Sexy Basic Instinct Exercise for Scoliosis

Channel your inner Sharon Stone!

***Note: This posting is not for children or the faint of heart.

A fun and sexy way to stretch my lower back and work on my scoliosis is to place both of my feet flat on the floor, cross my right ankle over the left, and open the knees a la Basic Instinct. If you do this movement slowly and sensually (really channeling your inner Sharon!), you feel a nice stretch through the right and left obliques. Don't cross the legs like Sharon does in this video. Keep both feet planted on the floor and just move the knees. 

I like to do this exercise at my desk or while driving. It's easy and a little fun because of the naughty undertones. 

Sharon Stone - Basic Instinct

If you give yourself an easy spinal arch with the knees open showing off your lady parts, you will really feel the stretch!

Don't be afraid to be sensual in the privacy of your own home... :)

Outdoor Therapy for Scoliosis & TMJ Part 2

If you can't make it camping, then you can still participate in any outdoor activity of your choosing to help with the TMJ and scoliosis pain.

Think back to when you were a kid and couldn't wait to go outside and do [insert favorite outdoor activity here].

If this memory made you smile, then get out there and re-create that childhood happiness.

If you are at a loss for happy childhood activity memories, here are some of my own that you are welcome to try: swinging at the park, dancing like no one is watching, twirling clasped-hand with a friend, swimming, bike riding, rock climbing, etc.

Several acute TMJ pain treatment websites that I came across recommended to do some type of aerobic activity for the pain. In the throes of my TMJ spam pain, the last thing I wanted to do was go to a step aerobics class.

In hindsight, now fresh with my camping insight, participating in some sort of aerobic activity makes sense.

Aerobic activity:

1) Gets the blood flowing to your entire body (including your painful spasming jaw)
2) Makes you focus on something other than the pain as a type of distraction therapy
3) Causes a rush of feel-good endorphins (which are many times stronger than any opiate pain medication you could take).

What childhood memory will you channel?

(Photo courtesy of this blog).

Click here to try out my all natural homemade bug spray. Works like a charm without that annoying greasy feeling. 

Skinnier In Seconds! Scoliosis & Migraine Exercise

We all know we should have better posture. In treating my migraines, I discovered that my posture was the main culprit. After about 3 months of working on my posture, I have stopped having to live with always having to take an Excedrin and Tylenol cocktail just to get through the day.

So, to the point at hand: everyone wants to look skinnier, myself included. An easy to do spinal straightening exercise makes you look longer through the belly (universally loathed body part) which results in looking skinnier and "snatched"through the middle.

Additionally, this spinal elongation stretch is very simple and will improve your posture to combat migraines and scoliosis.

Look Skinnier Spinal Stretch:

1) Lay on the ground or any flat surface on your back.
(After you've gotten the feel of the exercise on the ground, then practice STANDING TO LOOK SKINNIER or seated.)

2) Place your right hand on your right hip bone (even if you can't feel it!).
Palm should be facing down (prone) on the belly. Be sure the entire palm is on the belly.

3) Put the left hand on the left ribcage, palm prone.

4) Push the left side of your ribcage to your right using the pressure from your left palm to move your body.
At the same time, use the right palm against the right hip bone to push your hips to the left.
You should be pushing your left ribcage and right hip toward the midline of your body.

For additional benefit, see if you can practice deep breathing while in this position with the goal of pushing out your lower right abdomen to move your hand with your breath.

Now try this exercise standing up trying to put your body into the same position you were in while on the floor. Check yourself out in a mirror, you sexy, skinnier thang.

Christina Henfricks à la Joan working a sexy spinal stretch. 

Outdoor Therapy for Scoliosis & TMJ

When my TMJ flared up horrendously a few weeks ago, I was at a loss about what to do for the 10/10 pain.
Google, my Ayurvedic self healing book, and various yoga positions provided a little relief, but the pain kept coming back with a vengeance.

A common theme that I discovered about all the sources that I read: being outdoors helps to relieve stress.
I took it upon myself to find a way to incorporate all of the suggestions that I'd gathered thus far: I decided to go camping.

Turns out it was a fantastic decision. Within hours of being at the campsite, my 10/10 TMJ pain that had prevented me from getting a full night's sleep for 7 days was most at a 2/10 at it's worst.

I attribute the pain relief to several factors:

1) Fresh air

Taking a deep breath of fresh, pollutant free air is a wonderful way to easily clear the mind and begin the path to relaxation.

2) Yoga

Being outside with few electronic gadgets makes it easier to do something other than watching TV.
My activity of choice when I'm in pain is yoga. I don't go overboard with any particular pose. As a matter of fact, one of my favorite camping yoga exercises is simply relaxing in my hammock. Easy as pie - it takes a ZERO effort and helps me to relax both my body and mind.
I think of camping as my very low cost alternative to one of those expensive yoga retreats. Cost is about $20 a night.
Completely worth the cash.

3) Setting Up Camp

Setting up a good campsite takes a little skill - both mental and physical. You have to work pretty hard to put up a tent, mosquito-proof your campsite, and stay hydrated in the August Texas heat.
This probably doesn't really sound fun because it isn't. However, that isn't the point of the activity.
Using my mind and body to set up a nice campsite all by myself provides me with the ultimate DISTRACTION THERAPY. Think about it: you are.(desperately) trying to pitch your tent before you lose the sunlight and are forced to sleep in your car.

