Feldenkrais Pilates a.s.sisted stretching Tai Chi Chuan Yoga (Ashtanga, Bikram) *Barefoot/Vibram walking (lower back) *Egoscue (cervical/neck and mid-back) MANIPULATION.

Ma.s.sage (from Swedish to Rolfing) Acupuncture and acupressure *Active-release technique (ART) (shoulders) *Advanced muscle integration therapy (AMIT) (pectorals, glutes, and calves) Graston technique MEDICATION.

Topical Androgel (crystallized testosterone) (crystallized testosterone)DMSO (a solvent popular among sprinters and racehorses) combined with MSMArnica Oral Cytomel (liothyronine sodium = synthetic T3 thyroid hormone) (liothyronine sodium = synthetic T3 thyroid hormone)High-dose L-glutamine (5080 grams per day)High-dose bovine and chicken collagen (types 1, 2, and 3) Intra-articular (in the joint) injections PRPCortisone*Prolotherapy (left knee, right wrist) Intramuscular injection *Deca-Durabolin (nandrolone decanoate) (left shoulder) (nandrolone decanoate) (left shoulder)Delatestryl (testosterone enanthate) (testosterone enanthate)Depo-Testosterone (testosterone cypionate)Sustanon 250 (testosterone blend) 250 (testosterone blend)HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin)*Biopuncture protocol using microdoses of Traumeel and lympho- myosot (Achilles tendon, infraspinatus) Subcutaneous (under the skin) injection HGH (human growth hormone)*Biopuncture protocol (same as above)

It's quite the laundry list.

The Chosen Few All of them helped to some extent, but only a few of them produced relief that lasted more than 48 hours, and some of the exercises were impossible to perform alone.

There were just five treatments that reversed "permanent" injuries, either as 13 sessions or as viable solo exercises. Here they are: 1. SHOE HEEL REMOVAL AND VIBRAM TRAINING. AREA FIXED: LOWER BACK.

Ugly, and ultimately painful, postural compensation is unavoidable when wearing shoes that elevate the heels. This simple observation somehow escaped me for 30 years, until CrossFit Chicago instructor Rudy Tapalla introduced me to Vibram Five Finger shoes, which look like gloves for your feet.

Chronic use of high-heeled shoes usually results in some degree of kyphosis-lordosis and related pains in the lower back and mid-upper back. Kyphosis-lordosis, seen in the second ill.u.s.tration to the right, is posture characterized by "convex curvature of the thoracic spine and an inwardly curved lower back resulting from the pelvis being tilted forward." This is an academic way of saying hunchbacked and swaybacked at the same time.

This is how both men and women with less than 10% bodyfat can end up looking potbellied. It's the overarching of the low back, not excessive bodyfat, that causes this unfortunate optical illusion.

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The fix is simple: most of the time, wear flats or shoes with little difference in sole thickness from toe to heel. Shifting to wearing Vibram Five Fingers and Terra Plana Barefoot Vivo shoes completely erased low-back pain I'd suffered from for more than 10 years. To the degree it was possible, the Vibrams also helped restore my feet. Restore to what? Their natural condition, ill.u.s.trated below in the first set of photos, published in the and Terra Plana Barefoot Vivo shoes completely erased low-back pain I'd suffered from for more than 10 years. To the degree it was possible, the Vibrams also helped restore my feet. Restore to what? Their natural condition, ill.u.s.trated below in the first set of photos, published in the American Journal of Orthopedic Surgery American Journal of Orthopedic Surgery in 1905. in 1905.

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In barefoot walkers, the toes fan out, providing a stable base for walking. Notice the natural outward line from the center of the heel to the big toe, which prevents excessive p.r.o.nation (rolling of the feet inward) and related problems in the knees and lower back.

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Much like in Chinese foot binding, the feet of this modern man have conformed to his shoes. The outward line from heel to big toe is nonexistent.

Don't get me wrong. Used on occasion, a nice set of heels can really accentuate the female form and give fellas some style and height.

Just use the elevation in moderation.

