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

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

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

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in May of 2024. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/snBF2XXuyLM Mike: Do you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome? Brad: Well, today, we're going to show you the three best self-tests you can do to find out if that's what you have. We'll go through it in detail. Mike: So we're going to go through three different tests for carpal tunnel syndrome you can do at home, and pick which one works for you. Some of them you may not be able to get into the position, so try one of the other tests. Brad: Now you can do all these tests by yourself, but it does help to have someone assist you. You'll see why in just a second. Mike: So the first test is called the hand elevation test. In order to do this, you need to be in a seated position, raise your arms up above your head, and you're just supposed to hold it for two minutes, palms facing away from you. What are some of the symptoms you may feel? Brad: Well, before we get to that, I do want to add, make sure you have good posture with this. Don't be slumped over. The symptoms you're going to feel are dull, aching, tingling sensations in the hand, either in the thumb, up and through the pointer finger, the middle finger, and one-half of the ring finger. That is the median nerve that is being pinched. And that will be what symptoms are reproduced. Mike: So according to studies, the hand elevation test, which we just showed, shows the best results for a positive reaction for most people. However, some people we realize have shoulder issues and can't perform this motion. So we're going to show you some other tests you can try instead. Brad: Right, and you can do this one and the other ones as well to make it a more complete test. Alright, this next test is also relatively easy to do. You only need 60 seconds and a specific posture with your hands. It's called the Phalen test. You put the back of your hands together, sitting up with good posture again, and then you try and flex the wrists or bring them up as far as you can comfortably. Brad: This is as far as I go. You can see Mike's wrists are quite a bit more flexible, and that has nothing to do with a positive test. And once you get to that point, you're going to time it for 60 seconds. Now, a positive test is if you get the same symptoms as the over-the-head test with your hands. In other words, and the thumb, pointer finger, middle finger, and half the ring finger, you feel numbness, tingling, and dull aching. If you feel that, it's a positive test. Mike: So the third test is called the Tinel Test. You need to do this in a seated position with your arm supported, like I have it here. And you're going to need to be able to extend your wrist off the edge. So you can just do this at a table. Now what you want to do is take one of your fingers. You're supposed to do this with a rubber mallet of sorts that you would have at a doctor or physical therapy clinic. It's called a reflex hammer, Mike, reflex hammer. Mike: Rubber mallet. At home, just take your finger, and you're simply going to tap in the crease of your wrist region. Oftentimes, if you start tapping and feel that tingling, numbness, and burning sensation again go into the palm side, into those thumb, pointer, middle, and part of the index finger there, that is recreating the carpal tunnel syndrome. Brad: And the timeframe is up to 60 seconds of tapping. If it's positive, you'll probably start feeling that well before that. Ah, so very good. And with all these, it's nice to test the right and the left. In other words, the positive one, and compare it to the one that doesn't have symptoms, unless you have carpal tunnel on both sides, which is possible. Mike: Now, we showed you all the tests you can do. If you want to check some stretches or exercises for carpal tunnel syndrome, watch the video " Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: How To Assess And Stop The Pain! " Brad: That's right. It's a nice video and you'll enjoy it and I have some good success with it as well. Should we continue to babble, Mike? Mike: No, I think we're good. 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Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

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

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in May of 2024. For the original video go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5qERHI9iWQ&t=310s Mike: Today we're going to discuss why the step-up is the most important exercise you aren't doing. Brad: Absolutely. And we're also going to discuss the glute maximus muscle, a muscle that contributes to more than just strengthening the hip. It contributes to the leg balance, endurance, and all the way into the trunk and the core. Alright, here is a brief summary. We're going to first educate you on how this muscle can affect you with back pain, hip, knee, and ankle pain. Very quickly, we're going to show you how to do the exercise with a step-up. For some people who are not comfortable with a step up, there are some nice options for you as well. Mike: So the glute is an important muscle to keep your femur, the long bone in your leg, in the place where it needs to be. Oftentimes, if it is weak, it can lead to internal rotation of sorts, meaning your leg goes in. Mike: If your leg starts deviating in like this with standing and walking, over time you're going to start developing hip pain first. It could possibly be knee pain. You could see my knee is caving in. And it even affects the arch in your feet. If you're in like this, your arches are going to get weaker. It can cause foot problems. Now if you look at this as well, if you get to an extremely