DavidEFrank.com

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The Truth About Posture and Pain

Z-Coils are a great tool to help us improve posture. Why is this important? Because a multitude of painful conditions are caused or exaggerated by poor posture. Low pack pain, knee or hip pain, neck pain and even shoulder pain can be greatly reduced by standing up straight, or correctly. 

The joints throughout your body have cushioning between them, called cartilage that works well to cushion your bones that come together (joints) when your bones are properly aligned i.e. good posture! If not lined up right, the movement of the joints wear the cartilage unevenly and cause a pinch of the nerves, and wear unevenly over a period of time causing a bone on bone situation which is extremely painful! 

The reason Z-Coils relieves pain is because while wearing them your body or skeleton is continually correcting to proper alignment. It starts with the feet and with the custom fit built in orthotic, the bones in your feet are supported correctly and gives you a great base to line up your skeletal frame on which is a great start to good posture. 

The adjustments to the coil is used to properly correct bio mechanics so that the pressure you create while walking or standing is evenly dispersed throughout your joints and at a reduced rate. 

The coil not only corrects bio mechanics it also reduces impact, or pressure exerted on your joints by 50%. When you walk you exert 2-3 times your body weight of impact on the joints and when you run it is 5 times body weight. With Z-Coils it is reduced by half, 50% as compared to the best running shoes or walking shoes reduce your impact by 2-3%. 

Did you read those numbers right? If not, go back up and read it again -- it’s a huge difference! Good posture means reduced pain, not only where it hurts the most, but everywhere throughout your body. You will be rewarded even more with more energy and less fatigue! Ask anyone who is a Z-Coil wearer, they work!!

Buy Z-Coil Now

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7 Ways to Relieve Back Pain

Lower back pain is a very common painful condition that almost everybody can relate to -- almost 80 percent of all Americans, in fact! It can be very debilitating; and there is no such thing as “just ignore it and it will go away.” So what can you do? Here are 7 ways you can relieve your back pain.

1. Wear Z-CoiLs

Most people use pain medication of some sort to help them deal with the symptoms and never really get to treating the cause. Want to treat the cause? Wear Z-Coils. Z-Coil’s are very helpful in correcting the cause for several reasons. First of all the rigid orthotic that is built in and custom fit to you, helps to correct posture. But more importantly the coil/spring that’s attached to the rigid orthotic under the heel absorbs 50% of the impact when you walk and 50% of the pressure while standing that is exerted on the spine. Severe pain is created from any weakness or lack of cushioning/cartilage in your spine from the pressures created, so you can see how relieving 50% of it would be very helpful. Also the spring/coil is a conical shape with the path of least resistance straight down the center of the coil, so it realigns your spine, makes you stand up straight and relieves the impact all with no effort on your part. I suffer from lower back issues and have received a great deal of relief by using Z-Coil Pain Relief Footwear. Remember the most important thing you put on everyday is your footwear as it can make the difference for pain free day!

2. Improve your Posture

Many people have to stand for long periods of time when going to work. But they might be surprised to hear that their bad posture is what is actually causing the pain. According to bustle.com, if you experience headaches, sleep problems, bad mood, lack of motivation, workout recovery issues, or even foot pain, all of this could be an indication your posture could be improved.

What are the long term effects of bad posture? 100% chiropractic says in time your spine will curve, it may impact your digestive organs, increase your chance of cardiovascular issues, and even cause those varicose veins (ladies?).

So how do you improve your posture? Improve your consciousness of it. Take a moment to lay down on the floor. You’ll notice your muscles relax, and your spine will settle into place. If you place your hands in the small of your back, you’ll notice there is a slight curvature. Now move to an upright position. Your muscles will engage against gravity. You may experience however that your posture has improved simply by increasing your awareness of it. In time, it will become habit.

3. Strengthen your Core

When most people think of their core, they only think of their abs -- don’t forget about your back!! If you are experiencing back pain on the daily - I recommend doing some morning workouts - like a bridge, plank, or superman (based on what you are able to do). Even doing this for 10 minutes a day will not only strengthen your core, it’ll improve your posture, and increase the time you can stay standing at work.

To learn more about the specific muscles enabling you to bend forward at the waist or suck in your stomach - check out this helpful article.

4. Stretch Regularly

If your have a mat - go and grab it before attempting below:

A) The Cat-Cow - a nice easy stretch which has its origins in yoga. If able, get on your hands and knees. Place your hands directly under your shoulders and keep your arms straight. Now, arch your back as high as it will go. You should feel some tension in the abs when you do this. Now, curve your back downward, pushing your abs to the floor. Repeat as many times as needed.

B) Spine Stretch - the paraspinal elongation stretch. Sit on the floor, your feet wider than your hips. Begin to nod your head forward, paying attention to each vertebrate as your roll your chin into your neck. Now reach your hands in front of you on the floor. Though you may feel the stretch in your hamstrings and calf muscles, the aim is not to stretch forward past your feet, just through your back. Hold for 10 seconds and return to neutral.

