This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in May of 2024. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/yye6pvSYBmE Brad: So, in 10 years from now, would you rather look like the first or second photo? Brad: I just customized a stretching program for a company in Central Minnesota to help improve their posture, reduce their pain at work, be more productive, and it was working very well. Mike: They're actually teaching it to all their employees now, and we thought it'd be a good idea to share it with you, our audience. Brad: That's right. It does fit everyone. Alright, so I wanted to have a name for this program, and I call it the "Big 3." It's three very simple exercises, can be done standing, sitting, as well as walking. You'll see in just a minute, it works very well, the "Big 3." Mike: So, the purpose of the "Big 3" is to prevent pain and also prevent slouching, bad, poor posture, which many of us have through many daily activities we do. Brad: Now, these activities are common for everyone. We have people that are... Mike: Looking at your cell phone. Brad: At a computer workstation. Mike: Or driving in a car. Brad: The first stretch is making the "W." We're going to do this, and squeeze our shoulders back. You can go against the wall to see if your posture's good, butt back, and then head up against the wall without looking up. If this is easy, we're going to move your arms up to even make the stretch stronger, then go back down. You're going to do this for a total of 10 seconds at the most. That is perfect posture. You do not need the wall. You can do it like Mike is doing it here after you've used the wall. Make sure you breathe and relax with this. Are you holding your breath, Mike? Mike: No, I'm breathing. Brad: Alright. Let's go to number two. Stretch number two, is in a seated position, it can be done very well. Mike, show them how to do it. Mike: So, you're going to start with the "W" again, same position, and you can bring your arms up just like this, and do so many repetitions, like we talked about earlier. Or you can get into the hallelujah stretch, where you're actually arching a little bit more, going over the top of the chair, and bringing my arms back. Again, if you have, say, a bad shoulder, you can clasp your hands together, do the same concept. Brad: That's right. Now, if you have a chair that's tall, and it gets in the way of you being able to arch back, you will need a ball. Take it from your children at home or from the playground, wherever, a soft ball about six to eight inches. Put it behind your back. This really works well. Mike actually invented this. Then I do the "W" stretch, and then I also want to get that arch and really bring it back. Now, you only need to do this two or three repetitions. If you want to do more, fine, and then you're done, get back to work. It should take you 15 seconds at the most. Mike: For the last stretch, you're going to need a doorway. Brad: So, every time you walk through a doorway, if it's not too wide, you're going to do a "W" posture stretch every time. One or two, it's really going to be something consistent. Mike, show them what they're going to do. Mike: So, you're going to do the same thing except for you are going to use the side of the doorframe as your reference point, get in here, and then you're actually going to just lean forward this time, and you can feel a good comfortable position. If you want to feel a little bit different stretch, bring your hands up or lower, depending upon what's comfortable for you. Brad: That's right, just make sure you don't let your head arch too far forward. Two or three stretches like that and continue walking. So, what you're gonna find out is, on the door here and the doorframe there, there's gonna be handprints, maybe some smudges if you've been doing gardening. Then you know you've been doing it enough. Mike: Wash your hands. Brad: Alright, so continue to do those on a daily basis. They're going to keep your posture right and it's going to remind you of your posture. There's one little bonus one. If you happen to be sitting long-term, do some lifting, or squatting a lot, do this simple little stretch before and after. Simply stretch backwards two or three times, go to your long-term sitting, squatting, lifting, and after you're done, you get up from sitting, stretch back again two or three times. Brad: That's all that's needed, a nice little stretch. So, remember to keep that perfect posture with the "Big 3" exercises. Also, if you really care about your friends and family and you see them slouching a little bit, politely say, "Straighten up, we don't want to look like a slouch when we grow up." Mike: My girlfriend yells at me when I tell her that. Brad: You say it to your girlfriend? Mike: Yeah, she doesn't like it. Brad: But she's looking better, isn't she? Mike: Yeah. Brad: It's for her own good. Alright, so keep that perfect posture with the "Big 3." Do it daily, and also, I encourage daily walking for posture as well. Mike: Now, if you want to check out more videos on how to fix your posture, you can check out our video " The Perfect 10 Minute Daily Posture Routine (Fix Your Sit) ." For this week’s Giveaway visit :  https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: A2 Pro Massage Gun Air 2 Mini Massage Gun Back Massager C2 Massage Gun (US) C2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Therapy C2 Plus Massage Gun with Heat C2 Max Massage Gun with Metal Head D2 Mini Massage Gun D5 Pro Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun D6 Plus Massage Gun with Heated Head D6 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head Eye Massager  EyeOasis 2 Plus Eye Massager with Remote Eye Massager with Heating and Cooling EZBack Massager   EZBack Massager With Remote Fit Glide Foot Massager Hand Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream   Knee Glide   Lite Foot Massager Posture Pad Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Q2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head Q2 Plus Mini Massage Gun  Q2 Max Massage Gun with Metal Head sWAVE Massage Gun with Belt T2 Massage Gun  T2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head T2 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head TheraPanel 4 -Headed Massage Gun Uni Massage Gun Weighted Heating Pad for Back Weighted Heating Pad For Neck and Shoulders Weighted Heating Pad-Long X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head X6 Pro Max Massage with Heat-Cold and Metal Head Fitness: Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit   Pull Up System Resistance Bands​   Stress Balls   Wall Anchor​ Stretching: Booyah Stik   Stretch Strap Bob & Brad Amazon Store   and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop ​ Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website are for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

If you suffer from dry eyes, you know how uncomfortable and frustrating it can be. The sensation of grittiness, constant irritation, and the struggle to focus on daily tasks can take a toll on your quality of life. While artificial tears and eye drops can offer temporary relief, they don’t always get to the root of the problem. That's where the Bob & Brad Eye Ease Eye Massager comes in—a revolutionary solution designed to provide long-lasting comfort and soothe dry eyes at home. In this blog, we’ll explore how the Eye Ease Eye Massager can help alleviate the discomfort associated with dry eyes and how it works to improve your eye health. What Causes Dry Eyes? Before we dive into the benefits of the Eye Ease Eye Massager, it’s important to understand what causes dry eyes in the first place. Dry eyes occur when your tear glands do not produce enough tears or when the tears evaporate too quickly. This can be caused by a variety of factors, including: Environmental conditions  like wind, smoke, or dry air. Prolonged screen time  leads to less frequent blinking. Age —tear production naturally decreases as we get older. Medical conditions  like diabetes or autoimmune diseases. Contact lens wear  or prolonged use of eye makeup. Whether it’s from work, allergies, or age-related issues, dry eyes can be a serious issue that impacts your daily routine. But don’t worry—the Bob & Brad Eye Ease Eye Massager is here to help! How the Bob & Brad Eye Ease Eye Massager Works to Relieve Dry Eyes 1. Heated Compression Therapy  🔥 The Eye Ease Eye Massager uses gentle, soothing heat to help improve blood circulation around the eyes, which can alleviate the symptoms of dry eyes. Heat encourages the meibomian glands (responsible for producing the oil layer of your tears) to become more active, preventing tear evaporation. By applying consistent and comfortable heat, the Eye Ease  helps restore the natural tear balance. 