shifted position, notice my pelvis is shifting. Mike: This is going to start causing lower back pain as well. So a good thing to do is strengthen this glute max muscle to fire properly, which can help prevent any of these issues from happening. Brad: Right, let's get to it. Mike: So according to a study, the step-up exercise is the best exercise to activate your gluteus maximus muscle. Now this study also looked at other common exercises, including hip thrusts, lunges, deadlifts, and squats. They all activate the glutes as well, but this one really isolates the glute max the best. Mike: In the study, they did forward step-ups or lateral step-ups. It didn't matter. They still activated the glutes properly. So Brad, how should they perform this exercise? Brad: Well, that's a good question, Mike. There are a couple of big common mistakes when you do step-ups. If you're using a stare or steps like this, watch what happens to the knee right here. Oftentimes people will not pay attention and inward motion, kind of a circular motion will happen with the knee. Brad: That's hard on the knee joint. It's hard on the hip. So make sure the knee stays over your toes, and you're very aware of good alignment that way. Brad: The second thing is people will go up and compensate, we call it, going forward like this, and then going up. And then you're not going to get the isolation of the glute Maximus. Brad: Good tall posture, up all the way until you get straight leg and down slow. Make sure you go down slow, up slow. Maximum strengthening will occur. Mike: You really want to focus on the front leg in the exercise. You can push off from the back leg. However, you're not going to get as much glute activation. You're focusing on the leg that is forward. Slow controlled movements are best. And in the study, they said if you need to use rails for support, you certainly can. Also two to three sets of 10 reps on each leg. Brad: That's right. Alright, now if you're uncomfortable doing steps or for some reason it's not working for you, you're a beginner, this is going to be some options to work that glute maximus. This is from Rick Olderman . He's an expert in the field, and these are some exercises he actually refined and tuned in for great gluteus maximus strength. Mike: So the first one we're going to do, you have to be able to get on your hands and knees. Brad will show a variation if you're uncomfortable in this position. So once you're on all fours, you're going to lift one leg up. You're not going to go all the way up towards the ceiling. Just kind of pick somewhere in between. Now, to activate your glute more, you can rotate your leg like this, and you're just going to do little oscillations. You're not going to pump through the full range of motion. Just pick a spot and do 30 repetitions. If you need to do 10, rest, go back up, do 10, that's perfectly fine. Once you do one side, make sure to switch again, do on the other side. Brad: Okay, let's go to the next one. Okay, I do want to clarify, when you do that on your hands and knees, you know, do it on the floor. The bed doesn't work so well. We just show it here because this is convenient. Mike: This is our bed. Brad: My wife always wants to clarify that for the audience. So that's important. Now, what you're going to do is put your hands on a countertop or a stable surface. This is if you don't want to get on your hands and knees. We do the same thing. You're slightly bent forward, straight back, head up, bend the knee at 90 degrees or close to it, and then you simply do the same motion. So you're not going through a full range, it's in the intermediate range. And do your 10 up to 30 pumps, and then turn and work the other leg. Now again, if you want to isolate the glute even more, rotate that femur so the foot goes down as I'm demonstrating, and you'll feel it more intensely on that glute max. Brad: All right, Mike, if people want to do some other information, you know, look for other fantastic videos, what are they going to do? Mike: You can check out our video " Best 5 Glute Medius Strength Exercises ." So that's a different glute muscle. Brad: There you go. Obviously it's done by one of the best fitness, healthy, fit, and pain-free video makers in the world Bob, Brad, and Mike. There you go. We're done babbling. We do have a tendency to babble on, and that's what we're doing now. So click off anytime you want. 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Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in May of 2024. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/0mlPBsf7LIc Mike: Have you ever woken up sore and achy, but you can't figure out why? Well, maybe because of your sleeping position. Brad: While there isn't one bad universal position that people can sleep in, we're going to show you and guide you toward the most comfortable position for yourself. Mike: This will pertain to back sleepers, side sleepers, and stomach sleepers. We're going to talk about all of them and how to optimize the position for you. Brad: Perfect, let's go to it. Now if you're a back sleeper, we're going to show you one common mistake people make for their head and neck, and then a way to first fix knee and back pain. Go ahead, Mike. Mike: So first, with neck pain, often people may have more than one pillow or a super thick pillow. And as you can see, my neck is very flexed. My chin is almost touching. Mike: Most people won't sleep exactly like this, but to some extent with a flexed neck. So what you can do is simply take out one pillow. Most people are fine simply sleeping with one pillow. Obviously, with side sleeping, you may need two. We'll get into that in a little bit. But what you want to do is have a nice neutral spine from your neck to your upper back and that'll alleviate any neck pain you may be having. Brad: Well put, Mike, very well put. Now let's