The View from Sports Center

The Power of the Red Dot

I never seem to know where I'm going and that's especially true in a mall. So, I usually head right for a directory. A map. And the map always has a red dot or an arrow pointing to a spot that says, "YOU ARE HERE".

And, more often than not, where I want to be is nowhere near the red dot. It's upstairs, to the left, then down a long hall then turn right again. And by the time I'm upstairs, I have to go find another map.

That's not how I used to do it though. I have my wife to thank for nudging me to find the value in a map. I used to just try to "feel" my way through the mall. I know. Sounds really stupid. But, that's just what seemed natural. "Huh. I thought Dillards was over here?"

But, you can find what you're looking for a lot faster and easier by knowing where you are. Hence, the value of the red dot.

I told you about my shoulder injury a couple of weeks ago. Well, I'm better. A lot better. Christine re-evaluated me last week and my strength is up, motion is up, really all of my numbers looked better. And I feel better.

But, the thing is, really, I just want to go back to what I was doing and I'm tempted by it everyday. Although I know where the red dot is, it doesn't mean I have to like it. It means I have to accept it. I swear that sometimes when I look at the pull up bar, it bends into a wide smile just taunting me. I catch myself thinking, "Ahhh, yeah I could try some pull ups. It'll be ok." Then, sometimes, I shake my head as if I had fleas in my brain to find a sane, rational thought.

So far, I've stuck to the plan. Done my homework. And here are some of the results in about three weeks:

• Abduction strength of the shoulder: increase of 116%
• External rotation strength of the shoulder: increase of 85%
• Strength of the supraspinatus muscle: increase of 148%

Data often serves as a red dot when you're rebuilding some part of you. It tells you where you are relative to where you want or need to be. You can't just go on feeling alone. In my case, some days, I'm not sure how much better I am since I still hurt so without the red dot, I could slip on the glasses of despair and frustration. And when you look through the lens of frustration everyday, that's what you find. You have to look through a different lens. A lens of improvement, possibility and data helps you do that.

Getting better is a process and knowing where you are physically is key. Find the red dot, build a plan, check the map again, keep going. You'll get better.

Photo source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/quasimondo/138297060/

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Did you know I have another book? The Back Pain Toolbox: 27 Things You Can Do to Relieve Low Back Pain. I announced it a couple of months ago with a link that was good for a week. If you missed the download, you can get it here (and this is an e-book; a download only). Feel free to share it with your friends.

How Long Would You Wait?

The Canadian health care system is well known for long waiting periods to have something done like a hip replacement. Here's one person's humorous account of how she beat the system (and, in case the player doesn't work, here's the link).

Shape Shifting

Some people believe you can transform into something else, like an animal, a vampire or a mermaid. It's called shape shifting. I don't believe in shape shifting. It seems as likely as the Pope marrying.

But I do believe in emotional shape shifting. I've experienced it. It's real.

Emotional shape shifting almost always happens after you injure yourself. It seems as if you lose something, a part of your logical, rational, reasonable self gets swallowed up by something unknown and mysterious swimming around in your brain, smiling, licking its lips looking for a logical thought to devour like a hungry eel on the prowl. You make silly decisions like walking around all weekend at a local mall with a painful, swollen knee then wonder why your knee still hurts.  Or, if you're like me, you try a short jog around the neighborhood with a stress fracture in your spine. Yeah. I actually did that.

It doesn't matter what type of injury you have or, who you are or, what you know. At anytime of any day, an otherwise bright person with great common sense shape shifts into a dullard like a werewolf on a full moon. I know. I have lost many good, logical, rational thoughts to the hungry, illogical beast and then find myself spending several days in the hurt locker nursing my wounds.

Knowledge helps but without acceptance, you're doomed. While I was jogging around the neighborhood with my dandy little spine fracture, I willfully disregarded the truth. Why? It was too painful to accept. If I accepted the truth about the injury, I had to give up certain things like basketball and jogging and working out. I would have to limit how much I could sit, traveling would only be to and from work, and it would be several months before I could really be very active at all. I knew these things. I teach these things. But, decisions are made from the heart; not the head. You choose based on emotions then justify with logic.

To control emotional shape shifting, you must do two things: conduct an intellectually honest review of the facts and accept those facts. Reviewing the facts is easy. Accepting them is not.

