As one of the largest and most successful yoga-based retreat and education centers in the world, Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Lenox, Massachusetts, attracts many of the leading teachers of yoga and Buddhist meditation to its annual retreat, East meets East: Yoga & Buddhism. In Will Yoga & Meditation Really Change My Life? Stephen Cope brings to the printed page the fascinating dialogue that he has fostered in these retreats.

Cope asks participating teachers to share their Tales from the Path, stories of how the long-term practice of these ancient traditions has changed their lives. The result is an inspirational volume featuring 26 distinct voices telling their stories, how they became interested in these traditions, the teachers who inspired them, and how the practice of yoga and meditation has shaped their lives and perspectives.

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At first, I thought I must have “slept wrong” or something and sure enough, after a while, the pain in my heel subsided and I was able to walk normally.  But the next day, it was back again.  ”Well,” I thought, “I must have bruised my heel during one of my martial arts workouts.  All I need to do is to work through it.”

No such luck.  The next morning, the pain was back – and it appeared to be getting worse.  The pain was more pronounced and it stayed for longer periods.  A Google search for what might be wrong quickly brought up the name “Plantar Fasciitis” — and it seemed to have a picture of my foot right below it!

It’s been reported that about 2 million Americans suffer from Plantar Fasciitis at any one time and that about 10% of the population will feel its effects at one or more points during their lives so this is not a rare condition.  In fact, the more I started mentioning it to people around me, the more people I found that said, “Yeah, I had that too.”

What It Is & What Causes It

Plantar Fasciitis is a painful (and I can certainly attest to the word painful) inflammation of the plantar fascia, the connective tissue that runs from the heel of the foot towards the toes at the bottom of the foot.  Although the pain can be spread throughout the bottom of the foot, it’s usually most severe at the heel, and that was certainly the case with me.

This condition – and it is a “condition” as opposed to a disease – is normally associated with long periods of standing, especially with those people who are overweight.  However, this is not always the case since this condition also affects a large percentage of women during pregnancy as well.

But I didn’t fall in any of these categories.  From what I was able to find, the bottom line is that the medical community really doesn’t know exactly why the plantar fascia sometimes gets inflamed.  They just know it does.

Treatments

Here’s where my research really started getting me down.  It turns out that in may cases, plantar fasciitis is a “learn-to-live-with-it” kind of condition.  There’s no “do this and you’ll be cured” kind of treatment.  Everything I found fell in the category of  ”this might bring some relief – or maybe it won’t.”  Not exactly encouraging.

I did find that going to a healthcare professional is always good advice from the standpoint of eliminating other potential causes of your pain.  Heel spurs, splinters, and other muscle, tendon, or bone conditions can all have the same symptoms as plantar fasciitis.

In really severe cases, the plantar fascia can be surgically removed – but that can create a number of bigger problems so surgery is only used in extreme cases.

What To Do About It

Although plantar fasciitis is a painful condition and there is no real “cure,” you shouldn’t give up fighting it for a number of reasons.  These include:

• The first reason is the impact it has on your mobility and quality of life.  Who wants to not be able to get around when they want?
• The second reason is that not finding a way to deal with the pain affects your body alignment.  If your left foot in constantly in pain like mine was, you tend to shift your weight off of it as much as possible – and end up leaning to the right.  This creates a lot of extra work for the other side of your body resulting in body aches and sore joints on that side.

Here’s What I Recommend

First of all, let me get the disclaimers out of the way.  I am NOT a doctor, nor do I play one on TV.  I didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night either.  My recommendations are simply that – a description of what worked for me.  My condition might be different than yours so use your common sense when deciding whether or not to follow my advice.

The first step is to see your doctor or healthcare provider in order to make sure that you don’t have some other type of bone or tendon problem.  This will probably include an X-ray or an MRI.  This step is critical so don’t skip it.  If you’ve got a deeper foot problem, you need to find out.  Don’t simply assume it’s plantar fasciitis simply because it fits the symptoms.