talk about knee pain, hip pain, and low back pain. This is a trick that I personally use when I get a little sore and I've had many patients over the years feel very happy and grateful for it. Simply put one, two, usually two pillows under the knees. You need it to get a little bit higher and that flexes the knees, a little flexion in the hips, and it takes the stress off that low back. Really can make your sleeping habits go much better. Not really a habit, but you know what I mean. Mike: Your sleeping pattern position. Brad: There you go. Mike: The next position we're going to address is side sleepers. First, we're going to talk about hip, back, and knee issues you may be having in this position. So if people are lying on their side, sometimes your knees can get uncomfortable because they're knocking together. Sometimes people put a blanket in between them. But the best option is oftentimes a pillow. It can either be a small throw pillow. However, some people may need to have their whole leg at the same level to eliminate any hip pain they may be having. So in that case, you can use a large pillow, and there you go. Brad: I like the full pillow, but some may like the throw pillow, and actually they make knee pillows that you can buy and they fit really well. Mike: I actually have one. Brad: You have one? Mike: It's quite comfortable, yeah. Brad: You should have brought it in. Mike: I should have, but I forgot. Brad: That's right, let's go to the next one. Mike: Now, another benefit of this pillow being in this position is it prevents you from rolling over onto your stomach. So some people, which I have done sometimes, I did it last night and I woke up like this, and my spine was all twisted and my back hurt. Mike: So sometimes just having a pillow in that position can help. Mine actually prevents me from rolling over because there's a pillow in the way. Brad: We don't need to know about your personal problems. Let's go on to the next one. Mike: There's too many of them. Brad: All right, we want to address the neck and shoulder pain. Let's have Mike start talking. Mike: So again, with this, we want the neck in a neutral position. If I go up and down from a side profile with one pillow and my shoulder size, this is not good. I am going to get too much strain on my neck. So some solutions are to either take your one pillow, fold it up there, I'm higher up in a position, stress off my shoulder, my neck is more neutral. Or you can simply take a second pillow and place it in there. Now it doesn't really matter what brand pillow, whatever is comfortable for you, just get your neck in a nice neutral position like this. Brad: There you go. It all really depends on how broad your shoulders are as far as the pillow thickness or whatever is going to work. So Mike has got those massive shoulders. He might even need three pillows. Anyways, let's go on. All right, now we're going to address shoulder pain as a result of sleeping on your side. Let's go through it, Mike. Mike: So the optimal position would be to lay on your good shoulder if you're able to. Now sometimes if your arm is across your chest, it can cause some pain. So you can take a pillow or two to place underneath your arm here. So depending upon what's comfortable for you, you could be side or directly under your armpit. Just oftentimes getting some space in there can help alleviate that shoulder pain you're experiencing. Brad: Sometimes if you add another pillow under there, that can help. You really need a lot of pillows when it comes to this routine. Mike: Now if you are someone who has to sleep on the side of the painful shoulder for whatever reason, you can try and create a canal. You're going to need another pillow. It can be a throw pillow or a large pillow, whatever fits your fancy. So you're going to put it under your trunk, and the canal is where my shoulder is going to rest, and this can help take some pressure off of the shoulder joint. It is now going more through my ribs and upper body and my neck, taking the pressure off there. Brad: Right, this is one that Bob commonly uses. So yep, I call it the Eerie Canal. Mike: Is it eerie? Brad: Yeah. It does work well. All right, let's go to the next one. A common thing is the wrist. And this could be in any position, whether your backside or whatever. Look at his wrist, it's flexed like this to the maximum. Brad: That can be a really good way to irritate numbness in the hand, tingling, et cetera. So we need to keep the wrist in neutral. It's one of those things that we've had people actually wear comfortable wrist splints, generic ones, simple ones, just to eliminate that. Mike, what else do we have in this position? Mike: So if you're a stomach sleeper and you're having some back discomfort, what you can do is place a pillow roughly around your waistline like I have here. This can help keep the pelvis and lower back in a neutral position. Again, sometimes people get too extended and arched if there's no pillow there. This can be very uncomfortable for some people who have stenosis. Brad: Yeah. Mike: So simply putting a pillow in there really helps. Brad: That's exactly right. A couple of other things: if you are a stomach sleeper, and you probably have found this, avoid hands over your head. That stresses the shoulder joint and can actually cause numbness and tingling from the brachial plexus nerves being compressed or blood flow as well. Mike: And sometimes as well, people have their neck cranked all the way to one side. This is going to get very uncomfortable. You wake up with neck pain, if you could somehow change the degree to a point that's more optimal, it can relieve that strain. Brad: There you go. All right. Mike: So the last problematic pain area for side sleepers sometimes can be the hip. So let's say it's my left hip and I'm sleeping on it. What we can try to do is place a pillow