BLUNDERS & BACKPAIN

A PICTURE'S WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS - OR THOUSANDS OF $$$$$$$



Have you experienced back pain so great that it cost you your job? Louis Caldera did, but he's not alone. Check out this study:

FROM: JAMA 2003 (Nov.12); 290 (18): 2443-2454


Lost Productive Time and Cost Due To Common Pain Conditions in the US Workforce.
Stewart WF, Ricci JA, Chee E, Morganstein D, Lipton R

Advance PCS Center for Work and Health, Hunt Valley, MD, USA

CONTEXT: Common pain conditions appear to have an adverse effect on work, but no comprehensive estimates exist on the amount of productive time lost in the US workforce due to pain.

OBJECTIVE: To measure lost productive time (absence and reduced performance due to common pain conditions) during a 2-week period.

DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross sectional study using survey data from the American Productivity Audit (a telephone survey that uses the Work and Health Interview) of working adults between August 1, 2001, and July 30, 2002.

PARTICIPANTS: Random sample of 28, 902 working adults in the United States.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Lost productive time due to common pain conditions (arthritis, back, headache, and other musculoskeletal) expressed in hours per worker per week and calculated in US dollars.

RESULTS: Thirteen percent of the total workforce experienced a loss in productive time during a 20week period due to a common pain condition. Headache was the most common (5.4%) pain condition resulting in loss productive time. It was followed by back pain (3.2%), arthritis pain (2.0%), and other musculoskeletal pain (2.0%). Workers who experienced lost productive time from a pain condition lost a mean (SE) of 4.6 (0.09) h/wk. Workers who had a headache had a mean (SE) loss in productive time of 3.5 (0.1) h/wk. Workers who reported arthritis or back pain had mean (SE) lost productive times of 5.2 (0.25) h/wk. Other common pain conditions resulted in a mean (SE) loss in productive time of 5.5 (0.22) h/wk. Lost productive time from common pain conditions among active workers costs an estimated 61.2 billion dollars per year. The majority (76.6%) of the lost productive time was explained by reduced performance while at work and not work absence.

CONCLUSIONS: Pain is an inordinately common and disabling conditions in the US workforce. Most of the pain-related lost productive time occurs while employees are at work and is in the form of reduced performance.

I know that Louis Caldera, like millions of others in the work force, did not intend to lose productivity. The only answer here, he should have found a good licensed massage therapist. Massage unlike pain killers actually helps to relieve tense muscles by promoting circulation, which eases tension and reduces pain. Massage therapy solves the problem rather than masks it. Pain medication reduces the ability to think clearly and if you don believe me, ask Louis Caldera.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

This year has been quite a ride for millions of people all around the world. I pray that everyone will feel the blessing of light within their own hearts. I pray that everyone will feel love, joy and peace.

"Ask for everything...Have the courage to ask for the humility to accept everything".

Mother Meera

THE WATSU POOL IN SAG HARBOR

WATERDANCING

This is a beautiful picture which truly captures the essence of waterdance. This is the freedom that the body has in water. Gently immersed in the warm water, the body is free to express itself. The pressure of the warm water rushes against and toward the body and at the same time all of the muscles and connective tissue relax naturally. The body feels whole in the water. The feeling is pure ecstasy. When the body relaxes at this level the mind is capable of releasing old patterns and embracing new ideas. This type of work is perfect for creative, high-strung individuals. I've lived in New York City for a long time and from what I can tell these are the type of people who would truly benefit from this type of bodywork.

After spending a week in one of the most magnificent watsu pools I've ever seen, located in Sag Harbor, NY, I had visions of a wonderful summer. I'd like to work in this pool this summer and I offer my aquatic massage services to all of you fast-paced city dwellers that seek relaxation and rejuvenation in the two days or so you give yourselves outside of the city.

SURF AND TURF

Here are a couple of recent e-mails I've received from clients regarding my water massage and land massage. I am filled with gratitude when I receive messages like these:

Thanks, Lizy. The shoulder is much better. The pool massage is the
only thing that has worked, so far, for the pain and the loss of range
of motion. I can see why you like the WATSU,so much.

I'll let you know how the shoulder is doing at the end of a week or so.

I did enjoy floating in the water very much! The salinity of the
water helps for that. The WATSU is well conceived and should achieve
popularity. Its nice to know someone on the cutting edge of physical
therapy.

Keith

Dear Lizabeth,

I had a wonderful “vision quest” yesterday, very full of good feelings and appreciations, during which I spent some time thinking of you. I want you to know that I think you are an extraordinary masseuse, and that I appreciate immensely the perspective and spirit with which you approach your work. I love the way you engage with my body and energy, how no session is the same as any other, and how I too have learned to let go and go with your energy. I love the way you talk about your body work, and the way you end each session with a “thank you.” And I appreciate as well your sessions with Marsha when she comes to town, and how you’ve opened her up to the value and pleasure of going deep in body work.