Once you’ve confirmed that you do in fact have plantar fasciitis, here’s the routine I followed to take back my life and regain my mobility.  Although I’ve broken it down into 3 segments (immediate relief, mid-term relief, long-term relief), you should actually do all 3 segments at more or less the same time although at first, you’ll obviously be trying to get as much immediate relief as you can get and won’t be so worried about the long-term relief.  However, as the condition improves, you’ll move away from immediate relief into more long-term, or “maintenance” relief.  Make sense?

Immediate Relief

Here’s what I found that brought me the most immediate relief:

• Over the Counter Anti-inflammatory Remedies. The best I found was plain ‘ole aspirin.  I used the buffered kind from Bayer and occasionally took Excedrin, which is basically aspirin with a little caffeine.  I didn’t find ibuprofen (like Advil) to be as effective but you might be different.  Keep in mind that ibuprofen tends to be hard on your liver so don’t take large quantities or take it for sustained periods.  Here’s where aspirin-based remedies have the edge.  One warning though:  if your ears start ringing (mine sounded like I was standing next to Niagara Falls), you’re taking too much medication.  Back off and take just enough to get the inflammation under control.
• Deep Tissue Foot Massage. Find someone who can give a good, deep tissue foot massage because they’ll be worth their weight in gold.  Teri, a registered nurse, gave me mine and I really think it was the turning point on my getting control of this “condition.”  What she did through her massage was attempt to help the lymphatic system “flush” out the inflammation and increase circulation allowing the area to heal.  She said parts of my foot had so much inflammation it felt “squishy.”  It really hurt at first but I could actually feel the pain subside the more she did it.  After a couple of treatments, my foot felt much better.
• Hot and/or Cold Compresses. You’ll have to play with this.  There were days that a hot compress felt like heaven.  Other days, a cold compress did the trick.  Remember, you are dealing with inflammation.  As my foot got better and better, I found myself using cold compresses more and more.
• Get a Night Splint. A night splint will keep your foot flexed while you sleep significantly reducing the amount of pain you feel when you get out of bed in the morning.  There are two basic types:  the kind that fits on the inside of your foot and pulls your toes forward (a dorsal splint) and the kind that fits behind your foot and pushes it up (see the example products at the end of this post).  Expect to pay anywhere from $35 to over $100, depending on the type you get.  I got a dorsal (fits on the inside of the foot) because it was the most comfortable for the way I sleep.
• Keep your Foot Elevated. As much as you during the day, put on your night splint and prop your foot up for as long as you can.

Mid-Term Relief

After about a week, I got to the point to where I could at least tolerate the pain.  Here’s what I found provided the most mid-term relief:

• Light Stretching. Find any article on plantar fasciitis and you’ll get tons of stretching exercises you can do.  Most of them really do help.  The best ones to do depend on exactly where the majority of your pain is.  Since mine was mainly around the heel, I found the stretches that worked my ham string to provide the best results for me.  Note that at this point, my foot was still pretty tender, both from the inflammation as well as from the deep tissue massage, so don’t overdo it.
• Orthotics. Your results may vary but these worked for me.  Orthotics are shoe inserts that can do a number of things, depending on the type you buy.  They range in materials from plastic, to foam rubber, to leather to everything in between.  They range in cost from 20 bucks to well over $100.  I tried a $120 pair from “The European Walking Store” (didn’t work for me) as well as a $10 of Dr. Scholl’s from my local drug store (didn’t work for me either).  Based on a recommendation from a friend, I finally settled on a pair of orthotics (around $20 from a variety of online sources as well as your local Bed, Bath & Beyond).  Good orthotics take a little getting used to but once you do, you won’t want to put on a pair of shoes without them.
• Surface Massage. This is different from a deep tissue massage and is mainly designed to keep things flexed.  My favorite technique was to place a small, hard rubber ball on the floor and then place my foot on top of it and just roll the ball back and forth with my foot.  Oh man, you talk about feeling good.  Even better was when I found a cat toy that was basically a ball with small bumps on the surface.  It was designed so that it bounced in a different direction every time the cat hit it.  Well, I quickly took it away from the cat and it became my favorite massage aid while I was sitting on the couch watching TV or reading.  You can also use a tennis ball, a racquetball, or a marble – anything with a round surface that you can roll back and forth under your foot.  Try it sitting with just the weight of your leg as well as standing where you can put more weight on your foot.
• Don’t Sit for Long Periods. If you work in an office (guilty), make sure you get up and walk around for a couple of minutes every hour or so.  Sitting for long periods without exercising your legs allows the blood to pool and the inflammation to start building all over again.  Get up and move!
• Concentration Walking. I would also take short walks using a technique I call “concentration walking.”  It’s basically walking meditation but I would concentrate on my foot placement.  Standing straight, I’d take one step and try to be totally focused on how my foot hit the ground.  I would visualize my heel hitting the ground, and then feel it roll forward to my toes as I completed my step.  Then I’d do the same with the other foot.  Is this weird?  Maybe.  But it’s basically a form of light stretching.  However, since you’re standing, you’re using your entire body weight.  See?  Even the weird stuff has some logic behind it!

