How to Use the TENS Unit: If you are using an iReliev TENS unit, we provide step-by-step video instruction on how to use the following types: iReliev 1313 iReliev 5050 iReliev 8080 Just go to the program section at bobandbrad.com and click on the TENS series, or click the link below. Under the series look for the videos with the 1313, 5050, or 8080 TENS units. If you are using a TENS unit from another manufacturer you will need to follow the instructions provided with the product. Where to Place the Pads: There is NOT a specific right way to position or place the pads. The best approach is to place the pads wherever they relieve pain the most. Experiment and see what will work best for you. General Guidelines for One Channel and Two Pads on Calf: Use one channel and two pads. Place one pad (either one) directly on the pain. Place the other pad either directly above the other pad (at least a pad’s width apart) or directly below the pad (at least a pad’s width apart). Use one channel and two pads. Place one pad directly above the pain and one pad directly below the pain or place one pad on each side of the pain. General Guidelines for a Larger Area of Calf Pain: In our examples, channel one has yellow pads and channel two has green pads. Option one: one pad from channel one placed above the area of pain and one pad placed below the area. One pad from channel two placed in front of the area of pain and another pad from channel two placed behind the area of pain. This arrangement forms a cross pattern. Option two: one pad from channel one in the upper right corner of the area of pain and one pad from channel one in lower left corner of the area of pain. One pad from channel two in the upper left corner of the pain and one pad in the lower right corner of the pain. This arrangement forms an X pattern. General Guidelines for Pain Referred from Another Area: An example would be calf pain that is coming (referred) from the back. Using channel one, place the two pads along the nerve pathway. The two pads from channel two could be placed on the calf. Reminder: don’t place pads over open wounds or areas with excessive hair. Clean the area with soap and water prior to placement of the pads. Calf Treatment: Cross-fiber massage using the massage gun For more information on the TENS programs visit: https://www.bobandbrad.com/tens-program If interested in purchasing the TENS/EMS unit by iReliev visit: https://ireliev.com/bobandbrad/?uid=15&oid=1&affid=10 *Update: Bob & Brad now have their own brand of massagers: C2 Massage Gun: https://amzn.to/36pMekg DISCLAIMER We insist that you see a physician before starting this video series. Furthermore, this video series is not designed to replace the treatment of a professional: physician, osteopath, physical therapist, orthopedic surgeon, or chiropractor. It may however serve as an adjunct. Do not go against the advice of your health care professional. When under the care of a professional make certain that they approve of all that you try. This information is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. Any information given about back-related conditions, treatments, and products is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this publication. Before starting an exercise program, consult a physician. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of 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 in order to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in July of 2021. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkH6tTHuulU Bob: Today, we’re going to talk about the number one best exercise for depression/anxiety. Brad: They interlock. Bob: So, we got some research on this and we’re ready to go. Really, when you think about depression, quite often, people are depressed, there’s a lack of movement. They’re within themselves. Brad: You’re talking about physically, they’re not moving. Bob: Right, they’re not moving, you can see from their posture. They’re in this huddled type of posture and that means they’re not moving. So really, the opposite is what we’re heading for. We want to get movement of some form. We’re going to talk about different forms of movement and why they might be helpful, but you know, running and even sprinting, if you’re still capable of sprinting. It’s a high intensity interval training. Brad: Yeah, get into that anaerobic zone. Bob: When you run on a regular basis, like a steady basis, to me it’s almost like mediation. It reduces food cravings, which is a different bonus too. You get more serotonin, which is a good drug, and you also get some of the endorphins. Brad: Right, yeah it helps get you in a good mood. I can definitely speak about that. You know, if you’re not a runner, and you don’t plan on running, we have options that will work just as well. Bob: Lower-level options. Brad: It’s going to work better for you, but I was a runner. At one point in my life, I was depressed. I was going through a divorce, personal issues, financial issues, coming from every end you know, and I used to run. Bob: It builds up on you. Brad: Yeah. I used to run, and I always always felt better when I ran. I used to run two times a day and it was just wonderful. A lot cheaper than going to see a therapist. Literally, I mean, it worked. Bob: The thing is, with endorphins, you might get some carryover. They may last for an hour afterwards; after you’ve gone running. Brad: Right, absolutely. Bob: So, you just feel better about yourself. The other one is biking. Spin classes. The nice thing about spin classes is that you’re in a group too. You’re getting the social aspect of it. Brad: I did that as well. You can talk to people who are next to you. You can joke around a little bit; forget about things before you get that heart rate up and if you do try a spin class and you’ve never biked before, it’s a little challenging at first. There’s a learning curve so be patient with that. Bob: Yeah, it’s going to help with anxiety too. Next one is hiking in the woods. We’ve seen many studies on this. Nature. It’s amazing how nature helps heal the body. Brad: Calm things down. You’re looking at things. You’ve got audible input from the birds and whatnot. You’re watching where you’re going. Make sure you know where you’re going so you don’t get lost because that could cause some anxiety. Bob: But it’s funny, you know, we saw studies where they compared hiking in the woods to walking in the cities. They are both good but hiking in the woods was obviously better. It was much less stressful and a lot more beneficial. Brad: Right. You don’t have to worry about cars running you over. Bob: Right. You don’t have to think about anything. Next one was yoga, and one of the nice things about yoga is they really concentrate on breathing and breathing plays a large role in controlling your anxiety and depression. That vagus nerve they keep talking about, Brad, if you can control that, it’s going to help control the rest of how you feel. Brad: That vagus nerve, there’s a lot of studies going on in the last few years with the gut and everything else. Bob: Tai chi, do you really know what it is? Brad: Well, Tai Chi it’s a martial art form, but it’s done very slowly, you work on your balance, you’re thinking about what you’re doing because some of the poses are very difficult. But it gets your mind to relax and your body. I have not done it. I’ve watched it. Bob: I have the same thing. I had a friend that did it every lunch hour. It’s nice to do that in a group because you’re going to get that social aspect to it. Brad: You don’t really talk during it though. Bob: No, you don’t, but you know what I mean. Brad: Before and afterwards. Bob: When you’re part of something. Then we’re going to talk about most of us can do walking. All you need is a pair of comfortable walking shoes and off you go. So, again, you try to look for nature if you can. If you have a park nearby you or something. Brad: You’ll probably want to walk a little faster. It’s not a real casual walk when you’re looking around. You want to get your heart rate up probably. Bob: Now this one is, I think, somewhat of the trifecta. Because that means three, Brad, because in this case, you’re actually exercising high level, you’re actually doing it with friends, and you’re out in nature. Golf is my trifecta. I’m walking, I’m with friends and I’m in nature. Brad: And you’re focusing on the game, thinking about the game. Bob: Exactly, you’re swearing about the game and you’re going, why am I so bad at this game? Brad: Why me? Bob: Ultimate frisbee. You’re sprinting, you’re on a team. You can’t think about anything else besides the game. Brad: Exactly, Bob. Bob: Hiking with friends, biking with friends. You’re big on biking. Brad: Right, I actually like to bike by myself, but I do like to bike with one other person. I don’t like biking in big groups. You have to worry about the person in front of you, the person behind you, traffic is a little bit different to negotiate. So, I do one other person but by myself is fine. I do want to mention that I have a friend of mine, he’s 59 years old and he likes mountain biking. He says it forces you to get your mind focused. When your road biking, your mind can travel but when your mountain biking, you have to watch the trail because you don’t want to wipe out. It’s aerobic. It does everything for him. He’s very happy with it. Bob: I would just be upset though or depressed once I fall off and break something because I would. Brad: That is something that requires good judgement. Bob: So, give these things a try. The worst thing that’s going to happen is you’re going to get in better shape and you’re going to feel better about things. Brad: I think anybody who does increase your activity when you’re depressed, you’re going to go in the right direction. Bob: The other thing, Brad, is if it’s a sunny day and you go out, the sun’s going to help. People need the sun. Seasonal affective disorder of course my daughter has it. She lived in Portland, for a while, which was not sunny. A lot of cloudy areas. Brad: I think even activities like cleaning your house aggressively. It’s activity plus when you’re done, you have your finished product. You feel good about yourself because you did something good. You’re active. It’s another one of those antidepressants. Bob: Right, I agree. You can come over to my house and get antidepressant. Brad: I’ve got plenty at my house too. Bob: Thanks everybody for listening. Brad: Good luck, and I’m sure you’ll feel better. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/physicaltherapyvideo Website: https://bobandbrad.