The Feldenkrais Method, and the true measure of flexibility.....

    It's Feldenkrais Awareness Week, and a special time to celebrate this remarkable man and the Method that he created.

    Moshe Feldenkrais never intentionally set out to develop this unique method of learning through self education. Instead, it slowly and gradually developed from his own personal experience and frustration from trying to heal from a recurrent knee injury. Every time he thought his knee was healed, he would inadvertently re-injure it, often just by stepping off of a curb and landing wrong.

    After consulting with several physicians, he was advised to have his knee surgically repaired, with about a 50% chance of full recovery. He decided the odds were not good enough for him to go under the surgeon's knife, and he chose a different path. That path was the road to self education and self healing, through movement.

    His method is based on the scientific principle of neuroplasticity, which means that our nervous system is inherently malleable and flexible. This flexibility means that we (specifically our brains), are capable of changing and learning new patterns during the course of our entire lifetime. These new patterns are not limited to just physical patterns, but include thinking, sensing and feeling as well as moving.

    One major philosophy of Feldenkrais is that the measure of flexibility does not lie with the flexibility of one's muscles or joints. The true measure of one's flexibility lies within the core of every living being's existence: their nervous system. The ability to adapt to our ever changing environment, to interrupt habitual patterns that are not serving us well, to understand human nature, and the ability to recover from trauma is more than the true measure of flexibility. It is what brings us to the full measure of our human dignity.

    I feel incredibly honored and humbled, to be a Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and to carry on his legacy and the gift of his remarkable Method. Thank you, Moshe! Happy Feldenkrais Awareness Week!
     

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

The power of words, and permanent damage....

    I love working with people, and I love helping them recover from injuries and chronic pain. It's actually not that complicated, and my clients are often amazed (and delighted) to experience how easy and effortless it is to heal from pain.

    I recently worked with a young woman who was experiencing persistent neck pain after a car accident. After just a few weeks, her pain dramatically decreased, her cervical range of motion improved, her energy increased and she was able to return to work full time. Even better, she got a spark in her eye, a spring in her step, and her remarkable wit and sense of humor returned. 

    I was stunned when she came back to my office two weeks after we both decided that she didn't need any more help. She was in tears, extremely depressed and in severe pain. Alarmed, I asked her what happened. She told me she had returned  to her physician for a follow up assessment which included more cervical x-rays. Her physician looked at the films, showed them to her, and informed her that she may have permanent damage as a result of the accident. Yikes! Even my neck began to hurt.

    I wanted to scream and pound my head against the wall in frustration, but I figured that wouldn't do either one of us any good. Besides, my own neck was starting to hurt and I knew that would only make it worse. I kept my expression as neutral as possible, and reminded her that she had been pain free for weeks, had regained her strength, range of motion and had returned to all of her functional and recreational activities. She burst into tears and wailed, "But that was before I knew I had permanent damage!" Uh-oh.

    I pointed out that her doctor said that she may have permanent damage; he didn't say that she definitely did have permanent damage. Through her tears she explained that she saw the x-rays herself and they looked "pretty bad". Surprised, I asked her if she had ever seen an x-ray before. She hadn't, but she assured me that it looked awful. Sheesh!

    I know her doctor and I have a great deal of respect for him. However, as a practitioner, I believe that we have to be careful how we choose our words. An unfortunate choice of words can transform you from someone who is healing into someone who has no hope of ever recovering. I know, I've been there myself. A poor choice of words can take away your power and render you helpless. Words matter; they can heal or harm, encourage or destroy, empower or devastate. They can even cause permanent damage. Choose them carefully.


Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP

A very funny Easter Bunny.....

    Growing up in Western Pennsylvania was pretty special. All of the holidays were celebrated with great enthusiasm. It didn't matter if it was a national holiday, state holiday, school holiday, personal holiday, birthday, or religious holiday. We celebrated them all.

    Being of Eastern European descent, our family celebrated Easter with the ethnic and cultural traditions of our religion and our heritage. However, we also got to experience the other part of the Easter holiday, the Easter Bunny. And we enjoyed the decadence of all the chocolate Easter bunnies, chocolate eggs, jelly beans and marshmallow peeps.

    Of course, the Easter Bunny is famous for leaving baskets for each child at every house he visits. But, he never left baskets for me and my sisters. We must have been last on his "to do" list, and by the time he got to our house at the end of the street and at the top of the hill,  things began to go awry.

    Every year he developed a small hole in the bottom of his bag, probably from dragging it around all night as he went from house to house. As a result, he left a small trail of jelly beans on the walk leading up to the door of our house. The trail became bigger the closer he got to our front door. By the time he used his magic key to unlock the door to our house, jelly beans and brightly colored chocolate eggs began to litter the floor.

    At that point he must have given up. Since candy was already falling out of his bag, he must have decided to go with the flow. So he did. And he made an incredible mess. He threw candy all over the dining room and living room floor. At least he neatly lined up the packages of colored peeps, large chocolate bunnies and big eggs on the fireplace. Maybe he stole that idea from Santa Claus.

    Every Easter morning, we woke up to that beautiful, colorful mess. My sisters and I crawled around, gathered up the candy, and put it in the bowls and baskets that our mother pulled out of the cabinets. Yes, indeed, once a year we ate candy right off of the floor! Good thing our mother was a meticulous housekeeper. And, we rarely used the living room and dining room anyway. It was only for company.

    Every year, our mother would  complain about that darned Easter Bunny for messing up her house. And, every year she would plot how to stop him from doing the same thing the following year. We always hoped the Easter Bunny didn't hear her. That rascally rabbit was one funny bunny. It would sure be a bummer if we started getting boring baskets like the other kids. Where's the sport in that?

    Fortunately, our Mom never did stop him in his tracks. And every Easter Sunday we were treated with the sight of all that candy thrown all over the floor. Although, it wasn't as much fun picking up candy off of the floor as I got older, especially since my two older sisters and I got to help our Easter Bunny throw the candy around for our younger sisters when it was their turn to enjoy the magic. But, it was still okay to eat candy right off of the floor.

   The truth is, I still believe in the Easter Bunny. And Santa Claus. I believe in the magic of childhood, and I believe in the power of healing and comfort that sweet memories provide. I believe in the mystery and the reality of things that cannot be explained, but that we know in our hearts exist. And, I learned a few important things along the way. It's important to keep your floors clean. You never know when something sweet might land on them. Second, don't put all your eggs in one basket. You may want to throw them around a bit, and share them with others. At least, that's what our Easter Bunny would recommend.

Be healthy!
Cheryl Ilov, PT, GCFP