We rode from Fullerton to San Diego in one da)'; he found it was eas)' for him. He'd had a cancer operation in 1951 and about lYz )'ears ago had an aortic aneur)'sm as well as b)pass surger). He'd ne\'er c-)'cled before. When he came to me, he was 69 years old and wasn't really doing anything. Now he's .so interested in c)'cling. he knows more about the technical aspects of bic-)cles and components than I do. He rides about 500 to 600 miles a month." recentl)

It

isn't

"

ea.sy

to get stiirted. but the supervision helps.

pace )-ourself and how far to ride in the beginning are important. One plus-50 cyclist who began without such guidance describes how difficult it was for her at first. "1 am a bike)' now, writes the woman, whose cycling is therap)' for a cardiom)'opathy - "a charley horse of the heart mu.scle," as she calls it.

Knowing how

to

"

BICYCLING

87

-

"Three years ago I just went in and bought a tenspeed, and with no technical knowledge purchased what I thought was suitable. 1 then attempted to participate in xarious club rides. This culty of the ride and

many times

1

my

did, alwa^'s capabilities.

unsure as to the 1

suflFered

them

diffi-

out,

finding m)'self alone, trying to read the map.

would cry right in the middle of a ride, wonwas doing to myself. Eventually I would find my way back, coming home tired and feeling so good about myself I knew I wanted to tr\- again." One afternoon on a ride she met a man who looked like Colonel Sanders on a bicycle. "He led rides indepenSometimes

I

dering what

I

dently and actually taught

me how

to use those gears

slow and easy. He had not taken up biocling until his sixties and had experienced a pre\ious heart attack. His rides were geared to his riders, the terrain, traffic and wind factor, if possible. This experience started me on my way, and I was now cominced I could be a bikey. "Since that time 1 rode with another man, a lo\ing friend who was a cyclist all his life. I was introduced to rides and outings on which mature biker's take the time to look around and enjoy. We experienced bicycle rides that made a one-day outing seem like a whole \'acation. "Today, 2^2 years later, my health problem seems to be gone. I no longer take any medication, and it is like 1 ha\'e a

whole new

body."

Rolling to Fitness

The main ad\antage of biking is that it is relaxing, fun and less straining on your joints and ligaments than man\- other forms of exercise. You're on wheels, rolling along rather than bouncing )'our legs off the pa\'ement or asphalt. Bicycling opens up the fitness arena to man>' people who would be unable to do an acti\it>' like running. And, while biking is plea,surable, it's still a great source of aerobic fitness. You can get into the bike scene gradual!}-

and build up your endurance and abilit}- as mu slowly incTease your fitness. When you final!)' decide that )ou're ready to start biking, the first question nou'II probably ask is: what kind of bike

do

1

get? Different r\pes of bicycles are best suited tor different

u.ses.

88

WHOLE BODY HEALING

For riding around town or short commutes, the tha-e-

speed bike, which requires little maintenance, is the most But tor recreational riding, hilly terrain or long distances, the mechanical ad\-antages of the ten-speed make it the best choice. A ten-speed is far better if you seek to use your bic\cle for exercise. Finding a bike that's the right size for you is easy. >X'hile wearing flat-.soled shoes, straddle the top tube of a mens bic-}cle frame. There should be about an inch clearance between )-our crotch and the top tube. ( If you wish to purcha.se a somen's frame, first make this test on a men's frame and then find a women's frame on which the seat tube is the same length as the proper-sized men's frame.) "You'll find a too-small frame uncomfortable to ride, while a too-large frame is both uncomfortable and dangerous. You'll probabl) %\'ant to extend the seatpost a few inches when practical.

\t)u

ha\c a

fi:'ame tliat's right for }X)U.

And

since not everyone's

arms are the same size, you may need a longer or shorter handlebar stem than the one that comes with the bicycle.

You Don't Have

to Ride Tall in the Saddle

For the most beneficial exercise, for long rides and for hill climbing, you'll want to have the dropped (racing st^le) handlebars seen on ten-speed biocles. Dropped bars look unconitbrtable, and the\ are tor )()ur first few rides, but

grow to prefer them. Tlie)- rearrange \'our many biomechanical advantages. But if vour back can't get used to dropped bars or if you don't anticipate long rides, you may want to join the many people who most body

to provide

stick

with upright handlebars.

cyclists

)ou use depends on the kind of handlebiirs )ou have. A wide saddle works well with upright handlebars. If you have dropped handlebars, you'll find the wide saddle uncomfortable. Racing-stvie saddles, like racing-stv'le handlebars, are quite functional and more comfortable than the\- look. Women, who ha\e wider pehic bones than men, generally need a slighth wider \ersion of Tlie kind of saddle that

an excellent exeryou don't need fancy equipment to do it.

Bicycling is cise. And

the racing-st)'le saddle. Toe clips, those little gizmos that clamp your feet to the bicycle pedals, are hand) tor keeping your teet

they belong. You'll probably want to get used to your bic\cle

want by holding your bike, you'll

out without toe clips and But once you're u.sed to xour

start

first.

clips. Tliey

where

increase )'Our pcdiiling etficienc")

optimum position on the pedals. With clips, pedaling becomes a smooth 360 degree motion instead of a jerking push-push. Tlie>' help >ou get more feet in the

exercise out of your

bic-)cle,

afternoon ride without getting

and they help you enjoy an tired.

that )ou ha\e to get tanc-> disadvantage bic->cling equipment. One when it comes to ninning is the cost of exercise like has in comparison to an is a pair of nmning all you need a bike. If you want to run, the other hand, bicycle, on of .shorts. A shoes and a pair investment. can be a substantial

Whatever you do, don't think

Be

Safe,

Wlien

Not Sorry

\()u ride

to obe\

all

the

vour bike on the road, you should be s;ifet\

regulations.

for trouble. In a collision

bike will be

90

WHOLE BODY HEALING

at

If

.sure

yt)u don't, vou're asking

with an automobile, you and your

an extreme tlisadxantage.

Bicycle

sccils.

I}n)/)/H.'c{

//kc //cnji/c.

coitw in

cill

s/ni/)cs

ciml

sizes.

hcimUehars like these are usually the best choice for serious

cyclists.

BICYCLING

91

you should obey are the You should and follow the direcride on the right side of the street on signals. For details the safetytions of all traffic signs and local police .should follow, contact your rules that bike riders safet}' books espedepartments have traffic department. Most In general, the safety rules

same

as those that govern automobile driving.

cially

geared tor

cyclists.

obe>ing traffic rules, bikers should also wear helmets for safet\. \bur head is the most \Tjlnerable and most \-aluable body part that is endangered when \ou ride. Visit your neigliborhood bike shop to find the helmet that best suits your needs. Once >-ou ha\e all )'our safety measures taken care of, get out there and ride! As Victor Hadlock, a bom-again biker, puts it: In addition to

look back, Im glad I didn't )ield to that little \oice that kept whispering, "Youre too old for this foolishness; quit while youre ahead! I shall be e\er grateful to that doctor who .said, "\'ou ought to ride it e\er\ da)." In return, when 1 looked at his

As

I

demon

"

ample paunch, you tn' it, Doc?

For

92

safety's sake,

WHOLE BODY HEALING

I "

was tempted to sa>-, "X^lTiy kept m\ mouth shut.

But

I

wear a helmet when ynu

bike.

don't

BIOFEEDBACK Biofeedback

is an in-law of folk medicine. People use folk cures because the>"ve worked for them before or the\''\'e been reported to work b}' reliable sources. But no one knows wh\ or e\en how the)- work. The process is m>'sterious. And that's the way it is with biofeedback. It's a mysterious form of ph)>ical therapy, or perhaps learning, which has been used

to treat

all

sorts of things with ver\' reasonable success

-

things like tension headaches and migraine, cold hands and feet, anxiet}'

and

stress, irregular heartbeats, e\'en

the paral-

of cerebral pals-\- and the seizures of epilepsy. But it also has a dimension of hocus-pocus. No one knows whether biofeedback treats these ills directly or indirectly. Does biofeedback training allow a patient actually to control the inner mechanism that produces icicle hands, for instance? Or does it do sometliing else entirely - something whose ysis

by-product

is toast}'

fingers?

As with most

folk remedies,

no

one knows for sure. Fortunate!), in this case, someone cares, and lots of researchers are tning to find out how and wh)' biofeedback works. V(1iat we'll do in this chapter is look at some definitions of biofeedback and the explanations of how it works - or at least how its supposed to work - that

Biofeedback increases your ability to control processes

deep inside your body, /fs been used to treat lieadacties, cold hands, anxiety, stress, and even cerebral

palsy and

f/ie

seizures of

epilepsy.

come with

these definitions. And we'll make lists of the can do for you and those it can't do. So what is biofeedback? Some would say that we don't know - now - what it is and that we can only describe how it's used and how it appears to work. So before we get to the definitions advanced by those who claim to know what biofeedback is, let's take a look at it in action. things

it

A Tension Headache Fred suflFers from tension headaches fairly often, ma)t)e two or three times a week. This week the number went up considerabl), because his daughter's orthodontia turned an expensive new corner and his seven-) ear-old car developed an oil leak that would require S139.S() to plug. So he went to his family doctor, who sent him to the headache clinic at

93

"

a big university hospital nearb\'. Tlic GP's reasoning

drug dosage was

was

and still the paiiikiller wasn't working. It was time to tn* something else. At the clinic, biofeedback wa,s the "something else decided upon. With feedback (we'll get to what that is in a second ) from the muscles in his head and neck, Fred would be trained to relax the muscukir bands that gripped him in times of teasion and - it is supposed - produced his headaches. First, the process was explained to him, and he agreed to try it. Then he was led into a small, soundproof, dimh lit room filled with blipping electronic hardware. He was introduced to the knobs, blinking lights and dials and wils asked to lie down on a couch. Explaining carefully what was going on and working very- gently with the spidery de\'ices, a staff therapist taped three electrodes to Fred's forehead - one an inch abo\'e each eyebrow and one in the middle. Tliese wires would pick up the electrical signals produced by the muscles spanning the forehead and tiike them back to a machine called an electromyograph (FMCi), which would record and amplify' (or strengtlien) tliem. The theory was tliat if tension in Fred's muscles was producing his headaches, reducing that tension would reduce the headaches, too. that Fred's

This theory

became

alread\- prett)- high,

practice

when

the electrical chaises

from Fred's fijrrowed brow reached the electromyograph.

An at-home relaxation.

94

WHOLE BODY HEALING

biofeedback machine can he used to induce

The gizmo turned them into mechanical clicks, and the)became feedback. Tlie more tension in the muscles, the more pain Fred felt, and the stronger and harder came the clicks. The point, said the therapist, was for him to "see" and "hear" his di.scomfbn in this indirect wa\ - as electronic feedback - because soon he would be asked to slow the clicks and whittle away at the pain in an equally indirect way - through the feedback. While wired up and King in the clinic, he would ha\'e to disco\'er some way, any way, to relax the muscles, cut oflF their electrical acti\ity and turn off the clicLs.

He was

not given any hints

on how

to

do

it;

he was just told to in. And he did it, o\er the next se\'eral doKS and weeks. Somehow, tliinking of good times, of straight teeth and a new le;ikless car, of lots of things, he managed to relax, to stifle the clicking machine and to end his pain. The staff member working with Fred in the lab avoided talking to him about v\'hat he was doing to relax. He simph' encouraged whateret- it wds. and he told Fred to concentrate on the telltale clicks. Of course, the real test of this or an>- biofeedback therap>' \\'ill come in the weeks and months ahead, in seeing hovs- well Fred can use his new shortcut to relaxation outside the clinic and away from the encourag.

ing feedback. Biofeedback enthusiasts, of course, say that

Freds chances for success are good. Hiirdened disbelie\ers, But that's a stor)' for later.

naturalh', say the>' are bad.

Getting Control of Yourself The problem

at hand is a definition of biofeedback to go demonstration of its inner workings. The definitions most widely circulated these days claim mereh that it is any technique which inovases the abilit)- of a patient to if>limkmly control certain physiological activities by providing him with information about them. We've used italics three times in that sentence to illustrate three important fH)ints. Biofeedback onl)- increases Nour abilit\ to control a process deep inside the body. It cannot pro\ide you with a magic medical on-oft" itch on for instance, ab.solute master) over )our blood pressure. It is also not a cure-all; as the rest of this section will show, only certain specific conditions respond to its blandishments. And, finalh, don't be fooled by the word "voluntary." The scientists, doctors and psychologists who use biofeedback have not \et agreed on what it means in this situation. The)- cant sa)' whether the patient actually gains conscious

with

this

,s-\\

BIOFEEDBACK

95

control over the temperature of his hands and feet - when suffering from Raynaud's disease -or if something else entirel)' happens, which only inad\ertently produces a rise in these temperatures. And there's a fourth thing we should highlight here. Biofeedback is a cooperative effort, both in the research that has created it and the medical practice that uses it. No one person should control )our biofeedback therapy, because no one branch of medicine is responsible for its shaping. Medical doctors describe the symptoms of disease and the way in which feedback therapy modifies them. MDs often get the treatment process started with a diagnosis and a "prescription tor biofeedback. The macliine used b\' whomever administers your therap} \\'\\\ ha\'e been designed b)- a biomedical engineer, and his role is crucial. The better the information you receive about your condition, the better your use of it is apt to be. The sooner you get it, the sooner you'll be able to react - and rectner. And the more precise that information is, the more precise and steady "

your reaction and

A

Biofeedback can free you from drugs and other invasive therapies.

reco\'er\' will be.

may also be called in to consult on your biofeedback treatment. Psychiatrists study the emotional aspects of di.sease states, and many conditions which respond to biofeedback ha\'e been labeled "psAchosomatic"; they are phj-sical conditions which ha\'e mental causes. Finally, a ps\'chologist is often made part of a biofeedback team for his or her knowledge of the learning process. Biofeedback is. of course, a kind of learning, and psychologists frequently advise treatment groups on the oi^pmization of their therapies. p.s\chiatrist

Biofeedback and Behavioral Medicine What all that means is that the u.se of biofeedback has become a branch of beha\ioral medicine, which is one of the reasons

it

interests us. Behavioral

medicine deals with

which a patient's beha\ior contributes to both declining and ascending health. Many forms of asthma, for illnesses in

example, are directly connected to emotional problems, and high blood pressure can come from a high-pre-vsure lite. But the part of behavioral medicine that intrigues us is its

demand

that the patient participate acti\el\ in his ivcoivr}'.

the therapist can tell the patient how to u.se the its information, but only the patient can master the technique and produce the desired results. Of course, there's a catch here. If the patient must learn how

After

all.

equipment and

96

WHOLE BODY HEALING

to help himself or herself, he or she must also keep at the process long enough to get the job done - and then continue to practice it to keep the condition at bay. So biofeedback as a form of beha\ioral medicine has adx-antages and disadvantages. It frees the patient from drugs and other therapies that im-ade the body, strewing side effects in their tracks. But it also makes the patient dependent upon his or her (mn sense of self-discipline and self-control - a pretty

good

trade,

we

think.

The Uses of Feedback There

list of conditions that have been biofeedback, but one point should be kept in mind before being bo\\'led over by it. Many of them are commonJ) asstxiated with stress - tension and migraine headaches, ulcers and asthma are frequent targets -and biofeedback is used to attack the bodily consequences of that stress rather than the stress itself. Of course, biofeedback is also used in cases of serious injun and paral\-sis, such as stroke, accidental nerve damage, cerebral pais)' and many other causes of phx^sical impairment. But here, too, it is the s>Tnptoras of the disease or condition that are being attacked, not the problem itself. The assumption made b\' most biofeedback therapists is that the kind of self-control the)' teach can reduce the miser\' of illness no matter what the organic source of that miser). They do not say that their techniques restore the body parts knocked out of commission b)' disease or accident: the) say, instead, that as long as there is some function in the affected s)'stem, biofeedback can help the patient use it to his greatest adxantage. Biofeedback in most of its applications - whether it is for chronic lower back pain or Parkinson's disease or simple tooth grinding or jaw clenching - seeks to make the most of whatex'er resources the patient has.

is

a fairly lengthy

treated b\

A Sampler

of Feedback Machines

No

matter what )'our problem is, if feedback can help it, help will get started with .some t)pe of monitoring equipment. Heart pnjblems are worked on b)' a mechanical pulse-taker that continually monitors the contractions of the heart muscle. It is no more than an EK(i (or electrocardiograph) machine like the one used to check )'our heart during )'our last ph)^ical, and it picks up its information that

BIOFEEDBACK

97

through electrodes attached to the patient's chest. Similar!), blood pressure data used for biofeedback therapy comes from a special!) modified blood pressure cuff which, though not unlike the standard item, is different, because it can cnntimially measure lioth blood pressures (that is. the pressures with the heart pumping and at rest) without collapsing the vessels.

Another t)pe of feedback comes from the EECi (electroencephalograph) machine, which records the electrical acti\it)' of firing ner\'e cells. It is used to monitor brain activit)- and reproduces signals that are commonh called "brain waxes," pictures of particoilar kinds of brain goings-on. EEG treatments allow patients to "watch" their brains at

All

them to produce (on demand) cerdeemed desirable tor one reason or another. Much excitement was generated se\'eral )ears ago when a special kind of brain wave, dubbed the "Alpha," was discoN'ered. The Alpha pattern, some folks ha\e decided, is

work and seek

to train

tain wa\'e pattenxs

very desirable, because they associate it with a very relaxed yet alert and creative state of mind. EE(i electrodes are attached to the forehead and scalp of the patient. Still another t\pe of feedback comes from the EMG (or electromyograph ) machine. This de\ice picks up the electrical signals given off b)' moving muscles, and its information is used to retrain damaged limbs. It can help panially paralyzed or handiciqijx-d patients to find new wa)^ of mcning. and it has been u.sed to reactivate ner\e pathwa)-s in the stump of an amputated limb when the patient is fitted with a sophisticated artificial replacement. Tlie .sensors of an EMG dexice are taped to the .skin o\er the mu.scle being imestigated. Bod)- temperature is recorded for feedback purposes as the amount of blood flow ing through a particular area of the skin. A large and rapid flow indicates a higli temperature to electrodes attached to the skin surface, and a low, slow flow suggests a heat loss. Finall)-, we ha\'e one more machine to talk about. The is a measure of the electrical and it is used as a sign of emotional arou.sal, of excitement and nervousness. \\ hen the skin's ability to conduct electricit)- goes up. our hackles, our guards, go down, indicating incrca.sed relaxation. The GSR is one of the things a lie detector measures. It has been used in biofeedback operations, both directh and indi-

GSR

(galvanic skin resistance)

conducti\it)- of the skin,

rectl)-to record a patients anxiet) direct!)

98

WHOLE BODY HEALING

in stress-related

illnesses is

and to determine

in

an indirect way

learning a feedback-controlled

skill

when

a patient

and when he

What Biofeedback Looks (and Sounds)

is

not.

Like

No

matter where )'our feedback comes from, in therapeutic it \\ill appear to \'ou in one of just a few forms that is, it will become either \isible or audible in one mechanical wa)' or another. A liglit ma\' go on or a tone may start sounding when some desired effect is achiexed; or, the tone may alternately go up or down in pitch and lights of other colors ma\ take over as the effect goes either up or down in intensiU'. For instance, if a patient is tr\ing to raise the temperature of his or her hands, the biofeedback machine may change its tone (or color) onh' once at a predetermined point, say, after the temperature has risen to a lc\el deemed acceptable by the prescribing doctor. Or the tone might continuously go up in pitch (or the liglits march through a rainbow of colors) as the temperature situations

gradually climbs.

does the patient process this "space patrol" inforpretend that our patient is being asked to the heart rate, a common demand in the lab, though

Ho\s'

mation? slo\\-

Ix;t's

not in the clinic. The patient is hooked up to an EKG machine with a control panel that features a red light, a green light and a yellow liglit. Wlien his or her heart rate

reaches the target figure, the \'ell(jw light will come on. and red ones work; when the red is on, the patient must try to rai.se his pulse, and when the green bulb flashes, he or she must lower it. Okay, the les,son .starts. The yellow light is either go or no go. If it's no go, the patient looks at the other two for instructions and decides what must be done, either up or down, and tries to comply, checking the changing relationship of the three lights in order to monitor progress and to niiike whate\er adjustments are necessary. How the patient does what he or she does, as we've said a number of times, isn't known. But something the patient does cau.ses the heart to slow to the desired .speed, lliis something is often called "feedfijrward In .some mysterious way, the patient processes the information pnnidec! by the feedback, and the brain turns it into messages that are fed forward to his or her heart muscle as instructions to cool it. Until then, the green

"

BIOFEEDBACK

99

How Long Does

Feedback Training Take?

ViTien speaking generally, cal

bioteedback sessions

ment

situation differs.

it's

are;

One

how long each learner and each

difficult to sa>-

clini-

treat-

thing that's sure, ho\ve\er,

is

be separated b\- periods at home without training, gaps sometimes called "rest" periods. Biofeedback therapy requires intense eftbrt and demands these breaks. that sessions will

intensit)' of the work also means that the sessions in the clinic ma) be short, especially at first. Tlie patient's abilit)- to concentrate will ultimately determine the best

The

session length, but if his or her performance falls after 15 minutes, then there is no point going beyond this natural limit. Of course, after the patient gets used to the work,

the sessions ma\-

grow

feedback therapists

home on

a.sk

longer.

And

it

is

tnie that

many

their patients to practice ftirther at

simple, portable and eas>-to-use equipment. ITiese only increase the patient's trial time but, more

efforts not

him or her with new control techniques in familiar and more normal surroundings. Another part of mcxst feedback training is a weaning process. The goal of this therapy, like any other, is to pro\ide the patient with .something that can be used witiiout effort to achieve a more comfortable life. This means gradually .severing the patient's connection with the feedback machine, such as alternating sessions with feedback and those without. It means teaching the patient the difference between a performance, vshich is rewarded by ringing bells and flashing liglits, and genuine learning, which is re^^•arded by health and good feeling. And it means that the patient must de\elop some internal s>^tem tor a-sse.ssing the success of his or her efforts. Internal, personal feedback must be substituted for the external blips of the machine. As the importanth', acquaint

Migraine patients are taught to raise ttie temperature of ttieir

tiands.

Not mucti

is

known about warming

wtiy ttiis tiand works, but it some-

tiow reduces

ttie

headache.

therap\- continues, the

number of

feedback-free sessions will

pemianently unplugged. Biofeedback therapy generally ends when the patient and the therapist agree there's no longer a need for it. Tliat could come after onh one .session or after months of .sessions - it all depends on the aptitude of the patient and the se\erit\ of the problem. Tlie end can most often be seen, though, when the clinic appointments become further and ftirther apart and when there is more and more home practice. Finalh, the appointments are u.sed simpb to check the success of the home practice. Iliis progression is increa.se until the

100

WHOLE BODY HEALING

machine

is

also

accompanied by an increase

feedback-less meetings.

Once

in the

frequency of the

the fiirmal get-togethers between

professional and patient haxe ceased completeh; most practitioners do insist on a series of follow-up contacts. These

could be fuU-blowTi appointments or simple phone calls, but the goal is to check on the presence or absence of symptoms and the success or failure of the learned techniques.

Headache Treatment with Biofeedback The two most common t)pes of headaches are usually characterized by their symptoms and their suspected causes; they are both frequently treated with biofeedback. Migraine head-

aches are thouglit to be caused b\' the contraction or dilation of the bkxxl v'essels in the head, wtiile tension headaches are supposed to come from tightly clenched muscles in the forehead and neck. Migraines produce se\'cre and throbbing pain and can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting and sensiti\it\ to light. Tension headaches tend to bring pain that is dull, persistent and undulating in nature; suflferers claim these attacks feel like bands pulled snugly around the head. The biofeedback treatment of migraine headaches normalh' enters the scene through what is decidedly a back door; migraine patients are taught to raise the temperature of their hands. Not much is known about why this hand warming works, but it is almost always accompanied by some kind of relaxation exercise, and it is guessed that the technique is successful because it somehow reduces nervous SA'stem overload and, with it, headache. Most authorities do not belie\'e, as the) once did, that this biofeedback ploy reduces the flow of blood to the head and in doing so reduces the likelihood of these "vascular" pains in the head. How successful is this strange method? One large study that followed patients for a year after their feedback training ended discovered that all the patients had maintained the gains they had made during treatment - even the ones who did not continue to practice their hand-warming trick. This trial also compared the results of patients treated with feedback and relaxation techniques with those treated with relaxation alone. Tliere

was no

difference in their success-

es, implying, we guess, that biofeedback to beat stress.

is

an elaborate way

Biofeedback training for tension headaches was pioneered by a group of doctors at the llniversit)' of Colorado

BIOFEEDBACK

101

Medical Center in Den\er, but their methods are widely used elsewhere these daA's. They invohe s>"stematic relaxation and biofeedback reports on muscle acti\ity in the forehead and throughout the neck and head. The word from Colorado suggests that feedback in this case, too. is a helpmate for relaxation, that it is not the main attraction. As with migraine headaches, studies of the success of feedback assauUs on tension headaches generally say that machine-assisted relaxation or relaxation alone works, but only a few researchers ha\'e found that the machines \\ork by themselves.

Raynaud's Disease Cold hands

ha\'e

ne\er killed an\t)od\, but Raynaud's

dis-

which produces icy fingers and toes, can be ver\' uncomfortable. The problem is brouglit on by exposure to ease,

cold or emotional stress and may occur frequently during months. Simply warming the affected areas doesn't help much, because the blood that rushes in to meet the heat causes throbbing pain, swelling and unpleasant redness. Instructions to avoid cold, to u.se drugs or to tr\surger)' (to cut off nene messages to the hands) ha\e been tried against Raynaud's disease without much luck; surgen', for instance, works in only half of all cases. Biofeedback treatments, however, ha\e done considerably better L'sing reports of the skins temperature on one finger as a guideline, Raynaud sufferers are usualh told to imagine that their hands are growing hea\A' and warm while practicing some form of relaxation therap\. I nfbrtunately, scientific checks on the effectiveness of biofeedback therapy for this complaint have not been ven rigorous, and it's impossible to say how well it worLs. Many practitioners feel, here again, that relaxation or the feedback relaxation combo may be the thing doing the corrective work. chilly

Anxiety Attacked This frequent pairing ma>- have led researchers to tr\- feedback on the psychological disorder often called, lor want of a better term, stress or anxietv. It h;is also been used to treat insomnia, addictions of \-arious kinds and phobi;Ls. those unnatural or unwarranted fears of relati\el\ sate things that affect many people. In the case of some emotional disor-

102

WHOLE BODY HEAUNG

feedback is used, more often than not, as a ^^ay into more comentional ps"\chotherap\'. Its abilir\- to show people their own nenousness and tension in a graphic way sometimes cominces them that they need the counseling they

ders,

ha\e been resisting.

One phobia method we read about treats so^ere fears of fl>ing with feedback from the muscles of the forehead, which technicians consider a good sign of tension. Five sessions, each 20 minutes long, are used to teach the patient to relax. The tightness of the patients muscles is rc\'ealed to him or her b\ a steady, machine-made tone. First, the patient is taught to become calm (and turn off the tone) on the simple command of "Relax!" Tlien he or she is asked to obe\ the same command while reading about fl>ing or seeing a film about it. Finalh. the patient is instructed to take a commercial plane to give the technique the acid test. And it usualh works.

Stressful Illnesses

and Feedback

Two

illnesses that have been associated with mental stress and are also frequently treated with biofeedback are asthma and stomach ulcers. Asthma has long been known to ha\'e

an emotional or e\'en a p.s\'chosomatic aspect. In some people its more a mental disorder than a ph\'sical one. As a result, two biofeedback approaches ha\'e been taken to the disease. One attacks it indirectly, and one goes the direct route. The indirect treatment gives the patient information about the stress affecting him througli readouts from the muscles in his or her head and neck. With this aid, the patient is taught to relax in the face of crisis and so to fight asthma attacks. ITic more direct gambit gives the patient information about the coastriction, or pinching off, of the lung.s" bronchial passages and, in a complicated process, teaches him or her to open them and to ease labored breathing. Both methods ha\e produced what medical writers call "clinically significant" results; that is. the> tvally reduce the number of asthmatic attacks suffered by trainees and improve their breathing, llie bugaboo here is that most patients are also taking medication to do these same things while they're using biofeedback. Still, most trials chiim that once the technique is mastered, medication can be reduced. The treatment of .stomach ulcers with biofeedback has been successful, too, but it's decidedly more uncomfortable

BIOFEEDBACK

103

for the patient than

most other uses of these techniques. ulcers come from too much

The pain and havoc caused by

stomach acid, ITiat's not ntA\s. It figures, then, that cutting down on the stomach's supply of acid will lessen the devastation: that's not

news, either. In a

number

of recent

.studies,

have been able to control the release of acid into the stomach using feedback readings of its contents; that's news, and good nc"ws to boot. >X'hat's also news, bad news, is that these readings come from instruments that must be swallowed (one unpleasant wa)' or another) before they can send back their flashes from the interior. >X'hat's also patients

discouraging about this therapy is that it's new. \Xe don't know if patients can stop the acid flow completely enough to end their ulcer problems. We'll have to wait and .see, but e\en if the tidings are ven,- good, the instrument s"wallowing ma)- alwa)s pre\ent biofeedback from becoming a staple of ulcer control. The other conditions that are treated with biofeedback often enougli to be mentioned here ma\' be rouglily grouped together as kinds of abnormal muscle acti\it)'. Some of them, like \arious t)pes of parahsis, begin and end with the muscles. Others, like epilepsy, start in the head. Let's look at epileps-)- first.

The ill effects of the disease, which range from nearly undetectable muscle quirks to brief blackouts to \iolent and frightening grand mal seizures, stem from the abnormal acti\it}' of certain brain cells. Tliis acti\it), of course, can be seen (or heard) on an EEC; record, and when this record is turned into feedback, it can be used to train a patient to destructive brain wa\es and encourage the normal ones. Control of these brain wa\es is, as \ou might imagine, one of the most difficult things for biofeedback users to learn. Training sessions can take more than an hour - ertc/.? - and ma\' have to be scheduled .se\eral times a week - for se\eral months - before there is any change in a patient's pattern of .seizures. Tliese sessions iMve been successfijl, howe\'er. Tlie nimiber and frequenc"} of seizures have been reduced tor people who ha\e not been able to control their illness in other wa^^s. Still, active biofeedback practice may haw to be continued indefiniteh to pre.sene these gains, and it is still unclear whether biofeedback can replace drug therap) in epilepsy' cases. .suppress the

104

WHOLE BODY HEALING

-

Feedback and Muscle Therapy The other kinds of abnormal muscle

activity tended to with feedback come from injun, stroke or debilitating illnesses such as cerebral pais) or Parkinsons disease. These applications are, without question, the most wideh' accepted uses of teedback. but oen they are often termed no more than N'aluable additions to more traditional sorts of drug and ph>^ica] therap\. The mu.scle disorders treated with biofeedliack fall into three broad categories: muscles which contract wlien tlie\ should not, either continuously or sporadically and unpredictably; muscles which do not contract when the\ .should: and muscles whose contractions are not well coordinated with those of others in the body. Using the information pnnided by an EMG machine of the electrical acti\it) inside these balky muscles, the patient in each case is slowl)- taught to bring them in line. First the patient is trained to relax the target muscle group and perhaps his or iier whole body. Then, he or she may be helped to loosen tile chronically clenched muscle or to contract the permanent!}' weakened one. Since muscle groups work in pairs one, for instance, extends the arm, and another pulls it back - these procedures often require feedback from two locations at once. Finally, the patient is taught to produce coordinated mo\'ements with feedback from se\'eral areas in a long and \er) complex process. Many authorities claim that the \isual feedback pro\ided by joint movement is the most crucial factor in this tApe of rehabilitation. \V1ien it comes to a.ssessing the o\erall .success of biofeedback therapy in muscle reeducation, howe\'er, these same authorities are di\ided. Some .sa)' it is merely an experimental ploy, while others feel it is a proven addition to the physical therapist's tools. The procedure's greatest acceptance seems to be in cases of stroke-induced paralysis.

Should You Give

It

Biofeedtxick has reduced the number and frequency of seizures for some epileptics who have not been able to control their illness in other ways.

a Try?

Given all tho.se possible uses for biofeedback - and all the resenations about them (not the least of which is that nobody really knows how they work )- .should you try biofeedback? A report prepared for the U.S. Department of

BIOFEEDBACK

105

Health and

Human

baciv. steps

back from

which was critical of biofeedsuspicions and sav's that the case for the clinical effectiveness of biofeedback is still open. Careful scmtiny hits failed to substantiate the extreme early claims tor its therapeutic potenc>. However biofeedback has uncovered new at least

of

Services, its

- if not of complete control, then influence - over maladies and mechanisms

possibilities

some

wtiich >X'estem societies had traditionalh coasidered immune to conscious manipulation. Even the strongest critics of

research on the therapeutic effectiveness of biofeedback do not want to see the technique abandoned. Thev' just want it demystified. In other words, this government bodv wants more information on what exactlv' biofeedback can and cannot do. So do we. But, we would add, if there is a possibilitv' that feedback therapy might help vou, it's worth a trv; the first try, perhaps. Biofeedback treatment is cheaper than many medical and most surgical remedies; it's easier on the patient's mind and bodv it has no known side effects; and it puts the patient in charge of his or her own destiny. All things which are worth encouraging, we think. ;

106

WHOLE BODY HEALING

BIORHYTHMS

We

got a little confused the other day while reading the Good Book, the chapter called Ecclesiastes to be exact. On one hand, we read: A'anit}- of vanities, saith the Preacher, ranir\- of vanities; all is vaniu. One generation pas.seth away, and another generation cometh: but earth abideth for e\er." We read that, and we got depressed. Nothing changes, and nothing is worth doing as a result. But then we read more and cheered up. Tlie Book continued: "To every thing there is a .season, and a time to e\er\- purpo.se under the heaven. ... A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak." Evenlhing changes, we decided now, but that replaced our depression with conlusion. E\'er}thing changes, but everything remains the same. What did this apparent contradiction mean? >X'e couldn't clear that obvioush' unclearable question up, but it did remind us of something else useful biorh}thms, or, more properly, the currentU' hot theory of biological rhythms. .

.

.

All

people, plants and ani-

mals change rhythmically along the time course of seconds, minutes, days, months and years. We're different at different tinies of ttie day, and so there are good and bad times to do all things.

The Science of Chronobiology E\en more properh; the scietue of chronobiolog)'. Tlie briglit idea behind this sometimes heavy going is an old one. At least since the time of the Bible writers in Ecclesiastes, we ha\'e believed that things h;ive seasons, that they go through cv'clic changes during the course of their existences. As

Ijwrence

E.

Scheving, Ph.D., once told the International

Societv' of (^hronobiolog), not just the earth ical

but

"all

biolog-

and plants to you) change

.systems [animals, people

rh\lhmically along the time course of seconds, minutes, da\s. months and \ears." ("hange, he said, is "a fundamental propertv- of life." Because this is true, an "organism is a different

biochemical

the day."

What

daily lives of ed.

And

all

that

of

entitv' at different

means u.s,

is

time points during

that there are .seasons in the

just like

the biblical .scribe contend-

that means, to return to Dr. Scheving again, that

the Ixxl) "reacLs diflerenth' wfien identical stimuli are a{5plied

107

at different times."

And

there's

nouncement.

If

A Schedule

for Health

good news

in that dr\' pro-

we're fundamentally different at different times of the da\', there must be good and bad times to do all things. Like eating or sleeping or studying or working or falling in love. /4;7)thing. As the biblical author said. To e\'er\' thing there is a season, and a time to e\er\- purpose under the hea\'en."

That set us to thinking. Couldn't this information be used to set up a calendar for doing things right. e\en a daih' schedule for taking the best care of ourselves? Yes, but someday, not quite now, sa\' the chronobiologists. For now, our best bet would be to .stop thinking so often about ivhat we do for our health, or how much of it we do, and start thinking about when we do things. A good example of that kind of thinking was in an article we read in a medical journal. It suggested that whe)i you eat dinner miglit \'er\' well pla)' a large role in determining whether those proverbial 1 4 angels guarding you while you sleep can spend their time humming (iregorian chants or must get their wings all aflutter gi\ing you cardiopulmonary' resuscitation. Or, perhaps, be forced to turn your case over to their Boss. Paul B. Roen, M.D., recently retired as senior director of the Clinic tor the Study of Arteriosclerosis at the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles, draws attention to the tact that many people eat a ver\- large meal shortly before going to bed. That style of eating, he say's (and our own experience backs him up), is often characteristic of the high-powered executive or "the apparently healthy man past 45 who has a \'oracious appetite." And that style of eating may ha\'e unsuspected health implications, he suggests in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (June, 1978). Dr.

The absorption of food into the system is at its peak, Roen explains, about seven hours after eating. And dinner

is typically not only the largest meal of the day but also the one that contains the highest amount of fat. VChile you're sound asleep, then, and the circulation of your blood is quite minimal, "this material, full of saturated fats, moves slowly through the arteries," creating a situation which "is

ideal

for clot

formation, possibly resulting in a stroke, a

heart attack or sudden death."

108

WHOLE BODY HEALING

And, quite possibh; that higli-powered executive or older person with a \oracious appetite is unusually \Tilnerable to a heart attack to begin with. His arteries may already be occluded b) tat deposit^s and covered with calcified plaques, imiting a clot. And that sudden inllision of saturated fats is custom-made to do the job. Dr. Roen offers his analysis as a theory; but it does seem to make sense. Vie once knew of a grandfather-aged

man, apparently

in \igorous heidth,

who

ate iilmost an entire

bed one Thank.sgi\ing e\ening and died

pie before going to

of a stroke during his sleep. Vie could never understand happened; we thought that the pie miglit give liim

\%h) that

stomachache but a stroke? Dr. Roen's theory offers an explanation for that e\ent as well as a possible explanation for the reason that a surprisingly high number of heart attacks occur during sleep, rather than during strenuous a

.

.

.

activity.

Eat Earlier, Lighter, Oftener the best time to eat, we asked Roen. "Based on 30 work in the area of arterio.sclerosis," he told us, "I advcjcate a number of small meals (five or six) a day rather than one or more large meals. This has been shown to cut

VHien

is

years of

down

mortalit)

Besides

we

due to atherosclerosis by 25 percent." he adds, "there is no question but that sleep better and are better with a light meal

that,

feel better,

in

the evening. Personally,

as

your

last

meal

light,

is

it it

is

our experience that as long

doesn't matter

how

Around 6 o'clock is best, though." But what about Spani.sh people and people cultures,

we

asked,

who

traditionall)' eat their big

late

in

it

is.

other

meal very

late at night?

misconception that the Spani.sh eat their large night, Dr Roen explains. "C)nl\' the upper class do that. Average people ha\'e their large meal at noon, then .siesta, then return to work for se\x*ral hours. Their last meal is not as hea\A as their noon meal." As for his own evening meal. Dr. Roen says he favors a "It

meals

is

a

late at

"

homemade soup, a raw and whole wheat bread. As part of his health program, he a\oids white flour products, sugar, cakes and cookies. In addition, he alwa^-s takes a walk in the evening, small portion of cold, lean meat, a .salad

usual I) after supper.

BIORHYTHMS

109

Dr. Roen's

remark about

ahvaN's taking a

walk

after

dinner

made us

think about the timing of exercise, as well as that of meals. One doctor who belie\es that walking after dinner is an excellent health practice is Mado Simko, M.D., a specialist in digestive diseases in the department of internal

medicine

at

the Universitv of Cincinnati College of Medi-

Simko belie\'es, increases the flow of bile and improves the eflBcienq,- of digestion, specifically impro\ing the intestinal absorption of fat.

cine. Exercising after a meal, Dr.

you may be prone to de\'elop gallis an especially good idea. Dr. Simko suggests, because "exercise performed when no food is entering the bod\' probabh- improves the cholesterol solubilit)' in bile and helps in presenting formation of cholesterol cr)stals, perhaps the starting point for cholesterol gallstones." Going ft)r a walk shortly before retiring, he belie\'es. would probably help to "recirculate the bile and decrease the time span when bile is likely to form stones." Like Dr. Roen, Dr. Simko feels that eating one big meal day is wrong. "If you o\'erload the gastrointestinal sA'stem a with fats at any one time, it promotes diabetes and obesit)To the extent

that

stones, exercise after dinner

as well as other diseases."

Eating a big meal late at night is also calculated to do nothing good for your sex life. A rexiew in R)stgrculiiute

1975) mentions that practice as one possiimpotence," along \\'\i\\ fatigue, overindulgence in alcohol and the use of drugs. But the real danger here is not simply the isolated instance of male

Medicine

(July,

ble cause of "secondar\

Research suggests thaf people who stay up very late at night studying or reading are doing ttiemselves an intellectual injustice.

sexTjal failure.

It's

possible that

if

a

man

habitually eats a

hea\y meal before retiring and also finds it ven difficult if not impossible to make love, he may interpret that to mean that he is suffering from some kind of hormone deficieno' or other underlying ph)sical or emotional pn)blem. Iliat, in turn, can lead to fear, the expectation of failure, and the guarantee of failure. The moral of all this? Eating and drinking b\' candlelight late in the evening may seem romantic, but it's not recommended if the romance is to continue iifter the table's

been

cleared.

Time and Alcohol As most men know onl\ too

well, alcohol in

than one or two drinks miglit

110

WHOLE BODY HEALING

make >our

amounts greater e)es sparkle but

other parts of \-ou sputter. But regardless of ivhat your plans are, when you drink shapes your reaction to alcohol

how much you

just as

John setts at

drink.

D. Palmer, Ph.D., of the University of Massachu-

Amherst, in his book

Rhythms (Academic

An

Introduction to Biological

Press, 19^6), points out that the length

of time alcohol remains circulating in your blood varies througliout the day. And, naturally, the more time the alco-

hol spends in your blood, the more time it has to act on )our brain cells. The most wjlnerable hours are between 2 A.M. and noon, while the most "tolerant" hours are from late afternoon to early evening. The alcohol you drink at dinnertime will likely be burned away 25 percent taster than the Bloody Mary at breakfast time. Not that you drink at breakfast, but if \ou did Viriting in BioScience (Febnian', 1977), Palmer adds, "It might also be worth mentioning that the last drink of a part}' - the one for the road' after the bewitching hour - is metabolized relatively more slowh than the preceding ones and will produce a more lasting rise in blood alcohol - a feature that could pro\e embarrassing and even expensive should one be challenged by a traffic policeman." Or a bridge abutment. Is it beginning to seem that doing things late at night often gets us into trouble? >X'hen we began researching this section, we didn't have any conclu.sion in mind, but as the .

research progressed, that

and

.

.

theme seemed

to

emerge again

again.

At this point, "Farly to

bed and

we

er" might

M^me

are

reminded of Ben

man

Franklin's saying, healthy,

wealthy

there really something to that, perhaps more think? Well, so far, we've seen that 'doing it earli-

and wise." than

we

early to rise miikes a

Is

make us

of us,

at least,

The Worst Time

healthier,

a bit

to

perhaps somewhat sexier, and sober. But wiser?

more

Learn

Could be. S(jnie \er\ interesting ne\\' research suggests that people who sta\ up ver\- late at niglit .studying or reading are doing themselves an intellectual injustice. Researchers I niversit) of Sus.sex in Fngland showed a training two groups of nurses. Both groups were accustomed to the usual day work pattern, but half of them were shown the film at 8:30 h.m and the other half at 4 a.m. Immediately

at

the

film to

BIORHYTHMS

111

was shewn, the nurses were tested on its The 8:30 km group answered 55 percent of the

after the film

content.

questions correctl)-, while, curiously, the 4 am group scored an a\erage of 59.2 percent correct ans-uers. That diiference, though, was not considered "statistically significant." What was significant was the difference between the two groups when the\ were retested on the same material a month later The nurses who had done their learning at 4 AM had forgotten more than twice as much, scoring only 15.5 percent correct an,swers \-s. 39.5 percent tor the

8:30 HM group. As an interesting sidelight, further tests and anah'ses revealed that the time at which the nurses were tested on the material was much less important than the time the material was learned (Xcitiov, May 25, 19^8). Quite possibly, studying very late at night is just as good, maybe e\'en slightly better, than studying at a more normal hour - if the purpo.se is merely to do well on a test the next morning. But since the real benefit of knowledge can only be exercised in the real world, late-night studying is only half as effective as earlier study. Maybe Ben Franklin really did know what he was talking ;ibout. And, since knowledge is often the road to wealth in these days of intensi\'e education and protessionalism, maybe Ben was right on all three counts.

Maximum

Personal Efficiency

when's the best time to try whom we mentioned before, cites some now-cla.ssic research done back in 1916 which shows that the peak times for learning are at about 10 AM and 3 pm with the earlier hour being the most efficient. Interestingly, the worst time, at lea.st during the day (this study did not include exening hours), turned out i'm Hfllciency began to fall off at about to be about pm, when it began to rise I 1 1:30 AM and plummeted until If

studying

at

4 a.m

is

to learn .something?

the

pits,

Dr John

Palmer,

,

1

2 pm, efficiency was .still relatively low, but by at a \ery respectable lexel. Its difficult to say how applicable these results obtained in 1916 are today, but they do suggest that the millions of people in the world who take a siesta ;ifter lunch aren't being self-indulgent hut are actually designing their work

again. At

3 pm

it

was

schedule to obtain

112

WHOLE BODY HEALING

maximum

personal efficiency.

One

of the most curious things about this 1 pm slump not, apparentl\-, simply the result of ha\ing eaten lunch. According to Palmer. "Tlie depression occurs e\'en if the noon me;il is skipped." There is, in tact, "no good explais

that

it is

nation" for this

phenomenon

in Palmer's opinion;

it

is just

another example of fluctuations under the control of what is now known as the "bioclock," the clock that controls our internal change of seasons. If being health). wealth\- and wise isn't enougli for you, how about being slender? Yes, its true; eating earlier in the day can actual h' help )'ou lose weight. Franz Halberg, M.D., and associates at the Chronobiolog)' Ijboraton,, L ni\ersit} of Minnesota, discovered that fascinating tact in a .series of experiments carried out a few years ago. In one test, they fed a group of people just one meal a da>', consisting of 2.000 calories, either as breakfast or dinner When they ate their only meal as breakfast, all seven subjects lost weight. But when the same people ate the same meal in the e\ening. the\' showed either a smaller weight loss or an actual gain. The difference between these two wa^-s of eating, the researchers concluded, amounted to the equivalent of lYi pounds a week.

Big Breakfast

vs.

Big Dinner

Using a different group of test subjects, they varied the conditions .somewhat, approximating real life a little more closely. Rather than giving each person 2,000 calories in the form of preselected tbods (some of which ma)' not have been to their liking), the second group was simply told to eat amihing the\ liked, and as much as the>' liked, except that tiiey had to eat all of their daily ration either as breakfast or dinner. This time, it turned out that eating only breakfast caused the .subjects to lose 1.4 pounds per week more than the\ did when they ate only dinner {Chnrmobiologica, vol. 3. no. 1, 1976). These results may be as important as they are astonishing. Is it possible that gradually .shifting more and more of your daily tbod intake toward breakfa.st (we wouldn't advise making any great sudden shift) would be a relati\ely painless wa\' of reducing? Is it possible that .so many people in the industrialized nations are overweight becau.se the\' eat small brciikfasts and huge dinners? Are pea.sant populations throughout the world generalh' much more slender than us because, lacking electricity to light their homes, they

BIORHYTHMS

113

are forced lo

do

their eating

- and everything else -

at

an

earlier hour?

Possibly the mcxst important implication of

the opposite direction. As

Dr Halbei^

all

lies in just

suggests, people whose-

tbod resources are meager might be able to enjoy greater health and well-being b\ eating later in the da\ than they ncjrmalh do, thus enhancing the caloric \alue of their food. We like the whole idea of shifting most of our acti\ities to an earlier time of day because it's more natural than our present lifestyle. >X1iat could be more natural than going to bed shortly iifter sunset and getting up with the sunrise? What could be a more unnatural thing to be doing at A.M than sitting in front of the T\' set watching The 1 Mummy That Ate Mommy"? Or to wiike up in the morning with the teeling that an energ\' xtmipire had sucked \c)u dr)? Perhaps what the new science of chronobiolog)' is telling us about oursehes is simph' another lesson in the wisdom of living more naturall)'. Of course, there's a catch here. This science is a very young one, and it's not ready yet to prescribe patterns for the rest of our li\es. Oh, there are lots of people, \\ ith lots of charts and ftinny machines, who aiv read) to tell us what to do with the rest of today (or the month, an\A\ay). but most chronobiologists sa) that the)'\c onl)- just begun to learn about their subject. So, before we totalh readjust our existences, we'll have to let them catch up a bit.

114

WHOLE BODY HEALING

BODY THERAPIES

w

c lia\e a problem here, a problem of definition. The two s)'Stems of physical rehabilitation and reeducation described here are called, for nothing more important than

convenience' sake,

"body therapies,

"

but

Anybody who does body therapist; the bit more specific.

not a particularh- meaningfiil term. rt;;)thing to anybody could be called a that's

po.ssibilities are limitless.

So

let's

get a

What Are the Body Therapies? Tliere are mam bod\ therapies just now -with new

ones

de\eloping practically each time a bad back gets worse or a trick knee starts to perform - but most of them have certain things in common. Viliether the)- are the products of years of research and refinement or the propert) of three de^'0tees in Toledo, most body therapies are firm in their belief in self-improvement - e\en self-perfection - for its own sake. Althougli all of the therapies we'll talk about have been used to treat physical disabilirv due to injur\', disease or birth detect, all of them were originally dexised to treat the apparently whole and health) bod)'. Hach of the treatment inno\~ators we'll encounter was cominced that man did not automaticall)' know (nor could he easily learn to know) how to use his bod) properly. They were - or are - sure

Most body therapists believe that we dont fcnotv how to use our bodies property. Gravlifestyle, education and imperfections throw us out of whack. ity,

combined eftects of gra\ity, lifestyle, education and minor body imperfections work to throw this marvelous piece of machinen out of whack. Of the four time-proven, and fairl) well-known s^-stems we'll talk about here - the Alexander Technique of F. M. Alexander, Moshe Feldenkrais's that the

Integration, the ftjndamentals of Irmgard Bartenietf and the ideokinetic theories of Mabel Todd and Lulu Sweigard - all are concerned with how efficientl) the upright human bod) deals with the downward

Principles of Functional

pull of gravity. All contain definitions of

"good

desirable) posture and explore whole-body ing

it

"

(or better,

means of

achic\'-

which are decidedl) nol exercise programs. None of

these therapies claims it will get )()u 'in shape lliey are not cil (ill aerobic or muscle building. Rather, they each "

115

ft)r how the mind and the body interwhich hopes to align the diJJerent muscle patterns that make up all human acti\it) into a harmonious and stressless whole. The mind and body that work together, say these

have an explanation act

theories, will also play well together.

The

F.

M. Alexander Story

M. (Frederick Matthias) Alexander was an Australian actor in the bush countr\ and made his li\ing giving flamboyant readings of Shakespearean texts. He wds a great success almost immediately and toured the nation constantly until, at age 19, he began to have trouble with his voice. This was in the &d)s before electronic amplification in theaters, and Mr Alexander was repeatedly plagued by shortness of breath, hoarseness and e\'en loss of voice; if he couldn't be heard, he wouldn't be paid. Mr Alexander reasoned that something he was doing as he trod the boards was causing the problem, and he set out to discover what it was. He set up a series of mirrors in a large room at home and watched himself speiik and recite. At first, he saw nothing. Tlien he noticed, as he boomed out Hamlet or Tlye Merchant of Venice, that he was changing his posture and his whole manner of sound-making as he declaimed. He pulled his larynx hack and gasped tor breath. He lifted his chest and hollowed his back. And. most important, he changed the relationship of his head and neck, trying to lift his chin to an abnormally high position while counter-tilting his head "backward and down" (in his words). >X'hat he was doing, it became clear, was .squashing his .speech-making apparatus, thus niiiking making a li\ing impossible. He tried to correct each of these bad habits separately but heard no improvement in \-oice and decided that he would have to change the u.se of his whole bod\ to F.

who grew up

correct the situation.

watched

him.self

He added more

mirrors to his

.sA>item,

from every conceivable angle and slowly

developed vvhat his disciples now call "Alexander's law "use," he decided, "determines functioning." How we u.se our bodies to achie\e a particular end determines exactly ";

well we do it, how well we ftinction. With his mirrors. Mr Alexander noted how parts of his body reacted to the process of spe;iking. picked out those things that added to his .squashing tendency and tried to

how

116

WHOLE BODY HEALING

stop doing them. He tried for months, actually, but with no luck. His old bad habits, it seemed, were stronger than his good but new intentions. Tliis lack of success led him to

conclude that he \%ould have to think conscioush' about not squashing his voice box each time he spoke, and to this end he designed a set of directions to send from his brain to the various nuKscle and bone structures imohed, instructions to muscles in the neck to "release" instead of tensing (allowing his head to move "forwiird and up" rather than back and down), and to muscles in the back, allowing to lengthen instead of arching into a question mark. VCIien he ga\e himself these instaictions (he called them "orders" when he wrote about the experience later), he found that he could override the bad habits and speak and recite without hoarseness and pain. He had "cured" him.self b\ bringing an uncoascious, involunt;ir\' process under conscious control. He had made an involuntary act voluntary and laid the cornerstone of his technique. his spine

How

Was Bom How he got from

the Alexander Technique

\Miat happened next is unclear. his own remed)- to a generalized plan of posture and bod>' repair for c^er\()ne is not carefully documented in either Alexander's own writings or in those of his followers. Alexanders trou-

was

on his head and neck, but so is his But wh\' did he decide that all of mans mechanical problems could be solved by beginning with the head?

ble

general

clearly centered

body

>X'hat

s^-stem.

seems

to ha\'e

the de\elopment of

all

happened

is

a story

common

to

the bod\ therapies and, indeed, to

most kinds of physical therapy. Nearly ever)'one who deals with the use of the human body paints a picture of man oppressed b\' the forces of gra\it\', a glimp.se of a frail little creature squished b)- an irrcsi.stible downward tug. Hie object of nio.st of the.se systems, too, is to find a way of dissipating the effect of this force - to disco\er a way to u.se the equip-

ment

that

man

ble, a

way

to b\pa.ss the pressure to the rigid

pos.sesses to

make

the task as easy as possi-

to the spong), .shock-abs(}rbing di.scs

bone .stnicture, beuveen the \ertebrae

and to the fluid-tilled joints betv\een the limbs. Ilie biggest obstacle to achie\ing this desirable end, Mr Alexander (and many, many others) has decided, is the head, an eiglit- to ten-pound object that leads the body in most of its activities. If the head goes wrong, the body suffers. But if the

BODY THERAPIES

117

properly poised on the neck, and the neck is propon the spine, and so on dowTi the hod>, most of the drag of gravity will be painlessh' transferred from load-bearing structure to load-bearing .structure. Of course, the muscles will help in this transfer The\ align the bones in such a way that the brunt of this burden can be passed efficiently from one to another. The posture sought by Alexander teachers is not the chest-out. spinearched, arms-back pigeon-po.sture of the militar) academy but a stance that allows a straight line of force to be drawn from the back of the head through the neck, spine, pe!\is, thighbones, shins and feet to the ground. So, if the head leads the body in running, walJdng and going around corners, it also .shows the way standing still. If the body isn't carrying its brain) burden properh, it wont be able to do anything else well, either. This is the reason why Mr. Alexander felt all corrective work had to begin v\ith a iiead-

head

is

erly positioned

juggling act.

The Stupid Body So

far

so good, but the next step in this

.saga

(and

in

example-

most body therapy .stories) ma\' be a little hard to sAvallow. According to one of Mr Alex;mder"s disciples, \\ ilfred H;irlow, a British phv'sician and teacher of the technique, the bod\ is stupid, and it u.ses the remedial mechanisms at its dis-

come from ttie general misuse we make of our t>oclies.

posal without a thought to the total health of its human inhabitor .Sometimes this tendency is harmless, as when

Alexanderians believe that

many of the ailments we think come from speciTic sources— tennis e/bo»v,

/or

.some internal regulator senses a rariation in the bloods chemistn' and corrects it. But other times this process d(K'snt work quite so independently, and. untbrtunateh. mu.scular adjustments .seem often to fall in this category. Faced with a particular physical ta.sk and being fulh aware that it must work with an inherited mu.scular \\e;ikness in the right arm, tor instance, or an old injurx to the left knee, the .stupid body ma\' choose a simple but .short-sighted means to its end. It ma\ opt to do the task in a \\a\ that puts all the strain on one .side - the strong side - of the frame, iliis ma)', if the ta.sk is freqiienth repeated, lead tt) a t\\isted posture and a weiikness in the lower back -not to mention a hernia. VChat's CN'en worse is that the brain uncon.sciously aids the none-too-bright body with stupidities of its own. How we do certain things often has more to do with fa.siiion and

118

WHOLE BODY HEALING

The Countess Catherine Wielolxilska shows a student in (ind out of a chair acconiinfi to Alexander.

how

to

f^et

imitation than to

do

it

docs with efficiency and comfort.

We

learn

things from our parents or from other people

admire, and

we seldom

think to ask

them

if

their

back

we kills

them as the\ go through the task. Tlie conclusion that con\inced Alexanderians draw from this line of reasoning is

BODY THERAPIES

119

We direction of the head is all-important (hat

niaiiN

ot

llic

ailnicnts \\c

thiiTk

i

come from

specific

sources - tennis elbow or tbotball knee, tor example - may be coming from the general misuse we m;ike of our bodies while pla\ing tennis or football. If use determines functioning, then mi.susc- ma\ detennine ;ilmost ;ill malllinctioning - or so .sa\ mam true Alexander belie\ers.

120

WHOLE BODY HEALING

The student must slide all the

way

into the chair.

Alexander Students, Teachers and Student-Teachers

own

worst enemy, aided and abetted by Now what';' ^bu go to an Alexander teacher, who v\ill take a practiced look at how you move and then seek to bring you t(} the point of sell-discovery

S. the

head lends the way for the

ivst

of the body.

that the Master liimselt acliie\ecl. Hiis procedure Ixgins with the head and neck and traxels throughout the body, employing what has become known as tlie Alexander Technique. Rirtly, this is no more complex than "learning by doing," an element \\ hich attracted John De\\e\, the American educational philosopher, to Mr. Alexander's work. But is also not as simple as it .sounds. In the words of it >X

122

iUred Barlow:

WHOLE BODY HEALING

I

The Alexander technique shows people how they misuse their txxiies and how they can prevent such misuse, during activity or at rest.

The (.onvct Alexander style for

sidiuliiiii cijler i>vlliiiii

out of

a chair

The Alexander technique showing people how the}

is.

briefly,

a

method of

are misusing their bodies the\ can pre\ent such misuse, whetiier it

and how be at rest or during activit). Iliis information about SK is comeyed by manual adjustment on the part of the teacher, and it involves learning of a new mental pattern in the form of a .sequence of words which are taught to the patient or pupil, and which he I

BODY THERAPIES

123

The bead's direction also deterttiitws proper wnlkina. learns to associate with the new nuiscular use lie is being taught by the manual adjustment. He learns to project this new pattern to himsell" not onh while he is being taught but w hen he is on his own ( Ihe Alexamkr 7cc/vm{ue. Alfred A. Knopf. 1973; rqirinted

with permission).

\XTiat this

do rwo

things

means at

attitude about a

124

WHOLE BODY HEALING

once:

is it

that Alexander teaching hopes to wants to change the pupil's mental

mo\ement

at

the same that

it

works on

his

Ihe u-niuii tear to walk -

lecinin^i

hackwcini

or hcT physical conditioning, or so-called musclc-mcmor)"' it. He or she is gi\cn \crbal orders about how to stand

of

up. for example, while the teacher gently guides his or her

limbs through the act; the pupil both knows and feels what he ox she must d(j to properly accomplish the motion. After many repetitions of this double-barreled process -so sa\-s the argument unci a batten* of scientific tests - the student takes o\er the role of teacher; the pupil gives himself the orders while correctly moving his or her limbs through the prescribed course of action.

BODY THERAPIES

125

"

How to

Alexander's "Inhibition": to Bad Habits

Say "No"

Now

we've come to the moment of tnjth. quite literalU, in excursion through Alexander theon. F. M. Alexander and his brother, A R., de\eloped their method of bringing unconscious responses into conscious focus in order to give people an opportunit}' to choose between old beha\ior and new. Alexander teachers use their hands to let pupils experience in a quick, clear, "aha" way h(w both wa\s of doing something feel, how the new feels good and the old feels bad. When students can easily distinguish between the this

manner of acting and the near-pain of anothAlexander folks bcliese, the>- are in a position - tlie moment of truth - to stop tiiking the painful course and switch to the pleasurable one. This nay-sa\ing is called "inhibition.

pleasure of one er,

and Alexander students,

after

many

\oluntar\' repetitions,

are e\'entualh- able to return an act to scious, imoluntar)- status with

erately choosing the

good

its

its

changes

feeling, first

guidance and then under their

original

uncon-

intact. After delib-

under

a teacher's

own

power, pupils iire finalh able to do something the "right" way without thinking about it.

"We Take Alexander to the Mat Tliis

has

down

all

been

prett> head\ stuff, but

now

it's

time to get

body work. >Xe need tt) talk about what goes on in an Alexander lesson, and especially how it feels. To find that out, one of our authors subjected himself to the Bod) Tlierap) >X brkshop - \\ hich was led by practitioners of the four .s^-stems under discussion - of the American Dance Fe.sti\al at Duke L'niversin in Durham, iNorth Carolina. True to what we expected, most of the people in attendance were professional dancers or dance teachers. But, contran to what wtt fe;ired, the nomial to the practical business of

going through the week-long, tcn-hour-a-da> sessions were able to keep up with the (ph^-sically) abnormal folks without strain or exliaustion. Tlie mo\ements required by the Alexander Technique - and ciil the bod\ therapies contain much more enlightemiient than .s-\\eat. Our instructor was Debonili Caplan, M.A., R.P.T. from the American Center lor the Alexander lechnique in New folks

126

WHOLE BODY HEALING

York

City.

She began b}

telling us

Then she

many

of the things we've

group lessons like ours - there were "5 people in the \\'orkshop - were frowned upon by most .\le.\anderians. because the technique's educational experience is necessarily an indi\idual one. After that, she told us it would be better if we were King on waist-higli tables instead of the floor mats we had. Tlie table position allows a teacher to see how a student's bod)' reacts to the conditions of a lesson at the same time that it speeds communication between the instructor's sensitive hands and the pupil's muscles and muscle-memor)' - the chain of command that is the heart of an)- Alexander treatment. The teacher must be able to feel without straining what is right and wrong in the subject's actions, and the student must be comfortable enough to sense the subtle messages the tutor's fingertips ;tre sending. How man) times this quiet communication must occur to be effective is not a predetermined figure. Some teachers and pupils claim a feeling of impnnement after the first les.son. But most students require at least 1 5 30- to 6()-minute sessions to obt;iin the goals that brought them to Alexander. A few need mam more, and one jaundiced reporter we read scoffed that the number of sessions prescribed often equals the number of )ears the client has lived. Of course, when the object of therap) is the reeducation of the whole bod)', e\'en this exaggerated estimate seems conser\ative. just talked about.

told us that

The Alexander Technique is used to help deal with many

muscular and skeletal problems, for lower back pain, whiplash, postural ImtKilance,

and misaligned feet and limlx.

crowd - along with another member of the New "\brk Center's staff- and gave each of us a taste of indi\iduai Alexander attention. .She and Ms. Woff helped us to balance our heads properl)' and then to stand up and sit down without the usual burden on our neck and .shoulder muscles. Here are the notes one of our authors made riglit after the experience: Finall),

an

Ms. Caplan went through the

assistant, Jessica VC'olf,

The Alexander Technique: An Jessica not to

( that's what she do amihing. She

told told

me me

Inside Story to call her) told me to put m)'self in her

hands -

a pleasant prospect. Applying a powder) but unmistakabi)' directi\e touch with her fingertips to the base of ni) skull, she lifted up, lengthening, it seemed, m)' neck and mo\ing ni) head forward. M) shoulders appeared to drop, and suddenh m) head felt

light; well,

lighter.

It

almost bobbed on what

BODY THERAPIES

127

Sitting poorly sttvsses the iibole body.

Tfjepmper imy

128

WHOLE BODY HEALING

to

sit.

been the point of my spine. I felt both one of those dope}' dogs in the back windows of certain cars. Then Jessica told me to did, she stand up (I'd been sitting on a chair). As kept her fingerhold on my neck to remind me, she said, to "inhibit" any desire to change the position of my head. The first time up and down, it wa!i was in made me tougli. The unnatural situation stand and sit in a pinwheel of angles, like a folding mler falling down the stairs; 1 had to pitch my torso forward and throw my head back to get up enougli ma)' ha\'e

good and

like

1

1

soon got used to ha\'ing Jesfound her presence a help. I really did feel reliexed of my heads weight and found I could glide up and down with a lot less effort than usual. 1 liked it. And 1 guess Id been through an Alexander Experience. My first misad\'entures with steam to mo\e. But behind me, and

sica

I

1

up were attempts to move \ia my old habits. Ms. Wolfs hand pressure was an order to go at it in a new way. with my head properly held and balanced. And the pleasure with which I finally bounced up and dov\'n was the "aha" feeling that might eventually (if I kept at my Alexander les.sons) teach me new habits. The whole experience was the difference between watching a parade with a child on your shoulders and watching it without the kiddo.

getting

I

An Alexander Lesson You Can

Try

of which is fine, but one mans effusions cannot conanother that the Alexander Technique holds anything good for him. So here's a lesson you can try on yourself It was designed as an introduction to the benefits of the s^'stem and printed in a textbook used by British students of the All

\'ince

Master.

Find a place where you are not likely to be disturbed, and where, if necessan', you can lie down on the floor with a book under \'our head. b. lAing down with a book under your head and

a.

with your knees pointing to the ceiling, decide consciously to keep quite .still, and to inhibit reacting to stimuli; i.e.. don't wriggle or scratch, and don't follow irrelevant patterns of thought. Give yourself the following verbal directions: (i)

"Neck

relea.se.

head fbnvard and up

"

As you

give this sequence of thought, at first \'ou will not "realize what the direction means, but as you continue you will begin to associate it with an aware"

BODY THERAPIES

129

Tfjc

Ale.xanderkms

like to

use waist-hi^b tables for body exams.

^

The therapist realigns the legs with the pelvis.

130

WHOLE BODY HEALING

U.^

— >\\

Releasing tense shoulder muscles frees the arms.

ness that you ma\' pre\iously ha\'e had either when \\orking well on yourself or during a lesson. By "awareness" is meant \%hat should be a normal sense of "being in yourself," as opposed to the state of mind-b()d\ split that is so often present in adults, if not in children. (ti) While \()u are still presening by direction this a\Nareness of the head and neck -an awareness in which vour \erbal order will be part and parcel of the actual perception as the organizing component of it - add on the \erbal direction "Lengthen and widen \()ur back." Your lessons will already have made \()u familiar with the meaning of this phrase,

and

it

is likel\

that fresh

meaning and

fresh simplifi-

am

cation will accrue as you o\er the sequence to \-ourself For example, \()u ma\ realize the whole of the back as lengthening in one unit instead of thinking of the upper back as .separate from the lower back; or perhaps \(hi may suddenly notice that widening the back includes releasing the shoulder blade and upper arm. At this point, your interest in the new realization may ha\e caused you to "lose" the

head direction, and

it

will

be necessary

to

rein-

BODY THERAPIES

131

force

it

before returning to the lengthening and

widening direction. (iii)

The process of adding together the direction

to the head and the direction to the hack ma) take se\eral minutes or e^en longer: indeed, if it seems to take less time, you almost certainly ha\e been making a muscular change by direct mo\ement, in.stead of sticking to realizing the meaning of the orders. Remember that in this process we do not move our bodies in the same wd\ as when we pick up an external object - a bni.sh or a pen or a pail. To mo\'e our forearm is not the same as to mo\e a spoon. Moving ourselves and bits of ourselves - as opposed to mo\ing external objects - is alwaN'S a question of allowing mo\ement to take place, rather than

of picking up and putting dcwn somewhere else. Allowing the mo\ement, sa\', of an arm will in\-ohe a total general awareness of the bod\ the acti\e pro;

Certain respiratory illnesses,

asthma, can be helped by Alexander training, because its "release" of the chest and abdomen makes like

breathing easier.

cess involved in this particular movement is small compared with the active process of awareness that is going on in the whole of the body all of the time. Similarly, a movement of standing up after sitting down - a mo\'ement which in\ol\es mainl) a leg adjustment - does not require onl)- the leg acti\ity, but primarily a maintenance of the awareness of the rest of the bod}' while allowing the necessar\- leg movement to take place ( T/je Alexander Technique. Alfred A. Knopf 1973; reprinted with permission).

Going through these g)Tations. of course, wont gi\e you the sensation we had in North Carolina, but it will get you started on the Alexander jai^on, and it will accustom you to concentrating on the tiny components of \()ur body's movement while intriguing you with the possibility of interpreting them.

Some

of the vocabulary- here needs fiirther explana"release is used cner and o\er again in the lesson. It does not mean "relax." It means that muscles and joints .should be turned loo.se, should be free tt) a.ssume their "natural" structural position, the position that best tran.sfers the weight of the head from one bony element to another and then to the ground. Tlie feeling of relea.se around a joint or limb is actualh the absence of muscle tension or contraction. As Ms. C^aplan explained to us, there are four major areas of Alexander concern and tour kinds of tion.

The word

"

Alexander directions, lliey 1.

132

WHOLE BODY HEALING

The head -release

are:

the neck to

let

the head

move

forward on the neck but up off the top of the spine. This is not a mo\ement in space but a stable position of balance. 2.

The shoulders -

release the muscles of the shoulders so that the\ arc free to go out to the side. Tlie shoulder mechanism is actualh a yoke - from which the

arms hang -a

\()kc that must float on top of the torso the spine just as the head floats on the neck. 3. The torso - release the muscles in the torso so that it ma\ lengthen and \\ iden and follow the heads direction, so that it ma> efficiently receive the heads weight. at

4.

Remember that the head leads; the The legs - rele;use the muscles in

torso follows.

the hip joints until

the knees (and legs) lengthen away from the pelvis. is structural!) part of the torso (in Alexan-

The pehis

der circles), and it .should be allowed to act as a part of the torso. Proper tor,so-pel\ic use frees the legs to act a.s independent load-bearing and bending joints.

The common factor in all of this is the goal of lengthenup the body's parts. The most flmdamental

ing and lining

point in Alexander training is to change the balance of the head .so that the mu.scles can align the bones and allow the body's weight to distribute proper!)'. This, in turn, permits the

body

to

How the So.

move

in

its

most

efficient

manner.