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobandBrad/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialbobandbrad/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ptfamous Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mostfamousPTs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bob-and-brad TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bobandbrad Wimkin: https://wimkin.com/BobandBrad Mewe: https://mewe.com/i/bobandbrad Minds: https://www.minds.com/bobandbrad/ Vero: vero.co/bobandbrad SteemIt: https://steemit.com/@bobandbrad Peakd: https://peakd.com/@bobandbrad For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun US: https://amzn.to/36pMekg Now available in EU: https://amzn.to/3eiruwV Now available in Canada: http://amzla.com/t4qn7uniltfb Q2 Mini Massage Gun US: https://amzn.to/3oSMBu9 Now available in UK: http://amzla.com/qe4bmn3puczb Now available in EU: https://www.amazon.de/Massagepistole-Muskelentlastung-Handmassageger%C3%83%C2%A4t-Muskelkater-Entspannen/dp/B08M8YSFC7/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=bob+and+brad&qid=1620323625&sr=8-2 Handheld Massager: https://amzn.to/2TxZBqU X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head: https://amzn.to/38zRLEv T2 Massage Gun: https://amzn.to/3GfflX1 Foot Massager: https://amzn.to/3pH2R2n Knee Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com Fit Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Fitness: Resistance Bands: https://amzn.to/36uqnbr​ Pull Up Bands: https://amzn.to/3qmI4Rv​ Resistance Bands for Legs and Butt: https://amzn.to/2G5mXkp​ Hanging Handles: https://amzn.to/2RXLVFF​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Wall Anchor: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Exercise Ball: https://amzn.to/3cdMMMu​ Pull-Up System: https://www.optp.com/Pull-Up-system-by-Bob-and-Brad Stretching: Booyah Stik: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Stretch Strap: https://amzn.to/3muStbi Wellness: Bob and Brad Blood Pressure Monitor: https://amzn.to/3hm721f Bob & Brad Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/2RTSLLh Check out other products Bob and Brad Love: https://www.amazon.com/shop/physicaltherapyvideo?listId=3581Z1XUVFAFY Check out our shirts, mugs, bags and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop here: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/bob-brad​ Check out The Bob & Brad Crew on YouTube by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/c/thebobbradcrew Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of 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 in order to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in April of 2021. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubenTjbIdJw. Bob: Today, we’re going to talk about should you stop icing? Are you delaying healing by doing so? Brad: So, we are talking about cold packs. Bob: Yep. We’ll get into it. So, we’re definitely undecided on this yet. I’m listening to the arguments, and I’ll certainly think about it and maybe take it on a case-by-case basis. Brad: Right, because historically, we’ve both been pretty big proponent of cold packs, ice packs, which I think was pretty much over the board over the years. Bob: Yeah, in fact, you use ice a lot, Brad for your chronic pain, your spondylolisthesis. Brad: Right, back pain, yep. I use it if I do something I shouldn't have been doing. I have a cold pack in my freezer and it’s available 24/7. Not that I use it a lot but it’s not unusual either. Bob: So, the argument was presented by Gary Reinl. He’s the author of “ICED! The Illusionary Treatment Option.” The other person that supports this is Kelly Starrett. We’ve had him on our podcast. He’s a best seller of the book, “Becoming a Supple Leopard.” Brad: It’s a hunting book? Bob: No, it’s about muscles and tissue and mobilization and moving right and lifting right. If you are an athlete, you definitely want to take a look at it. If you’re just trying to get some mobility back, you should look at it. This all started in 1978, Gabe Mirkin coined the phrase RICE for treatment after an injury. You have rest, ice, compression and elevation for soft tissue injuries. Brad: Right. So, the ankle sprain, you do those four things and it’s the way you start out your treatment. Bob: This is where things get a little interesting. In 2000, I can’t remember what the date was. It was something in the teens, I believe 2000 teens, he announced rest and ice can actually delay healing. So, the guy that came up with the phrase said it can delay healing and actually cause additional damage. As far as the studies, I did see one recently about moving. Rest versus moving after injury and they had found that yes, low intensity movement was a lot better than rest after an injury. Now, we’re not talking about a fracture, of course. We’re talking about a strain, but getting the muscles moving, I can buy into that. Brad: I can. I mean, obviously if it’s a real severe sprain and it’s swelling up like a watermelon and is very tender, the movements going to be pretty subtle at first, I would imagine. Bob: Right. Brad: Even just get the muscles to contract so we get some fluid movement in the tissue. Bob: Right. So, Gary Reinl, the author of the book that we were talking about, when asked if you should ice something, he said, “No, it’s the worst thing you can do.” Brad: We’ve been doing the worst thing for the last 30 years. It takes me a while to swallow that. Bob: I know. So, you’re trapping waste in and around the damaged site. I do buy that. You prevent the flow of oxygen, so anything supplied via that blood circulation is not being supplied because ice does slow it down. Brad: Well, it vasoconstricts is what the theory is. It pushes out fluid. Bob: It might bring it back in. Brad: Bring it back in, I know that was the theory. Now we’ve got a different theory. Bob: He said also, it can cause additional damage to tissues and nerves. You don't remember this Brad. Brad: How do you know? Bob: Because you don’t. Brad: LOL Bob: So, Chris and I had this discussion when we were talking about ibuprofen and I said, “Does that delay healing because it’s delaying the swelling?” He said, “Yeah, it could.” So, it’s interesting. Brad: So, the inflammatory phase of an injury is good. It’s part of what the body is supposed to do to heal but the theory is it over does itself. Bob: It overdoes it, right. Exactly and so that’s what ice is supposed to help with, but they are saying, no, it really doesn’t overdo it. You just have to control that swelling in some other way. You know, through wrapping or active motion. So, again, what they recommend is active recovery or using a muscle stimulator. Like on the areas to make the muscles work on their own. Brad: So, like a TENS unit that has EMS. Bob: Yeah, EMS units. Electrical muscle stimulation. Brad: So, I would think water, you know, if you had a pool or something where it may be more comfortable to move the ankle or the knee but that’s not very accessible for certain people. Bob: Well, are you talking about an ice bath? Brad: No, no, no. Just water. Like a pool. Bob: Oh, sure. So, ice does help with pain and swelling, there’s no doubt, but they’re saying the body knows how to heal. Ice was never around for the early ancestors. Brad: Well in the wintertime it was. Snowbanks. Bob: There we go. So, again, we are not arguing one way or another, we’re just presenting it to you. You can decide. I’m sure there’ll be more studies that come out. Brad: This is really good news because there are people; I’ve had patients, they just do not like ice whatsoever. If it touches them and it just makes them jump. So, get it moving, get the part moving. Don’t overdo it. Bob: Well, it has to be pain-free movement. Brad: And of course, the compression, the wraps. Bob: Right, compression is still a good idea. Brad: It’s not that far out, once we think about it, just a little. Bob: Yeah, I like the movement idea. Brad: The compression’s good too. Good luck without icing. One less thing to do. Bob: Go ahead and give us your opinions. We always like to hear people opinions so lay them on us. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/physicaltherapyvideo Website: https://bobandbrad.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobandBrad/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialbobandbrad/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ptfamous Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mostfamousPTs Wimkin: https://wimkin.com/BobandBrad Mewe: https://mewe.com/i/bobandbrad Minds: https://www.minds.com/bobandbrad/ Vero: vero.co/bobandbrad SteemIt: https://steemit.com/@bobandbrad Peakd: https://peakd.com/@bobandbrad For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun US: https://amzn.to/36pMekg Now available in EU: https://amzn.to/3eiruwV Now available in Canada: http://amzla.com/t4qn7uniltfb Q2 Mini Massage Gun US: https://amzn.to/3oSMBu9 Now available in UK: http://amzla.com/qe4bmn3puczb Now available in EU: https://www.amazon.de/Massagepistole-Muskelentlastung-Handmassageger%C3%83%C2%A4t-Muskelkater-Entspannen/dp/B08M8YSFC7/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=bob+and+brad&qid=1620323625&sr=8-2 Handheld Massager: https://amzn.to/2TxZBqU X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head: COMING SOON! T2 Massage Gun: COMING SOON! Foot Massager: https://amzn.to/3pH2R2n Knee Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com Fit Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Fitness: Resistance Bands: https://amzn.to/36uqnbr​ Pull Up Bands: https://amzn.to/3qmI4Rv​ Resistance Bands for Legs and Butt: https://amzn.to/2G5mXkp​ Hanging Handles: https://amzn.to/2RXLVFF​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Wall Anchor: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Exercise Ball: https://amzn.to/3cdMMMu​ Pull-Up System: https://www.optp.com/Pull-Up-system-by-Bob-and-Brad Stretching: Booyah Stik: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Stretch Strap: https://amzn.to/3muStbi Wellness: Bob and Brad Blood Pressure Monitor: https://amzn.to/3hm721f Bob & Brad Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/2RTSLLh Check out other products Bob and Brad Love: https://www.amazon.com/shop/physicaltherapyvideo?listId=3581Z1XUVFAFY Check out our shirts, mugs, bags and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop here: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/bob-brad​ Check out The Bob & Brad Crew on YouTube by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/c/thebobbradcrew Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of 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 in order to help you make the best choice for you.