2. Air Pressure Technology  💨 This massager uses a gentle air compression system that mimics the effects of a soft, soothing massage. The pulsating air pressure helps stimulate the areas around the eyes, which can help unblock the oil glands, reduce puffiness, and relieve dryness. By using this technology, you’ll notice improved comfort and hydration for your eyes. 3. Relaxation & Stress Relief  🌿 Dry eyes aren’t just caused by environmental factors—they can also be a result of stress. The Eye Ease massager helps you relax, reducing the strain on your eyes caused by stress and overuse. The calming massage effect can help release tension in the surrounding muscles, improving overall eye health and enhancing the natural flow of tears. Why Choose the Bob & Brad Eye Ease Eye Massager? Convenience & Comfort:  You don’t have to use messy drops. Simply use the Eye Ease Eye Massager in the comfort of your home whenever you need relief. Customizable Settings:  The massager comes with adjustable settings, so you can personalize the heat and pressure levels to suit your specific needs. Portable & Lightweight:  Whether you're at home, the office, or even traveling, the Eye Ease is compact and easy to carry for quick, on-the-go relief. Non-Invasive Treatment:  Unlike some treatments for dry eyes, the Eye Ease offers a non-invasive, natural solution that doesn’t require prescriptions or costly visits to the eye doctor. How to Use the Bob & Brad Eye Ease Eye Massager for Dry Eyes Using the Eye Ease Eye Massager  is simple! Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to get the most out of your experience: Power on the Device : Turn on the massager and select your preferred heat and air pressure settings. Position the Device : Gently place the massager over your closed eyes. The soft material is designed to provide a comfortable fit. Relax & Enjoy : Let the massager work its magic as it applies soothing heat and gentle pressure. You’ll feel the stress and dryness melting away. Use Regularly : For the best results, use the Eye Ease daily, especially after long hours in front of a screen or exposure to dry environments. Take Control of Your Eye Health If you're struggling with dry eyes, don’t suffer in silence. The Bob & Brad Eye Ease Eye Massager offers an innovative, effective, and relaxing solution to help combat dryness and discomfort. With regular use, you can maintain optimal eye health and reduce the discomfort that comes with dry, irritated eyes. Where to Buy : The Bob & Brad Eye Ease Eye Massager is now available in the electronics department at Walmart  stores near you! Don’t wait—take the first step toward relief today.

By having ample mobility in the hips it will be easier to lift with the hips instead of the back. The back can remain straight. 1. Trunk rotations - this is an excellent warmup exercise that prepares the hip groups for stretches. 2. Hip flexor stretch (with a strap if needed) - Hip flexor stretch lying on a bed alternative. Scoot your body to the right edge of the bed and lower your right leg off the bed. Bend the left leg up to your chest and hold it in place with your hands or with a strap. See Photo. Feel the stretch in your right hip flexors. Over time increase the stretch by actively attempting to extend the right leg to the floor. Repeat with the left leg. 3. Hip Bends. Lying in bed. The hip bends can be performed while lying on your back in bed. Clasp the right knee just below the knee joint or under your thigh. Use a strap, belt, or rolled sheet if unable to reach it. Flex the knee toward your chest and stretch the hip while saying the words “pressure on” and then release the stretch while saying “pressure off. Repeat 5 to 10 times. 4. Figure 4 Stretch. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the bed. Place the ankle of the right leg on the left thigh just above the knee. Take the right hand and use it to apply stretch to the right leg. Press knee toward feet. Do as tightness or pain allows. Press while saying the words, “pressure on”, then release while saying “pressure off”. Apply the pressure 5-10 times. Repeat throughout the day 4-6 times (roughly every two hours). Repeat with left leg. (Seated Alternative) 5. Hip Internal Rotation: Start with the left leg. Lie on your back. The left knee should be bent and the left foot flat on the bed. Take the right leg and use the right ankle and foot to bend the left knee down to the right (or toward the right leg). Repeat 5-10 times. Also, stretch the right leg (hip). Lie on your back. The right knee should be bent and the right foot should be flat on the bed. Take the left leg and use the left ankle and foot to bend the right knee down to the left (or toward the left leg), 5-10 times. Check  out the full Back Pain Relief Program series of videos along with downloadable guide sheets here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/back-pain-relief-program

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in June of 2024. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/grHTkpX8AE4 Mike: In the pursuit of fitness and wellness, we often focus on moving forward and progressing. However, sometimes taking a step back can be a benefit. Brad: That's right. Walking backwards has actually become very popular. It's really been influenced by Ben Patrick . Mike: The knees over toes guy. Brad: The knees over toes guy, exactly. I actually saw someone walking backwards up a hill by my house. I was going down on a bike, naturally enjoying the ride, and I wondered what was going on. Then I remembered this whole thing. We'll talk about it in detail. Now the first thing we want to address is the impact on the joints, particularly the knee when you're walking forward. Mike, can you explain it? Mike: So most people land with a heel strike like this with their foot out in front of them when they walk. Mike: This can put more impact on your ankle, your knee, your hip, and even your lower back. You continuously walk like this for years and decades, eventually, you're probably going to develop some issues. Now with backwards walking, it is quite awkward to extend you're knees straight all the way when you're walking backwards. Most people, when they take steps backwards, they're shortened and you can essentially never lock your knees. It's pretty hard to do. Brad: Right, and also the muscle grouping works differently. You actually work more on the glute maximus muscle, which is a muscle that can actually be neglected. There's a name for it. It's called... Mike: Gluteal amnesia. Brad: There you go. And this helps reduce or eliminate that as well. Mike: It also works on your balance and coordination. So if you struggle with that, it can help going in the opposite direction. And for some people that are older, it actually works your brain a little bit because you have to coordinate motor function in a different way. Brad: Now we want to emphasize safety. Walking backwards, obviously you cannot see what's behind you, so either walk with someone that's watching what's going on, use a stick or a cane, or we'll talk about a method you can use on a treadmill that works very well when you have something stable to hold onto. Wow, that was a mouthful. Mike: It was. Brad: All right, now we're gonna give you a list of rules to keep you safe and so you kind of understand a good progression, how to get started and advance. Mike. Mike: Now, if you are new to this or maybe an older person with poor balance, it is important to start in your house with something to hold onto. Like Brad said, a cane walking stick. Maybe at your countertop. You want to have a nice controlled environment without obstacles in the way. Make sure you have good support and slowly start walking backwards. You can wear your shoes or do it in slippers, whatever's comfortable in your house, but it's a good place to start. Brad: I think actually, a hallway in your house, if you have a little bit longer hallway so you can actually have one hand on the wall so you know where that is. A stick in the other hand. If it's a narrow hallway, you can just use both walls. But if you feel wobbly, it's not for you. Have someone help you out standing right next to you. We want to stay very safe. Mike: Now the next progression, if you feel comfortable with that, is progressing to outside. Typically you want to start on a more of a flat surface, maybe a sidewalk or a walking path. If you feel comfortable with that, you can certainly progress to walking up an incline or decline, but that's going to add more of a challenge. Brad: That's right. Now the next question I know people are going to ask in the comments is how far should we walk backwards? Excellent question. To start out with, we're gonna take it slow naturally. It's going to depend on your fitness level and your