BASIC HEALING TECHNIQUE: An invaluable guide to recovery.

This article describes several suggestions to take when dealing with an injury or any condition that is uncomfortable or painful. The ideas always help no matter what the situation or condition. Because of that they make a great foundation for a short and simple movement process that can reduce the symptoms of pain and inflammation whether you have arthritis, neuropathy, nerve impingement, spine pain, rotator cuff injury, joint replacement surgery or simply feel stiff.

This is great news! If symptoms are reduced, healing can take place. Even with conditions where deterioration is prominent, reduction of symptoms reduces the impact of the deterioration. In other words, it is always a good thing to reduce pain and inflammation. Here are the 3 simple steps to take. Each idea works on its own. Use all 3 and power your recuperation further.
  • Stretch the muscles that pain has tightened.
  • Gently exercise the joints adjacent to the area hurting as well as the injured joint itself.
  • Strengthen the joint stabilizer muscles surrounding the injury.
One of the best features of this method is that it is so safe. It is entirely based on seated gentle movement.
See below for a an exercise routine for arthritis of the knee
that is based on these 3 principles. 

Stretch the muscles that pain has tightened.

When we experience pain our body contracts in at least 2 ways. The muscles surrounding the injury or deterioration tighten in response to the pain. But the stress muscles (back of the shoulders and neck) also contract. That muscle tightening restricts circulation which in turn increases inflammation and produces even more pain. So the body's natural tensing reaction to pain is counterproductive. Reversing that reaction by stretching the very same muscles that pain had tightened will in turn reduce pain and inflammation. 

One effective way to change this natural Catch 22 is to use the breath to release and relax. Deep breathing exercise is very helpful in learning to release the tension from pain. 

Gently exercise the joints adjacent to the area hurting as well as the injured joint itself.

When we feel discomfort we often restrict movement of the areas nearby as well as the area directly affected. So if our knee is bothering us, not only does it stiffen up but so does the ankle and hip as well. This adversely affects the injury or deterioration by reducing circulation in a much larger area. Gently circling the joints on either side of an injured area promotes improved circulation through the problem area, once again ensuring healing. Exercising the adjacent joints in effect improves the health of the hurting area without moving it!
Problem Area:
Knee:  
Wrist:
Neck:

​Hip:
​Lower Back:
​Shoulder:
Which joints are the adjacent joints?
​The hip joint and the ankle joint.
The fingers and the elbow.
​The atlas joint at the base of the skull, the sternoclavicular joint on the other side.
The knee on one side, the sacroiliac joint on the other.
​The hip.
The elbow and the sternoclavicular joint.
After preparing the body by moving areas that are healthy, carefully exercise the joint itself using gentle circling. Improved circulation through the injury is a result, producing a very effective healing effect.

Strengthen the joint stabilizer muscles.

Strengthening the small stabilizer muscles that surround the joint takes stress off of it. The muscles take over responsibility for movement instead of having all the stress go to the joint itself. Healing can then take place. Stabilizer muscles surround and support every joint. Strengthening them has great benefit overall for any age. But for those older, since we tend to be less active, work spent strengthening the stabilizers pays off with benefits like a significant reduction in falls. 

There are other important considerations.

  • The importance of gentle joint rotation: This recuperative method utilizes a specific type of joint movement to enhance healing: circling. Circling a joint using small and relaxed movements is an especially benevolent way to move any part of the body. It is a thorough movement while at the same time safe. Gentle circling enhances circulation and nervous system function. Click on the button below to read a thorough description of the process.
  • Increase core strength to reduce joint stress: Joints are more stressed as we age because of the effects of compression. Stress on joints often shows as painful conditions of the spine like spinal stenosis, sciatica, herniated disks. When extended sitting is added to the mixture joint stress exacerbates. One of the single easiest and most effective ways to deal with the deterioration that comes with aging is to increase the strength of the core. This in turn takes stress directly off the joints and gives them room to heal. Core strengthening is an invaluable aid in the aging process. Read more about what it means by clicking on the button below.
  • Eat a diet high in anti-inflammatories: Inflammation is a significant element of injury and joint deterioration. It makes sense to therefore try to control the level of inflammation in the body. Diet is a very effective way to do that. Refined sugar and complex carbohydrates run rampant in our food. They both significantly increase inflammation. Reducing them in our diet often reduces symptoms of many of our ailments. Learn more about we increase inflammation in our body without realizing it and how to easily reduce it by clicking on the button below.

Relaxing the stress muscles is a crucial step in reducing symptoms.

The muscles of the shoulders and neck will tighten as a reaction to many things including pain. This causes the rib cage to tighten as well which compromises breathing. It becomes a vicious circle as less oxygen promotes more inflammation and pain.

A wonderful way to short circuit any physical problem is to stretch the shoulders and back of the neck. You will find you may have to do this repeatedly as the tension returns. That's ok. Just keep doing neck and shoulder stretches.

Sample Recuperative Routine: Exercise for Arthritis of the Knee

This gentle movement routine, if practiced consistently will relieve pain and stiffness in the knee substantially. This routine is fully demonstrated in Building Better Balance DVD class Arthritis & Other Chronic Conditions.​ All exercises are done from a seated position.
  1. Gently exercise the adjacent joints: The joints adjacent to the knee are the ankle and hip joints. Circle your ankle easily in both directions. To circle your hip joints, sit upright with your legs apart, knees over your feet. Using the torso as a single plank, circle your torso gently in each direction as you are rooted to the chair.
  2. Stretch the muscles that pain has tightened #1: Stretch the back of the knee and leg by straightening your leg, then flexing and pointing your foot.
  3. Gentle joint rotation: Circle the knee joint itself gently. Firmly clasp your hands under your leg. Allow the lower leg to relax completely. Gently let the lower leg swing, then let it circle several times in each direction. 
  4. Strengthen the joint's stabilizer muscles: Straighten one knee. Release the knee and straighten making gentle pulsing movements to tighten the muscles surrounding the knee itself.
  5. Stretch the muscles that pain has tightened #2: Stretch the top of the knee by pulling the leg in and hugging your knee.
  6. Increase core strength to reduce joint stress: The stronger your abdominal, glutes and pelvic floor muscles, the less weight is placed on your knees. With less weight on the knee joint there is less inflammation and pain. Improved glute strength in particular helps relieve knee pain when standing.