This article is a transcribed, edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in November 2024. For the original video, go to https://youtu.be/dvysGbaM_Sk Brad: We're going to talk about chest pain. We're going to talk about how you need to know the cause of the chest pain so that you can deal with it properly. You can live your life comfortably and with peace of mind. Mike: So we're going to go through three different steps. And all these should cover the majority of chest pain that people are experiencing. Brad: Right, now, I've had chest pain; I went in three times for it, and we're going to talk about my experience. And the third step has been very helpful, particularly in my life. We'll cover that in detail. I'm sure it's going to help other people as well. Okay, now I do want to talk about my experience with chest pain when I was 50 years old. The first time I experienced it at midnight, I woke up with chest pain, a little short of breath, and wasn't sure what to do. I went to the ER, and overnight, they examined me. "Your heart is completely fine." Two more times since then. Same thing. Chest pain. I didn't want to go in. My wife says, "You're going in." They each time said, "My heart is healthy." As a matter of fact, the third time they said, "Your heart is healthier than most people working there." That made me feel better. But I continued to have chest pain. Something that is not very fun because you really don't know for sure. So, they said it was musculoskeletal pain, and I thought musculoskeletal, that's, I'm a physical therapist. I should be able to figure this out. So I did research, and I did find out. And what we are going to do is, before you go into that, step number two, we have to go to step number one. If you're having chest pain, you absolutely must... Mike: Go see your cardiologist, or go to the urgent care or emergency room to get it checked out. You want to make sure it is not your heart first and foremost, because that can be deadly, as we know. Brad: Yes. And you don't have to worry about steps two and three. So you're going to find out, if you call up your doctor and say, "I'm having chest pain, can you get me in as quickly as possible?" Almost certainly, they're going to say, "No, you need to go to the ER right now." Just know that's going to happen, and go get it out of the way because it could be a heart problem, and it could easily save your life. So we cannot emphasize that enough. Mike: So we want to mention that 50% of ER visits with chest pain are not heart-related. So that's the good news. Commonly, this can be caused by GERD, which is a reflux disorder or disease that people have. I actually had this in my twenties. It's not very fun. Brad: Right, right. Mike: It kind of goes in your stomach, they put you on some medication for it, typically goes away. But there are also musculoskeletal conditions called costochondritis. Brad: Right. Now I've done this all three times. That's what they told me. Musculoskeletal disorder. But they didn't tell me what to do about it. And I really don't know if they knew, because it's not something that's widespread. But we did find a person who was an expert in it. He lives in New Zealand, and we're going to actually take a trip through memory lane. Bob and I did an excellent video, not only explaining why you get chest pain, but also how to treat it through Steve August's recommendation. Are you ready to go back with the memory label? Mike: Oh, I can feel the GERD kicking in. Brad: It's like Dr. Who! As a matter of fact, the stretching, I think, kind of irritated it. Bob: It could irritate it. Yes. Brad: Finally, I found a therapist from New Zealand, Steve August , and he has a very thorough video on it. 15 minutes long. If you're not a therapist, it gets a little boring because he goes through details about how the problem is back here. Bob: Yeah. Brad: And it's like, I didn't buy it at first. That doesn't make any sense. Bob: I thought it made sense to me right away. Brad: Well, of course, but I'm not that bright, and I kind of did, but I'm always skeptical. Sure. You know me, Bob. I never take anything at face value until I prove it. Bob: Makes you a good therapist. Brad: Yep. I guess so. I don't know. But anyway, so I started his treatment. Bob: So basically, what he's saying, it's tight in the back. It's almost adhered down. Brad: Right. Bob: And if it's tight back there, the movement of the rib cage has to come from somewhere. So it gets hypermobile in the chest. Brad: Right. Bob: So by loosening this, you don't put as much stress on the front. Brad: Right. Bob: Basically. Brad: He talks about the rib being like a handle on a bucket. Bob: Right. Going up like this. Brad: Move up and down, up and down. And there should be a hinge on each side. If the hinge gets a little rusty, you know, analogy on one side, we need to break it up and get those loose again. So I'm a believer now. Here's the whole treatment. This is what you've been waiting for. You've been putting up with this babble for seven minutes. So here's how we both, Bob and I, actually use it the same way. I'm doing it for my costochondritis. Bob likes it for his posture as well as his muscles in his back. It's a good way to get him loose. So I'm going to put the Backpod on the floor. This is my right side. This is where I always develop chest pain. And I work this side a little more. And I go on there like this. And this is what Steve, the therapist who invented this, you know, I did this on a video once, and he emailed me the next day or a few days later, he said, "You forgot to do your arms up and back like this." Bob: Yes, exactly. Brad: So, I started to do that. A warning, if you've never used this before, or if you're using the softball, take a towel like this and unfold it, whatever, layer it up, and then put that over. Bob: And also, you may have a pillow under your head. Brad: Yep, and a pillow. Exactly. You may really have to blunt it first to start off with. Especially if you're a thinner person. Bob: Yeah. Brad: It'll feel a little aggressive. I've been using it for quite a while, and I'd say that after a couple of weeks of using this, I welcome it without anything. Bob: Right. But you did start with something, right? Brad: Oh yeah. I used a towel. Bob: I remember you telling me. It was hard on you. Brad: I just had a cavitation there. It'll make your joints pop a little bit and crack. Bob: This is the first thing I do in the morning. I do it actually while I'm doing hamstring stretches. Brad: You mean like right out of bed? You get into bed? Bob: I get out of bed. I'm serious, and I go to the bathroom. I get up, I go to the bathroom, I start stretching, and I put this thing behind my back, and I hit the six spots. Brad: Yep. Bob: And I used to have to, like, right before I did a run, I'd have to stretch my back out some more. Brad: Sure. Bob: But this does it for me. This is, and as I said, this has taken away the pain between my shoulder blades. So, the thing I like about this Brad, too, is that it comes with a booklet. Brad: Oh yes. Bob: And we did, what was it, 30 pages? Brad: 31. Bob: 31 pages. And it's really well written. I mean, it goes over the posture things. It goes over a lot of things. You can use this for the costochondritis. That book is worth $10 to me, Brad. It gives a good explanation. Are you having fun? Brad: I'm done. Bob: I just wanted to show how fast it is. I also treat my SI with it. It feels good. And he has a page in there describing it. Bob: I have not seen that... I think you mentioned it one time before on one of our videos. Brad: Bob, our viewers are starting to get bored. The main thing is done. We showed how to use the back pad. Bob: You got the alternatives. You can try other things if you don't want to pay or spend the money. But remember, Brad and I could fix just about anything. Brad: Except for... Bob: A broken heart. Brad: There we go. Bob: We'll get that fixed, too, someday. Mike: We are now back from the past/future, whichever direction we moved in, and the back pod came with us, I guess. Brad: Yeah, here we go. It made it through the vortex. But it is a really nice device. I still use it on a regular basis. Now, one thing that can happen, you can have costochondritis, treat it successfully, but if you forget to do it or you go on vacation, you may get that chest pain again. And it is not very fun. Speaking from personal experience, it makes a person very nervous. And it's not a fun way to live when you have chest pain, and you're wondering, "I'm thinking it's probably costochondritis, but I'm old." Older, I'm older. My father had heart problems. My uncles have died from heart attacks, two of them. It's in the gene pool! I don't want to have a heart problem, and I need some objective information other than just someone saying costochondritis. So I talked to my doctor. What can I do objectively to find out the condition of my heart? And the discussion came up with doing a CAT scan for a calcium score. Now this is something. If you want to have this done because you have costochondritis, continuing chest pain, you must go see your doctor or your cardiologist, have a discussion, and say, "Brad, on Bob and Brad said I could do a calcium test score." Anyway, the doctor will know exactly what you're talking about. They know the scores... Mike: They know Bob and Brad. Brad: Yeah, we'll see what happens with that. But anyways, a serious discussion and they'll let you know, my doctor said, "I agree 100%, you should take this." And he personally was actually going to take one for himself. What it is, you go through a CAT scan, it takes about five minutes at the most. They scan your chest, and it actually looks for plaque buildup in the coronary arteries. And not only does it look at the coronary arteries, but it also lists which arteries, and it gives a number of how much plaque buildup is in there. The score goes from zero to over 400. Zero is the best score. If you have a CT-CAT scan of your chest and your calcium score is zero, the risk of you having a heart problem, a heart attack, is very low. And they go from zero to 10, 11 to 100, 101 to 400. One to 10, you have a very low risk of cardiac disease. Luckily, my numbers fall at 9.77. So I'm in that very low risk. Mike, 11 to 100. Can you help me out? Because I don't want to talk all the time. Mike: I'm enjoying this. 11 to 100 means you have mild plaque buildup. So cardio disease is unlikely to cause a heart attack. 100 to 400, you have more of a moderate plaque buildup. So you want to get checked out because you're more likely to develop heart disease. Obviously, if you're in the 101, it's less likely compared to 400. And if you're at 400, you need to go see a cardiologist now because you're probably due for a heart attack, unfortunately. Brad: Yeah. So, what you want to do, you'll take the test. The test will be read by the radiologist, then it goes to your doctor, and they'll contact you, and you'll have a complete, detailed discussion of your score. Now I'm happy with my score, but even more, in five to 10 years, whatever it may be, if I start to have more chest pain, I can go back, do the same test, and see how my numbers have increased. And not only that, but what location, what coronary artery is more increased, and it's going to be very helpful for my doctor, the cardiologist, or whoever's dealing with it. They have that history. Big, big help. I feel much better just talking about it right now, knowing that I did this. Mike: That's good. Brad: And maybe you should do that. Mike: Maybe I'm not your age yet. Brad: How is your dad? Do you have heart attacks in your family history? Mike: One side of my family, yes. But my other side of my family, no. Brad: Is it on the male side? Because that's a little more prevalent. Mike: Female side. Well, I lost my hair from the female side too, so that's no fun. Brad: Yeah, really, family history is probably one of your biggest determinants of whether you have risk for heart problems. That's why I was concerned. Mike: If you want to check out the full video on Costochondritis, you can watch " Best Costochondritis Self-Treatment, No Meds. STOP Alarming Chest Pain! " if you're sure that's what you have. It's a good informative video. Brad: Right. Steve August is the guy. If you just search Steve August, physical therapist, he has excellent videos explaining it himself. 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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.