Alexander Technique Can Help You

what good does

all

do? To listen to a commitbeyond the ministr) of the

this stuff

ted Alexanderian, nothing

is

technique, not even organic disease or mental illness, the argument being that body misuse can cause weaknes.ses that reduce our resistance to bacteria or anxiet)' that becomes a chink in the psychological armor. Having seen a demon.stration of the training, however, and having read its textbooks, we feel that the Alexander Technique is best considered a jpecialized form of ph)^ical therapy. That means that it can be used tor the treatment of most muscular and skeletal problems, for lower back pain (for instance, lordosis and .scoliosis, tuo kinds of .spinal curvature), whiplash, all postural imbalance, misaligned feet and limbs, and the recover) from injur) or broken bones. It is al.so commonly used to help "thaw' joints fro/en b) artliritis and rheumati.sm. (Certain respirator)

can be helped by of the chest and (continued on page 137)

illnesses, like a.sthma,

Alexander training, because

its

'relea,se

"

BODY THERAPIES

133

A good ironing

A

134

stance.

stressful tniy to sleind

WHOLE BODY HEALING

when

inniing.

According to Ale.xcnuler Iheory.

tins is the

wrong way

to pick

up

an object

«ti

Sy

Ibis stance agrees with the

lechnit/ue - knees aiv bent,

one favored by the Alexander back

is

fairly straight, feet are close.

BODY THERAPIES

135

Don't slouch when working at a desk or

Sitthifi

136

WHOLE BODY HEALING

up

straight

is less stressful.

table.

abdomen makes breathing

easier. And. finally, there is some exidence that the freedom from muscular tension and fatigue that ma\ accompam' the master\- of the technique can help dissipate mental stress and depression. Of course, what \ou need to get started in an Alexander wa\ on \\hate\er ails \()u is a teacher, "^'ou can find one of those by contacting the American Center for the Alexander Technique, l42 Viest End Avenue (at 66th Street), New \'ork, N^' 10023 The people there will gi\'e you the name and number of the qualified instructor nearest you.

The Moshe Feldenkrais Story Moshe Feldenkrais

is

a fascinating

man. He is so accomand intelligence

plished, so tenacious, so confident that will

can solve any problem

man

encounters, that one

is

almost

inclined to belie\e in his Principles of Functional Integration befotv studying them. is

a Ph.D. in physics,

It's

Dr. Feldenkniis, but his

not medicine.

Now

degree

in his seventies,

Feldenkniis studied particle physics at the Sorbonne in France,

attended lectures by Marie Curie, the discoverer of radium, and de\eloped one of the machines that made experimental splitting of the atom possible. VlTiat's more, he is an innovator in judo, the holder of a black belt, and a doer of 00" derring-do for British Intelligence during the Second \X'orld War. He is clearly a developer of both mind

and

Feldenkrais believes that ttte solution to the l)ody^ trou-

comes in an expansion of the brains capacity to think Its way through them. You reprogram the brain with new ways of sending messages to the rest of the body. t)les

bod\-.

Dr Feldenkraiss theories of physiout of personal necessity'. As a young man he was a skillfiil and maniacal soccer player. He chose to ignore the numerous injuries that went with the game, thinking the) \%ere no more than standard nuisances, but in 1940, at the age of 36, the accumulated damage of several years nearly crippled him. Doctors gave him a 50-50 chance of walking normally again after a new and risky ,surgical procedure, but the odds didn't appeal to him. So Dr. Feldenkrais - like Mr. Alexander again - decided to cure himself He taught him.self medicine, anatomy and phj'sical therap\-, then bod\' mechanics, plain mechanical engineering and electrical engineering, even venturing into the then\irgin territory of learning theor)'. >X1iat came of this eclectic hodgepodge, this fiurrv of iaspired pick-and-choo.se, was a school of thought \^•hich, in some ways, is the direct opposite of the Alexander lechnique. Like Mr. Alexander,

cal therap\- arose

BODY THERAPIES

137

If the Alexander teacher seeks to put the student back charge of his or her body's use, the Feldenkrais teacher wants to b)pass certain of the students conscious thouglit processes and trick his or her mind into new and more

in

efficient control of the body. Althougli the Feldenkrais client is

usually aware of %\'hat the instructor

is

doing, the teach-

reprogram the mo\ement centers in the patient's brain with or without his or her cooperation. \'ov\ see, in Dr Feldenkrais's system, tight, frozen, awkA\ard - in some cases, even paralyzed - joints and mu.scle arrangements do not exist. According to the good doctor, these foul-ups actuall)' occur in the brain, where some pattern of electrical relay's, some bit of the soft computer's programming, has been destroyed, bungled or rearranged. To o\ercome movement problems, then, it is necessan to reprogram. to provide the brain with nevs' options and new wa)"s of .sending messages to the affected bones and muscles. Physical training isn't wliat's required, because the problem isn't ph\v er's goal

may be

to

mental. The solution to the body's troubles comes an expansion of the brain's capacity- to think its wa\ through them. Stephen Appelbaum, Ph.D., a p.s\ choanal) st who went into Feldenkrais therapy to say bad things about it, says (with considerable disbelief but clear admiration) about his experience: ical; it's

in

we worked for some forr\' minutes on relaxing one shoulder so that it could meet the floor, but needed only a fcv>- minutes to do the same thing .

.

.

with the other .shoulder llic brain had alread\' Icmnied the muscular arrangements that facilitated what seemed at finst an impo.ssible bodih position {Out in Inner Space, Anchor Press/ Doubleday, 1979).

He

didn't

want to admit

something, but there

it

that

Feldenkrais

was on

to

was.

Alexander and Feldenkrais most popular book. Aitmx'ness

Reading

Dr.

Tt^rotigb

Movement (Harper and Row. 19^^) - the one )ou

Feldenkrais's

should read if you'd like to introduce yourself to his techniques - can be a puzzling experience. In some wa)>i. it .sounds like a thank-\c)u note to F M. Alexander Dr Feldenkrais compares the efficient body to a well-oiled machine and claims that the goal of the exercises in his book is to eliminate all unnecessan eftbrt and motion from human

138

WHOLE BODY HEALING

make man move

an ideal way. The book even one that transmits weight from bone to bone and allo\\s the bod> to follow the lead of the head - just as Mr Alexander did. According to activity, to

in

argues that this ideal posture

is

Dr. Feldenkrais:
ing to sitting - is the path tlirougli which it would move if it had no muscles at all, if the bones were linked only by ligaments. In order to get up from the floor by the shortest and most efficient path, the bod) must be organized in such a wa) that the bones will follow the path indicated by a skeleton pulled up by its head {Awcvvness tjyrougb Moi'etnetJt. Harper and Row, 197"'; reprinted with permission). This means that most Feldenkrais treatments begin with attention to the head and neck, like Alexander treatment.

On

the other hand. Dr. Feldenkrais contradicts Mr. Alexander on important points. He feels that it is not possible to change bad ph\^ical habits by rebing on "alia" sensations alone. Man becomes so u.sed to the feeling of his habits, good or bad. that amihing new will automaticalh seem

abnormal and undesirable. As a result. Dr Feldenkrais concentrates on bniin changes rather than muscle ch;uiges. Wlien "we refer to muscular moNement." he writes in Amnx'ness TIjrongh Moretnent. "we mean the impuLses of the ner\ous

142

WHOLE BODY HEALING

"

s\"stem that acti\ate the muscles, %%hich cannot function without impulses to direct them. Impnnement in action and mo\ement will appear only iifter a prior change in the brain and the ner\ous s\'stem h;is occurred." .

.

.

Fooling the Body's Computer Which

leads, finalh;

back to

tricker\-. In this

example, which

has been repeated with religious dexotion b}' Feldenkrais con\erts, a writer who is taking the therap)' for help with multiple sclerosis describes

how

the Master goes about con-

vincing a reclining patient that she

is

standing up:

In his class the following da), coincidentally or not,

he demonstrated the same thing with one of his students. "What am I doing?" he asked without pausing. "1 know, I'm doing this damn silh' thing with a breadboard. But what am I doing?" There were no answers. the function of a foot? To support a standing human. How does it function?" He got up and pretended to ski. "See? Tlie ankle adjusts to keep the foot flat upon the ground and its owner from slipping. No matter what the angle. Now" - he went back to the girls foot - "to make a perfect toot we must first relieve it of the weiglit of the body. One of Freud's most propitious discoveries was the couch. "VCTiat's

see, 1 contend that all succes.sful analysis is accompanied, and probably preceded, bv' a change in posture and muscular habits of the body and face. By laying his patients down and relieving the major extensor and flexor muscles of the habitual patterns of standing, a change could occur. Freud

'\'ou

didn't

know

of course. He laid patients down like looking them in the eye. Parthev- were talking about sex.

this,

because he didn't ticularly

when

The old man looked pleased by the laughter and turned back to the girl. "So we lay her down and then, bv touching her foot like .so, convince her cerebral cortex that she is really standing. On a slope. Look! He touched the outside edge of the sole with it as he .spoke and the girl's foot turned to meet the board flill face while she watched, as much a spectator as the rest of us. He took the board aw-av and touched the inside edge, iind the foot turned to flatten itself against the board again. "

BODY THERAPIES

143

He

teased the foot with his board. "We have made an intelligent ftxjt. Her brain is vNorking it perfectly, because there is no possibility tor the habitual mistakes this girl makes in standing." this

the student on whom he did the breadboard demonstration in class stood up, it was ob\ious that, through her foot, Feldenkrais had changed the organization of her entire neuromuscular system. Her left e}e was \isibly larger, the left side of her mouth more relaxed, her left shoulder .several inches lower than her right (Quest/ ^8, December, 19^8XX^Tien

Januar>, 19"'9).

The

goal here

is

to teach the

woman new

wav's of

working with a breadboard \\1iile .she lies before him. Dr. Feldenkrais can teach her brain how to say "Stand up" to her teet, and he can do it without tiring her (with standing. B\

struggles against gra\'it>) or frustrating her (with difficult

commands

We

Get

to follow or actions to imitate).

Down on

the Floor Again

Now

it's time to go back to the Body Therapy VC'orkshop Duke. We've come about as far as we can with theon here, and it's time to get down on the floor again. Tlie

at

Feldenkrais instructor at the workshop was Norma Lei.stiko from San Francisco. Ms. Leistiko began her presentation by laying some ground rules. Feldenkrais people do not frown upon group lessons, and the "Awareness Tlirough Movement" program is

designed specifically for them. But they do recommend

individual treatment, called Functional Integration, for seri-

ous defects.

Iliere

Feldenkrais "cure,

is "

no established number of .sessions and there is no age requirement

we were

in a

for

has a large practice involving children, infants and people over 80 vears old in Israel. Treatments for little ones tend to la.st about 15 minutes apiece, but the optimum length for an adult les.son seems to be somewhat under an hour; about M) minutes is the iiverage. Hie Master's teaching .sa\s that the patients abil-

patients. Dr. Feldenkrais,

told,

to jXTceive ;uid alisorli cKvindles after that. Most Ivldenkniis .sessions Ix'gin w ith a verv brief discussion of why the patients ity

move on to a .series of exerci.ses teacher merely wants to sc-e how on the floor At first, the floor lying on their backs or mold to the while the patients are seeking help and then

144

WHOLE BODY HEALING

stijfness

ix't

veils

body luvas

that need work.

Improving how the foot works can

relieve aches

and pains

in the rest

of the body.

BODY THERAPIES

145

The therapist uses a breadboard to teach the foot a

new way of standing.

sides and then while sitting.

The teacher

is

loolcing for

and imbalance, whether both sides beha\'e in the same way, and whether one side is more or less supple and responsi\'e. stiffness

Once this step is out of the wa); some additional but equalh' simple exercises are asked of the patients, exercises that may or may not be guided by the instmctor's hands. The purpose here is to watch how the major joints of the body slide in

there

and out, open and close, to detect

-or

to note ease -if

it's

stiffness

-

if it's

there. All these manipula-

and Those sessions

tions, of course, are diagnostic as well as therapeutic

will help the teacher plan later sessions. will contain

more of the same kind of

exercises, but the\

show the student what the teacher has learned, waj-s that will e\entuall\- teach the brain new ways of commanding the bod>'. are chosen and ordered in ways that will

How a llic

WHOLE BODY HEALING

descended upon us as Ms l.eistiko led us these sequences was extremeh plciisiuit, even luxuri-

mood

tiirougii

146

Feldenkrais Treatment Feels that

ous and languorous. Her \'oicc was soothing. The movements were .small and eas) to make. We got sleepy, despite the hard g\Tn tloor and the miserable summer da\. But, strangeh'. we diet feel what we were supposed to feel: that one hip (perhaps) mo\ed through its range of motion more easily than the other, that one shoulder relaxed into the mat while the other could not. For this kind of Feldenkrais attention, ob\iously, one needs a trained in.structor. To contact one of those, one needs the Feldenkrais Guild, Ms. Leistikos organization, in California. A letter or call to the folks there will get you a "Directon, of (iuild Members" across the I .S., Canada, Furope and Israel. Tlie address is 1776 Union Street, San Francisco, CA 94123- The directory is

regularly updated.

Practicing Feldenkrais

on Your Own

To practice Feldenkrais on your own, you need the book Awcuxmess Tlyn)ugb Movement, its sample of the Feldenkrais exercises published, and this warning: self-treatment is m)t as effective as guided treatment. Be)()nd those things, some simple basics should get you going. Dr. Feldenkrais feels that if you are putting yourself through his training, )()u .should plan to rim through the paces just betbre bedtime (at least an hour ;ifter eating) and turn in iifter finishing. His reasons are apparently' rvvofold: he clearly hopes that the exercises will relie\'e some of the tension and fatigue of the da\, and he also ma\ feel that the mind is more recep-

During Feldenkrais exercise, the goal is to eliminate all sensations but tfwse provided by the movement of the body through the routines.

information at that time. Students guiding them.sehes through the 12 stages of Aucireness nnmglj Movement are also told to wear as little as possible during their efforts. Tlie goal is to eliminate all .sensations but those pro\ided by the movement of the body through the routines. Any confinement, most buttons and all zippers can produce messages of di.scomfort that may obscure the real subject of the program. For similar rea.sons, a large floor area is required. Dr. Feldenkrais wants to a\oid information from bumped furniture, and, of course, he feels you .should be exercising alone or with just a single helper to read his instaictions. Its your body he wants you to hear. As \ muscles. \'ou will find that about thirty slow, ligiit, and short mo\cments are sufficient to change the fimdamental |tone| of the muscles, that is, the state of their contraction before their acti\'ati{jn by the will. Once the change of Itone] is eflFected, it will .spread to the entire half of the bod)- containing the part originalb worked on. An action becomes ea,s\ to perform and the mo\ement becomes light when the huge muscles of the center of the body do the bulk of the work and the limbs only direct the bones to the destination of the effort.

Scan the Lie

state

down on

of your body

)-our back. Place \()ur legs a comfort-

able distance apart. Stretch your arms out above your head, slightly apart, so that the left arm will be approximateh in a straight line %\ith the right leg and the right arm in line with the left leg.

Ckxse your eyes and

body

to check the areas of the with the floor Pay attention

tr)-

that are in contact

to the manner in which the heels lie on the fioor, whether the pre.s.sure upon them is equal, and whether the point of contact is at exactly the same points at both heels. In the same wa\ examine the contact made w ith the floor by the calf muscles, the

back of the knees, the hip

148

WHOLE BODY HEALING

joints,

the floating ribs,

The therapist realigns the neck

and upper

back.

the upper ribs, and the shoulder blades. Pay attention to the respeetiw distances between the shoulders, elbows, wrists and tiie floor.

BODY THERAPIES

149

This

unusual movement helps the upper body

to function as

stress-free unit.

A few minutes

of stiiclN will show that tlicTc is a considerable diiierenee between the two sides of

150

WHOLE BODY HEALING

a

Many people will find that in this position their elbows do not touch the floor at all but are suspended in space. Tlie arms do not rest on the grt)und. and it becomes difficult to maintain them in this position until the examination is over. lumbar, twehe dorsal, and On \\hich \ertebrae in the pehic region is pressure hea\iest? Do all the lumbar \ertebrae (girdle) touch the floor? If not, what is raising them abo\e the floor? On which of the dorsiil or back \ertebrae is pressure hea\iest? At the beginning of this lesson most people ^^ill find that two or tliree of the vertebrae make clear contact \\ ith the floor while the others form arches berv\een them. This is surprising, because our intention uas to lie at rest on the floor, without making an\- eflbrt or mo\ement, so that in theon- each of the xertebrae and ribs should sink to the floor and touch it at lea.st at one point. A skeleton without muscles would indeed lie in this wa\. It seems, therefore, that the muscles raise the parts of the bod\ to which the)' are attached without our being conscious of it.

>Xe ha^e a cocc^^x, .scA'en

fi\'e

cer\ical \ertebrae.

It is impo.ssible to stretch out the entire spine on the floor without a conscious strain upon se\'eral

sections. As soon as this conscious effort is once more relaxed, the .sections affected will again move up and awa> from the floor In order to settle the

whole of the .spine on the floor we must stop the work the mu.scles are doing without our knowledge. How can we do this if deliberate and conscious eflbrt is

rect

not succes.stlil?

>X

e shall ha\e to

tr\

an

According to Feldenkrais, difficult exercises teach people about difficulty instead of

about

ttieir

bodies. So

makes his exercises

tie

easy.

indi-

method {Auan^ness Vyirmgh Moretnenl, Harper

and Row, 19^": reprinted with permission).

let's stop here. We have only the first two of what nine closeh linked pages, but \()u get the idea. Dr Feldenkrais is asking you to interpret answers provided b\ your own body, but he is asking the questions in such a way that it is dittlcuit to miss the point. And now we get to tiie minor leagues, not in qualit), certainly, but in quantity. The methods of body therap)' demised by .Mabel Todd and Lulu .Sweigard and the system de\eloped by Irmgard liarteniefl ha\e both supporters and .success stories aplent). Iliey seem to ha\e the product. What they don't have is distribution. It's ven* hard to ha\'e either of these things done to y(ju ouLside of .New '"ibrk (lit)'.

But

become

BODY THERAPIES

151

Irmgard Bartenieffs Fundamentals Bartenic'fF

Fundamentals

is

therapy most closcK

the bod)

associated witli professional dancers, because Ms. Biirtenieff is

a student and disciple of Rudolf Laban, a refugee from

Germany and

Nazi

also revered b\

ment

a

god

in

dance

circles.

Laban,

who

is

physical therapists, invented l^ban Move-

Analysis, or I^bananalysis. This s>'stem studies how-

well (or

ill)

people move by breaking their motion into

component

parts and records the effort invoked. hieroglvphics (called Labanotation; Rudolf liked word

The colli-

down the things he ob.sened the most widely used method of recording dance steps and is still a valuable tool in the laboratory study of movement. Despite Labans impressive pedigree, though, Ms. Bartenieff, now in her eighties, may be the sions) he developed to write in his patients

more

is

impo.sing figure, tor .she has turned Labans concern

(and boneless) dancers into practical move and feel better. One has only to see her in action, as we did in North Carolina, to be bowled over. Tlie hip joint is an important focus in the Bartenieff L'undiimentals. During a lecture about the hip, she: ( 1 ) lifted the leg of a volunteer guinea pig at the joint and, with one band, (2) practically removed it from the pelvic .socket in order {^) to u.se the now -free limb as .something like a pointer. Of course, she ;il.so wanted the victim-volunteer to experience, as she .said, "the ease and free range of movement possible v\ith the joint by eliminating all superfluous mu.scle tension around it." Ms. Bartenieff is a wonder. Tlie idea that lights the bulb in these fiindamentals says that if we are to get rid of the bad movement habits that parents, gvTii teachers and trick knees have given us, we'd better also re-create many of the situations that profor nearly weightless

stuff that helps less-than-perfect bodies

duced the learning the

way we learned

in the first place.

Wed

better relearn

as a child. Children, of course,

dont

master twirling spaghetti around a fork on .specific Tuesdav's. First they acquire basic movement patterns - to scoop and then to grab, to lift their heads, turn over, creep, crawl, stand, and finally to walk. And then, as this piling-on process proceeds, other activities the child .sees and tries to imitate serve to

combine

basic patterns into

more complex

behavior, (.atching and throwing a ball inspires hand-eve

152

WHOLE BODY HEALING

coordination and lower-lxxly cxxjperation. Tag, baseball, leapand so forth add other nevv and more complicated skills like mnning, twisting and tailing in a painless heap. Learning goes on and on. until the childs whole complement of adult capabilities is a\'aihible. Tiie nice things about tiiis process are that it t;ikes place in small, nonthreatening chunks and that its tun. Tliese are also the nice things about the Bartenieff Fundamentals. ITiis relearning s^'stem a,sks a patient to dice his movement habits into tiny, tin\ pieces that can be remastered without sweat or strain, and it often emplo\-s big, swooping, e\'en dancelike motions which are fim to do. frog, statue

The Principles of Bartenieflf Therapy Although Ms. B;irtenieff and her colleagues at New York's Laban Institute break their training into tour principal areas, tho.se of us who attended her demonstrations at the Body Therapy VC brkshop got to see onl\' one of them, one which

Inniiiird Jiarlcnk'// iiistniclin}i

ci

Inilnl.

BODY THERAPIES

153

showed

the techniques involved in shilling the bcxl>'s weight

from side to side and front to back. But before

we

get to

that experience, let's talk brietl\ ab(jut the other three. 1.

"D)Tiamic alignment" is what passes for posture building with Bartenieff. It aims to create a stance in each patient which is literally ready for anything. It is not a stand-up/dont slouch! proposition but an arrange-

ment of muscles, bones and

brain messages that makes an indi\idual flexible and able to react to amthing his surroundings throw up, be it a dirn trick or a

pleasant surprise. 2.

"Bod)' attitude"

is

an

air\-

concept which seems to be

the emotional counterpart of "dynamic alignment." It deals with the way our bodies reflect our feelings and

produce

and fleshy signature: its not for we say a person is "up" or don't know about )ou, but were more

a personal

nothing, for instance, that

"down." We used to .seeing personal signatures in professional dancers than in CPAs, but there is a point here. One's wa\ of holding his or her bod) should not mask or stifle emotions. The more freeh' the emotions can escape or express themselves, the better one feels. 3. Lots of attention is given to the "initiation of movement in the creation of exercise sequences in Fundamentals training. This is true for a ven simple reason. How well we do something - whether it's sening a "

tennis ball,

amning

a 6()-yard dash, leaping across the

up out of a sofa - depends on how well we get the whole business started. If the tennis watcher his or her pla)'er flubs the toss-up or the pitch forward to the edge of the couch, the rest of this person's action will be more tiring, less efficient and more embarrassing than it needs to be. stage or getting

W

A Fundamental

Experience

The segment of Ms. BartenielTs therapy we encountered at Duke deals, as we said, with the transfer of weight in space is probably the most p!a)1li! of the tour. While the other areas of Fundamental concern use the small, subtle movement of the other bod)- therapies, the exerci-ses designed to train students to mcne their bulk properl) are large, fluid and fun in a swirling, denish .sort of wa\. V> e know what

and

154

WHOLE BODY HEALING

1

You ha\e

a desk job, and

you don't shift you do. ^bu transfer weight from position to position each time \()u sAving a baseball bat or golf club; each time >'Ou go up or down the stairs; each time, in fact, \ou walk or stand up or sit do\\n. So, the transter of \\eiglit is cniciiil to most acti\ities. iind it's important, according to Bartenieff teachers, to do it smoothl>', even flowingl\. and \\ith an evenness of effc)rt and force. Once again, the efficiencv with which the job is done is the \ou're thinking.

weiglit that often, but

-

sure,

telltale tiactor

All

of \\hich sounds prettv' dull - but isn't, really. Tlie we were asked to go through in order to, first,

gvrations test

own

our

weiglit-transfcr habits and, then, to oil

them

required pleasant cartwheels of action. We were asked to reach down to the floor with our right hand, bending at the knees and waist and stepping up with the right foot. And then to sA\oop back, with the right arm coming across the bod} and moving over the head, ail the while stepping back with the right foot (again). This led to a quarter turn on that right foot and a whipping around of the left. WTiich led to well, the idea wits to put us in .scrapes in which v\e almost lost our balance and hcut to shift our weight quickly - and however gracefulh' - to keep from flopping. .

.

Irmgard Bartenieff teaches tliat to get rid of the bad movement habits we learned wtien we were young, we have to relearn them as if we were children again.

.

Tliis ftinnv

and

silly series

of predicaments

made us look

clum.sy discus throwers until Ms. Bartenietf began to tinker with our weight-.shifting efforts; then, they smoothed like

lliere were no Nijinskys, but there was a good deal of comtbrtable, refreshing motion. If this .seems appealing - and it should - you might tr)' finding a Bartenieff-trained teacher to help you into it. To do that, contact the Laban Institute of Movement Studies, 133 West 21.St Street, New York, N\' 10011. Ms. Barteniefl's book Body Movetneut: Coping with the Envinmment (written with Dori Lewis, 1980) can be obtained from Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, 1 Park Avenue, New \brk, NT 10016.

out.

Mabel Todd and Lulu Sweigard Ix't's be straight about this. Wlien the letter came from the American Dance Festival about its Body Tlierapv Workshop, the Todd-Sweigard technique sounded cra/v. Hie letter said we should bring along a floor mat, a pillow, a pair of knee pads and a rope or belt to bind our legs. Oazy, right? Not

so

craicv,

it

turned out.

BODY THERAPIES

155

Todd-Sweigard

or ideokinctic therap\. is t-\cn \brk c:in than tlic Bartcnieff Fundamentals. Mabel Todd taught plix^ical thcrap\ at Ci)lumbia Teachers (College, and her mo\ement theories were developed in classes there. Lulu Sweigard was Todd's student at Columbia, a teacher in Ne\\' '\brk I 'niversit>'s ph\-sical education department, and later a FV teacher in the dance department of the Juilliard School of Music, where she helped Ms. Todd's ideas grow up. And the Todd-Sweigard collaborations are now being kept ali\e b\ Andre Bernard, who studied with both women, in his work at New "\'ork l'ni\ersity's School of the Arts and School of Education.

more

thcrap\',

closeh' asscKiatcd with

How the

New

Thinking Body Moves

The point of Ms. Todd and

iVls.

Swcigard's

work

is

best

expressed in the title of Ms. Todd's first book, IJje IJjinkin^ Body: A Stiuiy of BaUindng Rnxes of Dynamic Man ( Dance Horizon, 1968). The human being is a coupling of body and mind; it is a machine with the abilir\- to think complicated thoughts, the tin woodsman in We Wizard of Oz. WTiich is also to say that between the desire to mo\e in a particular way and the execution of that act comes a picture in the mind, of the hop or jump or whate\er \\a> we happen to move. This being true for Ms. Todd and Ms. Sweigard. tliey decided that the best wa)' to change how people mo\ed, or to teach them difficult new maneuvers, was to alter the mental picture - at le;Lst to go througli it to the bod> s muscles, bones and joints. Like Dr. Feldenkrais, the> guessed that to

change mo\ement one had

first

to

change the brain

impulses that triggered that movement. As a result of all this, we ha\e "ideokinetic therapy, a word and a treatment philosophy that combine "ideo" (the idea, or stimulator of "

action) and "kinesis" (ph)'sical movement).

A major brainstorm which follows automaticalh' from these decisions is that change in movement habits is not something

that

can best be accomplished b\ conscious effort: make perfect in this case. So Ms. Ttxld

practice does not

and later Ms. Sweigard, like Dr Feldenkrais still later, set about creating uncon,scious, involuntar} wa\s to do it, wa^'s of fooling the body into change. The\ drew up games to be played with mental suggestions. But slop. To .see this we have to lea\e the textbooks and go back to North Carolina. Todd-Sweigiird .seems goolS until \{)u feel

your OW11 body.

156

WHOLE BODY HEALING

it

with

A Crazy Experience That Made Good Sense Andre Bernard asked us to team up with partners and pick one from each couple to lie down and be worked on. We did. \X'e lay on our backs, put pillows under our heads, bent the legs at knees and tied them together - to avoid haxing to hold the legs up, Mr Bernard .siiid. Tlien he switched to an anchorman's \oice and genth told the reclining member of each team to think of himself or herself as a suit of clothes. What? ^'es, an empty suit of clothes suspended by

the knees from a hanger dropped fn)m the ceiling. What \\ouId it feel like, said he, to have the arms and legspardon, sleeves and legs - collapse against themselves? Relax.

How

does

it

teel? Prett)

kles in the suit,

good, but

.

.

.

Yes, there are wrin-

and they're uncomfortable.

Let's

smooth

the kneeling partners, who were wearout. ing knee pads, to reach under shoulders, bacLs and then legs to lightly smooth out coats and pants down the back. The> did, and the strangest thing happened. Our wrinkles

them

He asked

moreci out with their hands, and with the wrinkles' exit a feeling that the back's muscles were going out, too, relaxing, widening, mo\-ing into the floor For that, Mr Bernard explained later, was the goal of all this niiike-believe: to make backs that were tight with tension and bunched with st(X)ping longer and widen to put them in what ToddSweigard con.siders a more natural and efficient condition. And it worked. Oh, the feeling wasn't earth-shattering - it was more like water or suntan oil trickling, then flowing across the muscles - but it was there nonetheless. In fact, the feeling was there repeatedly for three hours as we continued to be imaginan- suits oi clothes, as we unrumpled pants, pulled shirt collars out of jackets and did countless other sartorial and po.stural refurbishments. (-razy it sounds, but it seems to work. /Vn\A\a), if this sounds good to you, get in touch with Andre Bernard at New York University's School of the Arts, 40 Ea,st ^th .Street, New "^'ork, m' 10003; he may have the name of a Todd-Sweigard therapist near )'ou.

came

BODY THERAPIES

157

"

CALISTHENICS Calisthenics - the

sound of the word

is enougli tremble, (irown women, too. Even the thouglit of these feared exercises has been known to set off loud groaning in children. But why all the negative \ibes? Where have all the

make grown men

to

bad feelings about calisthenics come from? Tlie ansAver is: drudgen' and p;un. Tliats wliat \ou associate with calisthenics. Remember when you were in junior high, waiting in line to get into the auditorium to hear Mrs. Wliites ninth grade class whine through the o\erture to Swan Luke on their recorders, and (Charlie Jones, the kid with the wart on his left ear, st;irted misbeha\ing, ha\ing the audacit}' to poke

and tease the

prett)

little

red-haired

girl after

Mr. (Catatonic,

the guidance counselor, had just asked eversone to

stop fidgeting and be quiet?

PLEEEEZE

And do you remember Char-

punishment?

lie's

"Okay, Jones," bellowed Mr. Catatonic, his skinny little tie bobbing over his Adams apple. "Twent)-fi\e push-ups! Now! And poor (,harlie, president of the Future (Construction Workers of America and treasurer of the Russian Club, would be down on all fours pu.shing up and down on the dusr\- linoleum, tr\ing to keep his nose out of the discarded bubble gum. What did Mr. Catatonic have in mind? C'h:irlie's ph^-sical fitness? His mental acuit)? No \\a\. What Mr. (Catatonic was aiming for was tortiuv. But vN'hile Mr. (Catatonic thought that he was punishing Charlie Jones, the truth is that he was probably doing him a fevor.

"Some

you might snort, ^et, the fact is that can be i^ood tor you. Ilie) dont ha\e to hurt. calisthenics they aren't just for torturing classroom smart alecks. And favor,"

Keeping Your Joints Limber One for

158

of the most important things that calisthenics can do is help presene the "range of motion" of \()ur

you

That means the mo\ements \ou pertbmi during mampresene your abilit) to pertbrm that motion cmytimc. Instead of your joints msting up - instead of arthritis setting in, for instance - the)' remain flexible and painfree. "The one thing all your joints have in common is their need to be put through their full range of motion in order to function properh," sa^-s Rex Wiederanders, M.D., author of Biotonics (Funk and Wagnalls, 1977). Dr. W iederanders points out that babies" joints are "mar\elousl\ fluid and free from pain" because the)' "run their joints through the full range of motion almost joints.

calisthenics actuall)

instinctixeh." Tliey flop

and twist and stretch and bend

like

rubber mannequins.

With calisthenics, you can "bab) " yourself at any age. You can also increase your strength. Done properh', - without the expense of bu)'ing weights. A push-up, for instance, can be the equi\'alent of lifts such as the militarv' press or the bench press (described in the chapter on weight training). Before you tr)* a full-fledged push-up, howe\^er, tr)' the modified \'-arier\'. Kneel down and then lean forward, with )()ur hands on the floor, )our arms straight and )'our weiglit on your hands and knees. Tr) to keep your back .straight. Your hands should be directl) under )'our shoulders. Bending )()ur arms slowly, let )'our bod)' down until it is just above the floor. Then straighten )'our arms to bring your body back up to the starting position. For starters, do fi\e modified push-ups. How did the) feel? If they were difficult, but you could manage to do five of them without feeling like you were pushing yourself to the limit, then you've found a good le\el at which to start regularly performing the exercise. But if doing five of these modified pu.sh-ups was impossible, dont despair. All )()u need is a little work to get your neglected muscles back in shape. At the onset, howe\'er, you want to do only as many repetitions of a particular exercise as )'ou can without feeling strained. (With time, you'll probabi) be able to do as many repetitions as we suggest.) Do more, and chances are )'ou'II only succeed in hurting )'ourself. Hiis ad\ice, of course, goes for all the calisthenics

iire

as eftective as weightlifting

Calisthenics help

keep your

joints flexible and painfree instead of letting them rust

up.

calisthenics in this chapter. I'he modified push-up primarily develops the muscles of your chest and on the back of your arms, "^'our ability (or inability) to do it measures the strength you have in these areas.

CALISTHENICS

159

1.

You begin the mocii/ied ptishiip on your

160

WHOLE BODY HEALING

/.Kinds

and knees.

2.

Lower your

chest to the ground.

A Push

in the Right Direction

Wlien the modified push-up

ready But don't move on too s(K)n. ^bu should be able to do around 15 modified push-ups comfortably before you tackle the full push-up. During the full push-up the upper half of your body is in the same position as during the modified: hands on the floor, arms straight. But this time, )'ou keep your knees off the floor, supporting your lower half with your toes (see photo on next page). Once in the position, slowly lower your body to within an inch or two of the floor by bending your arms, and then push your body back up into the starting position. Do not bend )Our knees or hips at an)' time. How did that feel? A push-up not only gives your back and stomach muscles a workout but also develops the triceps, the muscle along your upper arm. 'V'ou'll know you're well on your way to developing strength in those areas when you can do ten or more push-ups. starts to fee! easy, you're

to ad\'ance to the regular push-up.

For Fast Progress, Before )ou

move on

Go Slow to

the other calisthenics, here are

you should follow when doing the exercises. Don't UK)rk yourself into a state of sweaty exhaustion. Especialh' not the first few sessions. That's just asking for

some

rules

sore, tight muscles. '\'our

workouts

body

will adjust to tougli physical

chance, so give it the chance. Some people still think of themselves physically as young kids with bodies that can take a lot of punishment and quickly rebound. Vilien you're a little older, particularly if you'\'e been relatively inactive, that kind of thinking can literally hurt you. So take the advice of The Official YMCA Physical Fitness Handbook (Popular Library, 1975): "Avoid working without letup. >X'ork, then rest, then resume work, and so on. ITie adult bod) can adapt to effort if a rest period permits it to accommtxlate to exercise before starting again." Don't work one muscle or set of muscles to the exclusion of the others. \bu've got a whole body to strengthen and tone, not just arms or legs. As a general rule, don't do more than two consecutive if

gi\'en the

CALISTHENICS

l6l

( 1. A ivgtihir /)nsbn/) begins )'our chesl to tbe ground.

162

on your

hciiids tiiul Iocs. 2. licml )\)ur

WHOLE BODY HEALING

elbows mul almost loiicb

exercises that

mo\emcnt

work on

the

same body

that uses a fresh set of

iirea. Switch to a muscles and then come

if \()u feel it needs more work. R)r instiince, tucks and then side leg raises (which we describe later), both of which develop - and put strain

back to if

that area

you do

thigli

on - the leg muscles, \()u %\-on"t want them by another exercise that uses

to immediately follow leg muscles.

Instead,

s"v\itch to sit-ups.

I^>n't bounce - push. If, for instance, an exercise calls touching your toes with your knees straight and )'ou cant quite make it down there, the worst thing you can do is bounce to get >our fingers where \ou want them, because bouncing makes muscles tighter. You want to totie your muscles, not tighten them. Tight muscles put a strain on \x)ur joints, ligaments and tendons, leasing you prone to injury; What's more, e\en a bounce on loose muscles is like a quick pull on a delicate piece of string; it's likely to snap! So if you cant make it into the position that an exercise calls tor, amipnmiise. If you can't touch those toes, bend your knees a little. That's not cheating. It's just a shortcut to help \ou get started. And e\'en if )our hands don't quite touch \-our toes with )'our knees bent, don't despair. Just reach down as far as you can without hurting yourself, and realize that sooner or later, if you persexere, those beautiful pink fingernails are going to meet their cousins down under, for

^bu gotta

When you do exercises, dont bounce -push. Bouncing is like a quiclt pull on a delicate piece of

string. It

can

make your muscles snap!

belie\e!

A Weekend

Is

Not Enough

would happen if you took an ice-cold dish of food from the freezer and stuck it into a red-hot oven? You'd probabh end up v\ith a cracked dish. Well, as you start to exercise, it's important to remember that your mu,scles are like that dish (and for mu.scles that means tight, too). You ha\'e to warm them up grculually. If \'ou mo\e cold muscles fast, they're going to resist, and maybe even tear. So don't jump out of bed and start a set of jumping jacks. Warm >X'hat

up

first!

A good way

to start your warm-up is with the "neck your neck muscles are tight, many of the calisthenics we describe are hard to do, or e\'en uncomfortable. For the neck roll, stand with your hands at your sides, and gentl)' lean your head forward. Then slowly rotate it roll." If

CALISTHENICS

l63

toward your

right shoulder, your back, your left shoulder, bringing it back to your chest. (Some people find that they can relax more easih' during this exercise if the\ close their eyes.) After one rotation, repeat the exerci.se in the opposite direction. Alternate rotations until your neck finalh'

is

completely relaxed.

^m

..

The next warm-up exercise is tor )()ur arms. With your arms extended to the sides, shake them up and down and bact: and forth in order to promote your circulation and to loosen the arm muscles. Tliink of it as if )Ou were shaking ^ourself awake.

/.

Ihe side

lefi

raise starts with

lei>s toilet her. 2. Lift

the upper

leg.

CALISTHENICS

165

After you shake your arms, start circling them in front of the body in the same direction and in small but widening arcs. (\bu can, if you like, keep shaking them.) Re\erse

direction after a

little

e\'er)'

warmed

up,

few .swings and, when

do make-belie\e

\()u start to feel

golf sidings and tennis

backhand shots

in order to add a little variets to the cirBut remember to keep the movements gentle. Don't go for a 4()0-\ard hole in one! To warm up your hips and legs, tr\- a set of "side leg raises." Lie on your side with your back straight, .supporting your head on your hand. Now, without straining, raise the top leg as far as it can comfortably go. Tlien lower it gently and slowl); don't just let it fall. Do ten of these on one side, and then flip o\'er and do the other leg. Cx)ntinue xour wiimi-up with the "thigh aick and stretch." Lie on your back with your arms at Nour sides, and look toward )'our toes so that your neck is raised slightly (see photo). Now point your toes (this is called flexing your ankle), and, keeping )our arms at \our sides, slowh bring your left knee toward your chest. When you'xe brought it up as far as )ou can, reextend \our leg so that the toes point toward the ceiling. Then lower \'our sides. As \'ou jump up, keep your arms straight and .swing them out to either side and up o\er your head, clapping your hands together at the top of their arc. (Your arms can be slightly bent at that point.) At the same time as you bring your arms out, .spread \()ur feet so that the\ land about shoulder width apart. Your hands should clap at the .same time \()ur teet land.

166

WHOLE BODY HEALING

\

1.

Raise your head

and

h)iii}> }'ur

knee up for

this /e}i sttvtch. 2.

Point

)'otir

toe upward, leg

straight.

CALISTHENICS

l67

1. 77je

clap

)

Jumping jack begins uith your cinns at yxnir sides. 2. As y(m jump, spread your legs and hands oi 'er )'our head. 3- Tl.'ie second half oj' the exercise is the ret erse motion.

'our

The next jump reverses the process. Jump up, bringing your arms back to your sides and your feet together (see photo). If you are out of shape,

do the jumping jacks slowly tning for a total of about 25, but don't do more than }'ou can do comfbrtabh. If nou are in rcasonabh' good condition, you could aim for doing 500 in about eight minutes. But be careful. If jumping jacks ha\cn"t been a part of your fitness routine, 500 of them ma) lea\e \(>ur legs a little sore. So listen to your body and don't (nerdo. and

Sit

carefully,

Up and Take

Notice

After you finish your jumping jacks, you're ready to launch into "sit-ups, an important exercise. Stomach muscles help "

support the back, and sit-ups tone and strengthen those muscles. In fact, back pain often starts when stomach muscles weaken ;uid dnxjp. Sit-ups can help reliexr back pain - or e\en pre\ent it. Like push-ups, there are two kinds of sit-ups: nn)dified and fiill. Tlie modified variety is less strenuous, but it actu-

168

WHOLE BODY HEALING

1.

llje nioUiJled sit-up skills

with anns

foUtecl. 2.

Ihen

y'oii

come up

to

a

JO-ttegtve angle.

tones \()ur stomach more than the full sit-up. That's because while the full sit-up is more work, a lot of that work is done by your back and legs. Begin both sit-ups lying on your back with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent (see photo). Cross \()ur arms on your che.st and sit up until your torso forms approxi match a 3()-degree angle with the floor That's the modified sit-up. At the 3()-degree mark your stomach muscles should feel \er\- tight. From that position, slowly lower \'ourself back to the floor The ftjll sit-up is basically the same motion, but this time sit all the way up, then twist your upper body and all)

CALISTHENICS

169

1. The bands are behind the bead for a ftdl elbow touches opposite knee.

sit-up. 2.

Opposite

touch an elbow to the opposite knee. Next, lower yourself to the floor. Alternate elbows with each sit-up. If you can do 60 full sit-ups in three minutes, you're

impnning

)()ur aerobic c;ipacir\

;inc!

buniinj» ;ibout 12 calories.

Beginners, thougli, should definitel) start with the modified sit-up.

and

170

WHOLE BODY HEALING

These

aren't so

gi\'e

^our stomach muscles a gtxxJ workout

demanding on your back and

legs.

At this point in your routine, you're probably feeling

move to another up, the these as we de.scribed earlier - the modified push-ups for beginners, the fiill push-ups for those who are ven

"up," so to stay exhilarated,

"push-up."

Do

already

Done

fit.

in a

.set of 30 push-ups burns six push-ups use up somewhat less.

minute, a

to seven calories. Modified

The Squat Thrust After the push-ups,

the "squat thrust." Starting in a standa squat, placing your the floor. Next, thrust your feet bacla\'ard so that

ing position,

tr>'

you lower yourself to

hands on you assume the push-up position. Tlien return to the squat position and stand up. If >'Ou"re in good shape, >'Ou can do this exercise rapidly. If not, move slowh from pose to pose. If you want to add a little bit of extra difficulty to \our squat thrusts, do a push-up (while you're in the push-up position).

Up,

Up and Away

A

"chin-up" - grabbing hold of a chinning bar and pulling up with your arms to get your chin tucked over the bar - is a good part of any calisthenic workout. If you're out of shape, you might not be able to do any chin-ups at first. But as \()ur fitness program progresses, }'s that most illne.s.ses ma\ Ix- traced to \ertebnie-cnuTiped nenes. If an organ is not being properb supplied from the home ottlce, it may malfunction or fall \ictim to disea.se. ITiis .statement, of course, does not sit well w ith most MDs. .\lr. Palmer belie\ed, as most chiropractt)rs do toda\, that as long as the nen-ous

.s)7>tem is free

of interference, the bt)d\'s

all body acti\ities harmonious order throughout the system. reason, the priman goal of the chiropractor is not to

innate intelligence will properly direct

and maintain For that

a

stimulate or inhibit the workings of the

I"kkI\, ;ls thex m;unt;un other practitioners do. Kiither the\ want to remo\e the interference of \ertebral .subluxations so that the bod\'s inliorn

176

WHOLE BODY HEALING

wisdom can pertbrm

its

task of keeping the

body

healthy.

The Causes of Subluxations There are many wax's in which the spine can get out of alignment and produce these subluxations, chiropractors claim. Accidents, both serious and minor, are probabh' tlie most common cause of subluxation. Improper lifting, slipping on ice, and \~arious occupational hazards that imohe subjecting the spine to unnatural stress

(si.ich as

auto mech;in-

plumbing, carpentr\ and homemaking) are ail major causes of subluxation, they say. The psychological stress of our hectic societv causes the muscles of the neck and back ics,

become tense, and this also increases the risk of misalignment. Finalh; some chiropractors argue that environment is another source of xertebnd subliLxations. Solid, liquid or ga.seous toxins from food additives, tobacco, alcohol, to

exhaust fumes, other emironmental pollution or drugs may cause nerves to react so \iolenth that body muscles in the neck and back are affected enough to move a vertebra out of alignment. Lest we see life as a series of perils, chiropractic workers .say that mo.st minor subluxations are corrected natural!) b\ the bod\ (especialh' when we stretch), while others may require professional care. Of course, many medical doctors and lots of environmental chemists would dispute this claim. The\- might even retort that this is a circular argument. If subluxations usually cause pinched nerves, can it be said that irritated nerves sometimes cause .subluxations? The main task of the chiropractor is simple but exacting: to carefullv' locate and adjust the subluxated vertebra causing problems and to realign it once more, thus releasing pressure from the impinged nene. The chiropractor first examines the spine in order to determine which bones are out of alignment, using his or her hands or a variet)' of specialized iastniments. X-rays of the .spine are often u.sed as an aid in locating and analvv.ing the extent of the .subluxation. VChen the chiropractor determines which vertebrae are out of whack, corrective adjustments are made to realign the bones and reduce pressure on .spinal nenes. When the bodv's organs and tissues can receive an unobstructed nerve supplv' from the brain, chiropractors believe that the tect

body

it.self

from

will return to a state of health

and

will pro-

illness.

CHIROPRACTIC

177

Adjustment A

vs.

Manipulation

is different from a manipuUition. sudden and precise force known in the profession as a "d\namic thrust") to a specific point on the \'ertebra, remo\ing ner\e interference. It is the bodys

cliiropractic culjiistmait

An adjustment

a rapid,

is

(

healing reaction to the applied force that is important, chiropractors say. ITie realignment of structure is only a first step. A manipulation, on the other hand, is often a nonspe-

The main task of a chiropractor is to adjust tfie spine and realign it, releasing pressure from the spinal nerves.

generalized procedure that resets bones, increases range

cific,

of

mcnement and

realigns joint structure with the intent of

stimulating or inhibiting bod)' functions. practitioner

who

For example, a

ma,ssages and then twists the neck and

head in order to bring about a greater range of movement is performing a manipulation. So tar, we've talked about contnnersial matters, but the heat they generate is generally manageable. Now we must get into

still

hotter issues.

A

number of chiropractors the more consena(known as "straights") con-

large

perform more than adjustments. tive

members of

centrate

on the

the profession

\X1iile

detection, ;inal\>is iuid remo\-al of subluxatioas,

most chiropractors

toda\'

(known

as chiropractic phx'sicians,

or "mixers," depending on how you feel about them) utilize one or more adjunct therapies (including manipulation, acupressure, applied kinesiolog); m;is,sage, water therapy, heat treatments, \itamin thenip\ and traction) to treat am number of painful or di.sea.se conditions. Many of the straights and most medical doctors contend that chiropractic training does not prepare the mixers to provide these .ser\'ices, and the tights begin. fiill-senice chiropractors

Straights vs. Mixers llie positi\'e a.spects of the straight, or traditional, chiro-

practor include a respect for the innate wisdom of the to heal itself. Because the straiglit belie\'es that his or her "educated" intelligence has no right to determine what )()ur bod\ needs, the straight's goal is to remo\e nene interference rather than to stimulate or inhibit bod\ functions. Since his or her training is largely confined to chiropractic adjustment and technique, the straight often has a greater degree of expertise in this .specialty than other chi-

body

178

WHOLE BODY HEALING

ropractors. Critics, howe\er. charge that straights ignore additional therapeutic

patient,

and thus

approaches that may be of benefit to the offer too limited a range of care. Straights

repl> that their specialty

is

the remoxal of .subluxations and

another .specialist, such as a massage therapist or nutritional counselor, tor that kind of treatment or ad\ice. A mind open to new health trends and a desire to integrate se\'eral natural therapeutic approaches into their work are the positi\e aspects of mixing chiropractors. Tlie that the\ will often refer their patients to

negati\e aspect of these chiropractors is not unlike that of some medical doctors: the)' are apt to say, "I can do anything." The> pro\ide many services which are not ordinarily offering a wide \iiriet) of therapies to "fix up" the patient, the chiropractor takes on the role of magician with a bag of so-called "miracle" cures. Some mixers use aN^ailable. In

adjunct therapies to justify a higher tee (a concern ;imong critics), and the fact that chiropractors can legally perform certain adjunct procedures (like acupuncture and xitamin therapy in some states) does not necessarily mean that they

competent

of treatment. chiropractors are licensed to perform chiropractic adjustments of the .spine. If chiropractic interests \{)u and >()u want care that specializes in the removal of ner\e interference (or xertebral subluxations), you may need the ser\ices of a straight chiropractor. If \c)u prefer more are

Howe\'er,

in these areas

all

sATHptom-oriented health care that involves one or more natural therapies, you ma\ want the ser\'ices of a mixer Tliere are no hard-and-fast rules that can help you differentiate a straight from a mixer, but a few ke)' words in their ad\ertisemenLs often rexciil their biusic orientation. Mixers use terms like "holistic approach," adjuncti\e therapy, treatment (for specific things like back pain, headache, nenous tension, etc. ), acupressure, massage, physiotherapy, "applied kinesiolog)" (simple forms of muscle testing), traction, nutritioruil thenipy or couaseling, \itiuiiin therap\' and "Ai'A (American (ihiropractic Association)

member"

in their advertising.

omit all the aNne terms but ma\ include claims for the remo\al of nene interference, "pre\enti\e" chiropractic care, restoration of nene ftmction, correction of vertebral subluxations or spinal misalignments, "straight chiStraiglits

ropractor," "family chiropractor," "KA (International Chiropractors As.sociation ) member" and "FS(X) (Federation of Straight (Ihiropractic Organizations) member" in their ads.

CHIROPRACTIC

179

The Scope of Chiropractic One of the features of their s^-stem to which chiropractors point with pride is a health maintenance plan that helps the body remain free from ner\e interference, rather than a designed prim;irily to remo\e sAmptonis. however, symptoms often disappear soon after cliiropractic care begins because, as practitioners are equally quick to point out, the newl\ unobstmcted ner\'ous .sA^item has the ability to restore the bod\'s fimctioning to normal. For this rea.son, they .say chiropractic patients report being "cured" of a wide range of physical and emotional conditions (including cancer, diabetes, depression and Inperactivit)) that did not respond to traditional medical treatment. Most people think that chiropractors work with orthopedic (musculoskeletal) ca.ses, such as backache, whiplash, disc pain and sciatica. Although this is true to a large extent, people also go to chiropractors for functional disorders that imoKe major bod>- organs and proce.s.ses. According to Chester A. Wilk, D.C., in his book Chin)/mictic Speaks Out (Wilk Publishing, 1976), the following ailments have responded "disciLse care" sA'stem

Indirectl),

favorabl)' to chiropractic care:

headache lower back strain or sprain other low back syndromes neck syndromes gastrointestinal disorders

nen'ous disorders mid-back conditions cerebrospinal disorders heart trouble neurological disea.se bronchial asthma

whiplash injuries extremity trauma (sprains) respirator) conditions .sacroiliac strains

high blood pressure torticollis

(wnneck)

emotional problems

rheumatism spinal distortion sinu.sitis

180

WHOLE BODY HEALING

• • • • • •

bursitis

common

cold

strains

neuritis arthritis

sciatica

• migraine

Althougli millions of patients swear by chiropractic care the rcmcnal of s\mptoms, practitioners like Dr. Wiik warn that chiropractic is not a miracle cure. They point out tor

that

are the final stage of disease and that most

symptoms

patients consult a chiropractor after traditional medicine has failed to help them. Many demand that chiropractic

succeed where medical therap>- did not. Although dramatic results ha\e sometimes followed chiropractic adjustments, chiropractors maintain that such results are indirectly due to the restoration of normal ner\e transmission. When the

nenous

of interference, the bod)''s inherent unimpeded and a state of health to exist. Of course, this argument also is more likely slip off the hook when their work does not allows them to

abilit}'

s^-steni is free

to heal

itself is

lessen s-\Tnptoms.

You The

as a Chiropractic Patient realit>-

of a chiropractic

preconceived

ideas.

New

visit is ver\' different

from most

patients soon discover that their

neither as painful nor as dangerous as they feared, and a good many, of course, find that chiropractic care can be a valuable experience. To them, the chiropractor is a highly trained specialist with a thorough knowledge of the spine and nervous system who is able to recognize conditions that are beyond his area of expertise and refer them to others. Let's explore the case of Kenneth Morrison (not his real name), who is topical of many chiropractic patients.

visit is

Ken's

StiflF

Neck

Ken, a 32-year-old hou.se-painter. appeared to be in satisfactory health. Me often complained of neck pain and occasional early morning headaches, however. One of his co-workers suggested that Dr Roberts, a local chiropractor, might be able to help him. Ken set up an appointment for the following ITiursdax' after work.

CHIROPRACTIC

181

After receiving a

was given

welcome from

a case histor\ to

out.

fill

the receptionist, he Although the form was

similar to those used b) medical doctors,

it

went

into spe-

about musculoskeletal complaints and asked him to make note of am fall, .sprain or accident he could recall. Although Ken had a good safety record on the job. he cifics

remembered

that

at

accident. His head

was

I^ he

bumped

the glass to shatter Althougli

in\-ol\ed

in

a

minor car

against the windshield, causing

Ken

sulfiL-red

onl\ a

k-v.

scratches

and a headache, his father took him to the hospital emergency room, where he was examined and .sent home with a clean bill of health. Until he filled out the ca.se hi.stor\ form. Ken hadn't given the accident a second thought. B\' the time Ken completed the form. Dr. Roberts was ready to .see him. Hie chiropractor's adju.sting room looked

more

like a living

room than

a clinical office.

It

lacked the

antiseptic odors, sterilizers and needles often found at a medical doctor's. A large adjusting table stood at the center

of the room, and a model spine la\ on the doctor's desk. Using the model spine as an example. Dr. Roberts showed how vertebrae become misaligned and impinged on spinal ner\'es. \\ ith the aid of a chart depicting the distribution of nencs througliout the bodx, he showed Ken how nene interference in one part of the body can alter the function of an organ or tissue in another "Even a childhood fall from a bicvcle can cause a spinal misalignment that can impinge a nene, he sitid. "\ou ma\ not feel the eliects for a long period of time, but think vour car accident 15 years ago may have been the beginning of vour neck problem." "

1

The doctor

down on

a.sked

Ken

to

remove his .shirt and lie face was hea\il\ padded and

the adjusting table, which

with a .special notch to cradle his head. Dr Roberts then proceeded to examine his back by hand, careftilh palpating (examining by touch) each \ertebra for tenderness or bimips. He asked Ken, "Does it hurt here?" when he found a tender area, and he recorded his findings. Special attention was paid to the cervical (neck) region during the exam. Ilie second cenical vertebra appeared to be out of iilignment. Ilie length of Kens legs wus comp;iredone leg was one-quarter inch shorter than the other - and fitted

his pelvis

was found

Dr Roberts left,

the

riglit,

f()rvvard

determine overall

182

WHOLE BODY HEALING

to be slightly askew. then had Ken stand up and bend to the

.spinal

I sing a plumb line to alignment, he found that Kens left

and back.

shoulder was slightly lower than the

riglit

and that his head

the right. After this postural

tilted a bit to

anal>-sis. Ken sat on the table while temperature \sas measured b) a de\ice called a thermeter, a modem successor to the neurocalometer introduced by B. J. Palmer (Daniel Da\id Palmers son) in 1924. Starting from the base of the skull, the doctor carefully mo\ed the two-pronged, handheld device slowh* down the spine, recording temperature differences between one side of the spine and the other \\ hen the temperature is lower on one side, chiropractors claim, nerve interference ma>' be indicated. In Kens case. Dr. Roberts found four vertebrae where these diiierences existed and noted their location on Kens chart. Other chiropractors sometimes include what they call "applied kinesiology" - simple muscle-strength

his skin

testing

-as

part

of their chiropractic anah'sis.

certain muscles of the body, they say, the> related organ or tissue

is

weak and

trace that

B)

can

testing tell

weakness

if

a

to a

mi.saligned vertebra. Finall\, Dr Roberts brought Ken into the X-ra\ room iind took two pictures of his neck to determine the nature and extent of the suspected misalignment. Tlie pictures confirmed the earlier findings: there was a major subluxation of the second cenical \ertebra of the neck that was putting pressure on the ncne. Dr. Roberts said this was contributing to Ken's stiff neck as well as his morning headaches, especially when he had slept on his right side. The chiropractor also explained that other subluxations further down the spine were attempts to compensate for the major misalignment in the neck and that they could be corrected as well. A ten-week prognun of adjustments was dra\Mi up, which was topical of nonemergency' but chronic cases such as Ken's: two adjustments a week tor tour weeks and one per week thereafter. (Other patients, such as recent accident \ictims, might begin with fi\e adjustments per week, while patients with minor subluxations might start with one.) At the end of the tenth week. Ken's progress would be evaluated, and he might need pre\enti\e maintenance onh' once a m(jnth thereafter C.hiropractors often recommend preventive care long after the original subluxations are corrected. Because chiropractic is based on the body's natural ability to restore and maintain good health, they maintain that regular adjustments are necessan- to keep the nervous s)'stem free from interference and the organism in good health.

Ken's First Adjustment After

making appointments

for fijture visits.

Ken was

read)'

adjustment. Dr Roberts began with other temperature readings along the spinal column and wrote them in the record book. He then asked Ken to lie down on the table on his stomach, with his head turned to the right. At this point Ken tensed up a little, expecting to

receive his

first

spinal

a great deal of pain from the adjustment, but Dr. Roberts

reassured him. thrust that

apphing light pressure on Ken's he ga\e a sudden rapid downward

(;arefiill\

neck below the

ear,

made an

audible

"click."

upper back and had Ken,

Me

did the same thing

prone position, sacrum (or lower back) a rapid thrust. Although he felt a tingling sensation in his head immediately ;ifter the adjustment. Ken was surprised to have felt no pain at all. After a fevv' minutes of rest, he got up from the table, stretched and went home. Over the next ten weeks. Ken received a total of I4 chiropractic adjustments and began feeling better than he had since higli school. This experience prompted Ken to ask how often a patient .should be adjusted. Hiere is no standard rule to follow, he was told. Schedules for adju.stments have been known to var\' from twice an hour (usually in an emergency situation where a high fe\er is present and the patients life is in danger) to two or three times a week (for a patient with a chronic subluxation). After the initial problem is brought under control, preventive care is scheduled once or rv\ice a month. Some cliiropractors suggest adjustments be discontinued as soon as sATiiptoms to the

cross his

left

still

in a

leg o\er the other before giving the

disappear, but

the majorirv believe that preventive maintenance should involve a long-term commitment. Dr. Roberts had given Ken a pamphlet on the second visit. It described an exercise program to help strengthen his spinal muscles and avoid .subluxations. An extra-firm

bed was recommended tress.

to replace Ken's old .sagging mat-

Tile doctor also taught

him the proper way

to

lift

heavv, bulkv objects to reduce the chances of subluxating

Roberts encouraged Ken to improve and suggested he read several books on nutrition and food preparatitin. He claimed that the better our diets, the less chance we have of subluxating the spine due to the effect of toxins and overrefined foods. Dr Roberts was a the

.spine. Finally, Dr.

his diet

straight chiropractor

184

WHOLE BODY HEALING

who

confined his practice largeh to

spinal adjustments. As

mentioned earlier, many other chiroKen heat treatments, acupressure

practors miglit ha\e ottered

and nutritional C()unseling in addition to his chiropractic adjustments. Adjustment techniques \ar\- as well. Some chiropractors prefer more dramatic methods such as that de^ eloped by B. ). Palmer, which features a dynamic thaist and something called a "rapid recoil." Others choose slower, le.ss

abnipt techniques.

A Note about

X-Rays

Most chiropractors take

X-ra^-s at

one time or another

as

part of their regular examination procedure, although their

use of the pictures u.se

them

x^aries

considerabh.

Some

chiropractors

rareh. limiting radiation to specific areas of the

s^imil column. Others frequenth use full-spine X-ra)^ (which photograph the back from the base of the skull to below the pehis) to get an idea of how the entire spine is affected by \ertebral subluxations. Although most patients feel uncomfortable about being X-ra\ed. an X-ra\ can determine if an\' contraindications to chiropractic care exist. For example, a hairline fracture of the second cervical vertebra may escape the scrutiny of a chiropractor during the initial examination. If an adjustment were given, the vertebra could break apart and injure a delicate vein or arter>'. Chiropractors claim that X-rays also give them a better understanding of the nature and extent of the vertebral subluxation and enable the practitioner to make a more exacting adjustment. If you are concerned about increa.sed radiation risk, ask for smaller X-rays focusing on specific areas of vour spine. If it is advised that you

have follow-up until

vou are

X-rav's a

month

satisfied that

later, question the request the pictures are nece.ssarv and

not just routine procedure. If vou are concerned about the dangers of frequent radiation, you may want to select a

chiropractor

who does

not require it as a prerequisite to any practitioner who advertises free X-rays. Radiation should never be used as a lure.

care. Also, reject

Do

Chiropractors Really Help?

Finally,

feel

When the body is out of alignment, pain and disability can result. Here the left hip is carried too high, destroying the t>ody's balance.

a

given the controversy that chiropractors iaspire, we little blunt editorializing - lightened by a little

science - is in order: you either love chiropractors or you despise them. Or you dont know them.

CHIROPRACTIC

185

perhaps an absurd statement to make about a but we've found that it's generali\ taic. Most MDs have nothing but scorn tor chiropractors, and mam medical societies activeh - one might even say \iciously attempt to deny chiropractors the right to practice, llie) That

healing

is

art.

constantly reter

tcj

chiropractic as an 'unscientific cult

has no basis in proven fact and

"

that "

is

'therefore higlih dangen)us

apparenth keeps the profession alive and gives it to figlit back against the MI) establishment is the testimonv' of thousands of people wlio svvear bv cliiropractors and enthusiasticallv' relate anecdotes wherein their troubles were solved by chiropractors after MDs failed to help. Most people base these opinions of chiropractic on personal experiences. Several people we know have told us that their experiences have been excellent. Others were very disappointed and came awa\' convinced that the chiropractor made them return to the office numerous times tor manipulations which did nothing but induce pain. Others criticize chiropractors because at least some of them seem to be too eager to take X-rav^. NXliat

the

vitalit}'

I'he

goverruTient conducted a studv

would appraise the

that they

hoped

true value of chiropractic, but thev' dis-

covered that the physicians involved

in the studv

communicate with the chiropractors and

could not

vice versa. Tliev

simply did not talk each other's language. So it must be admitted that nearly all the evidence concerning the value of chiropractic is purel)- subjective and anecdotal in nature.

A Scientific One

Study

exception to this evidence is a suney conducted by Robert L. Kane, M.D., and his associates at the Department of Familv' and (x)mmunit) Medicine of, the Iniversit) t)f Utah College of Medicine, who compared the effectiveness of physician and chiropractor care in 232 patients v^ith back pain. The patients were identified bv scanning workmen's compensation records. The L'tali researchers contacted and interviewed 232 persons vviio had been treated tor back or spinal problems. Of these, 122 had sought the senices of chiropractors, while 1 10 went to phvsicians. (Workmen's compensation in I'tiili permits the injured worker to select his therapist frt)m among phvsicians, osteopaths and chiropractors. This ruling differs from state to state.)

186

WHOLE BODY HEALING

The intenicws roealcd that patients ^^•ho used chirowere slightly more satisfied with the care tiie\' more pleased \\ith their improvement, and more

practors recei\ed.

quickly returned to their former status {Lxuicet. June 29. 19~4). Tlie dilierences were not \er\ great, but the numbers clearh .show chiropractors ahead b\ a slim margin. Tlie>' found, too, that in .spite of the medical profession's disdain for chiropractic,

turning to chiropractors tor Wliile tho.se patients

more and more people

are

a.s.sistance.

who were

tor required almo.st twice as

many

treated b\ a chiroprac-

\isits as

the MD-treated

was signifweeks for the group. (Physician-treated patients average one to two a week, compared to two to three visits weekly for

patients, the a\erage duration of their treatment

icantly shorter latter \isits

-6.S weeks

as

those seeing chiropractors.) Evaluating each patient's

opposed

to 9.3

and improvement with concluded that "the intenention of a chiropractor in problems around neck and spine injuries was at least as eflfective as that of a phvsician, in terms of restoring the patient's fimction and satisfying the patient." (Chiropractic patients scored an average of 0.92 on the I'tah researchers" ratio of improvement .scale, sliglitlv ahead of the MD-treated patient.s' average score of 0.86. On the other hand, there w;is a tendency for MDs to get the more serious cases, so the better record of the chiropractors must be .seen in this light. Perhaps it would be fair to call it a tie - but also a "moral victor) tor the much-maligned chiropractors. therapv.

Dr Kane and

di.sabilitv'

his associates

"

High Marks

for Chiropractors

In tile area of personal relations, the chiropractors rated higher scores than the MDs. As manv as 6.5 percent of the patients were dissatisfied with the MDs ability to make them feel welcome. On the other hand, no patient found any fault at all with the chiropractors in this area. (Chiropractors also rated higher scores than the MDs in abilitv to explain the problem and the treatment in terms that the patient could easily understand.

CHIROPRACTIC

187

"

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING live in a spot that suticrs from tiie slings and arrows of outrageous winter, that doesnt necessarily mean that you'\e got to postpone all of your exercise plans until spring hrings back the warm weather. Cold weather offiers plentv of exercise opportunities. When the snow piles up on the ground, \()u can enjo)' yourself and get some excellent exercise breezing through the uliite hmdscape in.stead of .staging shut up ind(X)rs, slowly developing cabin fe\er. f )'()u

I

The

wa)' to

do

it is

b\ learning

how

to ski cross-countr\-.

Nordic skiing and ski touring, has an undeser\ed reputation as something difficult and complicated, lliat's far from the truth. "1 was 42 before saw a pair of skis up clo.se," sa)"s Lou Fohik, president of the Ski Touring (k)uncil, an organization of about ISO skiers, most of them in their .sixties. "1 wouldn't call nnself robust, and I'm no more coordinated than the a\erage gu\. It's just walking. Amhody who can walk can go .ski touring." .Ski touring t;ikes almost no time to learn. "If nou make up your mind that it's as simple ;ls walking, it can be picked up in an hour," Mr Polak sa\-s. 'After that, it's just a matter of developing confidence." The basic movement of Nordic skiing is called "the diagonal stride." As one skier put it, "It's simply a matter of learning how to glide on one .ski and then the other, while coordinating \()ur arms and legs. A friend can teach you or you can t;ike a lesson, which might cost from S5 to SS tor 60 to 90 minutes, lliat's all the preparation you need to ski over rolling terrain. .Skills, such as climbing and turning, come with practice. "VChen you .start .skiing, it .seems different and ;i\\-kward," says Tom Perkins of Jackson, New Hampshire, president of the Nati(jnal Ski Touring Operators' /Vssociation and a teacher of .ski instnictors. "But ;ifter a day or r\\(), it begins to feel like dancing. .Ski touring is realh neat, and it's not long before >()u accustom yourself to getting around." lliere's no reason to be afraid of an occasional tumble. (Toss-countn,'

.skiing,

1

188

also called

"People learn that Perkins

ss\-s.

not necessarily a bad thing," Mr the time. It's not all that far to the

falling is

"I fall all

ground, and the snow is fbrgi\ing. "E\entualh you get a feel tor the snow and for changes in the landscape." Then, he says, skiing becomes a magical sport. "Its a wonderful thing. Your body feels so good when

you

ski."

Feeling ph\sically

good

one of the rewards of ski Perkins sa^^s, "is that you winter That's something most

is just

touring. "Another great thing,"

get to look at the world in

Mr

people never do. They stay indoors when it's cold, and that's unfortunate, because winter is a beautifiil time of \ear, and cross-countr) skiing is a wonderful wa\ to see the outdoors."

A Complete

Exercise

Of

all forms of exercise, Nordic skiing might be the most complete. Because \'ou use both your arms and legs, and becau.se >-ou're usually earning hea\A clothes and equip-

./S?

M

I

Cross-country skiing can be

an imigorating

I

aerobic exercise.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING

189

1

is

a must, especially for an all-day outing. Most people carry

a mixture of natural snack foods such as carob chips, sunflower seeds and dates. A potential skier iilso needs some otf-season exercise. A booklet, "Cross-Countn Skiing tor Old Americans," published by the I'nited States Ski Association, recommends exercising the arms and shoulders as winter approaches. a sack of "gorp,

"

raisins, nuts,

Two wa^-s to do that, the I'SSA suggests, are exaggerating your arm swing while walking, or taking a brisk stroll using your ski poles. Howe\'er, compared to dowTihill skiing, Nordic skiing requires less arm strength, and it's also many times safer. Dr Hixson sa^'s that, according to his figures, cross-countr) skiers injure themselves only one-twentieth as often as downhillers. Nordic skis are safer largely because only the skiers toe is attached to the ski. A downhill skier's toe and heel are clamped to his

ski.

crosscountry skier injures himself, it's often due to two common mistakes. Ph)?;icians at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Hanover, New Hampshire, studied 1 injuries to Nordic skiers and found that many of them occurred because the skier tried to go down an ic)' hill and/or allowed the tips of his skis to cross in front of him. Avoiding these mistakes should minimize the risk of injury- {Jourtuil of the American Medical Association, If a

Januar\'23, 19^H).

Two

professors at

think that ski touring

McMaster is

safe

L'niversir\ in Ontiirio,

enough

Canada,

to help heart disease

patients rejuvenate their cardiovascular systems. Neil D. Oldridge, Ph.D., and J. Duncan MacDougall, Ph.D., sa)' that

doctors can prescribe Nordic skiing li)r their c;irdiac patients, but that such skiers have to take the following precautions: ( 1 ) no racing or sprinting; ( 2 ) making sure to exercise in the off-season; (3) staying home when it's ver)- cold and windy; (4) slowing down when out of breath; (5) skiing

with others; and (6) sticking to fairly le\'el terrain {TJje Physician and Sportsmedicine, February; 1981).

Where

to Ski

For man}' people, the best part of ski touring is getting away from it all. Unlike a downhill skier, a Nordic skier doesn't ha\'e to rely on ski lifts or prepared slopes. He can ski wherever there's snow. Some people ski right out their back door Other people bushwhack through the untracked

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING

191

woods where only

On of

skis,

the other hand,

New

snowshoes or wild game can

when

go.

bii//ard parah'/ed

the cit> York a few years ago. .some urbanites simph' skied a

to work.