It takes a very special person to do what you do as you do. So this is just to let you know how much I look forward to our sessions, how grateful I am that our paths crossed as they have, and how remarkable I think you are.

Ethan

WATERDANCE

Waterdance is an aquatic based therapy that was originated in Germany. There are some elements that are reminiscent of Watsu, but the big difference here is that the client is immersed in the water. More to follow... In the meantime...Just think about how it might feel to have a therapist that is so present with your breath and your body. Just think about the possibilities that exist when you feel so attended to. Think how it might feel to experience yourself in warm water while someone is right there to witness and respect all of you. Imagine your muscles and connective tissue melting into the water allowing you complete freedom to be. While you think about that, I'll be thinking what to write in my next post. For now, I can tell you that I am very passionate about this work and I hope that I will be able to find a way to express this so that I can communicate how wonderful and special this work is.

may visions of sugarplums dance in your head

Ahh.... the sanctity of finding one's true aim...
where the heart beats home
where the mind knows peace
where the body feels perfection
where the soul finds eternal freedom
in the boundless, blue ocean of truth.

I wrote this poem two years ago when I didn't know anything about Watsu. I believe that this describes ultimate peace. That's been my personal experience with Watsu. In giving and receiving a Watsu session there is ultimate peace and that is just another reason why Watsu can be so healing for so many people - including the person who's giving the session. This is the peace so many people are trying to find through meditation, yoga, exercise, dance, music, and even drugs. It's the feeling that people describe when they are operating "in the zone." The peace that I experience when I'm giving a Watsu session results from my ability to open up and allow space for my client to meet their true self. This happens when there is unconditional support offered.

For me, giving a Watsu session is such a tranquil, focused meditation where I'm able to use all of my skills that I've learned over the past 13 years as a massage therapist. With my client's body in the water, I'm able to reach more muscles in so many different ways and open more tight places in so many different directions (without pain!!!) because gravity is not an issue. The client floats and through studying Watsu I've learned how to work with the water, actually...I've learned that the water is doing most of the work. Unlike a regular massage session where I'm the one who's doing all of the work. A client now can experience massage all over their body all at the same time because of the hydrostatic pressure. The water is constantly and gently working the circulatory system, the lymphatic system and the connective tissue system. It feels so great!!! Meanwhile, while all that is going on at the same time, I'm able to move the client's body in different positions so that I can massage and stretch the muscle tissue and free the joints.

Once the body feels free from pain, the mind has the ability to quiet and when that happens ...ULTIMATE PEACE!!!!!!!!!!

WHAT'S NEW?...WATSU!!! I've been asked where have I been since December - so now I'm back with the answer. I've been a professional massage therapist for 13 years now and I was pretty happy with the way things had been moving along in my career - until I had a Watsu session. I had never heard about Watsu until I read an article about a couple of Swedish Institute colleagues of mine, Ben Watts and Tiina Dohrmann. I read the article about how they were massaging people in a warm pool - the water is heated to 96f and is mostly chrlorinated using salt. This special pool is about 15x15 in diameter and about 4.5 ft. deep. Ben and Tiina have been practicing Watsu for many years and through incredible ingenuity managed to create this healing oasis inside of a warehouse beside the BQE in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

After reading the article, I decided to give it a try. After my first watsu session with Tiina, I realized that this was something I had to learn. I couldn't believe that NYC didn't have a Watsu pool - or at least 1,000 Watsu pools! The benefits of Watsu are endless. Watsu takes massage to a higher level of healing! I had no idea of what would be in store for me once I made the decision to sign up to take the first 50 hour course - Well, I had an inkling that it might be more involved that I had originally anticipated since the couse was entitled Watsu 1. That does make one think that perhaps there would be more courses to take - but I was just so excited about how many people I could help and the possibilities of working with people in warm water - I didn't think that far ahead. I didn't have any idea what I was in for.

I must say that this was (calculus aside) - the most challenging thing I have ever attempted. This has also been incredibly time consuming and expensive. "WHY KEEP GOING??? " was the tag line that had been running through my brain on the 2nd day of class. My answer is the same - this modality has such endless healing potential for soooooo many people. I have to bring this into NYC.

So - for the past 8 months I have been immersed in Watsu. I have completed 250 hours (5 courses) and I am soon to be listed on the WABA.edu directory. For all you landlubbers - WABA is short for the Worldwide Aquatic Bodyworkers Association. This is an international association of aquatic massage practitioners that also includes physical therapists as well as other types of health professionals. It's been a long haul, but I am so grateful for making it!!!