Long-Term Relief

It took me close to two months to get to this point.  However, by then I was able to walk pretty well without wincing every time my left foot hit the ground.  Once I had gotten some immediate relief from the pain, I was able to focus on what I needed to do in order to make sure the problem stayed away.  These included:

• Deep Stretching / Yoga. Once my heel began to heel and the pain became tolerable (note I didn’t say it completely went away), I was able to increase the intensity of my stretching.  The best technique for me was a basic Downward Dog (Google downward dog +yoga).  Trying to push my heels towards the floor really stretches my ham strings – as well as all the other “strings”  – and really made a difference.  Keeping your muscles, including those that run along the bottom of your feet, flexible and stretched is critical to preventing injury and inflammation.
• FlexNow with SheaFlex70. This supplement contains all natural ingredients and is composed of shea oils and butter.  You might have been using skin care products with shea butter in them for years.  However, FlexNow is designed to be taken internally and provides your body with a natural anti-inflammatory agent.  I’ve been taking this for about 3 months now and I’m really impressed with the results.  You can find FlexNow at your local GNC or online at a variety of health sites.
• Stay active. My final “maintenance” piece of advice is to stay active.  I’ve gotten back to my normal fitness and martial arts routines with little or no discomfort.  Whatever you choose to do, stay as active as you can, for as long as you can.

So that’s it.  That’s how I “beat” plantar fasciitis to the point that now, I control it.  It does not control me.  I honestly can’t say that it’s completely gone but I no longer have to hobble to the bathroom in the morning.  I can still get out and play a couple of games of tennis.  I occasionally feel a small discomfort like I’ve got a stone in my shoe but it’s not enough to slow me down.  The majority of time however, I have no foot or heel pain or discomfort at all.

You can have that too.  You just have to work at it.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Technorati Tags: plantar fasciitis, heel pain, foot pain, fasciitis, yoga, stretching, dorsal night splint

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Active Ankle Dns Dorsal Night Splint Small (men 5-10 Women 5-9 1/2)

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A night splint can’t be effective unless a patient wears it. Now there’s a brace so comfortable they will. The Active Ankle Dorsal Night Splint has been designed to comfortably hold the foot in a neutral position during sleep, thereby helping to alleviate the morning pain and discomfort associated with plantar fasciitis (heel spur). Benefits: ?Low Profile ?Less Bulk/weight ?Less heat retention ?Increased comfort during sleep The A-FORCE Dorsal Night Splint may also be used for virtually any cond

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WalkFit Orthotic Insoles SIZE F

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WalkFit orthotic insoles help to reduce pain in feet, knees, hips and back. Each pair of WalkFit insoles comes with 3 customizable arch inserts, low, medium, and high. WalkFit insoles are perfect for installing in all of your shoes, or great as a gift to a friend or family member. They’re available in men’s sizes 6-14 and women’s sizes 5-12.

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Flex Now Joint Formula 90 Sgels

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There had to be a way to reduce my blood pressure naturally.  It turns out there is.  It’s a biofeedback device called the RESPeRATE that helps you lower your blood pressure through “therapeutic” or deep breathing.  According to their literature, it’s “the first medical device clinically proven to lower blood pressure.”

WARNING: if you are currently under treatment for high blood pressure, make sure to talk to your doctor before making ANY changes to your treatment program, including using devices such as this one.