This article is a transcribed, edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in November 2024. For the original video, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHC4JksKCHs&t=15s Mike: Today, we're diving into seven fitness myths that most people still believe to be true. Brad: That's right, we're going to break down each one, and we're going to let you know whether they're true or false and give you correct information to make your life more efficient while you exercise. All right, we're going to go through all seven. And I can attest personally, because I have done all of these and I've made many mistakes, and it's really nice to know what you should do and what you shouldn't do. Mike: So myth number one is that you should work out every day in order to see results. Brad, what do we have to say about this? Brad: Well, that is actually completely false. I've done it myself, and as I said, I've made these mistakes. The quality and structure are more important than the quantity. Mike: So, daily working out can actually lead to burnout, injury, and can lead to poor performance, because you're always working out and never recovering. Brad: Right, you're going to get sore muscles, you're going to get strains and pains you don't need to get. You need to put in rest days so that your body can recover. Maybe some real light activity days. Mike: Yes, your muscle actually grows when you're resting. You break it down when you're working out, whatever form of exercise you do, and then it recovers when you're resting. Brad: There ya go. Mike: So it's good to incorporate some rest days into your training. Now, that's not to say you lift one day, you can't go for a walk the next day, that's perfectly fine. We're talking about doing vigorous, hard workouts every day. Brad: That's right, it's like running or walking every day, seven days a week, you don't want to do that. Mike: Myth number two is that you should avoid strength training if you have arthritis. Now, with resistance training, you actually strengthen the muscles around a joint, which can reduce the stress and pain you're feeling within the joint itself. Brad: That's right, the strength training can actually improve the motion of the joint, making it more functional and giving you better motion. Mike: Now you want to have more of a tailored program of what you're doing. You don't want to just go hard right away and throw around a lot of weights. You want to slowly progress and see how your joints tolerate the strength training. Brad: That's right, one good tip that I've learned from a continuing education course is if your joint is particularly flared up from arthritis, you can still lift that day, but it's going to be very lightweight. And if you're doing your bicep, you would actually go very slow, approximately 50% of the speed with less weight. So you're still getting some motion in the joint, but not much stress. Mike: Myth number three is no pain, no gain. Now, there is a beneficial discomfort from just general muscle soreness after working out, which is your muscles recovering and recuperating, and that is fine. But we are talking about during your workout, you're experiencing sharp pain that's getting worse and worse and not going away. Brad: Right, and I, this is my hypothesis, but I would say mostly males and some females, but I think a lot of males go to the workout center and think, "If it doesn't hurt real bad, I'm not doing the right thing. I'm not gonna get big and strong," etc. You really need to tailor it, have hard days, easy days, and work it as that. Mike: So, what you want to do is listen to your body. Brad: Mmm-hmm. Mike: If you're having a lot of sharp pain, stop that exercise. Maybe stop working out that day, and then come back to it when you're feeling better. Personally, I've had this issue in the past when I was younger. Ego lifting, I've hurt my back a few times. So once that happens, I just stop the workout, rest for a few days, and go back to it slowly. Brad: But now you're smarter? Mike: Maybe. Brad: I'm still working at it myself. Mike: Myth number four is that crunches are the best exercise for a flat stomach. Brad is doing some crunches right now. Mike: Now, crunches do strengthen your abdominal muscles and your core, which you need to have abs. However, most of the time, people have too much fat tissue over their abdominal muscles. That's why they're not showing. Brad: Right, and another problem with core exercises is that you're not getting a complete core strength. It's just in the anterior of the stomach, when you really want to work other exercises, perhaps like a plank and holding that, and then sideways. There are a lot of options that really should be done to get a good core strengthening. Mike: So if you wanted to get abdominal muscles, you're probably going to have to do some resistance training, some cardio, and eat a better diet. Brad: Yeah, eating a better diet is really important to lose weight. You lose the weight at the table, you gain strength in the gym. Mike: Myth number five is that resting after an injury is always the best approach. Now, if you have a really catastrophic injury, that may be the case, like in a car accident or something like that. However, if you just have a mild tweak in a joint or muscle area, sometimes doing some light motion can actually help you heal a little bit faster and get back to moving better. Brad: That's right, with this, you really need to have good judgment. So you do exercises that do not irritate the injury, but get some motion in the area, even if it's at a very light intensity. Mike: Now, an example for me personally is I've broken my hand a few times in my life. Brad: Ooh. Mike: And that has me laid up for three to four months after surgery. So I still did plenty of cardio and just avoided using my hands. Brad: So what's the issue with breaking your hands so many times? What's, how can that happen? Mike: Well, football and car accidents, so it wasn't my fault. Brad: Oh, sure, all right, let's go to the next one. Mike: Myth number six is that running is bad for your knees. Now, studies have actually showed recreational runners have a lower risk of arthritis than non-runners do. Brad: That's right, and proper running technique can be very important to take the stress off the joints and through the muscles. In other words, running on your forefoot, versus a heel strike. Mike: And other things to look at are the type of road, path, or treadmill you are running on. Obviously, a road has more impact force than running on a nice grass trail, which minimizes the amount of shock and discomfort on your joints. Brad: Yeah, actually, about five years ago, my neighbor walked by me while I was running, and she said, "You still haven't learned yet, you're gonna wear your knees out." And I just smiled, and I said, "I'm a slow learner," but. Mike: Now, obviously, if you're running ultra marathons, that might be a different story, but we don't need to get into that here. Brad: There ya go. Mike: And myth number seven is that walking isn't an effective workout. Walking actually is a very good workout and boosts cardiovascular health and burns calories throughout the day. Brad: That's right, it also could be a great stress relief, particularly if you walk in an area where there's not a lot of traffic and things we have to worry about, maybe the outdoors, and listen to the birds. Mike: Now, if you are a younger person and very active, maybe walking doesn't feel like a workout, but it is a good thing to do on a recovery day. You're actually burning calories moving, it's good. If you're older, your walking may be your workout, and that's perfectly fine, but it's still something good to do. Brad: That's right, enjoy your walks. Mike: So those are the seven myths in the fitness realm to think about and tailor your exercises differently. Now, if you want to check out more videos, specifically on working out, and if you're new to it, you can check out our video. What's it called, Brad? Brad: Well, "Full Body Home Workout For Beginners or Out of Shape- No Equipment. " This is easy to do. This is really good for that home beginner type person. Be careful and have a good day. And make sure you walk briskly. 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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.