comfortableness walking backwards in regards to balance. But for example, at my house, if I go to my mailbox, it's 150 feet. I just know that because I've measured it and that's the way therapists think. So I would walk backwards there and maybe that would be enough. Walk forwards on the way back from the mailbox. Pick something out, and make sure it's a flat surface. Do that, do it a few times and then progress. I would go from there and maybe double it and walk backwards on the way back. That would double it at 150 to 300 feet. It's a flat surface, I feel comfortable with it. But when you go to a new area, walking down the road, et cetera, then be careful, have good judgment, Mike, you have some more to add? Mike: So it's good to make time options as well if you don't know distance. So you can start with three to five minutes, even work up to 10 minutes. I know some people do. Ben Patrick does when we've interviewed him on his channel before. But another progression for some people is to use a treadmill. Now if the treadmill is on, you want to make sure it's really slow and you're comfortable going backwards because it's a moving belt, you don't want to trip and fall on it. So start very slow if you are new to this. Now some people actually have the treadmill completely off and they force themselves to move the mat going backwards. That adds resistance and can be challenging. It's a good option if you feel comfortable with it. But if you're at a gym, you want to make sure it's okay with the owners because it can be kind of hard on the machines. Brad: Yeah, the gym owners will probably not advise it. Mike: They actually make specific treadmills for this now. So that's a good option if you happen to have one available to you. Brad: And finally, when you get advanced and you wanna work more, and this is what Ben Patrick's 70-year-old mother, she worked up to this. So this took some time. She actually pulls a weight and drags it across the floor. Mike: They're typically on a sled of sorts and you have a band around your waist walking backwards. This is a safe way to get some resistance training in your legs without loading your spine. Obviously she progressed up to this over time. She didn't immediately start with it, but it's a way to make it more challenging. I actually do this at the gym. I do so many laps. We have a sled, I wrap a thing around my belt. It really works your posterior chain, meaning your hamstrings, your knees, a bit in a different way and your glutes. Brad: That's right. I think walking backwards is a really good idea, but living backwards isn't. So keep your eyes straight ahead and keep moving up. Mike, we got another video. Mike: Yes, check out the interview I did with Ben Patrick discussing what his mother does for her routine. Brad: That's a really good idea that really correlates and adds onto what we just did. See, we're starting to learn these tricks. Mike: It's like I thought about it a little bit. Brad: Thanks for coming. For this week’s Giveaway visit :  https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: A2 Pro Massage Gun Air 2 Mini Massage Gun Back Massager C2 Massage Gun (US) C2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Therapy C2 Plus Massage Gun with Heat C2 Max Massage Gun with Metal Head D2 Mini Massage Gun D5 Pro Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun D6 Plus Massage Gun with Heated Head D6 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head Eye Massager  EyeOasis 2 Plus Eye Massager with Remote Eye Massager with Heating and Cooling EZBack Massager   EZBack Massager With Remote Fit Glide Foot Massager Hand Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream   Knee Glide   Lite Foot Massager Posture Pad Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Q2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head Q2 Plus Mini Massage Gun  Q2 Max Massage Gun with Metal Head sWAVE Massage Gun with Belt T2 Massage Gun  T2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head T2 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head TheraPanel 4 -Headed Massage Gun Uni Massage Gun Weighted Heating Pad for Back Weighted Heating Pad For Neck and Shoulders Weighted Heating Pad-Long X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head X6 Pro Max Massage with Heat-Cold and Metal Head Fitness: Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit   Pull Up System Resistance Bands​   Stress Balls   Wall Anchor​ Stretching: Booyah Stik   Stretch Strap Bob & Brad Amazon Store   and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop ​ Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website are for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for  you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in June of 2024. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/5KSGLsL9zM0 Mike: Are you experiencing knee pain but unsure what is causing it? Brad: That's right. So today we're going to cover 10 different diagnoses. They're all common knee pains, and you'll be able to actually get a better feel for what it is, and then find out how to treat it. Mike: Now the first three issues we're going to talk about relate to the kneecap specifically, but they are all different diagnoses. So the first one is called patellofemoral pain syndrome. And what we're referring to is how your kneecap tracks over your knee joint itself. Brad has his taped up, but he's going to show it on Sam here. Brad: So here, we have the patella, and then the femur underneath. Actually, these are called the condyles. How the patella tracks over the condyles here, and that's where there's cartilage. Brad: If it doesn't track properly, it either pulls to one side or to the other. It causes pain. And where the red tape is here is, typically, you can either have pain on the inside or medial, or the outside of the kneecap, that's lateral. And there are specific exercises or stretches you can do to help work with that. Mike: Now this is very common. It's also called runner's knee sometimes in common terms. So typically, what happens, if it's tracking medially like Brad was saying with the tape, it pushes medially when you're running, when you're squatting, doing movements consistently, rubbing on one side more than the other, or some people, it can track laterally. So typically, you're going to have pain syndromes around the tape region, Brad was talking about. Brad: That's right. We're not going to get into treatment for this. With all of these, you can search our YouTube channel for " patellofemoral syndrome ," and there will be a few complete videos with options on how to treat this and fix it yourself. Mike: Now the second problem people may be having is located slightly above the kneecap. Normally, you don't have patella syndrome tracking the wrong way. You may, but typically it's tracking, right? You can't figure it out. This is called quadriceps tendinitis. So, Brad, do you want to explain what that is? Brad: Yep, so here, we have the patella, but now we have the tendon. The tendon is a broad tendon. It connects to the top of the patella and actually connects to all of the quadriceps. So there's a large muscle mass. That's why it's so large, it's strong, but where it connects to the bone of the tendon right here is typically where you feel the pain. Brad: You can see where the red mark is here above the patella; right in this area is where you feel that pain going up and downstairs. Brad: Using it oftentimes with repetitive motion can get this started, and once it flares up, well, then it can hurt anytime with motion. Mike: It's essentially an inflammation and irritation of this area. So most of the time, for this, you just have to get it to kind of calm down. If you have a tear, it'll be much more serious, and you'll have to go to the doctor to get that fixed. Brad: Yeah, Bob dealt with this at one time, and he was having a hard time figuring it out, but he finally did. We have a few videos on quadriceps tendonitis . Bob is saying, yeah, he remembers that. So there we go. Mike: The next issue is called patellar tendinitis . Now this is the bottom portion below the kneecap here, and oftentimes it can get irritated and inflamed as well. Mike: It connects to your tibial tuberosity here, which the patellar tendon has there, and Brad is showing. The bottom very portion there, it usually gets irritated. It's very common for repetitive sports people. So, runners or jumping sports like volleyball or basketball. Brad: That's right. So here, actually, the dark area, if you can see that, is the tendon that connects the patella to the bone right here, your tibial tuberosity. And there it is, the red mark area on my leg. Brad: This is a nice one. I like treating it with patients because usually, you can treat it well. It's easy to