Sunday, April 3, 2011

Fibromyalgia and What?

  Check the gut and adrenals!

One of the conditions that a lot of people see me for is help for symptoms associated with fibromyalgia. This autoimmune disorder can be very difficult to treat and people suffer for years without any help or resolution from Western medicine beyond just pain medications. People are discovering how successful laser therapy can be in alleviating the pain and discomfort associated with fibromyalgia and it is encouraging to see that many doctors are now beginning to refer patients for help with laser therapy and fibromyalgia.

When clients come to see me for treatment of fibromyalgia, I use the  LCT-1000 deep tissue laser therapy and have some fantastic success with that program. However I am also bringing in some of my own experience in the past of suffering from severe adrenal fatigue and thyroid cancer. 

Because I had such a dysfunction in my hormone system and my own internal body environment, I devoted time to learning exactly what environment would cause the body to turn on itself. So I began to take a look inside of the body to see exactly what is happening with primary systems that can relate to hormone function.

Through my recovery from adrenal fatigue that was causing a lot of my underlying symptoms even after I had my thyroid gland removed  from the cancer, I started to do some evaluations on fibromyalgia patients and found some very similar underlying conditions. I began to do some saliva testing on the adrenal glands and how the underlying hormone system of the body was functioning. 

My thought was the body was turning on itself from a lack of balance in the hormonal system. It turns out that every single client that I had evaluated with saliva testing had adrenal fatigue at all different phases from mild, moderate and severe. And because of this underlying hormone dysfunction their internal body environment was ripe for turning on itself, a.k.a. autoimmune disorder .

Learn more about saliva testing here...SALIVA TESTING!

Also, began to look at the internal body environment in regards to pH potential hydrogen of the intracellular matrix. I discovered that the majority of people with fibromyalgia suffer from a highly acidic intracellular body environment. Thus, basically all the cells were sitting in a toxic environment. I sort of equate that to people checking the pH of a swimming pool or a fish tank. 

There is a very delicate mixture so the fish don't die and that you can actually swim in the pool not full of mold, fungus and bacteria. Just like if the fish tank pH balance is too acidic or too basic fish will die. The same thing happens for the internal environment of the human body. All the cells of the human body will be sitting in toxic waste, and the body begins to turn on itself. Cells die!


Evaluate the gut lining for any underlying inflammation or mucosal infection. 50% of the immune system strength comes from the intestines, so if it is compromised in any way, shape, or form people will be prone to illness. We evaluate saliva testing and stool samples (fecal) for underlying gut inflammation, food allergies, food sensitivities, possible parasites or bacterial infections, which can compromise the function of the immune system. It also compromises how the body can absorb nutrients. 

If you have an inflamed gut lining you do not absorb the vital nutrients that you need for optimum function. Good nutrition is really not about what you eat it's about what your body can absorb. You can eat the healthiest food in the world but if your gut lining is inflamed and you cannot absorb nutrients, it won't really matter how healthy you eat.

So the take away is that once someone suffers from an autoimmune disorder you have to look at the internal body environment. Why is the body turning on itself? It is exactly like what I teach for Stop Chasing Pain. The site of your pain is not necessarily where your problem is. So part of my program is the deep tissue laser  therapy, but everyone also gets their saliva testing and stool sampling. Basically what we do is attack the body from the inside out, and the outside in!

The underlying take away is that there's always another way to look at the body. Of course you should continue to take any medications that your doctor prescribed. But you can always do more things to empower yourself to help your body function at optimum. Because feeling good is not about functioning at normal. Feeling good is about functioning at optimum. 

For if your body is too busy trying to survive, it will never allow you to look good, feel good, and thrive. For more information you can visit my website. Click the link below to learn more about the hormone system of your body and take back control of your life. Although many people may tell you there's nothing they can do to help you. 

I believe you can. It's your body! It's your life! And are in control!

Click here to learn more.....STOP CHASING PAIN!

Thursday, January 27, 2011

The One Blog Post That Can Change Your Life!

Yes, this is a BOLD statement and I stand by it wholeheartedly. How can I? Cause it did for me...Read, absorb, think, and then do! And it will work for you too.

I read an exceptional book this week by Scott Ginsberg and there was a section in there that jut wrapped up everything I have strived to learn in my life. The way he said it was just perfect. So I wanted to share it with you in hopes that it will resonate with you too. Enjoy it and if it touches you, forward it to others in that they may feel the power of these words.