In this moment, these hours, the LAST thing you are thinking about is the nagging pain in your jaw or back.

Distraction therapy, meet yoga.

Turns out they were friends in a former life. :) Their souls get along splendidly; your body thanks you by releasing any tension or pain you may have.

No more pain. Life is good.

Happy camping, campers. :)



Happy campers...

Click here to try out my homemade bug spray. Works like a charm without that annoying greasy feeling!

Arching the Back for TMJ & Scoliosis

I often employ a very slight arch to my spine when I do my scoliosis oriented exercises.

The key word here is SLIGHT! It is important not to exacerbate my back problem, so I try my best to make all of my movements incremental and slight. That way, the risk of further injuring my back is reduced.

When I arch my back, I always always always arch when my lower abdominals are engaged. When I say "engaged" I don't mean any crazy crunching antics. I mean that I start at my spinal "root", employing the same idea/action from this movement using the foam roller to engage my low, deep abdominals.

It helps for me to picture engaging these lower abdominal muscles on a long IN breath for a count of 4. With each count, I raise my lower hips ever so slightly. The end position that I aim for is almost as though I have raised my lower booty off of the ground or chair that I'm in. This movement should be TINY. You should feel the bulk of the movement going on INSIDE your body. If someone across the room can see that you've done this lower abdominal engagement, then you're movement is way too big. The point of this exercise is to work weak muscles that you rarely use. So, slow your roll! And take a nice slow IN breath for a count of 4, engaging the lower abs while you do it.

Once you have engaged the lower abs, it's time to begin to SLIGHTLY arch the spine. Remember to maintain your hip position that you worked so hard for in the step above!

Stabilize the shoulders on a flat surface like a chair or a wall. Put your hands either on the floor next to each hip or each knee. Now to begin the arch. Start by slowly giving yourself a double chin. Use the base of the back of your head where your hairline begins as your guide. Remember to keep your awesome hip position from above!

Once you have your double chin AND your lower abdominals are completely still, then comes the last part of the arch: pick an imaginary spot on the wall in front of you at nose level. Using the tip of your nose as a guide, draw a 1 inch going up the wall from the imaginary spot you chose. You should feel a GREAT stretch throughout the back and up through the thoracic spinal region.

Remember, keep your hips and lower abdominals 100% stable! If you don't, you risk further damage to your lower back. Bad news.

You may not be able to execute this SLIGHT back arch quite yet. But the point in that it took you years to get where you are, so it's going to take more than reading this blog one time to fix your problems. Take your time and your body will thank you. I am already feeling wonderful benefits from the exercises that I have started to practice.

Tiny movements! Namaste.

Pool Noodle for TMJ & Scoliosis Treatment

If you don't have a foam roller try the Foam Roller Fun scoliosis exercise, then an inexpensive alternative for TMJ and scoliosis therapy is to use a pool noodle.

I picked up my pool noodle from WalMart for under $2. These things can be difficult to easily get a hold of outside of pool season (e.g. summer), so be sure to get one while they are still stocked for the summer months.

Hopefully by now you've been able to check out my post on using a foam roller for TMJ and scoliosis pain. I use the pool noodle the same way.

Pool Noodle vs. Foam Roller

The main difference between using the larger, more rigid foam roller is that the foam roller is much more rigid and therefore does a better job when the job is TOUGH (read, acute pain, TMJ spasm, etc.). I use my pool noodle more regularly to maintain the balance of my body so that it does not progress to needing the foam roller.

My favorite way to use the pool noodle in on my commute to and from work. All of those endless hous in traffic has led me have an even worse posture that I started with (which wasn't that great to begin with). I'm determined to combat my terrible car posture.

I modified my pool noodle by simply cutting it half. The things are quite long and can be annoying if not compact enough. Additionally, having 2 pool noodles allows me to always have 1 in the car and 1 in the house for use wherever I am when I need the pool noodle.

Take the pool noodle and place it perpendicular to your car seat. It should like at just about the level of your shoulder blades (scapula). I use the pool noodle to stabilize my shoulder blades and back. Lean back onto the pool noodle. This should not be painful at all. I feel a nice lifting and stretching through my right torso and a release of tension in my lower back.

This woman her pool noodle to stabilize her shoulder blades against the ground. 

Try to use only your shoulder blades to keep your back stable against the pool noodle. This isn't a difficult action; it's just one that takes a little bit of practice to really feel as though you are engaging the  shoulder blade (scapular) muscles

Remember that this action can be done on any stabilizing surface. I choose my car as my go-to method  because I spend way too much time in there. Additionally, although I think car seats are generally poorly designed, headrests provide a great actual goal to reach: try and pull the base of your neck up and back so that your head rests as comfortably as possible in the headrest. Tougher than it seems but worth the effort, especially if you have neck problems. Don't strain to reach the headrest with your head; just try your best. Remember to use the base of your neck where your hair begins as a guide when pulling in the chin to reach the headrest. 

Experiment with your body positioning with the pool noodle behind your shoulder blades. A personal favorite of mine is to take a deep breath IN and on the long OUT breath quickly raise my hips by doing a tiny lower ab crunch. I always get a nice release on the right side of the body when I do this. So easy and so gratifying. Not to mention the pain relief.

Safe driving!

Finding Your Throat's Center: TMJ and Scoliosis Treatment

Try this: standing in front of a mirror, close your eyes and use your non-dominant hand to point to your voice box.