2. THE EGOSCUE METHOD. AREAS FIXED: CERVICAL/NECK AND MID-BACK.

Peter Egoscue (p.r.o.nounced "Eg-os-cue," not "Ego-scue") is the founder of the Egoscue Method, a postural therapy program with 24 clinics worldwide. Peter is a former marine and self-taught therapist who became famous through experimentation on himself and athletes. One of his early experiences is lore among his trainers: Pete found himself in the locker room of a professional wrestler after the athlete had sprained his ankle. Peter, only at the event because the producer was his friend, had the wrestler lie on the floor and place his extended and injured leg on top of a locker door. Unsure of what to do, he chose elevation. Pete then got a phone call and walked out, only to return 15 minutes later. The wrestler stated in no uncertain terms that the elevation had been a complete waste of time. His ankle still felt the same.

But, for whatever reason, his chronic back pain felt better.

Pete asked himself a simple question: "why?" He then repeated and refined this unusual locker-room stretch until its success rate for back pain was impressive enough to warrant a formal name. It became the rather obscene-sounding "supine groin progressive," which I later fell in love with. Decades later, he still emphasizes the fundamental importance of basic questioning at Egoscue University: "Students, in my world, because I know nothing, everything is possible."

For me, the Egoscue Method was not love at first sight.

I had been exposed to Egoscue on half a dozen occasions via athletes before testing it myself in 2009. I held off for as long as I did because the early exposure left me with an aftertaste of cult.

Testimonials claimed everything from disappearing allergies to self-healing digestive problems, and I was shown videos of trainees going into full-body involuntary spasms like grand mal seizures during certain "e-cises" (exercises).

I decided I was just fine without a Pentecostal brand of Pilates. If I wanted to squeeze my pelvic floor while swinging a dead cat over my head, I could do that on my own. So I ignored the Egoscue Method, despite endors.e.m.e.nts from golf legend Jack Nicklaus and Super Bowl ringsporting NFL players like John Lynch.

Then, in June 2009, I found myself in Tempe, Arizona, eating lunch with a friend who was scheduled for an Egoscue session that very afternoon with John Cattermole, a well-respected and seasoned pract.i.tioner with 25 years of physical therapy experience. I agreed to accompany him and undergo an evaluation, fully prepared for a nice dose of voodoo.

Instead, I walked out 90 minutes later with no pain in my mid-back for the first time in six months. I couldn't believe it.

It would be one of many times that I slapped myself for prematurely throwing out the baby with the bathwater. This experience also reconfirmed two truisms: (1) some pract.i.tioners of any method will get the message wrong and broadcast it, creating confusion as representatives, and (2) it's critical, as Bruce Lee emphasized, to "absorb what is useful, discard what is useless, and add what is uniquely your own."

Based on several months of testing myself and other laptop hunchers, I can recommend six 80/20 exercises for desk-dwellers' postural imbalances. For the minimalists who work at home (or who have understanding coworkers), I suggest performing #1, #2, and #3 after every two or three hours at a desk or in a sitting position and performing all five movements at least once per week.

The supine groin progressive, the most inconvenient, unusual, and time-consuming of the five, is the singular most effective tool I've found for eliminating psoas and other hip flexor tightness to unlock the pelvis and relieve hamstring tightness.

1. Static Back Sets 1 | Reps 1 | Duration 0:05:00 0:05:00 [image]

Description 1. Lie on your back with your legs up over a block or chair.

2. Place your arms out to the sides at approximately 45 degrees from your body with palms up. Touch your thumbs to the floor.

3. Relax your upper back and ensure your lower back flattens to the floor evenly from left to right.

4. Hold this position for five minutes.

2. Static Extension Position on Elbows Sets 1 | Reps 1 | Duration 0:01:00 0:01:00 [image]

Description 1. Start on the floor on your hands and knees, ensuring your higher joints are aligned (i.e., shoulders, elbows, and wrists in a straight line; hips directly above the knees).

2. Walk your hands forward about six inches, and then, noting placement of the hands, replace them with your elbows.

3. Make a light fist of each hand and pull them away from each other, pivoting on your elbows and turning the thumbs out.

4. Push your hips backward toward your heels to place an arch in your lower back.

5. Let your head drop down.

6. Hold for 60 seconds.

3. Shoulder Bridge with Pillow Sets 1 | Reps 1 | Duration 0:01:00 0:01:00 [image]

Description 1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet pointed straight ahead.