again under your trunk. It's not going to be as high as we had for the canal in the last one, but sometimes this will help take pressure directly off of the hip. It's more on the pelvis region now taking the support. Mike: If you're in this position and you want to try this as well, you can put a pillow underneath your feet like this. This will get a different rotational component in your hip. So if you're having hip pain and sometimes even back pain, this little bit can help. Brad: Right. We even had this help reduce sciatica going down the leg just by doing this. It's one of those things you can try. If it works, you'll notice it, then keep it in. If not, let's put it off to the side. So hopefully there are a few things that you could pick up from one of those corrections that we offered. Try them out and you'll find yourself sleeping better. Now we also want to relate this to standing up posture, because that's critical as well. Mike. Mike: So if you want to check out videos on how to improve your posture, which can help you get in some of these positions a little more optimal, check out " Perfect Posture In 18 Days - 6 Minute Routine " . Brad: That's right, perfect posture in 18 days, six-minute routine. I think I made that video. So it's obviously a very good one. Mike: Obviously. Brad: I hope so. Who knows? 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Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

It is very important to get adequate sleep when trying to manage and heal your back pain. A day of pain from back pain can wear you out mentally and physically. A good night’s sleep can help you restore the energy required to battle the monster called back pain. These are suggestions to help you sleep pain-free. The key is to try the different positions and see which ones work for you. A. Sleeping on your back with a leg wedge in place. Brad, at times, will go to sleep with an ice pack inserted underneath his back with his legs up on the wedge. He will wake up a few hours later with the ice pack is no longer cold, and he will take the cushion out and turn and sleep on his side. B. Sleeping with lumbar support. We suggest first taking a rolled sheet and pinning it around your waist. The rolled sheet will provide some support for the arch of your back while sleeping on your back and on your side. If you find it comfortable you may want to purchase a night roll lumbar support by McKenzie. If you are a thinner person with minimal body curves you may not need much support. If you are larger with more cushion on your buttock, you may need a larger support. C. Sleeping on your back with one, two, or three pillows underneath your legs. D. Sleeping on your side with a pillow between your legs. You will have less rotational stress on your spine with a pillow in place. Eventually, you may want to purchase a knee pillow. A pillow between the knees may be more comfortable when sleeping on your side. (Knee Pillow) E. Some of our patients are forced to sleep in a recliner. If so, place a lumbar support or throw pillow behind your back and recline the back of the chair as far as possible while still maintaining comfort levels. F. 90/90 on a chair or stool. G. Mattress is sagging - put on the floor or put plywood between mattress and box spring. H. Sleep on the floor with a mattress topper. Check  out the full Back Pain Relief Program series of videos along with downloadable guide sheets here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/back-pain-relief-program

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in May of 2024. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/Qd6q5M0VkF0 Mike: Are you struggling with neck pain? Does it feel like getting a good night's sleep is an impossible task? Brad: Well, you're in luck because we're going to explore practical tips on how to correct it so you can sleep all night long, pain-free. Mike: So we're going to go over all three sleeping positions and show you how to optimize each to reduce your neck pain. Brad: That's right. We're going to cover back sleepers, and side sleepers, and even discuss stomach sleepers. Mike: So let's get to it. Brad: There you go. Let's start sleeping. One of the first common mistakes that people who sleep on their back have is too much neck flexion. In other words, too many pillows. You can see the way Mike is here with two pillows. His neck is actually pushed forward. Brad: Mike, can you tell me how you feel right now? Mike: This is pretty uncomfortable. I mean, I could lay here for probably 20 minutes, but as soon as I get up my neck is going to start feeling really stiff. Brad: Right. So this neck flexion actually stresses the vertebra in the back. It actually allows you not to breathe efficiently. It causes problems in more than one way. So you simply take out a pillow and don't let one fall off. And there you go. Try to keep that spine in line. And this is one of those things where a really thin pillow is good and sometimes a thinner one than you think. So pay attention to it and see how it goes. Mike, anything? Mike: The pillow thickness will differ depending on your body size. Obviously, if you're a larger person further away from the mat, you may need more pillows or thicker ones, but you want to have a nice leveled neck like I have, not be flexed over like this. Brad: There you go. Let's go to number two. Alright, now we're going to address two common problems with side sleeping. Number one in contrast to sleeping on your back is typically a thin pillow or one pillow is often not enough because it takes the neck out of neutral position and actually puts it downward, which puts stress on the neck. And the next one is this shoulder. Sleeping on that shoulder joint can cause pain and really irritate things over time. Brad: So, Mike, do you want to go through how to correct these? Mike: Yes. So for the first one, if