For the beginner, open rolling terrain is the best place and so are golf courses. Two warnings about golf courses: stay off the fragile greens and tees, and be sure to get permi.ssion before setting out. Skiing on snow-covered hiking trails challenges e\en the best Nordic .skier. A winding, rolling trail can turn skiing to start. (jtA- parks are ideal for this,

Unused meadows and fields and old logging roads are good also. From about 2500 bc; which is roughly the date of the oldest ski ever found, to about 1973, Nordic skiing was relatively undiscovered as a sport. Toda)-, ten million pairs into a thrilling bobsled ride.

.

of cross-countr)' skis are in u.se in the U.S. One benefit of its rising popularity ha.s been the establishment of major ski centers and trail networks just for touring. About 1 50 of these centers belong to the National Ski Touring Operators' Association, and there are an estimated 400 additional centers. The.se ski centers ha\e up to 80 miles or more of what are called "groomed trails, which means that even before the crack of dawn a road crew uses special equipment to blaze a trail and save you the chore of breaking snow. Nordic centers are becoming as numerous as downhill resorts, and the two are often found together. Rentals are u.sually available. All of this has made ski touring \er)' eas\' to get into, and, once on skis, most people's anxieties about winter quickly melt. As one .ski instructor told us, "People who learn to ski don't feel threatened anymore. As \()u get older, you often dread the thought of the cold and the snow, but this gives \()u an opportunity- to get outside. Ski touring makes vou look forward to winter." "

192

WHOLE BODY HEALING

DANCE THERAPY

D;uuc

tlicTap\ is a ven- nev\' treatment for mental emotional problems. Althougli the g(xxl idea that gre\\ into this impressive practice came to someone in the late -jOs, it %\asnt until 19^0 that dance therap\- as defined b> its professional oipinization. the American Dance Tlierap) Ass(x:iation (ADTA), was accepted b\ medical schools and universities as a reliable form of psychotherapy. And it wasn't until very recent 1\ - some exasperated dance therapists might e\en say "the day before yesterday" - that their t)pe of work was deemed safe for so-called normal, not-particularly-serious and short-term mental disturbances. Pre\iously it was judged fit for use with chronic and seemingly hopeless cases only. An\'wa\-, the theor\- behind dance therap)' sa>s that we wear our actions like a suit of clothes. S(imetimes the way we mo\e, the wa\ we habitually do things, disguises what we are thinking and feeling, just as clothes often hide the person we actuaih are. ^'et, sometimes our actions express what we think and feel better than our words - again, the way clothing frequentl)- does -a complex broth that has been boiled down into the gra\y of "bod)- language." But there is always a direct connection between inner conviction and outer acti\ity, and that's why dance therapy is used with patients who cannot talk to a counselor or who have great trouble communicating with tho.se around them, such as autistic children and schizophrenic adults. If the patient cannot tell us what is wrong, goes the theor\', perhaps we can guess by looking at how and when he or she moves. So dance therapy is a study of our cloaklike movements that seeks to both diagnose and treat mental troubles through our ph\>.ical actions. It uses knowledge of how we walk, sit and stand (among other things) to determine what's v\rong. and it prescribes mo\ement of both new and old kinds iLs a wa\ of releasing the stress and tension that may be part of illne.ss. All this sounds pretty uniform, as if all dance therapists do things in the same wa\. but that's not tnie. /Vlthough we shouldn't have been, we were surprised by how personal a thing dance therapy is. When we talked to a practitioner of ;ind

Dance therapy began in primitive societies. Tttey used dance to express fears, exorcise demons and to try to cure

illness.

193

the art, we learned that because each patient is diiierent, each treatment is apt to be different. WTiat's more, because most therapists allow their patients a \-oice in h(m their reco\er) proceeds, each session is different from ever) otiicr session. Tlie sessions, in fact, are often impro\ised on the spot, fashioned from material drawn from the patients imme-

problem and the understanding both of them have of where they want to go in the da\s iiliead. Because all of this is true, we decided to present dance therapx first thnjugli the eyes of one therapist and only then move on to a more generalized vie%\' of the whole profession. For our general kncmledge we went to textbooks ;uid articles in profitrs-sioniil journals. For a personal look, we talked to Dianne Dulicai, M.A., D.T.R., head of the creati\e arts and therapx dcpiirtment of Halinemann Medical College, Philadelphia, Penns\l\ania. a registered dance therapist and an influential teacher of her skills. diate needs, the therapists e\aluation of his or her

Our first question to Ms. Dulicai was a request to talk about the beginnings of dance therapy and its early innovators. Her answer was one that wed heard in other places but \\hich had new authoritA with her. She .said, "I guess dance therapy realh began with the primiti\e societies that u.sed dance as a way of expressing tears, exorcising demons, and, yes, attempting to cure illness. Althougli no one, of course, knew what was going on, su.spect that the .seeds of dance therap) were there a long time before anyone e\er tried to describe them." And we could believe it, becau.se Ms. Dulicai's heritage is American Indian, and her interest in the field began with a career as a professional dancer and the remnants of Indian ritual dances in her childhood. People began to recognize what was happening in the.se primitive societies during the Second World War, .she continued, when hospitals were jiimmed with returning soldiers suffering from mental illnes.ses that their st;ili's had not seen before and could not hope to treat. \Olunteers stepped in to ease the situation, and volunteers and patients seemed made for each other, lliis v\as in the da\-s before mental patients were routinely sedated, and there was the simple need to give the soldiers something to do. Since many of the volunteers were professional dancers, they turned to dance acti\ities. and another perfect match occurred. Ilie men were suffering from .shell shock and other nervous disorders. Many could not communicate with those around them. Ilie dancing, however, .seemed to help, antl it did .so without requiring that patients talk to doctors. Ilie.se vol1

194

WHOLE BODY HEALING

unteers were not trained therapists, and s(i the\ often used it worked. Soon pioneers like Marian Chace at St. Elizabeths Hospital in \\ ashington D.C;., Blanche Evan

pure dance. But in Ne\\'

^brk Cin and Trudy Schoop in California, working

independently, began to investigate their successes in hopes of learning ^^^^\ dance had worked. Tlieir eflbrts defined dance therapy and led to the establishment of the ADTA in 1966.

7h4dy Schoop uitb patients.

DANCE THERAPY

195

Instructors

and staff explore

in

a movement therapy

class at

Hahnemann Medical

College

Next we

iusked Ms. Dulicai to expand on the limited dance therapy we had. The process, she said, changed ver\' rapidh' from an art form used for relaxation to a therapy- when it was discovered that "there \\;is something in the interacting mo\'ement of two or more people together that produces a healing result." At first, this was

definition of

simply the intuition of the pioneers, but b\ the 6()s, as films and videotapes of therapy .sessions were studied, researchers saw that this he;iling interaction was a feet. In the decade after its founding, the ADTA defined dance therap\ as "the psychotherapeutic u.se of mo\ement, ... a process which furthers the emotional and ph)-sical integration of the indi-

What this means is that dance make your suit of movement clothing

Aidual."

possible; they

want

to alter

your

clo:ik of

therapists

want

to

as unconfining as

beha\ior so that

it

parts easily to rc\eal \()ur emotions and comictions. Most

of

all,

one

196

WHOLE BODY HEALING

they hope to

a\'oid

the bind that has \()u beha\ing

wa\' ;uid belie\ing another

Some

practitioners. .Ms. Dulic;u

claimed, prefer the term "movement therap>'" to distinguish what the} do from both dance exercise and dance artistry, but most have stuck with the traditional term. Of course, there are certain health benefits from acti\it)' of this kind, especial!}' tor children (who are verv' vigorous in it) and

older folks (who may not get any other exercise), but the major goal here is self-av\areness. Dance therap}' makes us more aware of our bodies - more accepting of them, actuall} - and more attuned to the effect we have on others and that they ha\e on us. This, in turn, brings an ability to handle social situations, and tlxit carries with it some desirable personalit}' traits: an openness, a desire to communicate both good ne\s's and bad, and a self-confidence and sense of securit}- that the world is a place to explore and expand rather than an excuse to conceal and hide.

Moiitnerit therapy treats alt parts of the body.

DANCE THERAPY

197

Who whom is were

Dance therapy helps many older folks accept the changes age brings to their bodies. It can offer social contacts and possibly improve memory, concentration and the ability to analyze problems.

gets dance therapy? >X'hen it

most successful? Up

is it

appropriate? With

until five years ago,

we

person probably wouldn't recei\e dance therapy unless he or she were hospitalized in a state or federal institution and were seriously and chronically ill. Then, it was used only to reach terribly disturbed adults and many children because of its non\erbal approach; a therapist didnt have to speak at length to a patient to help him or her. It was thought too new and too unpnnen, howexer, for use with less serious cases, and it was almost ne\er used with educated, middle-class people. The nonverbal aspect of its methods was seen at first as a limitation rather than a new way of doing things. Since then, the application of dance therapy has taken off. It is still used for the ver\' ill and for those who cannot speak to those who want to help them: \ictims of chronic mental disturbance, the retarded, the phj-sicall}' disabled, and - most successfully - autistic children, people who may never be "cured, that is, made \s'hole and normal, but who seem able to achioe as full a life as they can through dance therap). For these conditions, dance therapy's mode of treatment and its willingness to take whate\'er abilities the patient has and to move him or her as far as he or she can go seem perfectly suited. But in the last fi\'e years this therapy has been extended more and more often to the less serious troubles that we all encounter in life. Yes, it is used with children, but now its turned on the full range of things that come up in youth clinics: anorexia told, a

"

ner\'osa, hyperactiAitj', the psycho.somatic aspects of asthma, the pain and stress of juvenile arthritis and diabetes. In fact, Ms. Dulicai's students get jobs working in almost all ps"\-

chological areas. The)' work with both normal and abnormal kids in public schools. With special education teachers,

they employ moxement to help children overcome specific learning di.sabilities, and with classroom teachers and daycare supervisors, the>- prepare programs of supportive growth and development for kids without problems. For younger children, they work in hospital pediatric wards to ea.se the stress of long stav-s awav- from home and the burdens of serious illness. And they work in something new, a program called "Families at Ri.sk." It handles almost amihing that can go wrong within a family group, from friction in the initial bond between mother and child, to problems with niu>iing, and on to the .y)metimes bump\ intenictioas between parents and siblings as evervhodv' grows older. But it doesn't

end

198

WHOLE BODY HEALING

there. Ju.st as often. the\ get jobs in simiUir situations

with adults: in mental health clinics dealing with everything from depression to very serious disturbances; in pain centers. \\ here people are taught to adjust to both the ph\-sical and emotional demands of pain; in hospitals, with heart patients and suflFerers of high blood pressure who must learn ways to manage and reduce the stress that often accompanies their complaints. Pinalh, just as dance therapy clicked with children years ago because it seemed fun and nonthreatening, it is now a hit with old people for the same reasons. It pnnides certain benefits of regular mild exercise for them. It helps release the tension generated by the confinement often experienced late in life. It helps many older folks accept the changes age brings to their bodies. When done in a group, it offers social contacts that they otherwise might not ha\'e, iind its indi\idual therapies improve memor\-, concentration and the ability to analyze problems.

Children's learning abilities

grow

in response to

mofement.

DANCE THERAPY

199

Dance therapy

releases le/ision in yi)i/ngsleis.

all sounds pretty good -and very reassuryou get in touch with a dance therapist? And after you find one, who - better, what - is he or she apt to be? In the big cities of the East Coast and the huge "city" that stretches from Los Angeles to San Francisco on the West Coast, you may find one in the telephone book, for

Okay. That

ing.

How do

there are therapists in private practice in both places. But

if

you do, make sure he or she has "D.T.R." after his or her name. For that matter, a dance therapist found anyiihetv should be entitled to those initials. Hie) mean "Registered Dance Therapist" and signilS' that the bearer has the education and work experience neces.sar\' to be certified as a therapist b\ the American Dance Ilierapy Association. And that means that he or she has:

200

WHOLE BODY HEALING

• At least five years of dance training;



A

master's degree in dance therapy from an ADTAapproved school, a curriculum including courses in the theor\- and practice of dance therapy, methods of mo\ement anahsis. anatomy and physiolog), and

human beha\ior: • At least three months of super\ised clinical work; • Six montlis of independent clinic;il work as a student; and • At least two years of full-time empl(«Tnent as a therapist. In

those

most places

initials in

in the country, howe\'er,

either the

phone book or

you wont find

private practice.

depend on a large medical institution ha\ing dimce therapist on its stalf, and. more often than not, you won't be able to go directly to one even then. You'll have to be referred to a dance therapist by a more traditional coun"\bull ha\e to a

a psAchologist or psychiatrist. Wliich is good news and bad news. The good news is that health insurance plans will sooner pay the fees of a nontraditional therapist if he has been recommended by an .\ID or Ph.D. The bad news is that cAen with an explosion in the use of movement therapists in the past fi\e years, many conventional mental health people still don't know about them or, in some cases, don't apprcne of what the) do. Tliere are still battles to be selor,

won, Ms. Dulicai If

says.

these battles ha\ent been

won

in \'our area, if there

no DTRs in the phone book or the large hospitals nearby and if no doctor or psychologist will refer you to one, there is still a wa\ to go. The American Dance Therapy As.sociation will send \()u the names and addres.ses of the registered members who work in your communit)', and you can contact one of them on \()ur own. Tlie place to write is the ADTA. Suite 230. 2000 Centun^ Plaza, Columbia, MD 21044. Oh, about cost. It's hard to talk about the cost of any kind of treatment in a book like this, because it will be read throughout the countn, and medical fees differ greatly from place to place. But Ms. Dulicai .said that a good rule of thumb is that a skilled dance therapist will charge what a .skilled coun.selor with a Masters of Social Work might ask for his or her services. A few phone calls told us that S30 to S35 for an hour-long session would be the average cost - more in big cities, less awa) from them. A more are

important factor than the per-.session rate in determining is the length of treatment. How long does it take for dance therapx to work? It's impo.ssible to say, of course, because each person and each set of problems crecost. h()we\er.

DANCE THERAPY

201

ates

its

own

schedule, and

patients to establish their

mam

dance therapists allow

own pace

in treatment. Like Ms. help their patients set goals for the therapy, goals that v\ill be constant!) rc\iewed and changed as the work progresses, and the nature of these object i\es and the speed with which the\ are achie\ed determine the length of their treatment. Still, when we pushed her, Ms. Dulicai said that minor, everyday problems could usually be eased in three to four months of once-a-week sessions, while more serious troubles would, ob\iousl), require much more time to bring under control. Having learned as much as we could about the general practice of dance therap)', we got to the best part of the interview. We asked Ms. Dulicai to describe how she got a series of treatment sessions going with a new patient. She offered not only that inft)rmation, but she also t(K)k us tlin)ugli, in a play-by-play sort of way, some videotaped sessions. She helped us see several kinds of movement and behavior tlirough a therapist's trained e)'es. Wliat we discovered both surprised and amazed us. Ms. Dulicai's sessions alwav's begin with some ven fijndamental things, the first of which is a medical historv of the patient - medical histories, actually. She wants as complete a chronicle of a patient's past illnesses and injuries as she can get, a record of the drugs and treatments he or she has taken and is taking, plus a picture of anv' previous emotional problems the patient has had. She also wants much the same information about the patient's familv and .some rather specific knowledge of any life situations that mavimpinge on his or her condition. Is the patient married or single? Is his or her familv' intact? Are the patients parents alive? In other words, she tries to collect all the factors that may be contributing to the present difficultv. But once she has them, she makes verv sure that the ditticulties aren't ph)'sical rather than mental in nature. She recommends that each patient visit an tor a phv"sical and asks that a report be sent to her. Manv apparentlv emotional svmptoms, Ms. Dulicai has found, are actuall)- the tail ends of

Dulicai, the\

MD

physical illnesses. After these preliminaries, Ms. Dulicai sit

down

therapy?

to talk. Vt'hat, she asks,

Mow do

you want your

and her patient

do you want out of lite

this

to change? After they

make a contract which, in its simplest fbmi, might stipulate, "We'll meet once a week tor six weeks, and then we'll reevaluate. Have vou gotten what establish these goals, they

202

WHOLE BODY HEALING

\()u

want out of therapy? Arc there other things

\'ou

want

here is to gi\e the patient a sense of control, a feeling that he or she has escaped the helplessness and dependence that mental turmoil can bring. And. to this end. the contract is tiiken \cr\ seriously. For example, \shen we arri\ed at the hospital. Ms. Dulicai was seeing a patient, a young woman who had had trouble forming and keeping intimate relationships all her lifie. Her goal tor treatment was to get rid of that handicap, and e\en, session in her contract period contained something aimed in that direction. In fact. Ms. Dulicai said that .she would not mo\e from that issue unless her patient came in w ith an urgent new subject she wanted to put in its place. Once the terms of the contract are set and its goals established, the exclusi\ely \erbal part of treatment ends. and its dance or movement segment begins, a portion that could get started in either of two wa^'S. If the patient is fairly articulate or knows exacth what he or she wants from therap\ (or if the therapist belie\es .strongly in this approach), the work might commence immediately - that to consider?" Tlie point

Dance therapists treat action as a language tttrough whicti possible to read messages about deeply hidden

it is

feelings

and desires.

is, without a period of diagnosis. With the woman who had trouble with intimacy, for example, Ms. Dulicai said that she had begim by talking about the patient's first intimate

the attachment to her mother. Tlie woman had had trouble remembering those times, and they had tried some movements together that therapists have found can trigger such recall: being held, rocking, being s^ung around, pushing, pulling. Tliese movements t^oke what insiders call "kinesthetic memor)," the muscles memory' of some former acti\it)-, and the\' can both get the therapeutic process started and conxince the patient that there is something to tliis form of couaseling. An experience of kinesthetic memory can be the final proof nece.ssar\^ to demon.strate that our actions are directly connected to our thoughts and feelings. The other road a therapist might take ;ifter milking a contract with a patient - if that patient is not terribly \'erbal or the therapist does not believe in plunging ahead intuitively- is into a formal diagno.stic tool called "movement anah-sis." I sing the terms pro\ided b\ Libananahsis (or some other s)'stem). he or .she will describe the patient's mo\ement. posture and 'body language in great detail. To do this sort of thing. .Ms. Dulicai and her colleagues u.se a form that has them looking at sexeral large categories - how the bod\ and its parts are held and mo\e. how the patient relationship,

"

DANCE THERAPY

203

moves from place each as

it

to place

and how much

eftbrt

he or she

three - and countless smaller details, relates to a persons habitual mcnement and beha\-

requires to act, to

name

Thc>' record their observations of each of the forms categories by jotting down its frequenc)' in the subject's acti\itA': for instance, in the time gi\en over to diagnosis, ior.

did the patient hold his or her upper bod) erect and rigid constanth? Almost akva\5? Frequenth? Occasionalh? Or rareh? What comes of this athletic accounting is an assessment of the client's "movement reperton, a term that means his or her collection of usual actions and postures. VChat the therapist wants to know is: does the client do most of the things other folks do under similar circumstances? ,\re there things he or she can't or won't do? Do certain actions seem preferences? >X'ouid the client's life be physically easier if he or she learned a few nev%- tricks? And would it be emotionally healthier if the client could make certain other changes? Tliis sounds simplistic, but it's not. Ms. Dulicai showed us a tape of her initial contact with two youngsters who had recently lost their father - brothers sc\en and ten years old and in trouble at school. As the meeting progressed .she had them rolling on the floor, rocking about, lots of things they enjoyed. She found. howe\er. that as the maneuvers "

more complex the

got

little

boy grew

less inclined to

do

them. She wasn't quite sure wh)' until she asked the kids to be as ".small" as the> could be. This the younger kid loved. But when she asked them to be "big, he refused, and she concluded that the misbehavior problems at home and at school were part of an unwillingness to do the "growing up that he felt his father's death required. Another tape we saw contained the first gathering of a family group of six with their therapist. Ilie parents thought they were at the hospital to have the youngest child's beha\ior problems looked into, but it was evident oen to us that the troubles spread beyond the little one. The family was understandably nenous in the .strange clinical setting, but most of the members seemed rea,sonably calm. Two of the kids, though, including the youngest, were verv' fidget), and vshen .Ms. Dulicai pointed it out. we .saw whv. Tlie others were uncon"

"

.sciousK' using

them

as satetv valves for their ner\()usne.ss:

appeared to be looking their own jitters into the kids and out. Tlie poor kids had become the familv's scapegoats. thev'

Of course, this diagnosis didn't end w ith these simple obscnations. but vou get the idea. Actions are regarded as

204

WHOLE BODY HEALING

a language thnnigh which it is possihle to read messages about deepl) hidden feelings, desires, e\en social processes. One of the most surprising things about dance therapy is that treatment doesn't necessarily begin after this diagnostic period is o\er. ho\ve\er long and complex it may be. Treatment has been going on all tbn)u^h it. There is practicalh no line henveen diagnosis and treatment in dance therap). because lioth are movement, pure and almost simple. A retarded man on another \ideotape was asked to stamp his feet in .sequences demonstrated by his therapist; she wanted to determine his range of motion and his ability to follow directions. But the \'er\- act of stamping was a form of expression that he may noi ha\e experienced before. And doing it with another human being was a kind of social interaction he seemed to deliglit in. Tliis simple act contained botli treatment and diagnosis. Still another recorded session we saw told the ston*' of an exchange student who came to Ms. Dulicai feeling depressed but unable to talk about it. The girl was a trained dancer, however, and through sessioas of fi)lk dxincing - dancing from her native countr\ with her therapist she could "speak about her sense of culture shcKk, of separation from things she knew and valued, and of loss. Again, diagnosis and treatment were inseparable. VCtiich brings up the most fiiscinating thing about dance therapy - at least to us. Tliere are no protocols in its practice, no patterns or set routines. Almost no traditional choreography. VChen you go to your family doctor with a vague complaint, he or she always does the same things. Records s^NTnptoms. Takes temperatures and pulses. Knocks knees. Kneads chests and stomachs. And then asks questions, leading to other questions. What the doctor's doing is going thnjugh a s^-stematic process of elimination in hopes of finding out what's wrong. It's important that the doctor go through these cla.ssic steps - lea\ing nothing out, carefully respecting the standard order - becau.se he or she doesn't want to o\erl()ok amihing. Not so with dance therapy. Each treatment program is different, because each "\'ague complaint is different. In fact, each session is different, because new aspects of the problem present themselves each week. So there can't be sets of exercises for one problem and established dance steps for another The therapist must make up each meeting on the spot, calling upon all available knowledge about the patient, human mo\ement and its interpretation as he or .she goes along. And that's incredible, "

"

we

think!

DANCE THERAPY

205

-

DRUGS AND EXERCISE

w Alcohol

is

e

all

know what

a wea\ing car

another drunk dri\er meandering

means

down

the

higli^ay, read\- to self-destruct at an\' minute. It

would be comical - if it weren't so danDrunk dri\'ing is a serious problem.

gerous.

drug

a

that

scrambles your coordination. a haze of booze

The idea of getting behind the wheel with between you and the windshield is absurd.

when you exercise, ^-oure drixing wur bod>' instead And drugs aflFect how your bod)- is going to motor down the exercise highwa>' (though their eflFects may Well,

of your auto.

not be as ob\ious as those of alcohol). In the best of all possible worlds, all exercise would be done without any drugs in your bod\-. But most of us exercise in the real world of asphalt roads, g\Tns and swim-

ming

pools, and

We may

we do

things differently there.

no choice about some of the drugs we take. If you're taking a prescription drug under a doctor's direction, you can't stop taking it just because you want to exercise. But you should be aware of how that drug is going to influence \our exercise. That wa\' you can make ha\'e

allowances for the drug's effects. First let's look at alcohol, a drug that will do nothing but bad things tor am- kind of acti\it}. Alcohol is considered a recreational drug, a substance that people take for "fun."

Booze Dries You Out While

it's

running,

ob\ious that getting sloshed will not help your

swimming or whatever, some people advocate

beer as a refreshment during and like

marathons. But alcohol

after

endurance e\ents

depressant that's bound to drag you an initial rush from \-our first sip of beer, but tho.se drafts will soon inhibit the fimctions of )'our central nenous system, ^bur reaction time will sufter, and your coordination will go out the window, lliat's why the American Dietetic Association sa>^ that "although alco-

down.

206

"\'ou

may

is

a

feel

a ready source of energ)' for

muscular work, its use not recommended." ,\lcohol ma\' seem like an adequate and pleasurable thirst quencher after a long run or a hot tennis match, but that appearance is only a disguise. The alcohol actually has a diuretic eflfect, which in the long run %\ill make )ou lose more fluid than the suds supph'. This effect can dehydrate you. According to NancA' Clark, sports nutritionist for Boston's Sports Medicine Resource, Inc., "Drinking beer inhibits the release of the antidiuretic hormone (ADH), which retains water in the body. Instead of replacing fluids, you will urinate more frequenth and lose body fluids." Other drugs besides alcohol can have a depressant effect on your ner\'ous s^-stem. These include sedatives and tranquilizers such as Seconal, Nembutal, Am\tal, Luminal, Valium, IJbrium, Thorazine, Miltown, Equanil and Tofranil. (Tliese are brand names of some of the most commonl)- used sedatives.) Abram Hoffcr, M.D., Ph.D., a psychiatrist in British Gilumbia, sa\5 that "when \x)u take tranquilizers, yx)u shoixldn't do high- reflex sports like hockey or tennis. Your reaction time will be slowed and you won't perform as effectively as you would without the drug. "But taking these drugs isn't bad tor jogging, running or walking. Many of m)' patients who take tranquilizers walk eight to ten miles a da) Many other kinds of drugs also make it necessary to modilS your exercise. A drug such as Inderal, which is taken to control high blood pressure, slows your pulse. Of course, if you're taking Inderal under doctor's orders, you can't stop taking it without medical advice. Just keep in mind its pulsedampening effect. I nder the influence of Inderal your heart ma\ not be able to beat rapidh' enough to keep up with extremeh' vigorous exercise. You'll poop out sooner than hoi b\'

is

athletes

is

"

you take medication and are involved in a t\eavy-duty exercise program, you must remember ttiat ttie drugs you /oke affect your performance

If

and endurance.

you would normall). Antibiotics can also trip up your exercise program. Stephen Paul, Ph.D., chairman of the department of pharmacy economics and health care at Temple L'niversity, warns that some antibiotics cause digestive problems. "Some of the penicillins, he told us, "can cau.se diarrhea on the run. If you're taking ampicillin or moxicillin, you might find it hard to finish a long bike ride or long run. Of course, not everyone will react the same wa\'. "Some of these antibiotics may also increase >our sen"

DRUGS AND EXERCISE

207

"

some people who

to the sun, so

sitivit}'

sunburned

get badl\-

if

PABA (para-aminoben/oic them,

The

.so

the\ should

tr\

on them may

are

they're not careful. Sunscreens like

acid)

may

not be

eflfective

for

to sta\ out of the sun.

CaflFeine Zip

Many exercisers and athletes drink coffee before a workout or competition, and tor good reason. Caffeine impro\es concentration and enables muscles to more rapidly turn the body's supph of fat into fuel. A ,stud\ b\ Da\id Ccjstili, Ph.D., director of Ball State I ni\er.sity's Human Pertbrmance Lab, showed that caffeine enables bicyclists to pedal longer and harder before e.xliaustion (Medicine and Science in Sports. Fall, 19^8).

A problem

with caffeine is that, in the parlance of drug you 'crash If your exercise routine lasts longer than the effects of the caffeine, you're going to find Nourself losing steam in the midst of a workout or competition. users,

"

A

particularly insidious family of

dmgs

that affect ath-

perfbmiance is that of amphetamines. Tlie.se drugs mask fatigue and increa.se aggre.ssi\eness. Football pla\ers often take them before games because these little pills turn them into unfriendh people, lliats an ad\antage during a rough pro football game, but it's not going to win mam friends letic

for the axerage person. If

you're

reason,

acti\ities.

alarm

on medically prescribed amphetamines ft)r any that you stay awa\' from endurance

we recommend Tliese

dmgs

can interfere with the IvxJy's tatigue-

.sT,stem.

Amphetamines, known colic )qui;illy as ".speed." can make you unaware that a part of xou is hurting, or that you're overtired or overheated. .Since \()u can't

overdoing

it,

you run the

ri.sk

feel that xou're of pushing yourself past the

point of no return.

Aspirin, an Anti-Inflammatory' Another drug often mixed with exercise is a.spirin. Since aspirin reduces both pain and inflammation, many people to exercise in spite of an injur). But aspirin can backfire. Pain is often a signal that a part of you needs a rest. If you take a.spirin and continue to

use

208

WHOLE BODY HEALING

it

exercise,

you

also take a

chance of turning

a mild injury

into a serious one.

Taking aspirin can also upset \our stomach, and a bad stomachache can stt)p your exercise program in its tracks. The stomach upset caused b\ aspirin could also be a precursor to stomach bleeding. So if you are taking medication for any reason and are invohed in a hea\A-dur\ exerci.se program at the same time, remember that the dnigs \()u are taking are going to affect your performance and endurance. ^ou ma\ ha\e to cut back )-our exercise progriim to accommodate your drug. If you ha\e any questions about h(m' much exercise \ou can do, ask your doctor. He should be able to gi\e you a rundo\^n of the drugs side eflects. But if N'ou're still using a recreational daig like alcohol before or during exercise, nou .should cut it out! Tlie best exercise is natural exercise - and the natural good feeling that goes with it.

DRUGS AND EXERCISE

209

FASTING a questionable of losing vseight or Fasting dealing with health problems. Wliile many people \\a\

is

subject,

Q.

swear b\' it, many medical people warn against this extreme method. To clarif) the issues, we"\e included a question and ans"wer section on the incorporating the most common queries about festing.

One of my friends

that I try

hut I'm

it,

me ci/xmt fasting and suggested puzzled. Is it all right tofastF

told

still

why you want to fast and how you go about doing it. Most people think of fasting as eating nothing for a period of time, or consuming nothing but water Iliat t\pe of fasting is used by physicians as a tool in the treatment of patients who are allergic to certain foods or chemicals and who ma)' have .symptoms ranging from sneezing and coughing to depression and schizophrenia.

A. That depends on

on the fa,st, which ma>' last tor up symptoms usually disappear When allowed to eat again, he may have an immedi-

>XTiile the patient is

to five da\s, his allergic

the patient ate,

is

se\ere reaction to the otiending food. Another r\pe of fa.sting is the modified

fast,

which

is

under a ph\sician's care for the treatment of massive obe.sir\-a dangerous condition that can lead to diabetes or u.sed

heart attack.

may

eat nothing each supplement, a multida)' but a protein and carboh)drate \itamin tablet and a pota.ssium supplement. In one .such program, more than 500 patients were placed on a modified fast tor about 30 weeks, and ^8 percent of them lost more than 4() pounds. vSome people go on one-da) fasts. m;iking certain that they drink at least two quarts of water during the day. Others simph substitute fresh fruit and \egetable juices for

During

solid food,

a

modified

fast,

liu) feel that

a patient

fa.sting for a

da) gi\es their

the opportunit) to detoxif) itself- to rid tants

and

210

it

it.sclf

body

of the pollu-

has una\ht

same

quickly by fasting

and doing

intense

timer'

would be taking and demanding exerci.se (such as jogging) can be a dangerous combination. Marathoners who have been on extremeh low calorie diets ha\e had cardiac arrh\thmias and have died during running. When \()u fast, \()u deprive your body, and of course that includes \'. In ous than eating nothing at

fact, all.

First

1980) warned that "data demonstrate that a liquid prodiet is frequently associated with potentially life-

tein

threatening arrhxthmias."

Q. I'm starting to think that any kind of fasting dangerous to do. Sljould I nei'erfast at all?

is

too

FASTING

211

fa-sLs arc potentially dangerous and should only be done under close medical supenision. But there's probably nothing wrong with an unsupenised short term fast of one or two da)s. Fs)choi(jgicali\ it can be helpful if \ou've been trying to diet and lose weiglit but you can't seem to

A. Long-term

may gi\e \()u on the problem b\ gi\ing \()u distance from your consumption problem. If )'ou do tr\ a short-term fast, there are a couple of

loosen your

some some

ties to

the dinner table. Fasting

helpful perspectixe

remember Drink plenr\ of liquids. Don't yourself get dehydrated. And don't tn to do \igorous exercise. Some light to moderate walking is fine. But don't overdo it. Not eating puts ){)u into a stressful situaticjn. things )'ou should

let

Don't add to the

212

WHOLE BODY HEALING

stress.

FATIGUE AND STAMINA omctimes you ha\c

to reexamine your ide;Ls about your body. Tlie)' may seem like common sense, but tlie> don't make body sense. Take the problem

amount

of fatigue and energy, tor instance. "\'our common sense might tell >()u that you ha\e only a certain of energ\ to use, so ){)u"d better consene it in

any \va\ you can. And that includes not exercising. But nothing could be further from the truth! Exercise actualh' pro\ides \()u \%ith more energ); its imictiiity that wears

Fatigue is often tt\e result of too iittle ptiysical actrvity. But lacl< of exercise is only one cause of fatigue. Lack of proper nutrition is another.

vou out.

Exercise: His

Cup of Tea

Here's a case in point.

.

.

A w riter

.

and Coffee

friend of ours does a lot of

work at night. Occasionally, when it has work to do, he'll find himself

gets late and he starting to

still

nod over

his t\pewriter. "I

he told

more

1

used to drink a lot of coffee to keep myself going," us. "But found that the more coffee I drank, the would need the next night if 1 wanted to stay up. I 1

could see that I was getting into a \icious c\x\(i of ne\'erending coffee cups. "1 tried switching to tea, but that proxed to be the same as coffee. Once again, I was drinking more and more. The onl\ difference was that I had substituted tea for coffee. And that v\as no impnnement at all. "The big problem was that I was sitting down for long I onh got up to go to the stove to make tea or coffee. Or to go to the bathroom alter m\' third cup. I was in a real rut, feeling dragged out and cruninn. Hie coffee and tea weren't helping, and my work started to suffer as a result, lliat was \\hen 1 disco\ered a new use for my exercise bicycle. "I'd alwax-s been into jogging and I had an exercise bike down in the basement that 1 used when bad weather made it impossible to run. But one time, late at night, I had decided to spend half an hour on the bike becau.se stretches of time.

I

213

missed

my

afternoon nin.

I

figured that after 30 minutes on just enough energy- to

be bushed and ha\e crawl into bed. Boy was surprised! the bike,

I'd

I

Exercise bicycles develop

214

WHOLE BODY HEALING

your aerubic

capacity.

"The ride on the bike woke me up. And that was the opposite of what I thought would happen. Tlie stimulation of working up a s-weat ga\e me another liour of solid work at ni) t>pev\ riter.

"A couple of months ago I ga\e up tea and cotfee altogether I got tired of all that caffeine. Now when I need a lift. I drink a little fruit juice and work out on the bike. It works as well as the caffeine ever did. And I feel better the next morning."

Our

friend's discover)' doesn't qualilS

of exercise, though.

He was beaten

him as the Edison punch by Hip-

to the

pocrates, the famous phx'sician of ancient Greece, that "inactixit)- wastes"

and

contemporary doctor, Ra\ is

who said A more

strengthens."

Wunderlich, Jr, M.D., of St. an inter\iew. often the result of too little ph^-sical activity," he

Petersburg, Florida,

"Fatigue

"acti\it)'

echoed

C.

that statement in

told us.

But during the inteniew Dr. Wunderlich used a word would have sounded strange to Hippocrates: aerobic acti\it>. If yt)u've read our chapter on aerobic exercise and dance, \{)u know what he was talking about. Jogging, c-)cling, walking. An)' actix-it)' you keep at for 20 minutes or more that speeds up circulation and floods muscles and tissues, including wear) brain cells, with oxygen. And as our friend ft)und out, an acti\it)- like t)ping d(x:sn't qualil). Tliat's because it's rt/2aerobic - a short burst of action that doesn't push ox)gen into e\er) cell. Taking out the garbage, lugging laundr)' up steps, chasing the bus and other frenzied bursts of daily life are in the .same categon-. They leave )ou frazzled, not fresh. And constant fnizzle can lead tcj chronic fatigue. But lack of exercise is only one cause of fatigue, bick of proper nutrition is another. that

The

Antifatigue Nutrients

you

ha\'e chronic fatigue, there's a checklist of nutrients should consult H\'en a slight deficienc-) in am' one of them could put )()ur \'italit) under the weather Hie first item on that list is magnesium. .Magnesium sparks more chemical reactions in the body than any other mineral. In a se\ere deficienc), the whole body suffers, ^bu stumble instead of walk, feel depressed, ha\e heart spasms. Doctors are trained to recogni/e these and o\er 30 other symptoms of a se\ere deticienc). But If

\()u

FATIGUE

AND STAMINA

215

they aren't trained to recognize a mild deficienc\- of magnesium. It has only one noticeable .symptom: chronic fatigue. "A deficienc\' of magnesium is a common cause of fatigue,

"

Vigomus

216

WHOLE BODY HEALING

says

Dr Wunderlich.

exercise boosts energy leivls.

But that fatigue can be cured easily. In a stud}' of magnesium and fatigue, 200 men and women who were tired during the da\ vsere given the nutrient. In all but tvso cases, waking tiredness disappeared {2d International Symposium on Magnesium. June, 1976). Tiredness is hard to define. But. in many cases, it means tired muscles, muscles that feel leaden or drained of energy. A lack of magnesium, which helps muscles contract, can cause that tiredness. So can a lack of potassium. Potassium deficiency is a well-known haziird among long-distance runners and professional atliletes. The mineral helps cool muscles, and hours of exertion use it up. If its not replaced, the result is chronic fatigue, e\en for a higlily trained athlete. "AXTien you lack pota.ssium," says Gabe Mirkin. M.D., runner of marathons and coauthor of The Sportsmeclicine Book (Little, Brown, 19"'8), "\ou feel tired,

weak and

potassium deficit, muscular weakness may perIn chronic sist for

many months and be

interpreted as being

due

vo

emotional instability.

irritable."

But a potassium deficienc") and the weakness that goes with it aren't limited to athletes. In one study, researchers randomh selected a group of people and measured their potxssium intake. Those people with a deficient intake of potassium - 60 percent of the men and 40 percent of the women in the study - had a weaker grip than those with a normal intake. And, as potassium intake decreased, muscular strength decreased {Journal of the Ametican Medical Association, October 6, 1969).

You could probabh put up with a tew da)'S of weakBut after a few months you feel terrible. "In chronic potassium deficit," wrote a researcher who studied the mineral, "muscular weakness may persist for man> months and be interpreted as being due to emotional instability" {Minnesota Medicine, June, 1965). ness.

"The Housewife Syndrome" Could

a

tear)-,

depressed and

housewife be nothing

irritable

more than the \ictim of a potassium deficiency? \'es. One physician dubbed the problem "The Hou.sewife -Syndrome." something like the following Twent\ pounds of laundn,, but you don't have an ounce of strength. ITie kids want a maid, your hu.sband a lover, your mother-in-law a saint, but all you want is a go(xl night's .sleep. "\bu wake up tired and go to bed exhausted. For you, It

l(M)ks

life is

.

.

.

a chore.

FATIGUE

AND STAMINA

217

-

"

If you can't take any more, check to see if \()iir diet pro\ides enough potassium and magnesium. A doctor ciiose 100 chronically fatigued patients 84 women and 16 men -and put them on a supplementar)' regimen of potassium and magnesium. Of the 100, 87 impro\ed.

"Tlie

change was

of Old Bridge,

New

startling," writes

Jerse\-.

"The)' had

Palma Formica, M.D.,

become

alert,

cheer-

animated and energetic and walked with a lively .step. ITie) stated that sleep refreshed them as it had not done for months. Some said they could get along on 6 hours sleep at night, whereas formerly they had not fclt rested on 12 or more. Morning exhaustion had completeh- subsided. "Almost all patients have undertaken nev^' activities," she notes. "Six who had not worked outside the home before obtained part-time jobs. Two of the pregnant patients continued to work for a time. Several of the husbands called and expressed appreciation of the phv'sical improvement and consequent increase in emotional well-being of their wives. Some of those patients had had chronic fatigue for over two \ears. Yet it took only five to six weeks of magnesium and potas.sium therap) to clear up their problem {Current Tljerapeiitic Research, March, 1962). But not all cases of chronic fatigue are caused by a lack of potassium and magnesium. In fact, mam' are caused by a lack of iron. Iron helps form hemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that carries oxvgen from vour lungs to the rest of your body. If that oxygen supply is reduced, \'ou have the blues: apathy, tiredness, irritabilitv - the sv^mptoms of irondeficienc}' anemia. But even if vour blood tests show adequate levels of hemoglobin, you may still have an encrgvful,

crippling iron deficiency.

You Can Be Iron-Deficient but Not Anemic "A deficiencv of iron may be present when blood hemoglobin falls within normal limits," says Dr Wunderlich. "lliis S)'ndrome of iron deficiency without anemia," he continues, "is an exceedingly important cause of fatigue." Iron deficiencv creeps up on you. Periods drain iron. Pregnancies sap it. Reducing diets cut down your int;ike. Before v'ou know it, even cell of your body is dragging One stud)' shows just how slow )ou go comp;ired to

218

WHOLE BODY HEALING

somebody who's not iron-deficient. Researchers studied the "ph\'sical work capacity" of 75 women, some anemic, some not. The anemic women could sta\ on a treadmill an average of eight minutes less than the nonanemic group. None of the anemic women ct)uld perform under "highest working load" conditions. AJI of the nonanemic group could. During a work test, the anemics' heartbeats rose to an average of l~'6 per minute, the nonanemics' to 130. Levels of lactate, a chemical in the muscles that is linked to fatigue, \\ere almost twice as high in the anemic group (American

Jounml of Clinical

Xntrition. June, 1977).

from iron deficiencA' is simple. Replace the iron. >X()rkers on an Indonesian aibbcr plantation were paid b\ prs, while another group with anemia recei\ed a placebo, a fake iron pill. Before the iron supplementation and again after 80 daN'S, both groups took a "step test," repeatedh stepping on and off a small bench. In the first test, the anemics who were to receive iron had an average heart rate of 154 beats per minute. After recei\ing iron, it was 118. During the final step test, they also had 15 percent more oxTgen delivered per beat than the placebo group. And their lactate levels after the final step test were about half the placebo group's (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, September, 1975). Iron deficiency is, of course, caused by lack of iron. But anemia - too little hemoglobin - has other nutritional causes as well. "The commonest cause [of anemia] is iron deficiency, but folate deficienc")' can al.so be a cause," says a report But

relief

.

in

Umcet

.

.

(Februar) 21, 1976).

Blood Needs Tlie report gtxrs

Folate,

on

Too

to cite a study in

which

women

receiwd

either injn alone, folate alone, or iron and folate together.

26 percent of those v\ho received a single nutrient hemoglobin, while 96 percent of tho.se who received iron and folate had a rise.

()nl\

had

a rise in

FATIGUE

AND STAMINA

219

The B complex vitamin folate is a must tor the creation of normal red bkjod cells. VC ithout en(jugh of this nutrient, red blood cells are too large, strangely shaped

and

have a shortened life span. A lack of healthv red blood cells means less hemoglobin, which in turn means less oxygen is delivered tcle. t\\() headaches per night are common, and lia\e had as m;ui> as fi\e per niglit bet%\een 10:30 i'm and 6 .wi Antihistamines, painkillers and other drugs were ineffective in controlling the symptoms. Tlien the man stumbled upon a curious pattern: "The headaches occur during quiescent periods an hour or two after lunch or dinner, when am reading, watching T\' or ha\ing casual con\ersation. Tlie\ ha\e ne\er occurred when I am working around the house, during backpacking, skiing or placing tennis "Because 1 ne\er had headache during phracal acti\it)', tried nmning one e\ening in July, 1974, when I felt pres1

1

.

.

.

1

sure starting to build in my head. I ran 220 yards in 25 seconds, and within three minutes all pres.sure had disappeared, both nostrils were clear and no pain developed. A headache awoke me later that same niglit and I ran in place until my heart rate was 120 per minute." Within a few minutes the pain was gone. llie patient has continued e\er since to successful])' counter his frequent headaches with exercise. "I'suall) one running session is enough, and the pain stops within five minutes." There is possibh an added benefit to the therapy. As Dr. Atkin.son points out. the mans "fine phvsical condition ma> in part be attributed to the exercise he gets in attempting to control his headaches." A regular running program can also benefit people with migraine headaches, according to Dr. Appenzeller. He's seen several patients find relief by jogging .seven to nine miles dailv at a speed of .seven to nine minutes per mile. "I have 18 patients who .suffered from migraines. After reaching this level of activitv; they are headache-free and medicinefree."

he told

Dr. him.self.

us.

Appenzeller.

who

believes such a

is a frequent marathon runner program would be good for just

about anyone whose health permits it. If the results of his study are any indication, voull lose weiglit, feel better and, he predicts, "vou w ill be cured of all headaches." >X'hat makes exercise so effective in silencing headache's heav\ artillery? No one is really sure, but there are plentv' of theories. Dr.

Appenzeller speculates that endurance training such

HEADACHES

229

as running, ocling and swimming ma\ spur the body to produce an important enzyme. ITiat enz>me might pre\ent blood \cssels in the brain from expanding and painfully

pressing against nenes. Such swelling, or \asodilation, a.s d(x.tors call it, is beliewd to be the cause of \uscailar headaches, which include migniine and cluster Tension headaches, on the other hand, usualh involve the tiglitening of head and neck muscles in response to stress or worn-. Of course, exerci.se ma\' help relie\e the latter kind of headache pain as well, by reducing tension and inducing a relaxed bodily state.

Extra

Oxygen May Do the

Trick

be another ke> to solving the cluster headache master}-. In a letter to the Journal of the American Medical Association (Januar\' 16, 19^H). Jerold F. Janks. O.D., a San Francisco optometrist, describes how oxygen helped him. "I ha\'e been a victim of cluster headaches for the past 12 years," he confesses. "The intensity- of pain is the same Extra ox-^gen ma}

oxygen may be another key to solving the cluster headache mystery- Thafs exerting, because vigorous exerExtra

cise such as jogging delivers more oxygen to the body.

regardless of sidedne.ss, but tor

some

rea.son the left-sided

and neck, also invohe the left upper molars, the left side of the soft palate, and the left side of the Adam's apple." Jank.s tried many medications without success. Then, five years ago, he \isited a neurologist who suggested that if all el.se failed he miglit tr\' ox-^gen. Janks put an oxygen tank v\ith breathing mask next to his bed and started using it during attacks. Tlie result? "I am .still a cluster statistic but not a \ictim," he reports. Breathing oxygen "totally aborts the headache in less than ten minutes." With another tank in his car and one at the office, Janks sa\s, "1 ha\e reduced my cluster headaches from episodes of de\astation to mere incomenience." clusters, in addition to involving the eye, ear

The Body

Can't Store

Oxygen

That's intriguing, because \igorous exercise such as jogging also deliwrs more oxygen to the IxxK. As Kennetli H. (xxijxt,

M.D., points out in his landmark fitness Exans, 1968), "Tlie ke>' to

endurance

"Hie bod\ can store Ibod,"

230

WHOLE BODY HEALING

is

book Aar)hics

(.\1.

ox>^en consumption.

Dr Cooper

sa>>.

"hut

it

"

can't stoiv oxygen. Tlie problem is to get enough oxygen to all the areas - all the small hidden, infinite areas ." in this wonderful mechanism \\e call the human body. Wlien we run. he sa)s. the lungs process more oxy-gen and the heart pumps it \ia the blood more effectively. In short, "the training effect increases maximal ox)gen consumption b) increasing the efficiency' of the means of supply and delivery." As a result, the body is literally saturated with oxygen. .\nd that's when some problem-headache \ictims finally experience relief. .

.

.

.

.

A.S Dr. (xjoper notes in his follow-up \'olume IJje .\eiv Aerobics (.\I. E\-ans. 19~()), "A fev\ readers oi Aerobics claimed that exercise helped, and in some cases, relie\'ed them of their problem u ith migraine headaches. I can't scientifically document such a .statement, and therefore report it only as an obsenation." Tliere may be still another contributing factor, howe\'er. that makes running and other aerobic exercises so effecti\e against headaches. As Dr Appenzeller sees it, "Endurance training requires a great deal of discipline and perse\erance; it leads unquestionably to a change in perspective and behavior. I beliexe these changes in outlook and personiility iire the most important causes of impnnement in vascular headache patients

after

endurance

training.

Dr. (xx)per say>i

much

the

same

ing effect [of jogging, cycling, etc.]

in Aerobics:

"The

train-

may change your whole

outlook on life. You'll learn to relax, develop a better selfimage, be able to tolerate the stress of daily living better." That's the kind of uplifting formula that could stop the average tension headache dead in its tracks. Big headache or little headache, it seems that exercise is one avenue to pain prevention that's worth exploring.

HEADACHES

231

'

THE HEART

Make

Now open

and close it about once you read. Does your hand quickly start to get tired? Does your tbrearm begin to cramp? C^an )-ou imagine doing that all da\ and night without any rest? Out of the question, )()u might sa>. Well, your heart is about the same size as your fist, and that opening and closing motion is exactly what it's doing right now and does day and night, about once a second, pumping blood without complaint. Most of the time you're not e\en aware that its working to keep you alive. That's a prett}- impressive task considering that it gets done in most people's chests continuously- for ""O or a

more )ears. And the a beating!

it right.

fist.

as

heart not only beats for that long,

it

also takes

As Michael DeBakey, M.D., and Antonio

two doctors who established

Ciotto.

Heart and Blood Vessel Research and Demonstration Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, tell us in their b(H)k The Liiing Heart {McKa)\ 1977): "It is indeed extraordinary to think that the heart must operate for 70 years without e^er being permitted to rest or shut down tor extensive repairs. It staggers the imagination to think of the wear and tear that the heart x-alves, those critically important parts of the cardiovascular machiner>, must sustain in opening and shutting \\ith considerable hydraulic pressure 2.5 billion times in a lifetime. The magnitude of these forces is apparent to a surgeon wlien replacing a detecti\e heart vaKe with a pn)Sthetic deiice consisting of a silicone ball in a steel cage. Some of these hard silicone balls become pitted, aitted and battered out of shape after onl) three or tour years of being pounded b\ the bUxKl M.D.,

Although it never gets a vacation, the heart usually performs admirably -if you treat

a

second

a National

Your Heart Needs Your Cooperation Don't put your fist down yet! using a .sciueegee hiind pump to

Now

mow

imagine that you are water hx)m one bucket

to another through a plastic, flexible tube, the

same way

the heart pimips blood through your arteries. "\bu ha\e to

232

I

"

keq? squeezing the hand pump to keep the water mcning. You'd use both hands if you could, but we\e tied one of them behind \our back. Not only that, but there are people standing around who used to help \ou with \our water pumping task, but now they're doing exervthing the\ can to make it harder tor you. One of them, Mr Hardening of the Arteries, is squeezing on the tube, making it narrower so that it is almost impossible to get water through it. Another e\il doer, Ms. Cigarette, is pinching your nostrils, forcing you to breathe through )'our mouth, as she blows smoke in }iour foce, making you choke, cougli and splutter At the same time, Mr. Ner\ous Personality is standing b\ your ear and hollering at you in a harsh, domineering voice, "Hurr\- up! Sounds unpleitsant, doesn't it? If \-ou had to work under

those conditions, \c)u would probably complain to the National Labor Relations Board. But those kinds of tortures are exacth- what many people force their hearts to endure. And then the) wonder why their hearts go craz)-, running at funny rh\thms or quitting altogether during a massive

Many people force Iheir hearts to endure torture, and tfien they wonder why their hearts go crazy, running at funny itiythms or quitting altogetlier.

heart attack.

The

heart

is

itself, beating and pumpbody without regard to other emironment. The kind of life you

not an island unto

ing the blood through \-our

c\ents within

its

internal

the amount of exercise and the kind of exercise you get, the foods \-ou eat, even the emotions that you feel - all of these things aflFect the heart. Our picture of the beleaguered squeegee pumper parlive,

the kind of conditions that Robert A. Miller, M.D., chairman of the (loronan,' Care (Committee at the Naples allels

Communitv

book Avoid One

Hospital, Naples, Florida, describes in his

How

to Liiv With (Chilton, 19''3):

a Heart Attack and

How

to

man

has narrowing of his coronary arterbut he has ne\er had .symptoms from the disea,se; it hasn't progressed far enough. On a particular da\ he is tense and anxious over a bu.sine.ss deal. He smokes an unusual number of cigarettes. The carbon monoxide in the cigarettes combines preferentially with the hemoglobin in his red blood cells, and the blood is able to carry less and less oxygen to his heart. His anxiety is stimulating his glands to produce more adrenaline. His heart beats faster and therefore requires more oxygen for nourishment. A certain critical point is reached, and the heart revolts against the abnormally low oxygen supply. The ner\'()us s"ystem of the heart goes into rebellion, and the result is a total disor-

'A 4()-\ear-old

ies b\ arteriosclerosis,

THE HEART

233

ganization of the heartbeat lar fibrillation. \X'ithin five

How to

known

medically as ventricu-

minutes the victim

is

dead."

Take Care of Your Heart

The most important component of

the air that you breathe, concerned, is oxygen. TTie heart muscle, ju.st like all the other muscles in your bod\, needs a steady supply of ox)'gen in order to survive. Without it, the muscle tissue dies ver\' quickly. If you go back to our .squeegee hand pump image, and the villainous Ms. Cigarette, \'ou can see exactly what smokers are doing to their hearts - choking off their oxvgen suppl\and making it more difficult for them to function. But people who lead a sedentan' lifcstvie and never exercise also lower their capacity- to use oxvgen (although they don't do it as drastically as do the smokcis). They do this because an unused bod\ organizes itself around the principle of being able to do just enough to get by. If you spend ail da\-, even- day, sitting still at an activit) like working at a desk and never exercising, then that is the level of activitv' your body and your heart will be capable of sustaining. It will have ven little reserve tor dealing with more strenuous activity. The situation is similar to living in a large mansion but using only one or two of the rooms and closing the doors to the rest of the house. Tlie condias far as your heart

is

tion of the unused rooms deteriorates. If company .suddenly shows up on Memorial Day weekend (your old school buddies, let's say) and you need a place for them to sleep, you're in trouble. "\bu throw open the door to one of those unused rooms, and vou're greeted by dust and mildew. Neglect, no matter how benign, results in decay. If vou neglect your phv^ical conditioning, it's the same as ck)sing off the rooms to that house, '^bu won't retain the use of what you don't use. You won't be able to cope with

unusual demands.

smoker mentioned above, who under the strain of a harrowing business day, is an example of the disaster that can result from not having this reserve capacity. A little extra strain can put you in danger if you don't have that vital reserve. In the case of Dr Millers businessman, "the heart revolts against the abnormallv low oxygen supply. If he had been a nonsmoker and had been phv'sically fit from a good, long-term aerobic exercise proDr. Miller's 40-year-oId

dies

"

234

WHOLE BODY HEALING

)

gram, chances are that he could have survi\'ed almost any stress and strain his job ct)uid ha\e thrown at him. One of the basic ideas of an aerobic exercise program is to genth' push your heart to work at a le\el bexond what it normally has to do. Tliis enables it to more easily handle a\erage, da>-to-da\ situations and gi\es it that reserve capacity' to cope with extra stress. (For more information on this subject, see our chapter on aerobic exercise and dance. According to Sidney Alexander, M.D., a cardiologist and marathon runner who is on the facult)- of the Harvard Medical School, "One of the major determinants of fitness [is] tlie efficient operation of the mechanisms necessar)- tor bringing oxygen to the exercising muscles and burning it propCigarette smoking is the erh once it arri\ed there. major cause of p(K)r lung llinction in adults. Smoking scvereh' injures lung tissues, interfering with oxx'gen uptake and carbon dioxide remoxal. Aging also reduces lung function. Some .

.

.

good fitness program may slow this deteriora{Running Healthy, Stephen Greene Press, 1980).

belie\'e that a

tion"

Ph)-sical conditioning is a key tool for pre\'entive maintenance of the heart. e\en for former heart attack patients who want to present the recurrence of heart trouble. For example, the Downstate Medical Center of the State Uni\'ersit}' of Nc\a '^brk has a program called the (Cardiac Exercise Laborator)', which teaches heart patients and those who wish to a\'oid becoming heart patients how to exercise

safelv

and

elfecti\el\.

Recovering from a Heart Attack It wasn't that long ago, recalls Richard Stein, M.D., director of the Cardiac Exerci.se Laboratory-, that a program like his was unthinkable. "After a heart attack, the u.sual thing used

to be: sell your business, retire, move to Florida. A lot of people," he adds with a wr\' smile, "were in the embarrassing position of being still around 20 years later - and very

good at golf." Now, he points di.seasc

may

out, doctors recognize that while heart require .some curtailment in activity, it rarely

necessitates a complete withdrawal from active it

is

life.

In fact,

that feartlil, protective attitude, rather than the di.seasc

itself,

that often threatens to

make

heart attack victims into

lifelong invalids.

"Taking a patient and throwing him out of a job and putting him into a very dependent position

where

every-

THE HEART

235

body picks up after him and talks softly in front of him that turns him into a neurotic, sick cripple," Dr. Stein says. "It gives him le.ss to live for." The heart patients who wxjrk out under Dr. Stein's direction are more likely to start businesses than sell them, to play .Softball with their kids than to insist on silence around the hou.se.

Physical conditioning is a lX'ith

the caution of a

on whether or not

speculate

.scientist,

Dr

wont

Stein

exerci.se prevents further heart

attacks, but he will cite enthusiastically the human accomplishments of his program. "We certainly ha\'e created a group of patients who are robust, \igorous, back at work, living full, meaningful lives, who have in no wa\- had their lifestvle cramped by the

disease,"

he

sav's.

as 1 2 weeks after a heart attack, a patient may return to a full life b\ coming to the laborator\- for evaluation. Linlcss problems like severe heartbeat irregularities contraindicate it, the patient is given a stress test - a

As

little

start the

walk or jog on a treadmill while the EKG, pulse rate and blood pressure are watched carefully. "V('e asse.ss howmuch exercise the patient can safely do. On the basis of that, we devise an exercise program for him to follow," sav^s brisk

Dr. Stein.

Pedaling Back to Health Here, an exercise program generally means an ergometer, a

make

stationary exerci.se bicycle that can be adjusted to

pedaling strenuous or

eas)-.

Two more

sessions at the labo-

rator\- train patients to use the ergometer, adjusting it to bring the heart rate up to the point \%here a positive training effect is produced (about "5 percent of the heart's

maximum

capacity).

Tested and tniined. the patients take

home

an ei^ometer

of their own and follow their "exercise prescription three times a week, for at least a half hour each session. The\' come to the exercise lab everv three months to have the "

performance of their "As patients get

the

more

heiirt lit,

amount of exerci.se,

"

monitored while they work out. their prescription - increase

we up .sav^s

Dr

Stein.

VChat does a patient get tor all this effort? One of the first and most important benefits, .sa\^ Dr. Stein, is p.sychological - a \ictor\ over fear. "After you've had a he;irt attack, its ver\- difficult to push it out of your mind, convince

236

WHOLE BODY HEALING

"

yourself that you're well and concentrate

become

to

stantly

Ciirdiac

a

concerned and die.

on

lixing. It's

easy

who's congoing to have

neurotic," an indi\idual

that the next

moment

he's

his pain

"But if \()u work out on a bicycle three times a week, or go out and rim iiround a track and work up a sweat, then this kind of problem is taken care of You're proving to yourself that you can exert yourself and not die The change in a patient's outlook, according to Florence Frank, a nurse in the program, can be striking - and immensely regarding. "People are so frightened when they come in here, and they're so happy when the\'ve gotten into exercise," Ms. Frank saj's. "They no longer have to fear their dail\ activities, since they know they can do much more strenuous things. The)' learn they can live prett) much as they did before - prudently, but without fear. "

There was a man

who

in his early fifties. Dr. Stein recalls,

mild heart attack tbund a return to normal

after a

he was doing quite he complained of extreme fatigue. Several months after his heart attack, he had not yet resumed his sex life. "Both he and his wife were extremely nervous about am' activin, including sex," Dr. Stein recounts. "So we had the wife watch his stress test. We pointed out, at each stage, what kind of activit}' demanded an equivalent exertion: 'Now he's mowing the lawn," we told her. 'Now he could be having .sex; now he could be playing tennis. You can .see that his heartbeat, his EKCi are fine.' And the visual impact of the demon.stration was enough to dispel their anxieties, allowing them to resume their sex life and making acti\ir\

virtually impossible. Medically,

well, but

it

possible for

him

to enter the exercise program."

Dr

In general,

Stein

.sav^s,

statistics

show

that partici-

pants in the Downstate program have reaped substantial emotional and p.sAchological benefits. Tests of life satisfaction, self-image and .sense of well-being show dramatic

improvement. the

amount of

in their u.se

"And we've .seen a significant reduction in .sleeping pills that patients need, a decrease

of tranquilizers,

"

Dr. Stein says.

regular exercise, he adds, heart patients don't just Ujink thev- are capable of more activity; they generally become \X ith

capable of more "It's

ran

activity.

called the training response," he explains. "If

up ten

flights

of

stairs, v'our pul.se

would

you

be, say, 180.

But after running up those stairs ever)' day for six weeks, your puLse wouldn't go higher than, let's say, 140. Your

THE HEART

237

Going up and down a

step

is

good heart

exercise.

muscles would be doing the same amount of work and requiring the same amount of oxA'gen, and \our heart would have to pump the same amount of blood. But now your

238

WHOLE BODY HEALING

heart has

so

it

been trained

dfxfsnt ha\e to

more blood with each many times. And at a lower

to eject

pump

as

beat, he:irt

your heart itsell needs less ox\gen than it did before. "So let's sa\' a patient with coronan, disease gets chest pains at a heart rate of 150. After training, he'll .still get his pain at 150. But where two fliglits of st;iirs would cause him pain before, now he can go up four flights before reaching that point. He ma\ be able to go througli an entire da) without that kind of physical stress. It's an improvement in efliciencT; you can do more external work (like walking) for the same cardiac work. So you can tolerate rate,

more that

tor

exercise."

Such ph\siological improvements, Dr. Stein says, mean some 20 percent of the patients who sta\- in the program o\er a \ear are able to cut

down on

the use of cardiac

drugs. Mam-, he adds, report a decrease in symptoms.

Workouts

at

the

Y

More impressive than

statistics, thougli.

are the participants

ha\e heart patients who are more fit than the average sedentan noncardiac individual. Dr Stein says. "If you go over to the ^^ vou'll see people who have had heart attacks running vigorously tor 30 minutes at a time." At the 92d Street Y on Manhattan's L'pper East Side, cardiac patients sweat and strain alongside health)' joggers, in a program directed b) the Cardiac Exercise Laborator)'. The \ is no hospital, but it has its own stress-testing center ("with equipment just as sophisticated as that in ni)- laborasays Dr Stein ) and a .staff that includes a cardiologist, tor), a nurse and a nutritionist. A participant at the \ is given an individually designed exercise program, built around his or her preferences and needs. It mav involve ninning in place, skipping rope, doing sit-ups or calisthenics or running. ">Xe ask, 'What do you find fun? What turns you on?' " Dr.

themsehes.

"We

"

"

Stein says.

Participants also meet with the nutritionist for advice on improving their diet and with a social worker for counseling on how to reduce the stress in their life. "About 45 percent of our people have had heart attacks," says (iharles Bronx, health and ph)sical education director at the "The) are treated the same as those people who enter the program for preventive reasons. We find that bringing the two groups together has a beneficial effect "i'.

for

evenone."

THE HEART

239

"

For heart patients, the benefits can be striking. "\X'e had one 5 -\ear-old man vsho'd had a heart attack and double b)pass surgery," Mr Bronz recalls. "NXTien he first came here, all he could do was work out, slowly, on a bicycle. Now he's running. In fi\e months, his endurance has improved by nearly 50 percent." Another man had ver\- soere angina, chest pains that reflect insufficient blood flow through the coronan,' arteries. "When he first started in the program four \ears ago, 1

his 'run'

was more

like a fast walk.

Now

he's pla\ing singles

endurance has almost doubled. Training. Mr. Bron/ points out, can help some heart patients perform feats that healthy men might en\y. "Vie ha\'e one man, a psychiatrist, who'd had rv\o heart attacks. He's doing particularly well. He e\en caught a mugger! Some kid grabbed his wife's purse; he chased him for r\\-o blocks and cauglit him!" One thing that makes the '\' program succes.sfiil, apparently, is the friendly community .setting. "People take an interest in each other, says Mr Bronz. "If somebody misses Nurse Bara few sessions, they ask, 'He\', where's John?' bara Eisenstein and nutritioni.st Gail Le\ey are alwaN-s available for participants who want information, reassurance or tennis. His

"

"

just friendly conversation.

recognize that alter a heart attack, a as much reassurance ds the patient says Dr does. "Often, children don't know how to act. Stein. " Shall I take out the garbage so Daddy won't have to?' they ask. 'Can I talk to Daddy abt)ut staying out late Saturday night, or is that going to get him upset and give At the

Y,

the>'

patient's family ma)'

need

"

him another "So

we

heart attack?'

ha\e Famih'

Da\',

and imite the

famil\'

down

to

watch e\'er)-bod)' exercise. >X'atching Dad put on a sAveat .suit, jog for 30 minutes and vsork up a good .s\\eat - that goes a long way toward eliminating those fears. If you ju.st tell them. Don't worry about your father,' it won't ha\e the same effect."

Preventing the

First Attack

Healthy people who want to prevent heart attacks also find support at the Y Moti\ated, often, b) the illness or .sudden death of a cIo.se friend or relati\e, the) sign up tor rigorous

240

WHOLE BODY HEALING

and blood

determine the health of and the risk of future trouble. pass the tests with fhing colors are sent on

stress testing

tests to

hearts and arteries

their

Those

who

their \\a\, sa)> Mr. Bronz. " Viliate\er )()u're doing,'

them, 'keep

up!'

it

"

Those with a medium

we

tell

to high risk of

heart di.sease, about

10 percent of the people tested, are imited to join the progr;im. Like the c;irdiac patients, they receive indi\iduall)' designed exercise schedules, advice from the nutritionist, stress counseling from the social worker and encouragement from the nurse. "Tliats why the program works so well; it doesn't just come at prevention from one xspect," sav^s Ms. Le\e\. 'It's comprehensive." Participants, she adds, seem uncommonly receptive to nutritional advice. "Some come to see me periodically tor couaseling on weight loss, or to .see if their diets are okav'. I encourage a low-fat. high-carbohydrate diet, lots of whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables, less beef and more chicken and tish. They are really open to change."

Exercise helps your heart by doing good things for the fat on your belly and the fat in your blood.

Ms. Eiseastein, whose years as a coronarv' care unit nurse have taught her the need for programs like Down-

"Once someone gets into

state's, is particularlv enthusia.stic.

the phvsical aspect of the program, life,

"

.she sav'S.

it's all

'It

him

do

">X'e

to start

way of

fundamental idea of the Downboth patients and nonpatients on

more vigorous

lifestyle.

"All

we

tr\'

form a lifetime habit of exercise," says Mr. Bronz. encourage people to be on their own." More than a is

few of his patients have, ci.se

a

in effect, is the

program -

the path to a healthier, to

becomes

it

a wholly different outlook, and

to the good."

Tliat,

state

gives

addicts,

"

Dr

in fact,

become

"enthusiastic exer-

.Stein says.

But what about

risks? Evervone has heard tales of stress by fatalities, and of apparenth- healthy midfound dead on the side of the running track.

tests interaipted

dle-aged

One

men

studv that

Dr

Stein likes to cite

hood of death or serious complication .stress test to

be

1

in 2()0,()()(). In a

may be even

shows the

in the

likeli-

course of a

good, modern center, he

"We do very careful screening before exercise testing, we alwav's have a physician and a nurse trained in EKCi and cardiopulmonarv' resuscitation, and there's always a full set of cardiac arrest equipment. Vi'ith better monitoring devices, we can pick up earlv warning signs of when to stop a test." Exercise it.self. Dr. .Stein grants, does involve .some increased risk for a heart patient. "XXe minimize it by bringspeculates, the

ri.sk

less.

THE HEART

241

"

ing >oiir heart rate higher,

than

mill,

it

will

be when

when we

test

you on the

train.

And

o\erall.

\()ii

tread-

we lower

the (Uiily risk of the indi\idual by putting him in a training program. If \()u exereise enough to train, in other words, then running for the bus on a wind\ da\ v\ill imolve less ph\sical stress than

it

would otherwise." program began, he

In the lour years since the

adds,

"we've found out that people's hearts and bodies are much sturdier after a heart attack than we had thought. We're comfortable prescribing more exercise than we u.sed to: we

seem

to

do

it

safely.

much

of the anxier\' about nmning exaggerated. For a \igorous, active person under 4() without symptoms or significant ri.sk factors like overweight or smoking, "a stress test may be an unnecessan precaution," according to Dr. Stein. A .sensible attitude is not. howexer.

he

Similarly,

for

.says,

healthy people

"If \'ou're

in

is

your

late forties, a stress test

would be

appropriate e\'er\' three or four years." And the "conipetiti\e nut" who pu.shes himself tor the extra two miles, or ignores the heat of summer, may be moving into a high risk zone, Dr Stein adds. "And if \()u feel an irregularity in your heartbeat or you start to haw chest pains )ou'\e ne\er had before, be prudent and see your doctor."

In with the

Good

Fats,

Out with the Bad

Exercise also makes )'our heart more fit by reducing >our fat - particularly the fats in your blood. These blood fats are called lipoproteins (they are actually combinations of protein and fat), and they carr\- cholesterol, a fatlike, wax^' substance, through the body. Tliere are two main txpes of lipoproteins

-

higli-den.sitA lipoproteias

(IIDLs) and k)w-deiisit)

lipoproteins (LDLs). VChen cholesterol

is carried by LDLs. it tends to cause trouble, clogging up arteries and m:iking the heart's job more difficult. But when cholesterol is associated with HDLs, it doesn't .seem to accumulate: instead, it gets whisked awa\ to the liver tor storage or elimination. A study of 4 male long-distance ainners aged 3S to 59 showed blood fat distribution le\els clo.ser to that of u)unger women rather th;ui of sedentan. middle-aged men - a 1

rea.ssuring find since, out of

all

age groups. \()ung

women

are about the least susceptible to heart disea.se. Ilie study.

242

WHOLE BODY HEALING

by the Stanford Heart Disease Prexention Progriun, looked at runners who averaged 15 miles per week tor at least a )ear. According to the stud)', man\- of the subjects had only started their running programs x\ithin the last tew )ears and were not lifelong athletes, providing proof that it's never too late to begin the fitness habit. In the stud\, the runners were compared to control subjects - men of similar age who lived in three northern California towns.