This article is a transcribed, edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in November 2024. For the original video, go to https://youtu.be/fK0NjPuCTgk Brad: Alright, today we're going to talk about massage guns because they're so very, very popular, and if you're interested in getting one or maybe getting one for a gift, you really need to know the best things and the best uses for them, as well as... Mike: The five body parts or areas you want to avoid. Brad: That's right—definitely things you need to know so you don't injure yourself or irritate someone's body. Alright, we're going to go through the five best uses for these, which are what they really do well with the human body, and that is increase circulation, which is one of the big ones. We're going to demonstrate with these larger guns. I have the X6 massager gun , and Mike has the D6 Pro massage gun . And if you're a larger person, typically more muscular, the larger gun's more appropriate. Mike is working his quadriceps, and you want to get that. What happens is the gun actually gets deep and gets the knots out of the muscles, and while it pulses and works deep into the muscle, circulation increases as a result of it. You just have to make sure you stay on the muscle and don't go off the muscle into a bony area. We'll talk more about that later. So any muscular area that's going to work well, and you're going to work it for about three to five minutes to really get those muscles relaxed. Brad: When you're done with it, you're going to feel the muscle tingle. It feels good, and you know you've done it right. Let's go on to number two. Mike: The next benefit of using a massage gun is to release a trigger point or a knot in your muscles. Now, for this, you can use a round head, depending upon how sensitive it is. I'm going to use a bullet head on the Q2 massage gun here. You may want to make sure this is a very muscular area, not too bony, because this bullet head can be kind of sensitive if you happen to hit a bone. So all you're going to do is turn it on, find the trigger point you have, maybe it's in your quad, and then you can just kind of focus on that area. If it's not too tender, you can even try pressing in there and can really get that trigger point to release. And something interesting I found out doing a continuing ed course is try having your muscle in a contracted state and a relaxed state and see how it feels because it can massage differently between each. Brad: Very good. Now this is the C2 Pro Massage Gun . It's a smaller gun here, but this head in particular is a hot or cold head. In other words, it's got a little battery in it, and you can adjust the surface to become warm or cold, and it really works well. It's one of the latest things in massage gun heads for sure. You want to bring it out to everyone, and you're going to feel that warmth. In this case, you'll probably want to use the warm one to get that knot out, but you could certainly go to the cold or to the hot setting, whatever works best for you. Mike: Now, the third benefit of using a massage gun is that you can help break up any scar tissue you may have. Now, if you recently had some surgery and it's not fully healed yet, do not go on that scar. We're talking about older scars that are healed up, and maybe there's some restriction in that area. Brad: For example, I'm working with a woman now, she just fell, broke her arm, had surgery and her bicep, as a result of surgery, has massive scar tissue in there. Massage was working well for her. She started using a small massage gun, and she actually changed her need to go to therapy from three times a week down to one time a week because the massage gun is working so well with her, and she's just very happy with it. So that's a good example of what you can do with these in that situation with scar tissue. Mike: Now, the fourth benefit of a massage gun is that you can help loosen up joints or ligaments. Now obviously you're not going to put it right on your kneecap even though that's a joint that's kind of sensitive. We're talking about areas like maybe the bottom of your foot or even your SI joint. You can just kind of massage in an area. I personally have a little bit of plantar fasciitis right now, so it's a little tender there, but that's a tendon ligament region there, and I'm going to massage that, and it actually feels pretty good as long as I'm not too aggressive. Brad: Right, I do want to mention that if you're doing that kind of thing, you're going to want that airhead. We'll talk a little bit more about this, but this airhead works really well when you're working a tendon, and you're getting, say, your quad here, and you're getting close to your knee cap. If you overdo it with this head, it's not going to hurt. You just come back, and it works out very well. Mike: Now, if you have some SI joint discomfort, which is in your low back, typically one side or another, you can kind of work around that area. Most of the time, it's not going to feel too good to press directly on it hard. I do have this soft ball on it for a massage head, so it actually doesn't hurt to go over right now, but typically, you're going to want to loosen up the muscles around that joint. Brad: Right. I actually use it, use it on my outside joint, my right side when it's out, and if you use the airhead, that precaution Mike talked about is definitely something that works well. So again, let's go over muscle recovery after a workout, and you want to just massage muscles afterwards, so you don't have those sore muscles the day or the next day. That's DOMS, delayed onset muscle soreness. You can work this over the muscles, and it also works with an increase in circulation. Point number one, all works together. Mike is doing his hamstrings, which you have problems with. Mike: I have a little tightness in my hamstrings. So yeah, I'm working on extending out, straightening my hamstring while massaging it. I've even done this lying down at home sometimes. It oftentimes has gotten it to relax for me if I'm kind of tightened up. If I do this for five minutes or so, lying on my back, I'm not going to lie down right now. Mike: It loosens up my hammies pretty well. So try just moving different stretches, different motions. You can do different positions. It's going to feel a lot different if your muscle is relaxed like it is now versus tight. So mess around with it and see how it feels. Brad: Alright, very good. That's five ways that you could really use massage guns well to help your body heal, reduce pain, increase circulation, etc. Now, the danger zones that we talked about, number one, this is a big one, you're not going to take a massage gun as we have here. They all reciprocate to get in deep and use it on your neck. Definitely a no-no. You're not going to do that at all. Whoa. Even... Yeah, and if you got a mic on, you're really not going to use one. Brad: Number two is the lymph nodes. You have lymph nodes in your femoral crease right here. You have them in your armpit or the axillary region. Brad: And what brought my attention to this is I saw a thumbnail with someone with one of these guns. The woman had her arm up, and they're going deep into her armpit. That's where your brachial plexus is, a nerve bundle. If you hit that nerve bundle with one of these guns, it's going to hurt. You'll probably feel that tingling, the electrical feeling going down your arm. And it's not just going to hurt while it's on there. It's going to continue to hurt. I know because I've done it for minutes afterwards. Keep it away from the nerve bundle there and the one in your femoral crease. That's really important. How are you doing? Mike: I'm doing my lat here. Brad: Oh, good. Mike: I'm avoiding my armpit there. I'm okay. Brad: Great. Okay. Mike: I'm just imagining you shoving things and hurting yourself, anyway. Brad: You have to be careful. Mike: The next danger zone is anywhere on your face, obviously, head or jaw; massage guns are not made for that. Even if you have TMJ syndrome, use your hands. There are too many bony landmarks, too many sensitive areas you could hit. Do not use a massage gun there. Brad: There you go. And then of course, on any bone, there's no advantage to massage a bone that doesn't have any muscle over it or not. The only thing that can get, like I mentioned before, that kind of gets close to it, is if you're trying to do a tendon like on your kneecap, which gets close to the bone. You can use an airhead if you, as I said before, if you do hit the bone, it's not going to hurt, but you're not going to just keep it on the bone there on your shin, on your elbow. Any bony area is off limits. Mike: And the fifth area to avoid is any area that is more fragile or sensitive, or maybe you have an infection, open wound or scar, you do not want to massage those areas. It's just going to cause more problems. Brad: Right. If you're an older adult and you just have, your skin is reasonably healthy, but it's fragile. If you're prone to skin tears, you're not gonna want to use a massage gun like this because you could have a problem with that. So we went over a number of things. Keep them all in mind. You know, there are all kinds of massage guns out there available. We have a number of massage guns that we have complete confidence in the quality and how they work. So, how can they learn more about or find these if they want to? Mike: You can go to our store section on our website, and they're all there. Or you can go to Amazon , search Bob and Brad, massage guns. You can find a whole plethora. The biggest difference between a normal model and the pro model is that the pro model comes with a hot and cold head. That's the big difference there. Brad: Right. And there's no extra charge for an additional year. It's just a matter of registering. Mike: Yes. Brad: There you go. Mike: And if you want to find more information on which massage gun head is best for you, you can check the video " Top 5 Massage Gun Heads For Pain-All Ages ." Brad: There you go. Check it out. And good luck with your massage shopping. For this week’s Giveaway, visit :  https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: A2 Ultra Massage Gun (with red light) A2 Pro Massage Gun A7 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Therapy 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 C2 Ultra Massage Gun D5 Pro Massage Gun D5 Pro Plus Massage Gun (with heat) D5 Ultra Massage Gun (with red light) D6 Pro Massage Gun D6 Plus Massage Gun with Heated Head D6 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head D6 Pro Max+ Massage Gun D6 Ultra Massage Gun EyeOasis 2 Eye Massager EyeOasis 2 Plus Eye Massager with Remote EyeOasis 3 Eye Massager Eye Massager with Heating and Cooling EZBack Go Back, Neck, & Shoulder Massager EZBack Massager   EZBack Massager With Remote EZBack Pro Back Massager EZBack Prime Back Massager Fit Glide Foot Massager G100 Pro Vibration Therapy Massager Hand Massager HandSpa Pro Hand Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream   iMaster Pro Massage Chair iNeck Pro Neck and Shoulder Massager Knee Glide   Lite Foot Massager M7 Plus Mini Massage Gun with Heat Therapy 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 Q2 Ultra Massage Gun sWAVE Massage Gun with Belt T2 Massage Gun  T2 Ultra Massage Gun (with red light) T2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head T2 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head TheraHeat Knee Brace TheraPanel 4 -Headed Massage Gun ThermoRed Heated Back Belt Weighted Heating Pad for Back Weighted Heating Pad For Neck and Shoulders Weighted Heating Pad-Long Heating Pad with Weighted Edge X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head X6 Pro Max Massage with Heat-Cold and Metal Head X6 Ultra Massage Gun Zero Pro Eye Massager with Heating and Cooling Fitness: Hanging Handles​ Pull Up System Resistance Bands​   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 October 2024. For the original video, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLiCVjr00bU&t=49s Brad: Today, we answer your questions on low back pain. Mike: So our first question comes from @carlotta6768. " How do you prevent Sciatica? Worst pain ever!! & thank U for this video. " Brad: All right, so Carlotta, I am assuming that you have had sciatica. You do not want to get it again, because you experienced the pain with it. Excellent question, even if you haven't had low back pain or sciatica, this is good biomechanics and good information for everyone. So the first thing is posture. If you have ever watched our program in the last 10 years, posture, posture, posture makes a tremendous difference for low back pain as well as a myriad of other things. Mike, can you expand on that? Mike: First, I feel like we should get a shirt that just says "Posture, posture, posture." Anyway, if you're having bad posture, rounding forward like this side profile, standing like this, slouched over, you're going to put a lot of pressure on your discs in your spine. Mike: The more bent over you are, the more pressure