What RESPeRATE Is

So what exactly is a “biofeedback” device?  A biofeedback device is a device containing some sort of sensor that displays (or feeds back) the biological response you’re trying to regulate.  For example, if you’re trying to learn how to relax and lower your heart beat, you can wear a heartbeat monitor in order to see what kind of progress you’re making.  The heartbeat monitor measures your biological response (your heartbeat) and feeds that information back to you so you can take the appropriate action.

Similarly, the RESPeRATE device is designed to help you learn how to lower your blood pressure through structured, therapeutic deep breathing – the same type of deep breathing practiced in meditation and yoga (needless to say, if you already practice meditation or yoga, then this device is probably not for you).

This type of deep breathing causes the muscles surrounding the small blood vessels in your body to relax allowing the blood vessels to slightly dilate.  Blood is allowed to flow more freely lowering your blood pressure.  The effect is small but these effects accumulate over time so the more you use the device, the better results you get.

The goal is to spend at least 10 minutes each session doing “therapeutic breathing”  – breathing slowly, deeply, and naturally at a rate of less than 10 breaths per minute.  The RESPeRATE device helps get you there and tracks your progress as well.

What It Does

Using the RESPeRATE device requires that you sit comfortably, put on a set of headphones and position a sensor across your chest via an elastic strap.  When started, the device begins to play specially designed music through the headsets that helps to pace your breathing (play clip for an example) while at the same time, the chest sensor monitors your breathing rate, which then shows up on the display.

The display also contains a person with an arrow pointing in when you’re supposed to be breathing in, and pointing out when you’re supposed to be breathing out (see picture at right).  Cute, but no big deal, right? Well, here’s the really neat part.

The microprocessor-controlled device determines your current breathing rate and then adjusts the pace of the music so that it’s a little bit lower than your actual breathing rate.  The result is that you naturally start breathing a little slower as you follow the music.

Once you reach the lower rate, the device lowers the pace yet again, and continues doing so until your breathing reaches a stable rate.  If your breath speeds up for any reason, the music also speeds up until it matches your breathing rate — and then it begins to slow down again leading your breathing rate back down with it.  This is what they mean by “pacing” and it’s what makes RESPeRATE so unique.  It’s like having someone right there gently leading you forward.

How It Works

The RESPeRATE comes with a control/display unit, a set of headphones (or ear buds, depending on the model you purchase), and a sensor that attaches to your chest through the use of an elastic band.  The control unit is battery operated and requires 4 AA batteries.

To use it, place the sensor across your chest by adjusting the elastic strap so that it’s either on your upper chest, or slightly above your abdomen.  The sensor measures the movement of your chest as you breathe in and out so the best place for it is going to depend on whether you’re a “chest breather” or an “abdominal breather.”

Next, put on the headphones and turn on the control unit.  That’s it.  The control unit will go through a “breathing recognition phase” where it confirms that it’s properly sensing your breathing rate.  Once it’s determined that it can read your breathing rate (ie: the sensor is properly placed), the music begins to play.

The special music has two distinct “guiding” tones, a high tone indicating when you should inhale and a low tone indicating when you should exhale.  There are also voice prompts (which can be turned off) to guide you as well.  You can hear an example of this by playing the audio clip that’s part of this review.

Your goal for each session is to spend at least 10 minutes in the “therapeutic breathing zone” of 10 breaths per minute or less.  The control unit will automatically track the amount of time you spend in the therapeutic zone.

The unit’s “Performance Statistics” mode can also tell you how many minutes you spent in the therapeutic zone during the last session, during the last 7 days, as well as the average value over the past 60 days.  It will also track your beginning breathing rate as well as your final breathing rate making it easy to see your progress.

The control unit is battery operated (uses 4 AA batteries) and made of plastic.  The controls are easy to understand and use.  The RESPeRATE device is compact and very portable making it a perfect item to take with you anywhere you go.

How Effective Is It

But does the device really reduce blood pressure?  The RESPeRATE is FDA-approved and their website contains numerous medical studies as well as doctor and client testimonials that prove that the device does indeed work.  However, I’ve found that there’s a caveat that you need to know about before you run out and get one.