access, it's superficial, in other words, right under the skin, so you can use cold on it, and a number of other treatments to get it to settle down and get you back to where you want to be. Mike: Now the fourth condition is called Osgood-Schlatter disease . Now it is a similar pain area to what we just talked about, except this is common in adolescents between the ages of nine and 16, and it's usually caused by growing too fast too quickly. Brad: And the location is right on the bone where the tibial tendon that we just talked about is. Now I've got a really nice example of it here under the red tape, right in this location, you'll get a significant bump there just like this. It's painful. You don't want to kneel on it. It's not fun to have. Typically, people get over it with time, and there is some treatment to help that out. Mike: Osgood-Schlatter. Brad: Where did that name come from? Mike: Sounds very German to me. Brad: I think Bob knows. Mike: Again, things like running and jumping can exacerbate it. So maybe during the time it's painful, take rests from those activities, but once you get over it, you're typically done with it. Problem number five is typically located on the inside of the knee region here, and it's called pes anserine bursitis . Mike: Now bursitis means there is a bursa there. A bursa is essentially a little fluid-filled sack, there are numerous ones all over your body, but they go between tendons to make sure things aren't rubbing and causing friction on each other. And in the area, it can be inflamed or irritated because you have three muscle tendons that all combine here, which they call the pes anserine. Brad: And if you have this, you're going to feel pain there. You can see where the red tape is. Brad: This is where it will be. You're going to actually feel, and you have a rub and put some pressure on it, it's going to hurt because those bursas have a lot of nerve endings, and they're very sensitive when they get inflamed. So you want to be careful with it. This is something you can ice, and there's some work you can do with the muscles up here. Once again, explained in the videos that you will find on our YouTube channel. Mike: Now the next two problems are both related to ligaments. Now we have numerous ligaments in the knee, but we're going to talk about the ones on the inside and outside. So inside, we have MCL or medial collateral ligament, and outside, we have LCL or lateral collateral ligament. Typically, these get injured with a sports injury or some type of dramatic force either going in or out applied to the knee. They can happen as we age, if you happen to have some type of wear and tear, and just manage to strain it. But typically, a ligament issue is pretty painful and you normally hear a pop if you actually tore it. Brad: That's right. So, Sam here actually has a very nice model of the MCL . The ligament is a narrow band. It's flat and it's very strong. Brad: It keeps your knee joint from going like this, opening up like a barn door as my professor in college always talked about. Brad: And then over here, the same thing, here is the LCL or the outside ligament which stabilizes a knee in this direction. Brad: Now on me, you can see them here. We've got the piece of tape here and the piece of tape on the other side. Brad: If they get strained and they're not torn, but they're inflamed, you can feel or palpate over that and have tender spots where it's inflamed and tender. If it's unstable, you're going to feel like your knee may be unstable when you walk and it's just an eerie feeling. You don't like it. And if it's torn right apart, you really need to get to a doctor because you do not want to let that knee get open and damage one of the other ligaments. Mike: Now the difference, if you're curious, between a ligament and a tendon, is a ligament purely connects a bone to a bone. A tendon connects a muscle to a bone. So we obviously don't have his quad muscles here, but that's why this is called a tendon and these are ligaments. Brad: Ah, good point, Mike. We learn something new every day on this channel. Mike: Okay, for numbers eight and nine, we're going to combine them again, and this has to do with your joint line and your meniscus . Now to find your actual joint line, you will find kind of some bony prominences around it and your kneecap kind of in the center. Mike: Brad has it outlined nicely on his knee, but you'll feel a little groove in between all of that. That is where your joint line actually is. To test if you're having some pain in this area, most of the time, once you bend your knee more to 90 degrees and start pushing or palpating, that's when you will feel the pain come about. Brad: That's right. Now meniscus has always been a challenge for me to describe to patients, although I did not have Sam here. So if we open up the knee and look at it, you can see the green line. That's actually the meniscus. It's a cartilage tissue, and it stabilizes a knee. You can see that it forms cups, and the condyles of the humerus or the femur fit in there, and you have a nice stable joint as a result. Brad: So there we go. That's the meniscus. They're shaped like horseshoes, and they have medial and lateral, all kinds of medical names we do not need to know about, but Mike did a nice job. When I had meniscus problems, the surgeon would just go in there and push deep into the joint line looking for tenderness. Brad: The other key thing with meniscus is if you have a rip or a tear, or a fold in a meniscus, which is common, your knee has a tendency to lock up. Oftentimes, going up and downstairs. It's painful when it locks. And usually, if you wiggle it around a little bit and move it, the fold of the tear will go back into place, and then it's okay just like that. That's probably a meniscus problem. You need to see a doctor, or a therapist, to get good tests done. It's kind of hard to do meniscus tests as a layperson. Mike: Now if you're not experiencing any catching or locking. Another issue you may have is just some arthritis developing in your knee joint itself. So that's a little different. But again, that would be pretty painful in your joint line region. Brad: That darned arthritis. Mike: Now the last problem area we're going to talk about is the back of the knee. There can be numerous issues going on. So we're actually going to discuss three common issues that may be happening here. The first one is you may actually have a hamstring strain or possibly a tear. You have three hamstring muscles. They run from your ischial tuberosity down to the inside and outside of your knees. You have one that runs outside and you have two that run inside. So if you're experiencing pain on the outside, it might be your biceps femoris hamstring. If on the inside, it's either your semimembranosus or tendinosis hamstring muscles. Brad: There you go. So I have the line representing or right over the tendon of this muscle, and the two here. Brad: If those tendons are strained or slightly torn, they can be painful. Hopefully, you don't rupture one because then you're gonna have a gap there, and the muscle belly of the muscle will actually ball up. That's a problem. You really need to see the doctor and get that taken care of. So there you go. We also have the popliteus muscle, which is a small little muscle that is just in this area. Brad: And it's really important for the mechanics of your knee, particularly when you're walking. And it actually does a slight rotation, so the mechanics work well with your knee and your knee lasts for a long time. It's painful. It can tighten up, and simply massage. Oh, we don't want to get into the treatment yet, but we'll talk about it. You can massage that area. And sometimes, that's enough to loosen that muscle up. Get it back to normal. Mike, go ahead. I'm taking the show again. Mike: Yeah, the popliteus actually runs diagonally across both bones. So that's why it's good to focus on not straightening your knee as much when you have problems there. Now the last issue people have is pretty obvious, it's called a Baker's cyst , or a popliteal cyst is the more medical term for it. So you'll have a growth or a cyst behind your knee. That's why it's pretty obvious if you have it. You actually have synovial fluid all within your knee joint. That's completely normal. It gets produced more with movement with a Baker's cyst. What can happen, it can kind of start producing and pooling in one specific area. That's what caused the cyst to form. And you really need to go see a doctor. Brad: But wait, Mike, we have to show something. Cut. So here's a simple model of a common location for a cyst. It is fluid-filled, and it can be a problem. You don't want to just leave it there. Have it looked at by a doctor and have it treated as appropriate. Mike: Now this is commonly caused by osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, possibly a meniscal tear as well. But usually, they take a while to develop, and you can notice it coming. Brad: So obviously, this is very comprehensive about all the problems that you could have with your knees. Go ahead, look at them. Hopefully, we've helped you out, but we've got another video that can even give you more help. Mike: Yes, if you're having knee pain while walking or even stairs, you can check out our video " Fast Fix For Knee Pain With Stairs Or Walking! 55 And Older ." That video goes much more in-depth on exercises and proper walking mechanics. Brad: There you go. 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Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