Now, open your eyes. Were you even close?

Apparently, my throat is off center... by a lot. When I opened my eyes, my left index finger was pointing on the left side of my neck, barely even on a visible part of my throat. Yikes.

Taking your non-dominant hand to perform the movement forces you to step away from the muscular memory in which your body is used to performing everyday muscular movements. In my case, my right side is overdeveloped and therefore ridden with painful trigger points. The tightness spans all the way from my right jaw to my right tailbone.

So, to work on this OBVIOUS left deviation of my throat (including my voice box aka larynx), I have a few exercises. I try to keep it light and fun; otherwise, there's no way that I'm going to keep up with these exercises.

Exercise 1 for Throat Deviation

1) Using your regular, dominant hand (for me it's the right hand), make a peace sign with your first two fingers. Hold this finger position for the entire exercise.

During this simple preparatory finger positioning, I actually feel a nice stretch and strengthening motion in my right shoulder blade.

2) Rest your back against a relatively rigid surface. I call this action "stabilizing". When I stabilize my back, I use the tips of my shoulderblades to act as a "glue" to the stabilizing surface. Try not to move from your "stable" stabilization position. 

You can use anything to stabilize your back. Since we are all driving all over the place for hours on end day after day, I particularly enjoy doing this exercise in the car.

A number of other easy places to stabilize the back for this exercise are: 1) against any wall; 2) laying flat on the ground; 3) in your office chair at work; or 4) in the car. 

So, stabilize your back against a wall. Make the peace sign with your dominant hand (my right hand).

3) Bring up your right-hand-peace-sign to eye level with your palm facing outward. This gives me a lovely right shoulder blade stretch and really opens up my right nostril and throat.

4) Bring the right elbow back to the wall (or whichever stabilizing surface you are using). This should feel heavenly! Enjoy this position for a few deep breaths from the belly. You can even slightly arch the back for a wonderful stretch through the peace-sign-hand side of your body.

5) Shifting the entire right arm from the shoulder joint and with the palm facing outward, take the INDEX FINGER and place it on the right collarbone. Try your best to get the finger on the part of the collarbone where the breastbone + collarbone + throat dip between the collarbones meet. Be sure to keep your peace sign intact and strong! Strong fingers will give you a good amount of gentle traction for this exercise to be effective.

6) SLIGHTLY turn your right head to look to your right. Chin should be directly over the right collarbone.

7) Using very small and gentle movements, slide your right index finger up less than 1 inch to press against the tendon closest to the clavicle. Apply gentle pressure with your index finger to the right neck tendon.

Spend a round of 5 deep breaths in this position. Try to remember to keep your right elbow as close to the wall as your can and keep your peace sign strong. If your middle finger presses up against another tendon on the lateral side of your right neck, don't freak out. That is where I usually take this movement next; but that is for another post.

It helps if you relax as much as you can and pull your chin in (give yourself a double chin) while in this position. Go with what your body tells you. If you are really tight like I was, then you may have a hard time achieving the index-finger-collarbone position.

Remember to take your time and listen to your body. These movements are slight but carry a lot of power. As always, try the exercise on the other side of your body to see if it feels any different.

Throat massage blog.

Throat massage for beauty! Love it. Everyone wants to be beautiful. :) 

Peace and love!

Drive With Hands at 10 & 4: TMJ & Scoliosis Treatment

An easy lifestyle change that I try to employ as often as possible is very simple: drive with my hands at the 10 and 4 clock positions.
 

This action pushes my right shoulder down and slightly back while simultaneously pushing my left shoulder up and slightly forward.
 

Experiment with different hand positions to hold the steering wheel. I usually go with holding the wheel with my palms facing outward (supine - the palms should touch if hands are brought together.)

Pay particular attention to working on pulling the right shoulder blade moving down and slightly back.

This easy change gives me a counter-stretch for my torsion (twisting). It also opens up the entire right side of my right shoulder joint, chest, ribs, and upper back.

Try it!

Back pain caused by repetitious damaging posture while driving, pictured above.

Is your driving posture making your back pain worse?

Hammock Relaxation for TMJ Pain

I don't think I've ever been in a hammock before. However, since camping is one of my new favorite hobbies, I thought now would be the perfect time to give it try.

The verdict: a hammock is a great way to reduce stress AND practice some easy spinal exercises to help my right TMJ and left curving scoliosis.

In typical "me" fashion, I made the following positioning adjustments to more specifically address the torsion (twisting) in my back that has developed due to my scoliosis.

Adjustment 1 - Straddle to Get On Hammock: 

Enter the chair by straddling the hammock with both legs. Maybe this is how all people enter a hammock; more power to them and their spines if that is the case. When I straddle the hammock, I'm using both of my inner thighs to hold my body up. This works to align the very base or "root" of my spine. Having a grounded base (ground chakra exercise) functions like the "roots" of a tree to ground my entire body. My spine then follows, allowing it to be as straight and balanced as possible. Hold this position for as long as you wish.

Adjustment 2 - Left Toe Point:

With my entire body now in the hammock, legs straight-ish in front of me, I take my left leg and point my left toe to the to corner of the hammock. This pushes my right hip out of the way to the right. Just put the right leg anywhere right now. Your left hip should automatically move upward and your right hip will subsequently move downward. (The is a very slight spinal twist in the OPPOSITE direction of my scoliosis torsion.) My hips feel much more balanced and equal in this position. I focus on really pushing downward and slightly upward with the left hip for my right TMJ pain.

