This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in April of 2023. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/XzR2CGTh-Mg Brad: All right, if you have swollen legs or one leg is swollen and it's from lymphedema, what you would like to do is eliminate that. So one of the biggest mistakes that I've seen in my decades of working with patients is what we're going to explain to you. Mike: You can fix it very easily with just a little bit of advice. Brad: Okay, so let's clear up what lymphedema is, lymphedema is swelling in the legs. It's very visual, you'll see it actually swell. It's different than if your leg is swollen up from say an ankle sprain or something traumatic like that. It's very important to understand that the arteries and the fluid or the blood are actually still going down into your leg, and it's returning back up into your system as it should. The lymphedema or the fluid in there is not. So we'll talk about what that fluid is, go ahead Mike. Mike: So the fluid in lymphedema is called interstitial fluid, that's a mouthful of say, and it naturally surrounds your body tissue and cells all throughout the body, not just in your legs. And this is a normal process and it's supposed to flow out and flow back in, and it carries nutrients and helps bring oxygen to healthy tissues. Brad: That's right, and the thing that really is important to think about with lymphedema, this interstitial fluid, it is superficial as it flows back. In other words, it's just under the skin. As it comes back up it'll go through your lymph nodes located in the groin area, your lymph nodes filter it and it goes back up into your system, and the cycle starts all over again. But the whole point is, it's superficial, it's just under the skin. And we'll tell you why in just a minute. Okay, So if you do have the swelling, you do not want to self-diagnose your problem, go to a doctor, make sure it's diagnosed by a doctor, that it is a lymphedema problem, and that you do not have other things going on. A real common prescription that the doctors will order is compression garments that will help maintain the size of your legs so that the fluid does continue to work back up into your system. Mike: So that can be done in a couple of different ways. We have Tubigrip here, which is a nice easy thing to slip on. Some doctors actually have you wrap your legs, that's a whole other animal. Or some type of compression socks. Usually, there's more compression in the toes versus up at the calf muscle, but a large problem we see with these is they start to roll down creating a tourniquet. Now this tourniquet, as Brad said earlier, it's not going to be so tight that it cuts off your blood supply, we don't have to worry about that. But this interstitial fluid is so close to the top layer of the skin that it's going to start pooling in there, so if you actually take it off you can notice there's going to be big indentations where these are rolling down. Brad: Right, and, remember, the interstitial fluid will get into the ankle into the foot, however, on its way back where it's just under the skin, it hits that tourniquet there, and it bumps against there and it causes all of this excessive fluid. So the compression garment will do its job and help, but with tourniqueting, it actually negates the whole benefits of the compression garment and can make it worse. So you'll see in the photo below that there is the ring, the tourniquet, and then I pull that down and, Mike, you cannot see it but on a real leg where you have tourniqueting, you will literally see a dent all the way around in a ring, and you can clearly understand that that tourniquet is limiting the flow of that fluid back to the trunk or the lymph nodes. Mike: So what are some solutions to this? Brad: Wait, even before we get to that. The solutions are very simple and easy to do, which is really good news. Sorry to interrupt. Mike: The first solution for the patient, or me in this case, is to simply check the wraps they have or their Tubigrip, and just make sure if it's rolled down like that to unroll it if they are able to, not everyone can. So what's the other option, Brad? Brad: Well, the other option is if the person does not remember to pull them up or they're unable to reach down and pull them up, is hopefully there is a caregiver around that will periodically, every hour or every two hours at the most, will actually come over, check it, and then make sure they're in the right position. If that is not an option and the person will forget or cannot do it, or there isn't another person to help, then we have a pretty easy solution for that. Mike: So this is called Coban. It's not really a tape, it's a type of wrap that sticks upon itself only, it does not stick on your skin. And what you do, so if you have Tubigrip and it's up, is you simply wrap it around the top portion of it. Now you don't wanna get super tight and cause another tourniquet, just nice and loose and gentle, and see it sticks upon itself like this. So wrap it around just a few times and then you can simply tear it or cut it with the scissors. And, there we go. Brad: So, again, now this is one inch, I would actually recommend the two-inch wide, it works better. For this situation, it's better to use the 2-inch wide, but it is the same material. You can buy this online, you can get it in medical supplies. Actually, if you want a hint on how to get it cheaper, buy it from a veterinary supply, and this is what I've heard from people who got certified in this. It's exactly the same product but they use it on animals and they sell it cheaper, so you can get it quite a bit cheaper. So wherever you get it from, make sure, you know, you'll just find out it works well, this is actually made by 3M. Again, it does not stick to your skin but it does to itself, and you have a nice way to hold it up. Easy to take off, you simply throw it away and use some more. All right, very good, so simple little tricks to help that tourniqueting problem and really help the lymphedema problem go away. And I've done this with patients, I'm working with this with my mother right now, and, boy, it is really working well if you stay consistent with it. Mike: If you have any questions or comments, mark them down below. Let us know if this works for you or if you have any other suggestions because the audience feeds off of each other. Brad: That's right, there are other tricks besides this, I am sure. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin, Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat, Clapper Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Posture Pad Lite Foot Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer 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​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in May of 2023. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULqk9PpG4qk&t=235s Brad: Greetings, greetings. Today, we have a very interesting episode. We're going to talk about the hundreds of people that we have worked with with broken hips. Now, I've narrowed it down to the two biggest reasons for falls causing these hip fractures, and we will get into those in just a minute. Mike: So in this video, we're going to show you two different balance exercise routines that you can do at home to help prevent these falls from happening, and it should only take a few minutes. Brad: All right, now over the decades, Bob, Mike, and I have all worked with these people with broken hips, and we always talk to them and they're more than happy to share their story of how their hip was fractured. It's so repetitive where what happens is someone is getting out of a chair, they stumble, or they're getting up, there's activity in the room, and they're not paying attention to where their feet are, or they're walking, and a rug is caught, a throw rug or their pet is on the floor, and they're shuffling their feet, and down they go as a result of that shuffle. These are all things that are so common, and we hear them time and time again, and I think we can get onto the next segue, Mike. Mike: Having poor balance is not a good thing, obviously, but the real problem is when you fall and then you fracture something because then you're going to be weaker, and your balance has become even worse for a period of time. So in this video, we're going to show you some balance activities that you can do to help prevent these falls from happening in the first place. Brad: Right, and it's going to happen to all of us. Our walking, which we call gait, and our balance get worse with age, just like vision or getting gray hair. However, the good news is we can show you some things to correct it and really minimize the risk of falls. All right, we're going to break down the three most common causes of these falls in a little more detail as a therapist looks at it. Mike: Number one is tight ankles. Oftentimes, if you can't lift your foot up and you have a tight ankle, it's harder to walk, and you probably aren't walking in a nice, correct pattern, increasing your risk of falling. Brad: Right, that's where even just a crack or a lifted sidewalk, a 1/2-inch little lift can catch that on your toe because you're shuffling, not dorsiflexing enough, tight ankles, down you go. The next thing is poor gait habits. It segues right into that. That's the shuffling. When you get old, you ever find yourself shuffling along, and you think, "What's goin' on?" You have to pay attention to what's going on down there. Get those feet moving, and lifting, and things will go much better. Mike: And the third common cause is poor balance or proprioception deficits. So that means maybe you have peripheral neuropathy, or you don't have good sensation in your feet, and you can't feel the ground, as well. That's a common cause of falling. Brad: And that's where a lot of people that are diabetic, which is more and more common all the time as we age, that's where that proprioception and that neuropathy is a big deal. We want to address that. All right, one of the big solutions that can really eliminate falls is simply using an assisted device, in other words, a cane or a walker or some kind of walking stick. That's really helpful and eliminates a lot of the exercises necessary. However, there are people in that gray area, where they don't really want to use an assisted device, and maybe they don't need it, but they're in that area. So