you're accumulating. You do this over time for years, you're bound to have some disc issues, which can cause back pain or sciatica, so we need to fix this. Brad: Right, so let's demonstrate using the stick, how you can actually feel your posture, and without having a mirror or someone say, "You're rounded over posture." So, by yourself with a four to five-foot stick of any type, go ahead. Mike: So, what you can do is place it behind you. You should have three points of contact at least right now. I only have one. Brad: Look at this big gap. Mike: I have bad posture. So what you want to do is get the stick between your buttocks, in the middle of your shoulder blades, and then your head. I have three points of contact here. Brad: One, two, three. Mike: That is a good upright posture. If you cannot do this at home, you have poor posture. You can figure out where it's coming from based on where the stick is hitting. Brad: Right, stay right there. You can also use this. It's a really good drill to do on a daily basis. Takes about two minutes. For bending over to pick up something, keep the stick there and maintain those three points, and go ahead. Mike: Either you can squat down and bend your knees when you need to pick something up, like this. Or if you're going to lean forward, make sure to have a nice straight back and hinge at the buttock like this, making sure I have points of contact like this. Now if you struggle with that and you're trying to pick up something off the floor, Brad: I get to do that. Mike: Oh, he wants to throw it down. Brad: Doesn't matter how heavy it is. Even a light object, keep the back straight by the... Mike: Golfers pick up. Brad: Golfers lift. Mike: Lift? Brad: There we go. Mike: Whatever. I don't golf, I Frisbee. Brad: See, do it the proper way. Mike: So the proper way is to lean on something if it's nearby. And what you're going to do is keep a nice straight back. I'm kicking out my opposite leg like this, and I'm going up, and there we go. Keep a nice straight back. Brad: Right, the old golfer's lift. If you have good balance, you can just go like this. My balance is not that good. So I'm definitely going to get a little assistance. Mike: You can kind of pick whichever leg you want to kick back if you want to counterbalance that way, whatever works for you. Brad: Now, the next thing, even more importantly than this in my opinion, is your posture while seated. If you sit in your chair and you buttocks go out like this and you're rounded, particularly if you're watching TV, working on a computer, and just all slouched over, you may not and probably are not aware of it, that really can put pressure on those discs and put you a great potential for another herniated disc or a new one. Brad: So, what you're going to do is, there are two different options. If you're in a chair that's all rounded out, one of those nice fluffy couches or one of those chairs that feel really soft but they sink in, take a throw pillow like this of any sort, see, sorts, I'm getting it from you, Mike. Mike: Of sorts. Brad: Put it in your lower back area so it supports it, and I can definitely feel it. Now I feel I've got good posture now definitely right away. Brad: If you have a firm chair like this, a lot of times it works better just to take a pillow, go to the bedroom, take it right off of your bed, or your kids' bed, or whoever's it may be, and use that, and it feels good, you can feel it. It informs your body, "Oh, I need good posture without thinking about it," a good way to do it. Brad: Now, the other thing is stacking events. Mike: So, if you go for a car ride, say, and it's for a couple of hours, you're sitting for a long time. And a fun fact, sitting actually puts the most pressure on your spine because when you're standing, your legs take a brunt of it, so sitting for a couple of hours, and then say you're going to go pick something heavy up, maybe you're helping someone move, maybe you're going to work out, whatever. Those in conjunction with each other are gonna cause a lot of stress on your lower back, especially if you have sciatica. So try to space things like that out. Brad: Right, so if you're going to drive for two hours and help someone move, get up, make sure you go for a walk, get things moving in that nice tall, and then remember all the lifting mechanics we discussed that Mike demonstrated. I tried to make that answer short there, Carlotta. But that's a serious topic, and it needs some good attention for you as well as everyone else. Wow. Mike, number two. Mike: Number two comes from @joesedlacek7552. " Brad you mentioned you have spondylolisthesis, well, that's my problem with some stenosis. How do you overcome the pain in your back and leg when walking? The longer I walk or stand, the more painful it gets. " Brad: Well, I can literally relate to your symptoms because that was exactly my symptoms. Spondylolisthesis combined with stenosis, common. I could walk for three-fourths of a mile before my right leg went numb down to my calf. I started to do exercises for that. And then there are a couple of other things, but I'll talk about the exercise and demonstrate. I would highly recommend that if you have spondylolisthesis, do the exercise ball because I'll explain it. But if you're walking and you start to feel that back pain and maybe pain down your leg, I want you to try squatting down like this. If that makes things feel better, then you definitely want to start doing these core exercises. Brad: Tighten the abdomen; it's going to change the posture in your back, relieving some of that stress. Alright, this is what I still do. I've been doing this exercise for at least seven years now. I grab the ball on a hard floor. You could do it on a bed, but I recommend it on a carpeted floor for sure. And simply go up like this. It flattens your back. It feels good. It does not extend the back, which causes pain with spondy and work with these. And then you can do these. You really want to tighten those abdominal core muscles up. And then I actually do a rotational one. Brad: And again, with all these, they should feel good while you're doing them. That rotational one may irritate yours, depending on what level your healing power process is in. But it's probably something that's not going to heal fast. It took me about a year before I could start to walk any distance and I consistently did this. Spondylolisthesis is not something that's going to get better overnight, but you can do things to eliminate those bad pain episodes just by your body mechanics. How are they gonna get to our playlists for spondy? Mike: So, we have a playlist specifically on spondylolisthesis . There are a lot of videos in there. Just read through the titles and pick which one pertains to you, and you can find some more tips or exercises to try. Brad: Yeah, a whole bunch more. Mike: Our next question comes from @Cartoongirlbaby, "I have spinal stenosis and great difficulty walking. I am starting to walk humped over. I have lost three inches in height due to osteoporosis. What PT exercises would help me?" Brad: Well, you have a very interesting problem, and it's not cartoon girl babies; that's your name. That's kind of a cool name. But actually, to be serious about it, with osteoporosis, flexed posture is going to put you more at risk for a compression fracture in your vertebra. But it's going to feel better because of the stenosis, and if you straighten up, with stenosis, it will start to irritate you, depending on the degree you have. So we're going to show you some exercises. You're going to have to actually feel it out yourself and just follow along. And you'll find what will be helpful for you, but again, use good judgment. They should never create any sharp pain or any pain. They should feel like a good stretch. Maybe a tiny amount of pain but not much. Mike: So the first thing you're going to want to do with your walking is use some type of support if you currently are not. That can involve any type of walker. Or if you don't want to use a walker and you feel steady, you can try walking sticks. A cane might work, but it's not going to have much effect because it's only on one side, and if you're already hunched over. So oftentimes when you're walking, and you have some type of support, and you're slightly flexed, maybe you notice going shopping in a store, you lean on a shopping cart, and your back feels better. Same kind of concept. Use sticks to take some of this support off, and it can try and help you to stand up a little bit taller when you're walking as well. Brad: Show her the right way to walk with them, though. Mike: Well, you're going to do the opposite foot with the opposite leg. Mike: All right, so yeah, go ahead. Because that's going to keep you from getting hunched over, taking pressure off, and you want to find that happy medium as straight as you can get without having pain, but not hunched over. You'll feel it. Mike: The next thing you want to try is a couple of stretches to relieve some low back pain you may be having from the stenosis. The first one you could try is simply lying on your back and then bringing one knee up to your chest like this. You can hold this for 15, 30 seconds if it feels good. If you wanna go longer and you can, that's fine. Then alternate and do the other side. If this feels good and easy for you, you can progress to trying both knees to your chest at the same time, and see how that feels. Mike: Again, just hold it for the duration of time that's comfortable for you. And the last thing you can try for some mobility and rotation component in your back is just some rotations like this. So my knees are bent, feet are flat on the ground, rotating out to the side. You may not be able to rotate this far right away. If this causes pain, just do what's comfortable. Maybe you're just going to go about 30, 45 degrees out to the side each way to begin with over time, see if you can progress to more motion, because the more motion you have, typically the less pain you might experience. Brad: There you go. And the last thing we want to address is posture. Again, we want to have as upright a posture as you can, as long as your stenosis tolerates it. So we're going to recommend doing it sitting in the chair and/or lying down on the floor, probably on a carpeted floor. You could do it if you have a firm bed. And what I'm going to recommend in a seated position, Mike will demonstrate lying down, is you're going to bring your buttocks back in a reasonably firm chair and come back up and get a feel for how hard or how far you can go up, shoulders back. And then you can go into the famous "W' for win. Or you can do Bob's hallelujah stretch. So you're just going to go back and hold and relax, and do that five to 10 times. When you start out, you may only do it a few times, and then over a period of time, you will likely be able to go more, a little bit longer, and more repetitions, but never more than 10 will be needed. What about lying down? Oh, he's doing it. Mike: If you're lying down and you cannot put your head down to the floor, you can certainly place a pillow here to start. Maybe over time, get a thinner pillow. Eventually, if possible, try to get your head to the ground. I realize if it's been going on for years, this may not be applicable, but do what you can. Use a pillow as needed. You may have to start with just your arms out to your side straight like this, and that may feel like a lot of stretching for you. If that is, then just hold this position there. Now, if this seems easy and comfortable, you can kind of make the "W" shape Brad was talking about, like this, and just hold this. If this becomes easy, the next progression would be to try to go up above your head like Brad was talking, keeping your back flat on the ground, and then bringing your arms back down. If you're having some back pain, keeping your knees bent like this may help when you're lying down. If it's not problematic, you can certainly straighten your legs up. Brad: Sure, one step at a time. Take it easy. And I was thinking about this, @Cartoongirlbaby is trying it out on your bed first because that will allow things to sink in a little bit, and it'll be a little more tolerable, and then go to a firm surface. All right, thank you very much, and good name. Let's go to the next one. Mike: And our last question comes from Nicole Em Es. " I have a super tight left back muscle and a weak right back muscle. How do I correct this? I can't find the muscle name. Run straight up on either side from the lower back. " What's the muscle group, Brad? Brad: Well, Nicole, it's the Erector Spinae group. Those are the ones that go from here all the way up to here on both sides. Brad: Mike, let's talk about the other really common low back muscle that really gets tight. Mike: So the multifidi can also get tight. You said Erector Spinae, right? I wasn't even listening. Brad: Well, you really need to pay attention, Mike. You can't be going out the night before when we're filming. Mike: The other muscle may be the multifidus. Brad