The facts in my situation were that I had a fracture of my spine, it takes about six to eight weeks for bone to heal, and in the mean time, I would have to stop those activities that made the pain worse. Well, I didn't accept the facts for several years. I fought them; tried to bully my way through or around them. Eventually, the truth won. It usually does. I found that my resistance to accepting the facts was rooted in feeling like I was quitting, giving up, or saying goodbye to some part of my life. But, by accepting the truth, I wasn't quitting or giving up, or saying goodbye. I was just at the starting line.

I know many of you have experienced emotional shape shifting in one way or another and I hope that you can face the truth, accept it and arrive at the starting line of the next phase of your life.

The Next Phase
Last week I mentioned that this would be my last post for The View from Sports Center. The site will continue serving as a resource for people with injuries or over coming a surgery. We have over three hundred articles covering a wide range of topics that people from all over the world discover each day.

And, what will I be doing? Well, good question. I retired from the world of clinical practice and am beginning something else. It's not entirely clear yet and for now, that seems ok. You can catch me at http://www.heartstringsaustin.com - a new "blog for the creative hearts." I'll be writing about writing, music, books, life - stuff that makes me feel alive, happy, and may make you feel that way too.

Cheers and remember....make today count.

Volleyball Anyone?

"Hey - you wanna play?"

"Uhh..volleyball? I don't know...I'm.."

"We could use you. You're tall. Come on. It'll be fun."

I decided against playing and then spent the next hour and a half watching, wishing I had said yes. I wanted to play but feared the outcome. I hadn't played volleyball, beach volleyball, in a long time. I wondered if my spine, knees, ankles could hold up to the pounding. Things like, "What if I fall? What if I twist the wrong way? Maybe my spine will break again? Maybe my knees will swell? Maybe...what if..." and on and on swung through my mind like monkeys through the jungle.  I didn't want to spend the remaining time I had in Cozumel with a cranky back and a pair of whining knees. I had worked too long, too hard, and given up too much to let it all slide away over a volleyball game.

So, I played the next day.

I was lounging under a palapa and another person asked me to play. I looked at the net, then my wife. I had an odd combination of feelings like looking over the edge of a cliff into the deep ocean below and wanting to jump but wondering if the water was deep enough. She said, "You should try it. You might like it." Ellen is usually right - about a lot of things.

I told my sister-in-law that I hadn't played in about ten years. A not so subtle way of saying, "Don't expect much. I'm not very good." My team mates all wanted me on the front line. So, there I was front and center playing beach volleyball in Cozumel, Mexico.

The first few volleys were harmless. The ball sailed way over my head into the second and third rows but then the ball came up in my territory. It was slightly out of reach but I jumped up, reached with my right hand and tapped it into the second row of the other team. The ball came back quickly. I wasn't set but somehow, and I have no clue where this motor pattern is in my head, I jumped up, turned from the left to the right in the air, extended my left arm up and smashed the ball down to the sand with my left hand. My team mates yelled and clapped. I checked to make sure everything was still working. I looked up sort of stunned and shook my head. "Oh, I haven't played in ten years! I'm not really very good!" shouted my sister-in-law with plenty of good natured sarcasm. A lot of people laughed.

I played two games that day and three the next. No problems emerged other than calf and foot muscles complaining about working too hard in the sand. No back pain. No swelling of the knees. Zip.

Fear is an equal opportunity employer. It doesn't care how much you know, how much money you make, how skilled you might be. I was limiting myself because I was afraid of what might happen. I allowed the past to dictate my future. The facts, had I taken the time to list them, were overwhelmingly in my favor of a positive outcome in volleyball. They were:

• I could squat on one leg with my bodyweight plus 20 lbs with good form and no symptoms.
• I could run for 600 yard intervals and up to 10 intervals at a time.
• I could lift 50 lbs. repeatedly without symptoms.
• I could exercise 6 days a week including cardiovascular training and weight training consistently without symptoms and had for over one year.

Ok, so, the bottom line is this; being afraid of something when you are unprepared or incapable is one thing. If your knee hurts walking around the neighborhood or your back hurts when you are reading a book, yes, I would agree that you should wait on beach volleyball.  But when you're afraid because of what has happened before and that it might happen again even though you are capable and you know you are, you're just missing out on your life.