Mike, do you have anything to say about these devices? Mike: These devices often will allow you to not shuffle, as we talked about earlier, and correct your walking pattern. So just using one, even though you may not feel like you need it, it's better to have one and not fall than to not have one and take a tumble. Brad: Right. Again, a cane is one thing. A walker is a very big difference because they are more cumbersome to take around throughout the community. So that's where these exercises really are advantageous when you do not want to negotiate a walker. All right, the first exercise, the routine, what we're going to do is address the ankles, those tight ankles we've already talked about. Simply, you start out in a seated position, lift your feet up off the floor so they’re in the air, and you pull up, dorsiflex, and push down. Really focus on pulling the toes up. That's the most important part because that's where those falls happen when you cannot pull the toes up. You'll feel a stretch. Do 10 of these. Brad: You can do these throughout the day, every now and then. Just do 10 of them at least five times a day. It's very quick. Now, the next thing you're going to do to strengthen the ankles once you stretch them is done in standing. Have something to hold onto to balance, a chair, a cupboard, something of that nature. Mike: Then you're going to do some ankle exercises. So you're going to go up on your toes, and then you're going to rock back on your heels, and you're going to do 10 to 20 repetitions each way. This is going to work on your balance a little bit. It's going to work on your strengthening, and it's going to work on your range of motion within your ankles. So you're getting three positives out of one exercise. Brad: One word of caution with this is when you are rocking back on your heels it's really critical that you have something solid to hold onto because you may want to fall backward, particularly if you already have a balance problem, and that could result in a broken hip or something of that nature. So really make sure there is something solid to hold onto. Stay safe. All right, the second routine, this is really critical. This is to stop that shuffling that you may not even be aware of until that trip comes along, and the first thing we're going to do is you need some sort of support for balance and safety. You may just use a cane or a stick. I have the Booyah Stik, or just a chair but, again, a solid chair, a cupboard, a solid counter base or a sink where you can put your hands around the sink is really ideal because it really gives you support in directions, especially backward. So the first thing is simply marching. Mike: So this is going to work on your balance a little bit. This is going to help with the shuffling because, if you pick your feet up more, you're less likely to trip. Brad: Right, and really get those knees up as high as you feel comfortable because, again, we're going to do this 10 to 20 repetitions. The whole idea is to get your mind aware of what your legs are doing. If you want to work your balance, simply hold it up and go slower so you're balancing on one leg a little bit. Again, if you feel like you're really wobbly, that's too much. You need to have more support. It should just feel like your ankles are working a little more, and you feel a little wobbly, but you feel safe. We want to stay safe with all of these. Now, we're going to go on to the next start by stepping sideways, which is a really big thing that makes falls. Okay, now we're going to go on to sidestepping because this is a very high or frequent cause of falls. We're stepping sideways. We don't pick up the foot, and down you go right on the hip, and there you got a fracture. So if you have something to hold onto, like a handrail, do that, or a countertop that you can hold onto, that works fine. If your balance is fairly good and you feel comfortable using a stick or cane, that's fine, too. Now, we're going to work sidestepping, and actually look down and see what your feet are doing. Some people are not aware of what's going on down there, and they're not aware that their feet are only 1/8 inch off the floor or maybe even dragging because you can't feel it if you have diabetic neuropathy. So I want you to really make note of picking those feet up. Go about four or five steps to the right, four or five steps to the left, and repeat that a number of times, and it's one of those things that, after you do this a number of days in a row, that muscle memory is going to kick in, and you'll start doing that without thinking about it, minimizing your risk for falls. A very important part of this. Mike: And the last option is a little more advanced. It's going to help with stairs and especially lifting those feet up and prevent the shuffling. So you're going to need some type of step as Brad has here or a staircase. Make sure you're using rails or some type of support like Brad is, and you're going to simply bring one foot up, tap the step and then bring it down. Now, you can just work one leg at a time. Try to do 10 repetitions and then switch. If this seems easy, you can try alternating. So you're going to go right and then left. This is a little more challenging because each time you have to shift your weight to the other side, working on your balance. What do you have to say, Brad? Brad: Well, if you feel more advanced and you want to get a little more exercise, as well as a balance challenge, go up to the next step and do that. Again, you need to feel stable and not unsteady when doing those. So don't overdo it. Good judgment is absolutely crucial, so whichever step you want. Yeah, this one I really like because, again, it doubles it. There are a lot of people that do, when you go up a stairway, you catch your toe because you didn't lift high enough, and then you stumble forward. So very good, work that one, if it's available. Take care and enjoy. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin, Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat, Clapper Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Posture Pad Lite Foot Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer 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​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is 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.

Hip arthritis is damage to the cartilage inside the hip joint. The damage may be done to the cartilage on the ball of the shoulder joint or the socket of the shoulder joint. The cartilage is like a Teflon coating on the joint. Hip arthritis is a gradual wear and tear of the cartilage. Signs and Symptoms of Hip Arthritis One of the most common signs of arthritis in the hip is pain and stiffness. Hip pain may come and go without an apparent pattern and it may be worse with standing and lying on the painful hip. If the hip joint is flared up the pain may be nearly constant for a while. Common pain patterns for hip pain are: Pain and stiffness felt on the front or the outside of the hip. Hip pain may also be felt in the groin. Hip problems can also refer to or spread pain into the outside thigh or front thigh towards the knee. Hip pain is generally not felt in your back, buttock, or back of the thigh. Hip problems generally do not cause pain beyond the knee and generally do not produce numbness or tingling in the legs. Sounds of grinding, clicking, or cracking are common with hip arthritis. The cartilage (Teflon Coating) has begun to wear, and it has become irregular (no longer smooth). Sometimes the hip can even feel like it is locking up. One of the best ways (besides X-rays or scans) to assess for possible arthritis in the hip is to look at the hip's range of motion. If your hip motion is limited due to arthritis it often follows a pattern. One of the first signs of arthritis in a hip joint is loss of hip internal rotation. Next, it is not uncommon to experience a loss of hip flexion followed by a loss of hip abduction. We will show you how to compare the motion of the affected hip to the unaffected hip. How to compare: Hip Internal Rotation: Sit on a higher chair or surface with your legs dangling. With your knees together rotate your ankles out to the side as far as your legs will allow. Compare the motion of each. Hip Flexion: Stand with side to counter and steady yourself with your hand. Flex the affected hip (leg) up to your chest. Repeat with the unaffected hip (leg). Compare the motion of each. You can also test hip flexion in a seated position. Flex the affected hip (leg) as high as possible toward your chest. Repeat with the unaffected hip (leg). Hip Abduction. Lie on your back. Slide affected hip (leg) out to the side as far as able with toe raised to the ceiling. Repeat the motion with the unaffected hip (leg). Compare the motion of each side. To repeat- with arthritis, the first measurement “hip internal rotation” tends to be the worse. The second most affected motion tends to be “hip flexion”. The third most affected tends to be “hip abduction”. Five signs you may have hip arthritis: 1. Squatting tends to aggravate your hip. 2. When you flex your hip in the seated or standing position you feel increased pain on the side of your hip. 3. Lie on your back. Flex your affected hip (leg) until your thigh is vertical and the knee is at a right angle. (see photo). Grab your knee with both hands and pull the leg directly down (like you are trying to drive your upper thigh into your pelvis. (see photo). While pulling the leg down direct your hands to the opposite leg (you are adducting the hip). An arthritic hip may experience pain in the groin or outside of the hip. 4. In a standing position hold on to a counter and extend the affected hip directly back. An arthritic hip may feel pain. 5. Hip internal rotation may be limited to less than 25 degrees of motion. Test already mentioned earlier in this section. Hip Internal Rotation: Sit on a higher chair or surface with your legs dangling. With your knees together rotate your ankles out to the side as far as your legs will allow. Compare the motion of each. (If you have 4 or more signs of hip arthritis- you have a 91 percent chance of having it) Check out the full Hip Pain Relief Program series of videos along with downloadable guide sheets for each video on our website here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/hip-pain-relief-program

