Stoic Bodywork News Letter - December 2024:
Dear Honorable Fellows of the Human Genome,
Tis time for a tale from a worrisome period of life known as my late 20’s.
I once spent the majority of a Christmas Day lying on a hard floor trying to get my back to let me walk again. I think it believed I had usurped it’s throne and burned down the countryside. Little did it know that was the chronic acid reflux it had unwittingly misrepresented as my ability at conflagration. The throne? Well that part was probably true in some ways. I had, at times, possibly more than a few, used my face to stop objects in motion. So adept was that crown upon mine spine at stopping those objects it begot a bit of a reputation.
Once, during ye old days of tavern security, a slightly inebriated lass found her hand mildly fractured after acquainting itself with my jaw. Other objects and personas in those yesteryears also had many a tale to speak after reveling in conversation with me and that in which I inhabit. As nearly all pieces have tales to tell, I will list a few for effect; my jaw, hands, legs, shoulders and yes dear reader, my back, oh mine back all were known conversationalists to shepherding drunken disorder. So there I found myself one day, after having retired from such sullen ventures, lying upon a floor with the 33 members of the royal vertebral court all in protest.
The previously broken femur decided it needed a day off. Unfortunately on the same day the opposing ankle did too. I will admit that ankle had good reason given its multiplicity of sprains, strains and avid use to interject itself in other objects’ space. It’s sibling, the right ankle, did nary care of its own list of faults, a suffer in silence type. Like good siblings they were very different and thus I had spent the morn trying to qual the uprising being started by the Left. Alas, little did I know the Left’s rebellious rhetoric had already convinced my knees to join its cause. As a note, they’ve asked me not to speak of them, the knees that is, not exactly social, more stern and brooding if I’m being honest. Perfect pairs for bolstering an uprising. Their cause you ask? A general protest of being vertical.
Thus, my untimely run in with a haphazardly placed piece of furniture that day and the rebellion was in full swing. Bastards I say, the lot of em. Was not my intention to take away the support given to the royal court, despite my past of being a court jester to the throne. Oh well, live let floor twas that day, and many another more.
You’ll be happy to know that instead of regicide I instead decided on a great deal of policy change and we all rule more cohesively now. A minor trade dispute now and again, but peace dost reign in the kingdom… most of the time. Still a work in progress.
Happy holiday revelry to you and yours!
Now on to the newsletter…
Always remember my ad nauseum disclaimer: I am not a doctor, medical or financial professional, and none of this is medical, financial or professional advice of any kind. Also, any affiliate links below will be noted with an asterisk ‘*’. Enjoy.
News:
Stoic Sleep - I have decided to start producing this in house. A terrible decision I’m sure, but everyone has waited long enough. Should it gain popularity I’ll just ask everyone to be patient with order fulfillment, famous last words if there every were some, so why not double down. The first batch will be available for in store purchase by year end.
Price Increase Confirmation - All services will increase by $5/hr starting in January. Cash payments will not be subject to the increase.
I’m thinking of making these newsletters public with a sign up for non clients to receive them as well. Trying to gauge interest, feel free to share your thoughts on the matter.
Postural Assessments - NOW AVAILABLE FOR BOOKING!
The website will reflect this hopefully before the end of the year but in the meantime if you are interested please email schedule@stoicbodywork.com
The package is $225 and includes:
- 1 hour in person appointment with Stacey that includes assessment and exercises for correction.
- A full report written by Phil with pictures, notations and detailed findings including recommendations.
- 6 week follow up appointment (30min) with comparison photos.
- A $35 comparison report is also available at the follow up appointment if desired. This will be included FREE for anyone who books before end of 2024 (appointment can be in January but must be booked by end of December).
Current work / research:
Injury Recovery (with a focus on lower back problems as an example):
Buckle up this is a long one
I’m going to start by saying the western systems typically only treat the onset, or acute phase of injury. Physical Therapy, Chiropractic and Acupuncture are options of treatment I believe in, and each specializes in a piece of the below and in some cases for a specific area of the body. They, like me, are only a part of the complex puzzle of caring for the human system. Here is what that puzzle looks like in actually healing an injury:
Step 1 - Acute Care
Addressing pain sensations as well as severe mobility or flexibility issues. Essentially getting the area able to move again after injury.
Step 2 - Desensitization
Working through restrictions at all levels, including proprioception problems, to prepare the area of injury to recover or have therapeutic change.
Step 3 - Balancing
Correcting imbalances that are either contributing to reaggravation or were root cause issues to start. Addressing other proprioceptive issues including muscles that are not working correctly or are over active.
Step 4 - Stabilization
Going back through the desensitization processes under load and for sustained time. Also working the specific areas of imbalance that were found. This prepares everything to be strengthened.
Step 5 - Strengthening
Routine exercise and patterned action to strengthen the area of issue in 6 week intervals.
Typically what happens post injury is Step 1 and a little bit of Step 2. In most cases that is enough to get a person functional again with restrictions. In the case of lower backs it means learning how to move carefully or to avoid certain movements. Most people end up stopping there because they have ‘finished’ recovering. That is why the injury persists and doing something mundane on a random Tuesday puts you right back to where you were for a few weeks. Now you’re cussing about shoes that still don’t tie themselves or how we have self driving cars but still need to move the laundry from the washer to the dryer. Unfair, and a revolving door of injury and recovery.
This is because we rarely complete Step 2 and rush through Step 3 or completely skip ahead to Step 5 in some cases. None of that leads to lasting therapeutic change nor does it correct the underlying issues. It does let you go to work and workout with occasional discomfort, so on and so forth, rinse and repeat.