BE brilliant at the basics. Be the change you want to see in the world. Be the first one. Be the only one. Be unforgettable. Be interesting. Be a sleeper. Be the world's expert on yourself. Be better than yesterday, but not as good as tomorrow. Be confident enough to be humble. But be somebody who reminds everybody of nobody else in the world.


AND DON'T wish it was easier, wish yo were better. Don't sell, enable people to buy. Don't let jerks get you down. Don't be weary in well doing for in due season you will reap a great harvest if you faint not. And don't wait for the mainstream to validate your voice. Don't despise the day of small beginnings. Don't be selfish with your knowledge. Don't complain if you haven't earned the right. And don't be different, be unique.


BECAUSE YOU are what you charge. You are what you believe. You are the books you've read and the people you've met. And you are an empty sheet of paper in the minds of every person you encounter.


AFTER ALL, the world cannot resist a person on a mission. The best swimmers are always in the pool. The sculpture is inside the stone. And the two greatest days in your life are the day you're born, and the day you realize WHY you were born.


AND if you are successful you will always have too much to do and too little time. If you aren't being criticized, you aren't doing much. And if everyone says you're out of your mind, you just might be onto something.


EVEN THOUGH, it's not easy being yourself. It's not who you know, it's who knows you. And it's not the years, it's the mileage.


SO WORK hard, work long and work smart. Work like you don't need the money. And work from technique, because you never know how you will feel.


AND DON"T FORGET THAT success leaves clues. That confidence is king. That credibility comes from specificity. That listening is not waiting to talk. And that a nice person who is mean to a waiter is not a nice person.


OR, TO tell the truth, to tell it all and tell it now. To give value first. To paint yourself into a good corner. To allow customers to participate in your brand. To do work once and benefit many times. To give yourself away. To respect people no's. To take massive action. And to act as if you already are the person you're trying to become.


THEREFORE, ALWAYS stand up, stand out or be counted out. Discover your Personal Mission. Learn to step outside your comfort zone. Greet each day with love in your heart. Show, don't tell. Make daily appointments with yourself. Never apologize for your art. Remember your Victory Dance. Work harder on yourself than  your job. Find your one big idea. And always validate your existence, be yourself and so something cool--every single day!


"Everybody is somebody's somebody!"




Thank all of you for following my work. I am truly honored.....ME!


www.stopchasingpain.com 

Sunday, January 23, 2011

3-Hour Brain Rush with Joe Dowdell

This weekend I had the honor of attending my good friend Joe Dowdell's workshop at Peak Performance Gym in NYC on Program Design 101. Joe is the CEO and founder of Peak Performance Gym voted one of the Top 10 Gyms in the country by Men's health Magazine, so you know he know his stuff. And take it from me, HE DOES!

Click here to see my Stop Chasing Pain TV interview with Joe after the workshop.




Here are just a few of the 100's of take aways from the workshop. Keep an eye out for Joe's Internship Program coming soon.

Learn more at Joe's website:




  • The Goal of your client is the most important component to program design. It's not about you, it's about them!
  • Targeting the GTO Golgi Tendon Organ is the key ingredient that makes foam rolling effective.
  • CNS Activation Drills fire up the nervous system and are designed to improve the individual's timing and rhythm.
  • In general he recommends changing the strength program every 3-6 weeks, but 4 weeks is a good rule of thumb.
  • Core dominant exercises (in general) should be placed at the end of the strength training session.
  • TEMPO matters!
  • Two ways to look at intensity: load and effort!
  • GPP General Physical Preparation is always where you start with a client. Helps develop tissue tolerance to begin to improve their work capacity.
  • Block Method of Periodizaton is an idea that suggest the use and sequencing of specialized meso-cyle blocks, where highly concentrate training workloads are focused on a minimal number of motor and technical abilities.
This is just a sample of the enormous information he talked about for programming. There is an art to programming. Invest the time to learn the skill.

Thanks Joe for a great time! 


Chad Skrederstu, Joe Dowdell, Me

Friday, December 17, 2010

A Must Purchase DVD! Training=Rehab Rehab=Training


Ok, I rarely if ever recommend a product. In this case I am stating it loud and clear for all to hear....GET THIS DVD!

Charlie Weingroff's new DVD is one of the best I have seen. Jam packed full of information to help make you a better health and medical professional. This 6-Disc set is a goldmine with pearls of wisdom at every turn.

I have been in this profession a long time and seen just about everything. I know when someone really knows their stuff! Not only knows it, but truly believe in it, and are passionate about the topic. They walk the talk and use it in real life, on real people to make a difference. CHARLIE is the REAL DEAL!

