The best news is that I continue to feel good with minimal pain and few reminders of how miserable I felt a couple months ago. I am walking , standing, and living COMFORTABLY through all the normal activities one faces everyday while staying mostly pain free. I drove my Vespa GTS this weekend for the first time since July and I plan to get back on the aerobic machines soon. We have a nice gym in our new condo that I was previously afraid to look at too closely. I feared that any use of the machines would be painfully impossible with the sciatic problem constantly stabbing at my left leg and glutes. Now I am so happy to be able to resume all the social living , travel , dinning , shopping, all of it.

Morning Brad, just back from our week long trip into Emigrant Wilderness. I'm writing as I had the best week physically I've had in 4-5 months despite a crazy strenuous week of x-country hiking through steep granite, massive climbs, etc. I feared my body would not take what was about to come which only added to my joy as every day was strenuous, 3 of them over the top with 5+ hours of hiking - then add all the bending in a campsite, sleeping in a tent, etc and I was blown away I didn't feel terrible in the morning. Time will tell if I'm finding long term stability in my back again but I'm convinced the last set of exercises you prescribed have a lot to do with it. They get into my back in ways that yoga, pilates, etc have never done - zero mid-back pain last week after 2 weeks of almost daily pain.

My Doctor told me to wear inserts in my shoes and take pain killers. The internet told me there was no cure. But I thought Egoscue could be the cure and the solution. The challenge was getting to someone who could help. The pain levels from my plantar fasciitis were so high that I could only walk short distances. ​​​​​​​

Then Brad at Egoscue suggested Skype. Perfect! Personal contact, I could see him and he could see me -no traveling and no transport costs. Plus it didn't matter that we were in different time zones.  Pain relief started from the very first session. It clearly showed something could be done and I was in the right place with the right people to make it happen.

Over the course of a few sessions my pain levels dropped in intensity and duration. Complete pain relief started within a few minutes in that very first session and led first to hours and then days of Pain Free freedom. Although at times it was like learning to walk again with muscles that seemed a little shaky and unsure. Silly things like not being certain which bit of my foot should reach the ground first.

Some of the Egoscue exercises Brad first showed me I could not do. Not that they were difficult, It was just that I didn't know how to get a particular muscle to move. One was about pinching my shoulder blades together. When I first tried it, all I could do was pinch my forehead in a frown as nothing moved. But after a minute or so I found I could just move my shoulder blades a fraction closer together and a few days later it was like two sliding doors opening and closing. In another Egoscue exercise I had to roll my feet from side to side from my hips down. The right one moved okay but when I tried to roll my left, it was my hand that moved in sympathy instead. A little patience & encouragement from Brad and the left foot started to roll too. 

Over the Skype link it was really helpful to watch Brad do an exercise and then talk me through it. When I first tried and then succeeded to master the positions. He could see how many repititions I could do and make changes as things got easier and my condition improved. Soon my shoulders and hips started to unlock and realign so Brad was able to change my menu of Egoscue exercises to help my body progress further.  His follow up emails after each session with a menu description and YouTube style video were great support as was any email contact I needed for later questions or to check in on progress in between Skype sessions. 

I found some unexpected bonuses too. My beautician noticed a complete change in my feet. After about 4 weeks of Egoscue, all the hard skin areas that had been a ridge down one edge of my feet for years simply disappeared. Apparently my feet noticed I was walking differently too. And my Fitbit told me that my resting heart rate had dropped some 10 bpm and I was consistently walking more steps per day than I had for more than 8 months.  You don't really realize how pain affects your life until it starts to disappear. Pain prevents you from  doing the things you love and being the person you are. You can't move and you can't even think clearly. It is like being in a cage with no key to the lock.  Thank goodness for Egoscue and people like Brad, thoughtful, caring , and creative.

Brad made certain he understood my challenges , he listened and observed, he analyzed my posture but most importantly he didnt just apply a pre-set series of exercises, he treated me as an individual checking and adapting the exercises so they really worked for me and my body.  Egoscue and Brad changed my life !  I am now walking everyday , doing aqua aerobics, playing croquet, returning to Tai Chi. I can go on Holiday - actually I can go anywhere I want to ! In my business life I no longer have to take taxis everywhere, nor do I have to worry about how long I might need to stand or how many paces it will be to walk between rooms. I can focus on the business outcomes instead of how to control the pain so I can think. 

Now pain is virtually a thing of the past and I am focusing on improving my overall levels of health and fitness. The only thing I suffer from these days is weather envy when I talk with Brad in Miami. Yes, I will continue to do Egoscue and to have Skype sessions with Brad to keep my mobility and improve my flexibility as I get fitter and more active. Plus I think it's part of keeping in shape and helping my body to rest and re-enervate.  -Maxine