When

blood

tests for

coronan-

risk factors

were done on the rv\'o groups of men, the runners did better on e\en- test. The runners had higher loels of HDLs, lower levels of LDLs, lower overall cholesterol levels and lower amounts of triglycerides (a common blood fat associated with atherosclerosis). All this led the doctors

who

conducted the study to conclude: A'igorous activitv' in older men is associated with a pattern of blood lipids considered by most authorities to be conducive to heart health, and such activit)- is to be commended, at least from this point of \ieu', in fit individuals. In other words, if you want to help your heart out, don't just sit there, do something! "

THE HEART

243

)

HEAT THERAPY f youVc c\'er soaked your tired feet in water or used a hot water bottle to

I

tion, )()u'\'e alread) d(jctored \ourself

of hot an infec-

a basin fight

with heat ther-

and perhaps \ou've disco\ered how this simple remed)' can m;ike you feel better. VC'ell, \'ou"re part of an ancient tradition unci a modern medical trend. Todays apy,

dcK'tors are starting to realize wliat folk healers ha\e

known

all

along - that heat therap\ can be used to treat many diseases, including serious conditions such as arthritis ;ind cancer A hot bath, tor instance, seems to be a uni\ersal remed\for maladies like fatigue and muscular soreness. Hot water expands the bod\s blood vessels, bringing extra blood to nourish and relax tightened muscles. Tliroughout the ages, many people have used hot baths to fight muscle problems and related disea.ses. (For more information about the healing power of hot baths, .see our chapter on w ater therapy. You can al.so u.se heating pads and hot water bottles to selectively heat parts of \()ur

They come

body and

treat local soreness.

hand\ for the treatment of certain running injuries and other stiffness cau.sed by athletic injuries.

Wrapped

in

in a

Warm Cocoon

hot water bottle ma\ also be helpful in alle\iit is not the onh heat therap) a\ailable to arthritics. Katherine Doetterl of Cheektowaga. New \'ork. an arthritis sufferer for .-^0 \ears. wrote to tell us about her simple heat remed> - themi;il underwear. Weiiring the under-

VCTiile

a

ating arthritic pain,

wear during sleep pnnided

"great

relief

the painfiil condition, she said. She also suits

and

wore

it

rest" from under pant-

during the winter and experienced less pain in her during the cold weather. Another unusual and effectiw heat remedy for arthritics

joints

has been

documented

b\

Harl

J.

Brc-wer, Jr.

.\1.D..

at

the

Houston. A young Bo\ Scout under his care who was suffering from juxenilc rheumatoid arthritis found he did not w;ike with the usual morning stiffness and pain when he slept in his sleeping bag. His

Texas Children's Hospital

244

in

grandmother, who had osteoarthritis, tried sleeping in one and also felt better. After seeing the results. Dr. Brewer encouraged his arthritic hospital patients to try it. Some were so pleased \\ith the results the> continued sleeping in the bags after returning home.

Whether donning thermal underwear or zipping into a sleeping bag. the cocoon effect is the same. A uniform warmth wraps around the bod\, keeping it snug and warm all

over.

The dampness and cold

that

can

irritate arthritic

joints are kept at ba\'.

In some health problems, thougli, the bod)' takes over and generates its own healing heat. "Ciive me a fever and I can cure any disease," said Hippocrates more than 2.000

years ago. But a

number of researchers today still aren't is good for a patient. They belie\e it

certain that a fe\'er

ma\ be

a harmftil b>-prodiict

of infection and not an

all)'

against disease.

Matthew

J.

who

has tried to find out if a fever during healer In his work. Dr. Kluger set out to see what happens when a cold-blooded animal which relies on external sources such as the sun for its b()d\ heat - gets sick. Does it tn to scurr) to a hotter area? is

a

,scienti.st

illness is trul)' a natural

And does

K/uger's study suggests that fever is a natural tiealing device and ttiat people should allow ttieir fevers (if moderate) to continue.

Dr.

KJuger, Ph.D., at the University of Michigan,

if it can't find one? Kluger took some desert iguanas and placed them in a simulated de.sert emironment. He found that the lizards selected a normal bod) temperature between 100.4° and 102.2° F. But when the lizards became ill. the)' raised their body temperatures to berween 104° and 1()"'.6° F by it

First,

mo\ing

get sicker

Dr.

to a

warmer

site

on the

"desert."

Kluger then took .some infected lizards and placed them in either low, normal or high (fe\'er) temperature chambers. At the end of three da)'s, 96 percent of the lizards caged in the "fever chamber were still alive. Only 3* percent of the lizards were ali\e in the normal temperature chamber, and less than 10 percent survi\'ed the coolDr.

"

est climate. Tlie study, sa\'s Dr. Kluger, suggests that fever is

and that people should allow moderate) to continue {Natural History,

a natural healing de\ice

their

fe\ers

Januan.

(if

19"'6).

Wliiie

some

researchers explore nature's heating mech-

anisms, others are investigating the mechanics of heat tech-

nologies that battle \arious ailments.

HEAT THERAPY

245

Ultrasound and Heat Therapy Ultrasound

one of those new technologies.

is

A

form of energyy)und waxes,

similar to but liiglier in frcquenc\ than ordinan,

ultrasound is used b\ physicians and physical therapists in hyperthermia, or deep-heating treatments. The therap) relieves pain and promotes healing in joints and muscles. Doctors at Stanford I'niversit) have also used ultrasound to treat patients with psoriasis, a clironic skin disease. Lesions were treated two or three times weekly tor a total of six to ten treatment sessions. In most instances, the first treatment decreased scaling and redness. Over time, 60 percent of the infected patches completeh regressed, and .^0 percent exliibited a partial response to treatment (Official hihlication of the American Federation of Clinical Research, April, 1979).

A Weapon Total

against Cancer

body hyperthermia, another product of heat therapy

being used by some doctors to fight cancer. procedure, the patient's entire body temperature is elevated in order to destroy or to dimini.sh the size of the tumor Donald Cole, M.D., of the Holistic (x-nter in technology,

During

is

this

Floral Park, New ^brk, and a member of the st;ilf of ,\merican International Hospital, Zion, Illinois, has used total body hyperthermia on his patients tor nciirly two years. He believes that when a person has cancer, the entire body has to be treated in order to eradicate the di.sease. "Surgery can't remove all of the cancer cells from the body. The entire body mu.st be treated, not just one area, since cancer is a systemic disease, Dr Ck)le told us. Patients are wrapped in double thermal blankets filled with water ;uid their I-kkIn temperatures are nii-sed to l(F.S° F for two hours. Some of the 200 patients treated have experienced a 50 percent reduction of the measurable tumor "

and are "noticeably

better," says Dr. Cx)le.

A

contrasting approach to total body hyperthermia is to localize the heating to just the cancerous area. Harry H. LeVeen, M.D., of the Medical Iniversity of South Carolina, has worked extensively in the use of radio frequency waves,

which can be beamed haps

killing In

246

WHOLE BODY HEALING

directly at a tumor, heating

and per-

it.

treatments lasting about three hours, the patient's

body temperature may

rise to 102° F. At the same time, the radio frequency ^^•a\cs are raising the temperature of the

tumor

to

between 110° and 115°

F.

Wliiie

some

patients

are sedated, others are conscious througliout the procedure.

Fighting Disease

Two Ways

When

a person develops cancer, sa\-s Dr. LeVeen, the body undergoes se\eral changes. Vie know tlie bod\' recognizes that the cancer ceils are different, and it will hold their growth in check lor a while. But e\entually the cancer .suppre.sses and parah'zes the body's immune .s-\stem. When this happens, the patient has nothing with which to tight the in\-ading cancer. Second, the tumor itself has a poor circulation, and as it gnms, it pushes the blood supply a\\a\ and de\elops a nc"w blood supph consisting onh of capillaries, sa\s Dr. LeV'een. But when local hyperthermia is applied to the tumor, both those abnormal body changes dramaticiilly re\erse. llie capillaries in the tumor are destnned, the tumor cells are killed, and a strong immune response is aroused in the patient.

Dr

IjeV'een lias treated

approximatel) 175 cancer patients

more than three years. Most patients he reports, and some are cancer-free.

of different ages for

respond

faxorably,

Further progress depends on the continuing research into heat therap)'. Engineers at the University College of North Wales haw designed "superb new equipment" for Dr. Le\een that should make the success rale over cancer e\en more remarkable, he says. Both Dr. C^ole and Dr. I,e\'een believe the use of heat therap) has been a significant breakthrough in the treatment of cancer W ith new equipment and further research, scientists may pnne, in cancer and mam other diseases, what Hippocrates and common sen.se have told us all along: heat is a curing fire.

HEAT THERAPY

247

)

HUG THERAPY by Kristina Davis,

If

MS VC.

you believe our ancestors stood upright

for the

time in order to carry a heavier brain, you ma\' not have seen the latest anthropological findings. Faded daubings on the walls of caves in .southern France show pairs of human figures in various stages of uprightness - and embrace! It all started one summer day when two ancestors ( ma\be one of vours and one of mine reached for the same ripe fruit in a primordial papaya tree. As they stretched toward that papava, the\ lost their balances and grabbed onto one another to avoid a fall. "Ah-hug," exclaimed one with shock and eflfort. "Ah-hug," ansAvered the other. And that is how the first upriglit hug, and its name, first

Hug^ealy meaning was to foster or cherish. Later it began to mean clasp or squeeze tightly with affection. That^ when hugging really became

something to do!

came

into being.

Like

all

soon evervone was doing

fads,

became

the accepted despite the fact that walking on all tours

passed, ah-hugging difficult

and

tiring.

it,

and

as time

way of greeting, made ah-hugging

No sooner would one drop down from

greeting an acquaintance when someone else would amble by, and the hugger would have to get back up on his hind legs again. It was simply easier, after a period of trial and error, to stay upright, and thus Homo erectus and the hug

were born

together.

Hugging

Is

.

.

.

the origin of the word "hug" is unknown and appears ft)r die first time late in tlie sixteenth cenain, according to the Oxford I-nglish Dictionary. Its earlv' meaning was

Actuallv;

similar to the (ierman "hegen, to foster or cherish." Tlie

use of hug as a verb - to clasp or squeeze tightlv in the arms, usually with affection - soon developed, however, and hugging lx'c;ime .something to do! It became an activr. eng;^ing and most often ;itfectionate act. A.S early as n^3- the cheering, mavtoe even medical or

therapeutic effect of hugging was noted bv David (iarrick in a description of Samuel Johnson, "vv ho, he said, "gives you '

248

and shakes laughter out of you, whether you could call Mr. Johnson the first hug therapist. 1 suppose, but that would hardh be tair to all those men and women who lia\e hugged their intants. children and each other down through the ages. a forcible hug.

will or not." >X'e

V\v-'

A hug shows someone

that you love them.

HUG THERAPY

249

Taking a cue from these early hug therapists and continuing the use of touch introduced in the encounter groups

of the 196()s and early 19'^()s, many psychological counselors are expanding our definition of "hug" by hugging, patting and massaging their clients in the course of normal therapy. They are expanding their healing powers b\ adding touch to the powers of speech, listening and obser\ation. They now see the client as a whole being, one \\hose skin can perceive care and reassurance just as readily as his or her eyes, ears and mind. In the medical field, hugging is also being used by nurses, health educators and doctors to calm and reassure people in the midst of health crises. And hugging is being offered to people in chronic pain as well. It has been found that this increase in pleasure allows them to forget their pain for a while. Today, hugging is regarded by many mental- and phN'sical-health workers, therapists, alcoholism counselors, childcare workers and divorce groups as a \er\ intense %%ay to communicate physically with another person and as a therapeutic tool that works best when used with the same care and sensitivity as any other form of therapeutic intervention.

The Proof Is

in the

Touching— or Lack of

It

Why

has hugging become a therapeutic tool? Hugging is so potent a form of touch because it takes us back to our earliest experiences of life, to a period before birth when our skin is surrounded by fluid in the womb. And immediately after birth, too, when touch continues to make a \ital contribution to life and sunival. Research indicates that infants need to be hugged, ("liildren under one year of age li\ing in foundling institutions at the beginning of this centur\ often died of a malady called "marasmus," or "wasting av\'ay." The then-comentional wisdom recommended the abolition of the cradle and suggested that picking up a cning infant only spoiled the child.

As a

result, infants in institutions

were

fed,

kept clean and

the iasulated world of their cribs to die of a m\>terious wasting awa\. More recenth, of course, just the opposite left in

has been the belief and practice. For instance. Rene Spitz, M.D., a professor of psTchiatr\ at the Tniversitx of ("olorado Medical School, found that the practice of picking up and

mothering hospitalized

250

WHOLE BODY HEALING

infants

lowered their

mortalit)- rate.

VfcTiats more, an infant's sense of touch is its most well-de\eIoped sense. We come to know our world first as it touches us and we touch it. Research with animals indicates that separation from their mothers causes changes in the beha\ioral and ph^-siological de\elopment of infant mon-

Children are great, spontaneous hufmers.

HUG THERAPY

251

department of psychiatn at the Universit)' of Colorado Medical C^enter. removed eight pigtailed monke\s from their mothers for ten days. Beha\ioral changes, such a-s frantic acti\it), loud protests and, keys. Martin Rcitc, M.D., of the

disconsolate "slouching" and a decrease in pla>- and grooming were the results. Some serious physiological changes also occurred. Ilie monke\s" he;irt rates increased after .separation, their body temperatures rose, later,

habitual

and there were di.sturbanccs the infants

in their sleeping patterns. >Xlien

were finalh returned to their mothers. the> cudand slept more than the\ normally would ijour-

dled a lot tml of ChiUl Psyc/x)log}'

ami Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines.

1981). Of course, we can't separate human babies from their mothers, but we can do the re\erse; we can introduce more touch, more caring into their li\es and ob.serxe the

vol. 11, no. 2,

results. A stud)' at Purdue L'nixersit)- b\ JeflFre)' Fisher, Ph.D., and colleagues did just that. Alternating during half-hour periods, checkout clerks at the university librar\ v\ere asked to touch the hand of students briefl\- as the\ returned libran cards and then not to. Finalh, students using the librar\ were a.sked to an.swer questions about the stiilf. file questionnaire consisted of pairs of contrasting words tor describing a subject's general feelings such as "happy and ".sad," "comfortable" and "uncomfortable," contra.sting pairs to describe a clerk's performance, like "helpful" and "not helpand pairs describing the libran emironment in generfiil, al. Tlie results? Those subjects who had been touched, e\en those who did not recall it, chose more positive words tt) describe their feelings, the clerks pertbrmance and the librar\ "

"

emironment {Sociometry,

vol. 39, no. 4,

19~6). '

A

Hands-OflF Culture

So research and experience indicate the importimce of hugging and touching. But whether we hug or not is influenced by the culture we li\e in. As with other touching behavior, hugging practices \ar) from culture to culture. For instance, in comparison with other cultures, like the Netsilik Eskimos, the Bush people of the Kalahari and the Arapesh of New Guinea, American and British parents hug, cuddle and hold their children ver> little! A common practice in these hugging cultures is the wrapping of an infant close to its mother's body in a cocoonlike .sac, a practice

252

WHOLE BODY HEALING

which allows the baby in constant contact

and watch the world go by

to sleep

w ith

another

human

being. Americans,

on the other hand, use to\^ to stimulate their children and often lea\e them alone in cribs or playpens tor hours. Our more limited phracal contact with our infants and their mountain ot to\s may explain, writes Ashley Montagu in Touching. We Human Significance of the Skin ( Harper and Row. 19^8), their need tor consumer products as adults. It ma\ also explain their toward other people.

difficult)

in

dealing with feelings

Viliats worse, Bernie Zilbergeld, Ph.D., a psychotherain Oakland, Calitbrnia, belie\es we are trained ft"om earh childhood not to touch amthing! In tact, he writes in his book Male Sexuality (Little, Brown, 1978) that "DO pist

NOT TOl CH"

become

one reintbrced b>' how seldom our children see adults touching one another. He also feels that male children are touched in a caring wa\' less than females. Herb Goldberg, Ph.D., author of T/je Hazards of Being Male (Signet, 19~'6), agrees, and he adds that when bo\^ grow up, they are expected to do what they ha\e nt)t seen. The\ are expected to express affection physicali). when the} ha\e been tauglit in childhood to dem this need for touching. has

a "tamiliar litany,"

One way to understand your present attitudes toward hugging is to go back to your childtiood and think about where and when you learned them. As children, many of us were trained not to touch anything.

The Hug Questionnaire when you were growing up? One way to understand your present attitudes is to go back and find out where and how you learned them. Tlie tbllowing are two exercises that may help you do just that. Exercise 1. >Xrite down in chronological order and in short Wliat did \()u learn about hugging and touching

sentences any experiences with touch that Begin with "I was born." For example: I

come

to you.

was born, and then

Mom

cuddled with me when she read to me before bed, and then Dad spanked me that time broke a toy, and then VC e had to hold hands crossing the street during recess. I

Write whate\er flows into \()ur thoughts, and don't censor Do not anah'/e, criticize or judge. Stop when you ha\e brought the sequence to the present or to the age of 2 1 or whene\er you leel ready to stop.

HUG THERAPY

253

Ask )oursclt how you feel after completing these sentences. Do you feel a lingering sense of sadness at the memon of a friend or relati\e who comforted you with a hug \ears ago? Do you feel rage at a parent who punished \()u with ph)'sical force too often? Do you feel as blank as the page in front of \()u, suddenly unable to write dov\n or feel anything at all? ITiis blankness ma\ mean \ou are not ready to explore this area at the moment. Tr\' the exercise another time when \-ou feel more secure and relaxed. Now, read o\er what \ou ha\e w ritten without worr)ing whether or not you "passed." Read it aloud if you want to.

What

is

\'our body's reaction to the reading? Pleasure?

Anger? Sadness? Record these feelings, ^bu might feel contradictory things, too. Let any insights about past touching experiences come to \()u by themsehes. Reread your list from time to time or do the exercise again, writing down another sequence of touching memories. Relief?

2. Ciet comfortable, away from noise, in a place neither too cold nor too warm, where you will not be interrupted. Close your eyes. "Feel" your breathing by placing your hands on your tummy. Breathe deeph and natu-

Exercise

rally, letting >'our abdomen rise as you inhale and fall as you exhale. Take about ten full breaths, and then picture a movie screen. The title of the movie is '"\ou and Your Skin." Start with your earliest visual memor)' of touching. Pretend it is happening again. If anyone is speaking, hear what they say and listen to your responses. Let the visions float onto the screen by them.selves. C^ontinuc until you feel read)' to end your movie. Then let the screen fade away. Take a few deep breaths, gentl>' shake yourself and slowly open

your eyes. VCiiat are \'ou feeling? Do any insights come to \-ou from what \()u have seen, heard and written? What did you learn about touching as a child? Who was or were your primary teachers? Are \()u content with what others passed on to you about touching? Or would you like to "teach" yourself .y)mething different? (]an you see yourself beha\ing according to

these neii' attitudes? If \()u come in contact with children frequenth, do \ou feel \()u are passing on health) attitudes about touching? How does hugging fit in the scheme of things? Is there someone )Ou want to share the abcne experiences with? But do be careftil about sharing )i)urself. Sometimes experiences lo.se their potenc) w hen the) arc shared.

254

WHOLE BODY HEALING

Awareness of ycmr breathing

Hugging .

.

.

is

imlx>rtant.

for Medicinal Puq^oses

Marie, a vsonderiul 66-year-old patient of mine,

.

.

.

had de\eloped se\ere arthritis in her hands. She was \er\ self-conscious about her ph>-sical condition and had become quite intnnerted. But when 1 ga\e her an excuse to break out of her shell, she didn't hesitate for a

moment.

She would approach total strangers, and say "Hi, my mime is Marie, and know tliis .sounds a little stnuige, but my doctor tells me that it ma\ help m\ pain problem if can get hugged four times a da\. Here's my written prescription, (iould you help me out? I I

1

need

a hug."

HUG THERAPY

255

She was never turned down (Free Yourself from Pain, Simon and Schuster. 19"'9). Marie is one of the man\ chronic pain patients whom Da\id Bresler, Ph.D., of the Bresler (lenter for Allied Therapeutics in Los Angeles and author of Free Yourself from Pain (Simon and Schuster, 19"'9), sends out of his oflRce with the prescription, "Four hugs a day -without fail." He beiie\'es a patient can do a lot to relie\e his (mn pain, and one method is to stimulate nerve endings with touch. Hemoglobin levels in the blood are also affected by a "therapeutic touch," .sa)'S a study by Dolores Krieger. R.N., Ph.D., professor of nursing at New York I'niversit}. Since hemoglobin, which occurs in the blood, helps deli\er ox)^en to body tissues. Dr. Krieger decided it would be a g(K)d indicator of a person's state of health. ThirtA-two nurses were trained in the use of 'therapeutic touch, which Dr. Krieger describes iis placing the hands on or just above a troubled area and lca\ing them there for a half hour The moti\^tion to help and heal a patient was a \ital part of this healing process. Then she studied how their caring "

affected patients. Sixt}-four \-olunteer patients with a \-arier\' of ailments from hospitals in New \Ork City were .split into two groups. One group received normal nursing, while the other got "therapeutic touch" each day. The results? The hemoglobin and presumabh' the health - le\'els of the "touched group went up significanth'. and the "untouched group's levels "

"

did not. If the simple laying

on of healthy hands in a concerned and caring way can raise hemoglobin le\els. what can an increase in bugging do for people who ha\e health problems? Plenty, say Barbara Toohey and June Biermann. coauthors of Jlje Women's Holistic Headache Relief Book (J. P. 19''9) and The Diabetic's Total Healtb Book

Tarcher (J.

P.

\\'hen

Tarcher 1980). They were

Dr

the way a person asks tor lo\e to ask for

first

introduced to hugging

Bresler suggested that chronic headaches can be it

directly.

when he

or she feels unable

Ms. Toohey and Ms. Biermann tried

hugging on headaches, and it worked. The coauthors also disco\ered that hugging diabetics. The feeling of self-worth a hug creates, helps the diabetic accept himself or herself

is

great for

they ftiund,

a>s

a

person

worth caring for Biermann, herself a diabetic, says, "\ou ncN'er forget the day you're told you are a diabetic. felt changed and confiised and overv\helmed. If the doctor had I

256

WHOLE BODY HEALING

put his arms around me and hugged me, the physical connection with another human being would have reassured me 1 was not going to be rejected by others because of my health problem." After a diagnosis of diabetes comes the task of educating oneself: what to eat, how to give oneself medication, how to deal with the reactions of others, and how to get through sugar-laden holidays and wine-filled social gatherings. Ms. Toohe\' imd Ms. Biermann introduced hugging at the American Association of Diabetes Educators Conference in 19~9 and suggested that nurses, dieticians and doctors hug their patients often. After all, e\en if they blush, it only helps the circulation! At the following year's conference, members reported that hugging was a "wonder drug"; it has no bad side effects, the) .said, and is especially good for defu.sing the anger and fru.stration that prevents some diabetics from moving forward in their lives. Tlie use of hugging does not need to be limited to the chronic pain or diabetes patient. With any health problem a

may

and needs to educate him.self or herself, to make certain life changes. Hugging can give him or her the positive emotional state neces.sarv' to make these changes, and they, in turn, may aid the body in its healing process. Aaron Katcher, M.D., a p.sychiatrist at the Llniversitv- of Pennsylvania ,School of Medicine, once .studied the patient

feel vulnerable, frightened, angrv', frustrated

helpless. Tlie patient usually

life

practices that

seemed

to contribute to the

sumval of

heart attack patients. Pet ownership turned out to have a strong eflFect. Dr Katcher .suggests that the cuddling of pets lias

a

soothing effect that reduces stress levels in heart

attack victims.

Has hugging any preventive value? A study of rabbits on by scientists at Ohio State Universit)' and the L niversitv of Houston included this surprising result. One group of rabbits was cuddled by the research assistants, and another was not. Tlie group that was cuddled had fewer athero.sclerotic lesions than the uncuddled group, though both groups ate the same terrible diet. high-fat diets

Four Hugs a Day One

of the rea.sons hugging has the power to evoke strong is that we get so few of them. We may hug on .special occasions like weddings or birthdays or holidav gathrespon.ses

HUG THERAPY

257

most of us do not hug dail>, just to experience the skin pleasure of an embrace. As a result, famih therapist Virginia Satir suggests we need at least -j hugs a day for suni\al, H hugs a day to maintain our equilibrium and erings, but

12 hugs a day to grow. If you would like to hug more, the following section on the etiquette of hugging ma}' help you get started.

Hugging Know-How and How

to

Hug

What could be simpler than hugging? ^bu Skin hunger for hugs can be a real problem. We probably need at least three hugs a day to keep our hunger satisfied. Anything less is going to

leave us malnourished. And the quality of the hugs is as important as the quantity.

arms wide, (2) step up wrap your arms around

(

1

)

open

\()ur

person you want to hug, (3) their body, (4) apply some degree of pressure for a desired length of time and (5) let go. Well, according to Sidney Simon, Ed.D., author of Cxiring. Feeling. Touching (Argus Communications, 19"^6). there are hugs, and there are HL'CiS! Simon belie\'es skin hunger begins at home, and his book is a guide to help families begin touching. He believes that three hugs a da>- are the least we deser\e and that less than three lea\es our skin malnourished. But the quality of the hug is as imponant as the quantin-, he sa\'s. Too many people give one of the five "nonliug.s"

Dr Simon

describes:

The A-frame hug,



to the

in

which nothing but the huggees'

heads touch. •

The



The

half-a-chest-is-better-than-none hug, in which half of the huggees' upper bodies touch while the other half twists away. The emphasis here is on tw isting away rather than hugging. • The chest-to-chest burp, in which the huggees pat each other on the back, defusing the ph>-sical contact by treating each other like infants being burped. • The wallet-rub, in which X\\o people stand side by side

and touch

hips.

in which the huggee who is stronger the other off the ground and twirls him or her around. If you are short, you get a lot of these. jock-rv\'irl,

lifts

Simon says these are all substitutes for the body hug," which he describes like this:

real thing, the

"flill

two people coming together take time to really at each other There is no CN'asion or ignoring who it is the) are about to hug. Tliat is, there is no Tlie

look

(

258

WHOLE BODY HEALING

continued on page 264 )

IIk'

A-frame

hti^.

HUG THERAPY

259

1

i

IhilJ-chcsl buiJ.

260

WHOLE BODY HEALING

77jt'

chestlochest huip.

HUG THERAPY

26l

We

262

ivallct-nib.

WHOLE BODY HEALING

Ihe jock-twit

I.

HUG THERAPY

263

A proper hug

touches all the bases.

one hug

for all people.

to personalize

And

if

can hug a

that

Wm

tr\

as liard as

and customize each hug

you can

\x)u gi\e.

means climbing on a stool or step so you do it! Simon continues:

taller fi-iend,

As you hold the person you unconsciously include and exude all the experiences and feelings \'ou ha\e recently shared, and memories of past experiences, as well. Alxne all. it is not routine or perfunctor)'. In

my

person

264

WHOLE BODY HEALING

experience of hugging, is

ready tor a

"full

I

find that not e\er>' I tn to

body hug." and so

hug

in a

But

when

wa\ I

that the huggee is comfortable with. find a true body-hugger, the difterence

is noticeable. With a full body hug there is a sense of complete gi\ing and fearless communication, one uncomplicated b)- words. Of course, I sometimes ha\e to prefece a hug v\ith, "Are >ou huggable today?" or "Can I gi\e you a hug?" If the aaswer is hesitant or negati\e. I respect that person's \\ishes.

Remember, one needs to be active to initiate frequent Still, most people find that after taking the first step, people the\- ha\e hugged come back to return the ftft'or Hugging is contagious, and more people would hug if the)' felt the)' had permission to. WTien you hug, you are hugging.

gi\ing others that permission.

The listen to

nile to follow in deciding

your bod). Trust

hug coming on,

tell

it.

It is

when

to

\er)' wise.

the person you

hug

is

When

would

to always

you

like

feel a

to

hug

about it first. Based on the person's reaction, you can then decide whether to go ahead or not. Simph becoming aware of the need to hug may require .some practice because most people ha\'e learned to suppress it. If you have contradictor) feelings, imagine the worst outcome the hug could ha\e, and then decide if )'ou are willing to risk it. And when you need to be hugged, ask for one! As you get in touch with the impulses to hug, you will also di.scover the people )ou want to hug. Is there anyone you think of immediately? Do not di.smiss that person from )-our thoughts just because )'ou think the)' might react badly, ^ou cannot predict the future, and you cannot be sure how the) will react. Are there people from your past you'd like to hug right raw? C^an )T)u do an)tl"iing about it now? Strangely enough. ha\'e found that I can hug people I cannot talk to, becau.se when we hug, we share a sense of each other's commonness, and our differences are put aside for that moment, "^bu ma)' want to take ad\'antage of this qualit)' of hugging and squeeze someone )'ou feel tongue-tied with today. Is there a special person )'ou wish to hug but don't because )'ou wonder what their response will be? Have a dialogue with them on paper. You may be surprised by what the\ tell \()u - as was when I tried the exercise:

Most people giving

find that after

ttie first tiug,

people

they have hugged return the favor. Hugging is contagious. More peofjle would hug if they felt ttiey

had permission. Wtten

you hug, you give others permission to hug.

I

1

Me: Hi, Sam. Sam: Hi, Kris. Me: This is sort of hard for me, but there's something

want

I

to talk to \()u about.

HUG THERAPY

265

Sam:

I

get

ncnous when you

start

out

like that,

but okay,

go ahead. Me:

I

guess

I

don't always need to preface things so much. wa)' of gaining time. An^-way, 1 wish you'd

my

Tliats

hug nie more. Sam: Is that all? Me: All? That's a lot. You don't hug me enough. Sam: How often do you hug me? Me: Hug you? I never thought about it. Sam: Right, men don't need hugs. Me: Wait a minute. You know I don't believe that. Sam: Then why don't you hug me sometimes? VCTiy am I supposed to be the one who always initiates things? Me: I guess I didn't think about it that way. You're right. And if I want a hug from you, maybe the best way to get

Sam:

I

it

is

to

hug you

myself.

can't wait.

Me: You don't have

to.

Here

I

come!

Whether you share your dialogue with the person in it or not, the practice may help you figure out an acceptable wa> to offer a hug.

A word

of caution: since you cannot control the behavremember that when you hug, )'ou are hugging out of inur own desire to offer this gesture. Wliether the recipient accepts or reftises it remains his or her choice, a choice tempered as much by past experience and cultural attitudes as by his or her feelings tcmard \ou. ior of others,

Finally:

Where

to

Hug

Dr. David Bresler tells his patients to ask

someone

in the

supermarket for a hug if they cannot get one elsewhere. And if the supermarket is an appropriate place to hug, then so is just about an) other place: home, work, sch(M)l, church, a party, a conference, during intermission at the symphony or after a long airplane ride with an interesting seat companion. But ask yourself where )y;// would feel most comfortable hugging. You may feel uncomfortable hugging at work and therefore may prefer a more intimate environment, such as at home with friends or at the church or synagogue. Begin by hugging in the situations wu find the least scar\-. After you have some .success (and you will), be more daring. '\'ou ma\ even learn to hug emplovers, .supervi,sors, principals and presidents.

266

WHOLE BODY HEALING

"

HYPNOSIS

The

ancient black-and-white mcnie flicivers onto your TA' screen. Scan music pours into the late night. Pretzel stuck to the roof of your mouth, you tremble on the edge of your li\ing-room chair as a figure in a cape saunters before his seated, wide-eyed, beautiful female \ictim. '"^'ou are getting sleep\drones the deep voice ov-er the TV'. The \oice carries a \3gueh Trans^h-anian accent. A gigantic gold watch s"wings on its chain. The girl's eyes follow it - back and forth, back and forth. ." 'Tou are getting sleep) once more drones the .'"

.

.

.

.

under m\

voice, "^'ou are

spell

how

spell in those

mo\ies was used

which

hoped

a fiend

has been used to reduce

.

the \illain of countless horror flicks gains control over his %ictims - through hypnosis. The h>pnt)tic That's

remain hidden and untouched. It

. .

Hypnosis is a way to use healing capabilities that usually

for e\il;

it

was

a tool with world - or at

to gain control over the

over the back lot. hypnosis is a powerful tool. But not in the Hollywood has in mind.

the severity of asthma, arthritis,

colitis,

seizures, ulcers

and hemophilia.

least control >Xell.

way

Tapping Hidden Potential Hypnosis

is

actually a

way

to use healing capabilities that

under normal circum.stances remain hidden and untouched. "The power that hypnosis has lies in its ability to stretch us to the limit, says Hamilton B. Gibson in his book Hypnosis "

19"'"').

'Our capacities of endurance, strength, of pain arc seldom ftjlly exercised because of the sheltered and protected lives which we lead in our technological society the phenomena of hypntjsis only appear to be uncanny because our ordinary assumptions about the nature of human beha\ior (Taplinger,

sensory

acuity,

memory and mastery

.

.

.

are not correct." It is hard to define hypnosis. Some people refer to it as form of disturbed sleep, but it is more than that. The hypnotic trance, while it may resemble sleep in some ways (thus the famous command, "You are getting sleepy ."), is actuallv closer to an intense concentration that blots out

a

.

.

267

extraneous senson information, "^bu can thini< of it as being similar to the concentration \()u experience when \ou are involved with a very interesting book. If you are involved enough in a book, you may not even hear your name when

someone

else

is

talking to \()u.

Well, during hypnosis, the voice of the hypnotist most often takes the place of the all-absorbing book. The voice and its commands are the central focus that wipes out the rest of the real world and helps the subject reach into his

or her unconscious mind. "Hypnosis is not sleep, according to Herbert Spiegel, M.D., a nationally recognized expert in hypnotism. 'VChateNer sleep is, hypnosis is not. Hypnosis is an altered state of attention which approaches peak concentration capacity." in other words, you can think of your e\eryday state of mind as diffused light, like sunlight shining through hammered glass. During the normal e\ents of your life, your "

.

attention

is

.

.

scattered, like that sunlight,

among

the distract-

your place in society everything from remembering about dinner with the Joneses on Friday to calling the exterminator this morning. Entering the hypnotic state is lea\ing all those distractions behind. "\bu t;ike that pane of hammered glass that breaks up the sunlight and replace it with a magnifying glass. Instead of a warm glow, you get a burning beam capable of penetrating into situations and problems that have taken root in your ps^yche. All of your conscious "mind" energy can, through hypnosis, be focused on one particular spot, the same way a magnifying glass concentrates sunlight into a beam capable of igniting paper or wood. Hypnosis has been used for relief from pain caused byfractures, chronic illness, migraine headaches, CAen as an anesthetic in minor surgery. It has been used with asthma patients, sometimes eliminating their symptoms altogether There is e\idence that hypnosis can reduce the se\'erity of chronic illnesses such as arthritis, colitis, seizures, ulcers and hemophilia. >X'hether this is just a result of lowered anxiety in the patients or the result of some direct change in the patient's body chemistry caused by the hypnosis is ing

little

tasks necessary to maintain

not known. Hypnosis has already been shown to be capable of ;iltering cellular growth. It has been u.sed, for example, to treat warts and to speed the healing of bums luid wounds. Dabney M. Erwin, M.D., as.sociate clinical professor of sui^gery at

268

WHOLE BODY HEALING

Tulane Medical School in New Orleans, commonl\ uses hypnosis with burn patients. He has been using hypnosis for some 20 years, and he gives the impression there is nothing that extraordinary- about it at all. "If you hypnotize someone in a laborator\' setting to think that one arm is anesthetized and the other is not." he sa\^. "and appl\ the same heat to both arms, one arm blisters and the other doesn't. "A major part of a burn is really the reaction of the central nenous s)'stem to heat. Tlie mind sends out a message and the bod)' responds. In the case of a burn, it's an inflammaton- response, (x)nsider it in slow motion, with a sunburn. >xiien you first leave the sun, you're generally all right. It's only in the next eight hours that the swelling, pain. fe\er and blisters de\elop. "If. in the first two hours after a normal bum, the person imagines that he wasn't burned, then he doesn't react. "Tve u.sed hypnosis on headaches, a.sthma and warts," Dr Erwin told us. "You can deal with anxiet\', phobias, anything that involves the imagination. If the patient can expect .something bad, he can expect something good."

Do- It- Yourself Hypnosis Hypnosis

one

el.se.

is It

not is

just

something

that

is

done

to

you by some-

also .something that \()u can induce in your-

given enough practice. ^bu can train yourself to enter the hypnotic .state by relaxing yourself and gi\ing \' to wt)rk. Increased desire for the therapy to work usually increases the possibility' of the therap) "s success. Since hypnosis uses mind power, an unpleasant stimulus such as pain acts like high-powered fuel to get the mind mo\ing toward a solution. Dr. Shiimes and Mr. Sterin gi\e the example of a pregnant woman .suffering a difficult labor as being an ea.s) subject to hypnotize. Her high motivation made a trance particularly easy to induce. Relaxation is the dust broom that clears the mind of interfering anxieties that might hinder the effects of hypnosis, "^bu must relax tor two reasons," .sa\s Roger Bernhardt, Ph.D., ps)'choanalyst and hypnotherapist, in his book Self Mastety flyrough Self H]pnosis (Yk^bhs Merrill, 19^"). "Relaxation, reaching its apogee in sleep, is an end in itself, a restorative balm to both mind and bod). Furthermore, as empkned in h\pnosis, relaxatit)n clears a pathwa\ to the uncon.scious mind, where .suggestions can more readily be accepted and acted upon."

Getting the Hypnotic Message For seLf-hypnosis, Dr. Bernhardt easy chair, your feet up on a

recommends

tbotre.st. in a

sitting in

quiet .spot

an

where

that you wont be disturbed. Sit back and t;ike it Think you're relaxed? Surprise! \'ou're not. "Oh. come on. sure I ;im. \ou miglit iasist. Well, according to Dr Bernhardt and other experts on relaxation, there's a great deal of tension still wrapped tight in your body

\()u

know

easy.

'

270

WHOLE BODY HEALING

unless you'\c consci(Hisl\ is like a cloth

trained yoursell tu ivcilly relxx.

damp with

Wm

tension. may not see the liquid it ha-s soaked up, but it's inside it just the same. If you wring the damp cloth, you'll get a stream of water. Closely examine your muscles and you'll also find a residue of tension. One eas\ wa) to aid your rehtxation is to simpK close

Your body

\our eyes. According to Dr. Shames and Mr. Sterin, this immediately cuts down on the amount of distracting stimulation that your mind has to deal \\ith. Dr Bernliardt recommends alternately lifting and then dropping parts of your bod\' in order to release hidden tension. For instance, as you sit quietly, raise your left foot a few inches off the floor, then let it fall back down. Do the same thing with your other foot. Each time, as you relexse your foot, locus on relaxing your mu.scles. After you'%e lifted and dropped each foot, do the same procedure in your imagination. Picture your left foot rising and falling as you did before, but don't actualh' move it. Picture )'our right toot doing the same thing, but don't let it budge from where its resting. \i)u can do the same thing with your arms and head to increase relaxation. If you are sitting with \()ur head on a headre.st, lift it forward a tew inches betbre letting it fall back into its pre\ioiis position. Tlien imagine the s;ime motion without actually doing it.

Now

doesn't that feel better?

Once drifting

you've

on the

done

all

the preliminaries and \()u are

seas of relaxation, you're read)' to take the

plunge into the h\pnotic trance. Tlie basic mental image to u,se for getting there is to imagine \our,self in a place and situation with exquisiteh ple;Lsant connotations. As Dr Bernhardt puts it, "In your mind's eye, picture Nourself in a place where you ha\e been or v\'ould like to go, some spot where \()u can be perfecth' at ea.se and at peace with yourself and the world" llie place \()u imagine can be a remote beach spot, waves quieth nulling in, or perhaps a mountain retreat caressed b\ cool breezes.

At the same time as you imagine yourself in the dream \acation of \' litenir)Charlie Chan and piece together an essay {)n some of the life-sa\ing ad\antages of judo, kiirate. tai-chi and tae-lances.

belie\'es that tai-chi, "practiced correctly

over a long period

of time, creates a kind of protective p.s-)chological shield that helps a person combat stress, which is one of the main

causes of disease."

The

Baffling Case of Chi

At the

of

hean of

tai-chi is the (Chinese

many meanings -

air,

\italir\,

concept of

spirit,

chi. a

word

breath, atmo.sphere

ft is hard to define cbi. One tai-chi expert "bioph)>ical energ) generated b) respirator) rh)lhm."

and circulation, calls

it

Perhaps the best English equi\alent

288

WHOLE BODY HEALING

is

"intrinsic energ)." or

WTiateNer chi is, doctors of Chinese medicine can be cultivated through practice of the exercise

"xital force."

say

it

and stored

in a spot called the tant'ien, located exactly three inches below the navel. Once stored, the chi can be circulated by the niind throughout the body. In an ancient

Chinese treatise on Tlie

the author states, "Tlie mind deeph and permeates the bones.

tai-chi,

directs the chi. wliich sinks

chi circulates freeh, mobilizing the bod)- so that

heeds the direction of the mind.

If

the chi

is

it

correctly

and you will feel from above." It is this "vital energ)," as manite.sted through the tai-chi exercise, that accounts for the prolongation and rejuvenacultix-ated, \()ur spirit

as thougli \()ur

tion of

of

\'italir\

will rise,

head were su.spended

b)' a

string

life.

Master William C. C. Chen, of the Tai-(;hi School in New \oTk Cit\-, was asked about the mysten- of chi and replied: "It is certainly a m\-ster), but it works. Look at acupuncture; it has cured apparenth' incurable diseases, even thougli it is not yet clear ht)w it works. All I can say is, if you practice tai-chi e\er\' day, you will eventualh' build up this inner strength or chi." At a demonstration in Madison Square Garden's Forum, Master Chen demonstrated the etFecti\ene.ss of his chi. Four heft) \olunteers, astride a motorcycle - weighing a total of more than 1, ()()() pounds -rode o\er Master Chen's stomach as he hi) on the floor Ijter these same volunteers took turns punching him repeated!) in the abdomen using full force. After se\eral minutes the punchers became tired and ga\e up, but Master Chen just smiled. The tai-chi postures that follow are just a few of the mam w hich ma) be practiced. Wlien )()u perform these exercises, remember, the body

moves as one unit. Tliis mle applies to all tai-chi mo\ements. And when you mcne as one unit, )'ou should notice that ){)ur b-s. "If

better than \()u are. the\ throw )ou into the air, hit the mat with a thud, you smile because it

good throw Tlie forgi\ing attitude. Dr. Wooten is finding, can go a long wa\ in holding together a household. As for the fitness end, he points out that judo can pre\'ent the clogging of arteries, a part of the body which

was

a

"

otherwise can turn into a disaster area. As a licensed iastnictor, Dr Wooten finds himself tlin)wing (and being thrown) quite a few times in an evening, "and so I can smile when someone comes belting into the ofllce moaning and groaning at me." He finds such verbal aggression quite tame compared to the ph^^ical abuse judo teaches him to tiike. "As a rather belligerent bo\,"' Dr Wooten took up the sport at age 16. "Tlie belligerence slowly faded, though, he happih reports, "as the judo gradually became something of an art, a way of life to me. It's more gentle than it

296

looks."

WHOLE BODY HEALING

Karate and Your Lungs Finally, is karate a good aerobic exercise? Does it provide the kind of workout tor the heart and lungs that Dr. Ken

in mind when he coined the phrase "aerobic exercise?" Intbrtunately, perhaps not as good as all those flailing limbs might suggest. Ten karate students were stud-

Cooper had

ied recently at the Applied Ph\-siolog)

Research Laborator)' while he;irt rates attiiined during workouts were higli enougli tor conditioning purposes (they averaged 168 beats per minute in response to the most vigorous tvpe of training), the amount of huffing and puffing (oxygen uptake) demanded by the workouts was not sufficient tor significant cardiovascular improvement. Karate is nomiallv practiced in sets of prescribed movements, called "katas." For the purposes of the Kent State stud), students were made to go through these sets in either 30 or -»S seconds, and either continuously (15 in a row) or intemiittentlv ( being allowed a minute of rest between each). Higliest heart rates iind greatest oxv'gen uptakes were achieved, of course, during the continuous and more rapidly done routines, but not even these required enough breathing to m;ike them recommendiible ciirdiov-ascular exercise. The contra.st between relativelv high heart rates and relatively low ox-vgen uptake demanded by these exercises, in fact, led the researchers to advise against "kata exercise as an acceptable form of cardiovascular conditioning" for anyone with "compromised cardiovascular function" (at a high risk of at

Kent State

l!ni\ersit\ and.

heart attack).

The problem with karate seems to be that its movements are abrupt and involve mainly the arms. (Studies

show that arm work rai.ses heart rates more than an equivalent amount of work done by the legs, because the heart must work against gravir\' to supply the arms with necessar)' blood flow.) The .safest and most productive exercises for cardio\a.scular conditioning involve prolonged fluid

motions

with muscle groups larger than just the arms (that is, the legs, or better yet. the arms and legs combined, such as in cnxss-countrv skiing). ber,

is

And

the

minimum

prescription,

remem-

three 20-minute sessions a week.

MARTIAL ARTS

297

MASSAGE

w

hen

massage someone, noli rc using a medicine iLselJ. Tlie ancient (ihinese were well \ersed in massage tech)()ii

thcrap\' as old as

And the ancient Greeks, including Hippocrates, used massage as one of their

niques.

medical tools. But somewhere between Hippocrates and the industrial re\'olution. Western medicine forgot about ma.s,sage. So when the French brouglit back information about (Chinese massage, the technique seemed brand new to Kuropeans. The foremost European popularizer of massage was not a Frenchman, howe\cr, but a Swede, Per Henrik Ling, who studied and taught mas.sage during the early IHOOs. Becau-se of Dr. Ling's effort, basic massage is today called "Swedish" massage, ^'et the actual massage strokes still carr\ their French names: petrissage (a kneading motion); tapotement (a striking motion or tapping of the skin); effleurage (gliding strokes). Yet massage realh' speaks a universal language: that of healing. Viktoras Kuhinskas, a natural healer, lists these health benefits of massage in his book Sunival into the 21st Cenf«rv (OMango D'Press, 1975): • Massage dilates the blood vessels, improving the circulation and relie\ing congestion throughout the body. • Massage acts as a "mechanical cleanser," stimulating

hrnph circulation and hastening the elimination of wastes and toxic debris. • Massage relaxes .spasm and relie\es tension. • Massage,

b\'

impro\ing the general circulation, increases

nutrition of the tissues.

• Massage makes you feel good.

A Massage A

Home

relaxing ma.ssage, and

you

298

at

as

all

of

its

benefits,

)our hands. Massage makes a great

is

as ckxse to

gift tor a

.spouse

or friend.

do

it

And

after

you do

it

to them, miike sure that the\-

to you.

Gi\ing a thorough iuid effecti\e mai>sage isn't onl\ eas\ its fun. You don't need any faniiliarir\' with formal anatoni)

good massage. Nor do \()u need the Herculean hands of" a burly Swedish masseur And all that's required in the wa\ of equipment is some padding to la\ on the floor and some vegetable oil. Do you ha\e a fcv\ idle moments and a warm, pri\'ate room? Then you're read)' to begin learning the gentle art of massage. Read on, and enjoy. The first instruction is: don't use your bed for massage. to gi\e a

Surprised? A bed is too soft to pro\ide firm support. So, instead of bouncing around on a Beautyrest, take two or three blankets, fold them lengthwise on the floor and co\er them with a sheet, '^bu can also use foam as a padding, or

mo\'e a single mattress onto the floor ding you use, make sure it's at least an and it should be wide and long enough partner lies down, there's still room for to

one

But whate\'er padinch or two thick, so that when your you to sit or kneel

Massage acts as a mechanical cleanser, stimulating lymph circulation and hastening the elimination of wastes and toxic debris.

side.

might %\'ant to turn off the overhead light; atmosphere and )our partner will be more relaxed. Bright light that falls directly on the face will cause your partner to tense his or her eye muscles. Keep the room warm, comfortable and free of drafts. George Dtmning, author of Tfje Massage Book (Random House, 19^2), cautions: "Notliing destro)'s an otherwise good massage more quickly than phy^iical coldness." If your partner Also, )'ou

fx)th the

begins to feel cold, u.se a spare sheet to cover the body parts that you're not working on at the moment. Now prepare the oil. Why use oil at all? Without a lubricating agent, your hands can't really apply enough pressure and still mo\e smooth!) o\er the skin. Wlien applying oil, put about half a teaspoon into your palm and then spread it smoothh on your partner's skin. Keep the oil near you during the massage; a shallov\- bowl makes a handy container Cover the entire surface area you're about to massage - arm, leg, hand or back - with a barely \isible film. Massage professionals recommend \egetable oil (except for peanut or corn oil). Sesame and olive oil are the easiest to wash out of sheets and clothes. '\0u can scent the oil, mixing in a fc-v%- drops of essences such as clove, cinnamon, lemon, rosemary or camomile.

MASSAGE

299

)

"Does That Feel Good?" Before you actually use specific strokes, here are a few

Keep >'our hands relaxed. Also, appl\ presprobably discover that your partner wants quite a bit more pressure than \'ou expected. But use the weight of your whole body to apply pressure rather than just the muscles of your hands. Experiment with all the different wa^-s of mo\ing your hands that you can think of Move them in long strokes. Move them in circles. Explore the structure of the bone and muscle. Move slowly, then speed up \()ur tempo. Or use only your fingertips, pressing them firmly against the muscles or brushing them lighth o\er the skin. Gentl\ slap. Or tap. Ask your partner for feedback. Is that enough pressure? Does that feel good? While youre taJdng care of your partner, don't forget to take care of yourself. Keep >'our back straight whene\er possible. And don't worn- about how much or how little you do. You'll be mo\'ing and positioning your body in many new ways; if you don't take care of yourself >ou'll end up with sore muscles. For now, concentrate on one or rv\() general hints. sure. \'ou'll

body

parts at a time.

Althougli

we

order, you should

massage arranged in a particular and end wherever \-ou want. If you

ha\'e the start

decide to work on more than a single p;irt. apply more oil each time you mo\'e to a new area. Finally, tn- to minimize the amount of turning over that your partner has to do. (It's easiest to work on the arms, hands, feet and neck while your partner is lying face up.

Be Kind

to

Your Spine

is the most important the stalk of the central part of a ner\'ous tension are anxiety and and often nervous sy'stem, muscles around tiglit. sore more than nothing caused by in the words of muscles can, Eoo.sening these spine. the

Let's start

with the back, for the back massage. The spine

George Downing, bring First,

a

is

"deep sense of

straddle \()ur partner's thighs.

work on

release." It's

the easiest

way

the back. Now put your hands on the lower back with the finyour hands straight gertips pointing toward the spine. to

Mow

300

WHOLE BODY HEALING

A back

massage.

up the back. Vi hen \()u get to the top of the back, separate your hands and bring them over the shoulder blades to the floor, and then pull them back down along the sides. Do this stroke tour to six times.

Now work

with )our thumbs on the lower back. Use

the balls of your thumbs, and

make

short,

rapid strokes

away from )ou toward the head. Work clo.se to the spine just below the waistline, first on the left side and then on the right.

Now put both hands on one hip with )'our fingers pointing straight down. Pull each hand alternately straight up from the floor, working up to the armpit and then back again. \\ ith each stroke, begin pulling one hand just before the other is about to finish so that there is no break between strokes.

Do both

Now mo\e

sides.

upper back. Knead the muscles that from your partners neck onto his or her shoulders. Work these muscles gently beUveen the thumb and fingers. Now use \()ur thumbs on the upper back, just as you did on the lower back. Finally, take the heel of your hand and place it at the base of the spine, (ientb press and release, moving little by little up the .spine to the neck. to the

cur\'e

MASSAGE

301

Massaging the

side.

Kneading the neck muscles.

302

WHOLE BODY HEALING

f SI'

the IkvI of the hiinci iilonii the spine.

A New Way

to

Touch

Now that you've finished the back, ask your partner to turn over so that you can massage the arms. But first, we'll learn a new stroke, one that we mentioned at the beginning of this section, an effleurage. Place your hands together, one hand on top of the other with thumbs interlinked. VChen you mo\e your hands, make \()ur strokes long, flowing and unbroken, and put your weight on the heels of \()ur hands rather than on the fingertips. Iliis is an eftleurage. First, effleurage the entire arm from the wrist to the shoulder, taking \X'ork \()ur hands downward until you have covered all the muscles King along the inside of the forearm. Now, place sour partner's hand on his or her chest. NXbrk from the elbow to the shoulder with the balls of \()ur thumbs, pa\ing particular attention to the muscles on the top of the arm.

MASSAGE

303

During efjleumge, yxm link thumbs.

_> Massaging the upper arm uith the thumbs.

304

WHOLE BODY HEALING

Now your

explore and massage the shoulder joint with

fingers.

And end

\\

another effleurage of the entire

ith

iirni.

Soothing Strokes for the Browbeaten

Now let's go on to the head. Don't apply am* oil to the face before you begin; just put a few drops on your fingertips. Massage the forehead just below the hairline with the balls of your thumbs. Start from the center of the forehead and thumbs at once in either direction. Continue to the temples; now moxe )()ur thumbs in a small circle. Repeat tliis stroke until you ha\e cxnered the whole forehead - >'Our

glide both

last

am

Massage can be useful in relieving fatigue and tension and is a wonderful way to express affection.

stroke should just above your partners eyebrows. (;o\er the forehead with the entire left hand - heel

toward one temple, fingertips toward the other Press down. Now, using the right hand, slowly and e\'enly add more pressure until niitximum pressure is reached (your partner will tell )()u if it's too much ). Hold ten seconds, then release ver\- slowl}-. Massage lore has it that this stroke can be used to cure a nagging headache.

A forefjead

nuissage.

MASSAGE

305

Pressin}^ the

Now mo\e on I.ightl)

thumb jaw

head uith both hands.

that you've

smoothed your

partner's harried brow,

to the jaw, another area of tension

on the

face.

grasp the tip of the chin bet\\een the tips of the and forefinger of each hand. Follow the edges of the

until

you

haw

almost reached

the forefingers into a small circle

tiie ears,

and then glide

on the temples. Do

this

stroke three times.

Most of us ha\e neck and shoulder muscles that are habitually tense they're tight

muscles

-so much

so that

and bunched up.

we don't c-\en realize why loosening these

lliat's

good. massage in egg-shaped circles just abcn-e the shoulder blades. Face your palms upward as )ou work under the body. Start at the outer shoulders, work in toward the spine, then back along the shoulders, '^bu might want to change the direction, speed and width of \()ur circles as you go. Now work between the shoulder blades and the spine. First

306

WHOLE BODY HEALING

feels so ver\

)bu can massage the chin between the thumb

and forefinger.

Mow

your fingertips in small circles. Then put your hands under the back of your partner's head, gently lift it a little and turn it slight!) to the left until it rests easily in your left hand. Massage the neck with )-our free hand. Then turn the head and work on the other side.

Take Your Body on a Vacation working with these simple instructions, you'll .soon begin to realize massage's many benefits. Ma.s,sage profes-

just by

sionals say that

ma.ssage often

prows

useftil

in

relieving

and tension and is a wondertlil way to express affection. IlieN caution, howe\er, not to do a lot of ma,ssage right awa\ Kiither, the\ suggest, do a little at a time and gradually, if you care to, work up to a whole-bod)' massage. Begin b)' working on tiKxse parts that are cspecialh .sore and stiff". fatigue

MASSAGE

307

They

also feel that massaging your children is a fine idea. Most parents touch only their child's hands or head or feet, hut children, too, lo\e to he touched all o\er. But whether you make massage a dail\ e\ent or resene it for those special romantic e\enings, rest ;Lssured that a tender tt)uch is a gift that is a joy hoth to give and to receive.

Use the paints on hoth sides of the face.

308

WHOLE BODY HEALING

MUSIC THERAPY n an apartment in New' York

Cit}-,

members of

the

a

were discussing \\ do it, \\h\ the\' lo\'ed it. At one point in the conversation not a lull, reail\- - the name of a song was mentioned, and scAcnil notes were liit, e\en iis the random talk went on. Suddenh, the six \()ices fused in song. The room resonated with sound, almost as if it were the mu.sical instrument that produced this wondertiil noi.se. You could see >X'estern Vl'ind, an

cappelki \'OcaI ensemble, hy the\ sang - liov\ the\ came to

I

Children learn to sing before they can even form coherent sentences.

members of the group straighten in their seats, listening one another, opening their lungs to sing. The song dominated the moment; it filled the .senses; it was a present,

the to

li\ing thing that pas.sed through the place in about a minute and then was gone. In the brief hush that followed, it seemed amazing that something so magical could have occurred so naturally. But

Thorp, the turn-of-the-centun collector of cowboy .songs, and making them, too, seem as natural to human beings as washing herself is to as Jack

songs,

once wrote, "Singing

a cat."

As

indi\idiuils,

humans

sing before they can form coher-

we have sung since the dawn of recorded time. Homer's Iliad and Odyssey are belie\ed to ha\e been sung before amone thouglit of putting them on

ent sentences; as a species,

paper.

The ancient

(ireeks

went

.so

far as to

define a per-

humanit) in terms of music. An educated and distinguished citizen was referred to as "musical," while a man who was ignorant iind rough was .said to be "without music." Music and .song have alwa)-s been ties that bind us .son's

common

Of course, the modern musical unit) to a certain extent. \X'e don't li\e in the same town and sing in church with the same people all our lives amrnore. Becau.se of advances in transportation and communication, we no longer automaticall\ .share the .same cultural and musical heritage with our neiglibors. The "old familiar air" has been replaced by the Top -j() hits, and tunes are sold like toothpitste. Ste\en I rkowitz, Ph.D., a professor of English at the State University of New 'V'ork Maritime (x)llege, who worked with the Western >X'ind on the dramatic, acting side of together in a

world has disrupted

humanit)-.

this

309

their stage pcrtbrmanccs, told us this trend disturbs

him

\cn' much.

A

Sense of Participation

he says, "there was much more have now. Today, most vocal music is a singing than we "\bu records. go to concerts, ^bu conproduct. You buy sume singing rather than pertbrm it. In Renaissance England

"In

societies,

traditional

"

would have 5,()()() people come to a ser\ice in the churchyard of St. Paul's Cathedral, and 5,000 people would they all

be singing complex h)Tnns. It's

least a

clear,

It

was

a participatory act."

though, that this sense of participation, or

longing for

it,

is still

at

ali\e today. particoilarK- in "ethnic"

byway's of the music business, such as black music and

country and western. In her book Sing Your Heart Out, Country' Boy (Pocket Books, 1976), Doroth\^ Horstman tells how, in 193H, country singer Ernest Tubb wrote a song about the tragic death of his newborn son, Roger Dale, in a car accident. "It rem;uas one of his mo.st requested songs today," Ms. Horstman sa>-s. "more than 30 >ears later. Tubb says he knows of more than 300 children named Roger Dale in honor of his dead son. His devoted fans symbolically gave" their children to him to help replace his loss." So there is obviously something about music and song that touches all of us, that makes us want to join with the singer and the rest of the audience in the common emotions songs reflect and express. Sometimes you can't e\'en say exactly what it is the .song touches in \-ou, but the emotional attraction is so .strong you can't resist it. Ms. Horstman cites a rather extreme example of this kind of reaction when she quotes singer Jimm\ W ;ikel>; "1 had a brother-in-law that was alwa\^ knocking his wile ;iround and drank a lot. I got to thinking that ma\1-)e one da\ she'd just ha\'e enough and leave, so 1 wrote a song called Too went back to Oklahoma Cit\\ and Late.' It was a smash. my brother-in-law. And he said, "Man, you I ran into never wrote amihing as pretty- as "Too Late" in your life.' 1

I

said,

of your

'You should like

it,

\ou son of a



,

it's

the stor)-

"

life.'

Some Things Can Only Be Expressed

in Music

That mysterious abilit>- of songs to tell the stor\ of our lives - even if we don't realh want to hear the stor>- and have buried it deep within ourselves - has led therapists to

310

WHOLE BODY HEALING

use singing to treat both emotionally and mentally damaged John M. Bellis, M.D., is a Connecticut-based psychiatrist who makes extensive use of bioenergetic therapy ( he is director of the Connecticut SocieU for Bioenergetic Analysis) in his practice. Bioenergetics, a therap)' pioneered b\ Alexander Lowen, M.D.. sees a cnicial connection existing ben\een a person's state of bod) and his or her state of mind. Repressions of anxiet\- arc belie\ed to be reflected in the musculature of the bod\' and ciuinot be relie\ed until the muscular as well as the emotional tension is banished. Obviously singing, the one form of music that uses the body itself as the instmment, is an imaluable tool in this kind of therap\. "1 see the use of the voice, Dr. Bellis sav-s, "as one of the wa\-s of plaving with the frustrations and traumas of life, helping us integrate experience internalh, on the feeling, patients.

"

I think, be done \\itli insiglit alone. "Sometimes," he continues, "I find that people tell me, I've cried and I've cried and I've cried -what good does it do'!"" (I had told them to go ;iliead, let it out.) Now what I say is, '>Xell, when vou're through crving, start to sing some of the sadness, some of the loss, some of the appreciation

afiecuial le\el. wiiich cant,

of what you'\e lost.' "And there the\' begin to find a sense of the meaning, the beaut), where the heart w;ls connected with what they've lo.st.

It's

mony

a

wa\ that humans have of enriching, giving testienrichment of their lives. Music and song have to give expression to something that may be

to the

that abilit)

.

.

.

impossible to express anv other

A

v\'a)'."

Special Feeling for Special Children

The wav singing can

tap and release hidden emotions makes powerful tool for working v\ith retarded children as well. Paul Nordoff and (llive Robbins, pioneers in singing tlierapv lor handicapped cliildren, describe in their b(K)k Alusic nerapy in SpecUtl Hclucatiou (lliomas M Oowell, 1971) the effects singing can have on the mentall) handicapped: "Each song has an emotional content that it can impart to the children who sing it; a varietv of songs with manv' different emotional qualities gives them experiences of a .spectrum of emotional life. Songs can arouse children to excitement, gladden them with plea.sure, calm them to ihoughtfulness. llirough the feelings of serene warmth that a .song can give, the children's consciousness can be deepened and stabilized. it

a

MUSIC THERAPY

311

"A handicapped child singing is deeply committed to Tlie musical instmment he uses is his own body, his \oice. and he experiences his singing as a direct extension of himself." Certainly the ph\-sical benefits are enormous. Ijwrence Bennett, a tenor in the Western Wind and professor of his singing.

music

at I'psala (x)llege, told us, "I don't

know how

c\ery-

body else feels after a voice lesson, but it's one of the most wonderful feelings r\'e e\er had. That physical exercising up and down from the top to bottom of my range, and the Words seem to fail him. concentration invohed in it "

.

"The radiation of from the feet," Dr. and down through

.

that vocal energ\- realh

Bellis

>()ur

starts right

"You can feel it \ibrating up body, when you really are totally sa>'s.

into sound."

Music to Soothe Savageness

Probably the best thing that could happen to us would be to regain our childfiood openness to music and song.

Music can have therapeutic benefits on \iolent criminals, too, according to Chuni Roy, M.D., medical director of the Regional Psychiatric Centre in Abbotstbrd, Briti.sh Columa 13H-bed psAchiatric prison hospital. Writing in the CMHcidian Medical Association Jonnial (Ncnember 3. 19^9), Dr. Roy, secretary' general of the International Council of Pri.son Medical Senices, reports positive, calming effects of classical music on men who have made \iolence a

bia,

wa>' of

life.

The music program

at

Abbotstbrd consists of pla\ing

music to inmates for one hour e\ePt- Tuesday afternoon. Tlie program is voluntary and \er\ popular. The inmates, most of whom ha\e been locked up tor federal offenses like murder and assault, .select the composers and pieces to be played. Hie program includes a general discussion, led by a school teacher, about the music and about how- each listener relates to what he heard. Dr. Ro>'s obsenations confirm that modern society's use of music as a product has forced it to lose a spiritual peacefulness that classical music retains. At one session, he reports: '"nie group listened to the [clxssicall music intenth without any disrupti\e beha\ior. But] \%hen rock music was played, the group became dismptixe, so much so that the [particular] .session had to be ended prematureh." Tlie classical music contained .something that was missing from the men's li\es: it transported them to a peaceftil, introspective place to which the) had rarel\ Ixen. Hie popclassical

I

312

WHOLE BODY HEALING

"

modern music brought them

right back to the \iolent hadnt learned to cope with. To some inmates, classical music e\en becomes a central focus of their lives. "Of all the composers chosen by the group." Dr Roy sa>^, "Tchaik(n-sk>' seemed to be the most popular, tbllowed b\ DebussA. A man who had committed a number of murders and had ne\er been exposed to classical music became obsessed with Debussv's music."

ular

\v()rld the\

Music Speaks a Spiritual Language VCiiliam Zukof. cx)untertenor with the >X'estern

Wind, told

us he sees the group's singing as a way of expressing and preser\ing our spirituality, a part of our being that is often neglected in

we

modem life. we al.so do

'In

addition to the secular repertoire

music that v\as origiintended to be performed within a religious context," he .sa\^. "Tliat context either no longer exists or is no longer relc'X'ant to an enormous number of people. To man) of us the context is no longer rele\ant, yet the music is. The music speaks a spiritual language that is \er\, \er\ immediate." Hlliot Le\ine. the W estem Wind's baritone and a teacher at the Lighthouse Music School in New "^'ork Cit)', discusses a religious context that he has experienced. "I was thinking, he says, "about the tradition of singing which has disappeared a lot from our general culture, but I think it does continue in a lot of different religious settings. 1 was just in temple. Just conceiving of the immen,se amount of music that goes on in the High Hoh' days, the incredible number of tunes and changes and lead-ins e\'er)one knows those tunes, niere's something really wonderful about that. that

sing,

a lot of sacred

nall)'

"

.

.

.

Too Many Kids Are Discouraged from Musical Expression Western Wind does its best to encourage and extend communities of song. On its tours the group has conducted singing workshops across the country, and the\' deplore a tendency in singing instruction in American schools to, as rkow it/. .sa\s, "look for polished results \er)' .soon. Ste\en Kids are di.scouraged from something that is so natural. Instead of ha\ing e^er^bod\ sing, they select a chorus and onh the chorus sings Its "\er) painful," he .sa\^ from expe-

Tlie

.such

I

'

MUSIC THERAPY

313

rience, for the

ones

who

you, just

mo\e

remember in this came along and said. Oh,

aren't picked. "I

third grade musical, the teacher \Xe"ll

include

sugared pastries in that category-. ) Even complex carbohydrate foods ( starches ) that have been refined can get pretty "slippery." (Wliite bread, tor example, spends less time in the stomach than whole wheat. ) ,So In terms of how quickly refined carbohydrate foods get digested, yes, they can be very- fattening. \bu would, for example, be better off satisfying an afternoon hunger pang with 200 calories (about two ounces) of cheese than you would 200 calories of candy, the rea,son being that the fat :ind protein in cheese take considerably longer to digest than the refined simple carbohydrates (mainly sucrose) in candy. table sugar, jellies, cand\-

.

How

.

higlily

.

does fructose

it

gets absorbed

sugar.

It's

more

sloyvly-

al.so less likely

,sugar)

(fruit

hydrate picture? Like table sugar, fructose

is

fit

into

the carbo-

a .simple carbohydrate, but

and more eyenly than table

to contribute to the formation of

plaque, the bacterial crust that's im-ohed in the deyelop-

ment of cayities. So t^en though a large apple may contain more total sugar than a candy bar, that sugar, mainly in the form of fructose, is far more healtliful. llien, too, the apple is loaded yvith fiber. ITie candy bar (unless it has peanuts) contains none.

Complete Protein

for

As we've already pointed

Complete Health out, protein

is

a nutrient neces-

NUTRITION

319

good health, ^bur bod\', howexer, doesn't use prouses amino acids, protein's building blocks. .Many of these are manufactured right in the bod\. But nine of them are either not made by the body at all or are produced in too small an amount to do \()u much good. If one of them amount, it "limits" the is present in )our tbod in a low body's ability to use all of them. Wheat, for example, has low amounts of the amino acid h^ine, so all the amino acids in wheat aren't used to the utmost by the body. 'I"he wa\ around this problem is to eat a "complete protein - one with all the amino acids in large quantities. Meat has a complete protein. So do eggs. Fruits, \egetables and other plant foods don't. But you can combine foods to create a complete protein. For instance, beans are high in amino acid that wheat lacks, and \ice versa. Cxjmbine them, and the protein is complete. Other combinations include macaroni and cheese, bread and milk, and peas and rice, ^bu should eat a complete protein e\er\ day - at every meal, if possible - because the body constantly breaks down and replaces this important nutrient. sary for tein;

it

"

When You Need More

Protein

The people who need extra pn)tein aren't those you'd expect. The protein trnth sa\-s that active athletes should gorge themselves with it. Not so, according to Creig Ho\l, M.D., medical writer and editor. The amount of protein that exercising athletes need, he sa\'s, "is no more than that which is required in the a\erage sedentar}' American." Wliat athletes need in extra abundance is food tor energ\, and this is supplied as efficiently - and more cheaply - b) c:iriiohydrates. In fact, \x)u

need more pnrteui

if

\x)u're flat

on

\x)ur back,

recovering from illness, injur)' or surgen, than if you habitually set the tennis courts on fire. It's easy^ to understand why, when you consider how protein is used by the body. Put simply, it's u.sed tor building and maintenance. Those piirts of \()u that keep on growing. like hair and nails, are built out of protein. Iliere's protein in \()ur bones, and it's the brick from which muscles are made. Protein is a major component of your heart, lungs and other organs, as well as the blood that flows through and between them, and the enzymes and hormones that keep the whole worLs in operation. ^bu need a health), constant supply of protein, because

320

WHOLE BODY HEALING

e\en those parts of your bod>- that seem most stable, like \our bones, are alwax^s in the midst of tearing down and building up. Old muscle cells are constant!) being replaced by new- ones. As much as 50 percent of \our bod>- protein is in this endless flux of coming and going. To perform all diis construction and reconstruction work, wur bod>- breaks dov\Ti the proteins you eat into amino acids and then combines the amino acids to form its own tissues. The protein from used-up bod\ cells is metabolized and excreted. Its like a weekly budget. If there's as much coming in as going out, youre in "equilibrium, and e\er)'thing is fine. But if you don't take in enougli protein to "

replace the tissues that are worn out, you're in "negative and that's worse than a pocketful of lOUs. Instead of a .spiff) blue-chip stock, )ou'll feel like a bounced check. balance,

"

A

study by Bruce R. Bi.strian, M.D., M.P.H., and George Blackburn, M.D., Ph.D., found "a striking pre\'alence" of protein deficienc") in patients hospitalized after injur)- or surgery

at

a

Boston hospital (Joiinml of the American Medical No\ember 11, 19"'-4). This is reflected by the

Association.

mu.scle wastage that turns .so man)' patients into gaunt ghosts of themsehes. The worst part of this sudden deficienc)' is its timing; it can seriously retard recover)' and drop the

bod)

s

guard against infection.