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in March of 2023. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERFjHlWN28k Brad: All right. This simple morning stretch routine is going to stretch your muscles, give you good posture, and get you stoked for the day. Let's go to it. Mike: Okay, grab a towel or a Booyah stik or any type of stick. You can grab a mop handle. You just need something you can do some exercises with. Brad: Let's go to work! Mike: The first exercise is going to take you about 20 seconds. If you have a broom or a mop handle, put it in front of you in a seated chair and stretch out like this. A 5-foot one, a little bit longer works better. Again, I'm stretching the shoulders, the spine. Mike: If you have a pull-up bar or hanging handles, that's actually a little bit more aggressive and works great. Mike's demonstrating. And just gently go down, don't do it too aggressively. After you do it a few times, you'll build up to suspend like Mike is doing. Mike: Let's go to number two. The next one I call paddling. You're going to need your broomstick or this mop and you simply move like you are paddling. The right arm is the arm being stretched. The left arm is pushing, pushing. You're going to feel a really nice stretch through the shoulder and the bicep and you simply, push back like you're paddling a canoe. I do this five times on each arm every morning. We'll go to number three. Mike: The third exercise is the Y stretch. Why Bob? Why? Anyway, we're going to grab a towel. Brad has a stick and you're going to make a Y shape. When you're up here, go to the left and then bend to the right. You get a little oblique stretching in there. If you want to get more shoulder motion, you can even go all the way behind your back like this and just do some repetitions. Brad: I can't do that. Make sure you breathe and relax on all of these stretches, I forgot to remind you of that. The fourth one, hold your stick on your shoulders like this. Shoulders back, and we're going to simply do rotations. Mike is using a towel or sheet. You can go like that. You're going to do this for about 10 repetitions. A way to alter it is like Mike is doing a little rotation. Mike: With some angles. Brad: If you really want to get your thoracic spine, sit down and go back and forth, and that emphasizes that upper back rotation. Oh, it's good. Brad: Alright Mike, tell them. Mike: Remember to be helpful to one another. Brad: There you go. It's a trademark. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin, Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat, Clapper Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Posture Pad Lite Foot Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer 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​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is 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 February of 2023. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53kS4-MY5oo&t=127s Brad: Are you experiencing pain while you sleep or when you get up out of bed in the morning? And boy, things are uncomfortable. We may have just the solution for you. If you're a stomach sleeper and if you know Bob and Brad, we do not really promote stomach sleeping, but if you need to stomach sleep, because that's the way you do it we're going to show you how you can do it and prevent pain. First of all, Bob's here lying on his stomach and the first thing is his lower back is arched too much. So right in the low back, it can arch, and if you've got back pain in the middle of the night or when you wake up, that very well could be the problem. Brad: The next potential problem is with your neck being turned all the way in one direction. We call that end range and lying like that for extended periods of time easily can cause problems in the neck, headaches down into the shoulders, and even into the arm. Brad: The next one is when the neck, it may be rotated not all the way, but the head or neck is extended and you get this ski jump here, whoa, but that puts stress particularly on the low and upper neck. Problem potential area. Brad: And the last thing that can cause problems is arms overhead. In this position, which can cause problems on the brachial plexus, the nerve bundle there as well as the joints in the shoulders, et cetera. Brad: We're going to show you options so you can avoid this while still sleeping on your stomach or prone. Okay, a solution for the first one, is low back pain. Very simple, put a pillow underneath your stomach or your hip, adjust it as needed and you will feel that stress come off your back very quickly. Bob just mentioned how much better it feels. Brad: One easy option to eliminate the neck problems is to bring your pillow up underneath, like Bob has it tucked a little bit under his chest and that will bring the head down, and it doesn't rotate so much and adjust it so you feel comfortable there, relieving that stress on the neck. And the last is not a complicated one or surprise, it's just bringing your arms down so that those shoulders are down. The big thing is that your arms are below the 90-degree and the shoulder that would be here, up here, all good down here, relaxed. There you go. How are you feeling Bob? Bob: Good. Brad: You ready to take a good night's sleep? Yeah, his mic is off, but he said, "Yeah." The second position is side-lying, sleeping on your side. We're going to go through the problem areas. The first one is the head is actually tilted down out of alignment, putting stress on the neck, et cetera. Brad: Let's go to the second problem. Another problem area is the point to the shoulder, the joint gets squished up in there, causing problems by morning. Brad: The next problem area is the spine can sag right at the waistline as you can see there. We need to get that neutralized. Brad: And the last problem we have is the knee coming over the front of this knee, putting stress on the hip. So no good. Brad: Solutions to these problems. Quite simple. First of all, put a second pillow under your head to get the head in line with the rest of the spine. There you go. Brad: Okay, we're going to get two problems with one pillow this time, both the shoulder and the spine. Take a throw pillow, and put it underneath creating a canal right here for your shoulder so you're not pinching your shoulder into the mattress. And it will help align that spine, so it's straight across just like so. A very nice option. Brad: And in regards to the legs and hip, another pillow is needed between the knees, very comfortable. Most people are very happy to put that one there. Brad: So you will need three pillows for this. So go to the living room, go to your kids' room, and find some pillows. Kids don't need pillows anyways. Just kidding. Yeah, I might have to find them. Anyways, Bob, are you ready to take a nap? Yep. He's ready. Sleeping well is important, and rest is very good. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin, Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat, Clapper Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Posture Pad Lite Foot Massager Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer 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​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is 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 February of 2023. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWtYJhiVU2U&t=15s Brad: All right, we will get right to it, there are six exercises. The first exercise is simply ankle pumps. Bob and I will show you what you do. You simply pull your ankles up, and then push them down, and do at least 10 of them. Make sure you pull up hard, you don't have to push down hard because you can get a cramp in your calf. Bob: That's 10, already. Brad: Let's go to number two. We call these foot circles, or toe circles. I imagine that I have a piece of chalk on the end of my shoe, and I'm trying to draw circles on a chalkboard. Bob: And do it on a stool. Brad: Yeah, it works nicely on a stool, so your heels don't bump into things, you get some real free range of motion. Bob: And it helps with swelling. Brad: Yep, swelling, circulation, joints, freedom of motion, arthritis. All right. The next one is lateral foot motion or windshield wipers. Out to the side, back together. Mine really go out to the side far. Bob: They sure do. Brad: Yes. I was born that way. It's a gift. Bob: Or a curse. Brad: Yeah, it makes you look like you're walking like a duck, but that's fine. The next one is to lift the leg and bend the knee, so hands underneath the knee, hold it there, however, you'd like, and kick up and down. Bob: Do those 10 times also. Brad: Make sure that you straighten it out as far as you can. Bob: And switch. Brad: Stretch the hamstring. If you can't get your hands underneath your knee, just take a towel under your leg to lift up, and boy, that's nice, too. Did you get 10 yet, Bob? Bob: Yep, that's 10. Brad: All right, let's go to the next one. Bob: Next one, hip flexion. Brad: Hip flexion. So in other words, bring your knee up towards your chest. If you want to grab underneath your knee to help a little bit, that's fine. Give your leg a little assistance. Oh, Bob, I'm starting to feel like a new man. Bob: You look like a new man. Brad: Great, my wife would wish I'd become a new man. Bob: Then switch to the other leg. Brad: Yeah. Up and down. If you're sitting in a chair with a backrest, this is one time we don't care if you slouch back because we really want to range the hip, posture's not that important. Bob: And do 10. And the final one is hip abductors. Brad: Oh yes, that's right. If you're sitting on a firm chair, it works best. Bring your knees apart. If you go up on your toes, it works a little better. Brad: Bob's doing the old Charleston. Bob: Yep, that's right. Brad: Yeah, you know who did that? I'm thinking of Fred Astaire, I think, was pretty good at it. Bob: Really? Brad: Yeah, the Fred Astaire. Jimmy Stewart was pretty good at it, too. Brad: Anyways, good luck with your circulation. Take care and be careful. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Posture Pad Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull-Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer 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​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