2. Place a pillow between your knees and apply a constant pressure inward while executing the exercise.

3. Relax your upper body and lift your hips and back up off the floor.

4. Hold in top position for one minute.

4. Active Bridges with Pillow Sets 3 | Reps 15 | | [image]

Description 1. Follow the instructions for the last exercise, but, instead of holding at the top of the movement, lift your hips as high as you can and slowly lower them back down. Keep the motion as smooth and continuous as possible.

2. Repeat 15 times for three total sets.

5A. Supine Groin Progressive in Tower Duration 25 minutes each side 25 minutes each side [image]

Description 1. Lie on the floor with one leg up over a block or chair, bent to 90 degrees (in the ill.u.s.tration, the right leg). Your arms should be out to your sides at 45 degrees, with palms facing up.

2. Place the other foot in the boot used with the tower.

3. Place your booted foot on the tower, starting at the lowest level and moving it up until an arch begins to form in your lower back. This is the level where you will complete your first 5 minutes.

4. Hold until your back is flat on the floor. Pay more attention to the flattening of your back than the specified time.

5. After 5 minutes, lower your foot one level on the tower and again hold.

6. Continue this until your leg is extended straight out on the lowest level.

7. Switch legs and repeat the entire sequence.

5B. Alternative: Supine Groin on Chair [image]

This is a far inferior version of the supine groin progressive, as it's not progressive, but it's more convenient.

1. Tie a sweatshirt or pair of sweatpants around a chair or door k.n.o.b.

2. Set a small chair or table, approximately knee height, next to the set-up from step 1.

3. Suspend the heel of one leg in the sweatshirt or sweatpants and rest the other leg on the chair or table. Hold for 10 minutes.

4. Repeat on the opposite side.

6. Air Bench Sets 1 | Reps 1 | Duration | Reps 1 | Duration 0:02:00 0:02:00 [image]

Description 1. Stand with your back against a wall with feet and knees hip width apart. Feet point straight ahead.

2. Walk your feet away from the wall while sliding your body down at the same time until your knees are bent at 90 degrees. Ensure your ankles are slightly ahead of your knees. Your lower back should be completely flat against the wall. Your arms can hang down to your sides, or you can rest your hands gently on your lap. Keep the weight in your heels and do not press forward on your toes.

3. Hold for two minutes.

3. ADVANCED MUSCLE-INTEGRATION THERAPY (AMIT). AREAS FIXED: PECTORALS, GLUTES, CALVES.

I split guinea pig duties for injury reversal with a semiprofessional athlete we'll call "Seabiscuit." He had torn his hamstring in sprint training. I took the bullet for biochemical experiments and injections, and he tested the unusual therapies and painful mechanical corrections. From Mexico to Miami, we'd seen a lot and spent more than $100,000 already. Few things paid off.

"Dr. Two Fingers" was Seabiscuit's single best find, and I received a text message to that effect, which ended with: "Mate, you need to break something just so Dr. Two Fingers can fix you. Trust me."

I'd already taken care of the breaking things, so I booked a flight to Salt Lake City and drove almost an hour to the small Mormon-dominated town of Kaysville, where the ChiroMAT office of Craig Buhler-"Dr. Two Fingers"-is located.

The walls of his waiting room are covered with thank-you letters and signed jerseys from the best of the best in their respective sports: four-time Super Bowl star linebacker Bill Romanowski, NBA players John Stockton and Karl Malone, and alpine ski star Picabo Street, among others.

Buhler approached injuries differently than most.

Unlike the majority of therapists, who treat the tight or painful muscles and joints themselves (i.e., sore lower back? work on the lower back; painful Achilles? rehab the Achilles), Buhler's sought to unpeel the onion of proprioception proprioception, how the nervous system, in this case, turns muscles on or off.

Seabiscuit had nicknamed Buhler "Dr. Two Fingers" because of his unusual approach to isolating and reactivating individual muscles that had been injured or deactivated. For his highest-level athletes, this could be done for up to 700 muscles. With one finger pressed deep into the end of a given muscle (a tendon insertion point) and another finger of the opposite hand pressed into the opposite end, he would progress through a series of tests to return a dormant muscle to its previous function.