Generally, this one would be for Flexors! Lying on your stomach This exercise is to be done on the floor or bed. If possible, your starting position will be flat on your abdomen (stomach). If that position is not comfortable, try placing pillows under your abdomen until it is tolerable. You can place up to 3 pillows under your abdomen or stomach. If you are comfortable with one or two pillows, start with that number instead. Try lying in that position for 2-3 minutes. If you have increased pain, stop. After 5 minutes try removing one of the pillows. The goal is to eventually be lying flat on your abdomen without a pillow and without increased pain. You may be able to do this on day one, or in some cases, you may need a few days to reach the flat position. Let your pain levels dictate how fast you move. Once you can lie flat without any pillows, make a fist with your right hand and rest your chin on the fist. If that is comfortable you may progress to having the right fist stacked up onto a fist made by the left hand. If neither is comfortable you can try just placing a pillow under your head. Try lying for 2-3 minutes in this position several times a day (5-8 times or more) Once you’re able to lie on your abdomen with no increased pain try the following: Get up onto your elbows and just lie there for a minute or two, if pain allows. If pain allows one may also place the chin on fists (fists stacked together). Allow your lower back to sag to the floor or bed. If the pain gets worse go back to the flat. If able to do this exercise pain-free, or with improving pain - progress to baby press-ups. BABY PRESS-UPS Eventually, we want you to progress to performing press-ups. CAUTION : You should not experience any significant increase in pain while doing this exercise. If you do, you must skip the exercise. Place your hands flat on the floor or bed directly under your shoulders. Use your arms to lift your upper body (like a pushup) while keeping your pelvis or lower back on the bed/floor. The pelvis should not be lifted off the floor. The low back should be allowed to sag. If your back is tight, you may only be able to press up about halfway before the pelvis begins to raise up from the bed. Repeat the press-up 5 to 10 times. If painful, STOP. If it’s not painful, finish the 5-10 repetitions and STOP. Try it again the next day especially if the pain improved or the pain stayed the same. As stated earlier, you need to be aware that the exercise is effective. The exercise should be causing the pain levels and locations to decrease, shrink, and retreat. Look for improvement in the farthest aspect of the pain first. For example, if pain, numbness, or tingling extends out into the foot, the symptoms should improve in the foot first. FULL PRESS UPS Eventually, we would like to see you fully extend your arms while keeping your pelvis on the bed. Some people will not be able to obtain this goal. But it should be the end goal, nonetheless. This exercise should be repeated throughout the day. If you’re able the prone lying or prone prop should be performed as many as 5 to 8 times a day. We have heard objections to the frequency but understand this. Sciatica can be a serious condition leading to surgery. To give yourself a chance at healing, you need to be devoted to the exercises, and the suggestions up ahead. If the press-ups do not make your pain worse, but they are also failing to make it better, try this. You may also try this if you are unable to perform a full press-up. To facilitate movement, try press-ups with overpressure. PRESS-UPS WITH OVERPRESSURE Tool #2 advanced. Take a sheet and roll it up lengthwise. Place the sheet over your pelvis and use your hands to secure the ends of the sheet (with hands flat under your shoulders). Perform press-ups with the sheet providing a counter-pressure over the pelvis. AGAIN, THIS SHOULD ALL BE PAIN-FREE - OR DON’T DO IT. If tolerable with no significant increased pain, repeat press-ups with overpressure 5- 10 times. If no pain, you can repeat 5-8 times per day as able. You can also use a stretch-out strap or belt: Check  out the full Back Pain Relief Program series of videos along with downloadable guide sheets here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/back-pain-relief-program

If you suffer from frequent headaches or migraines, you know how debilitating they can be. Whether it’s a pounding sensation in your temples, sharp pain behind your eyes, or overall discomfort, finding effective relief is a priority. Enter the Bob and Brad Eye Ease Eye Massager, a simple yet powerful solution designed to target key pressure points and provide soothing relief for those struggling with headaches and migraine pain. Why Choose the Eye Ease Eye Massager for Headaches? Headaches and migraines can be caused by a variety of factors, from tension and stress to dehydration and poor sleep. The Eye Ease Eye Massager addresses these common headache triggers and provides targeted relief through: Gentle Air Compression  🌬️The Eye Ease Massager uses soft, adjustable air compression to gently massage around your eyes and temples. This targeted pressure helps reduce the tension that often contributes to headaches, promoting relaxation in the facial muscles. Soothing Heat Therapy  🔥Heat therapy is a proven technique for relieving pain and relaxing tight muscles. The Eye Ease Massager offers a customizable heat setting, allowing you to enjoy a warm, comforting sensation that soothes both headache pain and eye strain. Vibration Massage  💆‍♀️The massager includes a vibration function that helps to stimulate blood flow, alleviate tension, and ease muscle stiffness. This vibration technology can provide fast relief from the throbbing pain that often accompanies migraines and headaches. Portable & Convenient  🚶‍♀️You don’t have to wait for a trip to the spa or a professional massage therapist to experience relief. The Bob and Brad Eye Ease is compact and easy to use at home, at work, or while traveling. Simply slip it on, select your desired settings, and let the device do the work. How It Helps with Migraines Migraines are a unique type of headache, often accompanied by nausea, light sensitivity, and intense pain. While medications can help manage symptoms, many people find that holistic treatments, like the Eye Ease, offer significant relief. The gentle air compression, combined with heat and vibration, helps to relax the muscles around your eyes and temples, potentially easing the intense pressure that can worsen migraine pain. Plus, by reducing muscle tension, the Eye Ease may help reduce the frequency and intensity of migraines over time. Why You Need the Eye Ease Eye Massager If you’re someone who battles headaches or migraines on a regular basis, the Bob and Brad Eye Ease Eye Massager could be the game-changer you’ve been looking for. With its combination of air compression, heat, and vibration massage, it provides immediate comfort while helping to reduce long-term tension. Whether you’re looking to alleviate the pain of a current headache or prevent future migraines, this simple yet effective tool could be the relief you need. Plus, with its easy-to-use design and portability, you can enjoy a relaxing, headache-free experience anytime, anywhere. Where to Find the Eye Ease Eye Massager You can now find the Bob and Brad Eye Ease Eye Massager at Walmart! This convenient location makes it easier than ever to get your hands on this essential wellness tool. Pick it up today and start enjoying the benefits of relief from headaches and migraines in no time! Don’t let headaches and migraines control your life any longer. The Bob and Brad Eye Ease Eye Massager is an affordable, effective solution to help you find relief from the discomfort that comes with these common conditions. Whether you’re at home, at work, or on the go, the Eye Ease is here to help you relax, recharge, and take back control of your day. Head to a Walmart  near you to grab yours now and start experiencing the soothing benefits today!