First of all, if you already meditate or do Yoga, then you are probably already getting the benefits of therapeutic breathing and getting a RESPeRATE won’t make much sense.  I was a little disappointed to find that my resting breathing rate starts out in the therapeutic zone (I usually start the session at around 7 BPM and end the session around 4 BPM).  Although the sessions are extremely relaxing (and I still continue to use it for that reason), I actually haven’t seen much impact on my blood pressure.  But that’s just me.

If you DON’T already meditate or do Yoga (which is probably most people), the device may be worth trying. I also suspect that the people who will benefit the most are those whos blood pressure is caused, at least in part, by nervousness, worry, stress, or tension.  Since this is a biofeedback device, there are no physical side-effects or chemical interactions you have to worry about.

WARNING: if you are currently under treatment for high blood pressure, make sure to talk to your doctor before making ANY changes to your treatment program, including using devices such as this one.

What It Costs

The RESPeRATE device comes in two models: the RESPeRATE and the RESPeRATE Ultra.  As far as I can tell, the only difference is that the Ultra is a little more compact.  Both work the same and have the same features.

The RESPeRATE device retails for $299.95 and the RESPeRATE Ultra for $349.99 and comes with a full 30-day satisfaction guarantee.

Yeah, I know.  Ouch!  What makes it worse is that Medicare and most insurance programs do not cover the cost of the device.  However, the manufacturer occasionally offers rebates (they’re currently offering a $65 rebate until Dec 31, 2008) so make sure to check their website before purchasing.

So at this price, why would anyone want to buy one?  Well, for one, it’s documented to work.  Surely your good health is worth at least 300 bucks – at least that was my rationale for getting one (I purchased the basic model).

Note that there are other alternatives out there that can accomplish the same thing.  For example, you can sign up for a Yoga or meditation class (and spend $300 along the way). Another alternative is music CD’s with a “breathing track” such as the ones you can get from Breatheasy at www.control-your-blood-pressure.com ($67 plus SH).

However, only the RESPeRATE is FDA-cleared and has been clinically tested to work.  Also, only the RESPeRATE is microprocessor-controlled to adjust to your currently breathing rate and then to guide it lower.  It’s a true biofeedback device.

WARNING: if you are currently under treatment for high blood pressure, make sure to talk to your doctor before making ANY changes to your treatment program, including using devices such as this one.

Where To Get It

The RESPeRATE device is available direct from the manufacturer at www.resperate.com as well as from major drugstores such as CVS and Walgreens (see the website for a complete list of outlets).

My Recommendation & Ratings

My recommendation is that if you suffer from high blood pressure, especially if it’s related to stress or tension, then you need to try this device (please see the multiple warnings about discussing this with your doctor if you’re already on a treatment program).  The device is fully guaranteed, it’s portable, constructed of quality materials, and it works.

I highly recommend giving it a try.  Here’s how I would rate it overall:

Disclosure

InterCure (the manufacturer of RESPeRATE) does not have an affiliate program so I am not making any money or getting any kind of compensation from this review.  I purchased the RESPeRATE basic model (at full retail) for my own use and have found it works as advertised.

Although it didn’t lower my blood pressure (I already had a low breathing rate because of my meditation practice and martial arts background) I still regularly use the device.

Certified Fitness Nutrition Coach andPersonal Fitness Trainer (NESTA)

P.S.  Be sure to get my latest Fitness Blueprint called “Little Things That Improve Your Health.”  This ebook is packed with loads of helpful information on how to build a better body and you can get it FREE – no email, no cookies, no catch.  Download and enjoy!

Technorati Tags: blood pressure, heart, resperate, breathing, yoga, breath, biofeedback

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RESPeRATE Ultra Blood Pressure Lowering Device
Lower blood pressure natu

Untitled Document .caption { font-family: Verdana, Helvetica neue, Arial, serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; } ul.indent { list-style: inside disc; text-indent: 20px; } Introducing RESPeRATE Ultra, our smartest device ever. All the power of the original RESPeRATE in just half the size. Featuring a large, enhanced display, fewer buttons and simple menus, this

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