Charlie is a dear friend and a mentor. He has taught me how to be a better doctor. Now you have the opportunity to share in the wealth of knowledge he has taught me. Don't miss the opportunity to take yourself to a new level.

This DVD is an investment! An investment in yourself, your skills, your profession, and your clients. Successful people take a percentage of their income every year and devote it to learning and education; with seminars, workshops, books, DVD's, etc. This DVD better be in that percentage!


I can guarantee that if you don't get this DVD, your competition will! And they will have the advantage.


A brief list of what this DVD covers is:


  • Movement
  • SFMA (Selective Functional Movement Assessment) Lite
  • FMS (Functional Movement Screen)
  • Joint by Joint Movement
  • Core Pendulum Theory
  • Corrective Exercise
  • Do's and Don'ts of working with clients
  • ...and tons more.
When I refer out and work with fitness professionals, I expect them to know this information. Forge yourself out of the pack and be a leader. Use this information to establish working relationships with health and medical professionals. It will make the difference...

So how can you get one?

Click the picture below and it will take you right to the DVD order page. Start soaking up that knowledge. And when you are finished...let's talk shop!


Tuesday, October 26, 2010

My Review of 'Movement: Functional Movement Systems' by Gray Cook

A Real World review of 
Movement: Functional Movement Systems
Screening, Assessments & Corrective Strategies
by Gray Cook
with Lee Burton, Kyle Kiesel, Greg Rose & Milo F. Bryant

How does one go about writing a review of a Gray Cook book? I mean really, where do you even start? I have read the book about ten times by now and still wondered where to begin. Staring at a blank page, I kept thinking about the monstrous task of doing it justice. There is so much knowledge packed into these pages it boggles the mind. So I decided to do something a bit different and give you a perspective of this book and how it has changed the way I practice medicine. The application of the principles contained in this book has changed the lives of many people. The real world people I see every day in my clinic. People who have suffered in pain for years now have their quality of life restored because of the applied principles in this book.

‘Movement’ was a paradigm shift for me as a clinician. Gray opened my eyes to the wonders of human movement and the systems necessary to understanding it. This was the system I had been searching for in determining why people were getting injured, and why their pain syndromes kept returning.  People would ask me, ‘why does my pain keep coming back?’, and I never had an answer that made sense to me. That is until I discovered Movement. Here is a summary of my journey through ‘Movement.’

This introductory chapter sets the stage for the paradigm shift. It’s an awakening to understanding human movement. The section on dysfunction, pain and rehabilitation is something to read a hundred times. The mobility and stability rules are powerful enough to change the clinical outcome of almost every client. I never learned this stuff in school. This one chapter taught me more than I had learned reading entire textbooks. Gotta look at the body as a whole. Imagine that?

In school I learned anatomy, physiology, origins, insertions, and disease processes. Nobody talked about movement.  Gray does a nice job transitioning the reader from understanding how the body changes from anatomical function to movement function. The Functional Movement Systems are taught from the FMS (Functional Movement Screen) to the SFMA (Selective Functional Movement Assessment). From a clinical standpoint I can say this is the most superior and effective system I have found to evaluate clients. Gray teaches you the screening process, assessment criteria and a system of correction to arrive at your final destination.

There is something of value in this book no matter who you are; doctor, trainer, strength coach, physical therapist, chiropractor, exercise enthusiast or just someone wanting to learn more about getting healthy. The stages of assessments, correction and strategies are outlined so you know when and if your program is working to the benefit of your client. Every patient who entrusts me with getting them well is evaluated by the ‘Movement System’. I no longer simply examine the areas that hurt on a patient. I look at how well they move. When I get them to move smarter and move better, they begin to feel better.

The flow of the book is great at introducing you to understanding movement and then guiding you to the corrective strategies. Many books are good at teaching information, yet fall flat at the integration of that information into action steps. Gray gives you a flow chart system of ideas and principles which help you arrive at your final destination…it is a veritable list of ‘if this; then that.’ So you are never at a loss of ultimately learning what you need in order to get the results you want. As a clinician, this is a goldmine of logic and integration. Most people fail in their quest for health because there is not a definable system to follow for success. A roadmap if you will. ‘Movement’ will be your GPS.

I can say unequivocally that ‘Movement’ has been the single most powerful resource to change and improve my skills as a health professional. I learned the material, absorbed the principles, and applied the methods to get results. Simple really. A heartfelt thank you to Gray from myself and my patient’s.