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in June of 2024. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/J_TNX9rAcV8 Brad: If you want a full body exercise and feel "strong like bull," but have it done quickly and concisely, we're going to show you one that can be done anywhere, even at a restaurant. Mike: At a restaurant? But if you're a non-workout person, this is a good option because there are beginner to advanced levels for it and you will get the health benefits without having to work out for an hour. Brad: Right, and we're going to show you a concise way to do it, to find out how you progress over a period of one week in regard to your fitness level and strength. Mike: So this routine is one exercise we're going to show against three variations of it, beginner to advanced, and it's going to work your hips, your legs, a bit of your core, and even your upper body. Brad: So first going to show you the exercise, then you can do it with us. It'll take 30 seconds and then we'll finish up with how you keep track of your progress over a period of those first seven days, and then we're going to talk about a nice exercise program and another video afterward. Mike: Let's go to work. Brad: Enough talking. All right, we're going to take just a few seconds to show the variations from beginner to intermediate to more advanced level, and then we're going to go through the actual routine for 30 seconds and you're encouraged to join along. So it's the mountain climber, and Mike's going to show it against the wall. Now, I would do this as a warmup even if you are going to go on to the advanced version because it's a nice simple way to warm up. You're going to lean against the wall, slightly flexing the arm. Now this is something we want to obviously really work on our posture. So Mike's head's hanging forward, we're going to bring that back, bring the shoulders in it, nice, straight back, let's check this out. You don't have to do this, but I want you to get the concept of a nice good posture so we're working on that while we exercise. You can do this for 30 seconds. Brad: Now to make it harder, bring those knees up higher. There you go. And now Mike's got his heels really close together. I would prefer that you go with a wide base. There's a little more stability there. That's really not really important, but I like to do that. Now if this is too easy, we're going to go to a cupboard or a solid table of sorts. You got me saying that of sorts thing now, Mike. Mike: Oh, of sorts. Brad: Go ahead, Mike. Look at that posture. You want to maintain posture. Head up a little. Ah, there you go. Look forward. Mike: I'm hitting the wall. Brad: You look up, you're going to go up. There you go. Good. Mike: So with this, it's going to be a little more challenging on your upper body. The legs get a similar amount of resistance. Obviously the quicker you go, the more steps you're going to get. But just run for 30 seconds. And if you want more of a challenge, you can actually even bend your elbows a little. And I'm really feeling my pecs work. Brad: Oh, yeah, it's the little things that can make a big difference. And finally, the traditional mountain climber. If you're ready for this right away, simply work this. Bring those knees up as high as you feel comfortable. I do variations when I go out to the side with my knees. It feels different, it's harder, and it's a good option if you want to do it. Brad: Okay, now pick which one you want to do with us, and we're going to time it for 30 seconds. Okay, so get ready for whichever way you want to do it. Mike's doing them at the counter. I'm doing them on the floor. And this is exactly how I do mine at home. I set my timer, I do a little longer than 30 seconds as I progress. We'll start at 30 seconds. Okay, are you ready? Mike: I'm ready. Brad: And go ahead and here we go. Slow. Start them out slowly. Again, head up. Make sure you're looking up, keeping that posture strong. Tighten your core so you stay straight and strong in the core. Bend the elbows if you want. You're going to feel a big difference in the upper body. If you want to go out with your knees, try that. If you're not ready for that, go whatever way works best for you. If you wanna go a little faster because you're already advanced, And one of those... Brad: All right, I'm breathing. How are you doing, Mike? Mike: I'm just listening to the jams there on your phone. I'm fine. You had the harder variation than me. Brad: Well, I got 25 years on you. Mike: Oh, there you go. Brad: All right. Really, this is a nice workout. Quick 30 seconds. Make it as hard as you want. Go longer if you want. It's going to help you out. Now this is the point I wanted to make earlier. After you do this once, you understand it, do it again maybe the next day if you need a break, but count. So I'm going to do this as soon as I hit the go button. One, two, three, four, and you need to keep counting all the way until the 30 seconds is up. Put the phone right in front of you in case you can't hear it. You know if you have a little hearing aid and you forgot to bring them. Mike: I forgot mine, dang it. Brad: So count how many steps you did in the 30 seconds. Make a mental note of how tired you are, or write it down, even better yet. Get that number, do it six days in a row, take the seventh day off and rest, and then the next day would be your first day of seven, and count again. I think you're going to find out the number you do the first day of marching versus after one week is going to improve significantly, as well as how tired you get. You might get sore, you might get a little achy if you do take a day off, particularly if you're really sore and walking around. If you're really sedentary and you do this and overdo it because you have that personality, you'll feel sore the next day. Mike, what else do you have to say? I've been hogging the time. Mike: I want to know how many steps it takes to get up to a mountain now, we're mountain climbers. Brad: Yeah, this is what I have to put up with. It's worse when the camera's off, but I'm getting used to it, anyway. Well wait, wait, we've got something else going on. Mike: If you want to check out another video pertaining to exercise specifically, check out " Single Best 60 Second Posture Exercise ." Brad: Yeah. So instead of 30, we went to 60 seconds. We were focusing on posture. 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Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for  you.