your neck is curved down, your spine is down in lateral reflection we call this, we want to probably add another pillow in. The thickness will dictate depending upon your shoulder size and anatomy. If you're a bigger person with broader shoulders, you may need two thicker pillows. Some people use a normal pillow, throw pillow, or whatever works for them. But oftentimes, for instance, I sleep on my side a lot, I use two pillows. If I happen to be on my back, I normally just throw one up on my headboard, and then when I go to my side, I'll bring it down. This eases any pressure that you're having on your neck keeping in a nice straight line. Brad: Wait, I want to tell them what I do. Mike: What do you do? Brad: Okay, when I turn to my side, I simply fold my pillow in half. And then when I go to my back, I fold it flat. That way, you only need one pillow. Save some money. Mike: We got some pillow stories here. Anyway, now if you want to create a canal, you will probably need a third pillow. Brad: What's a canal? Mike: This is a canal right here. Mike: It's an opening. Typically, they're waterways, but here, they're not. So what we're going to do is lay down here. This is roughly around my rib cage just below my shoulder joint. This will take some pressure off of my shoulder as well as the two pillows here. So this can ease neck pain you're having or shoulder pain. Brad: That's right. Now, there's another option for reducing shoulder pain if you do not want to try the canal theory. And that is simply to let the shoulder rotate. And it does change your body position a little bit. Brad: Some people are comfortable with this. It eliminates shoulder pain. Others will want to try using the pillows and get that canal gap in there for relief. Alright. Now, stomach sleepers or sleeping prone on your stomach like Mike is demonstrating right now. In general, we like to encourage people not to sleep on their stomachs. The reason why is it puts your head at a 90-degree turn rotation, which puts it at end-range, and staying there for a period of time can cause problems, pain, headaches, et cetera. Brad: But if you're one of those people that really like to sleep on your stomach, the one thing you'll want to not do is we're looking at here two pillows. That's definitely a no-no, it puts your head not only rotated but extended all at the same time. Putting your arms above your head like this. Another no-no because that actually can impede or cause problems with circulation. When I sleep like that, my arms literally go numb because it hits my brachial plexus on both sides. And then I have, I literally can't even move my hands. It's rather interesting. Mike, you want to talk a little more about it because you're feeling it right now. Mike: So if you are a stomach sleeper, which sometimes I end up in this position, a good trick to do is take more pillows. So you're going to take a pillow or two pillows, depending upon your body size and you're actually going to lay on them on your pelvis. So typically, your belt line region will cover it. That way, when I'm down, I might even need another pillow for my head. But now, even though my arms are above my head, I'm not really at end-range extended flex like this. I'm much more comfortable this way. Brad: And I did forget to mention the low-back strain when you're without the pillows, particularly if you have some stenosis, like most people do as you get older, that can cause low back pain after lying there for a period of time. Pillows under there really quickly eliminate that stress there. Mike, don't you have a trick? Because you say you do sleep on your stomach, but what do you do to help? There you go. Mike: Sometimes, I lift one of my legs up depending upon, typically my face and my leg on the same side are going in the same direction. Brad: And with the pillows under your stomach? Mike: Usually, I just have one if I need it. Oftentimes, I end up on my stomach subconsciously. So I wake up and my back is stiff. Brad: So you're feeling it and your body's telling you, stop this. Mike: Yeah. So it's not an optimal position. However, some people end up this way. Like me. Brad: Wonderful. Alright. The nice thing about all these solutions is they're easy and all you need is a few more pillows. If you're short, you know, go to the kids or the the neighbor's house, get a few pillows and your problem is solved. Or just change position. Mike, we have more information. Mike: Yes. If you want to check out more videos on neck pain, try " Most Important Exercises to Help Pinched Nerve & Neck Pain! FAST-RELIEF. (Updated) ." This one talks more about a pinched nerve and gives you actual exercises and stretches. You can try if you're still having some issues. Brad: Right? That pinched nerve, if you're having symptoms oftentimes it goes into the shoulder and down the arm to the hand. It's a great video for those symptoms. For this week’s Giveaway visit :  https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: A2 Pro Massage Gun Air 2 Mini Massage Gun Back Massager C2 Massage Gun (US) C2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Therapy C2 Plus Massage Gun with Heat C2 Max Massage Gun with Metal Head D2 Mini Massage Gun D5 Pro Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun D6 Plus Massage Gun with Heated Head D6 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head Eye Massager  EyeOasis 2 Plus Eye Massager with Remote Eye Massager with Heating and Cooling EZBack Massager   EZBack Massager With Remote Fit Glide Foot Massager Hand Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream   Knee Glide   Leg Massager Lite Foot Massager Posture Pad Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Q2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head Q2 Plus Mini Massage Gun  Q2 Max Massage Gun with Metal Head sWAVE Massage Gun with Belt T2 Massage Gun  T2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head T2 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head TheraPanel 4 -Headed Massage Gun Uni Massage Gun Weighted Heating Pad for Back Weighted Heating Pad For Neck and Shoulders Weighted Heating Pad-Long X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head X6 Pro Max Massage with Heat-Cold and Metal Head Fitness: Grip and Forearm Strengthener   Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit   Pull Up System Resistance Bands​   Stress Balls   Wall Anchor​ Stretching: Booyah Stik   Stretch Strap Bob & Brad Amazon Store   and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop ​ Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website 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 2024. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/15zzgYs_fow Brad: We're going to talk about blood flow in the legs today, particularly for those people who sit for long periods, whether it's because of work demands or other issues in your life that prevent you from getting up, walking, and getting the circulation going. Mike, what do you have to say? Mike: We're going to show you the seven best exercises to increase leg circulation to keep you healthy, fit, and pain-free. Brad: I'm sure one or two of them will work well for you. So let's look at some typical symptoms of poor leg circulation while you're sitting. We're looking at numbness and tingling. Sometimes people have dull achy legs or even feel fatigued in general like they want to fall asleep while they're working. Mike: Now these symptoms can be amplified if you have conditions like diabetes, lymphedema, or if you've had a leg injury in the past. Brad: Now, first, we're going to cover some no-cost options, and things you can do without purchasing anything, and we're going to show some nice products and options that may help you more than you think. Okay, first, we're going to cover the no-cost or very low-cost options while sitting in the chair. Now, you want to do these about every two hours and typically 10 repetitions each. Okay, let's go to the first one, Mike. Mike: So we're going to work distal, meaning further away, to proximal, meaning our trunk when it comes to our legs. So the first one we're going to do ankle pumps, going up and down in the seated position. Obviously, I'm taller than Brad, but you can just do 20 repetitions. Brad: Now, if you want to get a little more stretch on the hamstrings, do them with your legs out, and you'll feel that stretch on the calf and the hamstrings. You're getting two for the price of one if you will. Let's go to number two. Mike: Number two, we're going to actually work the bottom of your feet. You simply need a ball of sorts, like a lacrosse ball, or a tennis ball. You can use a golf ball if you have one, or a massage ball works as well. Just simply place them on the ground, and you just roll the bottom of your foot on it, and really dig in there and get in those arches. Brad: Yeah, getting those little muscles on the bottom of the feet helps relax them. It really feels good, and it gets a little circulation going in the bottom of the feet where it is oftentimes stagnant from being stuck in those shoes and compacted in there. And these balls, typically, you can find very cheaply at a dollar store or whatever. Just take them from the kids or the grandkids. Mike: You can just roll it for a minute on each leg. Brad: That's right. Next, we're going to go to the ankles and actually work with the hips as well. I call them windshield wipers. First of all, you're going to keep your legs steady and just think about moving your ankles only back and forth, just like windshield wipers. I always refer to this when I work with patients, and they can relate to it. Or keep the ankles stiff and get all the motion from the hips. So it's a nice option, very easy to do, and it does feel good, gets things moving, circulation going. Let's go to the next one. Mike: Number four, we're going to work the quads or thighs a little bit more. So you're going to sit in the upright position and simply kick out straight. Try to get your knee fully straight if you're able to. And notice at the top we're pausing for a second or two before going back down. This is just going to get the pump going in your quads and help push that fluid or swelling you may be having back up into your trunk. Brad: Right, and I emphasize don't do the fast ones. It's really critical. Do it slow with meaningful contractions on those quads. You'll feel it. All right, next one. Okay, this next one we're doing a little combination. You'll see how it works. Sit up, good posture, and simply march and bring those knees up as high as you feel comfortable. Higher is going to get you a little more exercise, and a little more blood flow. Brad: After you do 10 of those, simply feet on the floor, knees apart, and then all the way together until they touch. And just work that. That's going to work into those hip muscles and get things moving in that direction. It's a nice, simple exercise, that wakes you up as well. Brad: All right, so an option that you can purchase is something simple that works under the desk, now they make a lot of different styles of ellipticals, and manufacturers, but they do work well. They get things moving, the ankles, the hips. Brad: Now there are a couple of problems with these, and number one is if your desk or your legs are too tall, they actually can hit the top of your desk. The second thing is they're typically quite heavy, and to pick them up and move them isn't that easy. So now here's another option for under-the-desk mode, which is simply, what we call the FitGlide . It works very well, and it does not have a problem with your knees bumping into the table. It's flat. It does have a couple of options. You can simply lift up and put an incline on it. It works the