I want to be a player in my life not a spectator of my life. How about you?

You're Just Not That Into You

"I don't do cardio. I just lift weights. You can't see any benefit from cardio - right? I mean really, weight lifting, is worth the hassle. My pants fit better, I look better, you know, I'm fit. I work out for results. Cardio is a waste of my time."

"So, you know that cardio is important for your health though, right?" I asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. But, it's boring and really, I can't tell that it helps me any."

And, how do you feel when you're done with your workout?" I asked.

"Feel? Tired I guess. My back hurts usually but it's not too bad. Just sort of stiff and tight. It's just annoying is all. I figure it's ok as long as I stay fit, right?" he replied.

Maybe his genes will protect him as he ages. Maybe his heart and lungs will continue to function optimally even though he demands less from them day after day. Maybe he won't have a heart attack, or wake up one morning and discover he can't move an arm because he had a stroke in the middle of the night. Maybe over two decades of research is just wrong.

Maybe.

Bottom line, this guy doesn't really care enough about himself to take care of himself. He just wants to look good - whatever that means. He exercises - sort of - but is willing to roll the dice on his health for a marginally toned body.

And, he hurts.

When you hurt during or after exercise and you keep doing it, you're just not that into you. You care more about what you look like, how others perceive you, than how well your mind and body work. You would rather have toned, taut hips or big biceps than a spine that feels good and works even better. You're chasing an image of your self that is not based on a healthy self.

Exercise to get healthy and stay healthy and your appearance will reflect that choice. Take care of your heart and lungs (cardio exercise), your muscles (weight lifting), your brain (balance and coordination exercise), and your mind (meditation, Yoga, Pilates) and you'll look as good as you feel.

Get into you.

Doug Kelsey

What State Are You In?

"Well, that's not how we do it in California. In California, we don't get the keys to the house until the deed has changed to my name. I mean, if I get the keys to the house, and now it's my house but the deed is in the others guys' name, well, something could happen to it. Right? Like what if it catches fire and it's my house but the deed isn't in my name? That's just not how we do it in California. That...that's just not right."

"Well, yes, that may be true but we're not in California. We're in Texas. And, we do things differently here."

Ellen has told me stories like this many times: how her clients moving from another state to Austin wish that the housing prices, contracts, processes, etc. were like what they had in their home state. Sounds very familiar to me. The state you're in determines how things go, doesn't it? If your knee aches, is swollen, hurts climbing stairs, it doesn't matter how badly you would like to be in a different physical state; how you used to be in the state of running condition, basketball condition, skiing condition. You'll even catch yourself saying things like, "I used to be able to run 3 or 5 miles and never had a problem. So, why do I have a problem now?"

Welcome to a new physical state.

But, the good news is that unlike my wife's clients who can wish all they want that they were in California or Florida or Ohio, you, my friend, can change your physical state. It is one of the greatest gifts we have as human beings. We can change our physical, mental, and emotional states and thereby transform ourselves and lives. We can change.

The hardest thing about changing your physical state is that you must first accept it. You have to accept that your knee swells when you walk around the block; that running is simply not possible right now. And, sometimes accepting the state you're in feels like you're quitting or giving up on some part of your life. Well, that doesn't have to be the case. You can let go and hang on at the same time.

There are limits to what you can do, of course, but what I am referring to is not trying to play middle linebacker in the NFL but restore an active, healthy, dynamic, lifestyle that propels you through your life and makes it a full, robust, joyful existence. There is plenty of scientific evidence that strongly suggests, regardless of your age, you can change your physical state and effectively turn back the functional clock several years.

To change your physical state or condition, start by taking a piece of paper and drawing a line down the middle of it. On the left hand side, write down (and for whatever reason, handwriting serves a different function than typing so follow these instructions precisely) your current state. How do you feel in the morning? Mid-day? Evening? How much energy do you have? Do you feel happy most days? Most of each day? Do you have aches and pains? Where are they? When do they show up? What are the things you can't do now that you would love to do? What things can you do easily and what things are difficult? What limits your physical function? Is it pain, stiffness, weakness, balance? Start developing a picture of your current state using present tense language (e.g. I am a 36 year old man, who is tired in the morning, whose right knee feels stiff and aches. I'm 30 lbs. overweight. I use alcohol to wind down at night and caffeine to wind up in the morning. I jog and my knee swells. I cannot play with my kids. I can't go to Fiesta Texas with my kids unless I sit down most of the time. I'm frustrated, pissed off that I can't even work out). When you do this, you may not like what ends up on the paper. That's normal. It is, however, you. The more information you have, the more complete the picture will be.