Adjustment 2 should look something like this with the left leg up (the right leg is up in this photo).

 

Using a hammock makes me feel like I'm getting an experience similar to those innovative looking aerial or wall yoga classes.

Here is a photo of an aerial yoga class: 

And another:

Namaste!

Easy Yoga Inversions & Push Ups for TMJ & Scoliosis

I have been trying to work my way up to a pull up on my boyfriend's over-the-door home pull up bar. Boy, that is easier said than done. Suffice it to say, I'm still quite-a-way's away from achieving that feat. Frankly, I'm impressed anytime I see anyone do a pull up.

So, in an effort to improve my upper body strength, I have been employing a few specific techniques. 

Technique 1 For Lady Upper Body Strength Building: Push Ups

When I hear those 2 little words (push ups), I picture wimpy ladies falling out everywhere. I'm ashamed just thinking about it, especially since I was / am one of those weak ladies. 

Well, I'm tired of being a wimp.

I started by doing "wall ups" to begin to teach my body how to complete the required moves for a full push up. This is actually a simple AND effective means of engaging and building up the musscles required to do push ups. "Wall ups" are easily modifiable to any skill level. I mean ANY skill level. 

Example of "wall ups" done very well. I would call this level of execution a medium difficulty level. Start with the arms higher up on the wall to make the exercise easier. You will still feel the burn! 

Technique 2 for Lady Upper Body Strength Building: Pole Inversions

At the very first pole class I ever took, I learned this move. I can't remember what it was called, but as with most pole dancing BEGINNER MOVES, it is surprisingly simple to achieve. 

This is the ultimate position that I achieve when I do the handstand pole inversion.

The following You Tube video shows an instructor getting into this position. 

The language of the video isn't very helpful (it's almost self-defeating
for pole newbies), so I usually just watch it on silent. :/

See @ :40 for the best part of the video for TMJ pain relief.

This position is one that looks legitimately harder than it is to achieve. Go ahead and give it a shot with one leg and see how your jaw feels. For right jaw pain, focus on getting your left leg up and behind you. Work up to getting both legs up, then eventually grip the pole with your knees.

Technique 3 for Lady Upper Body Strength: Inversions on Any Wall

Pick a wall. Any wall. You might want to start with any bare wall in your house and become more emboldened as you increase your strength. Basically, do the exact same movement that you did (or maybe didn't) attempt on the pole in Technique 2: Handstand Pole Inversion.

Try to wear some footwear that has a bit of traction. You can use the traction to help hold yourself up by your feet, especially if this position is a new movement for you. Plus, if you begin to slide down the wall on your feet, you can use the traction to apply the brakes until you regain control of your body. 

Another great display of inverted antics.

• To make this exercise easier:
• 1) Start by putting up one leg at a time. Work toward getting both legs on the wall.
• 2) Start farther away from the wall and move closer as you become stronger in your upper body.

Happy inverting!

Go Swimming! TMJ & Scoliosis Exercises

Go swimming if you can to help with TMJ pain.

Here in Texas, in the dead of a long August summer, a swim sounds more than refreshing. Also, if you have kids... take them to the pool! Nothing knocks kids out better than an entire 8 hour day at the pool. For you moms out there, that means a decent amount of quiet in your home that night. Just saying.

I went swimming earlier today and it was so long overdue in this my bout of TMJ spasm. The water was the perfect temperature: not too hot nor too cold, so it did not irritate my jaw or teeth. Also, the MOTION OF SWIMMING involves the entire shoulder, upper back, neck, and jaw area. I used my right arm as much as I could, using the water as a type of muscular resistance training. Did a casual backstroke using only my right arm as the propeller. Felt great to be moving my right arm again with NO PAIN. I emerged a better-breathing woman.

If you can't find a swimming hole (or are just not in the mood to leave the privacy of your own home), you can also do "The Swim" a la 1960s American Bandstand.

I say do what you gotta do. No judgments.

I particularly like the left arm up + right hand pseudo-squeezing my nose as I shimmy down vertically. Feels great on the right TMJ spasm and clenching.

Before Olympic spirit wears off, head to the pool and channel your inner Michael Phelps. And doesn't each of these guy's back position look amazing for stretching out your neck and alleviating your pain?

 

Go for gold, however you can!

Toe-to-Toe Resistance Exercise for TMJ & Scoliosis

This exercise can be done in any position. My top 2 favorite positions are: 1) laying on my back in bed before bed; 2) sitting in the car, particularly at long red lights.

The Toe-to-Toe Resistance Exercise Goes Like This:

Step 1) Lay on your back (or any position that grounds your hips and should blades against a hard, flat surface).
Step 2) Put the tips of the inside edge of your big toes together. Push your toes together, trying really hard to pay attention to how much pressure each toe is contributing to the exercise. When I do this, my left toe is noticeably the weaker party. Eek. Anyway, figure out which is your weaker toe and make note.
Step 3) Put one toe slightly on top of the other (example: place left big toe about 1 cm over the right big toe).
Step 4) Push down with the top (left) toe on the bottom (right) toe. Simultaneously push upward with the bottom foot in an effort to keep both sides of leg muscles balanced. Try to realize which muscles you are working when you press down. Push down with the top toe for 5 in and out breaths.
Step 5) Change to push up the top (left) toe with the right (bottom) toe. Try to pay attention to how this tiny change feels so different in relation to your hips, inner thighs, and even your jaw. Push up the top toe for 5 in and out breaths.
Step 6) Repeat the exercise on the opposite side.