was going out. It's his birthday today. Brad: Okay, multifidi. We did discuss that multifidi is plural, both sides. So we're looking at multifidus on your left side. Okay, that's really just a point of no concern. Mike: Anyway, you can do this two different ways, depending on your height and what's available for you. We just want to try to stretch the lower back muscles out. So you can either go to a pull-up bar, door frame, or whatever you have available for the first option. I'm going to place my palm facing away from me. Grab the top, and then I'm going to slowly start bending my knees, getting a nice stretch in here. Hopefully, your doorframe doesn't rock like ours does here, because it's not connected to a wall. So just hold this 15, 30 seconds, make sure to breathe and relax throughout, and then come up. Mike: Try doing that a few times a day to see if you can get some relief from those spasms in that area. Brad, you want to show how to do it with a stick? Brad: Yes, I do want to give a word of warning. If you're doing it on a doorframe or you're grabbing the door like I was doing, you need to be assured you have good strength, integrity of your door and doorframe, you know, so we don't want to have any issues or accidents. Use a stick. You can use a Booyah Stik, a broomstick, a mop handle, and you put it on a table or a countertop like this. If it has a slippery surface, what you'll want to do is pop off your shoe like this and put that in there so it doesn't slip. The left side is tight. I'll show you on my right side. You do whatever the tight side is on. Bring this hand up as far as you can. Grab it. You are not going to let the hand slip, and we're sliding... If you look at this, my shirt is stretching, and the muscles do exactly the same thing, and it really does feel good. BRad: I have to do the other side just to balance out a little bit, which you could do as well if you want to. But make sure you do them longer on the left side. So you can do it like that. And an option is actually to do it on a chair while you're seated, and the same thing works almost exactly the same. Brad: Alright, Nicole, thank you for your good questions. Anything we want to mention, Mike? Mike: If you want more videos on Spondy, check out " Tests and Exercises for Spondylolisthesis ." Brad: Spondylolisthesis. You can't go wrong with these exercises that I have. I'm telling you, they work for me. For this week’s Giveaway, visit :  https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: A2 Ultra Massage Gun (with red light) A2 Pro Massage Gun A7 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Therapy 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 C2 Ultra Massage Gun D5 Pro Massage Gun D5 Pro Plus Massage Gun (with heat) D5 Ultra Massage Gun (with red light) D6 Pro Massage Gun D6 Plus Massage Gun with Heated Head D6 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head D6 Pro Max+ Massage Gun D6 Ultra Massage Gun EyeOasis 2 Eye Massager EyeOasis 2 Plus Eye Massager with Remote EyeOasis 3 Eye Massager Eye Massager with Heating and Cooling EZBack Go Back, Neck, & Shoulder Massager EZBack Massager   EZBack Massager With Remote EZBack Pro Back Massager EZBack Prime Back Massager Fit Glide Foot Massager G100 Pro Vibration Therapy Massager Hand Massager HandSpa Pro Hand Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream   iMaster Pro Massage Chair iNeck Pro Neck and Shoulder Massager Knee Glide   Lite Foot Massager M7 Plus Mini Massage Gun with Heat Therapy 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 Q2 Ultra Massage Gun sWAVE Massage Gun with Belt T2 Massage Gun  T2 Ultra Massage Gun (with red light) T2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head T2 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head TheraHeat Knee Brace TheraPanel 4 -Headed Massage Gun ThermoRed Heated Back Belt Weighted Heating Pad for Back Weighted Heating Pad For Neck and Shoulders Weighted Heating Pad-Long Heating Pad with Weighted Edge X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head X6 Pro Max Massage with Heat-Cold and Metal Head X6 Ultra Massage Gun Zero Pro Eye Massager with Heating and Cooling Fitness: Hanging Handles​ Pull Up System Resistance Bands​   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.

For years, Bob and Brad preached NOT to have your knees go past your toes when exercising. The thought was that putting the knee in that position places greater stress on the knee. However, Ben Patrick, founder of the Knees Over Toes approach, argues that we are forced to put our knees in that position throughout life, and when we do, our knees are not ready for it. For example, when you ascend or descend stairs, you are forced into a knee-over-toes position. If you have not developed the strength for that position, it can result in increased pain. Thus, as further proof that Brand and I are willing to evolve in our thinking, we now embrace the “knees over toes” approach. If it is comfortable and does not result in increased knee pain. These are some of the exercises that Ben recommends: For the entire program, go to https://www.atgonlinecoaching.com/ 1. Backwards walking 2. Tibialis Anterior 3. Calf Raises 4. Knees Over Toes Calf Raises 5. Step Forward 6. Incline Board Squats 7. Split Squats. Check out the full Knee Pain Relief Program series of videos, along with downloadable guide sheets, here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/knee-pain-relief-program

This article is a transcribed, edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in October 2024. For the original video, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8_teUeUDj0&t=10s Mike: Now, what are we talking about today, Brad? Brad: What we're talking about today is this muscle deep in the stomach, right along the pelvis, that connects to the lower back and the hip. Brad: And the pronunciation of this muscle it's very critical that you know how to pronounce it. We're going to take a step back a few years, and Bob and I address this specifically. Take 30 seconds, and here we go. Bob: Psoas. Brad: Psoas muscle. Now, I have heard a professional pronounce it as "pso-ass". And I'm not exaggerating. We'll have none of that kind of pronunciation on the show. Bob: We're a family show! Brad: It is a family show. Delete that. We will not say that. Mike: So now that we've got that all cleared up on how to pronounce psoas. Did I say it right? Brad: No, psoas. Mike: Psoas. Brad: It's the psoas. This is a family show. Mike: Family show. Anyway, we're going to go back in time again to show you a stretch that we highly recommend to stretch this muscle out, and then we'll come back to show you a new alternative. Brad: Right. Now, Bob is helping with this one. Again, it's not only the stretch of the psoas muscle, but the opposite muscle, the glute, and how they work together. Very simple, very short. It takes about 60 seconds. Here we go again, Mike. Whoa! Mike: This time travel's making me sick! Brad: What we want is reciprocal inhibition to help relax the psoas muscle, so we're going to contract the gluteus maximus. And the way to do that, Bob's already in position. It's simply lying like this; he's going to bridge. And right now he's contracting the glute max. Bob: So, stretching the hip flexor. Brad: At the same time, yeah! Bob: Right. Brad: Exactly. So we're going to work that, 10 repetitions. If you feel like that's getting too easy and you want to actually get more firing of the glute max, you can go on one leg. Now he's going to work the right side only, and he's going to work it like that. You can take this hand and actually grab your glute maximus and feel it. Feel it contract. You get some biofeedback that way. Bob: A little strange. Brad: Yeah, well, just don't do it with people around in the gym, you know what I'm saying? But you can do it. Yes. Bob: Spank myself. Brad: Why, Bob, why? It's a family show. Mike: And now we're back to the current time. Brad: So! Very good. Bob did an excellent job of demonstrating an excellent technique. How to stretch the psoas. We're going to show you another one that's going to work more for other people. It's a little more aggressive, and it really works well. You will need to have a table or a bed like Sam is doing, and we'll show you exactly how this stretches a muscle using our model of the green muscle of the psoas. Did you know where the name psoas comes from? Mike: Yeah, it comes from Greek, because you wrote it on the board and I read it. Brad: That's right. Yeah. And what does it mean? Mike: It means the muscle of the loin! Brad: Right. It might be Latin or Greek. One way or another, it means the muscle of the loin, and that's what we have here. So watch. This muscle is a tight muscle. You can see it's loose here, but as we start to extend the hip, it's getting tight. Now, if you had a muscle this tight, and some people do when their knee gets to here, it takes a bit to stretch. And you can see, as we work with it, it stretches and stretches and stretches, and we do want to have it so we can get down to this level of range of motion. So a tight muscle can be stretched. It's not going to stretch this fast as we have here, but it will stretch with time. Brad: Now we're going to demonstrate to you with a real human being instead of Sam. Thank you for your work, and we appreciate it. Mike: He was once real. Brad: No, this is a plastic skeleton. Mike: Okay, so in order to do this stretch, you're going to need to sit on a firm surface of sorts. I personally do this on my bed, but your butt does kind of sag off the end. So be wary of that. You can do it on a countertop or table if you are comfortable. So to begin, sit on the edge, and I'm going to bring both knees up to my chest. The closer my butt is to the edge, the more stretch I will be feeling. Now I'm going to stretch my left leg just for camera purposes. It's closer. So I'm going to drop this leg down as we showed on the skeleton. Then I'm going to bend my knee. Now you see here, oh, I have good mobility. What we didn't show on the skeleton is you take your other knee, bring it up to your chest, and now you can see how your hip flexors are actually tighter pulling. So try to keep it down and stretch like this. You do need a somewhat high surface to sit on, because as you can see, my feet are almost touching the ground here. Brad: Right. And a couple of little things to mention are, do not let your knee drift off to the side or lateral or medial. But most people go out to the side. Keep it there. Brad: And now there may be some therapists watching or some kinesiologists who are going to say, "Well, when you bend the knee, that doesn't affect the psoas muscle," which is true. That does rectus femoris, which is also important with the hip flexor. So that's why we wanted to make sure we added this. This is from Rick Olderman . He uses this for treatment for anterior pelvic tilt, with which he had great success, with back pain as well as sciatica, and as well as hip pain. So it's an all-in-one exercise. We really wanted to show you this so that we are complete. Mike: Once you do one side, reset here and drop the other leg down; you may notice one side is tighter than the other. You can hold this for 30 seconds if you feel comfortable. You can go up to a minute if you want; it's not going to hurt anything, as long as it's not increasing pain anywhere. Again, do two to three sets per side. If one side's tighter, just do an extra set on that side. When I do this side, I get a little bit of cramping in my hamstring here, so I'm not quite as aggressive. Now, some people, if you're really tight, your hip flexor may be way up here when you drop down. So just try to hang out here as comfortably as you can. If you need to, back up a little bit for beginners, if you're this high up. And then once you can kind of get neutral, that's when you want to start scooting your butt closer to the edge to get into extension. Brad: I believe I covered that with Sam. Mike: Well, I re-covered it in real life. Brad: No, actually, I'm glad you did it, because it does make more sense. Just make sure you're not wearing too tight pants. Something stretchy or shorts gives you more mobility. Mike came today with his jeans on. Mike: They're stretchy pants! Brad: Oh, they are? Mike: Yeah. Brad: If they're stretchy, it's all right then. All right, very good. So now that we have completely covered hip flexor stretching with everything that we can throw at you with our incredible knowledge from Rick and more, what do you have to say? Oh, we have another video to look at! Mike: Yes. If you want to check another video on how to solve this issue, watch " How to Fix a Tight Psoas Muscle in 30 seconds (The easy way). " Brad: I thought there was a second video. Mike: Oh, there are two videos. The other one is " Unlock Hip Flexor Tightness & Pain in 90 Seconds! In Bed ." Brad: Just go on YouTube, Bob and Brad, you will find more videos as well. 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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.