If you really want to change your physical state, you must know and accept your physical state.

When you finish describing your current state, use the right hand side of the paper to write down what you really want. And, be honest. Spend some time really thinking about it. What's the most important thing for you? What would give you the greatest joy? Your statements might sound like, "I am a 36 year old man who sleeps soundly at night, wakes up feeling good most days. I am physically active, exercising 4 days per week and the only ache or pain I have is from sore muscles from time to time. I can walk for hours, jog 2 miles, play with my kids. My life is rewarding and full."

If you really want to change your physical state, you must know what physical state you want.

When you know what new physical state you want, the path to get there will emerge: the people you need to help you, the knowledge, tools, the time, the money. I'm not sure how this happens but I have seen it happen over and over. One reason for this is that when your intentions are clear, you take different actions. You become more focused and determined so everything downstream from that intention changes. A clear purpose creates a clear path.

Accepting is not quitting. Accepting is not settling. Accepting is starting.

Want to be in a state other than the one you're in? Get started, then.

Doug Kelsey

Find Your Edge

I've been talking to people for the past few weeks. I've spent hours and hours talking to people. People I don't know or don't know very well. People from all walks of life, in all sorts of settings. And, for those of you who know me, you can imagine what a stretch it has been for me, the King of No Chit-Chat Just The Facts, to sit leisurely in a Starbucks and actually start a conversation.

But, turns out, I loved it.

Not at first. At first, I wasn't sure what would come out of my mouth or if I would just say, "Uh-huh" over and over. But, after my first conversation over coffee I fell in love with meeting and talking to people. Imagine that. I'm in the people business and finally I am comfortable talking to people.

Well, that's not totally accurate. I could always talk to anyone if the conversation was in the cozy confines of my consult room with all of my woobies. I'm in control. But, take me outside of that, outside of my comfort zone, and the conversation dried up like a drop of rain on hot, black pavement.

I have an entirely new respect for the power of some of the principles I have written and discussed over the years. Things like Kelsey's First Law of Human Dynamics, No Transformation Without Perturbation, the Power of Repetition, Building a Legacy. Although these principles and ideas eminated from real life experience, from working with people and helping them through their injuries,  that real life was still in my cozy cocoon.

I had the chance to use the things I talk about, on myself. I chose to change my life by facing and moving into the thing that I feared (ok, you can chuckle if you want to about my fear of chit-chat but trust me, you have something too), embracing the perturbation, repeating the positive experiences, and as a result will have something spectacular to pass on to others.

While I'm totally at ease in the consult room, I've learned that many physical therapists are not; they feel like I used to feel about chit-chat. When a person complains of stiffness in the back or neck, or a clicking sound in the knee, a clunk in the hip, the inability to sleep, or pain in the heel while walking, therapists can feel overwhelmed (be honest - how many you reading can really say you know what stiffness means?) and slip into cope mode; find stuff to measure, things to do: analyze posture, measure motion, jiggle a joint, massage a muscle, stretch the hamstrings. Just get busy and do something -  like me with chit-chat. I would find something else, anything else to do because I was just so uncomfortable.

If you're squirming because I just nailed you, just described you in your day, I have some good news for you. Sports Center, the fastest growing (65% over the past six months), largest, and highest ranked independent physical therapy practice in Austin, TX, has an opening for one, only one, physical therapist who wants to tackle his or her fear, walk into the sunshine, and be as comfortable in the exam room and on the lab floor as you are at a party.

It's not easy, it's not your average physical therapy clinic, but who wants to be average?  You will have an unbelievable team of people, incredible tools, a super vibe, awesome music, learn how Sports Center solves a wide range of orthopedic problems, and well, about as much fun as you can have at work.

Progress is not made in your comfort zone but on the very edge; just outside it. Come to Austin and find your edge.

Oh, and, someday I'll tell you why I was talking to all those people and why it was so important for me to do it.  It's very, very, exciting stuff.