C) Spinal Twist - stretch to work out the rest of the kinks. Sit on your mat, reach your right leg out in front of you and bend your other leg and place your left foot on the outside of your right knee. Place your left hand behind you and reach your right arm around your left knee and pull. Direct your attention and your stretch behind you, holding for 20 seconds. When complete, do the other side.

5. Ice and Heat

Exercise and stretching a little too much for your back right now? Maybe stick to the ice or heat pack for a while if your back is more akin to an injury. Most doctors recommend icing for the first 48 hours after an injury, and your back may be no exception... As long as your skin is protected -- take a dampened towel and cover an ice/heat pack with it. If you don’t have one, a plain old bag of peas should work just fine. Lie down for only a few hours at a time, place a pillow under your knees, and apply the ice pack for 10-20 minutes, then a heat pack.

Don’t have a heat back - a nice hot bath might do the trick...

6. Stop Smoking

We all know smoking is bad, but did you know it might contribute to your back pain? The American Journal of Medicine did a study and found a moderate association between lower back pain and smoking as compared with people who have never smoked. Flippin reports that it “decreases the delivery of blood to the soft tissue.” With less blood, your muscles take in less oxygen. That can cause bad posture because your muscles will fatigue more easily and heal less quickly after a long days work.

7. Increase Endorphins

Spine-Health.com has an interesting take on how to avoid taking pain meds and its worth taking a look it. The long and short of it is, endorphins can be just as strong as any pain, and any pain medication. 

How do you increase your endorphins -- well besides ways we wont mention here...? Go on a run, go get a message, go do some meditation. Not only will it decrease stress, anxiety, and depression, it will literally ‘get your mind off of it.’ Pain messages can literally be blocked by other more powerful sensations traveling through the nervous system. Have you ever gotten a cut that didn’t notice until another half hour afterwards? This is because the adrenaline and endorphins (similar chemical to morphine) from the excitement or fear blocked any pain signals coming through your spinal cord. While we at davidefrank.com do not recommend cutting yourself to relieve the pain, we DO recommend low impact aerobic exercise, delta-fiber messages, and even watching some high stakes television -- hey, if watching your favorite football team for an hour generates enough endorphins to block the pain, go for it.

While there are many preventative and restorative measures to relieve your back pain, there’s only one I recommend above all others - wear Z-Coils. It’s why I put it at number one. Methods 2-7 only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. Maybe that’s why so many resort to expensive medications that don’t really work? I am here to tell you that they, too, only address the symptom and not the cause. 

Every single time you stand, step, or adjust your weight, Z-Coil is there to do 50% of the work for you. When you don’t have the impact, you won’t have the pain. And hey, if you don’t like the look of the coil, you can always cover the coil up - we can place an enclosed coil on any model. 

I guarantee you Z-Coils will save you more time, money, and meds than all of the above methods, combined. So what are you waiting for? All you have to lose is the pain...

Take me to the Z-Coils

Please let us know what you thought of this article in the comments below – we'd love to answer any and all comments you may have. Please like and share this article with friends and family with chronic back pain who you think might benefit from these tips and tricks. Thanks for reading!!

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5 Natural Remedies for Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar Fasciitis is the #1 cause of foot pain and is created by the inflammation of the Plantar Ligament that runs along the bottom of the foot and connects to the heel and the ball of your foot. It is a very common condition among those who work or play on their feet without proper support to the arch area of your foot. Nurses, surgeons, retail clerks, teachers, food service, and all other hospital and medical service professionals are very susceptible to this painful condition and suffer excruciating pain, especially when rising in the morning after being off of it while sleeping. It starts to heal and then gets re-injured when you put weight on it.

According to the Natural Penguin the most common factors in causing Plantar Fasciitis are:

Over-pronation - rolling your feet inward when you walk

Over-use - Walking, Standing, or running for long periods of time (especially on   concrete or hard surfaces without proper arch support.

Having high arches or flat feet (again related to proper support)

Being overweight

Not wearing proper shoes to support your feet (flats, high heels, sandals, flip flops)

Having tight calf muscles or Achilles tendons

The pain is most common on the front of your heel as when the ligament has too much pressure on it (mostly from standing on it for too long) it will pull away from the heel and causes severe inflammation that is often referred to as a “heel spur”. A spur is caused over time, with repeated tearing of the ligament.  According to WebMD the spur itself is actually a calcium deposit causing a bony protrusion.  This is the war that goes on inside the foot. And if the arch isn't properly supported and you are on your feet, the war can be brutally painful. 

So I’ve got some good news and I’ve got some bad news... 

The bad news is it is very hard to get rid plantar fasciitis and lots of folks try pain meds and injections to treat the symptoms. I don’t wan’t that to be you. What’s worse - they won’t work. 

What’s the good news? There IS a natural, effective treatment that actually fixes the problem.

The Plantar Fasciitis Solution

Natural Remedy #1

I have found the MOST effective treatment for plantar fasciitis is Z-Coil Pain Relief Footwear. 

