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Summary: Yet Another Glowing 5 Star Review
Review: I bought this book after injuring my back while weightlifting. The day that I got it, the spasms in my back were so bad that I had to read the first three chapters standing up. When I then jumped to the chapter on exercises for the back, I thought to myself, "that's it??" It all just looked too simple to do any good.
And then I tried the exercises. They're time-consuming, but almost effortless. By the time I was finished, the spasms - which had nearly prevented me from putting my shoes & socks on that morning - had been reduced to a minor ache. My back felt better in only a matter of days - after an injury that has for me, in the past, usually meant months of stiffness.
I've tried Egoscue's exercises on other nagging (sports-related) injuries and aches & pains, and I haven't been let down yet. Again, they take a lot of time, but less time - and far, far less money - than seeing a chiropractor of physical therapist, which I've had to do in the past. Pete Egoscue is a genius, and I agree with all of the other raving reviews on here of his book.
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Summary: Chronic knee pain gone!
Review: I have to admit that I was highly skeptical that this book could do anything for my particular case. I've had a progressively worsening knee problem for the past three years, and I tried everything short of surgery to fix it. Up until a week ago, the everyday pain had gotten so bad I couldn't run, even when I wanted to (I'm 25); I was beginning to consider surgery as my only alternative.
And then I found this book! The claims - 95 percent success rate, noticeable results after just one 20-minute session - seemed pretty outrageous, but the customer reviews were so good I figured I had to at least try it.
I did my first set of exercises 9 days ago and I am back to tell you that *it works*. The first time I did the series of 4 exercises/stretches, I stood up after the last one and the pain was gone. --Gone! Additionally, my knee felt different...it felt right in a way that it hadn't felt in years.
The first few days that I did the exercises, about 20% of the pain would creep back around 6 o'clock (I do the exercises in the morning), I imagine because the muscles were trying to revert back to their old "habits." Now I am pain free all the time and enjoying my newfound freedom in every way that has occured to me. I played volleyball - hard - on Thursday. I've gone jogging. At the gym, I was able to lift more with that quad for some reason (it usually wobbles and gives out). Buy the book!
The funniest thing is that "exercises" and "stretches" are misnomers...when I think of "exercise," I think of "feeling the burn" and stretching brings to mind notions of a too-tight rubberband. "Motions" and "positions" are probably better descriptors for Egoscue's inventions than the latter.
The only caveat is that the series for knee problems take longer than the advertised 20 minutes, because of a groin stretch that can take a while on a bad leg (you do it until the muscle lets go). But the time has decreased for me as my knee has been getting progressively better and I have gone from spending about an hour and fifteen minutes per morning to about 30 minutes. In any case, the time spent has been well worth it, and I simply utilize the time to read while I let the position do its work.
I've spent the entire week "evangelizing" all my friends and relatives because my experience with this book has been nothing short of a miracle! Feel free to contact me with questions: jdiaz3@uic.edu.
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Summary: Pete Egoscue is really onto something!!
Review: "A pain free, active lifestyle is not only possible, but it is the way you should expect to feel and live, no matter your age, no matter your previous experience". -Pete EgoscueThe basis of Pete's philosophy centers around two things (in my opinion): 1. a person is ultimately responsible for their own health, including skeletal/muscular health. The Egoscue method puts you in charge of healing yourself. It's a big responsibility, but ultimately, it's the only real path that works. Being medicated or manipulated by others can help with symptoms, but only you can really address root problems. 2. your body is not supposed to hurt all the time! It's our western sendentary lifestyles that have created postural problems which lead to pain. When Pete sees photos of indigenous cultures, or even modern cultures that aren't so sedentary (like eastern europe), he sees none of the structural problems that are so evident in americans (loss of arch in low back, shoulders rotated forward, tops of hands visible when viewing a person from the front, carrying the head girdle in front of the spine, etc). If you give your body the motion it needs (in a variety of ways, not just the same thing over and over), it maintains proper posture and chronic pains will dissappear. I'm a client at Pete's clinic in Del Mar, about 3/4 of the way through an 8-visit series. I do about 1/2 hours of his e-cises each day. I've witnessed my low back and neck pain go almost completely away and I literally see things differently because I'm now carrying my head above my spine instead of arched forward - it changes my field of vision. I had not gone snowboarding for three years until recently. I'm very psyched to now think of moving into middle and old age active and pain free rather than having to give up more and more activities. Try it, it works.
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Summary: Helped save my officiating career
Review: About eight years ago I accidentally came across Mr. Egoscue's first book,"The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion" while at a baseball clinic. I was especially intrigued by the foreward that Jack Nicklaus wrote for the book and how it saved his golf career. As an official in four sports my back problems seemed to be increasing year by year and at the age of 44, I thought I might have to give up my officiating. I went out and purchased the book. Honestly, it may have been the best ten dollars I ever spent. He promised how if you did the excercises diligently, you would rid yourself of the problem, yourself. No magic cures were promised. It took time, but in a few weeks the pain was lessening and lessening. Would every day be perfect-No, but there was constant improvement each week. I can only speak for myself, but coming from someone who had been going to chiropractors for almost 10 years, once I started Mr. Egoscue's routine, I haven't been in the doctor's office for the past eight years over this back problem. Like he said in the book, I straightened out my own problem. As for the book "Pain Free" it is just a continuum of some of the fine excercises he uses. Just another way to get good results. At the age of 52, my back is better than it was at 32, and I thank him.