^bu don't ha\'e to be sick to ri.sk protein deficiency however '^bu could be health)- - and determined to stay that way -with a low-calorie diet to keep your weiglit in check. When nou cut down on your food intake, your need for protein

remains

ju.st

as high as

e\'er,

so

it's

important to

keep this part of your diet intact. In fact, a

reducing program may increa,se your need for

protein, '^bur bod)'s

demand

tor energ)- takes

precedence

over e^•er)thing else, so when your total intiike of calories drops, some of those protein building blocks are liable to

end up If

fijel

for the

own muscle adequate

A

fire.

drops far enough, some of your ma) end up fijel for the fire unless protein is pnnided.

)()ur calorie intake

tissue

dictar)-

High-Protein

Menu

What's the most healthful wa)- to get this protein? >bu can get it all in one great big dail) .steak, but )-ou probabl) shouldn't, because that vsill also bring you a bonus

NUTRITION

321

supph' of fats and calorics. Instead, put fish and fowl in your diet tor more of the good (between 20 and 30 grams of protein in a three-ounce sening) with less of the bad. Ha\e skim milk or yogurt at breakfast (a cup has nearly 9 grams of protein), and when there's a choice to make, choose protein: whole wheat bread and brown rice, for example, in.stead of their pale refined cousins. For extra protein power in breads, soups and cereals, add brewer's yeast, wheat germ, or scnliean or dair\-based powder.

Fat:

A

Nutritional Villain?

But what about fat? How does that fit into the equation? Mam people are afraid of eating too much fat. It seems to be nutrition's version of the mustachioed \illain. Is the fear of fat exaggerated? Not to judge by the research that continues to emanate from laboratories and universities throughout the world. If amthing, it implies that the old distinction between "good" pohiinsaturated .saturated fats is misleading, and that, to put tilts and "bad it blunth', the only good fat (beyond a bare minimum) ma\be the fat that has staged off your table. At this point, the connection between fat and heart disease should come as a surprise to no one. Atherosclero.sis, the buildup of fat on arten,' walls, is often responsible for the sudden death of heart attack and the lingering disabilit\- of stroke. And six decades of e\idence, as the New England Journal of Mecliciue (June, 19^8) put it, 'ha\e pro\ided a considerable degree of certaint) that fat in the diet can promote these fatt)' deposits in the arteries. "

"

Are Unsaturated Fats Better? In the case of heart disease,

blame does not

fall

equalh-

on

(Chemically, the fats in food come Saturated fats (each atom of carbon carries all the hydrogen it can hold; it's .saturated with them) are most commonl)' found in meats. Polyimsaturated fats (the carbon atoms ha\e room for more hydrogen) are ft)und more abundantl) in vegetables and in fish and tow A large bod)- of research indicates that saturated fots are the ones to watch in keeping guard against heart disea.se. Vkliere the diet is rich in these animal fats, heart

all

in

fats.

ties.

1.

322

WHOLE BODY HEALING

soeral \arie-

disease is generally a problem. Yet people like Eskimos, wliose high-fat diets consist largely of p>ohxinsaturates, suffer

from heart

ver\- little

Some

attacks.

studies ha\e found that mereh' substituting poly-

fats can lower the level of cholesblood and pre.sumabh the risk of heart disease. In Finland, long-term patients at one mental hospital were gi\en the normal Finnish diet, which is ver\- higli in such saturated fat sources as eggs and milk products, in another hospital, much of the saturated fat was replaced with poly-

unsaturated for saturated

terol in the

fat. After si.x years, the diets were switched. Researchers fi)und that when patients necei\'ed the experimental diet, their bk)od cholesterol le\'els dropped sharply. In addition, the rate of death from coronan' heart disease

un.saturated

in the hospital

on the experimental

diet

fell

to half the rate

the other institution {Circulation. January-, 1979). Other studies have .suggested that a reduction in saturated tats can raise the Inel of HDL-cholesterol, the "valuable cholesterol" that appiirently resists the buildup of fatt)' deposits. And that the substitution of pohxinsaturated for

at

The emerging message of nutritional research is the necessity to cut down

modem on all

fats.

saturated fats can reduce the tendency of the blood to form thrombi, or tiny blood clots, that may initiate heart attacks

and

strokes.

The danger here

is

to see the

two kinds of

fats,

rated and pohxiasaturated, as "bad fat" and "good fact,

the emerging message of

research

is

the necessity' to cut

satu-

fat."

In

much modern nutritional down on all fats - animal

and vegetable, saturated and polyunsaturated. That may be e.s,sential, some investigators say, to reduce the ri.sk of not only heart disease but also cancer. Some 50 percent of all cancers, they speculate,

dence,

is

And

may be

according to mounting the part of the diet that most bears watching.

related in part to diet.

fat,

evi-

The evidence \\^as convincing enough to lead the National Cancer Institute (NCI), in a precedent-.setting statement, to recommend that Americans consume less fat (among other dietan modifications) to lessen the danger of cancer Their directive \er\ definitely includes margarine and corn oil as well as steak and butter In fact, some research suggests that pohunsaturated fots ma\ be the more dangerous vshere cancer is concerned. In a number of studies, animals that were fed pohunsaturated fats developed more tumors than those fed saturated fats. And when researchers at the I'niversitv' of Marviand correlated

human

diets with cancer rates, they

found a strong

NUTRITION

323

association

between cancer and vegetable fats. one kind of fat, in

Tlieir statistics point to

particular, as

worth being war\ about - those containing trans fattA acids. Trans fatt) acids don't occur naturally in \egetables but are produced when polyunsaturated oils are partially h\drogenated - that is, when the\ are processed \\ ith hydrogen to make them more .solid or to gi\e them longer shelf life. Many kinds of margarine, salad oil, mayonnaise and snack foods contain significant amounts of these .substances. Quite possibh, researchers .speculate, these unnatural trans fatty acids alter cell membranes, allowing carcinogens to pa.ss

through more

easily.

For people who ha\'e tried to reduce their risk of heart disease by .sub.stituting margarine and corn oil tor butter and animal fat, these findings may be particularly unsettling. Is there am diet that will help protect again.st both heart disease and cancer? What looks best at this point is a diet that markedly cuts down on all fats. For one thing, a ver\ low-fat diet

seems quite promising in pre\'enting and treating heart disea.se. It has been found that vegans, who eat onh vegetable foods and consequenth coasume far less fat than the general population, have .significantly

lesterol

and

triglycerides. In

lower blood

one

suffered the se\'ere pains of angina

.stud\,

le\els

of cho-

heart patients

who

shcmed m;irked improve-

ment when placed on a vegan diet. A diet that brought fat intake way down to 12 percent of total calories, in another clinical trial, was effective in lowering blood cholesterol of patients who had failed to impro\e with the u.sual "prudent" 30 percent fat diet. Cutting down on total fats will also have some ven'

le\'els

important indirect health benefits. .Since fats - animal and vegetable alike - are the most concentrated source of calories ( they have twice the calories, gram for gram, of ciirbohydrates or protein), a reduction of fat int;ike is es.sential for keeping weight down. Tliat apparently reduces the risk of both cancer and heart di.sea,se. B)- molding over\%eight, for that matter, you'll help protect \()ur.self against a host of other ills, including diabetes, h)pertension, gallbladder prob-

lems and

liver di.sea.se.

Don't Just Trim the Roast If

324

vou want

WHOLE BODY HEALING

to

drop your

fat

intake dowii to a significantly

low level, though, you'll ha\e Trimming the tat off the roast

to is

be aggressive about

it.

necessary- but not suffi-

because nK)St of the fat that finds its way into your body - some 60 percent, according to the US, Department of Agriculture - is what they call "imisible fat" and is likely to be o\erlooked. Even after the fatt\ edge is removed from a T-bone steak, for example, the meat itself harbors a considerable amount of fat - some 4() percent of its calories. The same cient,

people who keep butter off the table may continue to look at cheese with a fond eye, although two-t/jtrds of the calories in some hard cheeses deri\'e from fat. M)u may think of s'weets as primarily sources of sugar, but their less ob\ious contributions of fat ma\ be e\en more significant. Nearly halt the calories in ice cream, tor example, come from fats, and more than half the calories in milk chocolate do. Shortening looks like tat and baked goods dont, but remember that the latter is often full of the tbrmen a croissant, for example, owes half its calories to fat. Some of the most concentrated sources of fat are to be tbund in tast-t(x)d restaurants. A meal at McDonald's is nearl)4() percent fat, while a ser\ing of Kentuck)' Fried Chicken has 5S percent fat. Not onl\ do man>' processed ftx)ds harbor a heft) load of fat. but these are often hydrogenated and full of trans

fatt>'

Foods hard to

acids.

that are

low

in

fat,

on the other hand,

are not

find.

There is little fat in fruits and vegetables (with the exception of a\()cados. nuts and coconuts). >XTiole grains and beans offer a lot of protein without very much fat, as do chicken and certain kinds of fish.

Making Some Basic Changes wa\ to curtail your int;ike of fats, in other words, change the fundamental .stnicture of your diet. If you follow a few simple guidelines, you'll reduce fats ITie

is

to

automatically:

• Increa.se your intake of fruits, vegetables and

whole

grains.

down on red meats (beef pork, lamb and veal), and substitute fowl and fish. When you eat chicken. remo\e the skin, which contains most of the fat. >X'hen

• Cut

NUTRITION

325

\ou cat fish, choose less oih \aricties. like flounder, sole, haddock and halibut. Buy tuna packed in water, not oil. • A\-oid proces.sed foods. Wlien you prepare your food. \()u

know exacth what goes

into

own

it.

• Read labels and be alert for hydrogenated or partialh hardened fats and oils. Natural peanut butter, made

from ground peanuts and nothing else, is not hydrogenated; most mass-produced peanut butters are. • Use low-fat dair\' products - cottage cheese, skim or low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt. • VClien \()u eat out, be war)-. Fast-food restaurants a virtual transfusion of

fats.

oflFer

Fried foods in classier eat-

eries aren't any better.

Dont overindulge

in treats like ice cream, pastries and chocolate bars. Tliey are all high in fats. • Dont eliminate good foods that are high in fat. like nuts and cheeses, but use in moderation.



The body needs essential fatly acids to use vitamins A, D

and E, to synttiesize twnnones and to maintain cell membranes. But ttie amount is only about 2 percent of your calories.

Is there any danger of getting too little fat in )our diet? Not much. Tlie body needs some essential fatt)- acids (these are

provided b) polyunsaturated fats) to utilize \itamins A, D and E, to synthesize hormones and to maintain the membranes that surround each cell. But the amount is cjiiite small, about 2 percent of jour calories.

Boost Your Health with Supplements >'ou're careful about your diet, you may still not of the nutrients you need. Michael Colgan, Ph.D., a professor at the I'niversit) of Auckland in Australia, has found that many foods which nutritionists think contain large amounts of certain vitamins and minerals are actually

Even

get

if

all

nutritional wa.shouts. Dr. (x)lgan

was

originallv

drawn

intt) his

investigation

which of nutrition by suft'ering from both mental many of the patients operated, disorders and phvsical svndromes of one kind or another manifested what appeared to be signs of malnutrition." This observation led Dr (lolgan to ex;uiiine the patients' diets and to analv'/e the nutritional contents of those diets. He found that "almost all t)f the Ipatientsj appeared to be on the good mixed diet" which is supposed in most nutri"the observ-ation that in the Iclinics]

326

WHOLE BODY HEALING

1

tional literature to

pnnide necessan- vitamins and minerals

factors." But when he and his fellow researchers examined the tbods that comprised those diets, "we were surprised to find that man\- of the foods did not contain anything like the amounts of vitamins and

and other nutritional

minerals gi\en in the nutrition tables.

examined some oranges and found \itamin

C

For example,

that the)' contained

we no

whatsoever."

Wlien the\ did blood, urine, hair and tissue anah'ses of the patients, they found that their bodies" vitamin and mineral levels

were

were eating. and mineral intake. Dr.

as inadequate as the food they

In order to improve \itamin

Colgan and his colleagues decided

it

was necessary

to pro-

vide vitamin and mineral supplements, since the contents of the food

was so

unreliable. VClien they faced the quessupplementation was needed for optimum health, they faced a dilemma. The RDAs, or Recommended Dietarv .\llowances. published bv the I'nited States and tion of

how much

(ireat Britain,

were inadequate. premise on which the RDAs

are based is an absence of particular forms of disease," saj-s Dr. Colgan. "Problems with RDAs can best be summed up in the words of Senator >Xilliam Pro>jnire in 19^-t: "At best the RDAs are onlv' a recommended iillowance at antedilirvian levels designed to prevent some terrible disease. At worst they are based on conflicts of interest and self-serving views of certain portions of the food industries. Almost never are thev' provided at levels to provide for optimum health ;uid nutrition." Dr. (Colgan and his colleagues studied the medical literature carefullv to devise supplementation levels thev thouglit would be adequate. >X'hen thev proceeded with tlieir research, and compared the health of people who took these supplements of vitamins and minerals with the health of people who took no supplements, thev found the supplemented "File initial

'"

group became

substantial!)' healthier. A.s Dr. (xjlgan notes,

supplementation resulted in "improvements in hair, skin and fingernail condition amelioration of herpes .simplex, mouth ulcers, acne, eczema, chronic joint pain, chronic muscle pain, chronic back pain, constipation, pimples, nervous indigestion, headache and sinusitis." .

.

.

The people who took supplements al.so showed improvements in blood pressure and blood fat levels, and the) had fc-vver infections and illnesses than the unsuppleniented control group.

NUTRITION

327

"We obsened," ments

says Dr. Colgan, "that these improve-

were more

prone )ii need in older sube suspect that supplementation [has] a general eftect on the health of the subject and might [reduce] some of the degenerati\e symptoms of aging." |in

health!

jects than in younger.

.

.

.

|

|

\X

VCtien supplements vsere given to athletes, the researchers

obsened notable impnnemenLs

in performance. Marathoners received supplementation o\er a period of six months had an average improvement in race time of around 1"" minutes. Supplemented weightlifters showed substantial increase in strength.

who

Dr. (^olgan belie\'es that e\er\'one

should supplement

more and more nutrients are lost during the preparation and processing of comenience foods, which his or her diet.

now form

'A.s

of Western man, it seems the diet will become le.ss and less adequate. In most cases, \itamin and mineral supplementation has pnned a large part of the diet

likely that

beneficial in impro\ing ph^-sical performance and physical

condition of people in apparently normal health." An important me;Lsuring tool you'll discover as you finetune your diet and supplement intake is the way your bod\ feels. When you hit the right balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals, \x)u should experience more pep and energy; and you should get sick less often. Its like finding the right blend of fuel for your car. Instead of sputtering, your body engine will hum.

328

WHOLE BODY HEALING

POSTURE

Witli

neither a wrinkle nor a gray hair to miir

Ted jonns can ne\ertheiess be spotted from among his group of >c)ung trainees - even a mile a\\'a)'. his yoLitliflil ;ippe;irance. 42-\eiir-()Id

It's his poor posture, that laz)* bent-out-ofhe carries himself that's the dead giveawa). How did Mr. Jonns de\'elop such an aged stance? Well, )ears of improper - or worse, no - exercise helped to accelerate the weiikening of those muscles which otherwise hold the bones in alignment.

shape

\\a\

The Workaday Whirl Like man\- executives, Mr. Joruis's a

s"\A

i\el chair.

workweek

To m;ike matters worse, the

re\'olves

around

seat of that chair

deeper than the length of his thighs. So, to rest his upper hack and shoulders against the back of the chair, Mr. Jonns must bend and tilt his lower back to meet it. Tliis imites a protruding pot and slumped shoulders, to say nothing of the aches of a weakened lower back. At 5 pm or thereabouts. Mr Jonns drags his body from that chair to his car, and home to the sofa. He's also fallen into the American pattern of "eat, drink and be sorry." Mr. Jonns tries to keep in shape. Unfortunately, all that handball, tennis and, especially, golf does not prc"\ent his slouched entr)- into the fourth decade of his life. And, e\'en if he had joined a club gymnasium, the dumbbells, bars and rowing macliines might ha\e compounded his problem. Exerci.se equipment that helps to dc\'elop certain muscle groups does so at the expense of other equal!)' important muscles. is

See for Yourself Whether or not you a similar stance.

realize

To see

it,

you, too, ma\

how you measure

be

falling into

up, view xourself

nude in front of a full-length mirror. How's your profile? No cheating - .stand the way you normall) do. lliink of an imaginan plumb line bi.secting ( continued

on page 335)

Don walk 't

330

WHOLE BODY HEALING

with rounded shoulders.

Standing with your back overly curved

is stressful.

POSTURE

331

Slouching over a desk strains the back.

332

WHOLE BODY HEALING

1

Standing straight makes you feel more alert and graceful.

POSTURE

333

Hold your

334

WHOLE BODY HEALING

chest high,

and you

will breathe easier.

"

from the crown of your head through your neck, shoulders and hips to your instep. Wlien the bod) masses are equally distributed on either side of that line, your weight yt)u

is

efficiently

supported \\ithout strain on

am one muscle

group. Howe\er. if the head is bent forward, the abdomen thrust out or the back stooped, the body is out of normal balance, and a strain must be placed on various muscles to keep the body from falling. Here's another test. Stand with your back against a wall, with your head, heels, shoulders and calves touching it. Now, flatten the hollow of your back b}- pressing your buttocks against the wall. \ou should just bareh' be able to stick your hand in the space befween the wall and the small of \our back. If this space is greater than the thickness of your hand, you definitely ha\e a posture problem. But before \()u shrtig oft' those hunched shoulders or that protaiding abdomen as something you should ha\'e corrected years ago "before it was too late," do yourself a fa\()r and listen to Raymond Harris, M.D., president and director of the Cienter for the Study of Aging in Albany, New "\'ork, and author of Guide to Fitness After Fifty (Plenum

Ifs

not easy to face

witti

poor posture.

fatigue, disfiguration

world leads to

ttie

It

and pain.

Press, 1977).

"Bad posture," says Dr Harris, "can be corrected. And it's

ne\er too late to

The

start.

not easy to face the world with poor slumped forward, it shifts your body weight back"ward from the \ertebrae of the spine to the muscles and ligaments of the lower back, which leads to fact

it's

is,

posture. Wlien you're

fatigue, disfiguration "lordosi.s

"

)

and

"Sw^back

such as swayback (the medical term

is

pain. is

a real problem,

"

explains Benjamin

S.

Golub,

M.D., chief of the back senice at the Hospital for Joint

Diseases and Medical Center in New \'ork. "The muscles and ligaments of the lower back are just not designed to support our weight."

The Foundation of All

Activity

According to Dr (iolub, a .strong, straight posture is no luxury, "^bu need good posture for all acti\ities, he told us, "including standing, sitting and bending." So let's get back to that mirror This time, you're going to see how you l(K)k with the riglit stiinding posture - one that will shift your weight back w here it belongs, to the spine. "

POSTURE

335

Pressinfi the

336

WHOLE BODY HEALING

hack against a wall improves posture.

"

Stand erect, keeping vour bod\' firm, \ct flexible. Relax.

Look

on the

straight ;ihead

each

and distribute your weight

exeni)'

not the toes or heel, ^bu should be able to raise >()ur heels without leaning forward. ball of

Sliglith

tilt

\x)ur

toot,

kmer

peUis tbrv\ard

iuid up\Mird.

Imag-

between your buttocks and them tightening (don't bend your knees). As you

ine that Nou're holding a coin you'll feel

into position, your buttocks .should tuck in

and the of the back- the lumb;ir cur\e - flatten into a slight arc. 'And flattening the lumbar cur\'e," says Dr. Golub, 'is the name of the game. Hold your chest high. As you raise your chest, your .shift

.small

shoulders naturalh roll back and \()ur stomach pulls in. (A slumping chest or sagging abdomen restricts \'our abilit)' to breathe efficienth and comfortably.) But don't arch your back and suck in your stomach; this onl\ de\elops the tense

posture of a .soldier at attention. 'The militan .st)'le of posture is too rigid." warns Dr. Golub. "Don't be a martinet." ^bur goal is good \ertical alignment. Tliat is, you should be able to drop an imaginar) plumb line from ju,st behind the ear, through the shoulder, the sacrum (the last bone of the spine and part of the pel\is), behind the hip and the knee, and througli the ankle.

Three Rules for Good Posture it sounds like quite a goal - connecting all tho.se bones - there are onh three maneuvers to remember Stand erect. Tilt your pel\is. Rai.se your chest. Eventhing else takes care of it.self and falls naturalh into place. Don't be discouraged if \()u find xounself rvvisting like a go-go dancer in front of the mirror while tning to align your body. (Chances are your bod\ is accustomed to being "out of line, and at first good posture ma) seem uncomfortable or unnatural, creating tension in your lower back. But w ith time - and practice - nou will be at ea,se.

Althougli

"

(lood posture, then, is a skill, just like playing a musiinstrument or riding a bic-)cle. And, like other .skills, it will improNc steadih' with practice. No matter how bad things look in the mirror, a little determination will go a long way to straighten out your reflection. Once you make up your mind to put in the effort, in fact, you may be surprised at how eas\ it is to improxe )our posture. cal

POSTURE

337

Your wei^^bt should he on the balls of ^-our feet when you stand.

lucking in the pelvis straightens the hack.

338

WHOLE BODY HEALING

Ihe back cunvs when thepelris

is

untucked.

Relax on your back before doing

this pelvic

tilt.

Then push the lauer hack dcntu (igaiHSt the floor.

Three More Steps According to

Dr.

to Straightness

Harris,

there arc three basic parts to

the process. says, he aware of your posture. Monitor your mirrors and store windows instead of combing \()ur hair or straiglitening \()ur clotlies.

he

First,

posture

in

POSTURE

339

"The idea," explains Dr. Harris, "is to mobilize your know to do this is to thought processes. Tlie best \\a\ walk as tliougli \()ii are wearing a crcmn." Second, consciousl\ place yourself in the proper positions. Dr Harris suggests that you practice King Hat on the floor or on a .slantboard (a piece of wood built on a slant so that you can rest with your feet higher than \()ur head) or on a wide, strong ironing board with the small end propped up about six to ten inches. In this position your spine will straighten and \'our back will flatten. Muscles are relaxed and at ea,se. Small pillows can be placed behind the neck and the knees to ease an\ strain on the spine. The final component of the good posture process is stretching, massaging and exercising \()ur muscles. "Gentle ma.ssage is especiall) helpful for those o\er 50," says Dr. Harris. For some, he also recommends hanging from a chinning bar. "It stretches muscles gently and gets them working properly ... it brings the back into proper alignment and relie\es pres,sure on the ner\es and discs." I

Lying on a sUmthoard with your feet higher than your head

340

WHOLE BODY HEALING

is

supremely

reliLxing.

Even rolling around on a padded or carpeted floor beneficial.

Dr.

Harris claims

it

is

restores joint mobilit}- by

impnning muscle tone and helps the muscles hold the bod)

in

proper posture.

>X'hen )uu think about posture, don't ONtrlook the impor-

Hcin^iti^ from

a chinning bar helps straighten your hack.

POSTURE

341

'

"

'

tancc of proper breathing, he adds. Diaphragmatic - or belly -breathing Let's take a

a

is

the basis tor really

moment and

tr\

good

health.

it.

Place your hand between )'our navel and ribs and take breath. 'Sour hand goes out a.s your diaphragm drops.

deep

Exhale, and )c)ur hand goes inward as the diaphragm Again, practice

Good If

you

makes

rises.

perfect.

Posture Eases Back Pain suffer

from back pains, impro\ing your posture is While

especial!) important, according to orthopedi.st (iolub.

g(XKl posture won't correct osteoporosis, fractures,

di.sc

degen-

can help reduce the of di.sea.se, "And posture superimposed on effects back bad disorders only compounds your problems other back The best exercises tor impro\ing posture, he .sa\>i. are those designed to strengthen the stomach muscles, "The stomach muscles are the ke) to the back. When tight and strong, the\ automatically tilt the peKis and diminish the eration or other back problems,

it

"

The best exercises for improving posture are tt)ose wtyich strengttien ff)e stomach

muscles.

lumbar cur\e, Wliatever exercises >()u use to improve >x)ur posture, the important thing is to do them regularly. So sa\^ Ihman Jampol, director of the Be\erl\ Palm Rehabilitation Mo.spital in

a

Los Angeles and author of J7je Weekend Athlete's Pain-Free Mouclay (). P Tarcher. 19~8), "You can't exercise only when you feel like

need to have a program,

Way it.

to

'Sou

you ha\e one tor bmshing going to the beaut)' parlor,

just like

your teeth or \-our hair or for he .sa)s, "You .should .strengthen yx)ur .stomach muscles and stretch )()ur back muscles for about ten minutes the first thing each da). Soon this will snowball. Hie more )()u do, the better vou fieel, and the more \'Ou want to do,

Back Exercises llie best exercises for improxing posture are those

which

strengthen the stomach mu.scles, llie following routines designed b) I)r, (iolub do ju,st that. Start in the position .shown -lying on your back, hips and knees bent, feet flat on the floor- then proceed as follows:

342

WHOLE BODY HEALING

1.

2.

amis folded across chest, tighten lower abdominal muscles. Hold five seconds, then rest. Repeat five times. Mo\e elbows to floor, then use them to push lower back against floor. Hold five seconds, then rest. Repeat In basic position, with

ten times.

/.

SUni this Ixistniv exercise

irith

your cuDis foUk'd.

2.

hit your elhoics on the floor

POSTURE

343

/.

/-"/// ii

fnlloir lK'hi)ut

your Imul.

pillow under your neck, inlialc and cxlialc and slow!) while contracting abdominal muscles. Rest. Repeat ten times. Put hands behind your head. Inhale deeph, ele\ating chest. Hxliale by contracting abdominal muscles and pulling abdomen upward. Hold five seconds, then rest.

1. >X'ith a small liill)

2.

Repeat 3.

rest.

344

WHOLE BODY HEALING

five times.

^bu can end your routine with partial sit-ups. With hands behind your neck, ele\ate shoulders and upper back two inches off ilie floor. Mold five .seconds, then Repeat

fi\e times.

2. Pkici.' }r)iir

J.

I.iji }-()itr

anus behind

)'(>iir

head

head off the floor.

POSTURE

345

1

Sinuses

Gumey's Inn, a well-known resort and spa at Montauk Point, Long Island, Nc\%' 'Sbrk, Iximishcs a rctlexologist tor its guests. People

who

recei\e these treatments regularh deseribe

as "absoluteh

Liura

it

manelous."

Norman

is

a certified reflexologist

who

also holds

masters degree in the treatment of emotionall) disturbed children. She li\es in New York City, and for about the last a

ten years she has been treating the feet of housewi\'es, businessmen, elderly people, handicapped children, dancers and athletes in Manhattan, Boston, Long Island, New Jerseyand Connecticut. "Liura," .says one client who's been seeing her tor five years, "has got a great pair of hands."

She Begins with Your Medical History Her treatments generalh begin with a brief sketch of your medical history: any major illnesses or surgery you'\'e had, or where you experience the most tension. That alerts her to potentialh tender arcits on the feet. Tlie treatments are, as a rule, received on an empty stomach, ^bu remove \'our shoes and socks and lie on a folding examination table. "You're going to do this lor an hour':'" a first-time \isitor asks.

"Ma\t)e a

As )ou

little

lie

longer Beginners need more time," she saj's. instaicts you not to talk and

down, she

not to cro.ss \'our arms. .She feels that crossing the arms short-circuit the current that runs through patient

would and

therapist.

The session begins. At first, it feels like nothing more than a ma.ssage. Hien you begin to relax. .She rolls her thumb along the heel, and there's that feeling of mashed Grape Nuts. "Feel that? she sa)s. "Those are the cr^'stals." The "cH'stals," reflexologists sa\', are wiiste deposits that build up in the ner\'e endings and the capillaries of the feet and hinder the free circulation of the blood. ITie treatment supposedly breaks up the cr\-.stals so they can be flushed out of the body. The treatment lasts for a little more than an hour. It .seems like 20 minutes. You sit up, and if your mo\'ements are jerkT at first, that's tension being released. "Mo.st illness is caused by tension," Ms. Norman .says, as she otters a gla.ss of water and ad\ises that liquids help carr\ oft am waste stirred up by the treatment. .She tells you not to lift anything hea\')' at first, and .she asks if your thoughts are noticeabl\ clearer. I'he treatment "gets rid of mental chatter," she .sa)s. "

REFLEXOLOGY

347

Guide

to Self-Treatment Normans technique of weekly, one-hour

sessions is based Ingham's books. ITiere ;ire other schools of thought. Another New Yorker, Michael Andron, calls his method "reflex balance" and has published a manual entitled Reflex BtiUmce: A Rx)t and Hcuuilxx)k fi)r Hecilth ( 1980), which demonstrates how people can learn to massage their own hands and feet. Where Ms. Norman's massage proposes to flush out cn,.stals, Mr. Andron's massage supposed!) balances and corrects an "electromagnetic field" that surrounds the body. (He feels he has confirmed his theor) by producing measurable changes in the electrical current within the bod).) Most of the massage techniques and the results of the two systems are similar. The advantages of this method, Mr. Andron sa\^, are that it requires people to "t;ike respon-

Ms.

on Eunice

sibilit)'

I).

tor their

own

health" and that

it

costs nothing.

Rub Away Aches and Pains A businesswoman in Oceanside, Long

Island, New "^brk, has received weekh' foot treatments for five years. For about IS \ears prior to that, she suffered from chronic, serious back trouble. She'd been in traction three or tour times, and each time she left the hospital in a bod\ citst. Describing herself as a "walking testimonial," she say's her back pain responded immediately to toot ma.ssage. And she says that a pain in her hip, for in.stance, meant that the hips reflex point on her toot would be unbearably sensiti\e. "Hie feet don't lie, 1 found, she says. Two more reflexology enthusiasts are brothers wln) own a chemical plant in Ba\t)nne, New Jersey. The younger, who is 70, recei\'es a weekly treatment nine months out of the year. His older brother, who is "4, gives the massage to hiraself and his wife, "nie treatment works," tlie elder brother .sa\>;. He feels that reflexology helped him reccner from a stroke in 1971 and that it cured his wife's heart problems. His brother says, "It makes me feel like a nc"\v man. My ankles and legs u.sed to s\\x\\. Now, no matter how hot it "

gets or

how

far

I

walk,

my

ankles don't

.sA\ell.

It

gi\es

me

.such a boost."

didn't belie\e it myself at the beginning," says Julie of Lawrence, Long Island, Nc"w M)rk, who worLs w ith

"I

litra

diabetics at

Mount

Sinai Ho.spital in

New

recei\ed toot treatments for three years.

mar\elous,

348

WHOLE BODY HEALING

like a .shot in

the arm," she

"It

.say>i.

York

City. She's

m;ikes you feel

Ken

Miller

was director of the

residential center at the school tor handicapped and disturbed children in Queens, where Ms. Norman worked as a special education teacher from 19^4 to 19"'9. By gi\ing foot treatments, she was able to calm dcmn and increase the attention spans of h\peracti\e children, he sa\^. He calls her results "quite exceptional" and adds that she relie\ed a

Maimonides

Institute, a prix-ate

back problem he had.

New

Reflex balance has been used in least

one

Ho.spital.

York

ph\7iician. a resident in pediatrics at

Cit)'

Mount

by

at

Sinai

wtio learned reflex balance techniques from Michael

Andron in Augu.st. 19^9. and since then has used it on about 20 of her patients. In one particular case, .she u.sed reflex balance to help sa\e the life of an infant girl born four weeks premature b\ emergency cesarean section. One hour after the child was deli\ered, .she developed a pulse rate of 250 and was taking 150 breaths per minute. The.se high rates were the infants attempts to compensate for an as yet underde\ eloped heart and lung system, but both rates were dangeroush high. On the second day of the baby's lite, the doctor began applying pressure to the point on the child's foot that corresponded to the heart and lung. According to reflex balance charts, that would be the ball or pad of the foot. I sing either her pinkie or the eraser end of a pencil, .she

how much

pressure the child could tolerate before or withdraw her foot. "When (pressure] was applied to the heart-lung border and held .steady tor 60 to 90 seconds, says the case report, "respiratory rate dropped to 60 to 80 per minute. ... If [pressure] was held fi)r o\er n\-o minutes, respirations dropped to -40 per minute and nxse to 80 to 90 per minute within 30 seconds after relief of pressure. This c\'ent was consisShe noted that the pressure had no tenth reproducible effect when it wxs applied to any other part of the foot. Even though other .standard medical procedures, such xs an oxA'gen tent, were used in treating the infant, the doctor still feels that reflex balance may have played an important role. "I was impressed, she says. Asked if she would use reflex balance again, she says, "Definitely." Like .Mr Andron, the Mount Sinai ph)-sician thinks that people should be taught how to appi)' the massage to their own feet. She has shown the technique to .some of her teenage patients, but fev\ of them stayed with it. tested

she began to

en*'

"

"

REFLEXOLOGY

349

Do-It- Yourself Foot

Rubs

may or may not be all that claims to be. The soles of the feet may or may not be a wa\' of gaining access to the body's internal organs. Explorations of tender points on the foot may or may not be an accurate diagnostic tool. But e\'en without these reputed benefits, the toot therapy is a deeply relaxing experience, .something more than just an ordinan aibdown. It may ver\ well stimulate better circulation in the outermost extremities of the body, as it promises. At the least, the treatment feels ver); very' good. In the final analysis, reflexologyit

The

be.st part is that

reflexology

is

a drugless, surgery-

anyone can learn tor next to nothing, '^bu can pay a specialist, but you don't have to. And with the .smallest of precautioas (such as not doing it too hiird or too often), there's no way it can hurt you. To experiment with foot reflexology, all you need are a pair of willing hands and a pair of willing feet. The person recei\ing the treatment should lie on a couch, table or bed. The masseur should sit on a low chair free therapy that

or stool, facing the soles of the subject's feet. The amount of time you spend on each foot can \'ary from 5 to 45 minutes. Some people like to warm up the feet with a general rubdown, while others like to start working

on the

reflex points right away.

According to traditional reflexology technique, llie thumb should be bent at the joint, and the tip of the thumb should then dig with a rotary motion into the reflex points. ITie pressure should be firm but gentle at first, then gradually increased to as much as the subject can tolerate without pain. Tliumbnails should be cut short for this, and you should keep an eye on the subject's face to see if he or she is wincing in pain. One young woman who received a 20-minute treatment from a local, inexperienced ma.s.seur said the massage made her feel "warm all over She described it as a 'pleasant state of suspension." She said she felt a relaxation as deep as that attained through meditation. Ma,sseur and subject can sAvitch places ;ifter the treatment. But they don't ha\e to. Some people claim that it's just as relaxing and rewarding to gi\e a toot massage as it is "

to receive one.

350

WHOLE BODY HEALING

)

ROLHNG' b\ Jason Mixtcr, (xrtified RoLfcr

The

term "Rolfing" now refers to a system of body education and physical manipulation originally called "structural integration." It is the product of 50 \ears of study iind practice b>' Ida P. Rolf, Ph.D., and, since her death in 1979, the many people she trained to carr\ on her work. Fundamentall), Rolting consists of some simple ideas about human structure: ( I most human beings are significantly out of alignment with gra\ir\; (2) \%e fimction better when we are lined up with the gra\itational field of the earth; and ( 3 ) the human body is so plastic that its alignment can be brouglit into harmony with gra\ity at practically any time of life.

Ida

Rolf,

Rolfers insist that the human is so plastic that its alignment can be tjrought into harmony with gravity at prac-

body

tically

any time of life.

founder of Rolfing.

351

Ida Rolfs Discoveries Ida Rolf earned a Ph.D.

in

biochemistn' from Columbia

1916. Somev\here in her scientific research, a fundamental discoven- about the body: the

University in

made same network of she

cotmectiiv tissue which coti tains and muscle system when it's healthy can be used to reshape it when it's been pulled out of proper order. Each muscle (and each muscle fiber) is enveloped in a connective tissue called fascia. Toward the end of each mu.scle. this fascia thickens into straps we call tendons or ligaments, which work to bind muscle to mu.scle and muscle to bone. In fact, this strange stutf we term connective tissue might better be called the prima materia, the basic stuff of the body. Part of it e\'olves into bone, and the muscles actually develop as tissue tendrils growing out through the fascial network in the embryo. Dr Rolfs discovery of the importance of the fascial links the

system revolutionized thinking about the body. Instead of muscles, her Ibllowers emphasize their covering, much as if, when looking at an orange, one emphasized the rind rather than the meat. Tlie enwrapping fascia .supports the muscles and holds muscle and bone combinations in place. But it has one troublesome property: it can support ivhatei'er patterns of movement and posture the bod\ adopts. The fascia can aid normal balanced posture. Or when muscles are overloaded by the con.stant .strain of off-balance movement, these connective tissues may take over .some of the load by shortening and giving up their elasticity. In this way the bod\' actually changes .shape to reflect how it's being used. Fortunateh', the fascia can be restored to health by returning muscles and bones to their proper alignments and inducing proper movement. Dr Rolfs discover)- of the importance of the ftuscia was based upon another insight. She recognized that gravity- is the basic shaper of the b(xl\'. VCe have to balance our bodies, the pull of gra\it}-. From birth to death, working on us. Because it is, deviations in the muscle-bone sv-stem are never merely local, (iravitv's

somehow,

again.st

gra\it\' is alwav^s

them throughout the bodv. If the natural balance of the body is di.sturbed - if it doesn't tbilovv the best geometrv' of the skeleton - then the wlxtle body will gradually change form to adapt to tiie deviation. For examinfluence spreads

ple, a child tails

352

WHOLE BODY HEALING

from a bicycle and injures a knee.

I'o

avoid

he or she tightens the muscles around that knee. Since the bod)' must work against the tug of gra\it)\ the entire muscle and fascial s>>item gradually shifts to compensate tor the first change. Mo\ement through the pehis is influenced. a.s is the pattern of breathing and the set of the pain,

head. Because muscles alone cannot earn the additional tension, the fa.sciae shorten to support the nev\ movement, and, in time, the shape and function of the alters ^\•ith

whole body

them.

Hie human body is like a house. It's structured so that each part has its proper place, and each piece interlocks to balance the load of the others. As in the well-built house whose e\en- post and be;im is in place, the well-used (more than well-built) body functions etficienth'. Because gravity' pulls do\% n on e\enlhing. out-of-place body parts - beams out of alignment and un.supported by a post - are pulled into painftilly imnatural positions. >X'hat the Rolfer seeks a return of the con.strtiction to fications.

This

is

by the hair and she is hanging

often

its

compared to, him or her

lifting

in

is

original blueprint specifirst,

grabbing the client up until he or

straight

a perfiectly Ncrtical

position and, then,

going again. Putting one out-of-whack piece back into place is usually not enough. Ereiythiug should be riglit before a house can stand or a body can work smoothly. Vjis kind of arrangement, in turn, produces setting the

client

what Dr Rolf called "the is

go.spel of Rolfing:

v\-orking properly, the force of gra\it\

Then, .spontaneously, the body heals

when

the

body

can flow througli

it.

itself."

The Body's Geometry Dr

Rolfs \ie\\ of the role of the fascia in posture led to another major di.sco\er\. It miglit be called the theor)' of body geometry. Wlien an elbow, knee or any other joint is proper!) balanced, the indi\idual experiences an internal sen.se of rightness. Hie bod) .senses that it is aligned along the tme pUines of movement. The hinges of the legs (hips, knees, ankles, e\en toes) all work within a single plane. Hie paths of the legs ha\e parallel courses, llie head and spine feel a clear sen.se of "up." Tlie elbows move naturally through their angle in a smooth course. (Compared with this new organization, the pre%ious functioning of the bod) appears random. e\en chaotic. In contrast, the new geometr). this new orientation in space, feels much more secure. Hie goal of the Rolfer is to bring the bod) close to its still

ROLFING® 353

center line of gravity so that fewer muscles arc required for basic standing and sitting. "Posture" is no longer an immobile holding action but a floating balance and case. It is this attention to the proper

body gcomctn that distinguishes body work that simply seek

Rolling from those forms of

deep

massage and relaxation. each person has his or her own version of this ideal geometr), which depends on the persons height, the length of his or her limbs, and other similar factors. But Rolfers consider fi\e basic points when planning indi\idual goals for a client. In order for the human bod)- to Hmction properly and maintain an upright position, these five landmarks must be in alignment: the ear, the shoulder, the hip, the knee and the anlde. The head, neck and .shoulders tell the ston of the structure below them. The body should glide ak^ng, rather than look its if it has to do extremely hard work with e\'er> step. The head and neck must be centered over the middle of the body, and the spine that supports the structure must be at the back of the pehic section. The spine must then cur\e in conjunction with the natural back cunature until it enters the ba.se of the skull tissue

Naturally,

The human body is like a house. It^ structured so that each part tias its proper place

and each piece interlocks to bdance ttie kxxl of ttw ottteis.

in a central direction.

Any damage or

con.stant pressure

\\\\\

disturb the balance of the upper torso.

few words, that's Rolfing, but the definition no sense to )'ou because \()u'\e never seen or felt Rolfing. To remed)- that, lets follow a client through her first session and then get into a little routine that will give you a few of the feelings that a Rolfing client has in that initial encounter In quite a

ma)' niiike

A Visit to Marcia had

knew

a Rolfer

known about

Rolfing for ma)t)e ten )ears. She

was developed by a biochemist and that it was designed to improve posture and flexibilit). She had also heard that it was sometimes painful, although people she knew who had been Rolled did not emphasize this aspect as much as people who had not been Rolled. She decided to tr) it. After answering a health questionnaire and discussing what she hoped to gain from the .sessions with her Rolfer, Marcia was asked to undress down to her underwear and pose for some "Before Session One" photos. Tlien she stood in front of the fiall-length mirror and was introduced to her

354

WHOLE BODY HEALING

that the technique

b()d\' through a Rolfer's eyes. She began to see that her bod> was tiir from organized: not only were her shoulders a

but the\ were also rotated distinctly to the while her pehis was turned to the left. She noticed that she could breathe either from her upper che.st or from her abdomen, but not both. From the side, she saw that her midsection protruded out in front becau.se her upper back slumped aliead of her pehis and abdomen. Following her .shoulders, her neck and head al.so came fbr\%ard. Tlie Rolfer helped her to see that if her head were balanced properly on her .spine, the muscles in her back would not have to support its 12-pound weight. Finally, she was asked to lie down on the cushioned table, and the Rolfer began to work on her ribs. She felt a brief burning sensation as he did, as if the skin was being stretched and kneaded. He worked around her left armpit and asked her to perform an arm movement as he did. The discomfort was diUerent here - sharper, more precise. His hands seemed to know just where to find tightness and tension. First in front, then along her side, back under her .shoulder blade, dow n under the line of her rib cage. Soon she was feeling light and air}'. She was breathing more deeply and with le.ss effort. Her left arm was mo\ing easily almost by itself. But when she mo\ed the riglit one, it seemed blocked. She had ne\'er noticed a problem there before, but the ilifference berween her arms was \'er>' noticeable. ,\s the session continued, Marcia felt more at ease. Tlie Rolfer worked on her hips and then on the back of her thighs. He explained that years in high heels had caused her knees to h)perextend, or "lock" back-ward. Tliis had cut off circulation in her lower legs and left her with a tendenc)' toward cold feet. He also connected the locked knees to the tbr\%'ard jut of her upper body. As he continued to work, the back of her thighs had that same burning sen.sation for a moment, but it was soon replaced with a ntnv sen.sation of "length" and freedom. >X'hen she stood up, .she felt straighter, even though she had not pre\i felt ali\e and tingling. ITie Rolfer ga\e her a mental image to think about: her motion should come from deep inside her bod\. She felt diflfcrent height,

right,

ROLFING® 355

more liked

taller. When she sat, she sat straighten and she slouched, the position was uncomfortable!

expansive, it.

When

intrigued?

Feel

Tr\' this .self-help

What Marcia

routine.

Felt

One

of the major distinctions made by Rolfers is the difference between holding and supporting. As children, most of us are told to ".sit up straight." The well-meaning relati\es

who

usually make good posture, and

some

variation

this

command

are tr\ing to teach us

good posture the)' generally mean of "chest out and shoulders back!" In- this b\

posture right now as you read. Notice that when your shoulders are pulled back, the> cannot be SIPPORTED b\ the rib cage, that, instead, Nour tamk is lifted up otf the peKis and HELD in an uncomfortable imitation of good po.sture. WTiile sitting, most of us droop forward and let our bodies hang off our spines in \arious forms of collapse.

When we do remember

to "sit

up

straight,"

we

often re\'erse

e\'enthing and hold our chests up and keep the shoulders high and aloft. Some people e\'en become locked in this position. Although they look good to the untrained, most trained observers agree that the body structure is not supported from below in this posture; it is uncomfbrtabh held from above. In either case, with the held posture or the collapsed one, energ)- is being expended, which might be conserved with proper structural support and balance. To see how much better efficient posture can make you feel, first sit down. Tlien, let your chest fall so that

your spine cunes to the front. Now sit up so that \()ur spine arches to the back. Do you feel relaxed, or is it an effort to hold your bod\' in this second position? Return to the collapsed position, and put a hand on each hip bone. Push your hips forward until you feel the bottom of your pehis (the two "sit bones') touch the chair seat. As \-ou do, notice that your chest floats up as the pehis rolls forward. Now rest on the forward part of >-our "sit bones." Notice that you can sit and maintain a feeling of support without either collapsing or holding your bod\ up. Learned body patterns become so much a piul of us that, at first, you ma\ not be able to sit in this new. supported fa.shion for \er\ long, ^bu ma\ al.so need to 'pla\" with it until you can feel your bod) learning to support itself But most people oentuall) find that the) do not feel

356

WHOLE BODY HEALING

quite

they are using this supportive posture of the old holding patterns.

"right" unless

in place

What, Exactly,

Is

Rolfing?

normally taught or applied in ten sessions of Each segment of the process is both a continuation of the pre\ious one and an introduction to the next. The bod)- is SN-stematicalh- and ph^-sicalh' manipulated during this initial series of ten sessions, each of which lasts about an hour and may be scheduled as often as twice a v\eek. Some people choose to schedule their sessions once a week, others once a month. Tlie cost of each session varies from S5() to S"'5, according to local economic conditions and the experience of the Rolfer. Rolfing's ten-session series is designed to uncover a structural ease and kinetic balance that is unique to each client. Rolfing cannot accurately be described as therapy or as a returning of the bod\ to a "natural" state from which it has deteriorated. Rather, it is a process of education in which a Rolfer seeks to help a client discover the most efficient wa)- of using his or her body, given the limitations, liabilities ami \irtues of that body. In effect, the plan of each group of ten lessons must be created anew for the needs of the particular person seeking help. Howe\'er, there ciiv certain guidelines and landmarks which e\'er)' Rolfer follows in each program of sessions, and it is to these basic tenets that we must turn to complete our description of the treatment proces.s. Rolfing

is

\'ariable length.

The

First

Session

The

intent of the

cial

by most Rolfers. but they have

for "superficial."

first

The

Rolfing session

.session's

goal

is

is

considered superfi-

a ver)' special

meaning

to .systematically release

the bodys "stocking." or the fa.scial sheath that lies just below the skin's surface. .Some lengthening of the trunk up and out of the pehis is also anticipated, as well as a relaxation of the legs below the hip joint. .Most people appear to be jammed into the peKic staicture from both above and

below. After the initial session, clients usually feel longer and experience freer mo\ement in the pelvis. Ilie breathing pattern of the client is aLso affected by

ROLFING® 357

Most of us employ only the upper rib cage breathe instead of using the bott(;m of the cage and the diaphragm. By siXe encouraged the kids and their coaches to do whatever the\' wanted to do. Four \seeks after we started we held a 2()-kilometer run and about 30 kids finished it. Six of those kids went on to run a marathon, and continued running marathons. And the paients started running, too. And r\e seen other clinical examples of kids responding to running. I've seen h\peracti\e kids whose parents have gotten into running, and after the) start running with their parents, they don't need the medication ammore. "As a pre\entive tool, it's great. Naturally, besides helping you avoid depressit)n. running will help keep you out of the coronan, care unit. M)ur cardioNascular system will grow stronger and healthier. Heaven knows what other wondertlil things running probably does for us, in terms of psychological health. If it can iilfcct the minds of severel)' ill people, bring about positi\'e changes, imagine what the effect can be on people who aren't ill "

Body Chemistry There are

mam

theories about One idea

things for your brain.

why running does good is

that

it

stimulates the

bod) to produce endorphins. Endorphins are powerful antidotes to depression. The)' lift spirits the way that express elevators pop tourists' ears on the way to the top of the

Empire State Building. Another theor)' links running to increased production of norepinephrine. Norepinephrine is a hormone released b) the adrenal glands. Its presence in the blood is a.ssociated with euphoric emotions. Right now no one knows if norepinephrine causes euphoria. We onl) know that it seems to arri\e in the blood at the same time and that running can

concentration in the blood. But aside from am internal chemical effect, mnning gi\es man) people a sense of self-fulfillment. VCIien they am, the)' do st^mething outside of the mediocre, normal range of behavior Running makes them extend themselves, gi\ing them a chance to see what their mind and body can do. VC hen )'ou get yourself in shape, and you can am longer and longer distances without exhaustion, you become a member of an elite group. If )()u can run tour miles contriple its

RUNNING

375

tinuously

at a

nine-minute-per-mile pace, then you are able

most people cant. bcNond the normal limits that modern societ}' requires, you begin to see yourself dilterently. You acquire more self-respect and introspection as well as a different \'iew of those around \'(ju. Tlie process puts \'Ou more in touch with yourself. Dr Kostaibala saN-s: "You ha\e to recTaluate \()ur relationship to pain. One of the biggest things in our culture is that people are afraid of pain. An>lhing that smacks of pain is to be a\oided; it's considered abnormal. If its got pain, its no good. But you don't want to dem or ignore the pain, you don't want to lose it artificially 'V'ou want to own up to it. Say something like this to yourself "lliis pain is nn own, it's nobody el.se's. It's ma>'be the only thing in the world I can own. It's mine. It's precious. It re;dh' lets me know I'm here.' If you acknowledge the struggle, you're much more likely to appreciate to pertbrm a task that

As

)'()u

push

\()urself

it."

"We're Supposed to Run" In our own informal sune\ of amners. we found that the beginning of a ninning prognim often coincides with a ch;uige in people's li\es. Relationships ma\- break up. New ones begin, jobs are lost, (iiireers launched. Se\eral people rq^orted that the>- began amning during a time of .stress, and the

running helped them get through it. All continued ainning period of stress ended. One person .sa>s that he originally used ainning to relie\e the anxieU- of a mentalh demanding job but continued running because it had made him a calmer person. One woman said that ainning made her feel more self-reliant. When questioned closeh. almost all the amners .said that ainning, once begun, often telt like after the

something the\ bail to be doing. Dr Kostrubala's obsen-dtions confirm thi.s: "Of course, >()u have to keep in mind that ainning may he:ilth-pnKkicing c;ili a supplementiin we're supposed to ain. If you don't u.se an organ sT.stem tor the puqiose tor which it was designed, it will deteriorate. By ainning. you're not only using a tool to reach optimum health. \()ure going ;ifter what the bod>

not

Ix-

wiiat \-ou might

'

acti\it\;

was

designcti tor

I

belie\e that

we

e\-ol\ed into con.scious

beings through running and hunting. We're designed to am Our 'machine' is a ainning machine. We're built to Ix- long-

376

WHOLE BODY HFALING

distance runners. Slow ainners. but long-distance o\'er peri-

ods of time. Our whole physical structure supports long-distance running, right down to the way we deposit So if you start using the machine" properly, for the right

fat.

purpose,

\\ill

it

run better and longer."

The Human Machine Running

is

powerfully gcxxl medicine for the

human machine.

,\nd runners feel better about themselves simply because the\- are It

healthier Running fine-tunes the circulator}- s^-stem. It strengthens your heart, protect-

lowers blood pressure.

ing you from heart attack. If you do have a heart attack and you are a runner, xou'll ha\e a better chance of suni\ing. A kiris stud) sho\Ned tliat exercising regularl)' drops your chance of heart attack b\ 4() percent {\eii' England Journal of Medicine. October 9. 1980). Running helps you lose weight through the alteration of your body chemistr). Running raises your metabolic rate, the rate at which \()u burn off those calories that might otherwise go into the production of body fat. The exercise not only raises your rate while you run, but the rate sta\^ ele\ated e\en after >'ou'\e finished, taken a hot shower and stretched out to relax. So e\en while you're sitting or lying down, you're still burning off more calories than you would have if \ou didn't run. If \()u run at least three times a week, you can expect to l(A\er \()ur bod\ tat percentage, drop your weight and

Running

is

medicine

powerfully for the

good

human

machine.

HDL le\el. (HI)I^ are higli-densit)' lipoproteins, substances that help present cholesterol and fat accumulation within arter\- walls. ) Ml of these things occur as physiological results of running and also because running leads to a healthier litest\le. Dr Kostrubala feels that "as a mnner you start doing other things that bring you closer to optimum health. Sometimes )'ou can't help it. A lot of people, including m\-self. at one time or another mn in order to be able to eat a lot but not put on weight. But the system tricks you. Something changed inside of me. 1 didn't want to eat a lot more. M)ur sensitiviU' to food increases. You get raise >()ur

from junktbod. And )\m gra\itate more toward a vegeOther things change, too. You start to do what feels right for you. S)me people develop peculiar sleep patterns when the) become runners. At one time I u.sed to run berween 2 and 3 in the morning. That's when it felt right. I'd be out there in the dark running around with a fla.sh-

av\a\

tarian diet.

RUNNING

377

"

light,

scared to death. But it felt right. A lot of changes can You ma>' have to change >our diet, your lifestyle,

take place.

even your

Putting

job.

One

Foot in Front of the Other

"The best way to begin running at

first,

feeling out v^hat your

to just do it. Take it easy body can do. but get out

is

there on the road or track and mo\e." says Dr Kostnibala. "There's nothing you can do as expeditiously and easily as running. The first step has nothing to do with amihing physical, nothing to do with getting an exam or bu\ing the

The very first thing you should do simply determine that you're going to do it. It's a principle borrowed from Zen. "When a Zen archer aims at his target, he actualh\isualizes the entire process in his mind, including the flight of the arrow into the target. If you can do that mental right shoes or amthing. is

imagery, in a sense send the signals to the muscles to prepare them for what is going to occur, )'ou can achie\e some remarkable things. So the first step is to say. I'm going to do it.' No equivocation, no hedging, no qualification. It's a think that's necessar\ in order to gird leap of faith. And yourself for the first few months, which can be pretn hard if you're in as bad shape as I was. If you do have a serious question about \()ur health and your abilit) to mn, you ma\ want to see a doctor first. In talking to runners, howe\er, we ha\e found that most, when they began, were in axerage health and telt nt) need to consult a physician. If \'ou do wish to consult a plnsician, it is important that you talk to one who is know ledgeable about exercise and that >()u understand the kind of tests you may undergo. Otherui.se, there is a strong possibilin that >()u 1

(According to George .Sheehan, Red Bank. New jersey "llie worst enemies of amners are drivers, dogs and doctors .") As you overcome vour initial resistance to ninning. using what Dr Kostaibala refers to as a "leap of faith. vou'll want to develop proper running technique. Contrarv to what many people would like to believe, proper ainning form is not a natural abilitv that can be mastered without practice. Most ainners nin incorrectly Thev run inetticientlv, wasting energv in extraneous motions that slow them down, and the\ run stre.ssfuUv. bt)uncing

will get incorrect advice.

an MD/philo.sopher

in

"

378

WHOLE BODY HEALING

and cnenising certain muscles. Iliat inefFiciency and stress can lead ti) injuries that would be avoidable by using proper running technique. Leroy Perr\-, D.C.. a chiropractor at the Chiropractic Corporation in Pasadena, (."alifbrnia, who is an expert at treating athletes, uses the term "jogging" to describe what most people do when the\ think that the\ are "running." According to Dr Pern* s terminolog), "Jogging is one of the worst things nou can do to \()ur body. It is done by people who strike on their heels with a \ertical or back'\\ard lean to their bodies as their arms twist in a rotan- motion around them. B\' corkscrewing their arms around thenisehes as the\ jog, the\' are literalh' screwing themselves into the ground. They also concentrate tension in their upper back by keeping their shoulders tight while either sticking out their heads or pulling their ears into their shoulders. "The bouncing motion of jogging sends stress right up the body from the foot, through the ankle, tibia, knee and thigh into the lower back through the spine to the base of the skull, e\'entuall\ causing injury. I've e\'en seen patients with headaches resulting from stress that stiirted in the foot! "In proper running technique, there is a tbrwiird lean to the bod\-. The faster you run, the more forward lean you should use A long-distance runner should lean forward about 15 to 20 degrees. This means a 5-degree lean from the ankle to the knee, a 5-degree lean from the knee to the hip, another 5 degrees from the hip to the shoulder and about 5 degrees from the shoulder to the head. "The forward plant of yx)ur foot should land about onehalf to three-quarters of an inch in front of your heel and, in a fluid motion as \ou mo\e, you sht^uld roll through the length of the foot and push off between your first and second toes. Proper running means pushing off with \()ur back toot, not pulling v\ith the front one! Too man\ people ne\er use their toes. "^'ou^ arms should move in an easy pendulum t>pe of motion, a free arm swing tbrward and backward, each arm coordinated with the opposite foot. On their forward swing the arms should come up to about the le\el of your chest, ^bur shoulders should be le\'el and you should always look straight out in front of you. Don't look at the ground. "Proper ainning, like proper walking, is related to proper posture.

A common problem

is

that

mam

people,

when

walk and run, stick out their buttocks, which leads to stress on the lower back. During rimning, and all the\

.stand,

RUNNING

379

I

According to Dr. Kostrubala, the best way to beg'm running

is

just to

do

it.

Tal()ur spine is 30 degrees from the floor, then lower jourself back to the ground. "Doing exercises to de\eiop the stomach muscles is p;irticuhirly imjiortiuit to combat fatigue iuid p;iin of the k)\\er back muscles. Iliese lower back problems iire usu;ill\ caused by a muscle imbalance; the back muscles are much stronger than the stomach muscles and cnerpower them. Tlie resulting constant use of the back mu.scles causes stress, llie traditional method of doing sit-ups only adds to the imbalance problem. Regular sit-ups (where nou sit all the way up this

384

WHOLE BODY HEALING

The reverse windmill develops upper body strength.

touching \our knees or your toes) actually exercise the back muscles more than the\ do the stomach muscles, and the imbalance of strength actualh becomes more pronounced rather than being relieved. "For general muscle de\elopment and pre\'ention of also recommend that all runners have a .swimming injuries, program. Running tends to create short, tight muscles, wtiich are prone to pulls and tears. Swimming elongates the muscles and aids in creating muscle balance. A good minimum sAvimming program for runners includes 30 minutes in a pool three times a week. Fifteen minutes are .spent doing the crawl while wearing a water ski belt (the belt helps lift the back, decreasing the swa) and emphasizing pn)per mu.scle balance). ITie leg kick should be performed from the hips without bending the knee.s. Hie other 15 minutes .should be spent doing the back-stroke. llie flotation belt .should not be worn v\hile doing this stroke." I

RUNNING

385

1. This ix'tsion nj the pelvic tilt starts tilth loiter hiick curved. 2. Then tuck the pelvis and straighten the back.

386

WHOLE BODY HEALING

Preparing to

Run

One

of the best ways to destroy your running career is to first thing in the morning, get dressed in your running gear, open the front door, step outside and begin ainning immediately. Using that kind of approach to running, you'd be lucky to last a month. Before doing any running, in the morning or later in the day, but especially in the morning, its important to prepare your body. This preparation consists of warming up and stretching. If you run with cold, tight muscles, you increase your chance of injun. Se\eral studies have shown that an unusually large number of amning injuries occur in the morning. This is probabl) due to people tr\ing to run without proper preparation on muscles that ha\e just spent eight hours in bed. ViTiile doing your prerunning stretching, remember to do it with a slow, relaxed motion. Never bounce for any rea.son. Bouncing may seem to help you stretch farther, but it actually makes \i()ur muscles tighter instead of more relaxed, b\ triggering the "splinting reflex. VCIien you do a stretching motion, reach onh until the movement starts to be uncomfortable and then hold that position. Don't reach far enougli to cause intease pain. If you stretch daily, over a period of time \()ur bod\' should become somewhat more

jump out of bed

"

limber, and

you

will

be able

to stretch farther.

You must

ha\e patience and wait for that to happen without trying to rush its de\elopment. Tlie first stretching exercise to tr>' is the 'wall push-up." This is not related to a regular push-up (which exercises the arms) but

is,

instead, intended to stretch the calf

mus-

three feet away from a wall, and keeping your knees locked and your heels flat on the floor, lean into the wall, supporting yourself with your hands on its surface. Lean forward until you feel a dull, aching, pulling .sen.sation. Hold for ten seconds. For the "modified wall

Standing

cles.

at

least

push-up," keep your toes pointed toward the wall and slide your right foot back, bending the left knee. Then bend the

knee

until you feel a diflerent set of calf muscles Hold the bent-knee position for five seconds. After stretching the right kg, repeat the procedure on the

right

stretching.

Murra) F VCeisenfeld, I). P.M., a podiatrist who is a New York College of Podiatric Medicine, recommends in his book The Runners' Repair Manual (St. left

leg.

con.sultant at the

RUNNING

387

The wall push-up.

Modified wall pushup.

388

WHOLE BODY HEALING

Vk' kiu'c

and

hecul Invss.

Martin's Press. 1980) that this stretch

be used on each

leg

before running. Another important stretch to do before running is the "knee and head press." This will stretch the neck and shoulder muscles as well iLs the hamstrings and lower back. Lie down on \'our back. Pull your riglit knee up to )'our chest by gra.sping your hands around it and pulling it toward you (the left leg sta\s on the ground). At the same time you pull up your knee, lift your head off the ground and tr^' to touch your forehead to the knee. Hold this position tor ten

five times, alternating legs,

.seconds.

Do each

leg five times, alternating sides.

Next, you should do a "hamstring stretch." With both legs straight and your knees locked, put one toot up on a chair or table in front of \()u. (Hie heiglit of the surface depends on how limber \()u are. Beginners .should probably use a chair) VCliile bringing Nour face toward the knee of the extended leg. reach out with one hand and tr\ to grasp the foot on the table. Stop when )'ou feel extreme tightness, and hold \()ur body there for ten seconds. Then, relaxing the arm \()u just u.sed, reach for the .same foot with \()ur other hand, again pressing \()ur face toward \()ur knee. Hold this po.sition for ten .seconds also. Do the same motions with the other leg up on the chair or table, and

do each

leg five times.

RUNNING

389

Isometric exercises,

recommended

b\

for strengthening^ the leg muscles, should

Dr. >XeisenfeId

round out your

prerunning stretching.

ITie first is the "foot press." Tills exercise strengthens the quadriceps, or thigh muscles. To do this isometric exercise, sit on the floor or on a chair. With the legs .straiglit in front of you, put one foot on top of the other. Pull your lov\'er foot toward your torso while you push down with your upper foot. Press the feet together for ten seconds, then s-witch feet and repeat. Press down on

each foot is

five times, alternating feet.

The last exercise is called 'inner and outer thighs." It also done sitting on a chair or on the floor with your

toward your knees, tighten your thigh mu.scles, and then point your toes in toward each other, pigeon-toed st\le, as f;ir as you can. Hold them there for ten seconds, then turn them out and hold for ten seconds. You should keep your thigh muscles tight the entire time. For best results, alternate between pointing your toes in and out and do each position fi\e times. According to Dr. Perr\', an exercise you should a\oid, which some books recommend, is the "backo\er." During legs straight out. Point \()ur toes

Hatnsliinii stivtch.

390

WHOLE BODY HEALING

The foot press.

this exercise you lie on the ground on )()ur back and throw your feet up over \()ur head, tr)ing to touch the ground behind your head with your toes. Ilie exercise puts too much strain on the neck and upper back muscles, sa^-s Dr. Perr>',

which subjects them

to a great deal of pressure.

If

you ha\e neck or upper hack problems, this exercise will make them worse. If you dont have those problems, the backcner may help create them. Doing stretching before and after running will help pre\ent injun, by counteracting some of the tiglitening forces that come into pla\ when \()u run. ^bu should do a minimum of ten minutes of stretching beft)re you .start and after you finish. In addition, walk before and after ainning. Suddenly running after sitting at a desk all day or after a

always better to run a less and hold yourself back than it is to strain by running too much. It is

little

nights sleep taxes the heart as it strains to supply more blood to the working muscles. A tl\e-minute walk before running increases the heart's pumping action and brings it closer to the rate at which it will have to work during running. Walking after running helps clear lactic acid out of

RUNNING

391

The inner thigh press.

the muscles, reducing fatigue, lactic acid, one of the waste products created by working muscles, builds up in your legs during

nmning (and can

cau.sc

cramps

it

\x)u ;ire tr>ing

your run will shorten your recown time b\ helping to break up the lactic acid accumulation in your legs. to run too fast).

How

Walking

;ifter

Far and Fast Do You Want to Run? Ha\ing done your warm-up stretches and w"alking, >i)u are finall)' ready to am. Now you ha\'e to decide how Jar ;ind at

392

WHOLE BODY HEALING

I

The outer thigh exercise.

want hold back a

what pace

\f)u

to

am. Remember

that

it

is

alwa\'s

much

than it is to strain by better to hard. A good beginner's pace is to pushing yourself t(j() alternate intenals of running a quarter of a mile with walking a quarter of a mile. As you am, you should not be so winded that you are unable to speak. If you are so out of breath that \()u are unable to earn- on a conversation as \()u run, then )ou are going too tiast. ITie idea is to do aerobic exercise, and that means exercising moderately enough to avoid oxygen debt yet vigorously enough to prolittle

too

RUNNING

393

)

^bu are coaxing your lungs, heart and muscles to work a little bit harder than they are used to but not so hard that the> rebel in the form of wheezing lungs, cramping legs and pounding pulse. (For more details on aerobics, see the chapter on aerobic exercise and dance. Your amning sessions should last at least 20 minutes each and be done at least three times a week. \'our exact speed and distance are unimportant as long as \ou spend enough time working toward >()ur goal of fitness. Let the wa}' your bod> feels be your guide to how fast )ou accelerate your program. If \x)u get very serious about running, \ou will probably run e\en,' da>-. That's the best \\a\. once you start to de\elop endurance, to improve \()ur sta\ing power as a runner. But the best way to remain satisfactorily fit and limit the chance of injun- is to run e\er> other day

diice a training effect,

The

da)- off in

from the

between runs allo\\s the body pounding the roads.

to recover

stress of

Injured? Relax — It

Happens

to

Everyone

Talk to am- experienced runner and you'll find out that at some time in their ninning career they've been injured. Tliis includes e\'er\-one from those runners in the back of the

pack

(like

who

as

one of the authors of

this

book, Carl Lowe,

he writes this is suffering from shin splints) to champions like Alberto Salazar, who has won the Ne\\ M)rk Cit)' Marathon se\'eral times. Mr. Salazar was injured during his training in the months before one of the marathons and was forced to take time off and do alternative exercises like swimming to maintain his lex'el of cardio\"ascular fitness. Despite his injuries, he v\xs still able to am the marathon in the second fastest time ever run by an American. Given enougli rest, relaxation and encouragement, the body will usuall> heal itself Along with rest, the best remedies for injuries are corrective exercises, practicing a correct running st^le

changing

The

and amning on

\()ur st\le of

a soft surface.

amning shoes

\\ ill

Sometimes

help.

best surfaces for running are dia paths and

flat

can Ix- deccptiwh d:uigen)us. \%-ith hidden holes and depressions waiting to catch your toot and twist an unwary ankle. The hardest amning surface is concrete. Stay off it when \-ou am! It's just too hard on the feet.

asph;ilt roads, (iniss

394

WHOLE BODY HEALING

RUNNING INJURIES )ou run

f

I

corrccti), using the

methods wc outline

in

the chapter on running, you will lower your chance of injur). "Sou won't eliminate it, howe\'er Running is not a riskJess sport, ^'ou can get a lot out of mnning,

including pln'sical fitness and the mental satisfaction of accomplishment, but \ou dont get something for nothing. Both your mind and body hj\x to put out. It's an eflbrt that most people won't give. That's one reason why not

you talk to people opposed to >ou all about the dangers imolved, the stress of 800 pounding steps each mile, the horror stories about people who ran e\'en though injured and limped for the rest of their da^'s, and the running addicts who let running take over their lives the way alcoholics let booze wipe out theirs. Let's face it -disaster can happen, but the chances that running will destro)' )'our life are pretty remote if you use your head as well as your feet. How far and h(m- fast you run is going to have an effect on \-our risk of injur). If )-ou are running ever)' day, it's important that you don't do two rough training sessions back to back. Alternate hard and easy da)'S. If you nm fast and far on Monda), )'ou'd better lay back on Tuesday. That gives )'our bod)' a chance to recover from running's rigors, e\er\()ne

runner

a

is

running, they'll usuall\

(ietting ph)'sicall)' in

one

is

like

up

If

tell

fit is

a gradual process.

"\'ou

do

can't

one week or one month. Tr)'ing to do blowing too much air into a balloon - it da),

it

it

too

will

blow

Pushing your bod)' too hard will make the form of pain and injur).

The Side The

Stitch -It's

side stitch

exactly what

is

it

Not Serious, but

a pain. Literall).

represents,

if

And

)()u get

It

it

Hurts!

since no

one

all

fast

in )()ur face.

rebel in

Tlrain'mg too ambitiously is lil.