This article is a transcribed, edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in November 2024. For the original video, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5AKqm5h2UE&t=1s Mike: Today, we are going to be looking at three common cardiac myths that may actually be putting your life at risk. Brad: That's right. Now, we're not trying to fear-monger anybody, but these are real symptoms and myths that may not be understood well, but we'll get it straight with you. I personally have gone to the emergency room three times with chest pain to see if I was having a heart attack. And it's helpful to know these things if that ever happens to you. It was not a heart attack, by the way. I'm fine. I have something called costochondritis. We'll get to that at the end of the video. Mike: The first myth statement we want to talk about is that women have the same cardiac symptoms as men. Brad: Go ahead. Mike: Oh, I get to lead it. Brad: Yep. Mike: So while chest pain is very common for a heart attack symptom in men, females may experience different symptoms. This includes shortness of breath, heartburn, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, and pain in the neck, back, or arms. So you may not be having chest pain, but females may have these other symptoms be prevalent. Brad: That's right, and this came from a study at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center . Mike: Now, these atypical symptoms may be delayed and not recognized right away, but if you have any of them, it's important to get checked out if you are a female. And even the American Heart Association has said that sometimes the symptoms can mimic the flu. So it's important if you're fearful at all, it may be heart disease, or you have other signs or symptoms of it that we're talking about later, it's good to get checked out. Brad: That's right. Better to feel good than to have a serious problem. Mike: The next myth we wanna talk about is that high blood pressure always has symptoms. Oftentimes, high blood pressure is known as the silent killer. Many people have high blood pressure, have never gotten it checked out, and this is very closely correlated to things like heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. Brad: That's right. Now, I have high blood pressure that runs in my family history. And yes, sometimes people do say, "I can tell when my blood pressure is high." So yes, you may be able to tell that, but oftentimes, it's not the case. So don't depend on that headache, or the teeth feeling funny, or whatever the symptoms may be. Make sure you get it checked out and get that blood pressure cuff on you. Mike: And blood pressure is something very easy to check out. You can do it yourself. Some machines are $20 to $40 nowadays. It's important to consistently check it in the same type of position at the same time of day. Obviously, if you just got done working out, your blood pressure is going to be elevated. That's normal. So make sure you're sitting, relax for a couple of minutes, take your blood pressure, same arm, same position each time, and just track it over time. See if it's getting better, worse, or staying the same. Brad: Right? So I do mine seated position, my left arm, and I document every time I do it, so I have over the last three years, I'll do it a week or so at a time. I don't just do it once. I do it a few days in a row and make sure it's consistent, because if you have white coat syndrome, you could, like, if I go to the doctor, my blood pressure's always a little higher than at home. Mike: You get nervous. Brad: Well, yeah. I'm a little shaken up, you know. The doctor's coming. All right, and the third myth, women have a lower heart disease risk than men. Mike: Heart disease is actually the leading cause of death in both males and females, so we can rule that as a myth. Obviously, females tend to look at things like breast cancer awareness and things like that, where men may have prostate cancer as well. But the leading cause of death across both genders is heart disease. Brad: Right, and healthcare providers can oftentimes overlook the factors like high blood pressure and cholesterol, putting at risk women at greater jeopardy. And that's according to the Ohio State Cardiologist. Mike: And a 2017 study published in the medical journal PLOS ONE found that women are actually more likely to die within one year of having a heart attack. So, interesting facts. No, not saying men don't have a lot of heart attacks too, but men and women equally have the same amount. Brad: Right, so we're all in the same boat. Take care of your heart and really keep track of it on a regular basis. Mike: Now, if you are experiencing some chest pain, as we mentioned earlier, you've been checked out, you do not have any heart disease, high blood pressure, cholesterol levels are good, you may actually have something called costochondritis. Brad, what is that? Brad: Well, actually, the doctors will say, your heart is healthy, your pain and symptoms are a musculoskeletal origin. That's what they told me. They didn't know what to think. So, I looked into it, and costochondritis is probably the case if it's a musculoskeletal origin. This video will explain it and show you how you can treat it. Mike: So you can check out the video, " Best Costochondritis Self-Treatment, No Meds. STOP Alarming Chest Pain ." Brad: Good heart health to you. 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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.

A knee muscle strain occurs when one of the muscles supporting the knee becomes stretched beyond its limit. This excessive stretching may cause a muscle strain, a muscle tear, or a muscle pull. All three descriptions refer to damage to a muscle or its attaching tendon. In general, if we are referring to muscles of the knee, we are referring to the quadriceps, hamstrings, or thigh adductor muscles. There are more, but the treatment would be the same no matter the muscle. The injury to these muscles or muscle tendons may be graded according to the severity: 1st degree • The muscle may be sore, but there was only mild over-stretching of a muscle. 2nd degree • Mild swelling and bruising, but possible severe muscle pain and tenderness. Moderate over-stretching of a muscle with some tearing of the fibers. 3rd degree • Severe pain and swelling. A muscle or tendon is torn all the way through. Muscle is either ripped into two separate pieces or sheared away from the tendon. This can cause a complete loss of function and may require surgery. Anyone can strain their “knee” muscles from just daily tasks, but more often they occur during a sports event. A knee strain can occur suddenly during a sports event or with sudden lifting. The strain can also occur gradually over time due to a repetitive motion (such as stair climbing or hiking). You have a higher chance of experiencing a knee strain if: A. You have had a prior knee strain or tear. B. You have muscle tightness. C. You fail to warm up before an athletic or work event. D. You attempt to do too much too soon with exercise or work. Signs and Symptoms of a Knee Muscle Strain or Tear: 1. Swelling and bruising (discoloration). 2. Muscle spasms 3. Previous knee strain or tear. 4. You can feel the point tenderness. 5. Might feel an indentation or bump in the muscle. 6. Pain when that muscle is used. 7. Weakness when that muscle is used. 8. Hearing a “pop” sound when the muscle or tendon was injured, X-rays may be ordered to ensure a bone fracture did not occur with a strain or tear. These tests are not to be used to help you self-diagnose or assess yourself. We highly recommend you see your physician for a professional diagnosis. 1. Test your quadriceps: a. Sit in a chair, best done with help. Extend your right knee and hold the right foot. Push down on your shin bone and try to continue to hold the right foot in the air. Pain and/or weakness may be noted with a strain or tear. Compare to the left side. 2. Test your hamstrings a. Sit in a chair and extend your right knee. Have a second party grab the underside of the foot and ankle on the same side. Try to pull the foot to the floor while they resist. Pain and/or weakness may be noted in the leg with a hamstring strain or tear. 3. Test your thigh adductors a. Sit in a chair. Squeeze both knees together. Attempt to pull your knees apart while resisting with the hip and thigh muscles. Pain and/or weakness may be noted in the leg with a strain or tear. 4. Use your fingers to feel for point tenderness in the muscles surrounding your knee. To treat a strain or tear in the hamstrings, quadriceps, or thigh adductors, we first suggest starting with massage. We recommend that you begin by massaging around the painful area. Eventually, work the massage into the strained area or tear. You can massage for a total of 15 minutes or 5 minutes 3x per day. You can perform the massage manually with your hands, but you will likely fatigue quickly. Here are some tips for using a massage gun. Check out the full Knee Pain Relief Program series of videos, along with downloadable guide sheets, here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/knee-pain-relief-program

As we look back on 2025, one thing is crystal clear: this year was all about helping people live healthier, more comfortable lives—right from home. From educational videos and live events to new tools designed to relieve pain and restore movement, 2025 was packed with growth, innovation, and connection. None of it would be possible without YOU—our community of millions who show up every day ready to learn, move, and feel better. Let’s rewind and celebrate what made this year so special. Millions Reached Through Education & YouTube Growth This year, Bob & Brad continued their mission to make physical therapy simple, practical, and accessible for everyone. New videos covering back pain, knee pain, walking mechanics, balance, posture, arthritis, and aging well Weekly YouTube Live sessions answering real viewer questions Easy-to-follow routines designed for seniors, beginners, and anyone managing pain Every view, comment, and share helped push Bob’s lifelong goal forward: Helping over 100 million people live healthier live s Expert-Led Content You Can Actually Use 2025 wasn’t about trendy hacks—it was about what works. Our most-loved content focused on: Simple fixes for everyday pain How to move better without fancy equipment Exercises you can do safely at home Knowing when pain is normal—and when it’s a red flag We heard it again and again: “This is the first time PT actually made sense.” That’s the Bob & Brad difference. Tools Designed by Physical Therapists (For Real Life) This year also brought exciting growth in Bob & Brad recovery tools —each designed with clinical experience and everyday comfort in mind. Highlights included: Massage guns with heat & cold therapy or Red Light Eye massagers to help with screen fatigue, sleep, and migraines Hand, foot, and back massagers built for arthritis, stiffness, and daily tension Expanded FSA/HSA-eligible options to make pain relief more accessible Every product followed the same rule: If Bob and Brad wouldn’t recommend it to a patient, we wouldn’t sell it. Giving Back: Community Giveaways & Gratitude One of the most meaningful parts of 2025? Giving back. From weekly giveaways to special holiday campaigns, we loved surprising our community with tools that make a real difference. Your stories—about reduced pain, better sleep, and getting back to what you love—reminded us why we do this . Honoring Bob: A Legacy That Lives On This year also marked one of the most difficult moments in our community— the passing of Bob Schrupp . Bob wasn’t just a physical therapist or a co-founder of Bob & Brad. He was a teacher, a mentor, and a steady voice of kindness and clarity for millions of people around the world. His lifelong mission was simple and powerful: help as many people as possible live healthier, pain-free lives. That mission didn’t end—it lives on. Every video we create, every tool we design, and every piece of advice we share is guided by Bob’s values: be honest, be practical, be kind, and always put people first. The outpouring of love, stories, and gratitude from this community has been a reminder of just how deeply Bob’s work changed lives. We move forward carrying Bob’s legacy with us—continuing to educate, encourage, and help people move better and feel better every single day. His impact is lasting. His message remains clear. And his goal—to help over 100 million people—continues. Looking Ahead to 2026 As we head into a new year, our focus remains the same: More practical education More safe, effective tools More ways to help you move better, hurt less, and stay independent Thank you for being part of the Bob & Brad family. Whether you watched one video or hundreds, you’re part of this story. Here’s to another year of staying healthy, fit, and pain-free!