From a brochure at his clinic:

We have found that when a body part is overloaded or stressed past its capacity to handle the load, there is a predictable result. Either the muscle or connective tissue is injured, or the proprioceptive system deactivates parts of the tissue, much like a circuit breaker in an electrical circuit.The body adapts, recruiting other muscles to take over the load. With repet.i.tion, the adaption advances. Recruited tissues get stronger, impaired areas atrophy.

It didn't take long to demonstrate this "reactivation" in practice. Dr. Two Fingers first tested the strength of my supraspinatus (the most commonly injured rotator cuff muscle) using an FET force sensor, showed that I had the strength of Dakota Fanning, and then proceeded to reactivate it, more than quadrupling my strength.

I went from lifting 6 pounds to lifting 28 pounds in less than five minutes.

"Do you have pain at the bottom of your right Achilles tendon?" Buhler asked. He hadn't even looked at this location, and he had pinpointed one of my most serious problem areas. He could see I was confused, so he explained: "Your gastrocnemius [calf] isn't firing properly-it's turned off-so it makes sense that you have Achilles and knee pain, and most likely referral pain in your hamstring."

And so he continued, proving again and again that what I thought was the problem wasn't the problem. It was a muscle that had taken over for another muscle, which had taken over for yet another muscle. The original muscular deactivation could be on the opposite side of the body, nowhere near the site of pain.

His spotting ability was incredible. One world-cla.s.s powerlifter who'd visited Buhler shared an anecdote from his first visit: "He hadn't even touched me and he announced that I had weak quads. I responded back with 'Weak quads?! I deadlift 900 pounds!' to which Craig just shrugged and went to work." The lifter later reviewed slow-motion footage of his pulling technique in compet.i.tion and realized that, undeniably, his technique clearly indicated he was straightening his legs quickly to compensate for weak quadriceps.

Time spent with Dr. Two Fingers added up. Fifty dollars per muscle reactivated means that function doesn't come cheap. I had a total of four sessions and covered more than 50 muscles.

I couldn't accept all of his supplemental programs, but I knew that exploring the fringes required casting a wide net. To find the few things that worked, it was sometimes necessary to bite your tongue and withstand things you knew didn't work, even within the same offices.

In the end, I tested his treatments with the only jury that really mattered: objective weights.

The changes were not subtle.

Take the pectorals, for instance. Since fracturing both collarbones in my teens, I have had disproportionate trouble recruiting the chest, making the bench press and similar movements my weakest exercises.

Twenty-four hours before my second session with Buhler, I performed decline flies with 40-pound dumbbells for a maximal five repet.i.tions.

Twenty-four hours after the session, I performed slow decline flies with 50-pound dumbbells (20% increase) for 14 repet.i.tions (180% increase).

Incredible.

Before you aim to improve a muscle's output (weight or repet.i.tions lifted) by increasing size, it's important to ensure that the input (neural system) is functioning properly. Do you really need "stronger muscles," or is the wiring just not conducting the signal properly?

If you can't make a trip to Dr. Two Fingers, see the MAT resources at the end of this chapter for a local option.

4. ACTIVE-RELEASE TECHNIQUE (ART). AREA FIXED: SHOULDER INTERNAL ROTATORS.

Dr. P. Michael Leahy's engineering education began with aeronautics in the air force. His fascination with structural mechanics only fully expressed itself much later, in 1985. This was the year ART was formalized and patented, the year he applied his engineering to human soft-tissue injuries. Leahy, a veteran of 25 Ironman triathlons, has since been doctor to, among others, Olympic gold-medal sprinter Donovan Bailey, Gary Roberts of the NHL Toronto Maple Leafs, and Mr. Universe Milos Sarcev.

The basic premise of the method is simple: shorten the tissue, apply manual tension, and then lengthen the tissue or make it slide relative to its adjacent tissue. Simple does not mean easy; as Leahy explains, "It's as simple as playing a piano and just as difficult."

What does this look like in practice? If muscles are adhered to one another or to bone, it looks a lot like tearing muscles apart. See the visual preview below.