How to Use the TENS Unit: If you are using an iReliev TENS unit we provide step-by-step video instruction on how to use the following types: iReliev 1313 iReliev 5050 iReliev 8080 Just go to the program section at BobandBrad.com and click on the TENS series, or click the link below. Under the series look for the videos with the 1313, 5050, or 8080 TENS units. If you are using a TENS unit from another manufacturer you will need to follow the instructions provided with the product. Where to Place the Pads: There is NOT a specific right way to position or place the pads. The best approach is to place the pads wherever they relieve pain the most. Experiment and see what will work best for you. General Guidelines for a Small Area (Shin or Lower Leg- Front): Use one channel and two pads. Place one pad (either one) directly on the pain. Place the other pad either directly above the other pad (at least a pad’s width apart) or directly below the pad (at least a pad’s width apart). Use one channel and two pads. Place one pad directly above the pain and one pad directly below the pain or place one pad on each side of the pain. General Guidelines for Pain Referred from Another Area: An example would be shin pain that is coming (referred) from the back. Using channel one, place the two pads along the nerve pathway. Reminder: do not place pads over open wounds or areas with excessive hair. Clean the area with soap and water prior to placement of the pads. Treatment recommendation: Cross-fiber massage using the massage gun For more information on the TENS programs visit: https://www.bobandbrad.com/tens-program If interested in purchasing the TENS/EMS unit by iReliev visit: https://ireliev.com/bobandbrad/?uid=15&oid=1&affid=10 *Update: Bob & Brad now have their own brand of massagers: C2 Massage Gun: https://amzn.to/36pMekg DISCLAIMER We insist that you see a physician before starting this video series. Furthermore, this video series is not designed to replace the treatment of a professional: physician, osteopath, physical therapist, orthopedic surgeon, or chiropractor. It may however serve as an adjunct. Do not go against the advice of your health care professional. When under the care of a professional make certain that they approve of all that you try. This information is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. Any information given about back-related conditions, treatments, and products is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this publication. Before starting an exercise program, consult a physician. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of 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 in order to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in March of 2021. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRN6ED-fFDs&t=19s Bob: Today we are going to answer the question, can a pinched nerve in my neck heal? We are going to get right to that, let’s start. Brad: Bob, it’s a simple answer for me and I think for you as well. I’d rather work with the pinched nerve in the neck as a therapist than in the low back because you have better results. Bob: So, the short answer is yes. Brad: Well, I guess so. Bob: If a pinched nerve is due to a bulging disc, so if there’s a pinched nerve, something is pinching it, it could be bone, it could be a disc, it could be a ligament even, or muscle. Let’s talk about the disc first. If it’s a disc putting pressure, the discs are between the bones of your neck, the vertebrae. They’re putting pressure on the nerve. The thing is with discs, especially in the neck, they tend to shrink over time. They can dehydrate and they can get reabsorbed by the body even. The body is really amazing. Brad: Right, well just from the therapeutic exercises so the mechanical forces make it better versus make it go out more. It could be just a simple posture thing that people aren’t aware of. Bob: So, what Brad’s hinting about is that we will show you exercises to try that’ll help push that material back in. Brad: Right. Bob: So, in addition to the body trying to help you out, we’re going to help you out. I just read about this other thing in the last year, Brad. In response to inflammation the body creates little Pacman-type cells. Brad: That’s not a technical term. Bob: No, lol Brad: But you can think of it that way. Bob: Yeah, and it actually eats the disc material. Isn’t that crazy? Brad: Well, I’m convinced that that’s what happened with my lower back. I used to have pain going down the back of my leg. It just took time. And again, exercises along with it consistently. Bob: Also, what we’re going to talk about is that you created an environment of healing. You weren’t putting it under stress. I’ll say it’s proper stress. Brad: Right. We’re not aggravating it everyday by poor posture or silly body mechanics or things of that nature. Bob: Let’s say you have neck pain or arm pain due to arthritis in the neck. You know, the little holes that the nerves come out. Brad: The foramen. Bob: Yep, they actually can shrink as they grow, bony overgrowths. In those cases, where there’s pressure on the nerve from bone. Like foraminal stenosis, we can’t heal it, but we can improve it. Most people do not require a surgery even though they have arthritic changes. So, the first thing we are going to recommend is you decrease the pain makers, in your life. A pain maker is anything that causes pain. Like an activity or a position. If you can decrease those pain makers, you can decrease the sensitivity of the nerves a lot of times. It’s just a positive, rolling down the hill of a ball, a snowball. It just avalanches to the point where you get less and less pain. You see you can have control. We are going to have a video on how to decrease the pain makers in your life. That’s coming up. We also have one on nerve flossing. This is a technique you can use to help decrease the stress on the nerve too. Brad: Yes, if you free it up. Get it moving. That’s a lot of this, is just getting motion back in that area but in an appropriate way so you don’t irritate it. You break it loose. That’s what therapy is all about. Bob: So, you want to look for this video and this podcast. It’s part of a series of videos on how to treat a pinched nerve or neck pain and arm pain. Go to bobandbrad.com/programs, and look for neck pain. You’ll find a whole series of videos on this. You’ll find how to perform nerve flossing, which can help your neck and arm pain. You’ll find one on pain makers. Brad: So, just scroll through the videos. Look at the titles. Pick out the ones that pertain to you. You don’t have to watch all of them. Look at them. Actually, we have a PDF printout for each video for review. Shows you the exercises on there and you don’t need to put your email in or anything. It’s all free. It’s a wonderful way to self-treat and help yourself get through the system. Bob: You know, we should be charging thousands for this. Brad: Well, maybe we will, Bob. We might change our minds. Bob: No, we’re not going to change our minds. It’s always going to be free. So, check it out and get rid of that pain today. Brad: You bet. Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/user/physicaltherapyvideo Website: https://bobandbrad.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobandBrad/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialbobandbrad/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ptfamous Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mostfamousPTs Wimkin: https://wimkin.com/BobandBrad Mewe: https://mewe.com/i/bobandbrad Minds: https://www.minds.com/bobandbrad/ Vero: vero.co/bobandbrad SteemIt: https://steemit.com/@bobandbrad Peakd: https://peakd.com/@bobandbrad For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun US: https://amzn.to/36pMekg Now available in EU: https://amzn.to/3eiruwV Now available in Canada: http://amzla.com/t4qn7uniltfb Q2 Mini Massage Gun US: https://amzn.to/3oSMBu9 Now available in UK: http://amzla.com/qe4bmn3puczb Now available in EU: https://www.amazon.de/Massagepistole-Muskelentlastung-Handmassageger%C3%83%C2%A4t-Muskelkater-Entspannen/dp/B08M8YSFC7/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=bob+and+brad&qid=1620323625&sr=8-2 Handheld Massager: https://amzn.to/2TxZBqU X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head: COMING SOON! 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Foot Massager: https://amzn.to/3pH2R2n Knee Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com Fit Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Fitness: Resistance Bands: https://amzn.to/36uqnbr​ Pull Up Bands: https://amzn.to/3qmI4Rv​ Resistance Bands for Legs and Butt: https://amzn.to/2G5mXkp​ Hanging Handles: https://amzn.to/2RXLVFF​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Wall Anchor: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Exercise Ball: https://amzn.to/3cdMMMu​ Pull-Up System: https://www.optp.com/Pull-Up-system-by-Bob-and-Brad Stretching: Booyah Stik: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Stretch Strap: https://amzn.to/3muStbi Wellness: Bob and Brad Blood Pressure Monitor: https://amzn.to/3hm721f Bob & Brad Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/2RTSLLh Check out other products Bob and Brad Love: https://www.amazon.com/shop/physicaltherapyvideo?listId=3581Z1XUVFAFY Check out our shirts, mugs, bags and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop here: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/bob-brad​ Check out The Bob & Brad Crew on YouTube by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/c/thebobbradcrew Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of 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 in order 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 2021. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIg0lN8Poxg Bob: Welcome, my friends. I’m joined by Chris, the pharmacist, who is, as I’ve said before, one of the smartest guys I know. And that’s a compliment, Chris. Chris: I appreciate that. Bob: So, today we’re going to talk about should you use St John’s wort for depression. It’s funny because you brought this up to me a while back and then I had a nurse practitioner mention to me that if you are having trouble with anxiety, you maybe want to try it. I know you were kind of against it. Chris: Yeah, you have to be careful. St John’s wort has a place in the role of treating mild to moderate depression but the problem with St John’s wort almost exclusively is just the amount of drug to drug interactions that it can cause. If somebody’s already on a medication, that would be very dangerous recommendation. Bob: So, we’re going to name some of the drugs. I looked up some and they’re not sure how it affects pregnancy. Chris: With respect to pregnancy, right now, most of the research has been done by Germany. The German monograph E is kind of the Bible for all these types of herbal remedies for any type of health condition. With pregnancy, there’s just not enough data that really supports the safe use of it. Right now, in the prescription world, really the safest choice is probably sertraline. You know, it’s interesting pharmacologically when you look at St John’s wort, it’s kind of got the best of all the prescription worlds. It’s got your monoamine oxidase inhibition, it raises serotonin, it raises norepinephrine, and it raises dopamine. When you take all those together, you think on paper at least, it would look really good. When you’re looking at something as important as being a pregnant woman, the last thing we want to do is take any chance to causing problems. Bob: The same holds true for children? I saw that they don’t have a lot of research on that either. Chris: I found a couple of studies that suggest that if they’re over the age of 12 that maybe half the adult dose, which for an adult is 300 milligrams three times a day, 900 milligram total daily dose. I would be reluctant to use it in children as well because there’s just, I don’t think enough data. Plus or minus at the end of the day though, children are pretty much small adults as they start to age but there’s a point where with growth spurts in adolescents, there’s a lot of brain chemistry that’s changing. Even in the prescription world, it’s becoming used more now with the pharmaceuticals. Some kids with depression issues, anxiety issues, that they will use a prescription, but this is more of an unknown. I would be really reluctant just because of all the drug-drug interactions which we’ll certainly touch on. Bob: You were saying in Germany, it’s actually a prescription drug. Chris: In Germany, it’s specifically a prescription. Bob: And used quite a lot. Chris: Probably even more so than even some of the prescriptions. Bob: It’s funny, I was looking at studies and a lot of German studies were positive towards it. Chris: They are positive in certain circumstances, and I think when you take the Americanized studies, which are based off of all the German studies. They show that at least compared to and they use placebo, and they use actually head-to-head, pretty much what we would call moderate or low doses of the other, what they call second generation antidepressants. That’s pretty much anything that was invented after the 80s, so, it’s kind of everything that we use today. So, you know, it stands up. If you’re going to take St John’s wort as a single agent, with nothing else in your system, for mild or moderate depression, I would say it’s okay to try as long as your doctor is on board. And then, you really have to touch on with the doctor. You cannot use over the count cough and cold preparations that contain pseudoephedrine. You have to stay away from cured meats, aged cheeses, red wine, beers. Bob: Wow, so it’s not just other meds. Chris: No, it’s everything. That’s why I have a hard time supporting it. Bob: I haven’t seen that list. It’s intimidating. Obviously, if you’re going to go on anti-depressants, you shouldn’t be doing that. But I saw birth control pills. Chris: Birth control pills, blood thinners or HIV medication. Bob: Cyclosporine. Chris: Cyclosporine which would be used for organ transplant. Bob: Oxycodone. Digoxin. Chris: Digoxin for your heart and other heart medications. Bob: Some HIV drugs. Chris: Correct. Bob: Some cancer medications. Chris: Absolutely. So, you know, that’s the thing that makes it so intimating. It metabolized in our livers, so, cytochrome P450 system, and what it does is it can actually influence either making some drugs go higher in your system or go lower in your system. And that’s why the danger exists. To the average person, unless you ask your pharmacist or if you consult your physician or practitioner, a lot of times and even then, look at the example with the practitioner you came up with where: a nurse practitioner said, “Well, why don’t you use this?” “Well, I’m already on something.” And that, you now, when you take it with other antidepressants, increase risk for seizures, serotonin syndrome. Bob: That’s what I read. It increases your body’s serotonin levels to possibly a dangerous life-threatening level. Chris: Correct. I mean, it’s a rare interaction to begin with but to me I am conservative by my nature and my recommendations. The only thing I care about is patient safety and good results. So, actually two things, but the reality of it is that we want to make sure that if you’re going to choose to do something like this that you are acutely aware that St John’s wort should be used with absolutely nothing else. Bob: The other thing is that we don’t want to encourage you to try to treat depression on your own. And St Johns wort could possibly do that. Chris: Well, it’s available on any drug counter or the internet. Go onto Amazon and there’s 100 different versions of it. The biggest thing is, you want to see your doctor first because let’s rule out maybe there’s something else that’s the cause of the issue. If you want to have the discussion with your doctor "well I really like to try something more natural," I will tell you that St Johns wort does tend to have less side effects than the prescriptions. That is an attractive advantage. Again, I think that’s why in Germany it’s used so frequently is because when it’s used in itself as a singular agent with no other prescription medications or over the counters, you can have a relatively comfortable existence with it. Bob: When you started mentioning those foods and you also mentioned alcohol as far as there’s three that you could. Chris: Yeah. Oddly enough bourbon, you can use vodka and you can have rum. Bob: So, I could get by. Chris: LOL. Nonetheless, not that we’re going to encourage you because alcohol is a depressant, but I mean those are the three. You can’t have dark beers; you can’t have red wines. Bob: How about white wines? Chris: There’s actually some white wines that you could like a Chardonnay. You really have to be very careful. To me, the reason I give the thumbs down on it in many cases is because most of us, inadvertently, you’ll be taking the medication, let’s say things are going well 12-15 weeks down the road and your kind of post COVID, maybe everybody gets their vaccine and you’re out and about, maybe at a restaurant. What if you had some sort of fancy protein-based meal and you wanted to have a glass of wine and all of a sudden you chose the wrong one. Now you’re creating a tyramine reaction which can be pretty severe. So, we have to be super careful with its usage. That’s why it’s easy to just slip up once but it only takes one to create a real problem. All of a sudden what turns into a pleasant night ends up in an ER. Bob: I did see some studies that showed it was not as effective, which there almost always are. They were saying it was not even as good as a placebo in one study. Chris: Some of the older studies have said that it really doesn’t. Some of the more modern ones do. When we are researching these types of things and when doctors and practitioner groups and university settings are doing solid research on medications, they’re looking at the old studies and saying, “well, what if we approach this angle?” That’s the unique thing about this field in healthcare in general is that we’re always looking to find ways to improve. Maybe we didn’t look at the study appropriately the last time, end points and things that they look at for specific markers. Bob: It’s very rare to find that they give thumbs up to a drug consistently in studies. Chris: Oh yes, and again, with St Johns wort, realistically, it has a place as long as it’s a singular agent, you’re on nothing else. I can’t stress that enough. Bob: And that’s rare. Chris: You want your doctor involved because there’s other things that we have to rule out and I would hate to go on this journey and then haphazardly be taking something. Or let’s say you were taking a thyroid medication and maybe all you had to do is have the dose adjusted. Also, now we