I would recommend starting this exercise right before bed. It's the easiest time because you already have an excuse to be laying down and on your back most likely doing nothing. Also, if you are trying to be clandestine, you could always leave your legs straight and complete the exercise. Hardly even noticeable, really.

Thanks website for the great picture of the "yogi grip." Please note, this is NOT A PHOTO OF THE EXERCISE!! I couldn't find an exact representation of the movement, so I decided to include this 'yogi grip' photo in lieu of it. More knowledge about the practice of yoga couldn't hurt, I'm thinking.

Anyway, I do the Toe-to-Toe Resistance Exercise in the car at long red lights, especially during rush hour. During rush hour, I'm generally annoyed and may even start to get a headache. By employing the Toe-to-Toe Resistance Exercise, I'm balancing the muscles of my inner thighs, booty, back, and neck. This results in immediate relief of not only the physical tension but also the stress of the day.

Take some nice deep breaths for as many rounds as you can (until the light turns back to green).

DISCLAIMER: Do not attempt to practice this exercise in the car if you are not someone that most people would consider to be a "reasonably prudent person" or if you seem to always be getting moving traffic violations. Be sure to PUT YOUR CAR IN PARK if you decide to participate in this exercise while stopped at a red light. This blog nor I claim any responsibility for the activities of those who do not heed this warning or employ common sense!

Drinking Room Temperature Fluids During TMJ Spasm

Today has been my most pain-free day in about a week. I was starting to lose faith there for a minute, so I'm glad to be feeling some relief.

I decided to stay away from any 'ultra' temperature fluids today after a horrible spasm last night after combining hot soon after drinking something cold. All I have had to drink today is room temperature or slightly cool water with a splash of lemon. Why lemon? Helps the medicine go down. I love to drink anything with lemon in it, including water. 

 

Thanks this guy's blog that includes some interesting facts about lemon water.

When I drink, I try to push the fluid instantly down the center of my mouth and down the center of my throat. I try not to give the fluid time to linger in either the left or especially the right side of my mouth, particularly if the fluid is cold or hot. When 'ultra' hot or cold temperature fluids sit in the back right corner of my mouth / throat, I get a crazy spasm and instantly want to cry. When I push the fluid quickly back through my mouth, I'm using the muscles at the back of my throat to swallow the water; whereas before, I was letting the fluid linger on either side of my mouth and hence being swallowed on one side of my mouth or the other.

This movement strengthens my throat muscles that are weak as well as those that are in spasm. I feel my right jaw relax when I use this deliberate drinking method. 

Bottom's up!

Down Dog Yoga Pose Variations for TMJ Spasm and Scoliosis

Everyone knows the standard down dog yoga pose. I went to yoga this past week when my right jaw was in TMJ spasm. This slightly advanced down dog, open-hip position immediately relaxed my right jaw, thereby providing instant relief.

When my spasm are bad, sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and employ this method on the ground next to the bed. :/ It happens.

So here is the down dog position that I strive to achieve for maximum right jaw pain relief. It is a "full" or advanced down dog yoga pose.

Bent-leg-open-hip-down dog yoga pose for TMJ pain relief:

I have a few variations and notes on how to make this pose easily attainable for any flexibility / pain level.

 

Variations - How to Get Into This Pose Properly for Maximum Pain Relief:

1) Start the position in a regular down dog yoga pose. To make this pose easier AND to get a better stretch through my torso and upper back, and jaw, I bend both of my knees and balance on the balls of my feet throughout the entire pose start to finish When I balance on the balls of my feet, I can raise my booty higher up in the air and give my back the slightest arch. I achieve a much better stretch than if both of my feet / heels were on the ground. I am WORKING UP to a good down dog pose on my heels, but my body is telling me that I'm just not ready for it yet. I also get a nice muscular release in my lower back if I really stretch all the way from the tip of my nose through my tailbone, giving myself the slightest of arches to my spine to achieve this great stretch. This stretch mimics the feeling I have after I leave the chiropractor. .

Here is a great instructional tutorial on how to get into an effective down dog position using bent knees. Apparently, this is caused by hamstring tightness.

2)  With both knees bent in a regular down dog yoga pose, I pick up my right knee and point my right heel to the sky. I straighten the right knee (knee that's in the air) while keep on aiming to point the right heel to the sky. I have to remember keep keep keep stretching through my upper back and through my neck. I stay high on the ball of my left foot for this as well. Here is the straight leg dog dog yoga position. 

Picture of straight leg down dog yoga pose variation for right TMJ spasm and left scoliosis curve.

 

In this photo from her blog, this lovely yogi has her head pointed straight down. In my variation, for maximum pain relief, turn your head slightly to the right and look out beneath your right armpit. When you begin to look under your right armpit, the force should hold the bottom half (mobile portion) of the jaw to the left. This allows my right jaw to instantly relax. The relaxation from this pose is easy to re-create. Simply look into and alternatively out of the right armpit. Re-creating self relief is always gratifying and encouraging. :)
3) Bend the right knee so that your heel sort of "kicks" your booty. Try your best to hold this heel-to-booty position. Left knee bent. On left ball of foot. If you're doing it right, you should be working a bit throughout your entire abdominals through your torso to hold this position.