This article is a transcribed, edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in October 2024. For the original video, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CnnS5O7O14&t=65s Mike: As we age, the risk of developing compression fractures in our spine becomes more prevalent because our bones tend to weaken, and we can develop osteoporosis. Brad: So, today we're going to show you keys on things you can do to avoid compression fractures, particularly as you get older, because that's where the majority occur. Mike: So, compression fractures, to get this explanation, we're actually going to go back a little in time here and bring Bob into the picture. Bob: The first thing, compression fracture. What causes most compression fractures? Here's the spine, and this spine is now oriented just like Brad; it's facing the same way. Brad: Right. Bob: Yep, and normally you have a curve out, curve in, curve out. A little S, right? Brad: Right. The spine is not straight like a two-by-four. It has a natural curve, and it's supposed to. Bob: What puts stress on the bones of the spine is when you're in this rounded out position here, so that slumped position, especially if you add weight. Bob: So if you lift things like this, yeah, if you pick stuff up like this, you're putting a lot of stress on the spine, and this is what can happen if you have osteoporosis, or weakened bones, osteopenia. Bob: So here are three vertebrae. These are the bones we took right out of the back in pretend. Brad: This is a model. Bob: Right. We put tape on two of the vertebrae so that you can see what happens here. So when you bend forward, and if you have healthy vertebrae, they're just going to rock like this, and they have the discs in between, and it's going to be fine. But if it's not healthy, and you put some extra stress on it through lifting, you can actually squish down the bone, and that's what a compression fracture is, it's actually the front part of the vertebrae that collapses and squishes down. Brad: Right, so you got the bone, it kind of crumbles, but it typically stays together. If you look at the X-rays, there are a lot of little cracks. Bob: Like an accordion, almost, I guess. Brad: Yep, and a lot of fracture lines occur. Bob: Yeah. Brad: And they're very painful. Bob: Yep, they're very painful. And I think sometimes now they'll put cement in there as a correction. I've had a couple of people where they've done that, and it seemed to help somewhat. Brad: Right, obviously, they're not mixing concrete, but that's a special procedure so that it goes in the bone itself and helps support it. All right, so you could see Bob and I did a real nice job with our models on what a compression fracture is in the spine. So now we're going to go through four different movements that really increase the risk of a compression fracture. And then, we're going to also talk a little bit about how osteoporosis plays a significant role in it as well. Mike: So the first thing you want to do is avoid too much full flexion. So flexion of the spine is bending and rounding forward. So if you are bending down to your feet like this, rounding my spine. If you're young and have a good spine, this probably isn't going to do much. If you have osteoporosis, you're going to develop a compression fracture over time because you're putting a lot of stress on the spine there. Brad: That's right, and a compression fracture in the spine, we've worked with many compression fractures. They're not very fun at all, very painful, and really limiting and debilitating as far as movement. Mike: Now, if you are active and you may have osteoporosis as well, you want to avoid things like full flexion, again, in the sit-up position, rounding your back forward and back down. You could see my spine is getting a rounding force, and back down. And you also want to avoid any of this with twisting. Some people like to do their twisting crunches with the rounded back like this. If you're young, agile, and fine, you can do it. As you age, you could develop a compression fracture. Brad: Yeah, it's rather interesting, because I still do a core exercise like that. So I have to keep in mind that as I get older, I probably want to take that one out of my regimen. Mike: Next thing you want to avoid, again, as we talked about earlier, is rounding your spine like this. But if you do this and you pick up something heavy, there's that much more force. Brad: Quit doing that, Mike. It just kills me to watch someone do that. Mike: On your vertebrae, which can be problematic. Now what's the last thing they want to avoid? Brad: And this is something we've worked with, particularly older people, when you sit down, particularly in a firm chair, is, you know, people may come back, and it's like, "Oh, the chair's there," plop. Mike: Plop. Brad: Down into the chair. They feel safe. But when you hit, and particularly with your back flexed, and you get that compression, that impact, that's when you can get that vertebra to actually fracture. Now these vertebrae aren't like breaking apart into pieces, and you have all these chunks of broken bone in your back. They actually just do hairline cracks. We thought we had a model of one here, but we don't. Usually, it's just one vertebra, it gets hairline cracks, and it really becomes painful, because every time you move it, there are micro, very small amounts of movements in the bone itself, and there are nerve endings in there, and it's just no fun at all. They usually heal up in two or three months. Mike: So with osteoporosis, as you know, it can lead to compression fractures, like we've mentioned numerous times, because with osteoporosis, your bones become weaker and brittle. Now we're going to talk about typical people who might develop it. So, the first is obviously age. It's more common in older adults, especially after the age of 50. Brad: That's right, and statistically speaking, women get more compression fractures than men, and there's a reason for that, because after they go through menopause in their fifties or whatever age it may be, that leads to weakening. Mike: It leads to decreased estrogen production, which leads to osteoporosis. Brad: There, thank you. Mike: The next thing is race, it is more common in Caucasian and Asian individuals. Brad: And body type, thinner people, this may surprise you, thinner people are more likely to get compression fractures than heavier people. Mike: A family history, so if someone else in your family has compression fractures through every generation, you might develop it over time as well. Brad: And medical conditions, for example, celiac disease or thyroid problems, are two common diseases that are associated with compression fractures. Mike: Some lifestyle risk factors include excessive use of smoking or alcohol, lack of exercise, and poor nutrition. Obviously, all those things in conjunction can weaken your bones and cause compression fractures. Brad: Right, my brother, who is a nurse, used to do motocross racing, and he quit because he realized he was probably going to get a compression fracture in his back. Anyway, I just went into a little side note. Lifestyle factors, but that is if you do activities that are aggressive and have impact. Mike: High impact. Brad: Yeah, like skiing, downhill skiing, those types of things. Mike: And the last thing is that some medications can have long-term side effects. Things like corticosteroids can increase your risk of developing a compression fracture. Brad: Did we forget anything? Mike: I don't think so. Brad: Okay, good. So yeah, very good. This is certainly something that you want to stay away from. If you have the risk factors and you're more likely to get compression fractures from the list that we talked about, make sure your body mechanics, the four things, go back and review that, because that can really make a difference in avoiding such a thing. Mike: I would like to mention that if you are fearful of this, you can get an osteoporosis bone density scan. Typically, if you're on Medicare, they will cover that, because my mother just had one. Her bones are good. Brad: Sure, yeah. And actually, we have a video on that, and it goes into the details. They'll give you a number, and if you're at risk for osteoporosis. Mike: That video is " 3 Things You Should NEVER Do If You Have Osteoporosis. PLUS Exercises You Should Do ." For this week’s Giveaway, visit :  https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: A2 Ultra Massage Gun (with red light) A2 Pro Massage Gun A7 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Therapy 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 C2 Ultra Massage Gun D5 Pro Massage Gun D5 Pro Plus Massage Gun (with heat) D5 Ultra Massage Gun (with red light) D6 Pro Massage Gun D6 Plus Massage Gun with Heated Head D6 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head D6 Pro Max+ Massage Gun D6 Ultra Massage Gun EyeOasis 2 Eye Massager EyeOasis 2 Plus Eye Massager with Remote EyeOasis 3 Eye Massager Eye Massager with Heating and Cooling EZBack Go Back, Neck, & Shoulder Massager EZBack Massager   EZBack Massager With Remote EZBack Pro Back Massager EZBack Prime Back Massager Fit Glide Foot Massager G100 Pro Vibration Therapy Massager Hand Massager HandSpa Pro Hand Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream   iMaster Pro Massage Chair iNeck Pro Neck and Shoulder Massager Knee Glide   Lite Foot Massager M7 Plus Mini Massage Gun with Heat Therapy 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 Q2 Ultra Massage Gun sWAVE Massage Gun with Belt T2 Massage Gun  T2 Ultra Massage Gun (with red light) T2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head T2 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head TheraHeat Knee Brace TheraPanel 4 -Headed Massage Gun ThermoRed Heated Back Belt Weighted Heating Pad for Back Weighted Heating Pad For Neck and Shoulders Weighted Heating Pad-Long Heating Pad with Weighted Edge X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head X6 Pro Max Massage with Heat-Cold and Metal Head X6 Ultra Massage Gun Zero Pro Eye Massager with Heating and Cooling Fitness: Hanging Handles​ Pull Up System Resistance Bands​   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.

