If you’ve ever gone skiing, you know what it feels like to walk in ski boots. It’s almost like walking in stone blocks… Now, think about how good it feels to take them off at the end of a long day and put on comfortable shoes. In a nut shell, that’s what it feels like to be in pain and then experience pain free movement.
But, how do we get to the point that pain becomes the new normal?
Sometimes, it can feel so arbitrary and unfair, so I always tell people to become a good detective in their own lives and eventually, I guarantee they will uncover the reason they are in pain. And don’t forget, that’s good news, because that means you can do something about it. You don’t have to feel helpless anymore. So, let me help you get started…
For example, most of us sit too much and when we move, it’s through repetitive motions (like sports) that requires the same movement over and over, for years. Over time, our muscles get so used to sitting or moving the same way that it starts to harden into unnatural positions. And this puts a great deal of strain on our muscles and skeletal system.
Some muscles get very weak (because they are not used enough) and others get too strong (because they’re being used too much) and that throws your body out of whack.
Usually, the pain creeps up on you, day after day until it starts to feel normal. Sometimes, the pain is acute (from an injury), but sometimes, the pain just becomes chronic. It might start very mildly, but over time, it gets worse and worse. So, this is the secret:
We live and move a certain way and that causes our bodies to distort into unnatural positions and this eventually leads to pain.
Another way to think about it is that when the body is pain free, everything is in balance. All the muscles in the body are working like a beautiful orchestra. But, if just one of the instruments gets too loud or too soft, it can throw everything off. As time goes on, it gets worse and worse as many of the instruments are glaringly loud and others cannot be heard at all until the music is a total mess.
Here’s what happens… the natural spacing in the body gets closed off in certain areas. For example, in the low back, the vertebrae gets too close together and starts to squeeze the delicate nerves and discs in between them and that leads to pain. This closing off can happen in lots of other areas in the body too, like the shoulders, wrists, elbows, ankles, knees, etc…
To get to a place of pain free movement means you have to first understand what caused the problem. If you sit all day, that’s a good place to start. If you’re hunched over a computer or phone all day, that’s valuable information. If you play a sport that requires the same repetitive motion over and over, then that’s also good information. Think about what you do during the day and how it might be transforming your body into unnatural positions…
The next step is to go about undoing that damage… that means fixing the postural distortions and muscle imbalances. that’s what a good rehab system should be about.
That’s why I created the Malin Method… to help anyone fix these muscular issues in a few easy steps at home, without any equipment. The good news is that you can absolutely undo the damage and transform your body back into a state of balance. And when you do that, pain free movement will be your reward.
Obviously, each part of the body is different (unique muscle imbalances, etc.), so you need different rehab systems. But, they all accomplish the same thing… to heal an injury and eliminate chronic pain. And it really does work. getting the body back in balance and moving properly is the key to protecting yourself from injury and getting rid of chronic pain.
So, get after it and pretty soon, you will feel like a brand new person walking around in the comfortable shoes, instead of ski boots!