If your hip pain started with a fall or an injury, the first question that needs to be answered is if you need to see a doctor. Watch our video Hip Pain? 15 Signs You Need to See a Doctor Immediately. If you have seen a doctor or feel certain it is unnecessary you can proceed with a three-step approach. Step ONE For the first 24-48 hours apply ice to the hip. To prevent ice burn, place a damp towel between the ice pack and your skin. Apply the ice pack for 15-20 minutes to the hip every 3 hours (if able). You can make your own cold pack with two-gallon freezer bags, a cup of rubbing alcohol, and 4 cups of water. Put the four cups of water and one cup of rubbing alcohol into one of the freezer bags. Get the excess air out. Place the bag inside the second-gallon freezer bag and freeze for several hours. It makes a nice pliable cold pack. Do not sleep on the painful hip. Sleep on the opposite hip with a pillow placed between your knees. Step TWO For the first 24-48 hours limit any activities that increase your hip pain or swelling. Limit weight bearing and stress on the injured hip. Avoid stairs and hills for now. Use a cane in the hand of the opposite side of the injured hip. You also can use a crutch or crutches, a walking stick or sticks, or a walker to decrease weight on the area. Step THREE Begin gentle movements. A good starter exercise is gentle trunk/hip rotations in the hook-lying position. Bend your knees to a comfortable position. Lower the knees to your left side and then to your right side. Perform this exercise in a pain-free manner. If rotating in one direction increases pain- skip that direction to start and come back to it later- when less painful. Just work on the direction(s) that are pain-free. After your hip begins to feel better you can partake in the exercise program outlined in the video How to Strengthen a Painful Hip. Check out the full Hip Pain Relief Program series of videos along with downloadable guide sheets for each video on our website here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/hip-pain-relief-program

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in July of 2022. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/IkUNt4QBtA0 Brad: Have you been diagnosed with sacroiliac joint pain or SI? Right, well, this joint is a little bit mysterious by its location. And a number of other things. It's located right here between the ileum and the sacrum. Bob: Right between the pelvis. Brad: Yep. Right there where my fingers hit. So we're going to show you some simple exercises where you can maybe pop that into place, or at least get some quick relief. I've done it myself and with patients and we're going to show you in 9.3 seconds. How is that Bob? Bob: It's alright. Brad: Some typical symptoms of SI joint pain. Oftentimes people complain it worsens pain there when you're walking if you're standing in one spot for a while and going up and down steps typically. Bob: Stairs, right. One-legged activities are the worst. Brad: Particularly if you step off of a curb on that side and it shoots some pain to that spot. So weight bearing will go through this joint because it goes through the leg and here, are we zoomed in on this? Here's the SI joint and its subtle movement. Bob: Very little movement. Brad: Yep. It's not like the hip. And so we're just trying to get this to move a little bit to get back where it belongs to relieve the stress. So we'll show you some easy techniques for this. Okay. Here we go. We're going to show you how to get that joint to go back where it belongs and just interestingly enough one of our cameramen said he thought the pelvis was one bone, but it's actually three. Bob: And you have used this yourself. Brad: Oh absolutely. Yeah. My right SI gives me occasional problems. Easy to treat for myself. I've got this down to a science. Okay. Now with all of these techniques, it should feel good. If it increases the pain, we're moving in the wrong direction. Alright. Now the easiest one for me, now the only thing bad about this one is you need a massage gun. So if you have one, great, if you don't, don't go out and buy one, if you don't want. Just wait for the next options. One thing about the SI joint, there's no real muscle over the top of it. So you need an air-head attachment. Okay. They pop off and any good massage gun will come with it. Bob: They’re nice and soft. Brad: Yep. Five different heads. Get the soft air one out. I'll demonstrate this right now. This is how I do it. I lay down on the floor. This has five different levels. This happens to be the C2 Bob and Brad gun because we like them so much we put our name on them and I just work over that SI joint. And as we do it right now, it feels good. And when I go down lower, it feels better. So I'm going to work in that area more. I may only spend 30 seconds to a minute working on this but boy, it feels good while I'm doing it. And when I get done doing it, it feels good. And it feels good when I'm up and weight-bearing. Bob: How long is the carryover? Brad: The carryover is pretty good. Now I haven't had any SI problems for a while, but it is one of those things where if you could walk a hundred feet and it starts to hurt, then you use a massage gun. You should get 200 to 300 feet or even more. Bob: Times two or times three. Brad: Yeah. And if it feels better, then you know you're onto something. Use this regularly throughout the day, you know even at work, just lay down and massage your SI joint. Bob: There we go. Brad: See what everyone else says, you know. Bob: They're already talking about you. Brad: Alright, we're going to go on to number two. Okay. This technique is called a muscle energy technique, known by many therapists. Let's say Bob's right SI joint is the one that's problematic. He's going to interlock his fingers around his knee. And now he's going to push his knee away from him but his hands are going to resist. Bob: If my hands weren't there, my leg would go down to the mat. Brad: Yep. It becomes an isometric exercise. He's going to push as hard as he can for six seconds. And while you're doing that, if it feels like a good relief pain or a good sensation in the SI area you're going to do it two more times. If it hurts, when you do it, you stop. You're moving in the wrong direction. So let's say he did it once, it felt good. Pull it a little bit closer to your chest. There you go. Repeat the step. And the last one, you even pull closer if it feels better. You could take this hand and wrap it right around your knee and forget clasping. And I've had patients do that, but that's pretty flexible. People would do it that way. So there you go. Bob: There you go. Brad: Okay. Now we're going to do another muscle energy technique. You can use a stick. You can use a cane. We're going to use a Booyah Stik because it's very easy to see with the red color. You put it under one knee and then over the other thigh. And then it's kind of an interesting move. You're going to push the right knee down and you're going to take the left knee and pull it up. So you're doing a scissors technique, but the stick or the cane prevents any movement. And you're actually doing an isometric or muscle energy technique for six seconds. So go ahead, Bob, and push. Brad: Now, if Bob's hands weren't prevented the stick from moving, the stick would twist and fall out. So you have to hold strong with your hands and arms. And again, if it feels good on that painful spot, you know you're in the right ballpark. You're going to do it three times and you're going to do it multiple times throughout the day. You can try it in the other direction just switch legs, so the thigh is on the other side of the stick, the knee is on the other side, and then try it that direction. You're only going to do it in the direction that makes it feel better. And it's possible you won't get any response in both directions. Then you're going to go on to the next option, which we're going to show you. Okay, I wanted to mention this earlier but you may or you may not hear that pop, as it says in the title. We don't really care if it pops or not. What we do care about is that it feels better. That's the key point. If it pops, that's fine. If it doesn't and it feels better, that's just as good. So the next thing is, while you're there you're going to slide your hips off the edge of the bed. Bob: Just one hip. Brad: Yep. Just one hip, not the shoulders. And then we're going to let the right leg go down and grab the other leg like Bob's doing and we're going to see how it responds that way. It makes a difference, doesn't it, Bob, when you pull that up higher and you can see, you know with patients I've actually had them pull up and I'd give gentle pressure on the leg hanging down to see if that felt better. Only continue to push there if it feels better. Brad: Alright, we're going to go on, I think we're on number five. This is my personal go-to. Bob: Yeah, you do this a lot. Brad: Yes I do. For maintenance as well as when it's irritated. I'll take a stool or the stairs works as well. I get something about this high and I just lean forward with my back straight and then I drop my pelvis in. And actually right now this feels good. It's a good stretch. I will push my knee away from me. This one is from Kelly Starrett. That little modification I got from him. So again, if this feels good, work it. Bob: It should feel good. 100%. Brad: 10 to 20 seconds. If it hurts, you do not do it. You might want to try the other leg and see how it responds to that one. If it feels good on that side and not on the other, you'll only do the one that feels good. Follow the rules only if it feels good. Alright. And the final, but not least, this isn't really a technique. Now, if you really have some SI pain and you work with these and you're not having success which actually I did have a case of this two years ago on vacation all my tricks weren't helping. I went to this book written by Deborah Riczo. The name of the book is "Sacroiliac Pain: Understanding The Pelvic Girdle Musculoskeletal Method". Anyway, she goes through, explains it, and she has a really nice system. I went through that, it took more time, but it was successful. I got through it and now I continue with the other ones we went through. So the old sacroiliac, you can work with it, you have to be able to live with it one way or another. Bob: We can fix it too, right? Brad: Oh yeah, absolutely. Bob: But we can't fix... Brad: –A broken heart. But yeah, maybe Deb could help us with that. Bob: Somebody needs to help us. Brad: Yeah. Yeah. We're just men. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin, Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat, Clapper Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Posture Pad Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer 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​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in May of 2023. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/rkhsufGk4Tc Mike: If you're in your mid-50s or early 60s, you may have noticed certain changes that make your everyday tasks a little more challenging or uncomfortable. Brad: That's right Mike, and you're lucky that you have not experienced it yet, but there is good news because we've narrowed it down to six exercises that can help keep you moving, active, pain-free, and moving the way you would like to. So that's what we're going to get to today. We've got a nice little story I want to talk about putting this all together and you can relate to it. Alright, gather around, gather around, this story will take not much time, it happened a few years ago, I was 57, my brother was 60, and we grew up canoeing. We had a family canoe, very good at canoeing, and then we decided to go canoeing at the ages I just mentioned. It had been about 10 years before we stepped in a canoe prior. We stepped into the canoe and we both had this altering event. "Whoa, the canoe was wobbly, sit down," and we both thought we were going in the drink, into the lake, you know? And we both looked at each other without saying a word, we were thinking exactly the same thing. "What happened to us, this was so easy 10 years ago and now, we feel like fumbling fools," which we probably looked like. But the whole thing is, it's going to happen to you. It's like getting gray hair, et cetera, I mentioned it before, but Mike has some interesting news about this. Mike: I kind of find it funny because my dad is 69 and he does fine in a canoe yet, but anyway. Studies have recently shown that there's often a decline in muscle mass, vision, and balance as we age. So, it's important to work on all those things as you age, so you can go canoeing like Brad wants to. Brad: But there are also a number of studies that consistently show if you work on these things as you age, you can combat that decline and stay moving and healthy. Mike: So, we're going to show you six exercises you can do. You don't need to do them at the gym, you can do them at home or go outside, and no extra money is needed. Brad: So, these six exercises we've looked at and studied which ones are the best ones over our years of experience working with people. They're good exercises and the key is that you do them consistently at least three times a week and they're going to show benefits in your daily life. Alright, now these exercises do address a broad range of activities. So if you are just working on trying to improve your walking, improve your ability to do housework or get dressed, or you want to advance to playing golf, pickleball, maybe even tennis, some of those people our age are still going that far, they're all going to fit into this. We have some options that you can work with. Mike: We do want to note a word of caution that if you've had a joint replacement or have some concerns about your health, maybe not do all these exercises or pick which ones pertain to you specifically and don't overdo it. Brad: Right, if any of these exercises create any pain while you're doing it or after, that's a red check mark, do not do that exercise and you'll know what I'm talking about. Good judgment again is always important. Alright, the first exercise is a big one for pretty much everyone. It’s the sit-to-stand. It's going to help your balance, your strength going up and down steps, getting off the ground if you're gardening, et cetera. Now, Mike is going to show different options. Everyone has a different level to start with, he's going to, start with the beginner people and as you get advanced, you'll show more difficult ones, figure out where you are and then work with that. 10 repetitions are probably going to be enough when you get your level of intensity. Go ahead, Mike. Mike: So to begin, I'm going to use some type of raised seat cushion here so it's gonna make it a little bit easier starting from a higher surface. You're going to want to scoot towards the edge of the chair to start and then push up with both hands, go up slowly, sit back down, use your hands to control it, and make sure you feel good and controlled. This is the basic beginner. If this is easy, then you can take out the pad, the same progression, and use both arms. Mike: If you're like, "This is a piece of cake, Brad," try one arm. Just go up with one arm, push, and control, and try to make the legs do more of the work than the arm, they're here for support and balance. If you need them to push, you can, but try to avoid it. Brad: I did want to just say if you don't happen to have a cushion like that, we often use pillows with people, a throw pillow, anything to elevate you. One inch of elevation makes a tremendous difference in the ease for the people who need that. Mike: Now, if you don't need arm support, the next progression would be to fold your arms across your chest like this and then you're going to stand up and then sit down, make sure not to lean forward and round your back and then come up. Try to keep a nice, straight posture as you're doing it, sitting at the edge of the chair really helps with this. Now, say you feel unbalanced getting down, but you're strong, you can certainly reach back to make sure the chair's there, or you can simply touch your calves against the chair and then sit down. Brad: So, the word is, and we've said this over the years in the therapy clinic, no plopping. In other words, don't let yourself plop down into the chair, it's not going to do anything good for anybody. Mike: Yes, muscles strengthen going up and down. And the last progression, if you can lift your arms above your head, you can have your arms above your head and do 10 repetitions of this as well. Make sure you have your feet flat on the ground, don't just push through your heels because then you start to tip backward. Do 10 repetitions total like Brad said, and slowly progress that exercise each day. Brad: Nice work, Mike, let's go on to number two. In this second exercise, we're going to give two options, but some people may think this is really a weird exercise. It's extremely functional, it's good for range of motion, and it's good for strength, and it's simply to get down to the floor and get back up. If you have something to hold onto if you need to, if you feel at all uncomfortable with this, we have the other option coming up. So this is for the more mobile people that can do this, but we want to maintain our mobility as we age. So down to the floor, everything is controlled, down to our butt, and you can sit there for a while and do some stretching. I like this one. Really good for the hips. Then you simply roll over to one side, hand on the floor to the quadruped position. Bring one foot up, if you have a chair handy and you need it, we're going to walk up the chair. If you don't need it, just go down, that's one repetition. Brad: Down slowly, take your time, do that, maybe do a different stretch this time, and then go back up. My breath is starting to race already, I like it. Get back up. So the repetitions that you do is going to depend on how stable you are. If you're not stable, you stop, if you're getting tired, you stop, if you have joints that are hurting, then you're going to stop as well. Brad: Okay, Michael, what about the people who are not appropriate for this, we've got an excellent exercise for that. Mike: So you can just do a lunge variation if you're uncomfortable going down to the floor. So make sure to hold onto something for support, a countertop, a cane, a Booyah Stik, whatever you have. Brad: We could put a chair here and you could hold onto that, but we're going to eliminate that because you can't see. Mike: You're going to go in a staggered stance and I have something soft here because this knee is going to get down and it feels a lot better than the hard floor. So maybe if you have a pillow at home, make sure you're wearing shoes, you don't want your feet to slide out from underneath you, but you're going to hold on with your arms and try to lunge down and touch this. If you cannot touch it, it's okay, just go down to where you feel comfortable and then come back up. You're still getting some good strengthening in your leg muscles, and this is a very functional activity, an important exercise for getting off of the floor. Brad: And I do want to mention, when you start, if you haven't done this before, don't even try to touch your knee to the cushion or the floor. Just go down a little way, do five of them. If it's really easy, then progress down. But if you go down and you can't get up because you've never done it before, it's a bad situation. So work with that cautiously and progressively. Mike: Again, try to keep an upright posture with your back, you don't want to be rounded over like this the whole time doing it. Brad: That's right and, of course, do both legs. Okay, the third one specifically addresses standing balance. So the first thing is to stand simply on one foot. The goal is 30 seconds. If you can stand for 30 seconds, then you're probably quite balanced and doing very well. A lot of people may need something to hold onto. If your balance is off, you must go up to a countertop or a solid chair with both hands and attempt. Make sure you have a timer, it really helps to time this. Go for that 30 seconds. The progression, if your balance is poor, both hands for here, then one hand, and then fingertips on both hands and then fingertips on one down to one fingertip, and you're going to do that with each leg. That's just a quick way to progress. That may or may not be necessary. Mike, if you're using the stick, go ahead. Mike: Again, you can just hold it on one side or the other or both, just put it right directly in front of you. The higher the leg is, the more it's going to make you focus on your balance. It is easier with the foot closer to the ground than it is with it higher up. Make sure to switch and do both sides and try to keep as much of an upright posture as you can, try