Doug Kelsey

P.S. - If you're itching to find your edge, email a one page cover letter explaining why you want to become part of Sports Center's team along with your resume to [email protected].

The Big Chill

As I write this, our practice has been shut down for three days thanks to the unusual appearance of freezing rain in Austin, Texas. A slow moving cold front has drizzled crippling droplets of sleet all over the city. The roads, super slick with a razor thin coating of ice, carry few cars and those that venture out often end up slip-sliding their way into someone else. So, most stay home including me.

The economic impact on Austin will be huge. Nowhere near the impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans, of course, but retail stores, restaurants, hotels, and other service businesses will all feel the financial drain of a few days of ice.

So, as time passes, I find myself wishing that the storm hadn't made its way into Texas; wondering how badly the practice will be hurt by losing three days of business; worrying how it effects those whom we help and those that provide that help.

The Big Chill has my mind frozen in a pattern of wishing, wonder, and worry.

But, it's thawing.

I spoke this morning with my partner, Ryan Smith. We chatted about the nasty weather, our plan for the week, and he asked me what I was doing. I said that I was trying to finish a View but was struggling. I couldn't focus. He said that there must be something I can write about the Big Chill in Austin. And with that, my mind started warming up.

It occurred to me that The Big Chill in my head is a lot like what happens when you have an injury or surgery or discover you have a disease. Your first reaction is often wishing for what used to be; to have things like they were before: no ice storm, a full clinic, people getting better, staff feeling fulfilled. Then you worry about what might happen. Will clients be ok? How much progress will they lose? Can we get the cash flow back in the black? How long will it take? The worry and wonder of a business crisis and an injury follow the same path. And, it's very easy to stay stuck in that cycle of wishing for things past and worrying about things in the future. The longer you stay in the cycle, the longer you stay in the cycle.

To break it, you have to accept the facts; accept reality (here's a great story about the importance of accepting the facts). Our clinic will lose three days of business and our clients will lose three days of care. I can't do anything about it.  No amount of wishing or worrying or wondering will help. We won't go out of business and our clients will not lose all of the gains they have worked so hard to achieve. It just feels that way.

Next, you formulate a plan and act. You find a path framed by possibility. In our case, we can expand our hours, open over the weekend, extend our work week. We can increase our accessibility, give our clients a great experience, get them back on the right track for recovery, and be happy we have the opportunity. They key is action. Decide and then do something. Action is a great antidote to wishing, wonder, and worry.

So, while I'm thawing out in Austin, I hope you find some encouragement in the Big Chill. It's not easy to find the path of possibility but if you keep looking, it will appear. Get on it and stay on it. It's the only way.

Doug Kelsey

PS - Every now and then, we all need an inspirational boost. Our CD on Winning will do exactly that for you. Order here.

What Say You of the Pain of Running?

You barely finish running the 10k, are exhausted and feel so lousy that you have forgotten why you run at all. But, you know this will pass. It always does. And, you know the next time you run, you'll likely feel the same way.

But, you keep running. Even though your back hurts and you look like a crooked stick with legs after the race; even though your heel cord is on fire; even though your eyelids cover most of what you can see from the fog known as fatigue, you keep running.

Maybe you tell yourself that you run to keep your weight under control, or maybe it's a stress reliever, or maybe it's your connection with feeling alive.

But, why do you really keep running? What's the real reason? What do you gain from the pain? Is the pain of not running greater than the pain from running? And, if so, why is that?

When I ask these questions in a consult, what I often hear first is, "I don't know." It pops out of the client's mouth like a piece of toast out of a toaster. And, I know that when I hear that answer so quickly, that the client may know; likely does know. They're just buying some time to figure out what they feel and how to say it.

Clients come to the answer of why they run, as they search for an answer of why they hurt when they run. People come to see us because they hurt. Many believe that something is out of whack, out of alignment; some muscle is weak or some tissue is too tight and if they just get it back in to the right place, all will be well. And, sometimes, that idea, the idea of some unique, one thing that's off, is right; for a time. But, even if you somehow get the "thing" back where it needs to be or, the muscle stronger, or the tendon tougher, has your thinking changed? After all, what you think is what you say; what you say is what you do, what you do is what you get. Will the thinking and behavior that lead up to the problem be the kind that will keep you out of it in the future? Or will history repeat itself? This is the opportunity that comes wrapped inside the package of an injury: to change your life by the way you think and act.