Perry Nickelston, DC, FMS, SFMA




Monday, October 4, 2010

Indian Club Training

Indian Clubs are my new favorite thing. I LOVE THEM! Below is a great podcast interview with Brett Jones, Master RKC on everything Indian Clubs. Also see a snapshot video of Brett and Gray Cook doing the clubs. And even get a shot of me learning it.

So what are Indian Clubs?









Click the Draper image below to visit the Dave Draper Blog and see a great article on Indian Club Training with all the video clips mentioned above....oh and you can order it there too!



PODCAST: (Click below)



Monday, September 13, 2010

My Review of Mark and Tracy Reifkind's DVD Series

Mark Reifkind: Lats: The Super Muscle
Tracy Reifkind: Programming the Kettlebell Swing


I decided to review these two DVD's together as a pair for several reasons. One, Mark and Tracy are married and I thought it would be cool to review them as a set. They have been married for 20-years, and the chemistry between them is evident in the DVD. Second, you will soon discover when you watch the DVD series that the lats are a critical factor in mastering the Kettlebell swing. So, when you learn about how the lats work and the role they play in movement, it will take your swing to a whole new level.

Listen to my podcast interview with Mark and Tracy here. Hear them talk in-depth about the DVD and what inspired them to make it. 

Make sure to also listen to the podcast with the Iron Tamer David Whitley who made his own two-disc DVD set with Mark and Tracy.


CLICK PODCAST PLAYER BELOW 






For more podcasts click here>>>>>>>>>>>STOP CHASING PAIN PODCAST CHANNEL


Also look below for sample video clips of the DVD's.

The Lats...being a sports medicine practitioner and health care provider I work with the lats everyday. The lats are an underlying culprit in almost every chronic injury that presents to my office. Unfortunately, not many people understand the significant impact this muscle plays in injury prevention, sports performance and fitness enhancement. But, you can bet Mark Reifkind does! It was so wonderfully refreshing to see Mark reveal all the 'secrets' of the latissimus dorsi muscle. I call them 'secrets' because nobody knows about it. Until now...thanks to Mark.

Here is just a sample of what you will learn on this DVD.

  • The role of the lats in movement
  • Anatomy of the lats (origin, insertion, movements)
  • How to engage the lats with arm movements
  • Why it is called 'The Bridge' between the upper and lower body
  • Success of the KB Swing with lat engagement
  • The 'Pendulum' movement for lat activation
  • How movement origin effects lat development and muscle activation
  • .....and tons more.


Everyone can benefit from this DVD. Health and fitness professionals, fitness buffs, athletes of all skill levels and the general public. Why? Because we all have lats and we need them to become better at what we do, and remain injury free. 

See more about mark on his blog: http://rifsblog.blogspot.com/


The KB Swing...well now I know why they call Tracy the 'Queen of the Kettlebell Swing!' Holy cow is she good. Tracy is a powerhouse on the swing and her passion for this movement is present in everything she does. Tracy credits the swing with being one of the primary movements that helped her lose over 100 lbs. You can see her incredible transformation here on her blog: http://tracysfoodandthought.blogspot.com/. Check it out. Such an inspiring tale and Tracy teaches you how she did it.

The Swing DVD is more of an advanced progression of the exercise, yet Tracy does teach some really cool techniques to master beginner movements. I love this exercise, and I have always been looking for new ways to make it more progressive, innovative and challenging. This DVD delivers on all three.

Here is a small sampling of what you will learn from this DVD.

  • Swing mechanics
  • Progressions of timed intervals
  • Relationship to the lats muscle in technique
  • There is a great Q & A Session on this DVD with Tracy, Mark and David Whitley
  • Double arm and single arm variations of the swing
  • ....and tons more.
Tracy does a phenomenal job of teaching you the skills and working you out. Trust me, you will be using muscles and breathing hard on this one. Lots of people may show you how to KB Swing, but very few can teach you. This is where the 'Queen' shines. To her this is not just an exercise. It is a way to transform your body and your life. She is living testament to it! There is nothing more inspiring than learning from someone who believes in what they do from the heart.

See a sample clip of Tracy taking to the max here:

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Mark and Tracy are true givers. They share their knowledge, love, and belief in Kettlebell movements and methods. Now you have the opportunity to be there with them and share in this wonderful gift of learning. Invest in yourself. Invest in your education. Invest in being the best for your clients. Order your DVD's today. Click below to begin your journey. I did!!