not to be swaying too much. Brad: And I think we can segue right into our number three actually. If this is working out easily for you, you're balanced, and you want a bigger challenge, when you're brushing your teeth, see if you can brush your teeth on one foot and that's a really functional way. You're working on something else while you're balancing, that's advanced, so a lot of people may not be able to do that. If you're ready, it's a nice way to work it. You have the countertop, and the sink to lean into if you need to. Mike: It's a good reminder every time you brush your teeth, work on your balance. Brad: It makes brushing your teeth fun. Mike: Do you want to show the last option here? Brad: Yes, I do. This is something you probably will not see except for by a therapist. This is a functional way to work on your balance. Get into a corner and when you get dressed in the morning, you're putting your pants on, see if you can step in one leg at a time. Yep, step through and if you're in the corner and you lose your balance, you're safe. Have a chair in front of you if needed. If you are to the point where you have a hard time doing this because things get caught, and if you're all caught up and struggling, stop this. Brad: It's only for certain people and you may start by leaning into the wall, it's probably the best way, and then as you get better, you can try it away from the wall and you know, if you're finding yourself getting your toe caught, your pinky toe is the only thing not in, very frustrating, work on that. It's a nice way to work functional balance. So, again, start leaning into the corner, do it, and progress cautiously. This is something you don't have to do. You can always sit down, and get your pants on, but it is a nice way to progress balance. Brad: Alright, let's go to number four. Okay, number four, this is interesting, very basic to start out with, but we show some walking options. So get out and walk at least five days a week. Don't go too far, make sure you're on appropriate surfaces, and make sure that you're being safe. We've got an interesting thing for your heart rate, Mike is going to talk about. Mike: Now, you can try some type of interval training with walking per se. So you can do one block, walk your normal pace, and the next block, walk a little bit quicker pace, getting that heart rate slightly elevated. You'll notice this if you're just breathing a little heavier than the following block, slow down again. You may need to walk slowly for two blocks and fast for one block, depending upon how functional you are and how far you can walk, but just go slowly. Go one block fast, one block slow, take your time, and build into it easily. Brad: And if you're tech-savvy, you got your cell phone, you can set a timer, maybe walk fast for 30 seconds, then walk slow for a minute. And then you can make it beep. I learned to do that, I feel pretty good about that. Mike: Oh congratulations. Now, when you come back from your walk, it is also good to work on walking sideways because this strengthens the different muscle groups, helps with turning in small rooms, and all sorts of benefits. So to do this, you're just going to simply step sideways, you can take small steps, to begin with, and you can progress to larger steps. You also want to focus on keeping your feet pointed forward the whole time and make sure to use support as needed. This can be done under a railing, a countertop, or using a cane. Brad: Right, 5-10 steps in each direction is more than adequate, and I want you to think about lifting your feet up higher, so you've got a few inches of gap between your feet and the floor, just a reminder so you eliminate shuffling habits that can happen with the aging process. Nice work, Mike, have you danced recently? Mike: No. Brad: Do you do any polka or any ballroom dancing? Mike: I do the foxtrot. Brad: Good. Alright, number five, this is another great big one. Bob and I have been after this for years, it is posture. Get the shoulders back, head up, breathe, and get the shoulders moving so that you can breathe in, and your shoulders become pain-free. If they have a little pain, we like to use the wall. These two exercises, Mike's going to also show in sitting. I think we have the patent on this, don't we, Bob? Okay, butt to the wall, shoulders to the wall, bring the shoulders back, and we're going to do snow angels. You know, if you live in the north where you get snow, you know exactly what we're talking about. If you're lying on the ground and you're making an angel in the snow. So go up with your hands touching as far as you feel comfortable, get the stretch, and come back down. Do five of these, at least, you can work up to 10. Brad: Now, you might find my left shoulder used to be tight where it would come away from the wall because I couldn't get it back, but after working with these for a few weeks, now, I can get my hands to touch all the way up. But don't worry, if you only get up whatever distance, just get a stretch, do your five to 10, and the option is if you don't want to do them standing, seated is another excellent postural exercise Mike will show. Mike: I should say, with Brad's exercise, if you don't have wall space and you can easily get on and off the floor, you can also do that on the floor. Brad: Good point, good point. Mike: But this is the hallelujah stretch. So you're going to sit upright in a chair, have good posture, and you're just going to bring your arms up like you're saying hallelujah. Hold there for a few seconds and then you can come back down. If this is feeling good, you enjoy the stretch and you maybe want to get a little more back extension with this, you can simply place a deflated ball, possibly a small pillow, or something behind your back, and you can do the same stretch and you get a little more arch in there and oh, that feels so nice. Brad: Ooh, yes, and may I mention, Mike, you can adjust the ball up or down, whatever feels the best for your back. Mike: Yes, and this is nice and soft and you can just move it where needed. You don't want a firm ball, you want a nice, squishy one. Brad: A basketball would not work. You need something soft. Go over and get the neighbor kids’ kickball. Now, what you can also do is, show them that option where if their shoulders are tight, do the W exercise, the Wisconsin W stretch. Mike: So instead of lifting your arms up, you're simply retracting your shoulders. If my red head is the middle of the W, with my arms this is a W shape. So you can also do it like that. Work on that posture, help prevent all that flex forward posture, you're probably doing most of the day. Brad: All right, let's go to the last one. Okay, the last one is a really important one, it addresses all those tasks we do throughout the day where you're either pushing something or pulling on it, like opening a door, those types of things. Now, for this, the only way we can do this is if you actually use a band. I hate to have you buy something, but it's the only thing I could come up with to do both of these tasks, and they're not that expensive. Now, what we have is a resistance band, usually you get a set of these with five of them. They'll come with a door anchor that looks like that. Mike's going to demonstrate how it works in a door, go ahead, Mike. Mike: So you take the round end here, open the door, make sure to fit it in there. Now, this is the important part, you want it closed tight, make sure it's not going to come open. If you have a lock, I suggest locking it. Get in the right position for you, that's going to depend upon how tall or short you are. You roughly want it about chest level. Mike: So the first one is just some scapular rowing exercise. You just put your arm straight out, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and then come back forward. The focus should be on your shoulder blade region where Brad is pointing out. My biceps are working a little bit to do this, but you want to focus on using your shoulder blades, not your arm muscles when doing this. You can perform 10 repetitions and then we're going to switch and go in the opposite direction, so we're going to work the chest muscles. Mike: So same concept, just kind of push like you're doing a pushup. So I'll just do 10 repetitions going this way as well and it gets your pec muscles going. Brad: Good job, Mike. Now, there's one thing, if you don't have the bands, you can get the push part by just using a wall. Simply do wall pushups. Brad: That does get the muscles for pushing on those pushing tasks throughout the day, as far as pulling. I worked in my head for a long time to figure out how to pull and get some resistance without a band, but I really couldn't. You can use the door. There are wall anchors that actually we have and we sell them because they work really well. If you've used the door anchor for a long time and you're sick and tired of using the door, the wall anchors are very handy, if you buy them on bobandbrad.com, you get four of the anchors. You need to put them into a wooden stud and they work really well. I've got about 12 of them on my wall. I do, I use them on a regular basis. Again, so you're pulling, the exact same mechanics that Mike talked about. Alright, and this also works the core as well as those arms. Brad: Alright, now, those six exercises are absolutely essential. We've decided that, and I guarantee you, if you can do all of these, do them three days a week, for four weeks, and then after that, bump it up to four or maybe five days a week. You're going to notice your mobility, your strength, your balance will increase, I guarantee you. How about you, Mike? Mike: Let us know down below what we've forgotten in the comment section because I'm not in my 50s or 60s, so I may not know. Brad: Right, but you're going to get there, Mike. I can guarantee you're going to experience the same things that Bob and I, and my brother, have like getting in and out of that canoe. Mike: Yeah, he has faith in me that I'm going to live that long. Brad: That’s right. Bob: That's a wrap. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat, Clapper Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Posture Pad Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer 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​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is 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.