quadriceps more. If you simply put it around, this will increase the intensity on the hamstrings more than you would think. And the other really nice thing about it is it's very light. You can pick it up with one finger and put it off to the side, getting it out of the way. It does happen to be made by Bob and Brad. Mike: Now, another option that can work is simply a stationary bike of sorts. It doesn't matter the style you have, if it's at a gym, or you have one at your house. This one you can use at a workstation. That's why it doesn't have a front component to it. If you happen to have a desk that can raise up and down, that's the purpose of this bike specifically. But it just gets the movement going, circulation in your legs, pumping like all the other options we showed earlier. Brad: That's right. Actually, I'm surprised the cost of this one is not near what I thought it was. I think it's somewhere between $200 and $300. You'd have to look it up online, but it is a really nice option to keep that blood circulation if it works for you. So we gave some good options. Hopefully, you'll find one or two of them that'll help you out. I have a feeling you will. Mike, what else do we have? Mike: If you want to check out another video watch " Instantly Improve Leg Circulation & Blood Flow While Standing ." This one is more for a standing-position exercise, so if you're sick of doing the seated ones, you can try that. Brad: There you go. For this week’s Giveaway visit :  https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: A2 Pro Massage Gun Air 2 Mini Massage Gun Back Massager C2 Massage Gun (US) C2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Therapy C2 Plus Massage Gun with Heat C2 Max Massage Gun with Metal Head D2 Mini Massage Gun D5 Pro Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun D6 Plus Massage Gun with Heated Head D6 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head Eye Massager  EyeOasis 2 Plus Eye Massager with Remote Eye Massager with Heating and Cooling EZBack Massager   EZBack Massager With Remote Fit Glide Foot Massager Hand Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream   Knee Glide   Lite Foot Massager Posture Pad Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Q2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head Q2 Plus Mini Massage Gun  Q2 Max Massage Gun with Metal Head sWAVE Massage Gun with Belt T2 Massage Gun  T2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head T2 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head TheraPanel 4 -Headed Massage Gun Uni Massage Gun Weighted Heating Pad for Back Weighted Heating Pad For Neck and Shoulders Weighted Heating Pad-Long X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head X6 Pro Max Massage with Heat-Cold and Metal Head Fitness: Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit   Pull Up System Resistance Bands​   Stress Balls   Wall Anchor​ Stretching: Booyah Stik   Stretch Strap Bob & Brad Amazon Store   and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop ​ Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website are for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Affiliate Disclaimer: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. However, this does not impact our reviews and comparisons. We are highly selective in our products and try our best to keep things fair and balanced to help you make the best choice for you.

Tools in Bob and Brad's Toolbox The “tools” we are referring to are exercises, stretches, positions, and educational tips that should help you in your quest to fix your back pain. Use the tools that you feel are helpful and disregard the rest. How do you know if your back pain is getting better? An important point to underscore is generally the more your back is irritated, the further down the leg the symptoms of pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, and/or burning occur. The reverse is also true, as the nerve becomes less irritated the symptoms generally improve in an ascending fashion. That is less pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, and/or burning in the foot or lower leg. This can help you gauge whether your self-treatment is helping. Is a tool helpful? Three scenarios: 1. You try a tool in the Bob and Brad toolbox and your back starts feeling immediate pain. STOP using the tool! Period. A slight bit of discomfort at the beginning of a stretch or exercise is acceptable, but outright pain is not. 2. You try a tool in the Bob and Brad toolbox and your back feels fine while performing the stretch or exercise, but overall, the pain is worse immediately after. In that case, cease performing the exercise. However, if the pain is only worse the next day you cannot assume it is from the exercise. You might try it again and see if there is a correlation. 3. You try a tool in the Bob and Brad toolbox and your back feels better while performing the exercise (hurts so good), and it remains better after the exercise. You can continue with the tool. You try a tool in the Bob and Brad toolbox and your back feels better only after performing the exercise. You can continue with the tool. Check  out the full Back Pain Relief Program series of videos along with downloadable guide sheets here: https://www.bobandbrad.com/health-programs/back-pain-relief-program

