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Tag: Gentle movement

Low Back Pain Relief Case Study – My Mom!

Do you suffer from low back pain?

Are you fearful of movements like bending or twisting?

How would it feel to reconnect with your body, build strength and mobility, eliminate your fear of movement, reduce your pain, and enjoy moving again?

Give me a call today to discuss what’s going on with your body, and how I can help.

(503) 705-4762

Here’s the story of Claire, my sweet mommy. She is in her 70’s, lives in Florida, her and her husband keep a year round garden (collards in the winter, in April she already had waist high tomato plants). She loves to putter around the yard. She exercises just about every day, rocking out to her 50’s cassette tapes in the spare bedroom, and walking along the river with her husband. She is active, vibrant, and loves being outside.

Look how cute she is!

Recently, she was suffering from back pain so bad that she was unable to do the things she loves. When I visited her this spring, and saw how stiff she was, I knew we had to do something right away.

We started with heat, massage, and abdominal breathing. Each day we did a few exercises, and/ or soft tissue work. As she started to feel better we added new moves, slowly working our way from tiny clamshells and bird dogs, to bridges, squats and plank variations. After two days she was feeling better, after two weeks she was pain free!

She was walking at her normal pace, and able to do her regular exercises (she was even able to get on her hands and knees to pull weeds!).

If this sounds like an experience you have had, or are having with your back, watch this video, and listen closely to my cueing.

Go slowly, do less than you think you can, breathe, rest, and be really sweet with yourself.

There is hope, even if you have been diagnosed with arthritis, or a disc issue. Whether you are trying to prevent surgery, or recovering from surgery, I am here for you.

If you’d like me to personally take you thru these exercises give me a call. (503) 705-4762

Together we will go through my trademarked R.O.S.S. protocol to safely get you out of pain, and get you moving again! There is a way out of chronic pain. Come with me to the land of relaxation, and making peace with your body.

From Claire:

I’m Claire, Anne’s Mom.

I have an area in my low back which gives me trouble about every 6 or 7 years when I do something stupid. I love to work in the yard and exercise. In early spring, there’s always a lot of yard work I want to tackle. In mid-February our weather was beautiful. I over-did it and ended up with some nasty low back pain. When Anne came for a visit in mid-April, my back was a little better, but I was still not able to exercise or do yardwork.

Anne massaged my back, applied heat, and showed me some exercises and stretches to help me. After a week and a half, I was much improved. A few days later I was just about pain free! In the last week I have been able to work in the yard 2 days with no problem. I’m continuing my back exercises, and plan to start back on my regular exercises soon.

Anne was a lifesaver. She knows her business and wants to help you.

Don’t stay in pain – give her a call!

August Feldenkrais With Kim Cottrell

Have you heard me talk about Kim Cotrell’s weekly Feldenkrais classes? I have known Kim for years and popped in to her classes when my schedule allowed. For the past few months I have been regularly attending Kim’s Tuesday morning lessons and I can really feel a difference in my back. Since my back surgery in 2014 my view of “movement vs. exercise” has shifted dramatically. In my twenties if I had a break I was going for a run. Now if I have a break I do release work, somatics, undulation exercises, or myofascial release on the foam roller.

Feldenkrias is subtle, relaxing, frustrating, difficult to explain, and really good for my back. One of the goals of this work is to increase our movement options. I describe this as taking a machete and clearing a new path through the jungle (my brain being the jungle).

The official description is a little more eloquent – a form of somatic education that uses gentle movement to enhance function, increase ease and range of motion, improve your flexibility and coordination, and rediscover your innate capacity for graceful, efficient movement.

In August Kim is offering a pelvic floor focus. If you are available Tuesdays morning at 11 I highly recommend these classes.

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood), Oregon based personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. She offers weekly classes and one on one sessions that incorporate her signature movement + massage concepts to aid in pain relief, stress reduction and improve strength.

Contact her today for your complimentary consultation. (503) 705-4762

New Class – Restorative Yoga Thursdays 9 am

After requests for a more gentle yoga offering I am excited to announce we start a six week Restorative Yoga series next week and you are invited!

 

Kate Seated Twist Jan 2013

Why do I need restorative yoga?

We love to be busy. Pushing, achieving, multitasking. Racing from one appointment to the next, often overbooking ourselves only to cancel at the last minute has become the norm.

No one gives out prizes for eliminating something off your to do list. There is no PR for sitting quietly (although maybe there should be?). Think you are too busy to sit? Believe it or not the more you slow down the more you have time for.

Gentle restorative yoga, meditation, release work and passive stretching all help to improve your brain function, calm your nervous system and open you up both physically and mentally.

Have you ever chewed on a problem for days then when you are in a relaxed place, say just about to fall asleep, the solution just pops into your head? By allowing our bodies an minds to release we become more efficient. I have been guilty of holding on to things (ideas, stuff, people) that no longer improve my life. Letting go is hard work!

Release work is often more challenging, in a different kind of way, than an active vinyasa or power yoga class. If you took part in our Wellness Challenge last fall you may have found the meditation aspect to be the most challenging. Guess what that means you need to do more of? You got it – sitting.

This class allows you to baby step into mindfulness by focusing on gentle calming movements. I find it easier to get into a flow state if I have something to do, verses just sitting.

 

Pigeon

What is restorative yoga?

We start with release work. By softening and letting go of chronically tight muscles we allow for greater movement options – baby bear, gentle twisting, cat and cow. Next we get organized. With stabilization exercises we ask often underused muscles to kick in – dead bug, single leg lifts. Next up, moderately paced strength and balance work – gentle lunge, tree pose, bridging – to strengthen and stretch larger muscle groups. Lastly flexibility work – including hamstring, hip and shoulder stretches – allow us to release tightness , decrease pain and enjoy greater range of motion.

This class will run for six weeks – April 23rd to May 28th. You may use your class pass ($16 per class) or drop in for $20 per class. All levels welcome.

How do I sign up?

Why on the new online scheduler of course! Click the “view class schedule” box to the right. Type your first and last name into the box on the right and you will be emailed login information. Current clients you have an account already set up, all you need to do is create a password.

 

Anne McCranie is a Portland (Sellwood) Oregon based Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist. She offers weekly classes, one on one training and seasonal hikes here in the Pacific Northwest. Call her today to see if this class is a good fit for you. (503) 705-4762.