Chronic pain affects approximately 25 percent of the U.S. population according to medtronic.com. Medtronic reports that low back pain is the most common type reported in the United States, with 23.9 percent of people ages 18 to 44 and 30.4 percent of people age 65 and over suffering from this condition in 2004.
On the quest for a healthy, positive lifestyle, I have found yoga to be the must have fitness tool integrated into one’s daily routine. Recently I learned of another type of exercise called postural exercise that seems to help pain management. I recently spoke with Beth Scupham, who is an expert in postural exercise, yoga and massage therapy. She is a licensed Massage Therapist and established a medical/structural/therapeutic massage therapy practice in the 1990s connected to St. Joseph’s Hospital. She has taught posture exercise since 1970 and has found that her students and clients have profound improvements in pain management. I had the opportunity to ask Beth some questions about the postural exercise and how it may benefit you. Here are her responses:
What is posture exercise?
Postural exercise has to do with posing the question, “How do I do what I do?” How a person walks, stands, runs, turns, lies down, gets up, gets into a car, works on a computer, plays tennis, dances, sings, rests. When we look at the “how,” we gain insight into how we might gain greater ease and efficiency of movement. We might even gain more joy and enjoyment of movement in our everyday life. Sometimes postural patterns originate from childhood, or even from birth. Old accidents, surgeries and injuries leave their mark. The hallmark of postural exercise is gentleness, stretching and mindfulness and careful directed attention.
What type of aliments does this exercise help with?
You know, one of my brothers just had a hip resurfacing and commented that he had always thought that he was helping himself by how physically active he was. But his years of running and extreme sports with no stretching took its toll on his body. The trick is to restore function before you are in a circumstance of breakdown of the body. So aging, little aches and pains, chronic pains, little things like stiff necks, leg and foot pain, everything we experience as “normal” aches and pains can be addressed and helped by this kind of exercise. Even arthritic conditions and other systemic illnesses can be helped. No one wants to lose their independence and mobility.
What are the benefits of this exercise?
The benefits of working with posture are a greater ease and lightness in movement, more confident movement, better balance, better sleep and metabolism. A lot of people experience greater emotional wellness – a lightening of a habitual darkness of mood. When we hurt, everything is difficult. The aim of postural exercise is empowerment ― there is so much you can do to help yourself.
How does one learn it?
There are group classes or one-on-one sessions that will guide you through it. I offer private or small group classes at my home and group classes at Cecil B. Day Wellness Center in Dunwoody, Georgia.
How long or frequently must one practice it to gain most benefit?
Like many sports, there is more effort and participation in the beginning when you are learning to become aware of your habits and tendencies. Then it becomes part of your life. Usually I recommend two practice sessions a week to start. The objective is to make this new awareness part of your life so that the activities you do every day become a chance to practice your new knowledge and awareness. I think my students would tell you that they work on this daily.
Last week, I reconnected with a man who was my first movement student in 1972. He told me that I changed his life and that he still practices the principles of alignment every day. I was really both amazed and gratified. A lot of times, we never know if we truly had an impact on someone else’s life and well being. Sometimes it’s just good to get a little confirmation that we are doing good work.
As the ancient yogis said, “You must take care of your body ― where else are you going to live?” Elizabeth has a local practice in Dunwoody, Georgia if you would like to contact her for more information: telephone 770-668-0969 or e-mail at bethscupham@hotmail.com.
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