This article is a transcribed edited summary of a video Bob and Brad recorded in May of 2024. For the original video go to https://youtu.be/G_NHEzh7Puw Brad: All right, so many of our fans and viewers have been commenting and asking how Bob has been doing. So we're going to take this video to explain it and give you an update. Mike: So Bob was diagnosed with cerebellar ataxia , which affected his speech, coordination, and balance, as well as some of his upper extremity coordination. Brad: All right, so Bob's symptoms are he has difficulty with his speech, he is currently walking with a wheeled walker, and he no longer drives. Mike: However, he does walk a mile twice a day with a walker that Brad customized for him. Brad: So what Bob bought is a four-wheeled walker. It has casters that swivel on the front, as almost all of them do, but that was actually causing a problem for his stability. So what I needed to do was create a locking system so the casters could no longer swivel. You'll see in the photograph how I made them, quite simple actually, there are washers with a piece of strapped steel on both sides. Very basic and elementary as far as fabrication, but it works very well. Mike: So another thing Bob has been trying lately is called low-level laser therapy , LLLT for short. Also, it is known as cold laser therapy. So Bob was reached out to by a fan for its effectiveness, so Bob decided to give it a try. He reached out to the company and they sent him one for free to test out. Brad: That's right. The fan actually was using it out himself with good success. We have a number of people who help us, give us options, and want to give us their advice or input. Mike: So some of you may be wondering what low-level laser therapy actually is. It's been around for years in treatment with physical therapy and other health practitioners. But Brad will give a brief explanation of what it does. Brad: Right, so it's a non-invasive pain-free treatment utilizing a specific wavelength of light to stimulate cellular activity and promote a natural healing process. In other words, the cold laser goes directly on the skin and it goes in deeply into the skin to help cellular healing at the neuro level. Mike: So the low-level laser therapy beams can also affect the tissue in the area, enhancing cellular metabolism, reducing inflammation, and accelerating tissue repair. It is commonly used for pain management of sorts, and also if someone has an open wound, sometimes it can help it heal up faster. Brad: Yeah, now we're really getting them confused. One way or another, we're going to show you some examples of how Bob's been using it and some results of its effectiveness. Mike: So for 45 days, Bob decided to try out this treatment of low-level laser therapy. Now he put it on different parts of his head, targeting different areas of his brain. While he did that, he was also doing some exercises of various types, meaning some he was moving and some he was just doing isometric holds. He also did some on his voice because that is an issue for him. So he put it near his throat while saying the alphabet or phrasing different words. Bob: A, B, C, D, E, F, G. Brad: Now this protocol has specific lengths of time for each one. We're not going to get into the details of that, but the video does a good job of giving you an idea of how he was treating himself. Mike: So after 40 days, Bob didn't really notice a difference in anything, whether walking or exercise strength, so he decided to stop for five days, but then something happened. Brad: Well, it's very interesting because he continued to do his morning walks with his walker and after he stopped, his wife noticed a distinct difference in the quality of his walking, his balance, as well as his gait. So what he did, was he started doing the treatment again, and lo and behold, some improvement and he got back to where he was. So it's one of those things that showed gradual improvement over 40 days. He didn't notice it, but when he stopped it, things started deteriorating quickly. Mike: Bob also said that the laser is actually helping with his upper extremity coordination as well, and his walking is actually improving. He's getting a little bit faster and walking further. Brad: That sounds like a good plan. Mike: So if you'd like to check out this low-level laser therapy device, you can visit erchonia.com , and you can contact them for specific protocols that may work for you and the conditions you have. Brad: That's right. So we'll continue on, Bob's going to continue working hard and we'll keep up with you and let you know future progress. Anything else, Mike? Mike: If you missed the videos of Bob explaining more concisely what was going on with him, you can check out our Ataxia page . Brad: There you go. For this week’s Giveaway visit :  https://bobandbrad.com/giveaways Bob and Brad’s Products Pain Management: A2 Pro Massage Gun Air 2 Mini Massage Gun Back Massager C2 Massage Gun (US) C2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Therapy C2 Plus Massage Gun with Heat C2 Max Massage Gun with Metal Head D2 Mini Massage Gun D5 Pro Massage Gun D6 Pro Massage Gun D6 Plus Massage Gun with Heated Head D6 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head Eye Massager  EyeOasis 2 Plus Eye Massager with Remote Eye Massager with Heating and Cooling EZBack Massager   EZBack Massager With Remote Fit Glide Foot Massager Hand Massager Holy Cowabunga Cream   Knee Glide   Lite Foot Massager Posture Pad Q2 Mini Massage Gun (US) Q2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head Q2 Plus Mini Massage Gun  Q2 Max Massage Gun with Metal Head sWAVE Massage Gun with Belt T2 Massage Gun  T2 Pro Massage Gun with Heat and Cold Head T2 Pro Max Massage Gun with Metal Head TheraPanel 4 -Headed Massage Gun Uni Massage Gun Weighted Heating Pad for Back Weighted Heating Pad For Neck and Shoulders Weighted Heating Pad-Long X6 Massage Gun with Stainless Steel Head X6 Pro Max Massage with Heat-Cold and Metal Head Fitness: Hanging Handles​ Hand Grip Strengthener Kit   Pull Up System Resistance Bands​   Stress Balls   Wall Anchor​ Stretching: Booyah Stik   Stretch Strap Bob & Brad Amazon Store   and other products Bob and Brad Love Check out our shirts, mugs, bags, and more in our Bob and Brad merchandise shop ​ Medical Disclaimer All information, content, and material on this website 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.