4) Look out beneath your right armpit. Take some deep breaths while looking out under your right armpit. Remember: right heel-to-booty; left knee bent; on left ball of foot; slightest arch in the back; booty high in the air. When you breathe out, try to direct your outward stream of air through relaxed jaws in the direction of your right armpit. This would probably be a good position in which to employ the Gauze Roll technique from this post. This will ensure that your jaw is centered while you work on keeping your body relaxed. Even with the Gauze Roll in your mouth on the right side of your jaw, try as best as you can to keep both the left and right jaws relaxed. Also, once you are in an inverted position, gravity helps to pull your body into line.
5) Try to "open your hiPS." You can achieve this by moving your left hip closer to the ground and moving your right hip closer to the sky. You should feel this between your shoulder blades and one each side of your ribcage.

Hold the down dog open hip position for a round of 10 nice deep breaths. Breathe from the belly, forcing it to stick out with every "in" breath.

One thing that I really like about practicing yoga at home is the freedom is gives me to not try to impress. At a class in front of a group of [judgmental?] people, most people [including me] are less inclined to do the less-challenging ground-leg-knee-bent down dog yoga position because it looks too easy. At home, I am not afraid to look weak, because the fact is: I'm weak! I have to strengthen my shoulder, deep abdominal, and back muscles and right now they are too tight to achieve heel-to-floor down dog.

When I don't rush into the advanced version of a yoga position (by not figuring how to modify it to be as easy as possible), I keep surprising myself by how quickly I advance from the basic position to the more advanced version. I attribute this my body learning the intricacies of a movement instead of just trying to poorly mimic the end result or "look" of the advanced pose.

I'd recommend starting your down dog at the most basic down dog position with bent knees. Each time you practice down dog, practice moving through each variation listed above. The variations are listed in order of how they should / can be performed. Your body will tell you what flexibility / variation you should try for.

Take your time with this exercise. There's no rush. You weren't doing it 10 minutes ago, so there's no reason why another 10 minutes could make that much of a difference. Enjoy each variation and the instantaneous muscular releases that you will feel.

As always with any stretching exercise, switch sides. Perform the entire exercise from on the opposite side. Feel the difference between your right and left sides. This was a huge learning experience for me about where my body is weak and strong.

Happy down dog-ing.

Hip Circle Exercise for TMJ

I've started back up yoga again in and effort to curb both my ridiculously high stress levels and to help with my body tension. Yoga inspires me to figure out the root of my problems. Case in point: my yoga-inspired move of hip circles.

How to Perform the Hip Circles Exercise for Scoliosis: 

Step 1) I sit on the floor with my back against the wall for support. I sit either in a half lotus yoga position or with my feet straight out in front of me. If I choose the half lotus, then I always repeat the entire series with the other leg up on my inner thigh. Hands are to my side for stabilization and to make sure my body doesn't try to cheat.

Half lotus yoga pose (shown on left AND right legs)

Step 2) I take about 10 long in and out breaths arching my spine a tiny bit more with each breath to try and sit up as straight as possible. I try to end with my head  and lower jaw slightly upward from my own "normal" carriage.
Step 3) Picture a line going from your bellybutton to the bottom of your booty where you are sitting. Then, picture the tip of a red marker at the end of that line coming out of your booty (I know, weird; just go with it and judge later!)
Step 4) Picture yourself sitting on a large clock. Use the 'red pen' you created in your head to make a circle going from 12 to 3 to 6 to 9 and then back to 12. I feel myself using some DEEP abdominal muscles that I was not aware of until this moment. Be sure to use your inner-most muscles to do this exercise.
Step 5) Repeat the above "red pen" exercise; but this time, picture the line as starting at your belly button and going down and out of your left booty cheek. Do the clock exercise going clockwise and then counter-clockwise. Remember to use the muscles that are closest to the tip of your booty cheek and try your best to keep your pelvis exceptionally still other than the part of your right booty cheek line that you are working on.
Step 6) Repeat the exercise from Step 5 above, but this time use your right cheek.

Okay, so this movement description may seem weird at first... but give it a shot and you'll realize that probably no one can see what you are doing because the

Breathe easy.  is weird to write, but it is hardly noticeable to those around you, so give it a shot.

The spot that gives me the best right jaw spams relief is using "right booty cheek red pen exercise" going from 3 to 6 pm.

When you feel yourself using your deep abdominal muscles differently, try creating your own patterns of movements.

Cool clock (for inspiration):

My ultimate goal is to wine it like the sexy ladies in this Trini classic soca track "Roll It Gal" a la Trinidad carnival (akin to Mardi Gras for all you that are unfamiliar with the original Trinidadian carnival).

If you decide to take on the challenge of wining like the ladies in this video, then be sure to practice the movement in both directions while employing deep breathing from the belly.

Feels amazing. Wining 'till the end.

Sensual Movement to Treat TMJ Pain

In my quest to fix my TMJ, I have participated in more than my share of dance styles, yoga, and miscellaneous You Tube midnight pain relief excursions. One of the more promising styles has been pole dancing.

Should go without saying; this posting ain't for kids or for the faint of heart.

Pole dancing has been all the rage for a few years, and I gave it a shot a couple years ago. It was a great exercise; plenty of sweating and day-after lactic acid pain. But, it wasn't satisfying enough to stick with so it fell off my work out radar.