The truth is injuries take time to heal. Each of those steps could take 6-12 weeks each or more. Albeit anecdotal evidence, I have healed many of my own injuries and continue to work on some to this very day. I’d like you to ruminate on the following:
- I believe all tissue in the body has a designed method to heal itself. Just as skin nits itself back together under a scab, so too does bone with a calcium deposit, arteries with a bubble of cholesterol and plaque, and muscle with inflammation and fascial banding to name a few.
- Every 7-11 years your body completes a full cycle of apoptosis (cell death) creating all new cells in their place. You are literally brand new and as long as the programming for the cells is working correctly healthy tissue will exist. (This has to do with telomerase, RNA, DNA and a bunch of other stuff which is essentially the current research on longevity, too broad to go into here.)
- Everyone’s healing rates are different and no on has ever told you to record the time it takes you to heal a skin wound to get a base line. On average a minor cut that forms a scab will be completely healed within 14 days. That is to say that even though the wound may be scabbed over and appears ‘fine’ it really isn’t completely healed yet (I’ve healed a lot of tattoos so I know this well). Even then a scar may form and without intervention that tissue will need to wait the full apoptosis window to regenerate, and even then if the programming is scar tissue it will remain to some degree. Now keep in mind your internal tissue might take even longer than your skin.
Complex I know.
If you have a chronic injury it may be possible to correct it and get rid of it completely. Especially lower back pain or weakness where the focus often needs to shift from working on the abdominals, specifically oblique, transverse and rector abdominis. To focusing on the QLs, erectors, multifidi and the other spinal muscles. The key to recovery is doing the steps above in the correct order for the spine and back muscles. Something I’ve been working on myself.
The big takeaway is injuries take a long time to really heal and resolve. The mental part of that can actually be the hardest.
Bonus tip: Injury prevention can be achieved by doing steps 2-5 with a focus on mobility and flexibility.
All of this is a specialty of ours here at Stoic Bodywork. I work on Steps 1, 2 and a little bit of 3. Stacey then works on 3 thru 5, often finding neat ways to combine them together for maximum efficiency. If you have something you’d like to work on let us know, we are here to help.
Questions of the month:
‘How long do you spend on the news letter?’
A little too long to be honest. I blame my long winded author alter ego, who is currently trying to work on a new book and thus needs a bit of practice. Speaking of books, the next question contains a shameless plug for those who like what they read here.
‘Do you have suggestions for ‘x’ to give as a gift?’
Sure, but I assume no blame if the receiver doesn’t like it. The most asked for suggestions:
Massage Gun:
I recommend the Opove brand, they are a professional level brand for a non-professional price. Hypervolt is fine but in my personal opinion they’re over priced. Here are the things to consider:Stall speed - the amount of force you can apply before the machine stops. 50lbs is the minimum for professional use.
Amplitude - how deep the percussion will go into the body. 12mm is good or 14mm+ if you like deeper work.
Battery life - Less than 3 hours on a full charge is probably a cheap battery and you should avoid it.
Recommendations:
Grounding Mats:
You’ll have to look up what these do if you’re not familiar but they do help with inflammation in the body when used regularly.
Get a size that fits a space you will regularly be able to use. Such as at your desk or on an ottoman.
Avoid the pillow cases, they seem great until you have to wash them all the time. They are easy to damage.
It is worth investing in an outlet tester if you are going to buy a mat to make sure they will work correctly
Recommendations:
These are outlet testers, generally good to have* I have one or two lying around if you just need to borrow one.
Supplements:
This ones depends on the person too much so I can’t really make recommendations easily, sorry. If however you just need trustable brands, that I can do:
PureBulk - Get 10% Off* - This is the best supplements company in the market and where I source the ingredients for Stoic Sleep. I have been partnered with them for years now.
NOW Brand* - If you need it in a capsule they probably make it.
ZHOU Nutrition* - Not a fan of everything they produce but the Gut Guru* and Elder-mune* are my favorites.
Stocking Stuffers:
Obviously the greatest stocking stuffer of all is…
A limited number of signed copies are available for in person purchase. Email me if interested. (phil@stoicbodywork.com)
(Have a question you want answered? Send it to info@stoicbodywork.com)
Unrelated:
Stoic and Chan/Zen ponderings:
Self awareness makes you the teacher, the student, the curriculum, the classroom, and the place you go after you’re done school for the day. Ask yourself how small or big of a world is that?
Time is a measurement of a reference point. To what are you referring; the past, the present or the future?
Only one of the three in #2 actually exists and the other two are nonfictional fantasy. Hint, hint, be in the now.
Smithing of Words:
If there could be a place unto which I’d find myself a whole heart upon the morrow. Should then I not wade through the dubious recesses of mine own mind. Dark folds filled with paleness and the fog of night. Not cold, merely somber in reflection. There in those memories I might persuade myself not to find that enchanting new place. Instead, I’d wallow in the faculties of a broken home, and a melancholy built neither of hope nor despair. A life lived but never seen.
It is lucky for me then, that this new morrow, brings a sight I fear I might fail to comprehend. A mystery of the universe hidden beneath the intertwining of focusing color. A brightness that turns the pale of night to the shining essence of silver veil. A soft breeze that parts the lonely fog and carries outward like a haunting call. A warm glow that beckons I wake from a long traveled slumber. A sight of that which sees, and if I’m lucky, will incept my gaze in effort to do the same unto me. To become a silent oration of a pair of dual adjutants built of curious proclivity. Dancing in the sea of wonderment and infinite sensitivity.
There is magic in the way those prismatic annulets crest around a mirrored void—hypnotic, haunting, glowing, free. There, in that depth, are answers I’ve not begun to form questions to. If, only for a moment, I might muse those hidden universal truths. I would gladly spend what hours I have left—peering, glaring, staring, studiously.
How lucky I would be to find myself with that heart for many a marrow… Yes, dear mind… how lucky would I be?