take the St John’s wort and now we’ve really negatively inhibited your thyroid production. Bob: And warfarin. Very common. A lot of people are on warfarin. Chris: Yes, lots of people. We’re going away from it because we have some of the better newer anticoagulants. Warfarin still has a strong place in medicine and we’re going to use it for years and years to come. Again, that’d be something that all of a sudden, maybe you’re a little low and you’re not really thinking about it. You’re like, yeah, I’ve been on warfarin for five years because I’ve got an issue with the heart and I’m feeling a little low, it’s COVID, I’m isolate, you know, St John’s wort, I read on the internet says it’s good for depression. Well, now you’ve created the bleed risk. Now could you have had a life-threatening bleed? It’s scary. So that’s the concern I have. Bob: So, we want you to go into this drug with eyes wide open. I think Chris has covered it very well as far as what the downsides are possibly. So, please proceed in that fashion. Chris: Absolutely. Bob: Thanks for watching. Patient Resources: National Alliance on Mental Illness www.nami.org 1-800-950-NAMI Anxiety and Depression Association of America www.adaa.org National Institute of Mental Health www.ninh.nih.gov Help Finding a Therapist 1-800-THERAPIST National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK American Psychological Association Crisis Text Line Text HOME to 741741 Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/physicaltherapyvideo Website: https://bobandbrad.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobandBrad/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialbobandbrad/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ptfamous Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mostfamousPTs Wimkin: https://wimkin.com/BobandBrad Mewe: https://mewe.com/i/bobandbrad Minds: https://www.minds.com/bobandbrad/ Vero: vero.co/bobandbrad SteemIt: https://steemit.com/@bobandbrad Peakd: https://peakd.com/@bobandbrad For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun US: https://amzn.to/36pMekg Now available in EU: https://amzn.to/3eiruwV Now available in Canada: http://amzla.com/t4qn7uniltfb Q2 Mini Massage Gun US: https://amzn.to/3oSMBu9 Now available in UK: http://amzla.com/qe4bmn3puczb Now available in EU: https://www.amazon.de/Massagepistole-Muskelentlastung-Handmassageger%C3%83%C2%A4t-Muskelkater-Entspannen/dp/B08M8YSFC7/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=bob+and+brad&qid=1620323625&sr=8-2 Handheld Massager: https://amzn.to/2TxZBqU X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head: COMING SOON! 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Foot Massager: https://amzn.to/3pH2R2n Knee Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com Fit Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Fitness: Resistance Bands: https://amzn.to/36uqnbr​ Pull Up Bands: https://amzn.to/3qmI4Rv​ Resistance Bands for Legs and Butt: https://amzn.to/2G5mXkp​ Hanging Handles: https://amzn.to/2RXLVFF​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Wall Anchor: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Exercise Ball: https://amzn.to/3cdMMMu​ Pull-Up System: https://www.optp.com/Pull-Up-system-by-Bob-and-Brad Stretching: Booyah Stik: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Stretch Strap: https://amzn.to/3muStbi Wellness: Bob and Brad Blood Pressure Monitor: https://amzn.to/3hm721f Bob & Brad Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/2RTSLLh Check out other products Bob and Brad Love: https://www.amazon.com/shop/physicaltherapyvideo?listId=3581Z1XUVFAFY Check out our shirts, mugs, bags and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop here: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/bob-brad​ Check out The Bob & Brad Crew on YouTube by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/c/thebobbradcrew Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of 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 in order to help you make the best choice for you.

How to Use the TENS Unit: If you are using an iReliev TENS unit we provide step-by-step video instruction on how to use the following types: iReliev 1313 iReliev 5050 iReliev 8080 Just go to the program section at BobandBrad.com and click on the TENS series, or click the link below. Under the series look for the videos with the 1313, 5050, or 8080 TENS units. If you are using a TENS unit from another manufacturer you will need to follow the instructions provided with the product. Where to Place the Pads: There is NOT a specific right way to position or place the pads. The best approach is to place the pads wherever they relieve pain the most. Experiment and see what will work best for you. General Guidelines for a Small Area Hamstring: Use one channel and two pads. Place one pad (either one) directly on the pain. Place the other pad either directly above the other pad (at least a pad’s width apart) or directly below the pad (at least a pad’s width apart). Use one channel and two pads. Place one pad directly above the pain and one pad directly below the pain or place one pad on each side of the pain. General Guidelines for a Large Area of Pain: In our examples, channel one has yellow pads and channel two has green pads. Option one: one pad from channel one placed above the area of pain and one pad placed below the area. One pad from channel two placed in front of the area of pain and another pad from channel two placed behind the area of pain. This arrangement forms a cross pattern. Option two: one pad from channel one in the upper right corner of the area of pain and one pad from channel one in lower left corner of the area of pain. One pad from channel two in upper left corner of the pain and one pad in lower right corner of the pain. This arrangement forms an X pattern. General Guidelines for Pain Referred from Another Area: An example would be hamstring pain that is coming (referred) from the back. Using channel one, place the two pads along the nerve pathway. Reminder: don’t place pads over open wounds or areas with excessive hair. Clean the area with soap and water prior to placement of the pads. Hamstring Treatment: Cross-fiber massage using the massage gun. For more information on the TENS programs visit: https://www.bobandbrad.com/tens-program If interested in purchasing the TENS/EMS unit by iReliev visit: https://ireliev.com/bobandbrad/?uid=15&oid=1&affid=10 *Update: Bob & Brad now have their own brand of massagers: C2 Massage Gun: https://amzn.to/36pMekg DISCLAIMER We insist that you see a physician before starting this video series. Furthermore, this video series is not designed to replace the treatment of a professional: physician, osteopath, physical therapist, orthopedic surgeon, or chiropractor. It may however serve as an adjunct. Do not go against the advice of your health care professional. When under the care of a professional make certain that they approve of all that you try. This information is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. Any information given about back-related conditions, treatments, and products is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this publication. Before starting an exercise program, consult a physician. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of 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 in order to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in March of 2021 . For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zph3zpPMyXU&t=18s Bob: We are going to show you how to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer with no medication. Brad: That’s right, Bob. Bob: Big promise. Let’s see if you can stick with it. Brad: Bob, Bob, we have some wonderful information. As usual, in the wintertime is my time to get the book out about diets. I wanted to do that, a new book, and I found one by Shawn Stevenson. It’s called “Eat Smarter.” He’s very smart. I like him because he does a lot of research with his information, but he throws in more personality than a lot of the books I’ve read. He’s actually got a sense of humor. Bob: Wow, he’s the author of “Sleep Smarter” too. Brad: Right. Yeah, I’m reading that right now. Bob: Oh cool. Brad: So, this book had a section on sleeping and he brought up theses five different options to help you sleep throughout the night. Fall asleep without medication. I really liked it. I tried a couple of them. One last night actually. I slept all night long. I did have to get up to use the restroom and I hardly remember it. But I know I did. I went right back to sleep, and I woke up this morning and I felt like, “I’m ready to go.” Bob: Strong like bull. Brad: Yeah, then I went swimming and came here and then I had to meet Bob. Things went downhill from there. Bob: Yeah, that’s right. Brad: Just kidding. Anyways, so we’re talking about what we’re going to drink. With the mattress, I do want to mention it, and he talks about this, if you’re too warm, you’re definitely going to have problems. Bob: Big problems. There’s no doubt. We were just talking about some people who were going through hot flashes right now. Of course, you can’t sleep through those. Brad: With your wife? Bob: Yeah. Brad: Good luck with that. I remember that. That went a few years ago for me with my wife. She’s fine now. So, you’ll be good. Anyways, temperatures between 60 and 68 is what he recommends. Is that consistent with what you’ve