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I can flatten my back on the floor. It does not fall there. I can also get my head down with chin tucked but I am sure my neck has a pronounced concavity. No part of my arms will touch the floor.
Sounds like upper crossed syndrome for sure. Foam/Floor Angels will be your friend.
Keep me updated.
drh
My ribs are fine and I can tuck my chin but with some pain. My right hand can go to the floor but I cannot do anything with my left arm as I have a rotator cuff problem
Successful rotator cuff rehab starts with the deep core system awareness you’ll learn in the fundamentals exercise series, Anthea. Soft tissue work like Active Release Technique can also be an invaluable catalyst to healing.
I lay down and have little trouble making my lower ribs touch the floor. My hands touch the floor but the wrists are a bit off; it is no trouble to make them touch.
Lowering ribs to the floor is most important, Erik. The goal is wrists to the floor with back of ribs maintaining contact with the floor. Otherwise movement efficiency will suffer and tissue overload occurs.
I didn’t have any problems making contact at all points.
Rock and roll, Michelle! Keep it up!
My wrists almost touch the floor. I do have carpal tunnal, neck pain, and right scapula pain
gonns do there exercises. I also have right side sciatic pain, pain at my right SI joint and right hip pain. Been goin on for 2 months. Doctors is getting MRI. But was wondering if those enzymes will work if pain has been lasting over 2 months for inflammation. Doctors wants to give me steroid injections. Thank you. Love your website
Hi Sara, enzymes are appropriate just about anytime to speed healing. So I would recommend them to facilitate healing but know they are NOT the long term solution. You need a a good functional movement assessment to find out why you’re in the shape you’re in.
Steroids can decrease pain temporarily but you have to fix the imbalance in your system.
Meant to ask on last post.
What does it mean when one wrist will almost touch the floor but the other is is not even close? Or is it normal not to see symmetry between arms in this test?
Also time of day seems to sometimes influence the test as I don’t always see the same results each time I try the test.
You should be symmetrical, Robert…or at least close. Lots of possible reasons why. Usually comes from old injuries where you never regained range of motion.
But it can even be coming from as far away as an ankle, foot, hip, or pelvis injury and your upper quarter has compensated for the injury or blockage by creating imbalance in the shoulder.
Wow, this is all starting to make sense! I’ve suffered several sprains (muscle tears I guess) in the vertical muscles that run up the spine (erector spinae?). Several years ago I had a really bad sprain and several months ago another just sitting down in my van. I am pretty sure it was on the left side that won’t come near to the floor. I have always felt I am somewhat off balance sometimes.
This combined with a sitting occupation and little exercise has likely led to my problem. I went to see a Chiropractor about the lower back pain realizing I had very tight back muscles. After X-rays she showed me what appeared to be Disk Degenerative Disease between two lower vertebrae. When I goggled it what I found didn’t seem to match my symptoms. I was quite confused while obtaining treatment for about two weeks. Finally I realized I had crossed syndrome likely top and bottom, it fit perfectly the symptoms I’d been having. The Chiro sessions have been helping to restore mobility but I feel the key to recovery is exercise and likely the exercises you are presenting. For me just walking, swimming, stretching and weight lifting have eased the pain.
Of interest also is I have knee pain on the same left side sometimes upon stepping down on stairs. I guess this is also related to Crossed Syndrome. I’m glad I finally found your site.
Glad you’re here, too, Robert! Lots more to learn and do! You’re on the right track.
I have always had a curve in my back, and cannot remember a time in my life where it has touched the floor. In doing this test I was surprised to find that my hands did not touch the floor either, and that just from laying in the “under arrest” position, there was a lot of stretching across my chest muscles. (the stretch felt very good!)
I was diagnosed with RA in 2001 and last year I was diagnosed with DDD in my lower back. I will be 43 tomorrow, and feel decades older. Morning stiffness and constant snap, crackle and popping of my joints, and now constant lower back pain is something that I live with daily. I refuse to take NSAIDS for pain or inflammation, preferring foods such as ginger-root to help alleviate pain, and have moderate success.
Autoimmune disease, in my experience, occurs mostly from immune system over activity because of gut irritation (your immune system is 70% in your gut).
I start ALL autoimmune issues by eliminating wheat and dairy and any other known sensitivities.
There is much more about that but it’s a starting point that must be done.
The exercise series will be tremendously beneficial for you but take it slow and listen and read all detailed instructions because VERY small hinges swing BIG doors. It’s all in the subtle details.
Keep me posted on you progress in the comments.
drh
Also…focus on your FUNCTION and not on the “label” of disc “disease”. You are not “diseased” and you can live a life with less pain and more energy by immersing yourself in a healing environment of thought, nutrition, and movement.
Your symptoms sound similar to mine although I have no Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). DDD was the diagnosis of my Chiropractor and after some research I found that in many people it is just a normal part of aging and does not cause problems for many. What I have is the Crossed Syndrome likely top and bottom as presented here by drsteve.
Most of my problem has come from being overweight, a desk job and little exercise along with a few back sprains.
See my previous post.
You’re right, Robert. It’s rarely the actual “cause” of the pain.
I thought everything was good but I had my husband checked me twice, and he noticed my right wrist wouldn’t go all the way down and it wasn’t pointed straight up either – it was as he put it “skewed”.
Not surprised – I sell vintage on line and that’s the computer mouse hand :>)
Just as an aside, shoes that come in one width fits all, as in medium. (I’m a AAA and can’t get them any more), shoe sellers that sell but don’t know how to measure peoples’ feet, chairs without box springs, car seats that raise your knees up and tilt your behind downwards so you’re in a jack knife position, and office chairs with pits in the middles flanked by bolsters aren’t helping our skeletal structures either.
Desk job syndrome, or computer job syndrome is definitely one of the stresses that perpetuate CPS. You must pay the tissue debt that’s created with well constructed functional exercises like you’ll receive on this site and in the training course.
I can flatten my back so my ribs hit the floor but sure enough my wrists come nowhee near the floor. which doesn’t surprise me a bit. I’ve been having sciatica for several years now and was trying core exercises but I knew I had tight muscles that needed to be released first. I think this is the answer. Maybe it will allow me to get back to yoga eventually too!
Yes, when the body comes back into balance, the symptoms often just drop away. Keep the vision of you doing your favorite Yoga poses…you’ll make it.
I was able to assume the position however there was tightness along the back of my neck and upper traps. If I relaxed and stopped pressing the bottom of my ribs into the floor, the tightness went away and my rib cage popped up.
Sounds like you may have some blocked movement in your upper back. That usually causes a chin poke and upper trap stress when the back support zone is connected.
The T4 mobilization and foam angels could be your friend. Stay LONG with the movements.