The first question you should ask is whether the “knee noise” needs fixing. It depends. In general, if the clicking, popping, or grinding is not accompanied by pain, swelling, locking, or weakness. You may hold off on seeing a clinician. If there is pain, swelling, locking, or weakness, you may want to choose to see a physician. Treating the knee noise if accompanied by pain, swelling, locking, or weakness will depend on the type of problem you have. Here are some options for the following problems: 1. Cavitation: a. At times, the noise you hear is due to a build-up and release of gas bubbles in your knee joint. When the bubbles burst, this is called cavitation. 2. Treatment: a. This is truly a situation in which no solution is needed; however, there should not be any pain to accompany it. 3. Ligaments and tendons: a. Some ligaments and tendons can “catch” as they slide over a bony bump and make a snapping sound as they snap back into place. An example of this can be the iliotibial band (IT Band) as it crosses over the bump on the outside of the knee while the knee bends and straightens. Over time, if the IT band gets irritated, it can result in pain. Treatment: Massage the Tensor Fascia Lata. Also, massage the IT Band. You will not be able to affect the band per se - but if it is adhered down, you may get it moving better. (IT Band Area) 1. Cartilage tear: a. A cartilage tear can occur with an injury or accident. A tear can also occur spontaneously as you age. If you have a piece of loose cartilage in your knee, it can block movement and/or cause popping and clicking. If cartilage is truly blocking the movement of the knee, you should see your doctor. Treatment: Strengthening of the quadricep may be in order (isometric over a pillow) – 5-second hold (3 x 10) 3 x per week. Also, continuous movement (pain-free) can be tried - biking, FitGlide, swimming. Also, weight-bearing activities such as walking, Tai Chi, etc. 2. Osteoarthritis: a. If the smooth cartilage that covers the end of your bones has worn down, flaked off, and/or become roughened, you may experience frequent clicking, popping, or grinding sounds. Clinicians may refer to this condition as “bone on bone”. Treatment: Strengthening of the quadricep may be in order (isometric over a pillow) – 5-second hold (3 x 10) 3 x per week. Also, continuous movement (pain-free) can be tried - biking, FitGlide, swimming. Also, weight-bearing activities such as walking, Tai Chi, etc. 3. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: a. There is another joint between the kneecap and the end of the femur. The underside of the kneecap (patella) can get roughened up, and one can experience grinding, popping, or crunching. The kneecap may also not track correctly in the groove and resulting in the same sounds. Treatment: Stretch the kneecap in all 4 directions - DO NOT DO if you have a loose joint or rheumatoid arthritis. Strengthen hip external rotators - clam shell. Scar tissue - if some of the soft tissue in or around your knee was injured and healed with scar tissue, that scar tissue can catch on surrounding surfaces and create joint noise. Treatment: Perform cross-fiber friction massage over the scarred area. 3-5 minutes (2-3x) a day. Back off on treatment if sore or nontolerant. (Cross-Friction Massage Over Quadricep Tendon) Check out the full Knee Pain Relief Program series of videos, along with downloadable guide sheets, here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/knee-pain-relief-program

This article is a transcribed, edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in October 2024. For the original video, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qTJh3k_uXg&t=10s Mike: Does cracking your knuckles really cause arthritis? Brad: Well, today, we are going to see if this old myth is actually true and give you the right answer from some great research. Mike: So first, we want to explain what happens when you actually crack your knuckles. Brad: Right. So, shall we get into the details of the synovial fluid within the joint, within the capsule? Now, Mike has a model of a capsule here, which is holding the fluid. The red represents the synovial fluid, a lubricant that all joints have, and within that fluid, there are actual bubbles. Mike: Bubbles of gas or nitrogen. Brad: Nitrogen, yes. Mike: Typically, they can form over time. And what happens when you go to crack your knuckle is you put pressure on it, either by pulling or bending and flexing, and that bubble ends up getting to the edge of the joint capsule there, and it pops. That's what makes the popping noise when you crack your knuckles. Brad: We should get into a little more detail for these people. There's actually a change in pressure making the bubble pop. That's not a big deal. It's just me, personally. Anyways, yeah, so we've got that happening in your joint, so when the bubble pops, that's why you can't crack your knuckles and then crack them again. It takes up to half an hour or longer before the bubbles reform. Mike: Now, you may have some issues, like I do in my ankles, where you keep doing the same motion and you keep hearing cracking. That's actually a tendon going over a bone, so that's not actually cracking of the joint, just to distinguish the difference between them. Brad: Yeah, that could be called crepitus, but that's another story. Mike: Anyway, we would like to talk about a personal experiment done by a physician named Donald Unger, so he actually cracked his fingers in only his left hand for over 60 years, and wanted to see if he would develop arthritis in his left hand and not his right. But we're not going to share the answer till the end, so you have to stay tuned. Brad: Now, that is dedication. I don't know if I could actually do that for 60 years, but I suppose it's a habit. Mike: I'd feel like I'd wanna crack the other hand, yeah. Anyway, we're gonna get into some of the science and studies looking at this, so the first study we have is called " Knuckle Cracking and Hand Osteoarthritis ." This looked at 215 people between the ages of 50 and 89, and some of the people in this group cracked their knuckles, some of them didn't. They just asked them generally what they did. And what they found is, 18.1% of people who actually cracked their knuckles developed osteoarthritis within their hands, but they also interviewed the people who did not crack their knuckles, and 21.5% of them had osteoarthritis in their hands. So those numbers kind of cancel each other out because they're very similar, showing there's no significant difference between cracking your knuckles and developing arthritis. Brad: But wait, we have another study to look at, plus, we're going to go back and look at Dr. Unger's results. Mike: We are, so " The Consequences of Habitual Knuckle Cracking " is the next study we are looking at. This was published in the Western Journal of Medicine, and it involved 300 people. They found no correlation between cracking your knuckles and actually developing arthritis, but they did have a note, while the knuckle crackers had higher rates of swelling and reduced grip strength over time than the non-knuckle crackers, so if you are having some swelling and inflammation in your joints, maybe cracking them may make it worse. Brad: So the knuckle crackers, reduced grip strength. Now, I wonder if that's correlation or causation. Mike: We don't know. Brad: Yeah, maybe we should look into that. Mike: I keep thinking of the Nutcracker right now. Brad: Maybe we should watch "The Nutcracker Suite". Mike: Maybe. Brad: Yeah. All right, so I get to speak a little bit now. I'm going to reveal the results of Dr. Unger's knuckle cracking of the left hand. So the right hand, I wonder if that got stronger or not, but that wasn't revealed. After 60 years, the results were, there's no difference from right to left hand in regards to arthritis, osteoarthritis specifically. This is three big studies, I think, and the last one is big. Dr. Unger, I can't imagine. That man is a man of men. Mike: You are getting very excited. I crack my knuckles. Am I a man of men? Anyway, think when it comes to the myth busted that this is busted. There is no true evidence saying cracking your knuckles actually causes arthritis, so if you're a knuckle cracker, just crack away, I guess. Brad: Right, and if anybody disputes you, you just tell them to look up Bob and Brad and this video, because we have the evidence, and I would say it's good. Mike: Yeah, it's great. Brad: Indisputable. Mike: So comment down below if you actually crack your knuckles or not, because now you're safe to say so, and people won't yell at you. Brad: And our extra video that relates to this, which will help you with pain relief for the wrist, hands, and fingers, exercises, and treatments. Mike: Yeah, so if you are having some arthritis in your hands from whatever, try these exercises and watch the video, " Pain Relief For Wrist, Hand & Fingers, 7 Exercises/Treatments ." Brad: Right, and we do know that movement, range of motion, and exercise are good for arthritis if it's done appropriately. Mike: I'm going to go crack my knuckles now. Brad: Ooh, nice ones. Good. For this week’s Giveaway, visit :  https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: A2 Ultra Massage Gun (with red light) A2 Pro Massage Gun A7 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Therapy 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 C2 Ultra Massage Gun D5 Pro Massage Gun D5 Pro Plus Massage Gun (with heat) D5 Ultra Massage Gun (with red light) D6 Pro Massage Gun D6 Plus Massage Gun with Heated Head D6 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head D6 Pro Max+ Massage Gun D6 Ultra Massage Gun EyeOasis 2 Eye Massager EyeOasis 2 Plus Eye Massager with Remote EyeOasis 3 Eye Massager Eye Massager with Heating and Cooling EZBack Go Back, Neck, & Shoulder Massager EZBack Massager   EZBack Massager With Remote EZBack Pro Back Massager EZBack Prime Back Massager Fit Glide Foot Massager G100 Pro Vibration Therapy Massager Hand Massager HandSpa Pro Hand Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream   iMaster Pro Massage Chair iNeck Pro Neck and Shoulder Massager Knee Glide   Lite Foot Massager M7 Plus Mini Massage Gun with Heat Therapy 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 Q2 Ultra Massage Gun sWAVE Massage Gun with Belt T2 Massage Gun  T2 Ultra Massage Gun (with red light) T2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head T2 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head TheraHeat Knee Brace TheraPanel 4 -Headed Massage Gun ThermoRed Heated Back Belt Weighted Heating Pad for Back Weighted Heating Pad For Neck and Shoulders Weighted Heating Pad-Long Heating Pad with Weighted Edge X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head X6 Pro Max Massage with Heat-Cold and Metal Head X6 Ultra Massage Gun Zero Pro Eye Massager with Heating and Cooling Fitness: Hanging Handles​ Pull Up System Resistance Bands​   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.