I

he had e\er mn, he began to left leg. With a niile left to go. a car cut him off at an intersection just as he was le;r\ing the side\\alk and stepping onto the road. As he

this trek, the longest distance

get pain in the outside front part of his

changed

came down jammed into

direction, his foot

toes

on the

This

made

witli a twisting motion,

the side of the curb. the pain worse. Too proud to telephone for a ride, he fini.shed the run despite the pain. That night, and for the next few da^'s, his lower leg hurt when he walked, and running was impossible. He had a classic case road, heel

of shin splints. .\lan\

people

word (neni.se"

call .shin splints

an "ovenise" injun. The

term describing an injun that occurs when a part of the bod\ has been used too much. The injured muscles that cause shin splints, on the front outside part of the leg. work as shock ab.sorbers for the feet. Each time \()ur foot hits the ground, these muscles fight the stress of contact and hold the toot together. Without these muscles, your feet would flatten out like blobs of jelly e\cr\- time you took a running step, and your legs would fail apart. Wlien the shock of hitting the ground becomes too much for the.se muscles to handle, they tighten up in spasms of pain. That's what happened to the runner in our sum' when he tried to rim ten miles on concrete. One of the main cau.ses of shin splints is too large an increa.se in training speed and distance. Muscles that can easily handle a fi\e-mile run on a dirt path at an eas)' pace freeze in agony when pounded during a long run on hard concrete sidewalks or a series of quick sprints around a high school track. When you run for miles on sidewalks and go up and down curbs as )()u cross the intervening streets, it's just like dri\ing your car over miles of nasi)' potholes. In both ca.ses. the underside of )'our \ehicle gets pounded to smithereens. With }'our car, you'll end up in a senice station, your auto on a lift, looking up at bent and twisted metal. VC ith >()ur legs, you'll be looking down to find the source of pain - o\erworked mu.scle. The first treatment for shin splints is rest and ice. Get a bag of ice cubes from the free/.er, sit down, put your feet up and put the ice w here it hurts - the outside front part of the leg. Ice the shin splints the same w'ay we told you to ice \()ur knees in the section on amner's knee - for 15 minutes after running. Tliis will bring dov\n am inflammation. Inflammation and swelling can be a serious problem in shin splints. The muscles involved expand from the heat is

a catchall

RUNNING

I]>{JUKIES

401

of exertion, but because the\ are boxed up in a small. narrow compartment along the outside of the leg, the\ ha\e nowhere to go. Because of this tight fit, they can hurt

when

a lot

the\ swell.

second treatment for shin splints is a cutback in mnning. If you ha\e been doing extra speed work or hill Tlie

it c:is\- tor a while. If nece.ssar\-, don't run at all week. To maintain \our fitness while you lay off running, tn another aerobic exercise (for a \\ide range of suggestions, .see the chapter on aerobic exercise and d;ince). Two possible substitutes are swimming and bic\cling. Both of the.se activities are good for cardiova.scular fitness but do not put a strain on your lower leg muscles.

running, take for a

Weak Muscles Are You

the

Ones That Get Hurt

be getting shin splints because the muscles on the inerpowering the sore mu.scles on the fi-ont of the leg, and \()u can treat the piiin b\ strengthening the muscles that are hurting. A good way to do this is an isometric exerci.se that flexes the foot without moving the rest of your leg. >Xliile sitting, tuck vour toes under an\ large, heavy object like a de.sk, couch or table. Pull your toes upward, tning to move the object with your toes. Murrav F. Weisenteld. D.F.M., in 7Jk' Runnets' Refxiir Maniutl (St. Martins Press, 1980), recommends doing this ten times a dav', pushing for ten seconds each time. Also, don't toilet to do the vv;ill push-ups that we explain in the previous chapter increasing the flexibilir\- of your calves .should help to relieve .some of the pressure on tho.se front leg mu.scles. Other things to trv when you have shin splints include changing v'our running shoes tor a pair with better cushioning or adding a tbam heel support to vour ma)'

back of

\X ical

402

WHOLE BODY HEALING

education

at

the

I

illi;uii P.

niversitv

Moi^an, prote.ssor of phvNof Wisconsin in .Madison.

I

of a college professor who ran for a year, five miles a even thougli the pain in his legs was close to unbearable. As a matter of fact, his legs were in such bad shape that he could only \Nalk down a flight of stairs back\\ard. Walking down the right way made the pain excruciating. After 1 2 months of pain, he avvoke one morning and discovered that he couldn't walk downstairs using any method at all. Tlie professor had to undergo surger)', is now unable to run and walks with a limp. That kind of stor\- leads some people to think that running is a craz)- thing to do. >X'ell, it is craz) to keep ainning \\hen the pain of injur\' won't e\'en let \'Ou walk down the stairs! That's wh>- we sa\' >'Ou have to use your head xs well as )our feet. When )()u do, then running is just about the best o\erall exercise there is. Apparenth; the professor in the stor\' systematically destroyed his Achilles tendon, a cord that joins the heel to the calf muscle. NXlien the back of the lower leg starts hurting, it usuall\- signals an attack of Achilles tendinitis. Running strengthens the calf muscles and makes them short and bunch). As they .shorten, they pull more and more on the connecting tendon. It's when the pull becomes more than the tendon can comfortably accommodate that the pain begins. I'he Achilles tendon, with its .surrounding fluid and cover, resembles a taut rubber band surrounded b)' gelatin, shrink-wrapped in crinkly pla.stic. The bod)'s reaction to tells da\'.

excessive pulling on this structure

is

to increase the

of fluid inside the wrapper. But it's a tight fit. more fluid inside a real shrink wrapper, and the

amount

Tr>'

The Achilles tendon-highheeled shoes make it shorter

and less mobile.

to get

pla.stic will

it resists. Likewise, \()ur bod)- will send crackling messages of pain to \'our brain when your Achilles tendon becomes irritated, and the fluid builds up around \'our tendon.

crackle as

The

be.st

thing to

do

for Achilles tendinitis

is

to get a

with good heel lift or insert a .sponge-rubber heel lift into the shoes \()u are using now. Tlie higher heel reduces the distance that the tendon has to stretch in order to keep

.shoe

the heel attached to the calf muscles. ^ou can treat Achilles problems with ice and heat, in the same way \()u treat shin splints and ainner's knee. Use the ice after running, to hold down the s-welling, and the heat in the evening to speed healing. And don't forget to cut back on hill work when xou're ha\ing an\ kind of prob-

lem with your legs. The extra your injurx'.

stress involved in

going uphill

will irritate

RUNNING

Il^rURIES

403

Pain

Is

the Both

s >X a>

of Getting Your Anention

One

of the great things about running is that it puts >v)u in touch with >vur bod>. .\s >vu run. \v)ure opening up the lines of communication. Miu meditate on how \v)u teel. on who >TOu are. on wtiat wur body is and what it is able to do. These tfiings cant be done as efliectiMeh by stimeone who is alwa^^s sedentan There is knowledge in mo\ement \ouT bod) will tell \uu alxiut itiielf if \x>u can listen. Running clears out wur internal cars.

No two human That's why.

if

beings ha\"e Ixxlies that are identical

\uu get hun from running, your injun ma>

respond to a cure that wouldn't help someone else. .\nd \ice wrsa. So >\iu ha\e to listen tor the pain that signals an injurv as

well as tor the indications that something

ing the pain.

No one

been running

can do

for a while,

it

for \x)u.

no one

will

because

is relie\-

after >v>u'\t^

know wur

bod\- as

well as >\iu do. If sonKthing hurts, don't be afraid to tiy di&rent cTJits. Your bixh will tell ^\>u if the\ are working or not. Iu.>< don t keep pusloing \\)ur Kxh onward it the pain persists or increases. Back down. It's bener to miss a da\- of runnir^ now than it is to pan\ike a small injun into a big one. WTien

in doubt, rest

40-1

V^-HOLE

BODY

HE.\LING

is

the best cure for any pain, big or small.

SEX AND EXERCISE w onder w h\ ads for almost even product from a\ocados to new cars with zebra-striped

E\cr

interiors

not.

-

ha\-e a sex> lad

the ads, that lo\e.

ti)

or

ixss in tliem?

Probably

do the people wlio tliiiik up sex is a basic drixr. To attract, to

^ou know,

as

enjcn the sens;itions and intimacy of ph\>ic;il plea-

most desired of human experiences. But how sexy we are - interested and interesting depends on how liealthy we are. .\ bad iiean is likely to be lonel) a worn-out bod> uses tiie bed to sleep. But if ptx)r health is a tum-oflF, good health is an aphrodisiac. .\nd exercise fills xou w ith the glow and energy of health. Exerci-se whets our sexu;il apjxtite. It also wiiittles away the fat and torpor that block sexaial fulfillment. .\nd tliat's not just our opinion. Wlien scientists turned their attention to the facts of life, the\ found that exercise was t)ne of them. sure

is

one

ot the

;

Exercise cine,

one

is

a potent mediup your

ttiat riles

hiormones and rejuvenates your body -and your desires. But it may tiave some unex-

pected side

effects.

Get Your Sex Drive into High Gear at .McMaster Iniversirv in Ontario. Canada, has found that blood levels of the male sex hormone testosten)ne tend to rise during peri(xls of ph\>iical exenion. He studied highh conditioned Ohmpic oarsmen and swimmers ;ls well as le.s,ser-trained medical students. \\ ith the Ohiii-

John R Sutton

pians, sessions of

extreme exenion produced more

testos-

terone than workouts that were exsv. .\nd with the stiidenLs. levels of the hormone reached a peak ;ifter 20 minutes of pedaling a statit)nar\ bicycle. In other words, production of testosterone seemed to vurv according to each subjects particular degree of fitness, but in all cases it was "work" that triggered the goods. .Muscles store energv in the form of ghcogen. and glvcogen. studies have shown, keeps best in the companv of testo.sten)ne. Scientists say the

hormone ma>

al.so

cles to metabolize carhohv drates. Hither wav. a active a.sks for

more

testosterone than one that

its testosterone that fuels the

Studies show.

t(X),

help mus-

body thats is

not. .\nd

sex drive.

that seca-tions of testosterone

depend

405

on

the

amount of

blo(xl that flows

around the

testes.

Because

hormone is secreted directly tlirougli the testes walls, it needs good circulation to mo\e it around. No blood, no testosterone. Like commuters waiting to board the 8:05 the

testosterone molecules get backed up, and it isn't long before the testes stop producing pa.s.sengers. I-.xercise,

train,

blood tlow, gi\cs testosterone the lift it needs. Fewer studies have been done with women, thougli one study done b}' researchers on women who were dieting showed that v\hile female hormone levels dropped in those b\ increasing

who

ate less only, .standards held constant in tho.se

supplemented their reduced food intake with

Exercise Exercise

Dr.

406

WHOLE BODY HEALING

is

Is a

Domeena

Perfect for

who

e.xercise.

Two

potent medicine, one that

Retishaw. sex therapist.

riles

up vour hor-

body - and your medicine ma\ ha\e some unexpected side

mones and that

reju\enates \our

For instance,

if

\()u

desires.

an exercise program,

start

But

effects.

its a

good idea to urge your spouse to start one, too. Otherwise, \()u ma\ .set \oursell up tor sexaial pn)hlems. Domeena Renshaw, M.D., protess(jr of ps)chiatr\' and director of the Sexual Disfunction Clinic at Lt)yola University told us about a .sexoial disaster when a wife, husband, started to jog. but not a "She reported that she felt invigorated and more interested in sex. But her renewed enthusiasm scared her husin

Illinois,

band off." Tile hu.sband, sa\s Dr. Rensha\\', felt he couldn't keep up \\ith his wife's newfound energy, so rather than ri.sking failure and humiliation by not being able to perform as \\ell as he thought his wife expected, he didn't (or couldn't perform at all. But husbands could scare off' their wives, too. "Suppose a husband .starts exercising and losing weight, looking better, and his wife does not, Dr Renshaw explains. "The wife ma\' find her husband's new, attractive, Don Juan image scan, and that will cause problems." /Vnd once \()u'\e started \()ur exerci.se program, \()u should keep it rea.sonable. As Dr. Renshaw points out, "Not tonight, dear, I ha\e a headache." can easil}' be replaced by ".Not toniglit, dear, I'm tired from jogging." "A lot of this depends on people's expectations, personalities and self-image. One partner starting a jogging program can be similar to one partner giving up smoking. The message is, 'Look at me - I'm good and )'ou're bad.' It can )

"

"

turn into a threatening situation

But the optimal situation is tor both partners to exerHiat way, no one feels left out. \\ e know of excellent situations where both husband and wife ha\e started jt)gging together,"' Dr. Renshaw says. "They say that it makes them feel better and brings them cise.

closer together."

And being

closer, in every way, is

what sex

is all

about.

SEX AND EXERCISE

407

SHIATSU

The

word shintsu means

Japiinese.

"finger pressure" in an eftective Oriental therap\. similar

is

It

to acupressure, that treats bodil\ ;iilmenLs b\ using

the palms and

How

effective

is it?

thumbs Shiatsu

converted Jern* Teplitz from Shiatsu therapist

who

and demonstrations of

tra\els

to press

on the skin. enough to

eftecti\e

is

ha\'e

law\er into a

a straightlaced

the countr\- gi\ing lectures

Japanese treatment. soon found himself drawn to Shiatsu as a way of life. And he finds that his lecture audiences are also strongly influenced by Shiatsu's this traditional

Mr. Teplitz started out as a doubter

who

healing potential.

The toughest audience Mr. Teplitz h;Ls e\er had to work with was inside a prison. "Ilie prisoners didn't know who was or why I was there or what on earth was going to do," recalls Mr. Teplitz. "Hiex were b;Lsically told the\ could either work or see my program, so they ob\iousl\ cho.se me over work." loiter, there were moments on stage when he wished they hadn't. Usualh, fi\e minutes into his program, he would have nearly 100 percent audience participation as he instructed people liow to ii.se \arious techniques to rehix or to energize their bodies. But the pri.son audience was problematic - restless, talkative, smoking, shuffling around and indifferent to his presence. lb niiike matters worse, in order to demonstrate shiaLsu, Mr. Teplitz usually chooses someone from the audience who has a headache. Unknowingly, he picked a pri.son ringleader from the fidget) crowd. "He sat down on stage, and demonstrated the headache relief technique on him. When got done, he said his headache was worse, laughs Mr. I'eplitz, who still remembers the miser)' of the moment and his own discomfort. "1 talked to him a little more and discowrcd he was ha\ing did a migraine headache, which he gets all the lime. So the .Shiatsu treatment for migraine on him. and his pain completely disappeared." I

I

1

1

"

1

408

>X'hen Mr. Teplitz arrived at the meditation part of program, he led the prisoners through a meditation exercise and lectured on the merits of meditating twice his

a

da)'.

them the>- needed to get up 20 minutes earlier morning to meditate. Then all of a sudden began wondering - do the\ get v\oken up b) bell? Arc the)- allowed alarm clocks? Do thev have 20 minutes?" "I

told

in the

1

Positive

Feedback

Before the prison performance, Mr. Teplitz always had been astonished by the success of his program. >X'hether he faced a crowd of college students, business executives or older adults, his program seemed to ha\'e something for everyone. iMa\'be an audience full of comicts was stretching his luck just a little too far. Then the prisoners' performance e\'aluation forms were turned over to him. To his surprise, the prisoners had written that they believed Shiatsu and meditation would help them in their lives. Subsequent feedback from prison staff members fijrther boosted his spirits. "The monetan sA'Stem of the prisoners is cigarettes," relates Mr. Teplitz. "A stall" member told me that one prisoner earned two packs of cigarettes by doing Shiatsu for another one's headache. And the toughest guy in all

the prison is a Muslim who carries a file folder with of his prayers in it. Tucked within that folder is the

Shiatsu

headache diagram

the toughest audience it

I

left

1

with them," he

says. "It

was

e\er went through, but there, too,

worked." In

Mr

Teplitz's

program, audiences learn by doing

dif-

ferent techniques used to reliexe headaches, migraines, sore

and neck

fatigue. "It's a seedplanting the .seed for people that the\ can heal themsehes in a whole variety of wa^'s. The\'\'e got more power and potential than they prob-

throats, sinus colds, e>'estrain

planting profession," he says.

abb oer thought

"Vm

"

had Mr leplitz admits he faces a roomful of .skeptics at the beginning of every performance. He promises to pay S>4 to an\t)od\ who comes to the demonstration and does not lea\e feeling

the\

more

relaxed.

about 100,000 people, and for the S4, he adds. "

"Iw done the program now I've

had only 3 people ask

for

me

Ex-Lawyer, Ex-Skeptic Actually, Mr. Tqjlitz admits

he

isn't

anyone

was the biggest what he does now.

skepticism, since he

to quibble over

skeptic of

all

when

introduced to "If you had asked me in law school if I could see myself doing this five years after I graduated, I would ha\e thought \()u were craz\-," he quips. "As a Iaw>er \-ou are tried to tear trained in skepticism and to tear things apart. these things apart. The)' wouldn't tear. The more 1 tried, the more I experienced, and the more excited 1 got."

first

1

Jerr)' Teplitz pn'ssiiifi Shiatsu

410

WHOLE BODY HEALING

fxUnts

on

the hetid.

I

Mr. Tcplitz has written a

How

Relax

book with Shclh Kellnian

enti-

and Hnjoy

(Japan Publications, 1977), wliich describes .some Shiatsu methods, hatlia \'oga exercises, general rehtxation and meditation techniques and discusses proper nutrition. \X ith several other books in the planning stages, he continues to lecture to groups around the United tled

to

and Canada. He claims that in as little as two hours he can teach people relaxation and energizing techniques that they will be able to use tor the rest of their lives. "^bu can use Shiatsu on \()urselt" as well as on other people." he explains. "My goal is to make people selfStates

Shiatsii lccb>iu/ue itn/)/f>vs the

thumbs.

SHIATSU

411

"

My real puqiose in doing a lot of this actually is me out of business. That will mean c\er\t)ody is mnning around healthy because the> know how to do these

sufficient.

to put things.

They

will

be practicing

Shiatsu, meditation

and good

nutrition and will be feeling a lot better as a result."

Mr. Teplitz reports that stiiatsu

can vanquishi headaches and hangovers in as little as a minute and a half.

Shiatsu is an ancient therapy that is older than Japan's recorded histor)'. Practitioners wanting to relie\e a headache use the fleshy part of their thumbs to bear down on a series of pressure points along the skull and the back of the neck. Mr. Teplitz reports that headaches and hango\ers can be relieved in as little as a minute and a half. In some cases, a third treatment is necessar\' to alleviate all pain. "Of course, if anyone hits an ongoing problem, I recommend seeing a doctor," he adds. "The individual should look at what is going on in his or her emironment. Something is really prett) intense either physiologically or externally that needs treating." But for ordinan,' ailments, Shiatsu is quite effective, sa)'S Mr. Teplitz, although no (jne realh kn(ws why. "There are several theories," he continues. The hard pressure exerted by the thumbs ma)' cause extra blood to circulate through the painful area. ITie blood acts as the natural cleanser of the body, bringing antibodies and oxygen to the area and removing waste products and carbon dioxide, he sav-s. A second possibilitv is that .Shiatsu may act like acupuncture, stimulating certain nerve meridians and motivating the body to heal itself. Others suggest that when pressure is put on the head, natural substances called endorphins are released in the brain. Endorphins act as pain inhibitors, which block the pain signal tlirougliout the bod\. Another theorv is bxsed on the phvsics concept that c-verv action has an equal and opposite reaction. "With a hangover a person has restricted blood vessels," adds Jerr\'. "The Shiatsu pressure ma>- cause the blood vessels to expand and relieve the pain."

Wliatever the scientific explanation ma>' be, Mr Teplitz works as long as people tbllow directions. "When people work on the neck area, we tell them the\ must not press directh on the spine. Instead, tiie pressure is placed on both sides of the spinal column. Al.so. the practitioner instructs the person to say ouch' whenever pain is felt during a treatment. At that point, the practitioner leaves that area and continues \vith the treatment, he explains. Vihen the practitioner returns to the pain point, he presses genth at first and tiieii graduaih presses

says that Shiatsu often

harder

412

WHOLE BODY HEALING

"^bu'll either

be able

to gel

more pressure on

Ix'tbre

they sa\- Ouch" again, or in disappeared completely." Shiat.su

cases, the pain has just

no more than neck and abo\e. seconds on each area below

practitioners are told to press

three .seconds

\\

hen working

The) press no more than the neck,

mam

.sa\>i

in areas of tlie

sex-en

.Mr. Teplitz.

Although he has worked with the therap)' tor several still is surprised at times by its effect i\ene.ss. He relates the stor\ of a friend with wi.sdom teeth problems who called him long distance tor help. He was in intense pain, but his dentist could not see him for years now, Mr. Teplitz

Press these Shiatsu points for headache

relief.

SHIATSU

413

se\'eral

weeks,

Mr. Teplitz, so

sa)'s

"1

proceeded

to give

him

instnictions tor the Shiatsu treatment for toothache over the phone. 1 saw him a tew mcjnths later, and he said not only did it work, but after se\eral treatments the pain completely vanished. He still had to go to the dentist, but he was totalh' painless to the point of going." In the case of toothache, Shiatsu ma> pnnide three or four hours of pain relief VCTien the pain returns, all the person may need to do is to repeat the Shiatsu treatment. "Shiatsu is a good alternative to aspirin and to the negative effects of am- chemical on the bod>'," Mr. Teplitz asserts. Dressed in a blue three-piece suit, Mr Teplitz may still look like an attorney on his way to court, but "Exhibit A" for his presentation is a diagram of a Shiatsu technique.

he illuscan help their empknees to help themselves. He demonstrated Shiatsu on a woman in the group who had complained of having a se\ere headache before the program began. "1 thought, am I going to make she mused. After getting relief it to this meeting or not? through Mr. Teplitz's therap\', she announced with amazement, "I really feel great. It's gone! It was reall> making

Conducting

a small

trated for us

workshop

in \\ ashington, D.C..

how companies

"

me

sick."

VCIiat

when

together. to

414

people

shared It's

like this

also find

is

that Shiatsu,

people closer a nonthreatening way of touching those close

you while making them

WHOLE BODY HEALING

woman

among tamih and

friends, brings

feel better at the

same

time.

SLEEP turn off your car only to find that it won't off? It couglis, sputters, shakes, rattles and rolls, and wont stop. That reaction is known as

E\er

turn

and it's caused by bad gasoline and/or bad tune-up job on \our engine. Lefto\'er fuel in the c-)linders keeps igniting, making your car chug like an dieseling, a

old jalop\.

bod\ can do the same thing. \ou get into bed, the liglit, close your e>es but sleep wont come. The events of the da) run through your mind, "^bu toss and turn and feel aggravated, ^bur body just won't turn off". And the more \()u tn to sleep, the further a^ay sleep recedes. \o\iv

turn

off"

.

.

/

.

the answer to \'our body's dieseling problem may \()ur car's - better fiiel and a better tune-up. In your body's case, this translates into the riglit kind of \X'elI.

be similar to

food and relaxation.

been pumping

Asleep

at

First,

lets take a look at the food you've

into your body's engine.

the Meal

Schwartz, Ph.D., is a former insomniac - and a type of psychologist who helps other people oxercome in.somnia. Part of her therapeutic program involves putting into practice the results of current laboratory research on how what we eat can change what happens inside our brain and, in turn, our sleep. Dr Schwartz ha.s identified five different t)pes of insomnia; the\- include short sleep: \er\ light sleep; dream-troubled sleep; and waking up and not being able to fall back to sleep. "But," she says, "by far the most common type of insomnia is what call initardia,' which is simply difficulty in falling asleep in the first place. If you suffer from initardia, eating the proper foods can be quite important. But it's not onh that, "^bu also have to eat the right foods at the right time >X'hat might the riglit foods be? "Basically," .sa}^ Dr. Schwartz, "there are two different kinds. First, foods that are high in the essential amino acid triptophan. A.s you know, amino acids are the basic building blocks of protein. Alice

Kuhn

also a sleep therapist,

What we eat can change what's going on inside our brain and affect our sleep.

I

"

415

salmon or blueand dain' products, especially cottage cheese - all of those protein-rich tbods ha\e a heft) amount of tnptophan, and triptophan has been shown in the lab to increase dnwsiness and help bring on sleep. Eggs, almost am' meat, certain fish such as fish,

"But," sa>'s Dr. Schwartz, "there is a .second t)pe of food you should eat as well. "\ou see, in addition to triptophan, there are many other amino acids. Once these different amino acids get into the bloodstream, they compete with each other for cntn- to the brain. For someone who wants to get to sleep, the trick is to give triptophan a competitive edge." Rather like fixing a horse race, we mused. And how do we give triptophan the edge? "It's really quite simple." .she sa\-s. "Animal studies ha\e shown that eating carbohydrate foods - those that are starchy or sweet - liberates tnptophan and gives it greater access to the brain. In tiact. the tnptophan in food is hardly used at all by the brain unless a carbohydrate is also eaten, or, interesting!)-, a food with a carbohydrate-fat combination. "TTie implications of this are fascinating," she explains. "If you've been eating higli-protein, high-tnptophan tbods during the day, and you want to fall asleep at night, then it may help to eat some bread, ha\e a banana, drink some grape or apple juice, ha\'e .some figs or dates - all of those high-carboh\drate tbods and many others will help acti^'ate tr\ptophan Dr. Schwartz explains fiirther that it's important to eat your carboh)drate food two to four hours betbre bedtime so that the tbod will reach its peak effect when you are ready to retire. On the other hand, if )our problem is frequent awakenings during the niglit - quite a common complaint after the age of 4() - or short sleep periods, or light sleep, you .should eat your carbohydrate immediately betbre "lights out." Since falling asleep in the first place is not your problem, )()u will want )'our carboh)drates to operate at top efficienc-) after )'ou have been asleep fbr a few hours. "In any ca.se, concludes Dr. Schwartz, "if )c)u tend to fell asleep during tlie da\ or early evening, you must tr\- to eliminate carbolndrates during the day. If \()u usual!) eat de.s.sert after \-our c-wning meal, \()u should defer \our des.sert until the time appropriate to your p;irticular sleep problem." We could not resist a.sking Dr .Schw;irtz one final, burning question: if you w;ike up in the middle of the nigiit, is it too late to eat your granola cookies? "Indeed, it is, replied "

"

"

416

WHOLE BODY HEALING

"There is a small child in all of us, and if used to waking up e\er\' night expecting to be rewiirded" with cookies or something sweet, it will bect)me a habit. If you wake up in the night and cannot get back to sleep in a half hour, recommend getting out of bed and performing some boring, routine task until you Dr. Schwartz.

that child gets

I

feel sleepy."

Rewiring Your Nervous System

Now lets turn away from an examination of the fuel in your gas tank and take a look under )'our hood. Since your bod>"s engine ignites after you tr)' to turn it off, the problem might be in the ignition's wiring - otherwise known as )'our ner%ous s")'stem. A good way to check that is to measure the "voltage," or amount of acti\it}', in your autonomic nervous system, the piirt of \-ou that controls in\'oluntar>' functions like heartbeat and breathing. Well, when scientists measure the ner-

enough voltage up the Christmas tree on the Wtiite House lawn. "Many poor sleepers are more aroused than good sleep-

\'ous sA'stems of insomniacs, they usuidly find

to light

Northwestern Liniversit)' sleep specialist Richard R. Bootzin, Ph.D., in a recent suney of sleep research. "Poor sleepers [have] higher rectal temperatures, higher ers," writes

more vasoconstrictions [narrowing of blood per minute and more body movements per hour than good sleepers," sa}'s Dr Bootzin in Progress in Behavior Modification (vol. 6, Academic Press, 1978). All of those sATnptoms mean that the insomniac's autonomic nervous system is preparing him perfectly for dodging rush-hour traflHc - but not for sleep. If he can put his autonomic ner\'ous sA'Stem to sleep, the theor\' goes, the rest of him should follow, according to Dr. Bootzin. skin resistance,

\essels]

And one way system

is

by

calm down the autonomic ner\'ous

to

"progressi\e relaxation." Originated in the early

Edmund

Jacobson, progressive relaxwidely tauglit. One of these variations has been evaluated by Thomas D. Borkovec, Ph.D., I9()()s

phv'siologist

ation or variations of a psychologist at

are

it

Penn

State

still

I

;

niversit)'.

ha\e the person .start with the muscles of one hand, making a fist, holding it for se\en seconds, and then relaxing it," .sa)'s Dr Borkovec, who teaches four-week and nine-week courses in relaxation. ">X'e

'We ask the

indi\idual to learn to identif)'

what both

SLEEP

417

tension and relaxation feel like so that he will be able to detect tension when tning to fail xsleep. After sufficient practice,

within

most people are able

fi\e

to deepl\

themsehes

relax

minutes."

His students gradually learn to relax 16 of the body's Dr. Bork(n'ec sa)'s. Tlie\ also inliale when they ten.se their mu.scles, then exhale and relax ver)' slowh (tor about 45 seconds). Iliat is good therapy for people who.se main problem is falling asleep, and its effect impnnes

muscle groups,

with practice. Dr. Borkovec .says. Proper breathing, ju.st by itself, is another way to rea.ssure the autonomic ner\'ous .s)^tem that it can tone down tor the niglit. In one experiment in 1976, volunteers were asked to "focus pa.ssively on the phracal sensations associated with their breathing and to repeat the mantra |a word or image to fix the mind on] in' and out' silently." Results indicated that this technique is as effective as progressive relaxation.

"Breathe through Your Fingertips" Other

fine points of breathing to relax are described

by

book Your Body: Best ( Nelson-Hall, 1 9~^

p.sTchologist Beata Jencks Ph.D., in her

). Biofeedback at Its "Imagine inlialing througli your fingertips, Dr. jencks writes, "up the arms into the shoulders, and then exhaling down the trunk into the abdomen and legs, and leisureK out at the toes. Repeat, and feel how this slow, deep breathing affects the whole bod\, the abdomen, the flanks and the chest. Do not mo\e the shoulders while you breathe. To inhale deeply. Dr. Jencks ad\ises, pretend to inliale the fragrance of the first flower in spring, or imagine that your breathing rises and falls like ocean waves, or that the surface area of your lungs -if laid out flat -would cover a tennis court. That's how much air you should feel Nourself taking in, she sa^'s. Sleep-inducing imager)- can accompam breathing exercises, and >'our choice of images doesn't ha\e to be limited to the traditional sheep leaping over a split-rail fence. An\ image that you personally associate with feelings of peace or contentment will work well. One sleep researcher. Quentin Regestein. .Vl.D., director of the sleep clinic at Brigham and \X omens Hospital in Boston, sax's that one of his patients imagines a huge sculpture of the numeral 1, hc-wn out of marble, with \\\ grow"

418

WHOLE BODY HEALING

I

ing over it. surrounded by a pleasant rural landscape. TTien she goes on to the numeral 2 and adds further embellishment, such as chenibs ho\ering ab(ne the numeral. "She tells me that she usualh tails asleep before she reaches 50," Dr. Regestein sa^'S. "Insomniacs come here from all over the world," he continues, "and a,sk me to prescribe a sleep cure for them. They are sometimes surprised to find that careful .scientific imestigation substantiates that commonsen.se remedies reallv work."

Heaviness and

Warmth

is another natural and potent sleep aid. technique acts on the premise that )«ur mind can compel your b{)d\ to relax by concentrating on feelings of heaviness and warmth. Ilirougli mental suggestion, the "heavy" muscles actually do relax, and the "warm" flesh receives better circulation, resulting in "a state of low phv'siological arousal." .says Dr. Bootzin. In an experiment in 1968. researchers taught 16 college-student iasomniacs to locus their attention on warmth and heaviness. At the end of the experiment, the students had cut their average time needed to fall asleep down from 52 to 11 minutes. Tliese results matched the findings made b\ l)r Bootzin in the (Chicago area in 1974: "Daily practice of either progressive relaxation or autogenic training produced 50 percent improvement in time needed to fall asleep by the end of the one-month treatment period."

Autogenic training Tliis

A Ragged\ Ann can

doll, savs Dr. Jencks, is

autogenic training. lb

facilitate

Autogenic training is a natural and potent sleep aid. It teacties your

mind

to relax

your body tlirough feelings of tieaviness

and warmtli.

one image that "make clo.se. Then lift

feel heavv', .she .sa}^,

Nourself comfortable and allow your eyes to

one arm a little and let it drop. Let it drop hea\il\', as if it were the arm of one of tho.se floppv dolls or animal.s. (;h(K)se one in your imagination. (Ihoose a doll, an old, beloved, soft teddy bear." Once the mind fixes on the doll's image, l)r |enck.s sa\s, lifting and dropping the arm in )'our imagination works as well a.s really letting it drop. To imoke feelings of warmth. Dr. Jenck-s adds, "imagine that you put your rag doll into the .sun. lx.-t it be warmed by the sun. You are the giant rag doll, and you are lying in the sun; all \'our blood pressure will keep you up. A constant state of tension over finances can do that; so can the habit of bottling up all kinds of emotions. Two studies conducted b>' a team of researchers at If

the Penn State Univcrsitv' Sleep Research and Treatment Center in Hershev, Pennsvlvania, suggest that cigiirettc smoking is associated with iasomnia and that quitting improves

sleep within days after the last pack is thrown ;i\\ay {Science'. Febniarv', 1980). If, however, your lifestyle doesn't include any violations of tho.se rules, then am serious attempt to relax - bv tensing and releasing the muscles, bv deep breatiiing, bv imag-

420

WHOLE BODY HEALING

on a tropical isle, b}- self-hypnosis or by any mixture of the abo\e - ought to soothe \'Our autonomic nenous system and help \()u slip into restft.il sleep. ining yourself

Tucker Yourself Out and "Rick Yourself In ITiere's one last tip we can give you to help you fall asleep - get tired! Seem a little too simple to be helpful? Its not - the right kind of wear-yourself-out exercise done at the right time can make you fall asleep taster But there's a catch. The \\ rong kind of exercise at the wrong time will

probably keep you awake. Remember, there are basically two different kinds of exercise - dynamic and static. Dynamic is the kind that gets yx)u mo\ing. like ninning, bic-y cling or swimming. Static exercise is the \\eightlifting kind, where you mcne something hea\y or do isometric types of muscle contractit)ns. M)u expend a lot of effort but dont get too much movement. If you run ten miles ju.st before bedtime, you'll get tired, but chances are you won't fall asleep easily. Although you're fatigued, a dynamic exercise like running has a

mental arousal

effect that'll keep you up. you want to do exercise just before bed, try the \-.iriety. Do .some barbell curls or isometrics; the sand-

S()

static

man

if

up soon. dynamic exercise, try that in the afternoon. The time between the exercise and your bedtime lets the mental arou.sal dissipate while the tatigue from the exertion .should .show

As

tor

settles in.

Sweet dreams!

SLEEP

421

SPINAL MANIPULATION bv Robert Rodalc

I

f you are like me, there are times when your body won't earn- )'ou as far as )x)ird like to go - at least not witliout complaining more tlian you think it should In my case, these hurts usualh spring from overexer-

tion.

1

love to walk, ride a bike, dig, .saw

wood and

do other (outdoor work. In moderation, such acti\it}' is totally beneficial. But ever}' once in a while 1 find m\^elf caught up beyond all logic in the good feeling of being active and end up with a persistent ache or pain. Most of these "pain e\ents" are very slight irritations, and as the doctors say, they are self-limiting. Tliat means they go away by themsebes, without the use of any medication or treatment, especially to rest.

if

the afflicted part

is

allowed

The body has tremendous recuperative powers.

Sometimes, thougli, the natural healing process needs a boost. S'. But the next day, the pain came back. e\er "It will go away," I said to mv-self All other pains got from working too hard had passed. This one xvould, too. But it didn't. In fact, it got progressively worse. After about six weeks of waiting it out, my right arm hurt so much that couldn't do much more than turn the pages of a book. There was nothing to do but to see Dr. Dickson and tell him that I had acquired my own personal woodcutters' injur)-. 'You may ha\e bursitis, he said first off. But then he felt around m) shoulder and could find no tender spots. "There's a possibilit)- the problem is in your neck. I'll need an X-ra\' to find out for sure." Now, Dr Dickson knows that like X-rav-s as much as I would enjoy li\ing next to a nuclear power plant. So. he promised that onh' one exposure would be needed to see whether something happening in my neck could be causing the persistent shoulder and :irm pain. I finalh said ok:i\. reasoning that in cases where there miglit be a specific injur)', the use of X-ra^-s in moderation made sense. "Here could be )'our trouble," he said a few minutes later, pointing to the X-ray of my neck, "niere should be space between the vertebrae, but these two arc too close." >X1iat Dr Dickson was showing me was a classic ca,se of a compressed cenical disc, llie word ""cenical" refers to the neck area. Discs are soft-tis,sue bodies that provide padding bersveen the vertebrae. When healtln and ftill-sized, the\ space out the bones properh, cu.shioning the nenes. blood vessels and muscle tissue that service the .spine. When there is too much .spinal stress or pressure, one or more discs can become compressed, lliat puts pressua- t)n tlie nenvs extendtrees. After felling

I

1

I

"

1

424

WHOLE BODY HEALING

ing from the spinal cord to other parts of the body. Pain can result in the area to \s1iich these pinched ner\'es extend. "How did that happen?" 1 asked. >Xliat puzzled me was

the connection between a squeezed disc in m) neck and a sore shoulder caused by sawing too much wood too fast. Ma)'be. 1 thought, the tvvo weren't related at all. "A conipres.sed disc in the neck can be caused by many different kinds of injuries, or blows to the head or neck,"

Tom

can do it. I see it each other with their heads. Ma\t)e it comes from sleeping with too thick a pillow or sleeping on your stomach. Both are bad." Bending the head forward. Dr. Dickson continued, natin

said. "WTiipla-sh

rugby players,

from

a car accident

who push

puts more pressure on that area of the disc, which is the part usualh squeezed. Any posture which causes the urall)-

hang forward for long periods also may put too pressure on those discs. One doctor has said that secretaries often get cenical disc problems, because they work all day long looking down at their typewriters. A fall forward, stopped by \our hands, causes your head to snap to the front. That could do it, some doctors belie\'e. I have a large head, which could make me more vulnerable to head

to

much

someone with

disc strain than

a small hat size.

"Seeing a compressed disc like this on an X-ray isn't proof that its causing a problem, Dr Dickson explained to me. "Sometimes we X-ra\- the neck of a p>erson who has been in an auto accident and find several old degenerated discs. "\'et the\ sa\ the\ never had any pain before the accident." All the time these fecLs about discs were being explained was doing some lov^-kev- worrving about the treatto me, ment that would be suggested. "1 used to operate on cases like yours," Dr. Dickson "

1

told me.

Those words "u.sed to" were comforting. "Then found out about what could be done with home traction. In fact, in the seven years I've been prehaven't done a single cervical scribing traction at home, I

I

disc operation

Stand

Up

"

(or

Sit

Down)

to

Neck Pain

traction apparatus Dr Dickson prescribed cost S19 and was simple to use. It coasLsLs of a puUcT arrangement that fits over a door, a length of rope, a plastic bag.

The home

me

SPINAL MANIPULATION

425

that fits under the chin and around the back of the head. >X'hen e\er)lhing is put together and water placed in the bag. enough upward pull is exerted on the head to stretch the cenical spine and relie\e the pressure on the disc. "Put 10 to 15 pounds of water in the bag at first." Dr Dickson told me. "Give yourself 20 minutes of traction uxice a day, morning and e\ening. "\'ou can read to make the time go faster And e\en,' week add two more pounds of weight, until you feel its enough." "How much do you think will be enough?" 1 a.sked. I had \isions of turning into something like one of those native African ladies with a neck a toot long.

and a harness

Dr. Dickson's

426

WHOLE BODY HEALING

fxmie tnictton

cipjxinitiis.

"One patient of mine, a rugby player, went up to 35 pounds," Dr. Dickson .said. As it turned out, 25 pounds was enough to do the job .started at 10, and added 15 more, the course tor me. Since of treatment la,sted se\'en weeks. I found that traction was not exacth din but not unplexsant, either The harness does irritate )our chin .somewhat, but the pulling sensation is \'aguely plea.sant. 1 had time to reflect on all those years that m) hea\'> head was bearing dcmn on those cushiony neck discs and the relief traction was bringing. I

More

Flexibility

conditions besides my woodchopping pain also cleared during the weeks of traction. For several years I had not been able to turn my head to the right as far a.s I could turn 1 had noticed that it to the left. There was no pain, but when sitting b>' a window on the right side of an airplane, 1 had difficult)- turning to look out. After a couple of weeks of traction, could turn m\ head easily in both directions. My other unexpected benefit of traction was the disappearance of some finger tingling. People with a cervical disc problem often feel pain in the .shoulder area, like mine, and a tingling in the fingers. Once 1 read this fact in the recalled that 1 had had such a .sensamedical literature, tion in ni) right hand, but, like the neck stiffiiess, it cleared up after several weeks of traction.

Two

1

People with a cervical disc problem often feel shoulder pain and tingling in ttie fingers. It may also be the cause of persistent headaches.

1

Other Pains Respond

to Traction

There is a good po.ssibilit}' that pressure on cervical discs can also be the cause of headache, particularly the persistent kind, lliat theorv was put forth bv' Murray M. Braaf, M.D., and Samuel Rosner, M.D., in the Joinmil of Ihinrmi (May, 6,()()()

In it, they described their work with o\er of chronic headache, a large proportion of which

19"'5). ca.ses

they could trace to cervical spine injury. Dr Braaf, in a recent phone conversation, told me that people with strong necks ha\e less of a problem with headache from that cause but that a wide varietv- of injuries can lead to persistent headache problems. Sometimes the injurv' occurs many years before the headache problem starts.

Dr originate

Braat and in

neck

Dr Rosner strain

feel

that

headaches which

are caused by a

more complex

SPINAL MANIPUIATION

427

"

nene, the common explanation for the problem. Tlie>' point out that compression of the vertebral arter\, "e\en on an intermittent basis," can cause partial restriction of blood flow to the head. That can cause pain and other SA-mptoms, especially dizziness. Another possibilir\' is that a pinching of the ner\es in the neck somehow alfects the ner\es ser\ing the head. Whatever their causes, the usefulness of traction in relieving these problems is clear Hxcept in ven serious cases, the affected nerves are not actuallv damaged. Thev' are merely pressed. So, pulling on the head in a regular and systematic way graduallv' separates the vertebrae slightlv' and relieves the pressure. However, traction treatment is not a permanent cure for the problem in most people. Dr Dickson told me, "Dont forget where you put your apparatus after you're finished with it. You may need it again in a vear or two." Apparently, a compressed disc never returns to its series of events than the pinching of a

original shape

and strength.

Take Your Traction Lying There

is

some

Down

controvers}' about

which method of applving

Dr

Braaf sav-s cervical traction, to be eflective, must be carried out with the patient Iving down on his or her back. He feels that traction applied when a person The sitting is sitting up "doesn't pull in the right direction position is less comfortable, he sav'S, and the patient cant traction

is

best.

"

appropriate amounts of pull in it. However, Dr Braaf recommends just 5 to IS pounds of pull, and my experience with traction proves that a patient can accept a

tolerate

good deal more

pull while seated.

down can cheaper and easier to use the tried. As I said before, the upright, over-the-door method

who want

People do so at home, but

to take their traction Iving

it

is

1

discomfort was tolerable, e.speciallv considering the relief from pain which traction provided me. Can the kind of neck problems Ive been describing be prevented? 1 a.sked that question of Dr Dickson. know about, '"Iliere is no wav' to prevent them that he told mc. Hut at the same time he gave me an instruction sheet listing exerci.ses that are useful in ca.ses of cenical .strain and .some "helpful hints for a healthv neck." llievincluded instmctions to sit straight in vt)ur chair instead of slouching, not sleeping on your stomach, and using a thin 1

428

WHOLE BODY HEALING

I

w 77jf correct silting [xisition

- hack

\

stniif^ht.

feet Jlat

on

the floor.

pillow placed under your neck instead of your head. Special pillows are sold that support the neck instead of the head, but Dr. Dick.son was less than enthusiastic about them.

SPINAL MANIPULATION

429

A

thin pillow behind the

back of the neck

relieves tension.

A Three-Step Program One

doctor

who

feels that

it

is

possible to present and

problems

is James (ireenwood. Methodist Hospital in Houston. He hits a three-step program. Ilie tirst is mild exercise, which builds neck strength: sA\imming is a good

greatly reduce cenical disc jr,

430

WHOLE BODY HEALING

M.I).,

chief of neurosurgery

at

example. Dr. Cirecm\ood also belic\es that gentle exercise helps to get the nutrients needed to pre\ent degeneration and aid self-repair to the joints and discs. Supplementar)' amounts of \itamin C in the range of two to tliree grams dail) are a part of his program. Finally, he recommends weight control, which is certainly a good idea in any case.

SPINAL MANIPULATION

431

STRETCHING

Do

)ou remember

a time

when )ou had

lo reach

out and sttvtch to get things done? VCe're not

talk-

we mean the little things. mower is long gone, of course,

ing about major tasks;

The push lawn

but until recently you still had to bend over start the gas models. Now an electric starter up on the handle eliminates e\en that minimal effort. \bu once had to roll ciir \\ind(m-s up and down by hand, but that's not alwa\-s the case an\- hunger. One SAN'itch at the drixer's armrest closes all tour windows at once, and another locks the doors. At one time it was impossible to watch T\'

and pull the cord to

without actually walking to the ing

set,

bending over and

flick-

on.

it

Everyone knows that exercise is vital for healthy living. The push-button age not only discourages major efforts like nmning but eliminates less strenuous, though just ;is imporexercise as well. H\en the smallest stretching moveW ithout regular .stretching of tight, tense mu.scles, real fitness is impossible. Most of the things we regard as exercise primarih- invx^K'e muscle contraction. Hie mu.scles manipulated in most sports are repeatedh tensed up, pulled shorter, b\ the acti\ir\. That's exactly w hat you haw to do to mu.scles if \i)ur intent tant,

ment can be avoided today

is

you want to maintain ttie muscle flexibility you need to If

stay active and comfortable into your later years, you have to stretch muscles as well as contract them.

to

make them

stronger.

But if you want to maintain the mu.scle flexibility >'OU need, not just to mn marathons but to stay acti\e and comfortable into your later years, >()u ha\e to sttvtch muscles as well as contract them. Most people are not e\en aware how flexible their joints can be, because their muscles are not loo.se enough to allow them the fullest possible range of moNcment.

Flexible Muscles Influence Arthritic StiflFness Joint stiffness, an affliction

more

a

common

to aging,

problem of muscles and connective

is

probably

tissues tlian ot

the joints liiem.seiws. l-xperiments at jolins Hopkins Medical School with the wrists of cats ft)und that tiie most

432

important factors in flexibility are the muscles, the tendons and the capsule of tissue enclosing the joint. The scientists found that the friction generated b\ the rubbing at the joint itself was a minor factor limiting movement of the wrist. Thcit

was

tnie ei'en in joints afflicted with arthritis.

you have muscles and connective tissue. Pliable muscles, tendons and ligaments would make for to increase the flexibility- of the joints,

So,

work

to

flexible

mainl)' v^ith the

joint.s.

But ligaments, the tissues which hold bones together, and tendoas. which attach muscles to bones, are both inflexible, inelxstic tissues. A ligament or tendon .stretched beyond its rather meager limits uill not return to its original length. It d(x^nt bounce back a*i it should. The joint it holds together becomes too loose and prone to injun. That leaves the muscles. Muscles are much more elastic than tendons and ligaments. A mu.scle repeatedly and proper!) stretched continues to bounce back, bi.it it bounces back to a longer resting shape. Since the muscle is meant to move the frame rather than to hold it together, this is all for the good. A properh stretched set of muscles means maximum freedom of movement. There are other benefits. Many scientists beliexe that aging mu.scles, or muscles deprived of exercise, go through a progressive shortening. Its not simply a matter of unstretched mu.scles sta\ing too short. The muscles actually gr(m .shorter the longer they are neglected. As the muscles ^n>w s/jorier, the}' put more and more pressutv on

nenes running thmugh the muscle sheaths. That, some may be behind the m\-sterious muscle aches and pains that commonl) afflict older people. the

scientists think,

The Splinting Reflex It

becomes

it

sets

oft"

a \'icious circle. >X'henc\'er mu.scle pain occurs,

a "splinting reflex" in the muscle. TTie splinting

reflex causes the mu.scle to

forms

.stiflcn

on a broken leg. VChen shortened muscles

The muscle same reasons a doctor

for protection.

a rigid, natural splint, tor the

u.ses a splint

set

oft'

the splinting reflex,

however, the contraction of the muscles tightens pinched nerves e\en more, and the pain increa.ses. Hie contraction of the muscles increa.ses until they are knotted up in an uncontrollable spasm people experience with lower back pain.

STRETCHING

433

'

Herbert A. deVries, Ph.D., of the Universit)' of Southern he made of this phenomenon in his book K/jtjor /?e^rtm«/ ( Prentice-Hall, 19~'4). Dr. deVries and his colleagues measured the electrical acti\ir\' present in the muscles of injured athletes. A normal muscle, completely relaxed, shows no electrical acti\it>', while a muscle in spasm, or tensed with pain, does. Dr. deVries put his injured athletes through a program California, describes tests

of special stretcliing exercises. In almost all cases, the stretching produced a .sharp drop in the electrical acti\it>' of the muscle as well as partial to complete relief of tlie muscle pain. Stretching seemed to break the cycle of pain, muscle contraction,

and

still

more

pain.

Stretching tor muscle tlexibilit). Dr. deVries believes, is in\aluable tor older people. "It appears to me," he writes, "that the best insunuice (probal-)ly the onI> insurance) agaiast the aches and pains that .so often accompany the aging

process

...

is

physical fitness

that

of maintaining an

optimum

le\el

of

with appropriate emphasis on impnnement

of joint mobility. Stretching is also important tor people suffering from arthritis. Stretching muscles at arthritic joints .se\eral times a day has

been shown

permanent

stiffness.

to

Stretch Gently -Don't

be ver) helpful

in

prc-\enting

Bounce

think that thex're stretcliing their muscles when they go througli the bounc), c;ilisthenic exerci.ses like touching your toes, "^bu bounce down quickly to touch )()ur toes, then pop back up into a standing position. But that

Many people

is what causes problems. Whenever a muscle is stretched too quickly or with too much force, the .splinting

bounce reflex

is

set

off.

^Ou meet the same kind of resistance when

yx)u .stretch

in a standing position. Muscles in your legs hold \c)ur bod\ up by contracting. Stretching leg muscles in a standing position is not as eftective as stretching while lying down or sitting, because you're again working against contracted muscles.

Ben

H.

Bc-njamin, Ph.D., author of the lKH)k S/x)iis »///>

out Pain (Summit Books, 19^9), emphasizes

way

that the best

to .stretch is to ea.se yourself into the stretch position.

Stretching is a gentle, conditioning exerci.se. Relaxation is important. Once \()u haw extended your muscles as far as the\ want to go, don't force tbcni tiny fart her. Just

\er>

434

WHOLE BODY HEALING

keep breathing nornialU and hold the position for 10 to 15 seconds. Next time \ou might stretch tarther and hold the position longer. ""\'ou

ing."

must be able to

Dr Benjamin

the pulling sensation

muscle.

part of the

tell

where the action

is

happen-

writes. "Pay attention to precisely is.

^bu should

If

feel

where

the pull in the meat)'

the sensation

is

felt

near a joint

you are stretching the ligament or tendon. Always tr)' to do the exercise so that you feel it throughout the bulk

only,

of the muscle." Dr.

Benjamin sa)s that the best time to stretch is after Warm muscles, surging with blood, are more

a warm-up.

pliable than cold muscles.

A common

mistiike. Dr. Benja-

wanning up witli stretching. The}' do stretching exercises to warm up when they should be doing it the other wdy around. Stretching is not min

told us,

is

that "people confuse

wa) to \\arm up. Its gixxi for cotjling down Both Dr. Benjamin ;md Dr. deVries recommend that stretching be done at the end of an exercise routine. The muscles which probably need the most stretching are those in the lower part of the body. Muscles in the legs and lower back are almost constantly in use during the da}, holding us erect. Becau.se of that constant contraction, they are more susceptible to shortening and tiglitness. really a gixKl

after exercise."

best time to stretcti is a warm-up. Warm muscies, surging witti blood, are 77ie

after

more pliable

ttian

cold

STRETCHING

435

muscles.

Stay in

Touch with Your Body

According to Bob Anderson, a stretching expert who has tutored professional sports teams on the art of stretching and has authored the book Stretching ( Shelter I*ublications, 1980), you should 'learn to stretch h\ feeling. Be aware of the daily fluctuations in mu.scle tension and tightness so you can adjust }'our stretches to meet }'our bod}''s changing state. Some da}s you will be more limber than others, but as long as }'ou work by feel }ou will be able to enjoy the process.

can stretch to \aning degrees, ranging from comea.s} to de\'elopmental. llie length of time you hold a stretch will vary, too, from 5 to 60 seconds. A comfortable, painless stretch should be held long enough for the muscle tissues to adapt naturall} to the sliglitly elongated positions. "In an ea.sy stretch, you feel just a slight tension. Hold ""\bu

fortable to

this ea,sA stretch for S to

30 seconds, depending on which

stretch exercise \()u are doing,

if

the fieeling of tension

increases or

becomes

off sliglith- until

painfiil, you are overstretching. Ease you are more conitbrtable. Hold oni\ the

stretch tensioas that feel gotxJ to you. Eas\' stretching reduces

unwanted muscle tension and readies the

tissues for the

developmental stretch. "After holding the easy stretch, move a fraction of an inch further into a developmental stretch. Hold this stretch tor 5 to 30 seconds. Again, if there is am pain, ease off until you feel comfortable. This de\elopmental stretch reduces muscle tension, safely increases flexibilirv and improves circulation." We have selected the following exercises because they generally stretch lower bod)' muscles and because they can be done v\ith relati\e ease, e\en in >our office after a midday workout: • Calf stretch — Sitting on the floor, with your feet about a foot apart, place a t(n\el around the ball of \()ur foot. Without locking \()ur knee, but holding it straight and steady, pull the tcmel tow;ird \()u b) leaning back. VCTien you feel the stretch in the calf muscle, hold it for about 15 .seconds. If it hurts, let up, or don't hold it as long. Alternate feet for rvvo to four stretches. Ciradualh



work up to 3()-,second stretches. Wall lean— Mo\e on to the wall

lean

fi)r

further .stretch-

ha\e miLstered the calf stretch. VC'ith \()ur feet two to three inches apart, stand three to fi\e feet from the wall. l\n >()ur hands on the wall ing of the cal\es

;ifter \'ou

and bend your elbows until forearms are resting against the wall, "^bur feet should be positioned as far as possible from the wall with your heels on the floor and your legs .straight. After holding the position for 10 t)r 15 seconds, walk directly in front of \-ou, \()ur

toward the wall and

relax,

llie

wall lean

is

fairh tough,

so repeat it onl\' three or four times. ()\er time \()u may build up to stretches as long as a minute. • Side stretch — Sit in a chair with \()ur feet about a foot apart, and bend \()ur bod\ to the right, imagining as you do so that \()u are lifting upward against the bend,

bont hold

this stretch;

just

repeat t)n the

left

side,

then go back to the right. Bend fi\e times on each side. As the stretch becomes easier, add more weight to it b\- holding \()ur hands behind \()ur head as \()u bend. I"or e\en more weight later on. hold \()ur hands up abo\e \()ur head as \()u bend. ( continued on page -iiJ)

436

WHOLE BODY HEALING

T}je ciilj slivlch.

STRETCHING

437

Tfje side sttvtch.

438

WHOLE BODY HEALING

v//-

The hack

stretch.

STRETCHING

439

louching the

440

toes.

WHOLE BODY HEALING

I

//'('

lurk

slivtch.

I

Back stretch— Sit in chair. Bend forward,

the same position in an armless bringing )'our arms and shoulknees. Lean forward as if you

ders between your were going to put your elbows on the fl(X)r Repeat the stretch se\'eral times, and gradual!) build up

your holding time. JBath is

in a

stretch— One relaxing way bathtub

your legs

tlill

straight,

of

warm

to stretch tired legs

w~ater Sitting in the tub with

bend forward slowh

until

you

feel

the stretch in the muscles at the back of \()ur legs. RcliLX, keep breathing normalh. and hold the stretch lea.st SO or 60 seconds. Inner thigh stretch— For this empty wall about six feet wide.

for at

you need an on your back with

stretch,

Lie

your legs stretched agaiast the wall, at a 90-degree angle to \'

those benefits sound great, but perhaps you're hesitant about swimming regularly because \()u ne\'er learned how to swim lighl. It ma\ be hard for }()u to breathe in time with your strokes, and the strokes them.selves may not .seem too proficient, either VCell, to learn how to breathe correct!), \()u don't e\en need t(j get near a pool. "Vbu can learn breathing techniques at home using a basin filled with water .sa\s Jane Katz. Hd.D., professor of health and ph^-sical education at Bronx Communit)- College of the Cit)' L'niversity of New York. "Ising a basin, you can practice blowing bubbles in the water and inhaling as you turn your head out of the All

"

water" (see photo). According to Dr Katz, author of Suimmin^ for ToUil Fitness: A Progivssive Aety)hic hr)gnitn (Doubleday, 1981), "Too many swimmers never bother to learn the fundamen-

SWIMMING

445

I

Blouing bubbles in a basin of water can develop your breathing tecbnique for suimming.

Allcrihik' sides ichcii \'on liini

446

WHOLE BODY HEALING

)-(>iir

hcail to inhci/c

I

of their sport. They neglect things like breathing techInstead of breathing out into the water, many svN'immers simply hold their breath. tals

niques.

Another problem many swimmers have, is

says Dr. Katz,

"o\erkicking."

"AXTien you're doing the cnml, most of your eflFort realh' should be put into arm pull. That should represent up to ""0 percent of >()ur e&brt. And )-our iirms should do an 'S' pull. They shouldn't pull straight back. The motion of the right arm should t'. Don't use maximum effort when \ou do \our first laps. VCarm up first. And )our laps at the end should be a cool-down." Of course. s"v\imming laps is not the only kind of exercise you can do in the water. "For some people, says Dr Katz, "treading water is a complete exercise in itself. And some people bum up more calories treading water than the}' do when the\'re .swimming And there are a flood of other possibilities for aquatic exercise. Just ask Gretchen Schreiber. a .swimming instruc"

"

"

tor in Kansas.

Splashing Away Medical Problems "I

was teaching sA%'imming

warm

at

the \TVI(^A in Johnson Count}',

ha\e the people jog through the water to Ms. Schreiber saj's. up, since the water was cold,

Kansas, and

"The people

I'd

"

liked that, so

I

gradual!) built that

up

into a

had been teaching the exercise class for a while, people began telling me that it was helping their arthritis and back problems. We found that specific exercises helped specific problems Like the s^vvimming experts we quoted earlier in the chapter, Ms. Schreiber believes that exerci.se in the water has two unique qualities that result in special benefits for the body. Hie buoyanc> of the water makes exercise .seem easier, she sax's, while the water's resistance to movement u'hole exercise prognun. After

I

'

forces the bod}- to

work

When you exercise

in water,

good wtw ate overweight or pregnant or have back your body

floats. This is

for people

problems, liecause it supports the spine where there might

be a strain.

harder.

"AXTien \()u exerci.se in water," Ms. Schreiber told us, "your bod}' floats, and it's easier, or at least it feels easier, than exercising on land. WTien you do arm exercises on land and you put }'oiir arms out, gra\it}' pulls down on them. >XTien you're in the water, the water holds them up.

SWIMMING

447

Slimming Exercises is good for people who are o\'en\eight or pregnant, or people with back problems, because it supports the spine in areas where there might be a strain. "At the same time, the water resistance makes it kind of an isokinetic exercise, where you ha\'c to push against

"This

a resistance."

In her book Swim-Lite. Body Shaping Water Exercises (Loggerhead, 1979), Ms. Schreiber sums up the effect nicely: "The buoyancy of \our bod> in the water makes >ou feel light and graceful as you mo\'e, yet the resistance of the water makes each of the exercises doubly effective." Ms. Schreiber's book la^-s out six water exercise routines incorporating a number of different exercises. Each of the routines begins with three to fi\'e minutes of warm-up exercises, just as Ms. Schreiber begins her swimming classes. The routines end with cooling-down exercises. Ms. Schreiber, a ph^-sical education major in college, stresses the importance of warming up first and cooling down afterv\ard. The routines themselves are a carefully balanced combination of different exercises for different parts of the bod\'. Tlie arms and legs arc toned up simph' by using them to draw big circles and numbers under the water Once you've mastered that, you move on to writing your name. An exercise called the "ballet stretch" strengthens the back. You stand at a right angle to the poolside with one arm holding onto the edge, just as a ballet dancer stands at the exercise bar. M)u bring your free arm out to the side and raise your leg up through the water to meet it, then bring the leg down straight its >ou swing \()ur arm o\er

your head and bend to touch poolside. Its a graceful, swaying mcnement. Another movement, although a little less classy looking, is good for your shoulders, chest and back. Standing with your arms extended straiglit in front of >ou. you pull them back through the water at shoulder le\el until \our hands meet behind \()u. then pull them back to the front again. The exercise produces just the kind of arching and stretching your back mu.scles need to stay in shape.

A number of exerci.ses in Ms. Schreibers book are designed with the weight-conscious in mind. Tliose movements are meant to firm muscles in the w~dist, hips and thighs. Tlie "watcrwheel" is a simple. \ig()rous exercise that is good tor working the wai.st and building up endurance. 448

WHOLE BODY HEALING

Standing with your legs astraddle and your arms stretched out straight to the sides, t^\ist to the right and left as tar as possible, pulling your arms through the water as you do so. Se\eral of the slimming exerci.ses make use of the side of the pool. "Double tuck kicks," which gi\e your abdomen and hips a thorough workout, begin with \our hands holding onto the edge, your knees tucked up under your chin and \()ur feet propped against the pool wall. "\'ou take )'our feet ott the pool wall and thrust them back straight behind \()u into the water, then return to the original position. Double tuck kicks are good for developing endurance. Tlie "wall bounce," as the niime implies, involves holding the pools edge with >'our feet straddled against the wall and feet

bouncing

with >()ur (on the wall), then bouncing back

to a straight-legged position

front of )'ou

in

It's great for firming up the thiglis. For sAvimmers who ha\e ad\'anced beyond clinging to the side of the pool, Ms. Schreiber has come up with a number of exercises that can be performed in deep water with flotation boards or by treading water. A topical exercise, the "helicopter," is particularly good for toning the waist, hips and thighs. From a basic position with flotation boards tucked under each arm, your arms out to the sides and \'our legs extended below, rotate your entire

again.

lower bod)'. Another exerci.se involves riding an imaginary' bicycle in the water as you float in place. And what kind of results do such exercises produce? Take a k)ok at some of the testimonials from Ms. Schreiber's students. "Last |anuar>was bothered with some arthritis in my knees and tendinitis in my shoulder," sa>'s one student. "I \isited the doctor to see what we could do to remedy the I

situation.

the joints

was told that if would would last ten years longer I

I

take off

some

weight,

joined an exerci.se program, and the weight dropped an astonishing rate. Meanwhile, the count)' parks and recreation department was offering a water exercise class to be taught b)' Gretchen Schreiber. Not having swTjm in years. approached the first class with hopes that maybe it had been canceled, what with ni) \aricose veins and "1

off at

I

flabby skin.

the other members of the class and thanks to (iretchen, we had a began to feel better, much more simpK marvelous time. agile. Hie tendinitis was gone! The arthritis in the knee "It

looked

wa,sn't canceled,

just

like

I

did,

I

SWIMMING

449

else has changed - it had to he the water exercises." Another student experienced a marked improvement in her circulator)' problems. "My circulation has definitely impnned. Both my thighs from ni} knees up\\;ird t(m';ird m\

was gone! Nothing

were numb when

I started class in June. This problem but completely cleared up, with practically no numbness left. Tlie exercises realh' helped my circulaton- s^-stem." A student who lives on a lake found Ms. Schreiber's winter classes the ideal wa\- to keep in shape year-round. "I swim almost daily from May through September. This is the first winter I ha\e sought and fbimd a wa> to keep on swimming regularh throughout the winter months." Ms. Sclireiber's chisses iire open to nonswimmers. "Often people start out holding onto the side of the pool throughout the class, but after a couple of .sessions, they're using kickboards to kick their wa\' across the pool. Mam- of them

hips

has

all

go on to take s^wimming

classes."

For the Timid, a Bathtub Even if you're too scared to go close to a s\\imming pool, or unable to get to an indoor one in the winter months, Ms. Schreiber has found \\'a>'s to keep \ou wet and exercising all year long. A section at the back of her book turns the shower and bathtub into a \eritable health spa. The benefits of combining water and exercise, Ms. Schreiber belic\cs, apply e\'en when the water is streaming out of a .shower head or King six inches deep in the bottom of a she writes, tub. "Tlie w;irm water rehLxes \()ur mu.scles, tension and fatigue. This "and lets you stretch and relic\'e with arthribeneficial to those of exercise is especially t)pe tis or stiff mu.scles." Most of the tub exercises are stretching routines that the confines of the tub to best ad\-;intage. For example, use in one torso toner the shoulders and feet are braced against opposite ends of the tub, and the hips are raised and held to a count of ten. Another exerci.se, designed to .stretch the mu.scles of the Uwer back, is simph a matter of putting your feet again.st the faucet end of the tub, straightening your legs and leaning forward to grab the tub's front edge, it's kind of like touching your toes, but in this ca.se, you're in the comfort of a warm bath rather than on the hard"

wood

gsm. whether you exercise in the tub or pool, your health will be "in the swim." floor of a dnift\-

Ikit

size

450

WHOLE BODY HEALING

in

an OKmpic-

-

VACATIONS

w

we

eat

-

ere into proverbial \\isdom around here,

we

guess, because old tilings that h;i\e lasted

must have a thing or three going tor them, must ha\e appealed to a person or two along the

a wa>- that

v\a\-.

impresses us that the wa}-

It

seems strange

to

many

used to be the standard wa)- of eating; tuitimil wa\- of eating.

And

it

is

fast-food folks it

was and

is

a

impressive, too, that man}-

homes - built 50 or 60 >ears ago - were placed facing the warming sun and sheltered from wintn- blasts by trees and shrubs. Those old carpenters didn't know the terms "passive solar" or "protective landscaping," but they sure knew

the techniques.

Of

course, >'ou do ha\e to be a bit careful with prcnerwisdom. Since there are so many different kinds of people, and since different gems of advice appeal to each group, gilt-edged items of time-te.sted truth sometimes conflict with one another. Consider, for instance, that "a penny saved is a penny earned." But that being "penm-wi.se is bial

When you take a vacation, you escape ttte tiumdrum of daily

life.

You recharge your

batteries and return to everyday life refreshed and renewed.

'

con.sidered "pound-foolish" in some quarters. And that, to still others, "Spend, and God will send" is a truism. Yet,

most folks agree on - that it's good everv' now and then to "get away from it all, "it all" being the dail\- grind of work and bills and kids and tension and stress; \{)u know, normal life. Part of the rea.son that vacations and travel (if that's your idea of a v~acation) are good is that they do reliev-e us of our usual and habitual there

is

one homely saw

that

"

pressures. But il)-

our

substitute

own

it's

one

also true that

it's

refreshing to temporar-

set of duties for another, to get outside

skin (so to speak) and get into

someone

else's

"

Rome, do as the Romans do that Vie all know, then, that a vacation is important, especially when it's been a long time .since the last one. But the question is, fxni' important is it? Important enough to spend is,

"when

in

time and trouble and money on? Yes! VCtiether you're taking for the Alps or a mountain lake 30 miles from home, the pink beaches of some tropical island or the back porch of \' might like to move to someda\-." Meet new people. "We're \er>- .social animals. Dr Heath sa\^. "A \acation gives us the opportunity to form new friendships - or just to satisfv our curiosir\' about how other people li\e. Hiis gi\es us a broader perspecti\'e on our own lives." "

Mr. (Airtis agrees.

the

more

he

says.

own 4.

e>es \ou can

"The

more people )ou know, to lot)k on the world,"

borrow

"And the further those eyes are from your world, the better."

Fellowship and camaraderie. According Heath, "Sh;iring

iin

to

Dr.

ad\'enture with other people allows

us to share their enthusiasm, too. Tliat's good. positi\e reinforcement for our

own

It's

enthusiasm about

But it doesn't necessarily ha\'e to be easy going. Shared ban/ships also form bonds of love and friendship and gi\e us something to look back on with pride and pleasure. "F.\eni \ear thousands of people meet at one spot in Canada and form a caraN-an with their recreational \ehicles and eat each other's dust all the way to Alaska. Then they're back again the next year. "Twent) )ears from now, >'ou'll remember and talk about the canoe trip where the weather suddenh- changed and >ou spent two days huddled over life.

a campfire, shivering.

"There's also a benefit in associating with

minded people

in

some competitive

event.

like-

People

thousands of miles to cheer their team in the Super Bowl or the playoffs or the college championships. Marathon runners travel hallw'a)' across the world to run in a race and be surrounded by thousands of other runners." tra\el

The Educational Pluses of Travel 5.

Education, "^bu may need or want to learn new skills on \()ur vacation, Dr. Heath says. "You may decide to learn a new language before traveling to a foreign countn,-. Or you may learn as you go along in order to communicate with people there. '\bu may "

decide to learn snorkeling, or tennis, or golf, or skiing, or mountain climbing, or hang gliding, or any new .skill." 6. Adventure, "rravel returns a sense of adventure to your life, says Mr. Curtis. "Pulling yourself off your native turf is going to make demands on vxjur resourcefulness - to find suitable lodging and food. But you're also allowed to experiment with your personalit}' and lifestA'le without having to live with the coasequences. If v'ou're usuallv too .shv' to .sav' hello and smile at strangers, you may allow yourself the adventure of "

VACATIONS

453

doing just that on your vacation in a new place. It may then become a habit you can bring home with you." The element of risk is also a part of mam' vacation ad\entures, according to Dr. Heath. "Most tra\el involves accepting and meeting challenges. You test yourself against a new emironment. ^bu can impnne your self-esteem b\ taking (jn challenges that e\er\da)' life doesn't offer. Of course, sometimes e%er\day life may invohe greater risk. Water skiing, mountain climbing, sk\di\ing - all seem quite scan,. But though they may be more thrilling, the\' actualh' are safer than driving on the freeway."

Expect the Unexpected "It is the unexpected in life that we learn from," sa)S Mr. Curtis. "VC'e gain the most when we

7. Surprise.

Happy people are those who give full attention to whafs going on at that moment, not what happened before or what might happen later.

8.

put ourselves on the line and remain open to nev^' experiences. On a trip, you ha\'e to adapt \eni quickly. You bring much ot that enhanced adaptability home with you." Not to mention the stories of all your surprises, which you'll remember and tell over and o\er t. Tlie.se experiences we ne\'er forget are ver\' important to our enjo\Tnent "

"

of life 9. Anticipation. Ha\e we got you itchin' to hit the road for action ;ind ad\enture and nc^- people, places and things? Are \()u so excited \-ou cant wait to plan your \acation? dood, becau.se that's part of the bene"^bur vacation," according to Dr. fit of a \'acation. than the actual time spent :(\\-ay from more Heath, "is and preparation are also good llie planning home,

Many vacations are A person ma\ prepare

for you. jects.

actually \ear-long profor a

exiiniple, b> t)ing Hies, ^()u miglit

454

WHOLE BODY HEALING

fishing

trip,

for

prepare lor a sight-

'

seeing joume\- by reading ;ill \'oii can about the places you're going to \isit. Tlie anticipation is pleasurable.

The

trip

is,

too,

because you reap the rewards of

extensi\e preparation."

Memories, '^bur

enriched before, during and Heath sa>'S. "You'll alwa>'s have the jo\ of reflecting on pleasant memories." 11. Appreciation of things taken for granted. "Vbu'll be surprised at the things for which you become 10.

life is

after a \acation," Dr.

Mr

homesick,"

Curtis

pleiLsure of finding I

ha\'e felt

saA-s.