read? Bob: Yeah. Brad: So that’s room temperature. Bob: Like 65. But I mean, it varies from study to study. Brad: Some mattresses actually hold heat in. That’s the goal with the Sleepovation mattress and the 700 tiny mattresses, it's good for the air flow. Bob: And the type of foam they have isn’t as warm. Brad: So, if you’re mattress shopping, consider that. Make sure that aspect is covered. So, we’re talking about the rest of the things is actually, most of them are teas but things you can eat or drink prior to going to bed or in your diet. Bob: Food is medicine. Brad: Actually, what your food eats, you’re eating. You know how that works? Bob: Right. If your cow eats chemicals, you’re taking in chemicals. Brad: Right and so on and so forth. That’s another story. So, I believe it’s pronounced Reishi and it’s a mushroom actually. Bob: Is it really? Brad: Yeah, but they make tea out of it and that’s the form. You can get it in other forms too. All of these you can get, I’m just doing them in tea, but you can get most of the capsule or extract. Bob: Supplement. Brad: With Reishi, he’s talking about tea. It’s like I said, mushroom. It comes from a long history in China. Over 2000 years ago. So, it’s been around for a long time as a relaxing thing. Helps you sleep. I had a hard time finding that. I had to go online in order to purchase that. Which is fine. Bob: Sure. You can take it 45 minutes before bed? Brad: Yup. That’s what he recommended. About 45 minutes prior to going to bed. Obviously, you’re not going to drink a lot of it. Bob: Right, because then you’d have to get up and go to the bathroom. Brad: Right. None of these are high in caffeine. The next one is chamomile. You’ve heard of that? Bob: Yes, I’ve heard of that. Many times. Brad: I do have some. I’ve tried this. I really like the flavor of chamomile. I don’t know if I really noticed my sleep change with it. And I think everyone has different body chemistry. Some of these may be effective for you and some of them will not. Bob: So, I would try one at a time. Brad: That’s right, exactly. Bob: Do like an experiment and see what works for you. Brad: Then the valerian root. This is a root, and they take the root, and you can find it in tea. I did not find a tea that was pure valerian. It was a mixture. Bob: It was part of the ingredients. Brad: Right. But you can get it in the capsule extract. Here’s my valerian right here. Now, this is what I took. I drank last night before I went to bed. Bob: So, that’s the one you think worked? Brad: Well, yeah. I have a whole box of it. Bob: You have to try it for a while. Brad: I do. Bob: It can’t be a one-night experiment. Brad: I understand, Bob. I’m going to document my findings as well. It is a good idea. You have to give it a try. Either way, all these, not only if they don’t keep you sleeping, but they’ve also got wonderful ingredients, healthy ingredients. So, they’re not full of caffeine and just have that. Bob: Right, junk. Brad: Exactly. I would suggest get the organic version because it doesn’t cost that much more and its better quality. Then, magnesium, now this is not a tea, of course. You can get magnesium in a capsule form as a supplement, but I would suggest just put it in your diet. Leafy greens, nuts, avocado. Bob: You’ve become a big avocado fan. Brad: Oh, I love them. I just eat them. Cut them in half and I’ve got a little special tool for it, and I eat one or two a day. Bob: They’re just wonderful. Brad: Just google magnesium foods and you’re going to find a whole list of foods that are all healthy foods. Bob: That’s always the better way to do it to get it naturally from the source. Brad: I really don’t see a need unless you don’t want to eat good food. People in our channel usually do. Then the last is L-theanine. That you can find in tea. There’s also a pill supplement. He found a study that recommended 250 to 400 milligrams per day. To get what you want and what your body needs and to get the benefits of the sleep. So, here we’ve got them all. Bob: So, all of these have somewhat of a relaxing effect on you? Brad: Right. It’s anything from relaxing to help with anxiety, help with stress and of course, all those relate to your sleep. Bob: Sure, it all ties into it. All-natural ingredients are good things to try. You know, I drink a lot of water, Bob. Ever since I’ve been reading these books. Every year I read a book or two and so I drink a lot. By the end of the day, I’m sick of drinking water. I want something different. So, I’m thinking, a beer. But, you know, my wife says you’ve got to cut down on that, so I had to get something else. So, I’ve got tea. Bob: Actually, alcohol has a bad effect on you. Brad: Seriously, here. Alcohol, I was kind of joking about that. Bob: You don’t go into a deep sleep very well. Brad: Right. You get to sleep right away but you wake up about 2 in the morning and then it’s hard to get back to sleep. So, it’s not a good thing. These hopefully will not have that effect. I wish you well with your sleep. A good night’s sleep is better for your health than anything. Bob: Oh, it is. It’s key. Brad: Yeah, it’s a major key. It’s talking about mental health. How your brain resets. When you have a good night’s sleep as well as your body. Bob: It has to reorganize. Brad: Shawn talks about that a lot in his book. Bob: Was it “Sleep Better,” right? Brad: Well, this is “Eat Smarter” one. Bob: Yeah, but you said you were going to read the other one. Brad: Yeah, I am. They overlap a little bit. Bob: Sure, I bet. Brad: Anyway, good luck with all your sleep. Bob: Sleep well. Interested in learning about the products mentioned in today's video: 1) "Eat Smarter: Use the Power of Food to Reboot Your Metabolism, Upgrade Your Brain, and Transform Your Life" by Shawn Stevenson: https://amzn.to/3eHaRNu Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/user/physicaltherapyvideo Website: https://bobandbrad.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobandBrad/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialbobandbrad/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ptfamous Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mostfamousPTs Wimkin: https://wimkin.com/BobandBrad Mewe: https://mewe.com/i/bobandbrad Minds: https://www.minds.com/bobandbrad/ Vero: vero.co/bobandbrad SteemIt: https://steemit.com/@bobandbrad Peakd: https://peakd.com/@bobandbrad For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun US: https://amzn.to/36pMekg Now available in EU: https://amzn.to/3eiruwV Now available in Canada: http://amzla.com/t4qn7uniltfb Q2 Mini Massage Gun US: https://amzn.to/3oSMBu9 Now available in UK: http://amzla.com/qe4bmn3puczb Now available in EU: https://www.amazon.de/Massagepistole-Muskelentlastung-Handmassageger%C3%83%C2%A4t-Muskelkater-Entspannen/dp/B08M8YSFC7/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=bob+and+brad&qid=1620323625&sr=8-2 Handheld Massager: https://amzn.to/2TxZBqU X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head: COMING SOON! T2 Massage Gun: COMING SOON! Foot Massager: https://amzn.to/3pH2R2n Knee Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com Fit Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Fitness: Resistance Bands: https://amzn.to/36uqnbr​ Pull Up Bands: https://amzn.to/3qmI4Rv​ Resistance Bands for Legs and Butt: https://amzn.to/2G5mXkp​ Hanging Handles: https://amzn.to/2RXLVFF​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Wall Anchor: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Exercise Ball: https://amzn.to/3cdMMMu​ Pull-Up System: https://www.optp.com/Pull-Up-system-by-Bob-and-Brad Stretching: Booyah Stik: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Stretch Strap: https://amzn.to/3muStbi Wellness: Bob and Brad Blood Pressure Monitor: https://amzn.to/3hm721f Bob & Brad Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/2RTSLLh Check out other products Bob and Brad Love: https://www.amazon.com/shop/physicaltherapyvideo?listId=3581Z1XUVFAFY Check out our shirts, mugs, bags and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop here: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/bob-brad​ Check out The Bob & Brad Crew on YouTube by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/c/thebobbradcrew Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of 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 in order to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in April of 2018. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8mHxRfevY4&t=644s. Bob: Number one food that causes high blood pressure plus we're going to give you the new guidelines for blood pressure that were I think were established in 2017, Brad. Brad: Yeah, I'm really happy you brought this up because this is something I'm interested in and I think everyone is. Bob: It's a little controversial. Brad: Right, over the age of 40 you're probably thinking about this. Bob: Yeah, so we're going to present both sides. We're going to keep you hanging a little bit here Brad you know we're not going to tell you the food quite yet. We're going to first talk about why blood pressure is a problem, a third of people in the United States have high blood pressure. High blood pressure can damage your eyes. It can damage, obviously your arteries even causing strokes and heart attacks. It can thicken the heart wall because your heart is working harder and that can cause problems, and it can damage your kidneys. So you know it's not something you want to dismiss by any means. We'll talk about the guidelines and what could be a problem. Now if you want to measure your blood pressure we found an instrument here that actually works pretty good this is the blood pressure monitor by Nursal very simple to use. (Update: Bob and Brad have since come out with their own blood pressure monitor.) You want to make sure you got the right cuff size you want to make sure it's hooked up too by the way. If the cuff is too big for you or too small, it's not going to take an accurate measurement. Brad: You want me to hold onto it? Bob: Really all you need to know is that you can turn it on and you can turn it off. There's the orange button. There's other things, you can keep track of different measurements for like you and me, you know go p1 p2, but right now I'm just keeping it simple. You can go ahead and read the instructions, but all you have to do is you take the cuff here, and there's a little round indicator. That's where you're supposed to put it over the brachial artery, the brachial artery is on the inside of the arm. So if you get close to that area you're generally pretty good. Brad: Yeah you don't have to be exactly over it. Bob: I'm going to line it up here, and then when this comes around you're not supposed to go back past the line, and it tells you all this in the instructions. Brad: These are things no matter what manufacturer you get, you want to look and make sure that it's set up properly so you get an accurate reading. Bob: You want to follow all the guidelines. For one thing, you want to make sure you've been resting for like five minutes. You don't cross your ankles. Brad: You should be seated in a 90/90 position to be consistent. Bob: Yeah, make sure you just didn't recently get done with exercise or eating even if you ate recently so all those things. I'm just going to go ahead and hit the on button and it's going to take a few seconds here to inflate the cuff. Brad: Sit up nice and tall there Bob. I'm going to get picky on you. Bob: What I did with this by the way is I took my blood pressure manually so I used a stethoscope and then I took it with this, and I found this was consistently a little bit lower. Okay, but in its defense anytime I have my blood pressure taken somewhere else it's always lower than when I take it. So it may be actually fairly accurate. The other thing is I took it many times with this and it was very consistent. Brad: Right, that's a big thing. Bob: Yeah. That's the big thing. You know you can compare it to maybe what the doctor says. But this gave me the same numbers each time so my lower number's a little bit higher right now 121/82. Normally, I am lower than that. I'm sure I'm a little bit nervous. Brad: Yeah well, we have millions of people watching right now. Bob: Right, millions and billions. So anyway, the easy way to do it. We'll put a link below, I like this. It's a fairly inexpensive unit. It's a good way to monitor your blood pressure. Brad: And again I used one of those once and I was consistently high for a few weeks and I went in and I found out that I was just fine. My monitor, my electric one was just reading high, but at least I knew I was fine. Bob: So it was consistently high? Brad: Right. Bob: They'll even sometimes put a monitor on you for 24 hours because there's a lot of people that get that white coat syndrome, where they go on to see the doctor and their blood pressure gets high because they're nervous. And then one doctor mentioned even that they put a monitor on this one person and like one minute after they leave the office the blood pressure goes down. Then one minute before they went in there it went up, so it's just kind of interesting. Alright, let's get to the number one food, Brad. I think most people think it's salt and salt can be a problem. I know that some people try to downplay that, but I saw it with my wife. She was taken to eating this broth that had high salt and her blood pressure just went right up with the usage of the broth. But really, what some of the studies are showing now is that actually that refined carbohydrates, sugars, especially high fructose corn syrup. Which you find in everything. I mean a lot of processed food, look into your ingredients. This is really causing a lot higher incidence of diabetes, but it's also resulting in higher blood pressure. So that's the one thing, it's really not good for you. You really want to try to avoid it as much as you can you and again you're going to find it in some cereals. Brad: Oh yeah, just look at any ingredients. You know the ingredients, I think most everyone knows is the first few ingredients that are the highest in concentration and you'll see that high fructose syrup is up in the top few ingredients in many products. Bob: Yeah it was a less expensive way to manufacture food, and so it became very prevalent. Brad: And it tastes good. You know it's sweet; people like it. Bob: It tastes good. I'm telling you if you want to make one change to your diet, that would be it. We're going to name a couple other things that might be surprising to you. Another one is you have to watch your alcohol intake. For men they recommend not any more than two drinks a day and for women not more than one. Brad: You know if you're going to have the big 44-ounce beers that wouldn't count as one. Bob: That's a good point. They have size recommendation as to what counts as one drink. So if you get the wine glass that you can put a whole bottle in there and fill it to the top, that’s not one. The other one probably is not any surprise to anybody would be smoking, it's going to definitely raise blood pressure. So let's get to the guidelines here Brad. The guidelines that came out, what they consider normal now is 120/80. If you're below that, keep up the good work you're doing a good job. I'm just going to go by what they're recommending on this and then we'll talk about some of the opposing views of it. It's considered elevated if you're in the range from 120-129/80, so this is again systolic over diastolic. The one that I tend to find changes the most depending on what kind of stress you're under is the upper number, systolic. The lower number seems to be a little more stable, have you found that to be true or not Brad? Brad: Yeah, I don't have any input on that. Bob: Okay. High, now they have it broken down in stages. High stage one is if you are in the 130-139 for a systolic and 80-89 for diastolic. High stage two is 140 or higher over 90 or higher then you can be in that stage two. If you're in the elevated, you want to keep an eye on it, you're going to start monitoring to make sure it's not getting higher. If you're high stage one, this is when you want to maybe making some lifestyle change, getting rid of that high-fructose corn syrup. Maybe exercising more, sleeping more, getting stress out of your life, or you may want to start taking medications. At 140/90 they do recommend taking medications at that point. Then, 180/20 or higher is called a hypertensive crisis. And I've had patients that have been there. Brad: Right. It's time to get that down. Bob: Consult the doctor immediately. But now, having said all this, there was a kind of a rebuke of this, it was in JAMA, and if you're in the medical field you know that's a highly respected journal, by the University of Sydney and Bond University. They're saying these guidelines could be a little bit dangerous because what they're finding is that systolic blood pressure, which is the top one, has poor reproducibility. In other words, a lot of the monitors do not monitor it correctly. So you may be getting some numbers that are not really accurate and so you're going to make recommendations based upon inaccurate numbers. The other thing they're saying is that 80% of the people, if they were diagnosed as hypertensive under these guidelines, would get no benefits from going on the medicine. They'd be better off just not going on the medicine themselves. Brad: So the medicine was not bringing the blood pressure down? Bob: It would bring it down, but they're saying they didn't have any other risk factors and so they really didn't need to be on the medicine. Brad: Okay, so with high blood pressure you look at more than just that number. The doctor should be looking at some other symptoms that the body may present with? Bob: Yeah, exactly if you've got the high blood pressure, the doctor should be looking at the other risk factors that you have to say “Hey, you know you have a high blood pressure, but everything else looks fine, so maybe we really don't need to put you on medication.” And that's why you need to have your doctor involved on this. I'm just saying don't panic if you're in these numbers, go see your doctor and discuss it with them and say “Do I really need to be on medication or are there other choices? Do I really have risk factors?” Brad: So yeah, I don't know if I should bring this up now Bob, but you know 30 to 40 years ago, I don't remember the date, but at one time 140/90 was considered normal. Bob: Yep, I remember this, I actually remember those numbers being fine. Brad: So, I don't know at that time were people dying left and right of heart attacks or having strokes? I don't know what the correlation is, but I actually had numbers around 140/90 when I was in my 20s late 20s and early 30s. I changed my lifestyle to bring them down. I didn't use any medication, I just basically did aerobic exercise, and that took