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Summary: Resolved terrible chronic hip pain resulting from pregnancy
Review: After having 5 children in under 7 years, my body was in terrible physical condition. My hips were particularly bad, and bending over was nearly impossible for me without terrible pain. Imagine that -- with 5 young children to pick up after! During one pregnancy I was in a wheelchair due to this pain, and even after the births, the pain was never completely gone. I spent thousands of dollars at the chiropractor, and found no relief until I tried prolotherapy and these exercises. I had only one prolotherapy treatment when I became pregnant again, and so couldn't continue the treatments. I felt better, but still had a disabling pain in my hips. I actually only did the Pain Free exercises 4 times -- over a period of 3 weeks -- but that was all that was necessary to completely eliminate all the hip pain I had been having for YEARS. What is even more remarkable, is that 3 of the times I did the exercises I was 8+ months pregnant, and once was soon after the birth, so I couldn't do all of them. Even still, just the little bit that I COULD do was wonderful! I recommend this book to everyone I know who has back problems. Egoscue is wonderful and has really made it possible for me to improve my life! I feel I owe him a great deal for this.
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Summary: Egoscue's book appears both effective and economical.
Review: After two sessions with Egoscue's exercises, I've still spent less than $25, I can hold my head straighter, and my uneven gait from mis-aligned hips is much improved. Two sessions at the physical therapist would have cost $36 in hot-packs alone, never mind the cost of actual therapy. And I would have been treated for the hip or the shoulder, but probably not both. Egoscue recommends reading the introductory chapters, then moving to the chapters specific to your needs. This advice works well with one possible exception: you may miss the story about the woman so misaligned that after 45 minutes in a relaxed, static back posture, she went into muscle spasm. This story indicates that it might be wise for people with considerable pain or strong mis-alignment to have someone with them during the first days or weeks of doing these exercises, to begin with the minimum times recommended for each exercise, and to expect to take longer to reach maintenance. Egoscue might also have provided directions on how to get up after lying in some of these positions: I've found it helps to pull my legs in toward my torso, then turn onto my side before I try raising my head and upper body. All in all, Egoscue's book appears very helpful. I now have high hopes for my own recovery from various chronic muscle ailments and recommend the book (I'm getting ready to have Amazon.com mail a copy to my sister right now).
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Summary: At Last, Someone Who Really Knows What Ails Me!!
Review: After years of pain, with my feet, my ankles, my legs and my back (yes, my whole body!) I find someone who understands the problem and tells me how to fix it! I have been to several foot doctors, who gave me orthotics for my shoes and shot cortizone into my foot. I have been to chiropractors, who also recommended orthotics, and who told me that one leg was shorter than the other, my body was out of balance, etc etc. With all their twisting and wrenching of my body, none could help me other than temporarily. I have been to Hellerwork specialists (massage therapy) who told me my body was incorrectly aligned. This book not only tells me what the problem is, it guides me in doing it myself!! It's not only cheap, it's easy. And it makes perfect sense. I feel better already, and look forward to being more physically active.
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Summary: A must have for every human
Review: Every human could use this book. Every minor or major pain you feel could be resolved by following these simple moves. YOU DON'T EVEN SWEAT!!
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Summary: FOOT PAIN GONE!!???
Review: For about a year I was suffering from extreme foot pain. My foot didn't always hurt, but standing in certain positions I was incapable of bearing weight, my ankle would hurt so excruciatingly I would fall to the ground in pain. But as a full time mom of two small children, the time necessary to go to some Doctor was time I didn't know how to find. So I tried the Egoscue method. WELL it was a miracle. After a week of doing the exercises less than diligently and reducing the times on everythign considerably, the foot pain is GONE. I am beyond amazed. I've even purposefully stepped in ways used to hurt excruciatingly to see if they still did hurt, nope!!! I plan on halfheartedly doing the maintenance exercises. Here's hoping my neck and shoulder pain can be eradicated too!!!
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Summary: I am a true believer in this book.
Review: Frustrated by constant hip pain, I came upon this book by accident as I was trying to find some excercises for hip pain on the internet. I came upon this book and decided to purchase it. After doing the excercises for just a week the hip pain was gone! For the first time in months I could actually roll over in bed without pain. The excercises are pretty basic and not strenuos at all. I had been to a chiropractor several times for this hip pain and it would only relieve the pain for a short time. I also had a stiff neck one day after falling asleep cuddling my baby and was about to call the chiropractor and decided to try the neck excersises first. After 2 sessions the pain was gone! I couldn't believe it. I have told everyone about this book because I can't believe how much it has helped me. It even helps with my headaches. I am in the process of ordering a couple of books now for my friends.
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