A few months ago, in my journey of self repair, I decided to give pole dancing another try since I remember that the movement encompassed you basically having to balance your entire body against itself (as a sort of self muscular resistance therapy?).

I'm glad I did. I've taken several classes in the last few months and always leave feeling much more balanced and physically strong. I always leave class with new inspiration for movements to emulate around the house or in the car.

You Tube has provided some additional pointers for pole dancing, including this video of FLOORWORK DONE IN SENSUAL DANCING.

The movement is very simple AND DOES NOT REQUIRE A POLE! 

Just by looking at the girl's position, you can tell that she is stretching the right side of her neck BUT ALSO bring the right side of her body downward at the hip (gravity pulling her right leg down).

Pretty sure your boyfriend won't want you to stop doing this one!

Exploring Misaligned Teeth in TMJ & Scoliosis

So, my right jaw is still in and out of spasm. One really easy activity that I do involves using my tongue to press against my teeth, especially ON THE NON-SPASMING side.

My TMJ spasm is on the right side which means that my jaw has been pulled to the right over the many years of my teeth grinding. My goal is to gently coax my jaw into moving more the left which will allow my right jaw to relax. I've had 3 crowns on the right side of mouth alone, so there is basically no predicting how many teeth are further contributing to the exacerbation of the problem.

When I "normally" close my mouth and bring my teeth together, none of the upper and lower teeth line up.  However, I can align my jaw with very little strain on the jaw itself by a simple maneuver using my tongue.

I take my tongue and press it on the left side of my inner teeth (place tongue between teeth number 16 and 17), using the pressure from my tongue to gently slide the jaw into alignment. Try to relax your entire body. I use an in and out breath cycle until I literally feel my right jaw release. Hold gentle pressure against the left teeth using your tongue, aiming to keep your left teeth slightly touching. When I do this, I actually have a little bit of space now between my right upper and lower teeth which is pretty exciting.

Here is a tooth diagram with teeth numbers:

Now I know my bite is out of whack, but at least now I am aware of it and can make changes accordingly to get out of this constant cycle of TMJ spasm and migraines.

Gauze Roll for TMJ Toothache Pain

I have been in-and-out of some debilitating pain for the past week in my right jaw, neck, and upper back. One thing that works without fail, at least relieve acute pain, is a small gauze roll. I usually wear my roll to sleep and / or during the day when I feel the pain about to strike.

All I do is take a 4x4 gauze roll and fold it into a small square. I put the square gauze roll in my mouth between my right cheek and lower jaw (close to the 4th tooth from the back). Eventually, when the pain releases near the 4th tooth from the back, I push it further and further back to my tolerance level. Eventually, I can place it at the very back of my jaw between the pyterygoid muscles that line the upper and lower jaw lines. When the pain is relieved and my bout of spasm has ceased, I usually remove the gauze.

The gauze roll is used in emergent situations and can prevent you from grinding too much during the night if you want a change from night guards (or a change from wearing nothing to sleep, in my case).

If you don't have / don't want to buy any guaze, you can also use a high quality paper towel folded from a 4x4 square. Cheap paper will melt in your mouth, and not in a good way. Also, you might swallow cheap paper at night which is a choking hazard. :/ As any registered nurse (or person who has undergone a significant amount of rear mouth dental work) knows that gauze is much more absorbent than regular paper towels. You won't drool as much when you wear the gauze, which makes it easier to talk with the gauze in your mouth (only if talking IS NECESSARY) and you won't look much more miserable than you already do, which is always nice.

Here's some gauze from Amazon.com for less than $5.

Safe gauze rolling!

Raise the Roof! Exercise for TMJ & Scoliosis

So, for those of you who don't know what 'raising the roof' is, it is a very easy to execute dance move from the 90s where you use the palm of your hand to figuratively 'raise the roof.'

Everyone's done it before...

So, personally, my problem side is my right side (TMJ spasm and right rib hump); therefore, I turn my right palm upward (as though I am holding a serving platter) and try my best to keep my right wrist, elbow, and shoulder in one straight line from my field of vision. Then I start raising. I usually raise my hand for a breath of 2. Then, keeping my arm in the same position, I perform another round of in-and-out breaths to a count of 2 each. Then, I lower my hand to a count of 2.

When I do this movement, my right nostril opens up and I can breathe more freely. Also, my left teeth come together better and my right jaw pain is relieved.

Here's a video for your inspiration: House Party dance off courtesy of YouTube!

(@ time :40 for awesome 5 second sequence for my right jaw and back pain) 

Any of these moves from this YouTube video would probably be good to alleviate the pain from my right TMJ spasm.

Hope this helps and is maybe even a little bit of fun.

My Scoliosis Diagnosis & Scoliosis Explained

My Scoliosis Story...

I was diagnosed with a mild case of scoliosis back in 6th grade during gym class. I never really thought much about that diagnosis until this past year. I am now 26 years old.

My back curves to the left. My scoliosis has left me with overdeveloped back muscles in my mid and lower right back and extremely weak and shortened muscles in the neck area. I'm pretty sure that my scoliosis has something to do with the worsening of my right TMJ and subsequent EXPENSIVE dental work and broken teeth. :/

This is basically what my neck looks like. 

Forward neck posture photo courtesy of this blog (scroll down just a little to view photo): ***note: this photograph is not of me. 

So, reasonable people (including myself, really) would ask: How did your neck get to such a crazy point? Shouldn't you have realized something was going wrong along the way? 