Your performance: your ability to run swiftly, freely, and without constraint, is derived from your potential. Inside you, you have tremendous potential. We all do. But, your performance is less than you would like because of things that reduce or interfere with that potential. Things like fear, doubt, trying too hard, trying to be perfect, anger, frustration and boredom all interfere with your performance. And, where do these things exist? In your mind.

Take out a piece of paper and write down these questions and answer them as honestly as you can. Keep working on it until you have a clear, succinct answer for each one. Pay attention to your emotional reaction as you read the questions and attempt to answer them. The stronger the  reaction, the more you need to think about your answer and the closer you will get to the truth.

• What does running give me that I am not getting anywhere else in my life?
• What would my life be like if I could never run again? Why?
• What do I want from running? Why is it important?
• How do I know when running is running my life?

Some of you will ignore me even though you need to listen. But, for others, you know I'm right. You can feel it. It's that indescribable twinge in the soul, the resonance that comes from the flicker of truth. What say you? What say you of the pain of running? Will you unwrap the present of your injury to discover the hidden gem inside?

Can you do it?

Doug Kelsey

Stiff and Sore: An S.O.S from Your Body

I was catching up on some reading the other day and came across this question posted in the LA Times Fitness section:

"I'm 46 years old,  [male] and in good shape. I jog on a treadmill three times a week for 3 miles and lift weights. But I'm always sore and stiff. Lately I've experienced lower back pain and cannot get up to a full sprint on the basketball court because of hip and groin discomfort. What stretching exercises do you recommend?"

The question you should ask first is why? Why do I feel stiff and sore? Why does my back hurt? It's tempting to assume that the feelings of stiffness and soreness are from tight muscles and what you need is some type of stretching routine. I've fallen victim to the symptom siren. It's easy to do.

The first signal that I had of lower back trouble was stiffness; tightness. I didn't hurt, I was stiff. This was nearly twenty years ago and I missed the message. I was standing on the sidelines of the Hills Fitness Center's basketball court waiting to get in a game. My back started feeling very tight and my hamstrings felt sort of stiff. So, I did what most people would do: stretched. And, stretched, and stretched, and stretched. I bought a special stretching strap that attached to the door and one that wrapped around your feet. I stretched in the morning, before I played basketball, and after I played. But, no matter how much I stretched, my back and legs felt tight especially playing basketball or when I jogged. Sitting was very difficult but at the time I ignored that little buggar as well. By the time I was 40, I had significant back pain, leg pain, and slept fitfully, three to four hours, each night. At the age of 47, I felt like I was 80. I finally decided to do something about it (and, if you're wondering why it took me so long to do something about it, you can read more here).

The first signs of a joint in trouble are stiffness and tightness. Trudging along behind is soreness. When the three of them get together and take a seat at the table of your life, your joint, whether it's your knee, hip, back, or neck, needs help; much more than a simple stretch.

To complicate matters, just because you feel pain in the hip and groin does not mean that the problem is in the hip and groin. Symptoms can stem from the back, specifically the fourth lumbar segment. Conditions such as degenerative joint disease, or disc disease can cause pain in the groin or hip and this pain may get worse with activities such as jogging, walking, or weight lifting. Within the hip region, degenerative joint disease (osteoarthritis), labral tear, bursitis, stress fracture, tendonosis are conditions that can create hip and groin symptoms. This is why stretching when you feel the symptoms of tightness, stiffness, and soreness is rarely effective by itself. You're treating the symptom. It's like replacing a cracked doorframe when the cause of the crack is the uneven foundation of your house. A stress fracture requires a different solution than tendonosis but both conditions could make you feel stiff, tight, and sore.

Remember this: when something feels tight, something's not right. It doesn't mean the first thing you should do is stretch. It means you need to find out why you feel tight; then, what to do about it.


Ciao for now,

Doug Kelsey

PS - Our lecture schedule for the first part of 2007 is available on our website. We're bringing Fat Burning 101 back to the schedule January 16th, 2007. Call 512-206-0433 today to reserve your seat! If you can't make the lecture, you can buy the DVD from our online store.