Z-Coils are built with a rigid orthotic and are custom fit to your particular arch. A properly fitted arch and relieves the pressure on the plantar ligament and allows it to reattach to the heel and keeps the inflammation from reoccurring. The coil on the bottom of the rigid orthotic creates a very soft landing for your heel and makes for a rocking motion to help the heeling process and consequently relieves the pain.

The coil on the heel absorbs 50% of the impact that is normally absorbed by your feet and body. The coil is also adjustable to meet your biomechanical needs. Whether you over-pronate (roll in - remember the #1 cause of planter fasciitis) or over-supinate (roll out) the coil can be set so that it aligns your feet, ankles, knees, and hips, taking the pressure off your entire skeletal frame.

So what are you waiting for? Let us help you with your foot pain - 

Give Z-Coils a try

A Relaxing Exercise

Natural Remedy #2

Did you know that your feet love water bottles? When you have Plantar Fasciitis, it is important to massage and ice our feet. One great and easy way to do this is take an empty 12 or 16 ounce water or pop bottle and fill it ¾ full with water and freeze it solid. 

Three to four times a day, take the frozen bottle out of the freezer, find a good comfy seat, place the bottle on the floor and roll your foot back and forth over the bottle. You might want to wear a sock if the ice/bottle is too cold for your foot. 

The bottle will roll along your plantar ligament and this gentle massage will help with the blood flow and the ice will help with the inflammation. While you’re thinking about which style of coil suits you best, try this. It really helps!

Stretch Your Calves

Natural Remedy #3

Tight muscles in your calves aggravate plantar fasciitis.  Soothe the pain with some easy stretches recommended by healthline.

Stand an arm’s length from a wall

Place your right foot behind your left

Slowly and gently bend your left leg forward

Keep your knee straight and your right heel on the ground

Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds and release

Repeat three times

Reverse the position of your legs, and repeat

Another benefit to wearing Z-Coil Pain Relief Footwear.  As you maintain your normal stride while wearing Z-Coils, you automatically stretch the calf.  Upon coil strike the coil compresses, and lengthens the calf muscle as you continue through your natural gait cycle.  Also, when I am wearing my Z’s and having to stand in one place for an extended period of time, I rock from side to side, giving my calves a little bit of extra stretching.  It all adds up - get it in whenever you can!

Turmeric - the Anti-Inflammatory

Natural Remedy #4

Try Tumeric!  Turmeric is a natural, powerful, anti-inflammatory.  A daily dose of turmeric will reduce inflammation throughout your body and in your plantar ligament.  I take Curcumin Triple Burn from Primal Force on a daily basis.  

Curcumin is now recognized as the world’s most powerful healer.

The scientific research shows it has no less than 619 proven health benefits. And there’s virtually nothing it can’t do for your body… and no health concern it can’t address.

Its known as the $1 pill for everything. It’s simply amazing that so much power can be packed in one tiny affordable capsule.

In ancient villages where curcumin is widely consumed daily they experience few of the health concerns we have here in the West. Certainly none of the mental decline that’s now ravaging the elderly.

Curcumin Triple Burn is unlike many turmeric supplements. Curcumin Triple Burn contains a medicinal dose of curcuminoids and proven delivery technology that boosts its power by 2,000%.

It also includes the right mix and dose of two ancient spices that belong to the curcumin family. Spices that are proven to magnify curcumin’s  potential.

Finally, they added a “smart herb” that harnesses the other ingredients. It’s also known as an “adaptogen” because it adapts to precisely what your body needs.

Add it all up… and Curcumin Triple Burn is the ONLY formula of its kind to provide you with the complete healing potential of curcumin in a single pill you take daily.  Try it - you will notice the difference!!

Massage, Massage, and Massage

Natural Remedy #5

I know I already mentioned massage in Natural Remedy #2 above, but seriously, I can’t stress it enough.  Massage is crucial to relieving Plantar Fasciitis pain.  According to Harvard Medical School “Foot Massage: The pause that refreshes and is good for you!”

Massage improves circulation, stimulates muscles, reduces tension, eases pain. All critical to relieving plantar fasciitis pain and curing plantar fasciitis.

You can see a professional massage therapist or do it yourself!  Here are some tips from Harvard for self care:

Sit in a comfortable chair. Bend your left leg and rest your left foot gently on your right thigh.

Pour some skin lotion or oil into your hand. Rub it gently into your foot and massage your whole foot including the toes, arch, and heel.

Do a deeper massage. Press the knuckles of your right hand into your left foot. Knead your foot as you would bread. Or work the skin and muscles by holding a foot with both hands and pressing your thumbs into the skin.

Using your hands, gently pull the toes back and forth or apart. This stretches the muscles underneath.

Repeat on the other foot.

Z-Coil Pain Relief Footwear

The Best Natural Remedy

Custom fit, Z-Coil Pain Relief Footwear, is the best natural tool you can use to eliminate and cure Plantar Fasciitis.  Plantar Fasciitis is the #1 painful condition that I help people with, on a daily basis.  Give me a call if you have questions, I am here to help! 

All you have to lose is the PAIN!

Dave

402-669-2963