It depends on the injury or problem you have with your hip. If the hip injury or pain is brand new (acute) after trauma (fall, athletic injury, motor vehicle accident, or surgery) the proper choice is the use of ice. Such an injury usually damages blood vessels and swelling occurs. A cold pack will cause the blood vessels to restrict and reduce the swelling. A cold pack may also help control “excessive” swelling. Ice may also be used after high-intensity exercise to prevent or reduce inflammation. For the first 24-48 hours apply ice to the hip. To prevent ice burn, place a damp towel between the ice pack and your skin. Apply the ice pack for 15-20 minutes to the hip every 3 hours (if able). Limit icing sessions to 15-20 minutes to avoid causing tissue damage or irritation to the skin. You can purchase an ice pack or use a bag of frozen vegetables from your freezer. You can make your own cold pack with two-gallon freezer bags, a cup of rubbing alcohol, and 4 cups of water. Put the four cups of water and one cup of rubbing alcohol into one of the freezer bags. Get the excess air out. Place the bag inside the second-gallon freezer bag and freeze for several hours. It makes a nice pliable cold pack. When should you apply heat for hip pain? Heat therapy is generally more appropriate for chronic types of hip pain. This might include a stiff hip, arthritis, recurring injuries, and muscle pain or soreness. Heat allows for blood vessels to expand and muscles to relax. More blood flow can improve healing. Heat also tends to be a more pleasant and soothing treatment for most people, especially with arthritis. Take caution not to use the heat for an extended amount of time which can lead to skin irritation, blistering, and even burns. Do not sleep with a heat treatment. For a deep form of heat treatment, you might consider the use of a far infrared heating system. Regular heat penetrates barely beyond the surface of the skin. Far infrared penetrates 2.36 inches. We put in a link for a discount on a purchase. Although heat may be more desirable for some chronic problems, many people still choose cold to help them control their pain. In fact, Brad uses a cold pack to help manage his chronic back pain (spondylolisthesis). So, in summary, once you get past the acute phase of an injury, heat or cold can be used. Check out the full Hip Pain Relief Program series of videos along with downloadable guide sheets for each video on our website here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/hip-pain-relief-program

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in September of 2018. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0Ll6aDOMkU Bob: Today we're going to talk about how to fix shoulder pain in seconds and this does work. I know because I'm actually using it on my shoulder right now. Brad: Right, and not only that we have used it on our patients over the years. We just don't pick these things out of the air. Bob: All right. So these are five exercises and how you can do this in seconds is, I just want you to do one of these exercises every few hours. It only takes you seconds to do it. Everybody's busy, nobody has time for pain. I just had one of our aides, she hurt her knee and she goes, "I don't have time for this." And it's right. You don't have time for your shoulder pain. You don't have time to rehab it either. So I'm going to show you things you can do throughout the day, maybe even in the office or wherever you work. Brad: Right, so you're going to try all of these and only do the ones that are successful, because more than likely, not all five will work on one person. Usually one or two are going to be successful. So work with them. Bob: Exactly, find the ones that are working for you and stick with them. And the thing that we're trying to treat here mainly, is what we'd call impingement because impingement often leads to rotator cuff problems. And I'd say about 80% of the shoulders that we see are having this difficulty. Brad: Right, as a matter of fact, our hanging book has studies saying this is the primary source of shoulder pain, not all of it, but a majority. Bob: So very quickly we're going to show you what impingement is. It often occurs from kind of poor posture, leaning forward, or being hunched forward. And what that causes is you have the humeral head and it goes into the socket or the glenoid fossa and you have a tendon going over here. That's what this red thing is. And if there's not enough room in there what's going to happen when you lift the arm, it pinches. Brad: I'm going to show you the healthy way. You have a gap in there. Plenty of room. The joint drops down where it's supposed to, and the rotator cuff is doing what it's supposed to. Unhealthy shoulder, it pinches, and that's about where you get it, is where your shoulders around 90 degrees, it starts to pinch, ouch, ouch, ouch. Bob: And what happens, over time, is you start to saw away at that tendon and you can actually get a rotator cuff tear. You can tear the muscle. It throws everything off. These exercises are designed to get you a little more room in there. Brad: Right, so we eliminate that impingement or that squeezing, pinching, nasty painful stuff. Bob: All right, the first one is the one that I've been doing. Without going into too much detail, I have a little bit of winging on the left scapula because I actually lost a muscle when I was younger. I had nerve damage. So this one tends to come forward, more than the other one. So, this is something you do throughout the day. You want to do shoulder squeezes and they're very easy to do. You can do them no matter where you are. You can do them standing. You can do them sitting. And I'm just going to go ahead, bend my elbows. And I'm going to squeeze my shoulder blades together. Brad: There you go. You can see the wrinkling of his clothes, showing the movement of those shoulder blades, from this side. Bob: Are you saying I just got my clothes out of the hamper? Brad: Yeah, they're wrinkled. You have to get them taken in, Bob. Once again to the press. Bob: One, two, three, four, five. I usually hold for a 5 count. Brad: You count it like that in your head? Bob: One, two, three, four, five, yeah. Brad: Everyone's got their own little ways. I just go “hold” and then relax, that's my mantra. “Hold”, relax. Bob: By strengthening these muscles, you're strengthening the core of the shoulder. And that helps, if these are held back right here, it puts the shoulder in the right position. So instead of our shoulders being flexed forward, they're back and that's where you want them to be. Brad: Right, they work much more efficiently and in less pain. Bob: So that's one I definitely want all of you doing. That's one, I want you to slip in throughout the day. The next one is our Mulligan technique which we're a big fan of. And you can just do this off the back of a chair. And again, this helps set that humoral head down in the socket, to give you more room for the tendon to glide through. So I'm on the back of the chair. I'm pushing down into the chair. And while I push down into the chair I walk away and the left is my bad shoulder. So this is the one I should be doing it on. And I can feel this actually stretching really well. Brad: So you're kind of pushing, not straight down, but down and kind of towards your toes. So it's kind of going that way. Bob: Hear that crack? Brad: Oh, I didn't hear it, but I believe ya. Yeah. It's always louder to the person that has it, but you can see his range of motion. Bob: That's it again. Brad: Yeah. I did hear that. Audible crepitus, that's what we call it in the field. Bob: So we're trying again and it is a sneaky way of getting more motion. And it's a sneaky way of getting more gap. Brad: Right, with this technique, if you're unable to raise your hand over your head but you do this without pain, it's the right thing. But I've had some patients do this, and they didn't like it. It's painful. It creates some sharp pain, if that's the case, that one goes off the list, we go to the next one. Bob: Did you want to show it with the Booyah Stik? Brad: Why don't you, Bob? Bob: Okay, so if you did have one of our Booyah Stiks you could use the Booyah Stik and you can actually do it one of two ways. You can walk away from it or you can also push down and move it away. Either way, but, it works out really well to walk away and push down the entire time. Brad: Sure, and if you don't have a Booyah Stik and you don't want to buy one, we've had people comment they're using the broom handle or something. You have to do it on the carpet or something, so it sticks. That's what we have these nice rubber ends for. Bob: Or the back of a chair, like we just did. So the next one is shoulder extension. So now we're going to start working on bringing the shoulder back. Stretching this area out in front of the shoulder. Again, making more room for the shoulder to do its job, to work correctly. Brad: And we talked about people who started these, Mulligan, he's a famous physical therapist. I think he's getting up there in age. I think he's still alive. He's got a whole system. There's a McKenzie technique. And he's developed his own system that's worldwide, popular in the therapy world. Bob: So we're working on increasing the amount that the arm goes back. Brad, I thought you showed really well on the countertop there. Brad: So, in the early phase, when your shoulder is tight, you may just go up to the counter here and then get your good posture. And then you just squat gently. And right now, as I do that, that extends my shoulder. And you just go until you feel some pain, not much, then you come off it. A little pain, then off. So we go to pressure on, but not into the pain, you never go into sharp pain. When the range of motion starts to get better and it's like, "Oh this is getting much better, much less pain." Along with that, you're going to find that going in front is easier. Brad: To increase that extension you open up the cupboard. Now this would be for a high level. This is for someone whose shoulders are really doing well. They just want to maximize the range of motion, you know, maybe they're a baseball pitcher or something. Brad: There you go. So you can use other things in the house