Ouchhhh....it's Stenosis

Spinal stenosis is a PAINFUL disease of the elderly. It involves narrowing of the bony spinal canal, commonly due to arthritis. It causes irritation to the nerve passing through the spinal canal. Thus creating paing that may radiates down the back of the legs. This pain is worsen with walking, as the patient holds his spine in an extended position, and this further decrease the size of the spinal canal. Hence patients with spinal stenosis will notice improvement of their symptoms in a flexed position, as this position "open" up the spinal canal.

An eye doctor asked if Pilates can help her cousin who is suffering from stenosis. In my opinion, if her cousin prefer to manage her condition without spinal surgery (pdf) (removing some posterior bony tissue of the spine), physical therapy including in the form of Pilates should help alleviate her pain. This is because Pilates has plenty movements that flex the spine so it will be an excellent therapy to reduce the symptoms of spinal stenosis and curb its progression.

Contrary to slipped (herniated) disc (which can be treated by physical therapists with lots of spinal extension exercises that decompress disc space), patients with spinal stenosis may benefit from flexion exercises, such as assisted roll-up, roll-up, rolling, seal, roll-over, spine stretch and so on. However instructors need to take note that the patient's range of motion will be reduced and has to avoid extension exercises such as prone press up, swan dive, single & double leg kicks which will only intensify the problem by futher decreasing the size of the spinal canal. That's why it is always essential to advise your clients who suffer from moderate to severe back pain to consult medical professionals (if they haven't done so!!) to obtain a proper diagnosis before prescribing them a suitable exercise program.

Hope you can share your teaching experience in the comment portion if you have previously trained clients with spinal stenosis. I think it would be fun to discuss and explore how we can better train clients with special conditions.

Public Talk - Health in Golden Years

I will be giving a public talk next week, details as follows:

OCBC Wealth Management - Enjoying Good Health and Wealth in Your Golden Years

We may be living longer, but are we financially and physically fit to ensure our retirement years are happy? Recently, changes were announced to the CPF scheme aimed at improving returns on CPF savings and providing for a more secure retirement.

Our speaker, Ms. Anne Tay, will touch on these changes and explain how they will affect you. She will also provide some guidance on how you can build a nest-egg to help fund your golden years.

On a lighter note, fitness consultant, Ms. Teresa Shiu, will offer some useful tips on how you can stay healthy so that you can enjoy your hard earned savings once you retire. So make it a point to attend our seminar to find out how you can enjoy financial and physical well-being during your golden years.

Date: 03 November 2007 (Saturday)
Time: 3.00pm – 5.30pm; Registration starts at 2.30pm
Venue: Capital Tower (near Tanjong Pagar MRT Station, opposite CPF Bldg)
168 Robinson Rd, Auditorium (9th Floor)

Please fax the completed registration form to 6530 4430 or email your particulars to Wealth_Mgmt@ocbc.com and state subject title as 'WM Seminar'.

Guest Speakers
Ms Anne Tay, Vice President, OCBC Bank
Ms Teresa Shiu, Fitness Consultant