"You'll crave the simple

someone who speaks

\'our hinguage.

almost sick for the sight of a

lilac,

for a

maple tree, for ice cream sodas, for a long, hot shower and e\en - hate to admit it - for American fast food. I once ran alongside an American's car for three blocks in Wigosknia - just to hear an old Simon and Garfunkel song on his tape pla\cr. "AXTien you get home, you will get more from life. "\'ou'll see the miracles where you live." 12. Self-discovery. "A xacation can be a great opportunit) tor .sorting out life's experiences, Dr. Heath says. "^bu can shut off the sensor)' overload that may be \'our e\enda\ life and get awa\' to a deserted beach or a mountain stream. "\bu can let your soul talk to itself, '^bu need it to de\'eIop your creati\it)' and your inner peace and harmony. I

"

Travel 13.

on the Road

to

Freedom

Freedom. "A

vacation gives us the freedom to do what we want to do," sa)s Dr Heath. "Our bodies ha\e the remarkable ability to recognize a deficienc-}- and tr\ to compensate tor it," notes Mr {;urtis. "For in.stance. North American Indi-

ans who li\ed in northern regions when sources of \itamin (; were nire compensated b}' eating pine needles. The mind seems to ha\'e a myriad of ways to deal with psychological problems, too, without neces.saril\- consulting the brain's owner Our desire for

change occurs regularh. Even if \'ou are generally satisfied with your lite and work. \-ou may still feel the need tbr something more. 'Sbu may feel closed in. Take a vacation, and \()u will realize your own freedom, '^bu'll sec that the mundane world can be tran-

VACATIONS

455

"

14.

scended

at will.

prisoner

if

)'ou

Time stands

can be left behind. You're not a choose not to be." It

you're really enjcning yourself," "time does not progress in equal units. You stop thinking about e\enthing else but what you're doing then and there, ^'ou get lost in the activit>- of the moment, '^ou ma)' be catching fish, or tr)ing Dr.

Heath

still. "If

sax's,

keep dr\' while canoeing through the rapids, or looking for pretfs' .shells along the beach. Time is standing still for \ou, and that's good. There's e\idence that happ>' people are those who can gi\'e full attention to what's going on at that moment, not ^^•hat happened before or what might happen later. 15. Happiness. We sa\'e the most important reason for last: "The major goal of a x-acation is happiness," sa\'S Dr. Heath, "^'our leisure time should make you hapto

A vacation is not a necessary e\il you endure to enable you to work harder when you get back. "Sour leisure makes up a large segment of >our life, and it can and should be a xaluable force for good.

pier.

456

WHOLE BODY HEALING

VARICOSE VEINS

The

patient, a robust

quite fathom what

woman

in

went wrong

her

fifties,

couldn't

in paradise. Vt'ear-

ing a ne^^ puica shell necklace and a flawless tan,

she'd just flown into

New

three

'^'ork iifter

weeks

Of

course, e\'er\thing had been fabulous, from the PoUnesian repasts at the Kahala Hilton to the languid sunbathing at the pool. VCIiat, then, could posin Hawaii.

account for the painflilh' inflamed veins she developed her first day home? "I can't understand it, she complained to her ph\-sician. "It v^'a.s such a wonderful trip No doubt it was, agreed her doctor, Howard C. Baron, M.D., an attending vascular surgeon at the Cabrini Medical Center in New "*ibrk Cit). Tlie culprit, howe\'er, wasn't the \acation itself, but the tedious, uncomfortable eight-hour jet ride home. Perhaps if the woman had suspected a predisposition for \iiricose \'eins, she'd have occasionally flexed her calf muscles and left her cramped seat ever)- hour to stroll up and down the aisle. Ob\ioush, the patient didn't know that "movers and shakers, as Dr. Baron dubs fitness enthusiasts, are the best candidates for healthy legs. For that reason, he singles out exercise and diet in his book Varicose Veins: A Commonsense Apptrx/ch to JlKir Manngetnent (William Morrow, 1979) as the ke>' preventive measures against the .symptoms and complications of those bulging bluish cords down the leg. It's no .secret that tho.se gnarled and .swollen leg veins afflicting one in four American women and one in ten American men aren't \cr\- prett)'. They're malformed, defective blood ves.sels that are no longer elastic. Stretched out of shape, they appear enlarged, twisted and discolored. That appearance stems from problems with the delicate \-al\es within the leg \eins that pro\ide a path\\'ay for used blood to be carried back to the heart from everywhere in the b(}dy. To ea.se the arduous ta.sk of forcing blood up the leg against the gra\itational pull, the tiny, one-wa) valves clo.se between heartbeats to prevent a backflow of the sibl)-

"

"

"

is a key preventive measure against varicose veins. "Movers and sliakers'

Exercise

are

ttte

best candidates for

tiealtliy legs.

pumped

blood. Normal!), that action occurs millions of times throughout life without a hitch. But the process may be disaipted.

457

Pressure on the leg veins may interfere with the circulator)' sA'stem and pre\ent the \alves from shutting properh. When this happens, or if vein \alves are inadequate, defective or malfunctioning, hlood seeps hack and pools in the legs, fijrther dilating the veins. After a few years, the vessels hegin to lose their flexibility'. They .sag and push toward the surface, shifting the entire burden to the larger, deeper veins.

Early Signs Ignored

Many people dismiss the earh' warning signals of \'aricose veins - the slight tingle of impaired blood flow followed by the eruption of small bluish \eias near the skins surface - and don't take action until the veins pose a co.smetic problem. But that may be a big mistake. Dr Baron and other ph\-si-

cians belie\e that early detection and treatment can pre\ent more serious s-^mptoms and complications from occurring. Unfortunately, millions don't stop \'aricose veins in time,

and they

t>picalh'

experience a

dull,

aching hea\iness and

may ,swell, particularh' cramps may de\elop at niglit;

fatigue in the legs. Ankles

in

warm

legs may weather; painftil calf leg ulcers, itch or burn. More serious complications such as phlebitis (inflamed veins, a condition that plagued former president Nixon), blood clots and hemorrhage ma\ occur Disfigurement, emphasizes Dr Baron, is the most blatant sign of the disorder He describes the appearance of the troublesome \ein as "bunched, twisted, lumped and contorted into an angr) blue rope with grapelike bulges." But e\'en though \'aricose veins lead to so much trouble, ph^-sicians are divided on their preci.se cause. Many experts blame one's luicestors for the ;iflliction. "It's a degenerative process that ams in fiimilies, and when the cause is due to heredit}', it can't be prevented, maintains Jiimes A. DeWeese, M.D., a renowned \uscular surgeon at die I niversit)"

of Rochester Medical School. Robert A. Nabatoff, M.D., a clinical profe.s.sor of vascular surger\, also indicts genetics as the major contributing factor to varicose veins.

"The \"ast majority- of patients ha\e inherand the \eins usually first appear in

ited their condition,

the late teens or earh

teaches

Too

at

Mount

Little

Sinai

twenties," sa>>

Dr

School of Medicine

in

Nabatoff,

who

Manhattan.

Fiber?

Nonetheless, the notion of varicosities xs a disorder cau.sed

458

WHOLE BODY HEALING

by

lifestyle is

gaining credence

among

a

number

who

of

ph>-si-

One of them is Denis P. highly developed and industrialized cultures pay a se\'ere price for progress with heart disease, ulcers, obesity- and Burkitt, M.D.,

cians.

\-aricose \eins.

The prominent

British

belie\'es

surgeon contends that

li\ing on fiber-rich inflamed \essels are rare diets but common in >X'estern nations where meals are low in roughage. A fiber-depleted diet, he explains, necessitates abdominal straining to e\-acuate small, hard stools, putting enormous pressure on leg veins. Prolonged toilet-sitting, he sa^-s, further aggraA-ates the problem by cutting off circula-

among people

tion along the back of the legs.

Other forms of inacti\it)-, such as standing or sitting too long in one place, ma\- also worsen \uricosities. Because the malad> results from impaired circulation, authorities speculate that chair-sitting may especialh' wreak ha\'oc on one's legs. "The chair." states Dr Baron, "is a terrible invention of ci\ilization. While it makes sitting comfortable, it increases the pressure on the leg veins, and a damaging habit - crossing your legs."

it

also leads to

is far more prexalent in women, notes that pregnane-^- does not cau.se \'aricose veins.

Although the problem

Dr Baron Instead,

it's

generalh thought today that female hormones,

especially those released during pregnane)', play a role in producing \aricose veins in susceptible women. Frequently,

inflamed xeins ma\- be the first sign of pregnane}-, e\en before a missed menstrual period, but they often recede after deliven. Because the unsightly blue cords pop out before the \eins come under increased pressure, diis suggests the weight of the fetus may be less a factor than hormones. If \'ou alread\ ha\e \-aricose veins, there's no need to despair. Dr Baron belie\'es minor adjustments in daily routines may help diminish the number and even the size of the snakelike embarrassments. Some tips for preventing and "pampering varicose \eins as well as precluding future "

complications include the following:

• Avoid, whencN'er possible, long periods of sitting or standing. If you must sit or stand, make a coascious effort to flex your leg muscles. Wiggle your toes frequenth', and slowly raise and lower yourself on the balls of )-our feet. Don't cn)ss wur legs. Break up lengthy trips b\ walking se\eral minutes e\er\- hour or two. On long plane or train rides, pace up and down the aisle at least once an hour.

VARICOSE VEINS

459

Brisk Walks

Can Help

• Get suttlcient exercise through walking, jogging, running, cycling or swimming. Walking, note Eric F. Lofgren, M.D., and Karl A. Lofgren, M.D., both of the

Mayo

(Clinic

Minnesota, lowers the venous pressure to about a third of the standing pressure under normal conditions (Getiuttics. September, 19'^5). Dr. Robert May, a specialist in surgers' and circulaton- problems at the Uni\'ersit)' of Innsbruck in Austria, ad\ises brisk walks for 15 minutes, four times a day. He also advocates going barefoot at home to help exercise the foot muscles and improvt; venous bkxxi flow (Medical Tribune, in Rochester,

February- 2^, 1980).

A lack of roughage hardens and puts pressure on the pehic \eins. Dr. May

• Adopt a higli-fiber diet. stools

recommends

patients eat salad daih; along with potatoes in their skins and other vegetables, and take two

to three tablespoons of wheat germ. Another expert suggests increasing the diiily intake of fiber fivefold, using foods such as whole grains, bran and ft-esh fruits.

Going barefoot at home exercises the loot muscles and improves venous blood flow. Brisk walks several times

day are also good veins.

for

a

your

• Shun tight garments such as calf-length boots, pantyhose too snug at the groin, girdles, corsets and binding belts. Any clothing that tends to constrict the venous

blood flow- just beneath the skin can be hazardous to your health. • Elevate your feet, whenever possible. Lean back, kick

up on your

desk.

Placing the legs 12 to 2-4 inches abcne heart reduces the pressure in the veins to nearly- zero.

Ic-yel

off"

your .shoes and put your

feet

on the toilet. The shape of the hard yy ood or plastic seat puts undue pres.sure on the abdominal veins, which, in turn, put pressure on leg yeins, notes Dr. Baron.

• Stop reading

• Avoid bathing in a tubful of hot water, warns Dr. May-, yy-ho recommends shoyyers in the morning and at niglit. He also suggests a final .spray- of cold yy ater on the legs. •

Wear ;uid

460

WHOLE BODY HEALING

support stockings throughout pregnancy-, support hose at other times if you must st;uid a lot. elastic

For uncomplicated varicose veins, either bandages or can be used to relie\'e s\Tnptoms by acting like muscles to facilitate blood flow. Because the fit is so critical, howe\'er, Dr. Baron cautions about the stockings" main drawback: they stretch out gradually, and support ma>- disappear. Should those fail to pro\ide ,suflicient relief, a treatment popular in England involves injecting a chemical into the \eins to clo.se them off. Called .sclerotherapy, it is seldom u.sed an\Tnore b)- American .specialists becau.se of its high failure rate, permanent brown pigment stains left in the

well-fitted elastic stockings

skin and .serious side effects.

Experts agree that complete surgical remcn-al of the malfimctioning \eins has proved to be the best approach for correcting significant xaricosities. Hie most common method involves t}ing off and removing tlie troublesome \eins - al.so known as "stripping" them. Once the defective vessels are removed, other healthy ones assume their fiinction without harming normal circulation. is deemed safe and often treatment and cure of varicose veins in a sense are alway's failures - of prevention.

E\en though the procedure

yields

permanent

results, the

VARICOSE VEINS

46l

WALKING Walking

was probably invented to comince the last holdout to exercise. There's no such thing as the perfect exercise, but if there were, walking

Even though walking is easier than ninning, /fs still an excellent way to improve your aerobic capacity and get into good physical shape.

would be

it.

If \'ou

think

not too surprising. >Xljat other exercise is adaptable to so many diffierent physiques, so many exercise needs, and can still be done without a S200 athletic club membership? No matter where you stand on the fitness scale, from lean and hungr\' athlete to jell)' roll, walking is good for you and feels good. As a matter of fact, some doctors prescribe \\alking for emotional problems, claiming that walking reduces neuromuscular tension better than a standard dose of tranquilizers. Consider the experience of one of our authors, wlio used to commute to Ncv^' York Cit)', where he worked at a high-pressure desk

about

job: selling advertising

it,

that's

over the phone.

was li\ing on Long Island, the Long Island mounted an ad campaign designed to entice commuters to take the bus to the train station and lea\'e their cars at home. Its key slogan was: "VCTien

VCTiile

I

Railroad

too far to walk and too expensi\e to dri\e." I agreed that it was too expensixe to dri\e. But also felt that - for my own mental and ph^-sical wellbeing - it was too expensive not to walk. it's

1

lived a mile from the railroad station. That mile I walk, briefcase in hand, was my safet> \ahe. my defense against the pressure-cooker en\irormient of a working day spent sitting behind a desk, my ear glued to the phone recei\er, tr\ing to .sell advertising space to those who didn't want it. In the

morning, walking replaced coffee as a wake-up

stimulant. Strolling bri.ski}-, watching the sun come up, I could fcel ni} mentiil and ph\>iciil powers being rcNitalized. On cold winter mornings. I'd ;irrive at the station feeling plea,santh- warm, my coat open (or draped over one arm), :ind watch m\- fellow commuters huddled in their coats, teeth chattering, sipping coffee out of StNTotbam cups. In the oening, the walk back home helped me work out the tensions and faistrations of my day in the Big Apple.

462

started walking, I was a much harder person with - just ask my wife. I'm not sa>ing that I was all sweetness and light once I started walking, but I left a lot of m\' bad feelings out on that mile of sidewalk bersveen the train station and the house. By walking instead of taking the bus or subway, I

Before

I

to li\e

sa\'ed

S2 a day.

I

became

a familiar figure at the

shoe repair shop getting my shoes fixed. But I figured that was mone>- well spent when compared the wear and tear on my soles to the wear and tear I had sa\'ed on my soul, not to mention my heart. I

I tend to\\ard being o\erweight and hypertensive. If I'm not careful about my diet, I'll easily put on ten pounds around the waistline. As long as I kept up my walking. I could worn* less about what I was eating (of course. I couldn't neglect it entirely) and still maintain a low weight. As for my high blood pressure - ten )'ears ago I was 4F from militar>' ser\ice because of it. But when I had a ph\?>ical recently, the examining ph\-sician couldn't believe that I was ever h\pertensi\'e. (His exact words were, Tou never

had high blood pressure!")

A Sustained Activity Almost no one is disqualified fi"om walking. Ma\t)e you won't be able to walk \eT\- far or \'en- fast, but some degree of walking is almost alwa\^ possible. Walking seems relatively eas\' to do compared to running or cross-countn' skiing, but don't think that its aerobic benefits and its potential for getting you into good physical shape are inconsequential. According to a study at the Heller In.stitute of Medical Research at the Tel Aviv Dniversitv' Medical School, "It is possible to improve substantially aerobic physical fitness in three weeks by walking daily with a light backpack load In the study, those people who were in the iiKyrst physical shape (attention all you soft-limbed armchair quarterbacks "

out there) showed the quickest improvement in physical condition. Tlie subjects in the Israeli .studv' walked at a speed of about three miles an hour tor 30 minutes a day, five times a week, and carried backpacks weighing only about 6S/2 pound.s. After three weeks, the participants in the study showed an average improvement in aerobic capacitv' of 15 percent. After four weeks, they improved 18 percent. When the load

WALKING

463

they were earning was doubled during the fourth week, the average total improvement was 30 pereent. If you decide to start a walking program, a briefcase (jr

shopping bag could be substituted tor the pack, and \our would be just as fast. Besides impro\ing your aerobic fitness, walking can also change \our bod\ chemistr} for the better According to

physical fitness gain

Dan

Streja,

M.D., a Cialifornia endocrinologist, "Metabolicall)' is as good xs jogging. To fa\'orabl\' alter

speaking, walking

cholesterol, to lower sugar, insulin

weight, walking will do blood pressure as well." lo.se

it.

1

and triglycerides, and to expect it would lower

Along with Da\id M\min, M.D.. of the I ni\ersit>' of Manitoba in Canada, Dr. Streja has published results of a study in which 32 men, all of whom were 35 to 68 years old and had heart disease, were put on a program of walking, working up to slow jogging if the>' could manage it. But, in fact, the a\erage speed of the participants was less than 4 miles per hour at the beginning of the 13-week program and just slight!} o\er 4 miles per hour at the conclusion. In other words, the a\erage speed was no faster than a businesslike walking gait, about as fast as you'd normall)' be walking on a cold da>. ITiere was onh an a\erage of three sessit)ns per week, and the a\erage distance walked at each session was slighth less than ly, miles, "^'et. despite this relativel) modest degree of effort, some \er\ impressive results

were obtained.

Most important, perhaps, there was a \en- promising change in cholesterol. Specifically, there was an increa.se in the fraction of cholesterol

known

as high-densit>

lipopro-

(HDL), a substance that helps pre\ent cholesterol and fat accumulation within arten walls, llie higher the HDL, the less chance there is of a heart attack. And there utas a significant increase in the HDL count of this group of walkers. Pre\iousl\, it had been known that k)ng-distance runners and other extremely active t>pes had ele\"ated HDL count.s, but this was one of the first times ;ui\c)ne had demonstrated the beneficial eftect resulting onh from walking. Besides the increase in HDL, there was a (/eavtisc in circulating insulin levels. Now most of us dont think about tein

insulin outside the context of diabetes, but the fact

many Americans ha\e too much of

this

is

that

hormone (which

is

secreted b\ the pancreas to aid in the metabolism of sugar) drifting through their .s\stem. lb make a long stor\ \er> short, high insulin le\els can help bring on both diabetes

464

WHOLE BODY HEALING

and this

heart disease. Pretn- serious stuli. ^'et the walkers in a \en- significant (an a\erage of 20

program enjo>ed

percent) decrease in plasma insulin. Altogether, it seems, e\enthing that happened to these \\'alkers did nothing but good tor their hearts (Jounial of the Ameiican Medical Association.

November

16, 19"'9).

Walking for Stronger Bones hear of osteoporosis? It's the medical name for the fragilit)- that's so common among older people, particular!) \\()men. Some 350,000 bone fractures are blamed on osteoporosis each \ear, as is a considerable ;unount of back pain. And it's all because of the lack of calcium. Or lack of walking. Wliile taking about 1,000 milligrams of extra calcium a da\ \\\\\ help stop or e\'en re\erse the process of E>'er

bone

do much the same

one and colleagues from the Universit)- of Toronto, a group of people in a preretirement conditioning program exerci.sed an average of tour hours a week. Concentrating on brisk walking, they kxst no calcium at all from their bones over the course of a year. Tliat was the a\erage, but actual!)' the people in the program v\ ho walked the least often lost some calcium from their bones. These results are ver)' impressive, because the) show that a simple thing like walking can halt a chronic and progressi\c di.sease like osteoporosis in its tracks. osteoporosis, \\alking will

interesting stud> reported

b\'

thing. In

K. H. Sidney, Ph.D.,

WTiere to Start Okay, )'ou ma) be thinking, walking is good for the body and mind, but how, where and when .should one start? Can )()ur dail) or weekh routine. A little walking can go a long wa)', but only as part of a regimen incorporated into

your

life.

The "walking experts difler on how much walking per week will produce a significant training etfect. Simon J. Wikler Ml)., in his book Walk. Dont Run (Windward Pub"

lishing, daN-s

a

1980), defines "walking" as a IS-minute mile, four like their walks ;ifter dinner others

week. "Some

WALKING

465

1

before retiring, others on getting up in the morning when the streets are deserted. It realh doesn't matter too much when you do it-rt5 long as you don't leave it to chance," says Dr. Wikler. On the other hand. Fred A. Stutman, M.D., in The Doctor's Walking Book (written with Lillian Africano. Ballantine, 1980), argues that a IS-minute mile (walking at tour miles per hour) is "too demanding ;ind exhausting for most people, land] ... is not suitable for a lil'etime program." He rec-

ommends

walking regiilarh tor

-jS

to

60 minutes

at

least

three times per week. Dr. Stutman teels that the pace isn't as important as the regularity of the exercise. "It isn't important

which pace you choose,

as long as \()u're comfortable."

Two

miles an hour (slow) or tliree miles (moderate) is acceptable. Dr. Stutman goes on to add that the time spent walking does not have to be continuous. For instance. )ou can

divide your 45 minutes of walking in a da)' into three sessions of 15 minutes each. "For best aerobic benefits, however,

tr\-

not to m;ike any session shorter than 15 minutes."

program you start with, be sure to start slowh, your main exercise the past j'ear has been getting up to change the T\' channel. Even in walking, the >X'hatc^er

especiall)'

if

sports cliche,

"Train, don't strain,"

still

applies.

If \()u

are

very unsure about your physical fitness, you can consult your doctor about how much exercise is safe for xou. There are several tips you should keep in mind, especialh at the beginning stages of your walking program. First, don't go for a Nigorous walk ;ifter a large meal. Tliis could put too much strain on xour heart and circulator) sA-stem. Avoid extreme forms of weather. Don't go out in very cold, hot, humid or windy conditions. Be comfortable. Wear clotlies suitable tc)r the temperature. Vi'ear shoes that fit and ha\e

low

heels.

"Walking Correctly Contrary to popular opinion, proper walking does not come naturally to all people. To pnne this, all you have to do is stand on a big-cit)- sidewalk .someday and watch the 1.00 techniciue. Some people shuttle along with their chins folded into their chests. Others use a ducklike waddle with their feet pointed ;tw kwardh' outward. Manx of them don't look as if the\'re enjo\ing their walk

examples of poor walking

\en much.

Ilieir

of the rewards

466

WHOLE BODY HEALING

bad habits haw stifled and limited man\ could be getting from their walking.

the>-

One of the most important aspects of good walking is posture. For man>- people who ha\e been indulging in bad posture for )ears. tning to achie\e good positioning of the trunk and spine is difficult and requires a great deal of practice before it feels as if it comes "naturalh." In Walk. Don't Run. Dr Vi'ikler recommends keeping "\our head high, with chin parallel to the ground, shoulders squared back"v\ard, abdomen sucked in a little keeping the small of the back straighten feet pointing straiglit ahead." Walking correcth- puts less strain on your neck and back muscles and increases \our sense of what is going on around \()u. It also impro\es the image that \ou present to other people. There are fe\^• things more unattractive than someone walking around with his nose on his shoelaces. Tile proper fiK)t motion in\-oK'es pointing the feet straiglit ahead with a heel-to-toe gait. Unlike running, where both feet fall along the same line, in walking the feet follow two parallel lines. This parallel motion will c;irr\ y(xi the farthest distance with the least amount of fatigue. Each foot should come down in front of the heel and produce a long stride through the entire foot in a rolling motion through the foot and ending in a push-off from the space between the big toe and the little toe. This fluid motion distributes stress through the foot rather than concentrating it in a staccato footfall. The foot contacts the ground in a wave motion from heel to toes. As the heel of the lead foot contacts the ground, the rear foot pushes off benveen the

A

simple thing lil hot. nib the skin underneath until it can be tolerated. Hie additional towel under the fomentation promts burning and ab.sorbs lo.st mois-

472

WHOLE BODY HEAIJNG

J.

U n«,t,' the towel, a dr)' touvl.

t.

Hold hot towel

into

WATER THERAPY

473

ture. Each application should be left on from three to five minutes. Tlirce applications are usually best. When the last fomentation is remo\'ed, cool the area with a cold washcloth, and dr)' the skin thoroughly. All changes of these fomentations should be made quickly, and the area treated should never be left exposed. During the treatment, it is usually necessary to keep a cold cloth on the forehead or

neck of the patient to keep his head cool. Fomentations are ver\- useful in relie\ing the congestion of chest colds, coughs, broncliitis and influenza. Fomentations can ease the pain of neuralgia, arthritis and other inflammations. They may also stimulate, when alternated with cold, or sedate in ner\'ous conditions. For sedation, apply cloths to the spine; the>' should be v\arm, not hot, and the application should be prolonged. Elimination is enhanced by sweating when the fomentations are applied properly. Take great care to avoid burning the patient, particular!)'

when

rosis, diabetes,

there

is

edema or

paralysis, anesthesia, atheroscle-

recent

surger\'.

Protect the

bom-

areas especially, lifting the fomentation frequently to allow steam to escape, or padding them with an additional towel. \s, one would expect, a hot footbath is the submerging of the feet and ankles in water ranging in temperature from 100° to 11S° E Tliis therapy is used to increase the blood flow locally and indirectb" from the feet

Hot footbath.

to the entire skin surface. In a deri\-ative way. the hot ftxjtbath promotes deconge.stion in the internal pehic organs and

the head. For this reason, it is often used to relie\e congestion in the head and chest and to treat headaches. E\en a

nosebleed can be stopped b>- this simple treatment \\hen used in combination with ice packs over the lace. When prolonged, these baths will induce .sA\eating and may help to pre\'ent or abort a common cold. Rehtxation and comfort are produced, and, of course, local infl;immation of the feet may be relieved by this simple measure. A metal foot tub or pla.stic container large and deep enough to contain the feet and ankles should be used. Even a five-gallon can or a plastic wastcbasket will do. If a thermometer is not a\ailable, test the water temperature with your elbow. Protect the bed or floor from spilled water Any prolonged treatment to the feet should be combined with a cold compress to the head to increase the deri\ati\e effect and axoid headaches. After testing the water tem|XTature, lower the teet slow 1>

and carefully

474

WHOLE BODY HEALING

to a\()id burning,

if

tliere is \ascular disea.se in

the extremities or conditions (such as diabetes) in which sensation is reduced, this treatment is not ad\isable. Frostbite may be treated with a wartn footbath, but no hot applications should be used. Except for cases of \'ascular water temperature is usually started at about

disease, the

103° F Hot water

is

then added from time to time, increasing

the temperature to the patient's le\el of tolerance. The treatment is continued for 10 to 15 minutes, changing the cold

compress on the head ished,

them

A

frequently. >XTien the bath is finthe feet out of the water, pour cold water over and dry them thoroughly. lift

Bracing

Rubdown

friction. One of the finest h>'drotherapy measures for stimulating blood flow in the skin is cold mitten friction. Increased circulation benefits the entire body, and

Cold mitten

as a tonic,

it

is

better than anything

downed with

gin. This

and toning the skin after fiimentations. And it can heighten nerve and muscle tone and skin sensiti\ity. Heat production is increased, as is treatment

is

also useful for closing the pores

Cold mitten friction stimulates blood flow and increases muscle tone and skin sensitivity.

tissue oxidation. Reflex effects in the internal organs stimulate

muscular-glandular and metabolic

acti\aties.

The

fric-

tion increases antibody production, thus helping to fight

infections and

and

is

good

fe\'ers.

It

builds

up general body resistance

tor those suffering frequent colds. This treat-

is also imaluable for people suffering from a lack of energy-, particularly when they are cutting out coffee or tobacco. Although a washcloth can be used to deliver cold mitten friction, it is more effective done with Turkish toweling sewn into the shape of a mitten. The mitten is dipped

ment

and rubbed briskly on the upper extremities are usually treated first, beginning with the fingers and mcning up the arm to the shoulders. Each side is dried and covered before the next limb is treated, llie chest and abdomen are also rubbed briskly with the friction mitt and then dried and c()\ered. The lower extremities get the same, and then the back. Friction is applied as \igorously as the patient can tolerate and continued until the skin is pink. Tills type of physical "tonic" is so simple that it can routinely be used after a shower as a morning "pickup." into ice water,

skin,

wrung out

lightly

up and down, two or three

times. ITie

WATER THERAPY

475

Cold mitten friction

is

stimulating.

One

of the oldest water therapy procedures is batli. Man\ abdominal :uid pel\ic conditions were treated in tliis way by the Austriiui practitioner \'incen2 Priessnitz, who used water extensi\'ely as a curati\e remedy. Tlie modern sitz tub is made of metal or porcelain and is fashioned so that a patient may sit in comfort in it while his feet are placed outside in a footbath. A washtub or plastic basin ma)- be used at home; however, it must be sliglitly tipped and made stationarv' with blocks of wood. A similar tub or basin can be u.sed for the accompaming footbath. An ordinary bathtub becomes a makeshift sitz bath when the knees are drawn up, leaving onl\' the feet and pehic organs submerged. Or one can substitute a hot fxilf-bath with just enough water to reach the na\el. The temperature of the water may be \-aried. depending upon the effect desired. Cok\ sitz baths (SS° to ^5° F) Sitz bath.

the

sitz,

or sitting

the treatment of constipation and chn>iiic p)eUic inflammation. Hot .sitz baths (105° to 110° F) are used to treat pehic pain during the menstnial cycle and in acute

;ire usetiil in

476

WHOLE BODY HEALING

VCJjefi

up

)'(Jit

the

nuissage yxntrselj. slowly

move

An

ke-coUl cloth gives a stimuUithig nuissage.

leg.

pcl\ic intlammaton conditions. nie\ are also used to treat

who

ha\e trouble urinating. Alternating hot and baths is ver>- N-aluable therapy for both hemorrhoid and prostate trouble and following surger>' of the perineum or rectum. The patient should be protected from contact with the basin by towels placed behind his back and under his knees. He should be coxered with a blanket, llie water should cover his hips and reach the abdomen. The temperature of the acc()mpan\ing footbath should be se\eral degrees hotter

patients

cold

sitz

than the temperature with a cold sitz bath

in

the

sitz tub. Friction

may be used

the patient feels chilly or if it is desirable to intensif\- the effects of the bath. Hot sitz baths if

should be concluded b\ cooling the water to neutral or by pouring cold water over the patient's hips and thighs. A cold sitz should be concluded by rubbing his hips and thighs with warm alcohol. (j)ld compresses to the head and neck should also be used with a hot sitz bath. Watch closely for feelings of faintness.

WATER THERAPY

477

After

all

such treatments, the patient should

rest for

20

to

30 minutes.

First Hot,

Contrast battis can

tielp

poor circulation as weli as arthritis.

Then Cold

Contrast baths. As the name implies, a contrast bath consists of alternate applications of hot and cold water to an area of the body. The resulting contraction and dilation of the blood vessels improves the circulation and the elimination of muscle waste products from the area. The increased blood flow delivers the ox)gen and nutrients necessar\' for natural healing processes plus the white blood cells that defend the body against infection. Two containers large enougli to allow water to cover the limb involved are used. Plastic or metal pails are suiteven a double kitchen sink is oka\-. Because it is ver>' important to keep the hot water at the correct tempera-

able;

thermometer should be The limbs to be treated

ture, a

water, at 105° to 110°

F,

used.

are

submerged

in

the hot

for three to tour minutes, then

plunged into cold tap water or ice water for 30 to 60 secOne should always start with hot water and end vvith cold, changing back and forth from three to six times. After the treatment, the limbs should be dried carefully and onds.

kept warm. Contrast baths are used for

se\'eral

conditions. Poor

circulation caused b> blood vessel diseases can be helped,

although, in such situations, temperatures above 105° F are not ad\isable. A cold water plunge should be no longer

than 30 seconds, and a treatment should end in neutral or hot water. Arthritis also benefits from contrast baths, beginning with temperatures of about 110° F and s^witching to ccxil tap water on a tour-minute and one-minute ocle. After tour to six changes, closed with fx)t water, the treatment can be stopped, but it should be repeated at least twice daily.

Put an Injury

on

Ice

Ice packs. It v\as Mr Prie.s.snitz of Austria who first advocated the use of cold compresses after injur). Applications of cold are now given not onh to stop the swelling of minor injuries but as anesthetics xs well. In proper situations, applications of cold can be just as important as the use of heat later.

478

WHOLE BODY HEALING

For a sprained ankle, ice or e\en cold water should be applied at the earliest possible moment. >X'hen combined with the ele\:ation of the injured limb, the application of cold can present swelling and lessen the black-and-blue discoloration of blood ^'essel injun-. The cold contracts blood vessels and keeps blood from oozing into torn tissues. If the injured joint is kept ele\^ted and bandaged with an elastic support, healing will begin rapidly. Any application of ice or extreme cold should be

removed periodicalh-

to a\'oid upsetting the body's abilit) to

react to temperature changes.

Cold can also be applied b>- immersing the sprained ankle in ice water or cold tap water for 30 minutes out of every two hours; this cycle should continue for at least eight hours. An ice bag or ice pack may be applied to the elex-ated

limb

if

submersion

is difficult.

neutral tub bath with a temperature of 94° to 98° F can be a \-aluable sedative. Effective in treating exhau.stion of the central nenous sj-stem, insomnia and ner-

TUb baths. A

tubbing is one of nature's finest tranquiland an aid to restful sleep. The tub should be filled with enough water to cover the patient to the neck. The room should be quiet, the light should be subdued, and a pillow or folded towel must be placed under the head. ViTiile the indi\idual lies quietly in the water, the tub can be covered with a sheet to preser\'e both his prixao- and the water's temperature. After the bath, the skin should be dried with gentle blotting. At least 30 minutes of undisturbed rest should follow the treatment.

vous

irritability, a

izers

WATER THERAPY

479

WEIGHT TRAINING

Many

people picture weightlifters a.s liuge liulLs with their bodies or as Ohmpic titans who heft barbells that would give King Kong a hiird time. Well, if that's >'our image of weight training, you might want to change it. Lifting weights isn't just for weirdos and supermen - it's for anyone. That is, amone who wants either to get in shape or to improve on the fitness he's already- achie\'ed. Aerobic acti\ities like running, of course, will give you endurance over the long nm; they can help you work or play with more energ\' b\' teaching \our bod>- how to keep up moderate le\'els of acti\it)' over an extended stretch of time. But weight training teaches >'Our bod>- hov^' to reach a greater short-term intensity. Building yourself up through strength dexelopment means \'ou can cope with the sprints of daily life. And that applies to both men and women. A woman .shouldn't .shrug off the idea of weight training because she's afraid that she'll end up looking like a female Arnold Schwarzenegger The normal balance of female hormones doesn't allow women to acquire large hunks of in love

muscle.

A

stud}' of

young

women

b\' Lini\'ersit\'

of Arizona

exercise ph^'siologist jack >X'ilmore, Ph.D., coA^ring ten weeks, had each woman lifting weights in basic exercises for 40

Women who lift weights dont gain bulky muscle, but they do make their bodies look better. Flabby becomes firm and fat Is whittled away.

480

minutes, two times a week. Strength gains were reported for all women, ranging from 10 to 30 percent. The size of hips was reduced, while bust size increa.sed slighth'. No change, on the other hand, was reported in arm size or weight. In other words, the women in that study didn't gain bulky muscle, but they did make their bodies look better Flabb)'

became

firm,

and

fat

was

\\hittled awa>'.

But ma\t)e you're not interested in building the bed}' beautiful. Ho\\-e\er, if >()u like the idea of being able to fetch supermarket bags out of the car trunk without huffing and puffing, weight training is going to be a help. Because not only will weight training gi\e \()u the extra strength to easih' grab that double-bagged sack of cans and bottles, it'll also reduce your chance of hurting xourself in the prt)cess. Chde Emrich, an ()!\nipic world record holding weightlifter who is the strength coach of the National h\)otball

"

League's Chicago Bears, feels that strong muscles reduce the chance of injun- and help in injun- rehabilitation. "A

strong muscle is e^Lsier to control than a weak one," he sa\'S. "That's the principle of weight work in general." According to Rachel McLish. a female bodybuilder who has won the Miss Ohmpia title, acliie\ing strength by weight training ma\' be especially important for women. "The normal social conditioning tor women pre\'ents them from developing their arms and upper bodies, and as a result, they're much weaker than men, she told us. "While it's socially acceptable tor men to do a lot of lifting and develop ade"

quate muscles, women don't get the chance to do the same >X'ith weight training, although women will never develop the muscles or strength level of men, the>' can make a big improvement. thing.

BuUd Up

Step by Step

\X'hen v'ou start a weight training program, light.

you have

to start

Otherwise, there's a real danger of hurting yourself, in any fitness program is not to get

and a main objective \bu'll

hiirt.

do yourself no good

spectacular progress,

week,

when

lifting

to

make what seems

like

heavier and heavier weights each up for a

in realitv; you're just setting yourself

disastrous injurv- and a

month or two of no exercise while

you recuperate.

The easilv'

idea is to start with light weights that you can handle, and progress gradually, adding extra pounds

to increase vour strength. \hu do a slow progression. Tliat's whv- the experts call it "progressive" weight training. The original progressive weight trainer was Milo of Crotona. who lived in the sixth centurv bc: According to

legend, Milo developed his muscles bv lifting a growing calf dav'. As the calf grew, .so did Milo's biceps and triceps, until one dav he could pick up the grown bull and stand

even. %\ith

it on his shoulders. What Milo probably

didn't

know was

that

he was using

the principle of overload. "Once muscle becomes accustomed to a given load it stops gaining, so the load must continuallv incTease, savs John Jerome in Tix Runner ( March, "

grow

muscle must meet with progresby the growth of the calf .Modern-dav experimenters have replaced the baby bovine with the weiglit machine." 19H1). "To

larger,

sive resistance,' represented (in Milo's case)

WEIGHT TRAINING

481

Circuit

Weight Training— An Aerobic Tool

Milo had run around the barm-ard with the cow on his back, he might have also been able to lay claim to the If

invention of aerobic weight training, otherwise

known

as

circuit weight training. is a wa)' to get the best of both power It combines sustained acti\ity worlds endurance and strength de\'elopment. It's work periods of with the shorter of 25- to 30-minute that consists weightlifting routine a

Circuit weight training

sessions of

between

fairl)'

constant

eflfort.

\\ith ven,' short

breaks

lifts.

In a noncircuit weight training program, people are

allowed rest time between exercises. In other words, during a workout, a lifter might plan to do six different kinds of lifts. >X^Tien he finishes one kind of lift, such as curls, he takes a few minutes to catch his breath before moving on to the next lift. But that rest time slows down the development of aerobic, cardiovascular fitness, since the key to getting your heart and lungs to grow in their abilitv- to

oxygen to the body is to keep them working for a prolonged period without stopping to catch your breath. To aid your aerobic development, then, you should optimalh' take no time off between exercises. Since zero time between movements probabh' isn't possible to achieve, rest time should be limited to 15 seconds or less. This technique of exercising with weights is, as we .said, circuit weight training. VC'riting in Vje Pfyysidan and Sportsmedicine magazine, Larr>- R. Gettman, Ph.D., executive director of the lastitute for Aerobics Research in Dallas, and Michael L. Pollock, deliver

Ph.D., director of the cardiovascular disease section of the

department of medicine ical

School, say that

One

at

CWT

the University' of Wisconsin Medweight training) has three

(circuit

use as an exercise program b>- those want to exercise but don't to run, sTvim or bicvcle: 'OXT may have value xs a beginning exercise program if the inten.sin and musculoskeletal stress are kept at a minimum in the eiirh' stages of

main who, want

uses.

is its

for a variet}- of reasons,

the program."

The second use is as a means for and increasing muscle. This will not weight loss, becau.se you're replacing more muscle mass: 'OXT can be used fat

482

WHOLE BODY HEALING

effectively

reducing

neces.saril>' result in lo.st

as a

tissue with weight -control

fat

program, although compared with aerobic training programs, the change in total bod>- ^\'eight may not be as apparent, because the increases in LBW (lean bod)- weight, or muscle) and the losses in body fat ma>' offset each other." The third use of OXT is as a maintenance program for If you're a runner, tor instance, and you could ha\e a hard time trying to give you your leg, hurt your leg time to heal while keeping up your aerobic fitness. A OXT prt)gram could let you keep strain off your injury while still gi\ing your heart and lungs a workout. According to Dr. Pollack and Dr. Gettman, "Persons who suffer leg soreness or injun in a running program or sports acti\ities requiring running could participate in a CV(T program to help maintain ciirdiore^irator>' fitness during

injured athletes.

convalescence. The

abilit)

to maintiiin cardiorespiratory'

fit-

probably related to the fact that once fitness is attained, it takes less effort to maintain it. Two studies showed that subjects who reduced their jogging mileage by as much as 50 percent still maintained their cardiorespiratory endurance for S to 15 weeks." Weight training, then, can be adapted to fit many needs. At the beginning, remember, you should use light weights, no matter what your eventual goals. But as you progress, you can decide if you want to use weights to support your aerobic fitness or mainly to increa,se yt)ur strength. If you decide on the aerobic route, then your emphasis will always be on light weights and a lot of repetitions. You'll be pumping small amounts of iron for longer periods of time. On the other hand, if you want to emphasize your strength development, then you'll try to move to heavier weights which you'll be lifting fewer times. Heavier lifts put maximum strain on the working muscle, resulting in the greatest gains of strength but not necessarily endurance, your muscles will be able to move larger amounts of weight, but onlv for a short time before exhaustion. ness with

CVCT

Before You

is

Lift,

Stretch

Before you touch a weight, you should know .something about stretching. Stretching is a slow motion designed to relax muscles and lessen their chance of injury. It used to be that athletes used calisthenics to warm up before doing vigorous exercise, but stretching has now largely replaced jumping jacks and pu.sh-ups as a means of getting muscles readv for work.

WEIGHT TRAINING

483

When you

first start weight you should start with light weights that you can easily handle and progress

training,

gradually to heavier weights.

Do a slow progression.

The toe touch.

should do

""

to IS minutes of stretching prior to a lifting session, and just as much idterward. ITie first stretch is a simple "toe touch" to loosen up the lower back, legs and hips. Staging relaxed, stand up with \c)ur feet slightly spread. Bend for\\iird, and gently reach tor \()ur "\'ou

at

least

(Don't force yourself; bend as far as \c)u comfortably if >-ou can't m;ike it ail the way down to your toes.) Bob Anderson, in his book Sln'lcbin^ ^Shelter Publications, 1980), recommends keeping N-our knees sliglitly bent as >'ou reach down in order to avoid stressing the toes.

can,

and don't worn*-

lower back.

484

WHOLE BODY HEALING

77jf

ankle gnib.

Do feel

the toe touch for about 15 seconds. You'll probably most of the stretch in the back of your legs. After 15

seconds, relax for about three or four times. After the toe touch, stretch."

The

10 seconds. Repeat the stretch

move on

Achilles tendon

is

to the "Achilles tendon the long tissue connecting

your heel to your calf. Lean against a wall, both feet pointing forward. Keeping \'our feet flat on the floor, move one foot back until you feel a pulling sensation in the back of yt)ur calf down toward >our foot. Hold this position tor 10 to 15 seconds, and then switch feet. Do this exercise for about two minutes. The next stretch is the "ankle grab," done on the floor Sit down with your legs .straight out in front of you. (iently reach down and tn- to grasp your ankles without bending your knees. If you can't reach your ankles, grab your calves or whatever part of your leg )ou can comfortably reach. Hold this position for about 10 to 15 seconds.

WEIGHT TRAINING

485

Next, roll onto your back and bring your feet o\er your head. Without straining, tn- to bring your knees close to your ears while )Ou are King on \our back. Hold this position for about ten seconds. Alternate the back stretch with the ankle grab for four or five repetitions.

On

the

last

feet-over-the-head stretch, instead of put-

your ears, hold your legs out straight, bringing your feet as close to the floor as possible, and tr>' to grab your ankles. This is the yoga "plough position." Hold it for about 15 seconds. Eventualb'. if >ou de\'elop your flexibility, you will be able to put your feet all the way down on the floor behind your head. ting your knees to

The last exercise is the "hamstring stretch." To do the hamstring stretch from a standing position, put your right leg out straight in front of \'ou. resting the foot on a table or chair about three feet high. Keeping both legs straight, slowly lower your head toward your right knee %\tule grasping your hands behind your right calf. Don't go too far! Sta)comfortable, but create a slight pulling sensation in your upper thigh

A

ne plough. 486

WHOLE BODY HEALING

as

you lean forward.

slight variation of the

hamstring stretch, which will

loosen some additional muscles, is to reach for your ankle with alternate hands as >iou lean forward. In other words, first grab \our ankle with your right hand and put >()ur head toward \'Our right knee and then grab the same ankle with the left hand. By s-witching hands instead of using both hands at the same time, \ou introduce a slight twist to the torso.

Weightlifting's

Fundamental Tools

weights, ob\ioush, the first equipment you are going to need is a set of weights. According to experienced weightlifters, both pro and amateur, a set of barbells and

To

lift

dumbbells gi\es the best

results.

A barbell is the big weight bar, the kind that you lift with two hands. Dumbbells are the small weights, the ones you can handle singlehandedh. By ha\ing both dumbbells and barbells, you'll be able to dexelop more muscles by doing more movements.

Ohmpic

standard barbells are alwa^-s se\'en feet long.

The kind you'll probably buy will be five to six feet long. The central bar that holds the weights should ha\'e a loosefitting slee\e that sits

on each

around the middle of the

bar. Collars

side of the bar .secure the weights to the bar.

For the exercises, you'll need two dumbbells. These are u.sually about 18 inches long. Their construction ilar to

is .sim-

the larger barbell.

book Working Out uith Weights (Arco, 1978), recommends ha\ing at least 90 pounds of plates. (Plates are the circular, weighted slabs that you attach to )-our bars.) Most sets available in stores are the 1 lO-pound "basic set that includes 90 pounds of plates. The most common plate sizes are lYz, 5, 10 and In the

Ste\e Jarrell, an experienced weightlifter

"

25 pound.s. VCTien you go to buy weights, you'll probably ha\'e a choice between metal plates and plastic plates filled with sand. The metal plates are more expensive and noisier when \ou lift them up and clang them down. Their adx'antage o\er the cheaper plastic weights is that they will last much longer The cheaper plastic weights will eventually wear out. The plastic weights usually cost about S35 to S40; the metal weights retail for about S"'0. VCTien you think about it, much of this equipment is less expensive than many running .shoes! And the weights, even if you u.se them c\er)' da)-, will outlast the .shoes by a decade.

WEIGHT TRAINING

487

Start

Out Lightly

matter how strong you think you are, you should alwa^'s be conservative in how much you tr\' to lift. For at least the first month, stay with light weights until you feel comfortable doing the exercises. The exercises, ft)r best results, should be done two or three times a week on alternate daysnei'er on two consecutive dav's. The muscles used in \\eight training need at least 48 hours to recover before being subjected to the rigors of another round of pumping iron. Some lifters do train on consecutive dav-s b\- working different muscles on different dass. That way, individual muscles get a 48-hour break e\'en though workouts are 2-i hours apart. For most people, however, workouts everv' other dav'

No Always be conservative when you lift weigtits. Never lift on consecutive days. Your muscles need at least 48 hours to recover before anotlier round of pumping iron.

are the best bet.

The first set of exercises is done with the barbell. Depending on your size and strength, you can probablv' start with a maximum of 40 pounds on the bar. Remember that, at first,

For

better to start too light than too heavy. before vtui pick up a barbell with weights sure that the weights are securely attached.

it's

safety's sake,

on it, make The collars that hold on the weighted plates should be screwed on as tight as possible. Otherwise, you run the risk of having them slide off the bar and land on you, your floor, your furniture or whatever else unpleasant results.

Another

safety idea

worth

trving, if

is

nearby -

you can,

is

w ith

to

do

with a partner Tliat way, you have a "spotter" on hand to help out if vou nin into any trouble with vour weights. A spotter is someone who watches vou lift and stands nearb>', ready to give aid in any kind of troublesome situation. If you restrict your lifting to moderate or light weights, you .should have little difficult}' and perhaps will never need a spotter But just tlie same, ha\ing one can't hurt. For instance, if you're on your back doing a bench press (described later in this chapter) and vou feel that vou might lose control of the weight, a spotter can take it out of vour hands. Or, if vou h;ne a b;irbell across vour shoulders and you're too tired to get it down to the floor easilv, vour spotter can a.ssist vou. When you pick your b;irbell up off the floor, vx)u should try to make sure that most of the lifting motion is carried out bv' your legs and arms. Hie icir>ng tray ti) pick up a weiglit is by leaning forward, not bending vour legs, iind

vour

488

WHOLE BODY HEALING

lifting

A

sfxitter

nuikes weightUftm^i

safer.

WEIGHT TRAINING

489

1.

The military press requires a straight back.

2.

Stand

ivith

weights at your thighs

snatching it up to >our chest. That kind of motion transfers all the stress of the lift to that narrow area of )our back just above >'Our buttocks. That's an eas)' wa\- to hurt yourself and de\'elop a chronic injury that ^iil be tough to cure. The right way is to bend your legs as you lift the barbell.

down

Keeping your back

as straight

as possible, squat

weights with the barbell close to >'our ankles, the bar over your feet. With your arms straight, grasp the bar using an overhand grip (see photo). You lift the bar by straightening your legs and standing, alwa>'s keeping your back perpendicular to the ground. As the weights go past \-our knees, start tucking your elbows into your body and bring the barbell up to your shoulders using back and leg motion. in front of the

W

ith This is the .starting motion tor the "militan- press." the weight down on your shoulders, pu.sh it over wur head just u.sing your iirnis until your elbows are locked and >-ou've extended the \\eight as high as )'Ou can. Then lower the

weight to your shoulders slowly.

490

WHOLE BODY HEALING

3.

Bring bar up to your shoulders.

ot'ou'll miss some of the benefits of lifting. Lowering them slowly makes your muscles work more (in some cases even more than the lifting motion) by making them resist gravit}-. The militar\' press is a standard exercise for developing the shoulders. The muscles involved are primarily located there and in your arms and upper back. An alternative way to do the press is to lower the weight down to a position behind your head on your shoulders. Tliat method w ill \-ar> the motion you use and will gi%e \x)u a little exlra workout. Lifting the weight up from your shoulders and then back down is considered to be one repetitit)n of the niilitar>' press. You should do at least ten of them if >ou are tning to increase your aerobic endurance. If your goal is strength and >-ou are lifting ver> hea\y weights. \{)u should aim tor about half a dozen repetitions. The "curl" is another good exercise for the upper Ixxly and the arms. It will de\elop \i)ur biceps and forearms.

all the

492

WHOLE BODY HEALING

¥-

3-

The bar comes up to your shoulders.

4.

Wen

slowly lower the weights.

Curls can be done with either the barbell or the dumbUsing the dumbbells will let you do the workout at different angles and make it possible, if you desire, to exer-

bells.

one arm at a time. To do the curl with the barbell, start with the barbell hanging from \'our arms, resting on your thighs using an underhand grip. Without mo\ing your elbows or your upper bod\, use \-our forearms to lift the weights to your cise

mo\e your back as \'ou lift, your forearms and biceps won't get the full benefit of the exercise. After \ou'\'e raised the weight to your shoulders, lower it slowly to original position. During the curl, be .sure to keep >'our elbows and arms close to the bod>'. Curls should be done at least ten times to build up your endurance. If \-ou are working primarily on strength and >()u are using large weights, do at least five repetitions. sh(julders. If >{)u

"Re\'erse curls" are

done

in the

same manner

as curls

except that the bar in the starting position is held with an overhand grip. r,suall\-, reverse curls have to be done with

WEIGHT TRAINING

493

^2^.

^

i

•J

We tvt'efse curl is done in lighter

weights (at

revicrse curl

)

th;ui

the

an orerhand position.

least ten a*giiliir

pounds

lighter for a barbell

curl because the muscles

imDh'ed

are not as strong as those involved with a regular curl.

"Rows" are \-ariations of curls that allow \X)U to mo\'e your arms and therefore develop a different combination of muscles than the other exercises.

494

WHOLE BODY HEALING

/.

We upright row starts in an

The "upright row"

overhand position.

starts in the

2. Lift,

and bend your elbows.

same beginning

posi-

Keeping the barbell close to your body, raise it to your chin using your arms and letting your elbows flare out (see photo). Use only your arms for the lift, and don't let your body sv^ing. After you raise the weight, slotvly lower the weight to the starting position to complete one repetition. You should tr>' to do ten repetitions of the upright row to build strength and endurance. The "bent-over row" involves a similar rowing motion, but the weight is lifted from near the floor while you bend over it. To begin this exercise, >'Ou should bend from the waist, keeping >our back straight and parallel to the floor and bending \'our knees slightly. I'sing an overhead position, lift the barbell until it touches your chest. Then lower the bar until it is near the ground but not touching it. Those rvN'O movements are one repetition. You should do 10 repetitions of this exercise for power development; do tion as the re\'erse curl.

WEIGHT TRAINING

495

1.

Extend

yKjur

arms

to start the bent-over row. 2.

many

Then pull the weights

to

your

chest.

20 to fulh' de\ek)p your aerobic endurance. you do the bent-o\er row, be sure to keep \()ur body motionless except for )'our arms. Done that vva>\ the exercise is very good for developing >-our upper back and as

as

When

forearm muscles.

The "bench upper body.

It

press"

requires a

is

another good exercise for the

bench

to

lie

the weights (see photo) or

stand tor during the

down a

on. as well as a

partner to

assist >-ou

lift.

with you hing on \-our back, the barbell width at \()ur chest. Raise the .shoulder gripped at about

The

lift

starts

ftjlly extended, and then slowly lliat motion is one repetition. your chest, lower it back to For endurance purj^oses, the bencii press .should be done at least ten times. For dc-\eloping power and strength, do it with hea\ier weights about six times.

bar until your arms are

496

WHOLE BODY HEALING

'yr

1.

Ihv hoiih invss

sUirtiitii

position. 2. Ilw

bench [m'ss. amis fully extended.

WEIGHT TRAINING

497

1.

The squat starts

iiith the

bar across the shoulders.

How to

2.

Keep the back as straight as possible.

Have Slender, Strong Legs

how

look and how they exercise tor de\eloping lower body muscle is the "squat." Squats are wr\effecti\e in tightening your thighs and buttocks as well as stomach muscles. Tile squat begins with your feet a comfortable distance apart and the barbell on your shoulders. Pt)int your toes slightly outward and gra.sp the bar with Nour hands midwa\' between Nour .shoulders and the weights (see photo). To

Legs are important - both hold up (tired legs are no

fiin).

the)'

A good

do one "partial squat." you slowly bend your knees and squat one c|uarter of the wa\ to the floor To do a "full squat, come down until your thighs are parallel to the floor ^bur heels should be flat on the floor during the entire exercise. If you are not flexible enough to keep them down, put a board under xour heels tt) gi\e \i)u "

extra support.

During the exercise.

498

WHOLE BODY HEALING

\c)u

should keep \()ur back

stroiglit

IVihen you do squats, you should never bounce. Bouncing puts tremendous pressure on your knees and may cause joint problems. 3. Full squat.

and your head up. In

his

book

We

Gold's

Gym Book

of

Strength Training (J. P. Tarcher, 1979), Ken Sprague recommends picking a focal point for your eyes during the exercise and keeping your e^es on that point the whole time. This will help keep your body in the proper upriglit position and put less stress on your lower back. An important point to remember about squats is not to bounce on \'our wa)' down. Bouncing puts tremendous pressure on your knees and may cause joint problems that will outweigh the exercise's benefits. "Lunges" are also a good way to slim down leg and rear-end fat. The>- are similar to squats. ITie weights are held with the barbell acnjss the shoulders, but the fcet are separated, one foot forward and the other back (see photo on next page). You kneel forward, bringing the back leg toward the floor and the front leg bent at a 9()-degree angle. Again, as you did during the squat, keep your head up (dont bend your neck down or bur\ your chin in your chest) and your back as straight as possible. To make the

WEIGHT TRAINING

499

1.

During the lunge, the bur

is

across \i>ur shouldeiy.

exercise dewlop as much of a range of motion - tiie mo\ement of your joints - as possible, >ou should alternate foot positions e\'er}- ten repetitions. Squats and lunges should be done at least 20 times to

develop >{)ur endurance, 10 times tor power. If \ou do them for endurance, be careful when you get near the end of the exercise and are tired - resist the urge to bounce. Tliis urge gets worse when fatigue sets in. During these and all lifts, you should aKva\^ retain control of wur body Don't let

500

yourself get overly tired.

WHOLE BODY HEALING

2.

Doiit Inline too liolenlly or lose body coiitml.

Bending Over with Dumbbells

for Flexibility

Dumbbells arc handier than the barbell for doing exercises that dcNclop strength ami flexibility. They allow you a greater range of motion than a barbell docs; with a barbell, you're pretrv much restricted to one plane of motion - straight up and down. Dumbbells, on the other hand, can be moved in arcs, and the angle of the lifts can be changed between repetitions of the .same exercise.

The

"stiif-legged

dead

lift"

is

done with

a

dumbbell

in

WEIGHT TRAINING

501

Dumbbells are handy

for developing strength and flexibility. They allow a greater range of motion than a barbell does, and the angle of your lifts can be changed between repetitions of the same exercise.

1. Tfje

stifflei^ed (leatl lip starts iiitb ctumhbells at yKiur sides.

each hand (sec photo), ^oii start out standing straight, your arms hanging at >()ur sides. Keeping \()ur legs straiglit, witli the knees slightly flexed (to avoid back strain), iviy slowly lower the dumbbells to \', director of the Third Clinic of Medicine, has examined the eflfects of yoga postures on the composition and qualit>' of

doctors

the

at

Lonavala, India,

the blood. is no longer thought to be a sideshow trick or matter of exotic movies. It's a serious mental the subject and phA'sical discipline that many conventionally trained doctors think may help in both sickness and health. Fine. But what exactly is it? Basically, yoga teaches that a healthy person is a harmoniously integrated unit of body, mind and

So,

Yoga teaches that a healthy person is a harmoniously integrated unit of liody, mind and spirit.

yoga

Therefore, good health requires a simple, natural diet, exercise in fresh air, a serene and untroubled mind and the awareness that man's deepest and highest self is identical with the spirit of God. As a result, to mam' devotees )'Oga becomes a philosophy that offers instruction and insight into every aspect of life: the spiritual, the mental and the spirit.

it is all-encompassing, people and choose from its smorgasbord can do so without being disappointed. Yoga is equally satisfSing as

physical.

Of

who want

course, because

to pick

a physical therap>- alone.

The Primacy of Relaxation Yoga

therap>- begins

with relaxation. Li\ing

in

an age of

we

are often unconscious of our tensions. >X'ith normal bodies, why are \%'e depressed, tired, pre) to disease? anxiet>',

Because tension is imisibh' draining ;i\\-ay our healtli enei^es! Ruth Rogers, M.D., of Da\tona Beach, Florida, who has made a ten-\ear study of yoga therap\', saN-s, "In understanding the healing process, relaxation is of supreme importance. You feel pain, and >-ou don't want to move, so you

508

tighten up. You're tense. Your muscles contract, constricting the blood flow. Swelling begins. More circulation is cut

creating a \icious c^cle. TTieres more pain, more ening. more stiffness, more swelling. This is also off,

tiglit-

what happens in many back problems." She adds, "But if >ou can relax, fresh blood can circulate nourishment to the afflicted tissues and relieve pain-loaded nerve endings. Healing can begin." .Most )oga therap>- - some experts would claim all successful treatments - involves a three-pronged attack. When \()u practice >oga postures, )ou are strengthening the body. WTien you control )-our breathing, \-ou are creating a chemical and emotional balance. And wtien you concentrate your .

.

.

mind on affirmations, >()u are practicing the power of prayer But when all three approaches are synthesized, }'ou are entering the most powerful m)'5ter\' of healing: the basic harmom- of life. "The benefits of the postures are greater," says Dr Rogers, "if the patient concentrates the healing action where it is needed. In other words, >ou should mentall}' see the affected recei\es fresh blood circulation, oxA'gen and physmassage. A diabetic should \isualize the healing energies flowing into the pancreas, near the stomach. A rheumatic can concentrate on the release of synovial fluid. Synovial fluid is a lubricant and also disperses waste matter which can cause stiffness at joints."

area

a.s it

ical

An

Indian Guide to the Healing Powers of Yoga

Most of the tifically

tbiiovving

common

disorders,

which are

.scien-

treated at the "ioga Research Laboratory at Lonavala,

India, have also been treated successfully by Dr. Rogers. The performance of each posture should be preceded by

relaxation and are given

deep breathing. Directions

for

each posture

later.

Asthma: Corpse Pose, Mountain, Complete Breath. Visualization: Lung expansion, renewed strength. Backache: Coipse Pose. Locust, Knee to Chest. Visualization: Fresh circulation to nourish back muscles. Bronchitis:

Mountain, Locust.

Cx)ld: Lion.

Constipation:

B(ni',

Corpse Pose, Knee to Chest (reinvigo-

rates liver spleen, intestines). Posterior Stretch, ilcUliyana,

Yoga Mudra.

YOGA

509

Increased circulation to stimulate

Visualization: intestines.

Depression: Yoga Mudra, Corpse Pose. Visualization: New energy from increased ox\'gen levels in the blood, pending new joyous acti\it}-. Diabetes (not a cure!): Corpse Pose. Kneeling Pose. Visualization: See healing energies of fresh circulation flow to pancreas. Emphysema: Complete Breath, Locust, Grip. Visualization: Healing circulation to lungs. Eyestrain:

Neck and Eye Exercises. Absorb invisible

Visualization:

energ>'

from the

air

("prana") into the eyes. Flatulence:

Knee

to Chest.

Headache: Corpse Pose, Neck

and Eye

Exercises,

Shoulder

Roll.

A summer

Visualization:

blue

sky.

No

thoughts.

Indigestion: Corpse Pose, Mountain, Locust, Posterior Stretch, Cobra, Ucldiyana.

Insomnia: Corpse R)se, Mountain, Loatst. Posterior Stretch,

Cobra. Visualization: Blue sk)-. Enjoy the yoga. No thoughts. Menstrual disorders: Uddiyana, Cobra, Posterior Stretch. Neurasthenia: Corpse fY)se, Mountain. R)sterior Stretch.

Visualization: Energy-giving fresh circulation. Obesity: Locust, I\)sterior Stretch, Cobra, Yoga Mudra, Bow, Sun Salutation.

Prostate troubles: Kneeling f^se. Rheumatism: Mountain. Knee to Chest. Posterior Stretch. Tlie dispersal of waste matter causing

Visualization:

stiffness at the joints.

Sciatica:

Knee

Sexual debility:

to Chest, Grip. Kneeling Pose. Pose, Complete Breath. from fresh blood circoilation. Eye Exercises, Corpse f^se.

Uddiymm, Kneeling

Visualization: Youthful vigor

Sinus:

Neck and Sun

Skin diseases:

Salutation.

Visualization:

A

and balancing

anv' irregularitv'.

general physical tone-up, regulating

Sore throat: Lion. Visualization: Constriction of blood vessels in the throat; the relaxation brings fresh circulation to sore area.

Wrinkles: 'ibga Mudra.

510

WHOLE BODY HEALING

The Next Step -A Yoga How- To Now

that

}ou know

do - that is, which >'oga posproblem - you should know simplified method for exercising with

\^•hat to

tures minister to \our particuhir

how to do Here is a wga each da>- and a step-by-step common therapeutic postures. it.

A

Basic Daily Yoga

guide to executing the

Program

is a good investment in health. Twelve minutes a day will purchase a toning of the muscles and impro\'ed digestive, circulator}- and respiratory systems. The following exercises will pro\ide a well-balanced program, which should be supplemented, of course, by any other postures that are particularly good for your needs:

Daily yoga practice



First da>-: Complete Breath, Salutation, Corpse Pose.

• Second

da)':

Knee

to Chest, Cobra,

Sun

Complete Breath, Sun Salutation, Corpse

Pose.

• Third day: Complete Breath, Boiv,

Cobra, Posterior

Corpse Pose. • Fourth day and on: Repeat sequence. Stretch,

A Posture Primer

for Beginners

Before eating, in either the morning or the late afternoon, spread a blanket on the floor in a well-ventilated room. Wear loose clothing. As a general rule, backward-bending postures should be balanced by forward-bending poses. \e\er force or strain in >'oga. The postures should be performed slowly, even meditativel)'. Yoga postures are meant to be held in dynamic tension, and they should not be conftised with vigorous calisthenics.

Bow

on your stomach, grasping the ankles. Inliale. head and chest, arch the back into a bow. Retain breath, then exhale and lie flat. Repeat three or four Lie

Lifting

flat

legs,

times.

More forth,

adi>anced: While in the Bow position, rock back and then from side to side. Slowly release and exhale.

Reported benefits: Massages abdominal muscles and organs. (kkkJ for gastrointestinal disorders, coastipation, upset stomach, sluggish liver

Reduces abdominal

fat.

YOGA

511

/.

The

Bow

begins in this position.

\

2.

Rock forward

512

WHOLE BODY HEALING

3.

Then

mck

back.

Warning: Not fi:)r persoas suflering from pqitic ulcer, hernia, or cases of thyroid or endocrine gland disorders.

Cobra Lie on the stomach, toes extended. Place the hands, palms down, under the shoulders on the floor. Inhaling, without lifting the na\el from the floor, rai.se the chest and head, arching the back. Retain the breath, then exhale while slowly lowering to the floor. Repeat one to six times. Reported benefits: Tones ovaries, uterus and liver. Aids in relief and elimination of menstrual irregularities. Relieves constipation. Limbers spine. Excellent for slipped discs.

Warning: Not recommended for sufferers from peptic

ulcer,

hernia or hyperthyroid.

Complete Breath Crowded city- li\ing, air pollution and sedentary jobs are helping to increase respiratory ailments.

YOGA

513

I.

The C^obra begins face

514

doum on

the floor. 2. Arch your back

WHOLE BODY HEALING

and hmk up

to complete the Cobra.

Tight clothes encourage shallow breathing and cramp the lungs. The purpose of the Complete Breath is to fully expand the air sacs of the lungs, thereb)- exposing the capillaries to the maximum exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen.

down. Loosen clothing. Place hands on the abdomen, and rest fingertips liglitly on the navel. Breathing through the nose, inhale and expand only the abdomen. (The fingertips will meet.) Practice this Abdominal Breath slowly, without strain, ten times. Place the hands on the rib cage and inhale, expanding onl>' the diaphragm and the rib cage. (Watch the fingertips part. ) Contract and slowly exhale. Practice this Diaphragm Breath ten times.

1. Lie

2.

on the collarbones, The fingers will rise,

3. Placing the fingertips in the

upper

chest.

shallow breath. This

is

how we

inhale only

indicating a usually breathe. Notice

raise the shoulders for more Exhale and practice this Upper Breath ten times. 4. Finally, placing the hands, palms up, beside the body, put these three breaths together. Inhale, expanding the abdomen, the diaphragm and the chest in a slow, wwelike movement. Hold. Exhale in the same order, contracting the abdomen, the diaphragm and the chest. Repeat these instructions to yourself as you adjust the Complete Breath to your own rhythm. Concentrate on what is happening: you are increasing the expansion of the terminal air sacs in the lungs. Notice how slow, deep breathing makes you calm, yet fills you with energy! Very logically, yoga traditionally links a long life with proper breathing.

the insufficiency'.

Now,

air.

ybga therapy begins wifh relaxation.

Reported benefits: Increases vitality', soothes nerves, strengthens flabbv intestinal and abdominal muscles.

Lie down on your back, in a quiet place. Place the arms beside the body, palms upturned. Keep heels slightly apart. Breathe .slowly and deeply, feeling a sense of

Corpse Pose

calm relaxation come over your whole body. Concentrate

on loosening ail tensions. The following variation

will

increase your ability to

relax: 1.

Slowly inhale through the nostrils (always breathe through the nostrils during yoga, since the tiny hairs

YOGA

515

Tlje (Corpse Fosc.

and tense the ankles, feet and Hold the breath while you tighten the muscles. Exhale and relax. Slowly inliale and contract the kneecaps, cal\'es, ankles, feet and toes. Hold and tigliten. Exhale and relax. Slowly inhale, contracting all tlie muscles of the abdomen, pehic area, hips, thighs, kneecaps, cal\es, ankles, feet and toes. Hold the breath and tighten the muscles. Exliale and relax. Inhale. Tense the neck, shoulders, arms and elbows, wrists, hands and fingers, chest muscles, down to the toes. Hold and tense. Exhale and relax. Inhale and contract the scalp, the tiny muscles of the strain out impurities) toes.

2.

3.

4.

5.

wrinkle the nose and mouth, tighten the tongue, constrict the throat and tighten the whole body. Hold and feel the terrible tension. Exhale and relax. Now, let the strain melt face, the forehead; squint the e\'es.

Enjoy the support of the the nev\' muscle tone and emotional calm. into the floor

Feel hea\y.

floor Sense the tingling of

ft-esh circulation,

Reported benefits: Stimulates blood circulation and exercises inner organs. Alle\iates fatigue, nenousness. neurasthenia (a general worn-out feeling), asthma, constipation, diabetes, indigestion, iasomnia, lumbago. Teaches ment;il concentration.

516

WHOLE BODY HEALING

I

Grip

Sitting

on the

heels, raise the right hand.

Bring

it

slowh behind the shoulder, touching the spine at the shoulder blades. Slowly bend the left iirm behind the back from the bottom, and join the hands. Hold, then change arms and repeat. Reported benefits: Proper execution develops the capacitj^ of the thoracic cage, helps present tendinitis and the formation of calcium deposits at the shoulder joints. Helps alleviate emph}:sema and asthma.

A

rear lieu' oj the drip

YOGA

517

1.

To

do the second part of the Knee

to Chest, grasp

Knee

to

one knee.

Chest

L\ing

on the back, bring the knees

chest. Grasping the folded knees, rock gentl>-

back and

to the forth.

(This relaxes and massages the spine. ) Lower the legs one at a time. Inhale and bend the right knee to the chest, pulling it into the chest with interlocked fingers. Retain the breath

touching the knee with the nose. Hold count of ten. Exhale and lower the head almost to the floor. Repeat five times, then change legs. Exhale as the head is lowered to the floor Straighten the right leg, and lower slowly to the floor Repeat with the left leg. Now, draw up both legs, touch the nose to the knees. Hold with breath. Exhale and relax.

and

raise the head,

for a

Reported benefits: Relie\es stiffness and soreness of back and extremities, constipation, diabetes, flatulence.

518

WHOLE BODY HEALING

2.

lititifi

your nose

to

your knee

.j.

After ultenuitin^ knees, firing both knees up.

YOGA

519

Kneeling Pose

on the

heels, with a straight baci nut loud

is

not necessary.

Lion Sitting on the heels, with palms on knees, stiflEly fan out the fingers. Ijean slightly forward crvcr the hands. Protrude the tongue as tar as possible, contract the throat muscles and roll the e>eballs upward. (Completely exhale, "Ahhhhhhh." Repeat four to six times. Rt'ixniecl benefits:

sajing,

Helps to relieve sore throat. Stimulates

circulation to throat and tongue.

Locust Lie face down. Clench the fists, keeping the arms on the floor at sides. Inhale. I'sing the lower back muscles, raise one leg toward the ceiling. Hold. Kxhale and relax. Repeat with the other leg. Repeat two or three times, according to

capacit)'.

YOGA

521

I

i

1.