care of it very nicely. Bob: We're telling you not to panic here. That was one thing that this study was worried was that people are going to get in these stages where they should be treated and they're going to get depressed. Brad: Or it can raise their anxiety level, which brings your blood pressure up even more. Bob: That's exactly what they said Brad. Brad: It compounds. Bob: So they're saying for the majority of people who are at low risk and not recommended for drug treatment about 25 million, the doctors should not label them as hypertensive because again the doctors should support healthy choices. If you label them once with that they're going to say “I’m hypertensive” and like you said, they get anxious, they get depressed, and that causes all sorts of other issues. Brad: It's just a snowball effect to make the person less healthy than they really need to be because they're not relaxed. Bob: Yeah, so I think from the doctor standpoint what they're saying is to recommend the healthy choices, watch their blood pressure and you see what happens and if it gets better on its own obviously you didn't have to worry them in the first place. Brad: Speaking about hypertensive, I just thought of something Bob, normally you're a lot taller than me, but now when I'm sitting and you're standing it’s even worse. Bob: Quite a contrast I imagine. Remember Brad and I, you know we have to say it on this one, Brad. Brad: Yeah, we can fix just about anything except for… Bob: A broken heart. And we can't fix the high blood pressure either apparently. *Updated Bob and Brad now have their own Blood Pressure Monitor: https://amzn.to/3hm721f Visit us on our other social media platforms: YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/user/physicaltherapyvideo Website: https://bobandbrad.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobandBrad/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialbobandbrad/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ptfamous Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mostfamousPTs Wimkin: https://wimkin.com/BobandBrad Mewe: https://mewe.com/i/bobandbrad Minds: https://www.minds.com/bobandbrad/ Vero: vero.co/bobandbrad Steem It: https://steemit.com/@bobandbrad Peakd: https://peakd.com/@bobandbrad For this week’s Giveaway visit: https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: C2 Massage Gun: https://amzn.to/36pMekg​ Q2 Mini Massage Gun: https://amzn.to/3oSMBu9​ Handheld Massager: https://amzn.to/2TxZBqU​ Knee Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Fit Glide: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Fitness: Resistance Bands: https://amzn.to/36uqnbr​ Pull Up Bands: https://amzn.to/3qmI4Rv​ Resistance Bands for Legs and Butt: https://amzn.to/2G5mXkp​ Hanging Handles: https://amzn.to/2RXLVFF​ Grip and Forearm Strengthener: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Wall Anchor: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Exercise Ball: https://amzn.to/3cdMMMu​ Stretching: Booyah Stik: https://store.bobandbrad.com​ Stretch Strap: https://amzn.to/3muStbi Bob & Brad Amazon Store: https://amzn.to/2RTSLLh Check out other products Bob and Brad Love: https://www.amazon.com/shop/physicaltherapyvideo?listId=3581Z1XUVFAFY Check out our shirts, mugs, bags and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop here: https://shop.spreadshirt.com/bob-brad​ Check out The Bob & Brad Crew on YouTube by clicking here: https://www.youtube.com/c/thebobbradcrew Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of 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 in order to help you make the best choice for you.

How to Use the TENS Unit: If you are using an iReliev TENS unit we provide step-by-step video instruction on how to use the following types: iReliev 1313 iReliev 5050 iReliev 8080 Just go to the program section at BobandBrad.com and click on the TENS series, or click the link below. Under the series look for the videos with the 1313, 5050, and 8080 TENS units. If you are using a TENS unit from another manufacturer you will need to follow the instructions provided with the product. Where to Place the Pads: There is NOT a specific right way to position or place the pads. The best approach is to place the pads wherever they relieve pain the most. Experiment and see what will work best for you. General Guidelines for a Small Area Quadriceps Pain (Tendonitis): Use one channel and two pads. Place one pad (either one) directly on the pain. Place the other pad either directly above the other pad (at least a pad’s width apart) or directly below the pad (at least a pad’s width apart). Use one channel and two pads. Place one pad directly above the pain and one pad directly below the pain or place one pad on each side of the pain. General Guidelines for a Large Area of Pain: In our examples channel one has yellow pads and channel two has green pads. Option one: one pad from channel one placed above the area of pain and one pad placed below the area. One pad from channel two placed in front of the area of pain and another pad from channel two placed behind the area of pain. This arrangement forms a cross pattern. Option two: one pad from channel one in the upper right corner of the area of pain and one pad from channel one in the lower left corner of the area of pain. One pad from channel two in the upper left corner of the pain and one pad in the lower right corner of the pain. This arrangement forms an X pattern. General Guidelines for Pain Referred from Another Area: An example would be quadricep pain that is coming (referred) from the back, groin, or hip. Using channel one, place the two pads along the nerve pathway or referral pathway. Reminder: do not place pads over open wounds or areas with excessive hair. Clean the area with soap and water prior to placement of the pads. Quad Treatment: (Cross-fiber massage using the massage gun) For more information on the TENS programs visit: https://www.bobandbrad.com/tens-program If interested in purchasing the TENS/EMS unit by iReliev visit: https://ireliev.com/bobandbrad/?uid=15&oid=1&affid=10 *Update: Bob & Brad now have their own brand of massagers: C2 Massage Gun: https://amzn.to/36pMekg DISCLAIMER We insist that you see a physician before starting this video series. Furthermore, this video series is not designed to replace the treatment of a professional: physician, osteopath, physical therapist, orthopedic surgeon, or chiropractor. It may however serve as an adjunct. Do not go against the advice of your health care professional. When under the care of a professional make certain that they approve of all that you try. This information is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. Any information given about back-related conditions, treatments, and products is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this publication. Before starting an exercise program, consult a physician. Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material of 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 in order to help you make the best choice for you.

Physical well-being is vital for seniors, especially since their bones get brittle as they age. Seniors suffering from mobility issues or poor balance look for ways to assist them in addressing these problems. Depending on the severity of pain or ailment, here are a few ideas to help seniors restore their physical functions: 1. Light Exercise - movement doesn't have to be strenuous. A moderate amount should be helpful, like walking at a steady pace for a certain period. 2. Mobility Devices - moving around using assistive devices such as canes or walkers can keep them safer and more independent. 3. Physical Therapy - programs are usually designed to help increase flexibility and endurance, especially when seniors are recovering from illnesses or accidents. Bob and Brad have created a series of free programs designed to treat common therapy problems at home. Click here to find out more. 4. Nursing Homes - medical professionals provide the highest level of care for older adults to improve their overall wellness and quality of life. For seniors looking to move into a nursing home, Caring.com created this online directory to navigate the nearby facilities in Minnesota. Click here to learn more. Caring.com is the leading online destination for those seeking information and support as they care for aging parents, spouses, and other loved ones. We offer free expert help to families coping with the many challenges of caring for an aging loved one. To make that journey a little easier, we provide personal, one-on-one guidance with a Family Advisor, thousands of original articles, helpful tools, comprehensive Senior Living and Senior Care directories, and the collective wisdom of an involved community. Caring.com’s carefully researched and expert-reviewed content includes advice from a team of more than 50 trusted leaders in geriatric medicine, law, finance, housing, and other key areas of healthcare and eldercare. Caring.com’s seasoned management team, editors, and technical staff have decades of experience producing award-winning health and family media. But perhaps more importantly, nearly all of us have firsthand experience as caregivers. We know the role’s practical challenges, as well as its emotional ones, and we’re dedicated to guiding a fast-growing culture of new caregivers through both. *Update: Caring.com now has a Paying for Senior Care Guide available.