The answer is: YES! Of course I would have loved to NOT be where I am today with my (self induced) neck problems. But, alas, here I am. So, here I go. 

A left scoliosis curve looks like this:

Left scoliosis curve photo per this bodybuilding discussion thread...

As you can see, this girl's left shoulder is lower than her left. Her left hip is also higher than her right hip. You can almost see a vertical line of muscular overdevelopment on the right side from her right shoulder blade to her right buttocks.

As in the photo: I think it about it as my spine curving in a "C" shape toward my left side, and my right side becoming a reverse "C" shape as a result. When the left hip curves like a "C", the left shoulder and left hip come together. This results in the right shoulder and the right hip "spreading" outward into a reverse "C" position. The goal is then to re-balance the straight line of the spine and reduce the left "C" (and right reverse "C") that has developed on the sides of the body. 

This picture basically describes perfectly how I have lived the past 15 years of my life. 

Some changes are in order!

Yoga and Dance for TMJ & Scoliosis

As I would imagine a lot of young women in America, I participated in ballet as a young girl. During college, that translated into my becoming a casual yogi between chemistry and psychology at the campus rec center.

And now, as an adult, that has led me to be a very, very casual yogi with a dance background. This means that on my blog, I often attempt or create moves that are sometimes a bit more acrobatic in nature than your run of the mill stretches.

Basically, I fancy myself slightly more flexible than most ladies my age. But not by more than one Big Mac combo.

So, here's an easy yoga pose that can be adjusted to any fitness and flexibility. Stand with your heels about one foot away from the wall. Place your hands high above your head against the wall with the fingers pointing downward. Simply walk your hands lower on the wall based on your spinal flexibility. Don't push it too much. Take it easy.

Back bend walking down the wall from this woman's blog.

Namaste!

Hey, Blowfish: BLOW!!

I've realized that the muscles in the right side of my cheek are incredibly tight. Remember the movie The Little Mermaid and the sassy jazz trumpeting blowfish in the big band number Under The Sea?

The Little Mermaid - Under The Sea (@ 2:04 for blowfish)

Channel that little guy's energy and BLOW! Puff those cheeks. Spend 5 deeep breaths with both cheeks puffed to the max. Teeth apart. Keep thinking bigger, bigger, BIGGER with each breath but be sure to control both jaws equally on both sides. At the end, release the breath through pursed teeth slowly. Control your jaw muscles making sure that they do not pop or click.

Once you can hold it for 5 seconds comfortably, continue working up to as long as you can sustain it without losing control of your jaw muscles.

Play around with pushing the air to one side of your mouth and holding for a count of 5.

Happy blowing!

My Back Pain History...

I was diagnosed with scoliosis at age 12 during the standard 6th grade gym glass back assessment. It was a mild version of the diagnosis, so I never had any intervention for it (i.e. no back brace, definitely no surgery). I am now 26 years old, and it was not until this past year when I finally realized that my scoliosis may have something to do with my migraine and TMJ problems. I've had my successes and not-so-successes and want to share my experiences with other people who are suffering from the pain of TMJ.

This blog is for people who want to fix their own migraines, TMJ, and scoliosis...

Migraines and TMJ...

First and foremost: I have TMJ and scoliosis. In the past few months, I have been on something of a mission to "fix" or "heal" my TMJ, migraine headaches, scoliosis, neck tension, forward head posture, and other stress related problems.

I hope you find some relief from my experiences in this blog!

Foam Roller Fun for TMJ & Back Pain

A foam roller has been one of my favorite self help tools during this TMJ spasm that I've been having for the past week.

This is a foam roller from Amazon:

Foam roller: Amazon.com

I picked up mine from the local sporting goods store at around $20. I used a serrated kitchen knife to cut the foam roller into 2 pieces: piece 1 is 12 inches long; piece 2 is about 2 feet long (a little wider than hip width apart). Now the goods - HOW TO USE THE THING EFFECTIVELY!

One of my favorite ways to use my roller is like this:

• Step 1) Sit on the floor. 
• Step 2) Take the shorter piece of the foam roller that you cut and turn it vertically.  Even if you don't have a foam roller, you can take any cylindrical object and place it between your thighs (think Campbell's Soup can).
• Step 3) Place the vertically oriented foam roller between your thighs as close to the pubic bone as possible.
• Step 4) Try your best to relax your entire body. Using a deep breath from the belly in through the nose (for a count of 4) and releasing it through the mouth (for a count of 8) works well for me. 
• Step 5) Squeeze the foam roller with your inner thighs. I put my hands next to my hips to stabilize myself so I can't cheat to my right (spasm, TMJ) side. 

This lovely lady has the right idea! 

When I do this thigh squeezing exercise, I feel IMMEDIATE relief in my right jaw and neck pain. It's crazy because I didn't even touch my neck! I like to vary my knee positions (raise the knees a couple inches off of the floor) and squeeze the roller in this position. I also vary the direction my toes are pointing while employing the thigh squeeze. I keep my back either very straight OR slightly arched to make sure I am not cheating and using my overly developed right back muscle to achieve the squeeze.

Now to address the elephant in the room: yes, this position does look awkward! So, all I have to say is: get over it! Or probably easier, you can just do the exercise in a hidden spot in your house. Personally speaking, my boyfriend is already aware of my self healing antics; he doesn't even bat an eye.
 
I hope this helps someone out there!

A cool blog about treating back pain, including the use of a foam roller.