The Locust

Ls

done

lying Jkit. 2. Raise

one

leg,

ke^ng

it

stniight.

Moiv (ulninced: \Xliile

in pose-, niist- botli legs.

A

stix-nuous pose.

Reported benefits: Relieves problems of abdomen and lower back. Warning: Not in

522

acute stage.

WHOLE BODY HEALING

for

those with hernia or back problem

/.

Ihc MdLiniaiii

Mountain

is tloiic

seated. 2.

Thot raise \K)ur hands.

Sitting cross-legged, stretch

both arms up toward

the ceiling in a pra\erlike pose, fingertips together. Stretch up and breathe deeply and slowly five to ten times. Exhale

and lower arms. Rejiorteci beuejits: Strengthens lungs

improves

digesti\'e .system,

tones

Purifies blood.stream,

nenous

system.

Neck and Eye Exercises Sitting upright, nod the sUmh three times. Nod to the left .shoulder

forward times.

open.

Nod to the back three times, letting Nod to the riglit shoulder three times.

the

head three

mouth

fall

YOGA

523

1.

In the

Neck and E)c

Excrcist-s, jt;// tiod \x)ur

head Jonianl.

Hold position with breath. open the e>es wide and blink rapidly ten times. Opening the ejes wide, look in a slow circle. Repeat in the opposite direction. Now, look diagoniilh'. Next, look up Inhale. Shut the eyes tightly.

Exhale,

and

524

WHOLE BODY HEALING

down

ten times.

2.

And

then

nod

to

your shoulders.

Rub the palms together \igorously. Close the eyes and cover with the palms. Take fi\e ver\- slow deep breaths, visualizing ne\\- energ) and brightness into the e>es. Reported hetieflts: Relie\es headache and e>'estrain; improves e)esight. Relaxes neck and shoulder tensions.

YOGA

525

5.

Rub }'our palms

together before cot'ering your eyes.

Sit on the floor, with the left leg outheel tucked into the crotch. Inhale and stretched, the right reach the arms o\erhead. Hold the breath, drop forward, reaching the arms toward the left ankle, the head to the

Posterior Stretch

knee. (If you can only grasp the

calf,

do

that,

and

relax,

Concentrate on the muscles as they slowly down lower. Close your e\es. Release and inch lengthen, an\' discomfort in a sensation of relaxation. Hold one minute. Inhale, raise up, arms o\erhead, and exhale as you lower the arms to the side. Repeat with the opposite leg. Repeat with both legs outstretched. breathing slowh'.

)

Reported benefits: A powerfijl massage to the abdominal organs. Improves digesti(jn and elimination througli the forward-bending mcnement: relaxes tensioas in the back. Brings fresh circulation to face, firming tissue and imprcning color.

Warning: Not for those with slipped discs. It is important back is not rounded. All forv^'ard bends should be done from the hips. that the

YOGA

527

528

1.

7he Posterior Stretch begins uitb one leg extended.

2.

Reach

WHOLE BODY HEALING

up.

^

3.

neti reach tuwarci \xmr

Shoulder Roll

Sitting

toes.

or standing,

roil

forward in a circular movement For a bigger stretch, roll one shoulder

shoulders loosely

five times. Reverse. at a time.

Reported benefits: Relieves headache, &tigue, tension, neckache.

Uddiyana

Stand with feet apart, knees slightly bent. Lean hands on thighs. Exhale all air.

forv^ard, arching the back,

Suck abdomen back toward the spine. Hold for several seconds. Relax and repeat, all within one exhalation. Work up to 20 repetitions with one exhalation. Reported benefits: Alleviates constipation, indigestion and stomach problems. Good for combating obesity and diabetes.

Warning: Not to be practiced during pregnancy or by those with high blood pressure.

Yoga Mudra

Sitting cross-legged, exhale and lean forward touch the floor with the forehead. Place the arms behind the back, one hand grasping the opposite wrist. Hold the pose. Inhale and slowly return to sitting position. Practice

to

up

to 15 minutes.

Reported benefits: Gives energy, massages colon and intestines, relieves constipation. Good for complexion. ( continued on page 536)

YOGA

529

/.

530

ne SlioukltT

WHOLE BODY HEALING

Roll lanes )f)i4r muscles.

Yog&s easy stretches along deep txeattmg exercises

witti

relieve the tension that binds up muscles. It^ exercise and relaxation rolled into one.

2.

And

relaxes

them

YOGA

531

I.

532

I

he

WHOLE BODY HEAIJNG

I

(.ldi\.iiia

sdirls in

Ihi's />-. That's

it's

up.

how

It

waking up from gets up slowly

all

animals shake

off fatigue.

No

Straining Allowed

To Ms. Bennett, yoga

ing mo\ements.

You

is

simply a systematic series of stretch-

stretch only as far as

you are able

to

without strain -and no farther! For one person, that may be a few feet; for another, a mere fraction of an inch. It doesn't matter how far you go; you're .still benefiting. But no matter what the ph^-sical capacities of her students are, Ms. Bennett sa>s, "1 don't make a point of teachdon't want to discourage ing the harder mows, because an\()ne. Besides, there's realh no ad\antage in mastering the more ad\anced postures. ITie)' may require more coordinaI

tion

and balance, but when

ting

more If

in

it

comes

to benefits, you're get-

return for the simple exerci.ses."

you can get by with simple stretches, the question why does yoga boast thousands of different posi"N'ariet)! Ms. Bennett exclaims. "That's why you can

remains: tions?

"

( continued

on pa^e 540)

YOGA

537

\

The Sun Salutation starts in a pniytrlike position. 2. inluile as \'oii lean hack J. Keep yxnir lefis straight as you reach for the floor 4. /iring the right leg hack as fltr as />ossihle. 5. Make a 1.

triangular arch.

538

6.

Keep your stomach and hips off the ground

WHOLE BODY HEALING

h

i

7.

Assume I he

10.

Keep

the

(olira position.

8.

hands on or near

knee forward. Reach hack. 12. Finish with the prayer pose.

/)o the arch. 9. Tfjis time hrinfi the rif>ht

the ground. 11.

YOGA

539

"

never get bored with yoga. There are so many variations to interest. But that doesn't mean you have to try them all. M)' goodness, no. If you're happy with the simple stretches, then by all means stick to them." Yoga is a very personal form of ph^-sical acti\it}'. It's not what you'd call a spectator sport or competitive sport of any kind. You do whatexer stretches you like, and \()u progress at your own pace. There's onh' one unixersal law to keep in mind: ne\'er exceed your body's capabilities.

keep your

How to

Tell

Gain from Strain

"Learn to listen to your body,

"

Ms. Bennett

sa\'s.

"It

speaks

)ou where )Ou really need a good stretch and when to stop. But be able to differentiate between discomfort and strain. Discomfort means you're benefiting; strain means you're pushing too hard. And pushing too hard sometimes means that you've set \()ur goals too high - another no-no. according to yoga philosoph}'. "You should ne\'er be desirous of making progress.' That kind of anxiet}' leads to tension, and that will defeat your purpose, warns Ms. Bennett. "Tlie prime goal to you.

It v\'ill tell

"

of )'Oga is to relieve the bod)' of tension, not to create more of it by setting unreasonable goals." Don't expect too much from >()ga. either "Some people take yoga because the> think it will relieve all their aches and pains," she explains. "But yoga isn't a cure-all. M\' goodyou can't expect to erase problems o\ernight ness, no .

.

.

that have taken \ears to de\elop. But

if

\ou do, well,

that's

a bonus.

"One woman

said that yoga

made

it

possible to go to

sleep without a barbiturate, something she apparenth hadn't done in some time," Ms. Bennett told us. "Another claimed that this was the first time in ages that she hadn't been

bothered by a nagging backache. And someone else told me that yoga was the best thing she found for reliexing her migraines." Of course, tension is the underhing cause of mam such problems. And since yoga, with its slow, stretching mo\ements and regulated breathing, is ideal tor releasing the tension that keeps our muscles bound up and mind bogged down, it's understandable that it can erase so many tension-related problems. A former cigarette smoker, Ms. Bennett also insi.sts that yoga is therapeutic for smokers. "Most people smoke because they are tense, she explains. "But if the\ become more "

540

WHOLE BODY HEALING

"

"

peaceful, the)- can resist the urge to have a cigarette." Wliat about >oga for %\eight control? "I don't advocate

weight watching," .she snaps. "If you feel good, that's all that counts. I ne\er weigli m^-sclf. In fact, I don't oen owTi a scale. I don't need it. I can .sense right a\va>- if I've let m)self go, if \'\v put on .some pounds or gotten flabby around the middle. You don't need a scale to tell you how you feel. "Besides, losing p>

Ms. Bennett. "And who's not inter-

ested in that!

good health and need only up some sputtering energyfires, you needn't, acct)rding to Pauhnne Bennett. m;ike a sAstematic assault on the ancient wisdom that is \()ga. ^bu might simply follow this daily program designed by M.s. So.

if

you're in reasonabh

to tone up, slim

down and

stir

Bennett.

YOGA

541

i

1.

Reach up with your arm.

2.

Then betid firjin the waist

Our 1.

2.

Daily "^bga

On your fcet, legs spread comfortably, reach up -vAxh your left arm. Slowly bend from the waist to\\'ard the right, letting your right hand slide down the right leg toward >x)ur ;uTkle. Hold tor 1 5 .seconds, tlien come up slow h to the starting position. Repeat, bending toward the left. To give your back a good spiral twist, stand with TOur feet together and stretch \our ;irms upward. Twist your torso .so that >'our chest will face left but your hips will remain facing forward. Now bend from the wai.st as far as nou can. If \c)u can touch your palms on the floor, terrific. If not. no s\\eat.

come

(^nce you'w held that position tor IS .seconds, gracefulh up, twist back to the forward position

and slowly

Now,

542

WHOLE BODY HEALING

to the side.

let

your arms

come down

rejieat the spiral rv\ist

toward the

at

x-our sides.

right.

1.

Jhe spind twist starts with both amis up.

2. Twist to the side. 3-

And

reach for the floor

the chest expansion stretch by standing erect with your left foot slightly tbrward. Place the back of your hands on )'our chest, fingers toucliing. Circle your arms back until you can clasp hands and interlock fingers behind you. Straighten your anns, and bring them upward as you bend backward. Hold

3. Start

for five seconds.

To counteract spine,

that strong

bend forward

concave stretch to the

as far as possible in the direc-

left knee. Hold for about ten seconds. slowly up. Repeat with your right foot in the forward position. 4. In a sitting position with your legs extended straight in front of \'ou, raise your arms above your head. Lean back slightly and hold tor fi\c seconds. Bend forward and gra.sp the furthermost point on your leg that you can without strain. With elbows extending outward, ver\- slowly pull yourself down to your knees - or in

tion of your

Come

YOGA

543

Hold whate\'er position you can 30 seconds. seated on the floor, spread your legs in a straddle

that general direction. attain for Still

position.

Bend forv^ard as far as you can comfortahlN. gntsping >-our legs to help maintain that position. Hold for 30 seconds. In the same position, bend your knees and put the soles of your feet together. Clasp >()ur hands around your feet to hold them together, and pull them t(ward your body as far as you can. Now slowly push >our knees downward to do the push and reach. Dont worr)' if you cant touch your knees to the floor Push as far as you can without strain, and hold for 15 seconds. L)ing flat on the floor, slowly raise your legs about 6 to 12 inches off the floor. Simultaneoush. raise \our shoulders off the floor so that your head and feet are at the same level. Hold about 1 5 seconds.

/.

The chest shvtch.

544

2.

CUisp hands behind yKtit. 3- Lean fonmrd.

WHOLE BODY HEALING

"

1.

For the

sitting stretch, /its t

ivach

tip.

2. T/jeti

reach hack. 3- Then reach toward the

toes.

Yoga and Arthritis

Now

it's time to take a step up on the seriousness scale and enter a disease state - arthritis. Fortunately, we don't have to Iea\'e Ms. Bennett's capable and reassuring hands, because she has long treated her own condition with a specially tailored addition to the program we've just talked about. "1 had all the classic s-\Tnptoms of arthritis - pain and

stiifness in

my

joints,

and tingling

sen.sations, like electric

the entire length of my arm, says couldn't do anything got so bad that

currents, radiating

down

Ms. Bennett. "It comfortabi), not even rest

"

I

m\ arm on

a pillow.

"But that was three years ago. Look at me today, .she smiles while sT\inging her 'bad arm back and forth like a pendulum. "M) arm is perfect, thanks to yoga. "

"

YOGA

545

ne strcuMle reach.

Before putting her efforts into yoga, however, Ms. Benwent the usual arthritis route. She \isited her doctor iind had X-rays taken that confirmed she had osteoarthritis of the left arm and degeneration of the spinal column. Tlien she embarked on a prescribed course of therap), which included taking aspirin to relie\'e the pain and reduce the inflammation. nett

"Tlie onl>

problem

ended up taking at least six "And some clan's were so bad

v\as,

aspirin a day," she sighs.

1

I

took 10 or 12." Like so many others plagued b\ arthritis misery-, Ms. Bennett e\'entually realized she couldn't find the answer in an aspirin bottle. But she had an excellent alternati\e right in her li\ing room - an exercise mat. "I had been teaching yoga at the time of my illness." she explains. "But with all nn talking and instructing and

546

WHOLE BODY HEALING

/. Pill/ )i>nr feet

as

)'oii

toward your body

to start the push

and

reach. 2.

Lower your knees as much

can.

For the floor push, push hands down.

Lift legs up.

YOGA

547

worrjing about other people's yoga needs,

I

was neglecting

my own. "It

of

ni}-

wasn't until the arthritis flared up that I took stock well-being. I started a personal yoga program and

own

concentrated on loosening up the joints in impro\ing the flexibilit\- of my spine. Now

my my

left

arm and

joints are as

were ten )ears ago. It's a miracle!" Indeed, anyone who's fighting the uphill battle against arthritis would agree that her reco\er\' was quite a feat. But, on the other hand, why .should it be .so surprising that yoga struck the winning blow? After all, it is an excellent flexible as the)'

form of exercise.

Exercise, an Old Foe of Arthritis 'Exercise has

been recommended as treatment for arthritis - about 75 years." says Morris A. Bowie,

for a long, long time

M.D., a rheumatologist at Br\Ti Mawr Hospital in PennsAi\-a"People were exercising their arthritic joints before

nia.

yoga was ever introduced into this country." And, apparently, they were on the right track. "Exercise is ver\' important to tr\' to reestablish a complete range of motion," Dr. Bowie told us. "Of course, that doesn't mean you should induce a long continual strain. We encourage a moderate amount of nonstrenuous, non-vveiglit-bearing exercises tailored to the individual's needs. Some >oga postures are not tolerated well, particularly by those past 50 Louise Mollinger, a ph\-sical therapist at St. Margaret "

Memorial Hospital in Pitt.sburgh, Penn-svivania, agrees. "Getting the joints mobile is our main purpose, Ms. Mollinger told us. "We know that complete rest will fiirther stiffen the joints and that overexertion will make them sore. So we feel that a balance of rest and simple range-of-motion "

"

exercises

is

best

Tlierein lies one of >uga's benefits. Its .slow-motion movements and gentle pres.sures reach deep into troubled joints. ea.s)' stretches in conjunction with deepbreathing exerci.ses relieve the ten.sii)n that binds up the muscles and fiirther tightens the joints. "M)ga is exercise and relaxation rolled into one - the perfect antiarthritis formula. And that brings us another rea.son why arthritis victims improve so markedlv' with yoga. It seems tliat a major problem in prescribing exerci.se is in getting the patient to follow through. If an exercise program is piiinful and too strenuous, it isn't likely to be continued. Chances are an arthritis

In addition, the

548

WHOLE BODY HEALING

I

winces at the mere mention of the word "exercan break into this \icious cycle. It eases you into exercise without causing strain or undue pain. Even if you are only able to move an inch and hold a position for sufferer

cise." '\'oga

five

seconds. \ou are iilready enliancing N^our bod>'s

Some

ph^-sicians

hnw

flexibility-.

long recognized the adxantages

of }Ogalike exercises. Dr. Bowie recommends the pendulum, an arms-winging exercise "de\ised by an orthopedic sui^eon" tor bursitis and shoulder stiffness. He also faxors deepbreathing exercising for ank)'Iosing .spondylitis, an arthritisrelated condition affecting the joints of the spine.

"Don t Rush With >oga,

Yoga eases you into exercise without causing strain or undue pain. Even if you are only able to move an inch and hold a position for five seconds, you are already en/xincing your body^ flexibility.

It"

goes a long way. "Don't Bennett warns. Begin by mo\ing only a few inches in am- exercise - until you feel discomfort. Then hold for a count of five. Tr\' to repeat the same movement two or three times. Each da>, tn- to move only an inch or so farther and hold for a second longer. "V'ou'U ha\'e to gauge yourself. Start with a lew of the simple stretches we mentioned earlier. Tlie simple leg pull, the chest expansion exercise, and the knee and thigh stretch are especially beneficial to the joints. If your arthritis is se\ere, settle for a modified \ersion of these. rush

it,

Then performed in

a little efibrt usually

either," .Ms.

.some slow- rotation exercises.

tr)

- that

Head

circles

with pauses the ftjrward, side and back positions - will help loo.sen in the >'oga fashion

is,

slowi>',

a stiff neck. Similarh-, ankle rotation will impnne arthriconditions in those joints. The Flower is a great yoga exerci.se for arthritic fingers. >X'hene\er you think of it, make a tiglit fist and hold lor five seconds. Then release and stretch )'our hand open as far as you can for an additional fi\-e .seconds. Ready to concentrate on those major problem areas? If your arthritis has come to rest in )-our spine, limber up that area with the seated spiral twist, the cobra, and the neck and shoulder stretch, dot it in the hips? Ilien lie down in bed and tr> some hip rolls. "Of course, there will be some da\-s that you can't practice at all, Ms. Bennett admits. 'Don't v\'orr\- about it. If

up

tis

"

the pain is too intense, just skip your \-oga .sessions tor a day or two. Resume again when you're feeling better. Bad spells are part of the sAstem, and in the ca.se of arthriti,s,

YOGA

549

1.

550

The Flower starts with a fist.

WHOLE BODY HEALING

2. Uiett ttx

txtml opens

progress

is

nt;\cr in a straight line.

taking a few steps forward and

mining

It's

usually a matter of

one backward. You're

still

aliead but at a slower pace."

on da^-s that movement comes eas\', don't Overworked joints can be as painful as neglected ones. So, no matter how good the exercises feel, don't continue for more than a few minutes at a time. "For people

Of

o\erdo

course,

it.

with se\ere arthritis, it's usually better to di\ide the daily yoga routine into about three or four segments of about five minutes each," Ms. Bennett recommends. "Rest periods and deep-breathing exercises interspersed throughout the da\'s )oga sessions will help relax the muscles that tighten

up

joints."

A Rigorous

Scientific Trial for

Yoga

we

have a very serious condition to look at in what a most rigorous scientific testing of yoga's contribution to health. \X1ien the .success of up-to-the-minute ph\-siotherap> for sexere breathing difficulties was compared with the effecti\'eness of a series of yoga exercises, yoga won - hands, legs and body down. Dr. M. K. Tandon, of Repatriation General Hospital in Western Au.stralia. worked with 22 male patients, aged 52 to 65, who suflFered "se\ere airway's obstruction" - chronic bronchitis, in some cases complicated by lung-deteriorating emphysema - that made normal breathing impossible. For 1 1 of the men, the prescription was the standard one for this condition - ph>>iotherap>; v\'hich included relaxation techniques, breathing exercises and general workouts Finally, is

to

- fittingly -

improve stamina.

The other

1

ing,

1

men were He

gi\'en a

yoga teacher instead of

them techniques of yoga breathwhich encourage the use of all chest and abdominal

a ph\'siotherapist.

taught

muscles as well as ten yoga postures.

The

patient-s practiced their piirticular exercises tor

nine

months. Then the\ were reexiunined at the hospital: a technician tested their lung function, a ph\'.sician .screened them clo.sely to determine how their symptoms had changed, and a stationary exercise bicycle was used to measure their capacity for exerci.se.

The

difference

The men who improvement

in

between the two groups was

had practiced yoga their ability

showed

a

striking.

significant

to exercise, but the physio-

YOGA

551

)

therapy group did not. Even

more

important, perhaps, was

the improvement in symptoms reported by the >oga group. Eight or more out of the 1 1 declared that the\- had definite!}'

increased tolerance tor exertion and that they recovered more quickly after exertion. The ph\r>iotherap\' group reported

no

similar improvement.

Best of

all,

the patients

who

had studied yoga appar-

ently gained the abilit)' to control their breathing problems. A significantly greater number of patients reported that "with

the help of yogic breathing exerci.ses, they could control an attack of se\'ere shortness of breath without ha\ing to seek medical help," according to the study.

Why

did >'oga

seem

to

work

better than phA'siotherap\-

problems? "After their training, the breathing pattern of the patients in the yoga group changed to a slower and deeper cycle, allowing them to tolerate in relie\ing respiratory

higher work loads," reports Dr. Tandon. "On the other hand, patients in the ph)'siotherap>' group did not change their shallow rapid breathing pattern." (For a \ogic breathing exerci.se, see the Complete Breath described earlier in this chapter

552

WHOLE BODY HEALING

9

1

1 11

1

1

1

1

1 1

SPECIAL INDEX OF CONDITIONS AND DISEASES Page numbers in boldface indicate photos.

atherosclerosis

abdominal pain, acupressure

for,

22

Achilles tendinitis, 402--i

heel

lift

for,

403

rubber inscn treatment

for,

403

of, -103

acne. impro\ed with \itamin and mineral

supplements, 32" addictions, biofeedback

amount of triglycerides and, 243 from fat buildup, 322 hean attack and, 322 precautions with fomentations, 474 stroke and, 322 atherosclerotic lesions, hug therapy for, 257

B for,

47

iron supplements

for,

backache acupressure

2 19

angina

impro\ed with vegan diet, 324 insufficient blood flow and. 240 ankylosing spondylitis, deep-breathing exercises for, 549 anore.xia nenw.sa dance therapy for, 198

running as therap>' for, 3^4 anxien, biofeedback ftir, 93, 102-3 arrh\thmias, causes of liquid protein diet and, 2 lowcaiorie diets and. 2 1 arteriosclerosis,

1

233

eating habits and, 1 09- 1 triglycerides and, 243 arthritic knees, water exercises as therapy for, 449-SO arthritis. See also rheumatoid arthritis

acupuncture for, 26 Alexander Technique

for.

133

calisthenics for flexible joints, 1 59 chiropractic treatment for, 1"'4, 181 contrxst baths for, 4''8

exercise as therapy for, 548 fomentations for, 474 heat therap\- for hot water bottle, 244 sleeping bag, 244-45 thermal underwear. 244 hypnosis for. 268 knitting as therapy for. 275-76 precautions with rope skipping. 37 respoase point therapy for, 26 swimming as therapy- for, 445.

449-50 545-5 arthrosis, caused by back problem. 285 asthma. See also bronchial asthma acupressure for, 20 acupuncture ft)r, 6-7 Alexander lechnique for, 133. 137 biofeedback f< )r. 9" dance therapy for. 198 hypnosis for. 268-69 precautioas with rope skipping, 37 yoga as therapy for, 509 Oirpse Pose. 5 5- 6, 516 C^, 517 Mountain, 523 >T)ga as therapy- for,

1

1

for,

astlinia,

chiropractic treatment

180

bronchitis

yoga as therapy for, 509, 551 Aor/M/, 521-22,522 Mountain, 523

causes of, 224 running with, 221 shoe sty les and, 224

anemia causes of 2 1 contrast baths

bronchial

bunions

102

for.

broken bones, Alexander Technique and recovery from. 133

for, II,

17-19

acupuncture tor, 2" causes of, 53-55 chiropractic treatment for, 180 relief from, 1"-19 types of 54-55 yoga as therapy for, 509, 540 Corpse Pose. 5 1 5- 1 6. 516 Knee to C/x'St. 5 18, 518-19

ioa«/, 521-22, 522 back pain ( chronic ). See also lower back pain, upper back pain biolcedback for, 9" situps as relief from, 168-70 vitamin and mineral supplements for,

32"

back troubles, 53-85 abdominal exercises for, 56 causes of 54-56 changing tires with, 68 chiropractic treatment for, 180 having sex with, 60 keeping fit with, 61 lifting with, 59-60, 64-65, 67 pehic tilt and, '1-72,73 posture and, 74, 77 prcvcntivT; exercises for, 78-85 reflexology for, 348 restlessness reflex and, 74, 76 sitting with, 57 sleeping with, 56 positions for, 56 strain and, 61

tae-kwando tor, 28 1 -84 upper. '2-"4 bladder incontinence, response point therapy for. 25 blisters, running with, 221 blood clots, as complication of varicose veins, 458 blood pres.sure for, 174. 180 of 96 measuring of 98 precautions with rope skipping, 37 vitamin and mineral supplements ft)r, 32"

chiropractic treatment high, cause

walking as therapy for, 464 blood vessel diseases, from ptjor circulation.

4"8

bursitis

chiropractic treatment

for,

spinal manipulation tor, yoga as therapy for, 549

180

424

calcium deposits yoga as therapy for, 517 Gn^, 51'' calluses, illlitting shoes and, 224 cancer related to diet, 323-24 reports of chiropractic treatment

n4. 180 body hyperthermia for, 246-47

for.

total

ncnous system exhaustion, tub baths for. 479 cerebral pals"v. biofeedback for, 93, 97, central

105 cerebrospinal disorders, chiropractic treatment tor, 180 cervical disc

problems

swimming to prevent, 43 vitamin C for, 431 chest colds, fomentations for, 474 chronic headaches, hug therapy for, 256 circulatory problems contrast baths for, 4"'8

swimming as therapy for, 450 yoga xs therapy for, 536 cluster neadaches, pain from, 227 exercise as therapy for, 227-3 oxygen as therapy for, 230-3 colds acupressure for, 20 chiropractic treatment for, 181 cold mitten friction for. 475 hot t(K)tbath

for,

4"4

yoga as therapy for, 509 Lion. 52 colitis, hypnosis for, 268 congestion ft)mentations for, 474 hot footbath for, 474 con.stipation Rolfing for, 360-61

bath for, 479 vitamin and mineral supplements sitz

for,

327

553

K

)

1

1

1 1

constipation (coiiliniivil voga as therapy tor. S()9-10 Bou', 51!', 513, 512-13 Co;*ie/+«f, 51S-16. 516 Knee to Chest. =,\H.'il»-\9 Posterior Stretch. 52^, 52»-29 Uddivatm. S29. 532-33 YbgciMudm. 529, 534-35 corns, ill-fitting shoes and, 224 coronar)- heart discxsc, as result of fiber shortage, 3

coughs ftjmentations

chiropractic treatment

20 474

for,

cramps, from buildup of lactic acid during running, 592

iocws/,

epilepsy

Alexander Technique causes of 215

vitamin

318

32-'

edema, precautions with fomentations, 4^4 emaciation, contrast baths for, 47 emotional problems 102-3

SPECIAL INDEX

levels.

464

fi)r.

268

hemorrhage, from \aricose veins, 458 hemorrhoids, sitz baths for. 47'' hernia, precaution with yoga, 511-13. 522 herpes simplex, yitamin and mineral supplements t()r, 327 high blood pressure chiropractic treatment for, 180 dance therapy for, 199 hyperacti\ity chiropractic treatment for 180 dance therapy for 198 hyperkinesis, chiropractic treatment for

r4

flatulence

ecv-ema, \itamin and mineral supplements

554

C for, 220

cold mitten fiiction for, 475 natural healing and, 245

207

459

180 hemophilia, hypnosis

fever

dow-ager's hump, yoga toprevcnt. 54 dry skin, as side effect of fasting. 2 1

for,

137

walking as therapy' for, 39 1 -92 yoga as therapy for, 515-16, 529

51 Knee to Chest, 518, 518-19 fluid retention, lack of protein and, 3 1 foot drop, acupressure for, 26

y«ga as therap^'

530-31

cross-country skiing as therapy for, 191 intake of fats and. 322-24 reducing risk of 324 heart trouble, cfiiropractic treatment for,

as side effect of lasting, 2 1 swimming as therapy for, 450

180

Sfooi4lderKoll. 529,

heart attack atherosclerosis and, 322 food absorption and, 108-9 from exertion while fasting. 2 1 intake of fiiLs and. 322-24 lowering risk by walking. 464-65 obesity and. 210 preverition of 236 recovery from, 235-36 ergometer and, 236 stress test and. 236 3"'"' runner's chances of sur\iying, training response and, 237-39

caused by high insulin

masking with amphetamines, 208 poor posture and. 335

disc disease, acupuncture for, 2^ disc pain, chiropractic treatment for, 180 disc, protruding, as backiiche cause, 54 diverticular disease, as result of fiber

biofeedback

for,

Neck and Eyv Exercises. 523-25.524-27

heart disease,

exercise as therapy for, 384 heat therapy- for, 244 hot bath tor, 244 firom lack of protein, 3 1 lactate levels and, 2 19

vitamin supplements for, 220 yoga as therap) tor, 508 discdcgenenition, posture to prevent, 342

for,

1

F

precaiitions with H)mentations, 474 voga as therapy for, 5 1 0, 5 1 7, 529 Corpse R)se. 5 1 5- 1 6, 5l6 Kneeling Pose. 520

.shortage,

5

fatigue

1

diarrhea, as side effect of penicillin, digestive problems antibiotics and, 207

521-22,522

for,

3

1

yoga as therapy for, 5 10 Corpse Pose. 515-1 6, 516

Neck and Eye Exercises, 523-25, 524-27

dance therapy for, 197 danger with tasting, 2 1 fiit intake and, 324 fiber shortage and, 318 hot footbaths for, 474-75 hug therapy for, 156-57 insulin le\els in bod\', 464 obesit) and, 210

5

180

endocrine gland disorder, precaution with yoga, 513

vitamin supplements for, 220 yoga as therapy for, 5 1 Corpse Pose. 5 1 5- 16, 516 Yoga Mudra, 529, 534-35 for,

5

yoga as therapy for. 5 1 0. 55 Comf)lete Breath. 513,515 Gr^, 517

eyestrain Shiatsu for, 409 yoga as therapy

dental problems, acupressure for, 16 depression Alexander Technique for, 137 chiropractic treatment for, 180 dance therapy for, 198 endorphins as antidote for, 375 lasting as therapy for, 210 running as therapy for, 374-75

diabetes, 257 chiropractic treatment

1

dance therapy for, 193 emphvTiema

deafness, association with origin of chiropractic, 1"'5

as side effect of lasting, 2

for,

11

biofeedback for, 93, 104 EEG and, 104 effects of 104 extremity trauma (sprain), chiropractic treatment for, 180

1

acupre.s.sure for,

2 215

1

for,

hypertension, fat intake and, 324 hypertliermia, fighting cancer with,

246-4" h)x>crthyroid, precaution with yoga, 5

1

fractures, hypnosis for relief of pain ftxim,

268

frostbite,

warm footbath for, 475

I

impotence, eating

late at night and,

1

10

indigestion

gallbladder problems, fet intake and, 324 gallstones, preventing formation of. 1 10 gastrointestinal disorders chiropractic treatment for. 180 yoga as therapy for, 5 1

H hair loss, as side eflfect of fasting, 2 hammertoes, shoe styles and, 224

1

hangover, Shiatsu for, 4 1 headache. See also cluster headaches, tension headache acupres,sure for, 1-3 chiropractic treatment for. 180, 183 hot footbath f()r. 4''4 hugging .xs therapy fi)r. 256 shiat.sii for.

408-9,1

1

vitamin and mineral supplements for,

327

yoga as therapy for 5 1

a*m,

51.3,

514

OirpsePose. 515-16, 516

iocw/, 521-22,522 Mountain. 523 Posterior Stretch. 52", 528-29 Uddiywui. 529, 534-35 influenza, fomentatiorts for 474 injuries

Alexander Technique for 133 ice as therapy ti)r 399,

400

in.somnia

biofeedback tor 102 chin)praclic treatment for. 174 remedies li)r 4l9 tryptophan and, 415-16 tub baths li)r 4"'9 rtpes of 4 1 \-ilamin supplements ftir 220

1

\ioga as therapy for. 5

Cobra. 5

1'3.

8

1

1

neck s>'ndromcs. chiropractic treatment

1

514

Corpse Pose. 5 1 5- 16, 516 /.oa«/. 521-22. 522 .Moiinliihi. S2.^

Posterior Stretch. 52". 528-29 iron deficitno, 2 18-20

mineral supplements, 218-20 irregular heartbeat, biotcedback for, 4"'9 irritabilit>', tub baths for,

9.3

for. 180 ner\e damage, biofeedback ftir, 97 nerNDus disorders, chiropractic treatment for. 180 nerxous indigestion, \itamin and mineral

Ra\Tiaud's disease, biofeedback for, 102 respiraton' conditions chiropractic treatment for, 180

supplements for. 32" nenousncss. x^oga as therap) for. 515-16 nen-ous tension, chiropractic treatment for, 1"9

rheumatism Alexander Technique

neuralgia, fomentations

response point therapy

yoga as therap>-

Knee

510 515-16,516 Mountain. 523 Posterior Stretch. 52". 528-29

xoga as therap^

9'' jaw clenching, biofeedback for, joint pain ( chronic ). Wtamin and mineral supplements for, 327

treatment for. 181 neurological disease, chiropractic treatment for. 180

neuritis, chiropractic

danger with

fasting,

211

leg ulcers, as complication of \'aricose \vin.s, li\-cr

(

neuromuscular tension, walking as therap)' for. 462 nosebleed, hot footbath for, 474

sluggish

yoga as therapy

),

for.

51

324 lordosis. Alexander Technique for. 133 lower back pain intake and.

acupressure

for,

for.

chiropractic treatment

1

respon.se point therapy for. 26 runner's knee cause of, 396 exercises for, 398-99 ice for, 399, 400

treatment

for, 508, 510 511. 513,512-13 Cobra. 513.514

cause of, 396 exercises for, 398-99 ice for, 399. 400 precautions tor, 397-99

joga as therap\'

180

excrci.scs as therapy for, 384 lumbago, yoga as therapy for, 515-16

/.oa/.s7,

for,

360-61

Posterior Stretch. 52'', 528-29

menstrual pain, hot sitz bath for, i"6 mental fatigue, acupressure for, 21 mid-back conditions, chiropractic treatment for. 180 migraine See also headache acupressure for, 26 biofeedback for. 9"' cause of 101 chiropractic treatment for, 1''4, 181 hypnosis for. 268 Shiatsu for.

408-9

521-22, 522

Posteiior Stretch. 52", 528-29 Sim Salutation, 536

.side

osteoarthritis

acupuncture

Technique for. 1 33 motion sickness, acuprcs,sure for, 22 mouth ulcers, \itamin and mineral supplements for. 32~ multiple .sclerosis, acupressure for. 26 mu.scle disorders, biofeedback for, 105 muscle pain, \itamin and mineral supplements for. 32" muscular btigue. water therap>- for. 469 muscular sr>ga as therapy for. 529

neck

27

sleeping bag as therapy

prostate trouble

nausea, as side

for.

exerci.se as therapy for,

511-13

misaligned feet /limbs. Alexander

397-99 399-402 cause of, 40 treatment tiir, 401-2 stitch, 395-96, 399-402 control for, 396 treatment for, 401-2 relief f()r,

shin splints,

Yoga Mudra. 529. 534-35

menstrual cramping. Rolling menstrual irregularit> )X)ga as therapy ft)r, 5 1 a»bra. 513. 514

402-4 403

of,

knee pain, 396-99

diabetes and. 210 heart attack and. 210 as result of fiber shortage, 3 1 precautions with rope skipping, 371 /?o;r,

M

39"-99

Achilles tendinitis,

obcsit>'

33

for.

518-19

rheumatoid arthritis acupuncture for, 27 heat therap)' for, 244

relief for,

O

1"

acupuncture for. 2~ Alexander Technique biotcedback for. 9"

510

tor,

to Chest. 518,

nmning injuries, .395-404

458

li\i-r disea.se. fat

for,

.Mountain. 523 Posterior Stretch, 527, 528-29

tor.

r;o;/«c'ft«c,

25-26

133 180

for,

chiropractic treatment

474

for.

for,

508

\i)ga as therapy tor,

neurasthenia

kidne>' disease,

1

;ls

therapy

for.

133

268

for,

510

Complete Breath. 5 1 3, 515 Kneeling Pose. 520 I'tUtiywut. 529,532-33 shin splints, 394, .399-402 acuprcs.sure for, 7 cau.se of,

40

treatment for, 401-2 shoulder stiffness/soreness exercises to prext-nt, 79 \x)ga IS therapy for, 549 side stitch

cause

of,

40

as running

treatment

injur)',

tor,

395-96, 399-402

401-2

SPECIAL INDEX

555

7

1

stomach

sinus

TOga as therapy for, "5 1 Corpse Pt'>se. S 1 5A'cc*

16,

ice packs for,

chiropractic treatment for, 180 \itamin and mineral supplemenLs for 32^ skin diseases yoga as therapy fi)r, 5 10 Sun Salutation, 536 slipped disc as cause of backache, 285 yx)ga as therapy for, 5 1 3, 527 sore throat ft)r

5 10

spinal distortion, chiropractic treatment for 180 sprains

chiropractic treatment for 1 80 ice packs for 76 sprained ankle, ice for 479 sprains chiropractic treatment for, 180 fiir,

76

neck acupressure

for, 2, 14 chiropractic treatment for, 181-82 stomach bleeding, from aspirin, 209 stomach cancer increased incidence with fasting, 2 1

stomach problems, yoga as therapy for, 529, 536

556

1

V biofeedback for. 97, 103-4 hypnosis for, 268 upper back pain causes of. 72, 74

181

biofeedback for, 93. 9"', 103 dance therapy for 199

excrci.ses to a\T>id,

390-9

upset stomach, wga as therapy for 5 urination problems, hot sitz bath for

stroke atherosclerosis and, 322 biofeedback for 9^. 105 food absorption and. 108

1

477

recovery with reflexolog>', 348 subluxations cau.sesof,

177

chiropractic treatment sv^'aytaack,

ft)r,

Alexander Technique

176 for,

133

409

^jga as therapy' Lion. 52 1

stiff

for,

76

stress

409

sinu.sitis

ice packs

103-4

for,

1

ulcer

chiropractic treatment

516

523-25, 524-25

Shiatsu for,

biofeedback

strains

and Hye Exercises,

sinu.s colds. Shiatsu for,

ulcers,

1

varicose veins, 457-61 disfigurement from, 458 early warning signs for 458 elastic support sttKkings ft)r 460-6 elcNTiting feet for 460

T

exerci.scs t()r

tendinitis

fiber-depleted diet and, 4 59-60 hemorrhage and, 458 leg ulcers and, 458

swimming as therapj' for, 449 yoga as therapy for, 5 1

and phlebitis, 458 pregnancy and, 459 tips for 459-61

tension

biofeedback for 101-2 mxssage for, 298 swimming as therapy for. 450 yoga as therap\' for 529, 540 tension headache

biofeedback for 93-95 pain from, 230 th>Toid gland disorders, precaution with >n)ga, tic

511-13

douloureux, acupuncture for 27

H

toothache, Shiatsu for -i 1 3tooth grinding, biofeedback for 97 torticollis (wrjneck), chiropractic treatment for, 180

460

W warts, hypnosis for,

268-69

whiplash Alexander Technique for 1 33 chiropractic treatment for 180 worn facet joint, as backache cause, 54 wrinkles vt)ga as therapy for 5 1 )ojt;rt

Mtutni. 529, 534-35

wryneck, chiropractic treatment

for,

180

SPECIAL INDEX i

1 1

8

,

1

1

GENERAL INDEX Page numbers in boldfece indicate photos. For

Achilles tendon, shortening with highheeled shoes, 22-i Achilles tendon stretch, as stretching

^SS

exercise-,

for

for fatigue,

20

r-19

129, 131-32 133 for lower back pain, 1 33 3"' for mental stress. 1 for misaligned feet limbs. 133 "muscle-memor) and. 125 for mu.scular problems. 133 for muscular tension, 137 origin of 1 ""- 1 for postural imbalance, 1 33 ft)r recoven- from broken bones. releasing muscles with, 133 for rheumatism, 133 for scoliosis, 133

lessoas to

coughs, 20 for dental problems, 16

locating.

23

^

for

for

2" backache, 2~ arthritis,

bladder inct)ntinence, 26 6-"

for bronchial asthma, for

chronic lower back pain,

2""

for .sitting,

27

for disc di.seasc, f', M.D.,

on

cigarette

smoking, 235 "Alexanders law, bodies and, 1 16- 17 Alexander Technique, 16-3^ areas of concern with. 32-33 "

I

1

Ph.D.,

on

Feldendrais therapy, 1 38 Appenzeller Otto, M.D Ph.D., on headaches. 22"'-29. 231 arching, as strain on spine, 6 Arnold. Samuel J., M.D., on high-protein

di.sad\^ntages of for fitness.

90

86-92

86-88

regulations and, 90, biofeedback, 93-106 for addictions, 102

92

102-3 102 behavioral medicine and, 96-97 body temperature and, 98 for cerebral palsy, 93, 9^, 105 9"' t()r chronic lower back pain, for anxiety, 93, for asthma, 97,

,

breakfasts, 315-16 aspirin for inflammation, for pain, 208-9

alcohol diuretic effect

saddle for, 90, 91 ten-speed, 89 toe clips and, 90 rspes of 88-89 bicycling adrantages of 88-89

safet\'

Appelbaum, Stephen,

A-frame hug, description of 258, 259 aggressions, judo for releasing of 28

as dcpre.s.sant,

dropped handlebars for, 90, 91 exercise, 214 helmet for, 92

for rehabilitation,

485-86. 485 antibiotics digestive

35-S2

30.

270-73

'

ice packs as, -178 ankle, sore, ice for, 47 1 479 ankle grab, as stretching exercise,

aerobic exercise checklist for 3^-38

dance

545-51 Benson, Herbert, M.D., on relaxation response while knitting, 279 bent leg sit-up, as aerobic exercise, 51 bent-over row, in weiglit training, 495-96, 496 Bernhardt, Roger, Ph.D., on self-hypnosis,

320

amphetamines

adrenaline, stimulation of, 233 aerobic dance. 30. 3S-52 clothing for. 39 locatioas for learning. 37 taking pulse and. 42-45

,

bic-ycles

98

as building blocks of protein, and nutrition, 320-22

douloureax, 27 acupuncturist locating of 28 to l(X)k for in,

Bcllis, John M., on music therapy, 3 1 bench press, in weiglit training, 488. 490,496,497 Benjamin, Ben H PhD on stretching, 434-35 Bennett, Pauhnne. on yoga, 537, 540-4 1,

amino acids 27

for tic

what

133

124-25

for whiplash, 133 Alpha pattern brain wa\'cs, biofeedback

.5

for migraines.

33

128 123

for s\va>back,

drop, 26

459

,

1

for,standing,

electro-, 2-5

448

barbells colhirs for 48^-88 Olympic standard, 487 plates ft)r 48"' used in weiglil training, (8"' Baron, Howard (;., M.D.. on \-aricose veins. 457,

1

H-15

for stiff neck, 2,

acupuncture

442

Bartenieff Fundamentals, 152-55 beha\ioral medicine, biofeedback and, 96-9""

'

mental fatigue. 2 "

for shin splints,

ti)r

tr>-.

for lordosis.

for headaches, 1-2 for

133

for injuries.

t()r

fainting and,

and out of chair, 119-22

goal of 12-1-25.133

best results with, 10-12 for colds, 20

backpack, for earning child, 69-"'0, 70 back stretch, as .stretching exercise, 439,

ballet stretch, as swimming exercise,

1

for getting in 11,

B back, massage for 300-301, 300, 303

back troubles, 53-85

3''

6

backache,

foranhritis. 133 for asthma. 133, 13"' body exams and, 130 for changing mental attitudes about movement, 12-4-25

137 direction of head and, 124

acupressure for asthma,

of conditions and diseases, please see proious index.

for depression,

acupoint, pressing on, 12 ad\-antages of,

listing

208

stomach bleeding from, 209 upset stomach from, 209 Atkinson, Ruth, M.D., on headaches, 227 autistic children, dance therapy for, 193, 198

controlling bodily functions with,

94

emotional problems, 102-3 fi)repilipsT. 93. 104 goal of lOO for headaches. 93-95, 97, 101-2 insomnia and. 102-3 for irregular heanbeat, 93 for

f',

475

GENERAL INDEX

blood ^a^s and, 242 formation cholesterol cnstals. prcwnting of.

on barbells. 48^-88 complex carbohydrates, sources of, 317, 319 ,,, ,. compressed cervical disc, 424-25 causes of, 425 headaches from. 427-28 pre\ention of. 430-3 concentration. impro\ingof, 208 4''8 contrast baths. for anemia. 47 for arthritis,

478

471 478 improve 4"'8 water temperature for

for emaciation,

circulation,

to

and. 52 cooling dowTi. aerobic exercise ,_ Cooper. Kenneth H. M.D. , , on aerobic exercise. 31-3 42.45 230-3 headaches. for on exercising karate.

297

on training effect, 33 coronan arteries, narrowing of. 233 sp- skiing.

188-92

as aerobic exercise. 189,

cholesterol

PI -"3

jacks, 166,

nersiMs tension. 179

for stiff neck.

exercise, 436, calf stretch, as stretching

chin-ups.

cold mitten friction, 475,

33-.3-4

for neuritis, 181

244

lifestyle,

190 clothing, for cross-country sluing.

point s>^tem. for aerobic exercises,

1''4. 181 for migraine. for neck s-)Tidromes. 180 for ner\()us dist)rders. 180

.

and

improved with contra.st baths, improved with massage. 298_ improved with s\vimming, 450

on

1''8

\^''-J\ mid-back conditions. 180

for

256, 266 ^ Brewer, Earl J.,Jr., M.D., on heat remedy

on

cutting off with tight boots. 224 of feet, 222 4"'8

.

meaning of.

brain w-jn'cs, Alpha pattern, 98 breathing, av\-areness of, 255 therapy, Bresler, Da\id, Ph.D., on hug

M.D.,

n4. 180

174 174

manipulation.

42-'-28

Ixjuis,

forheadache.r4. 181.183 for heart trouble, 180

for insomnia.

on exercise for arthritis, 548-19 on knitting for arthritis, 275-76 Braaf Murra\ .M.. M D., on headache,

Burkitt.

for

for hjpcrkinesis.

on sleep

Bowie, Morris A, M.D.

Brinbet^,

emotional problems. 180 trauma (sprains), 180 gastrointestinal disorders. 180

for extremit>-

for high blood pressure. for h>peracti\it>'. 180

on sleep

taichi,

180

181

180

for depression.

Integration, 137-51

for arthritis,

common cold,

for

ToddSweigard therapy (ideokinetic

energy- generator,

180

for cerebrospinal disorders,

Feldenkrais Principles of Functional

a.s

n4. 180

for bursitis. 181

.

1" research, 4 Btirkovec, Thomas D., Ph.D., therapy. 41''- 18

1

collars,

fora-sthma. 180

Alexander Technique, 1 lo-37 Banenieff Fundamentals, 1S2-5S

therapy), 155-57 Bootzin, Richard R.. Ph.D.,

1

Colgan. Michael. Ph D on nutritional supplements. 326-28

adjustment, 178

130 body language, as communication method. 193 body temperature, for biofeedback, 98 body therapies, US- 57 .

1

.

and, body exams, Alexander Technique

brain,

with h\pnosis,

268

9"'

for stroke, paralysis from.

1

)

110

cigarette smoking carbon monoxide and. 233 amction. 235 as cause of poor lung

(CAX'I circuit weight training as exercise prognmi. 482 483 xs mainten:incc program. program, 482-83 ;ls weiglit-control

circulation bliKKl wssel disea.scs anil, 4 /»

190

clothing for, 190 diagonal stride. 188 equipment for 190 19 for heart disca.se patients. precautions for 191 locations for 191-92 to lose weight. 190

weight training. 492-93 with barbell. 493 reverse. 493. 494 muscles. /5 curlup. to strengthen stomach

cTjrl in

30-52 dance, as aerobic exercise, dance therapy 1 93-205 for anorexia nervosa, 198 for asthma, 198 for autistic children, 193. certification for 2(X)-201

IVH

for depre'^'*'""- l^-*

198 emotional problems. 193 for heart patienLs. 199 ft)rhighbl(KKlprcs.sure. 199 forli\pcr.Kti\ity 198 198 for juwnilc artliritis, for mental problems. 193

for diabetes. liir

1

)

Herbert

as,

folk cures. See biofeedback

for

fomentations. 4"' 1-74 application of, 472-73

cn)s,scountrv skiing

206-"'

Ph.D..

A.,

for

on stretching

for

diaphragmatic breathing, as basis of go«xl

stretching

as,

swimming

as.

health,

aspirin, 208-9 caffeine. 208

20" weight training, 487

108-9

ft)r

weight

for

1

210

tor

for nosebleeds. 4"'4

210

322-23 213-20

diabetes and, 32* gallbladder problems and, 324 heart attack and, 322-24 hv7>erten.sion and, 324 liver disease and, 324

measuring

feet

38

electrocardiograph ( EKG ). as biofeedback machine. 9"-99 electroencephalograph ( EEG as biofeedback machine. 98 epilepsy and. 104

elearomTOgraph (EMG) biofeedback and, 94-95

circulation of 222 f, 434-35 DcVCeescJamcsA., M.D., on varicose veins and hcrcditv, 458 for

double tuck

a.s,

dancing as. 30-52 drugs and. 206-9 dvnamic. 421

2.S2 de\'ries,

1

1

back pain. 342-45, 384 back troubles. 56 combatting fatigue with. 384

to reduce stress, 199 to release tension in children, 200 for retarded, 1 98 DcBakc\-, Michael. Ml)., on the heart,

depressant, alcohol

8

1

importance of 3 71

1

318 fire hvdrant exercise. i8. 49 Ph D on hug therapy, 252 Fisher Jettrev, fitness, bicycling for, 86-92 fl(X)r pu.sh. as yoga exercise. 547 Houvr. as vi)ga exercise. 549-50. 550 folate, for red bkxxl cell creation. 220 results of shortage.

Gcncheff, Todor M.D., on acupressure, 9 getting out of bed. proper way of 62, 63

Gettman,

Ijrrv R..

PhD on vv'cight .

(82-83 (iokllxTg. krb. Ph.D.. on expressing training,

I

253 Iknjamin

attecllon.

Ciolub,

S.,

M.D.,

on posture,

335.342 GixmJ Sources of 'Iiyplophan ( table). 5 Good Sources of Viiamin B,, ( table ). 4 Good Sources of Vitamin H,. (table), 5 Crtttto, Antonio, Ml), on the heart. 232 GreenwiMKl.J.tmes, Jr., Ml)., on prcTention of cervical disc problems. 4.30-31

.

H Haltx-rg. Fran/, M.D.,

on

losing weight.

113-14

GENERAL INDEX

559

1

halfchcst hug. description of, 2S8, 260 Hall. Hamilton, .M.D.. on back problems,

5V62 G., M.D..

on aerobic

exercise. .^5-36 hamstring stretch as runner's exercise, 389, 390 as stretching exercise, 486-87 Harris, Ra\-niond, M.D.. on posture, 335-36. 3.39-42 head, releasing with Alexander

Technique. 132-33 headaches, 227-31

240-43 exercise for. 242-43 preventive maintenance

of.

235

patients

dance therapy for. 199 pet ownership and, 25" heating pads, as heat therapy, 244 heat therapy. 244-47

chronic

for colitis.

coming

illness.

knitting. 2" 5-80 for arthritis. 2''5-"8 for health. 2"6-"". 276

268

268

relaxation response vvith. 2"9 therapeutic benefits of. 2"5 Kostrubala. Thaddeus. iM.D.. on running.

out of, 2''3

2"2 eliminating bad habits with, for fracture pains. 268 for headaches. 269 for hemophilia. 268 for insomnia. 269-70 for migraines, 268 for seizures. 268 self-. 269-"2

2"'2

3^2-78 Kramer. Neal, D.P.M., on foot problems,

222-23 Kriegcr, Dolores, R.N

for ulcers.

lactic acid,

268

Lawrence. Ronald, M.D

on acojpuncture for asthma, 6-~ on finding meridian point, 6 on gofxl nutrition, 3-4 on median therapy 9-10 on Taichong point for fatigue.

ice packs, 478-79 4''8 as anesthetic.

application

problems, 16 locating, 14-15 rubbing of, 13 for stiff neck, 2. 14-15 treating both points simultaneously, 15

swimming exercise, 449

helmet, tor bicyclists. 92 levels, affected

of,

4"9 400 471, 4"9

for injuries, 399. for sore ankle.

21-22

spine problems and. 285 imaginary bicycle, as swimming exercise,

ilipstias.

449 Inderal,

drug for high blood pressure, 207

(HDLs),

242-43, 464

Alexander Technique and, 133

high-fiber diet, for v'aricose veins,

4S9-6() higlvheeled shoes, shortening Achilles

G.. M.D..

skiing for

exercise. 190-91

Abram. M.D Ph.D.. on tranquilizer use, 2(r

Hoffer.

.

traction apparatus, for spinal manipulation. 425-2". 426 hot vk-ater bt)ttles, as heat therapy, 244 Hovl, Greig, M.D., on protein

home

insulin levels, diabetes and, 464 ironing, correct stance for, 134

requirements, 320 Hsu. Cher, M.D., on acupuncture for chronic pain patients, 28 hug therapv, 248-(>6 as ancient practice, 249 for arthritis,

257

headaches, 256 nonhugs, 258

for

proper way for. 264

560

on

fix)t

raising of.

problems,

low-density (li)l-s). 242-43

arrhvlhmias and. 2 fasting with. 21

MD

relaxation. (18-19 of.

258. 263

judo, to get rid of aggres.sions, 296 jumping jacks, as warm-up exercise, 166,

168

GENERAL INDEX

Uifgren. Fric P. varicose vtins. Lotgren. Karl A.

1

on exercise

,

for

460

MD

,

on exercise

for

varicose wins. 46O low-densin lipoproteins (LDLs),

242-4S Lowe. Robert. M.D.. on pelvic

Kane, Robert

1-,

M.D..

on

chiropractics,

18-8" ft)r

464

3""

liquid protein diets

Jerold F.. O.D.. on cluster headaches. 230 Jencks. Beata, Ph D., on breathing for hug. description

for,

ligament, stretching of, 433 lipoproteins high-density ( HDLs), 242-43.

technique. "l-"2 U)vven. Alexander, M.D., therapy. 3 1

tilt

on music

k)wer back

karate

255-56

atherosclerotic lesions, for diabetes. 256-5"

l' of 203 K)linting reflex of 433-34 muscle spasms, backache and. 55 music therapy. 309- 1 therapeutic effect of 312-13 flexibility

.M>Tnin. Da\id.

M.D on walking for .

Robert

A..

M.D.,

on \'aricose

for,

roll

pr(Kedure as

neck

for.

warm-up

163

for exercising,

163-64

441 54-55

stretch, as stretching exercise,

pinched, as backache cau.sc. nene gate, impulses and. 3 nenous s^Mem. depressant cfiFcct of drugs on, 20" newspaper, proper wav of picking up, nerv-e.

62.

66

norepinephrine, release of in body, 375

315-28 amino acids and, 320-22 fat intake and, 322-26

nutrition.

85 pehic

roll, for stiff

shoulder. 82. 82-83,

65

radio frequency waves, treating cancer with, 246-47 rapid recoil, as chiropractic movement,

185

Pcrr\', l.ero\,

of nutritional supplements, 327 for vitamin B,„ 4 for vitamin B12, 5 refinement, of food through processing,

DC, on proper nmning

techniques. 3"9-82, 383, 39 petrissage, as form of massage. 298 picking up object. Alexander theon'

3n reflex balance, is

for.

pigg>t)ack rides, with bad back. 69 pinched ner\e. as backiiche cause, 54-55

48"

barbells.

platfomi shoes, painful bleeding with,

224 plough, as stretching exercise, 486 PolKick, Michael I. Ph.D.. on weight ,

training.

reflexologv',

346-50

back trouble. 348

347 350 reflex balance, 346-47 self-treatment of 348 stroke recover)' with, 348 Regeslein, Quentin, Ml)., on sleep crystals and. lix)t

rubs

as,

therapy, 4 18-19

on hug therapy. 252 relaxation response, benefit of 279 Renshaw, Domeena, M.D., on sex and Reite, Martin. M.D..

482-83

reducing formation of thrombi (blood clots) with, 323

exercise, 406, 407 respoase point thenipy ft)r bladder incontinence, 26 ti)r

foot drop,

tor migraines.

26 26

26 rheumatoid arthritis, 26 retarded, dance therapy tor, 198 for multiple scleroses, for

reverse windmill, as runner's exercise,

344-45 slantboard

form of reflexology,

346-4" for

on

Dietary Allowances

(RDAs)

till

benefits from, 72 as runner's exercise, 384, 386 penicillin, as cause of diarrhea, 20"

plates,

42

push-up as form of exercise, 159-62, 171 fiill, 161,162 modified, 159.160. 161 putting socks on. proper position for, 62,

Recommended

back problems and. 74. 77 f()ot problems and. 221 improving of 339-45, 336-39 chinning bar for, 341 exercises for, 342-43, 343, 344,

302 swimming for. 440-4 neck

peanut

1

posture. 329-45

veias and heredit)', 458 neck muscles mas,sage

4

1

polyiinsaturated fats lowering cholesterol with. 322-23

464

N Nabatofi'.

1

135

and. 125

fitness.

for.

Palmer.JohnD. I'h.l) on alcohol le\els in blood. on best time tor learning. 112-13 pancreas. a\"oiding overstimulation of 316 paraaminobenzoic acid, as sunscreen, 208 Paul, Stephen. Ph.D.. on antibiotics, 207

back problems and. 7 1-72, 73

490^91,492 Miller

"8-85

shoulder, 79, 82-83, 79-84,

imponance of 315-1

heart and. 234

neck muscles, 302

military press, in

stilf

requirements of 320-2 sources of 321-22 pulse normal rates of 45 proper method for taking. 42-45

69

outer ihigli press, as runner's exercise, 390. 393

for impro\-ed circulation,

side.

prcN'entive exercises for back troubles,

protein deficiency of 32

xs lubricating agent for

opening window, to avoid back troubles,

benefits of, 298 for children, 308 chin, 306--. 307-8 forehead, 305

lubricating agents

II

85

oli\e

massage. 298- ,^08 back, ^00-^01.300,303

1

women, meridian therapy and,

pregnant

O

281.29" taekw^-do. 281-84 taichi. 281,286-95

for headaches,

importance of fiber in, 3 "- 1 importance of pn)iein in. 3 1 5- 16 supplements ft)r, 32"' nutritional supplements, benefits of 327

for

karate.

6

1

for,

340

incorred forms of 330-31 increasing fatigue with, 332,

335 proper forms of 333-34, 335 Rolling and, 356-5"' swa\t>ack from, 335 while running, 3"'9-82, 383 while skipping rope, 368 while walking, 333. 46"' potassium, lack of. and fatigue. 217-18

384, 385 Richardson, Allen, M.D.. on s-wimming for health.

444-45

Robcrt.s, i:lizatx-th H.,

D.PM., on

l()ot

problem.s. 221

rocking on ground, for back relief 75 Rodahl. Kiiare. Ph D., on benefits of skipping rope. 36" Roen. ["aul B.. M.D.

on biorhvihm.s, 108-10 on food absorption, 108-10

GENERAL INDEX

561

1

D

1

24

1

on taichi, 288 Rogers, Robert J Pli Rogers, Ruth, MI), on rehixalion and yoga, SOK-y ,

Roll, Ida

I',

I'h.l)

,

on

Rolting, " -(w active core in,

.saturated fats,

,

351

Rolling, 351-54,

Sechzer, Philip

359

360-6 35^ fascia, role of, 352-S4, for menstrual cniniping, 360-6 posture and, 3%-5"'

.serotonin, secretion

sesame

366 449-50 good posture during, 368 actixifN'.

lor

,

worst enemies nmner's high, 3~3-~4 ninning, 3^2-94 best surfaces

exercises

for,

3''8

Sidne\, K. H., Ph.D..

weiglit loss,

.Vl.D.,

on

fiber

and

319

409 sitting, Alexander theon for, 136 545 exercise, sitting stretch, as yoga

sinus colds, shiat.su lor

sit-ups as

form of exercise, 168-"0 full, 169, 170

sitz

,3"5

as therap>' for anorexia nervosa,

374

depression, 374-75

4"6

saddle, lor biocles, 90, 91 salcl\ regulations, bicycling and, 90,

for constipation,

4"6

water temperature

for,

4"6

hot li)r

acute pelvic inflammation,

4"6-"" cold compresses with. 477 hemorrhoids, 4~" for

4"6 problems, 477^ problems, 4""

lor urination

S

92

GENERAL INDEX

498-500

498-99. 499

partial. 498. 498 squat thrust, as tbrm of exercise, 171.

172-73 stamina, fatigue and, 2 1 3-20 from .Stein, Richard, M.D.. on recoven' heart attack. 235-42 step rtinning. developing aerobic capacity

w Ith, 238 lift,

in weiglit training,

501-4.502-3 stomach meridian

acupressure and, ~-8 relieving leg pain and,

8

stomach muscles exercises to develop, 384-85 properties of, .V)() straddle reach, as \oga exercise-, 546 fiinevs. .Streja, Dan, Ml)., on walking lor le-\vls,

therapy,

chronic peMc inflammation.

for pn)state

mnning injuries, 395-404

fijil,

464

for menstrual pain.

3""

489

reduction through hug

25"

stress test ftjr

.

with. 3

488,

squat, in weight training,

stress

modified, 168-69, 169 bath. 4"6-''8

cold

ninners high and. 3"3-"4 stimulating endorphin production,

9

siilinting reflex, of muscles, 433-34 spotter, for saletv during weight training,

stiB-legged dead

318

Simko, \1ado, M.D., on walking after dinner 1 10 simple carbohydrates, sources of. 3 17,

posture for. 3"'9-82, 383 proper technique for, 3"9-82 380-81 raising high density lipoproteins

562

locating,

on osteoporosis and

walking. 465 Siegal, Santbrd, D.O.,

225-26

loss,

H5

w ith

438

394 384-93

injuries from, 395-404 osteoarthritis and, 384 plantar wart and, 221

weight

children, 250-51

spleen meridian acupressure and, "-8

166

preparation for, 38^, .-(89-92 rcTerse windmill, 384, 385 trunk curl, 384 wall push-up, 38", 388

for

413

side stretch, as stretching exercise, 436,

for,

fi>r

2,

side leg lift, 50 raising both legs, 50 side leg raise, as warm-up exerci.se, 165,

y)l

peMc tilt, 384,386

as therapy

1

fatigue,

Alexander Technique. 133 shoulder stretch, lor still .shoulder, 80 side bends, in weight training, 504-6, 504-5

392-93 knee and head press, 389 modified wall push up, 38'', 388

for,

neck

shoulders, releasing muscles

backovcr, warning against, 390-91 toot press, 390. 391 hamstring stretch, 389. 390 inner and outer thigirs, 390,

l()otwear

of, 4 22-23 traction as, 425-29, 426 spine, strain on, 6 spiral twist, as voga exercise, 543 Spit/, Rene, .M D., on benefits ol hugging

purpose

1

tor toothache, 4 1 shoulder roll, lor still shoulder

312-13 In,

2"0

409 points tor, 410-11 for sinus colds, 409

traction therapy, 42~-2H rotation, as strain on spine, 6 rows, in weiglit training, 494-95 bent-over, 495-96, 496 upright, 495 Roy, C;huni, M.O., on therapeutic effect

buildup of lactic acid exercises for, 3H4-93

,

headaches, 408-9, 4

lor

hypnosis for, I'' voga lor, 5(0-4 Spiegel, Herbert, M D on h\pnosis, 268 spinal manipulation, 422-3 lor bursitis. 4 24 2" -28 for headache, 4 1

409

tor hangoxers, 4

1

lor,

as lubricating agent for

for eyestrain,

precautions with, 3^1 procedure for 369, 370 routine for, 3" Rosner, Samuel, M.O on headache and

arthritis,

244-45 smoking

by body, 3-4

hypnosis, sha\ing, correct position lor 62, 64 Shiatsu, 4()8-l4

arthritis, 44 5,

for, 4 20 insomnia and, 4 5, 4 18-19 pnper foods tor 420-2 rituals for 420-21

hints

sleep-inducing imagery, 4 18 sleeping bag, as heat therapy for

hormones and, 405-6 Shames, Rich;u-d, M D., on

ad\antages of, 36''

of music, rtinners

oil,

for,

massage, 299 sex and exercise, 405-"

sessions lor, 3''"'-63 training lor, 363-(i^ rope skipping, 365-"' 1

340

1

474 sedatives, common brands of. 207 sell hypnosis, 269-"2 for insomniacs, 269-"0

lor constipation,

ftir

H„ M.D„ on acupuncture.

sedation, fomentations

certification for, 36.S-61

as aerobic

thermeter, 183 slantboard, lor improving posture, sleep, 4 15-2 breathing exercises for, 418

26-2"

ad%anced, ,^().3 basic points of, .35i

11

skin temperature, mea.suring\sith

322-23

Scheming, I jwrcnce, Ph.D., on biorhj-thms, l(r-8 Schwartz, Alice Kuhn, Ph.D., on sleep therapy, 4 15-1", 420

1

21

1

w.iter tcmpeniturc lor i"-68 altering cholesterol through,

curl,

482-83 492-93

with barbell, 493 reverse, 493, 494 ec|uipment for, 48"' lateral raises,

506-7

lunges, 499-500, 500-501 militan press, 490, 490-91, progressive, 481

rows, 494-95 side liends, 504-6, spotter, 488, st|uat.

492

504-5

489

498-99, 498, 500

full,

498-99 498

partial,

GENERAL INDEX

563

1)

1

1

1

weight training (loiititmeil stifllcggcd dead lift. 50 - 1, 502-3 stretching exert i.scs for, iH.S-ST 1

upright row, 495 Weiscnfcid, Murray F, D.P.M. on muscle exercises for running,

W

402 on running, ^87, 489-90 icderanders. Rex, M.D.. on calisthenics, 159

\Xil7

1 1

1 0, 55 Complete Breath, 5\i, 515 Grip, 517 ioo«/, 521-22, 522 for eyestrain, 510 Neck and Eye Exercise. 523-25, 524-27 for flatulence, 510 Knee to Oxst, 518, 518-19 floor push, 547 Flower, 549-50, 550 for headache, 510

for

cmph\-sema, 5

Wilmore.Jack, Ph.D., on weight training,

Coipse

480 Wooten, Leslie, M.D., on karate, 296 working heart rate, taking pulse and, -45 Working Heart Rate Range (table), 44 VC'undcrlich, Ray C, Jr., M.D., on fatigue. 215

i\'eck

515-1 6, 516

l^>se.

roll.

tor indigestion,

17-18,18 lower back pain, 17-18

locating,

aging proces,s, slowing f(>rarthriti.s,

for asthma,

of,

509

Knee to

518-19 /.oa«r. 521-22. 522 Chest. 518,

for bronchitis, 509.

55

ioci«/. 521-22,

0i-e, 515-16, 516 for depres.sion, 510 Co;?)st'ft«e, 515-16,516 YogaMiuira. 529. 534-35 fordiabetcs, 510, 517, 529 6r»pit'/+«e. 515-16, 516 Kneeling l^>se. 520 eliminating fatigue with, 537

545 510

Sun Stdutation, 536, 538-39

neckachc, 529

for nervousness,

for

and fjf Exercise,

523-25, 524-27

t()r

Posterior Stretch. 52", 528-29 for

1

Corpse R>se. 515-16, 516

straddle reach.

chest stretch, 544 fi)r

for sinus, 5

l^>se.

Chest.

for sluggish liver. 5

Posterior SDx'tch. 52'". 528-29 for menstrual disorders. 510

Co/pieftjxe, 515-16,

Knee to

tor slipped disc. 5

Mountain. 523

54

545-51

520 518,518-19 for sexual debility, 510 Complete Breath. 5 1 3. 515 Kneeling Pose. 520 Uddiyana, 529. 532-33 Kneeling

for skin diseases.

Cohra, 513.514 Coz/^sf/twe, 515-16. 516 /.oa/iV. 521-22, 522

508-52

510 51"

sitting stretch,

Posterior Stretch. 52". 528-29 Vddiyaiui. 529. 534-35 for insomnia, 510

Y yoga,

Crip.

CotpsePose. 515-16. 516

X Ibr

Posterior Stretch, 527, 528-29

.\eck

Coftra. 513,

518-19

for sciatica.

529, 530-31

510 514

Chest. 518.

Mountain. 523

52^-25,524-27 shoulder

rheumatism. 510

Knee to

and Eyv F.\ercise.

ioa«/. 521-22. 522 Mountain. 523

Xuehai point

for

4

1

ioa/rt 521-22. 522 52". 528-29

Sun Salutation. 536, 538-39 YogaMudra, 529, 534-35 546

for osteoarthritis,

of, 5 1-36 precautions with, 5 1-13 pre\'enting dowager's hump with, 54

poses, t)pcs

1

1

1

for prostate troubles.

510

Kneeling Pose. 521) tor respirator)' condition.s,

508

Bcmie, Ph.D.. on touching, 253 Zohman. Unore. .MO. on benefits of .skipping rope, 369 on tai-chi. 28" Zillxrrgeld.

Zusanli point

abdominal pain, 22 22-23 for lower leg pains, 23 for motion sickness, 22 for

locating.

Whole Body Healing Want to Get the Most Out of Life? That means you need a healthy body, a body that feels alive - free of tiredness and illness. Inside the covers of this book you'll learn how to achie\'e that kind of body, how to recharge with therapies and techniques that help you feel healthy and full of energ)' - maybe better than you ever felt before!

This

Book Can Help You Gain Relief from:

• Fatigue



Overweight High Blood Pressure

Aching Back Headaches



• •

Anxiety

• Painful Feet



• Arthritis

Plus over 1 50 other conditions and diseases, all listed in a handy reference section to help you immediately locate the therapy that's right for )our problem. And those therapies aren't your typical drug-and-surgery techniques

of modern medicine. They work uith nature, gently restoring you to health. For instance, we tell you about heat therapy, water therapy, massage, relaxation therapy, Rolfing® chiropractic, acupuncture, dance therapy - even

hug therapy!

how to practice these feel-better therapies in your own home. technique requires a trained professional (like acupuncture), you'll if the therapist learn how to find a near you and what to expect from treatment, You'll learn

Or,

including

its

cost.

How running, or weightlifting - can help you overcome specific health problems. You'll learn which exercise is best for you, and how to start (and have fi.m sticking with) an exercise program. So get ready for one of the most important health '""" *riences in your life ;ts vou discover the best techniques for f'" ''oo /^ \'ou'll

also find out about the healing

walking, bicycling,

swimming -

powers of exercise.

e\'en m;irtial arts

-^^°1,

?).

^