Does your back appear to be shifted or crooked to one side? (See Photo). Is this a relatively new development? We are not referring to scoliosis that you may have had for years. We are referring to a shift in your spine that may have started at or about the same time as your sciatica. If you do detect a shift, we will want you to first address that issue and it will be your first exercise. • Look at yourself in the mirror to determine if you detect a shift. You may need a friend or loved one to look at you and verify. • In our experience, a shift in the spine from a disc problem is relatively infrequent, but if you do have a shift you may need to correct it for treatment to be successful. If you do not have a shift move on to the next exercise (press-ups). Straight Spine Shifted to Right • Steps to correct a right shift a. In a person with a right shift, shoulders and upper back appear shifted to the right as viewed in the photo above. b. To correct, stand with the right shoulder and right hip facing the wall. Stand approximately 12” to 18” away from the wall. Bend your right elbow to a 90-degree angle (right angle) and lay it flat against the wall. Now lean against the right arm with your body and allow your pelvis to sink towards the wall. This will begin to correct the shift. Do not perform if it is painful. Watch our video on YouTube if you have trouble understanding how to do the shift. • Steps to correct a left shift a. In a person with a left shift, shoulders and upper back appear shifted to the left as viewed in photo A. b. To correct, stand with left shoulder and left hip facing the wall. Stand approximately 12” to 18” away from the wall. Bend your left elbow to a 90-degree angle (right angle) and lie it flat against the wall. Now lean against the left arm with your body and allow your pelvis to sink towards the wall. This will begin to correct the shift. Do not perform if it is painful. Watch our video on YouTube if you have trouble understanding how to do the shift. Check  out the full Back Pain Relief Program series of videos along with downloadable guide sheets here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/back-pain-relief-program

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in June of 2024. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/ZeuxTYGv0g4 Mike: We recently released a video on how to do a pull-up for beginners or older adults, and we thought it'd be a good idea to make one on how to do a pushup if you haven't done them before. Brad: So, if you want to do push-ups and never could, or you have wrist or shoulder pain and it limits you from doing push-ups, this will help. Mike: So we're going to go through a three-step routine to do real push-ups, and hopefully, this progression will keep you motivated to keep doing them. Brad: That's right. The goal is to do 10 quality push-ups with good posture, and no pain. They're going to be the way they should be done. Alright, we're going to go through some of the mechanics, the posture so that you can do pushups without the pain starting on the wall. Mike, go ahead. Mike: So, you want to be a few feet away from the wall. The further you are the more challenging it may become. Also, you don't want to have your hands out too wide, this is going to be problematic on your shoulders. Pick an angle closer to your body. You can go right next to your body with your elbows, or if you're slightly out at a 45-degree angle, whatever is more comfortable for you. Also, you want to make sure you try to have a straight back while doing this. Obviously, as I get close to the wall my nose is going to touch it so my head might move back a little bit. You just don't want to have a weak trunk with an exaggerated spine, because this isn't doing very much. Brad: That's right. So I want to emphasize, don't let your elbows go out. We do not want to have that stress on our shoulders and create pain. Alright, let's go to the next step. Now, if you've done this and you're doing your push-ups at the wall, and you can do 10 but it's difficult, or you're unable to do 10 and you're a beginner, then you're going to continue to do your push-ups on the wall. When you get to 10 easily, then you can go to the next step. If this is really easy and option two is easy, then you're going to go to the final push-ups on the ground, the GI push-up. Mike, do you want to show step number two and the progression? Mike: All right, so at home you could do this on a countertop, preferably not on your mattress because it's probably too soft and your arms might fall off of it. So, what you want to do is, again, get in a plank-like position. Do not have too rounded of a spine or too duped in like this. Mike: Have a nice straight core. Then you're going to go down, hold for a second, and come back up. You don't want to just push around like this and fly around your push-ups, just go nice, slow, and controlled. Try to do 10 of them. Again, your foot position may change how easy or hard it is. The closer I am, the easier it is. The further out I am the harder it becomes. Again, watch your elbow position. Nice straight core. Make sure to breathe while you're doing this. Brad: Yes, the breathing is critical that you don't tense up. Tighten the core. Personally, when I do them, I like to have my head up looking straight ahead. I'll show you on the ground. And whatever you do you do not want to let your head droop. Mike: That puts your head right into the countertop, that won't feel very good. Brad: You can cause a traumatic brain injury or a neck strain at the very least. So, if you can do 10 of these, you're ready to go to the next step. We'll go to it shortly. All right, now the GI push-up, which is what I call them, is on the floor. Now the first step is you're going to do them on your knees. You can skip this step if you'd like, but what you're going to do, and really focus on your posture, it's a good idea to have another person observe you because it's easy to get your butt too high like this, and do them like that, or like Mike demonstrated before, arched back and doing this, or your head sagged down. Brad: You should be straight. And then hands in the same position as before. Tighten the stomach muscles, and do your pushups nice and straight. I like looking head up, as I mentioned. Brad: Now, if you're on your knees, it really is helpful, at least for me, to use a cushion, a pillow, something to help your knees, particularly on a hard floor. Now, if you're fine with that you can do 10 easy. We're going to go to the standard GI push-up. And here we go. We want to get straight, not arched. And start doing them, and do them slowly. Make sure you breathe, I like to breathe in on the way down and exhale on the way out. Full extension. Brad: Avoid doing this, where you just kind of do a little baby push-up that's only a partial range of motion. Down and up. Brad: Now when I go down, I go down until I almost touch the floor with my chin, and I come back up. Mike, do you want to demonstrate, any tips that you do? Because you do more pushups than I do, I think. Mike: So, just get in your normal position, and go with what shoulder width is comfortable for you. The wider you are the more challenging or strain it might put on it. If you feel comfortable that way because you have some sort of injury it's perfectly fine. But, again, go down. I kind of look up sometimes a little bit so I don't put my face into the ground. But, yes, hold down like Brad was saying. You know, when you see the people going through very fast, it's more the military that has to do 100 pushups because they get yelled at. So go nice, slow, and controlled and back up. Now, if you have some injuries of sorts, whether it's shoulder pain or maybe wrist pain, we're going to show some options here. Brad: There you go. Now, something that directly affects me is wrist pain when I do pushups. So I take these, they're called perfect push-up devices. And it keeps your wrist in a neutral position. It also increases your grip strength a little bit as well so it gets two birds with one stone so to speak. There is a way, if you don't want to buy these, but you happen to have some dumbbells, these can work as well. You have to have dumbbells that have a wide enough diameter so you can hold on to them. I'm only doing it with one so I can show you what it is. This one is a little bit too small for me. I could do it, but my knuckles are getting squished a little bit, not too bad. On the carpet, it would probably be okay. So if you have a dumbbell with a wider diameter you can use these instead of the push-up devices. Brad: The big advantage to the push-up devices is they actually rotate which can take stress off your wrist, as well as your shoulders. Mike: Now they also sell just basic push-up handles that don't rotate, and if that's comfortable for you that's fine. They're typically less expensive than these ones. I have a pair like these at home. I like them because you can actually get a little bit deeper into it if you have that range of motion. If you don't have the range of motion, you have pain, just go to what's comfortable for you, and then come back up. That's perfectly acceptable, but I know a lot of people have had wrist injuries, or they're older and have arthritis, so this is a good option. Brad: That's right. One more little trick that I like to do, if you're doing these, and you're having a hard time getting to 10, what you can do is take a soft squishy ball if you have one lying around, or otherwise go take one from the kids, or the neighbor kids at the park. Put that right there. The bigger the ball, the easier it is. If you have a smaller ball you can progress to that. This is optional, but I like it because of one thing, it gives you a target for going down. You're not going as far but you're not ready for that yet, so that's a good idea. And you can actually kind of use it as a little push-off to get you back up, because this is the hardest part of the push-up at this point, taking the momentum, and changing