for stretching. Bob: Yeah things that just end up being the right level for you. Go ahead and use it. All right. Next one, again, you don't need to do all these. I have all of you doing the shoulder squeezes. With the other ones, I would kind of find out which one seems to be working the best for you for decreasing your pain. This one's a really easy one. You just use a belt and you're going to go ahead and hook it on your wrist. Brad: This is a little challenging to get set up. Use a belt that is smooth and shiny and you're going to do it with clothing and you'll find out why in just a second here. Sometimes if you have a little help to reach the bent. Bob: That's what I was trying to do. Brad: So the painful arm is relaxed. Bob: I'm going to show you this, quite often what you're going to find is the tight arm is down here, where the other arm I can put way up here. Bob: And so I want to get this arm up to equal with that one. You're just going to go pressure on, pressure off. This belt really does work well, once you get it set up. Takes a little bit of doing, but it slides really well. Brad: Matter of fact, we did a video a number of years ago on a patient who was set up for shoulder surgery. And then she said, "Can I do therapy?" And the surgeon said, well, go ahead, you can do it. Within four visits, she was doing this exercise, and no surgery was needed. Her arm started therapy going up to 90 degrees and finished with full flexion. She canceled the surgery and I still see her and she's still in good shape. Bob: Wow. Nice. Yeah. There are some miracles every minute in the Bob in Brad clinic, right? Brad: There you go. Bob: Alright, the last one we're going to do is this one. You're going to need some equipment. I mean, you need a place to hang. Brad and I have become big fans of this. Brad: Yeah, you just need a hanging bar. And you're just simply going to relax and hang. And you know, when I first heard of this I thought this is crazy. It's going to make the impingement worse. But once I read the book, I understood the mechanics and I started trying it and we started working with people doing it. It's like, yeah, this can be really effective. Bob: Yeah. We've become big fans. It's such an easy thing to do if you have the equipment and you can wear gloves, which makes it easier. So the book is "Shoulder Pain, the Solution and Prevention." It's by John M. Kirsch, MD. We have it in our favorite books, don't we? Brad: Yeah, we do. Yep, he's an orthopedic surgeon. Matter of fact, he does his practice 30 miles from where I grew up, in Wisconsin. Bob: Does he really? Brad: Yeah. Stevens Point. Bob: Oh cool. Yeah. My daughter went to Stevens Point. Brad: There you go. It's a nice town. Got a river running through it and everything. Bob: Go to Stevens Point too. Brad: There you go. So here you're going to hang for 10 to 30 seconds, depending on what you tolerate, up to three repetitions of that. And depending on how you respond to it, so the first time you do it might get sore but after you do it for a few days you'll be able to do this two to three times per day and we've really had good success with this. Bob: And you still said seconds. Remember we promised seconds. Yeah. So it's 30 seconds out of your day and you can make a great improvement. Brad: Oh, that's right. We have to stick with our title. Bob: All right. Thanks, everybody for watching. Remember we can fix just about anything Brad: Except for… Bob: A broken heart. Brad: There it is. Bob: But we're working on it. Brad: We'll never stop. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat, Clapper Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Posture Pad Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer 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​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is 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 January of 2022. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/6sRuv6TNaEg Bob: Today we're going to talk about neck pain. You have to stop doing this thing, Brad. Brad: Yeah, I know. Bob: So a major non-trauma source of neck pain is when you put your neck in a bad position for a prolonged long period of time. Now you can get away with this for a while, especially if you're young. But it's going to catch up to you and eventually, you will feel pain. I guarantee you. Brad: It's the big P, isn't it, Bob? Bob: Right, the big P. Brad: Posture, posture, and more posture. Bob: Right. So here are four of the most common harmful postures. Now this one, I got my phone here, just pure neck flexion. Do you want to show one from the side, Brad? Brad: Yeah, flexion is looking down. Bob: All right. You could also have head forward and that's more common at the computer, I think. Especially a laptop. The laptop is down low and you're flexed with your head forward. And if you have bifocals. Bob: Next one, the one I have, is left tilt. I don't know why I do this, but I keep my head to the left. Brad: It probably started when you watched that "Forest Gump" movie. When you were a kid and they watched TV that way. Bob: Yeah that's right. The other one, of course, is right tilt. And I don't do that one at all, but I think I did the left tilt a lot when I wrote notes. Bob: It's all typing now. So, it happens when you're typing, phone use, tablet use and it could happen in bed too. You could have your head forward flexed in bed. Brad: Oh, sure. You bet. Bob: So really this is an issue where you just must be aware of it, and you must correct it with exercise. Let's take the first one. How about forward flexion like looking down at a phone? One of the best things to do, first off, if you have your phone, is to bring it up to you. Short little arms and bend your elbows. Bob: But the other thing is you can actually work on cervical extensions, go the opposite direction because these muscles might tighten up on you. So, you work on doing extensions. Brad: If you're at a computer, if your computer screen is low, get something underneath it. Get that screen up. Bob: Absolutely. And you really need a separate keyboard. Brad: Right. Wireless keyboard, get that low and the screen up. Bob: If you have a laptop. So we kind of jumped ahead here with forward head. You're going want to make sure, one, we correct it. So we're going to do chin tucks. The opposite. We never talked about this before, have we? Brad: Nah. Did we mention it? We could write a book on it forward and backward. So yeah, bring the chin in. Bob: Now Brad's showing, and also you can do it with a little overpressure. You can take your fingers and push on your chin, or you can take the crux of your thumb and push back. This is really a handy thing. But the thing we like about chin tucks is they're a reminder too. If you are in that forward head position for a while then "Oh, that's where I should be." I chin-tuck and realize I should be back in this position. Brad: Right. You know, along with that, the shoulders, the chest, and the whole thoracic posture remains as a unit and works together. Bob: Right, it's very difficult to have good posture, if you keep your upper back rounded. Brad: Yeah, it doesn't work. Bob: You can do a chin tuck all you want but it's not going to help. All right. How about left and right tilt? It's very simple. You just have to be aware of it. I fall into this habit all the time. Even when I podcast. I realize I'm tilting to the left. Brad: Doesn't Mike remind you? Bob: Well, he leaves the room. Brad: Oh, he does? He gets out of there? Bob: Yeah, he does. He doesn’t listen to me. Brad: He goes and reads a book I suppose. Bob: Yeah he does something like that. But anyway, you know, a thing that works really well, if you have a left tilt, do a chin tuck and then do a right tilt. You're probably tight going to the right. And I am. So, I have plenty of motion to the left, but to the right, I can't move as far. Bob: So, if you're the opposite and you're a right tilter, you would chin tuck and then go to the left. Brad: And there's a very strong likelihood, you don't know if you're a right tilter or left tilter unless someone watches you and brings it to your attention. Bob: You can use mirrors or, I don't know if you film yourself. Sometimes it's quite funny. A lot of people tell me that they see themselves on video and they didn't realize their posture was so bad. Brad: Well, that's happened to both you and me, it's like, "Oh my goodness, who is that? That’s me!" And it just scares the posture back into you. Bob: This seems so benign, this seems like a minor thing, these posture things, but it's amazing how much pain they cause. I mean really strikingly a lot of pain. Brad: And also you just look better, you know when you're up tall and posture. You look good. You look confident, you breathe better. Everything works better mechanically. Bob: It's going to help also to move a little bit. Brad: Oh absolutely. Bob: If you go ahead and go for a walk in between sessions of being at the computer. Brad: Say no more. Bob: Thanks for watching. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube, Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, TikTok, Wimkin Mewe, Minds, Vero, SteemIt, Peakd, Rumble, Snapchat, Clapper Bob and Brad also have a Podcast where we share your favorite episodes as well as interviews with health-related experts. For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun (US) Fit Glide Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Knee Glide Back and Neck Massager Eye Massager T2 Massage Gun Foot Massager X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head Leg Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream Uni Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun Back Massager Posture Pad Fitness: Resistance Bands​ Pull Up System Pull Up Bands Wall Anchor​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit Stress Balls Stretching: Booyah Stik Stretch Strap Wellness: Hand Warmer 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​ The Bob and Brad Community is a place to share your experiences, ask questions and connect with others regarding physical therapy and health topics. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website is 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.