it from going down to back up. This can give that little bounce to make that quite a bit easier. And there you go. Brad: When that's too easy use a smaller ball. Oh yeah, that's definitely a little harder, but it gives you a little target so you don't have to go down and touch your chin on the floor. And it's very consistent. Works well. Brad: I hope we gave you some good advice on how to progress to doing push-ups. You should be able to get to 10 hopefully within a couple of weeks if you're a beginner. Otherwise, keep working at it, you'll get stronger. Keep the shoulders, the wrists, and all those arthritic pains under control so they don't get flared up. And we also have another video, what is that for, Mike? Mike: If you're still having shoulder pain with your push-ups, maybe you need to do some other exercises, so you can check out our video " Why & How "Hanging" STOPS Shoulder Pain & Surgery ." It's how hanging from a pull-up bar can actually stop your shoulder pain. Brad: That's right. Actually it's a very good one by a surgeon who wrote a book about the whole situation, and it works well. My brother was just looking at it. For this week’s Giveaway visit :  https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: A2 Pro Massage Gun Air 2 Mini Massage Gun Back Massager C2 Massage Gun (US) C2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Therapy C2 Plus Massage Gun with Heat C2 Max Massage Gun with Metal Head D2 Mini Massage Gun D5 Pro Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun D6 Plus Massage Gun with Heated Head D6 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head Eye Massager  EyeOasis 2 Plus Eye Massager with Remote Eye Massager with Heating and Cooling EZBack Massager   EZBack Massager With Remote Fit Glide Foot Massager Hand Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream   Knee Glide   Lite Foot Massager Posture Pad Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Q2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head Q2 Plus Mini Massage Gun  Q2 Max Massage Gun with Metal Head sWAVE Massage Gun with Belt T2 Massage Gun  T2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head T2 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head TheraPanel 4 -Headed Massage Gun Uni Massage Gun Weighted Heating Pad for Back Weighted Heating Pad For Neck and Shoulders Weighted Heating Pad-Long X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head X6 Pro Max Massage with Heat-Cold and Metal Head Fitness: Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit   Pull Up System Resistance Bands​   Stress Balls   Wall Anchor​ Stretching: Booyah Stik   Stretch Strap Bob & Brad Amazon Store   and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop ​ Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website are for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for  you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in May of 2024. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/snBF2XXuyLM Mike: Do you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome? Brad: Well, today, we're going to show you the three best self-tests you can do to find out if that's what you have. We'll go through it in detail. Mike: So we're going to go through three different tests for carpal tunnel syndrome you can do at home, and pick which one works for you. Some of them you may not be able to get into the position, so try one of the other tests. Brad: Now you can do all these tests by yourself, but it does help to have someone assist you. You'll see why in just a second. Mike: So the first test is called the hand elevation test. In order to do this, you need to be in a seated position, raise your arms up above your head, and you're just supposed to hold it for two minutes, palms facing away from you. What are some of the symptoms you may feel? Brad: Well, before we get to that, I do want to add, make sure you have good posture with this. Don't be slumped over. The symptoms you're going to feel are dull, aching, tingling sensations in the hand, either in the thumb, up and through the pointer finger, the middle finger, and one-half of the ring finger. That is the median nerve that is being pinched. And that will be what symptoms are reproduced. Mike: So according to studies, the hand elevation test, which we just showed, shows the best results for a positive reaction for most people. However, some people we realize have shoulder issues and can't perform this motion. So we're going to show you some other tests you can try instead. Brad: Right, and you can do this one and the other ones as well to make it a more complete test. Alright, this next test is also relatively easy to do. You only need 60 seconds and a specific posture with your hands. It's called the Phalen test. You put the back of your hands together, sitting up with good posture again, and then you try and flex the wrists or bring them up as far as you can comfortably. Brad: This is as far as I go. You can see Mike's wrists are quite a bit more flexible, and that has nothing to do with a positive test. And once you get to that point, you're going to time it for 60 seconds. Now, a positive test is if you get the same symptoms as the over-the-head test with your hands. In other words, and the thumb, pointer finger, middle finger, and half the ring finger, you feel numbness, tingling, and dull aching. If you feel that, it's a positive test. Mike: So the third test is called the Tinel Test. You need to do this in a seated position with your arm supported, like I have it here. And you're going to need to be able to extend your wrist off the edge. So you can just do this at a table. Now what you want to do is take one of your fingers. You're supposed to do this with a rubber mallet of sorts that you would have at a doctor or physical therapy clinic. It's called a reflex hammer, Mike, reflex hammer. Mike: Rubber mallet. At home, just take your finger, and you're simply going to tap in the crease of your wrist region. Oftentimes, if you start tapping and feel that tingling, numbness, and burning sensation again go into the palm side, into those thumb, pointer, middle, and part of the index finger there, that is recreating the carpal tunnel syndrome. Brad: And the timeframe is up to 60 seconds of tapping. If it's positive, you'll probably start feeling that well before that. Ah, so very good. And with all these, it's nice to test the right and the left. In other words, the positive one, and compare it to the one that doesn't have symptoms, unless you have carpal tunnel on both sides, which is possible. Mike: Now, we showed you all the tests you can do. If you want to check some stretches or exercises for carpal tunnel syndrome, watch the video " Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: How To Assess And Stop The Pain! " Brad: That's right. It's a nice video and you'll enjoy it and I have some good success with it as well. Should we continue to babble, Mike? Mike: No, I think we're good. For this week’s Giveaway visit :  https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: A2 Pro Massage Gun Air 2 Mini Massage Gun Back Massager C2 Massage Gun (US) C2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Therapy C2 Plus Massage Gun with Heat C2 Max Massage Gun with Metal Head D2 Mini Massage Gun D5 Pro Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun D6 Plus Massage Gun with Heated Head D6 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head Eye Massager  EyeOasis 2 Plus Eye Massager with Remote Eye Massager with Heating and Cooling EZBack Massager   EZBack Massager With Remote Fit Glide Foot Massager Hand Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream   Knee Glide   Lite Foot Massager Posture Pad Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Q2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head Q2 Plus Mini Massage Gun  Q2 Max Massage Gun with Metal Head sWAVE Massage Gun with Belt T2 Massage Gun  T2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head T2 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head TheraPanel 4 -Headed Massage Gun Uni Massage Gun Weighted Heating Pad for Back Weighted Heating Pad For Neck and Shoulders Weighted Heating Pad-Long X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head X6 Pro Max Massage with Heat-Cold and Metal Head Fitness: Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit   Pull Up System Resistance Bands​   Stress Balls   Wall Anchor​ Stretching: Booyah Stik   Stretch Strap Bob & Brad Amazon Store   and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop ​ Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website are for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

Finding a comfortable mattress is a very personal choice, but here are some guidelines: • The base of the mattress should be firm enough to support your spine in a straight position (s-curve as opposed to c-curve). • The mattress does not allow sagging. Look for sagging in the mattress to compare supine straight and supine sagging, side-lying straight and side-lying saggy, prone straight, and prone saggy. • The upper layer of the mattress should be comfortable and conforming, reducing the pressure at the contact points. • Medium-firm mattresses have been found to be better for back pain than firm mattresses. • If you are a smaller person with less prominent curves, you will probably tolerate a moderately firm foundation mattress with a firmer top. You won’t sink into the mattress easily because of your size. And because you have less prominent curves you tolerate a firmer top. • If you are a heavier person with prominent curves, you will probably require a firm foundation mattress with a less firm top. You will tend to sink into the mattress easily because of your size and because you have prominent curves you will benefit from a less firm top. Check  out the full Back Pain Relief Program series of videos along with downloadable guide sheets here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/back-pain-relief-program