edgelow exercises other than breathing
 

Hi everyone, I brought the manual to my PT (i ordered the whole edgelow kit) and we began with some of the exercises on the foam roller today. I have been having PT since May, but some of the ones in the protocol are different from what I have been doing and she thinks that they will help. I was surprised how much of a stretch I was getting from the ones we did today. wondering if anyone else has done all of them? thanks!

I didn't know the edgelow therapy used a foam roller.
That's great
I don't recall seeing that before from past posts on Edgelow.

Maybe there is a "do not tell too much about the protocol" in the paperwork ? LOL

I do know Sharon Butler's programs have a "do not disclose or copy/share etc" type clause. Only the person that buys that program can use it. No copies made for others etc.


The advanced PT guy recommended the foam roller use for me.

He said everyone really should be doing this , esp if they do desk work or much repetitive /forward work.

He suggested just the laying on and relaxing - lengthwise on the roll for 15 minutes or so like the sketch I have on my photo profile page.

What are they having you do with the roll?
Some youtube vids show all sorts of rolling across for ribs, legs. back..

While I found that laying (lying?) on the foam roller created a great stretch, it was too high and also too hard on my spine. I have switched to using a rectangular yoga bolster per a suggestion in that Katie Bowman video I have posted about in the past.

I just wanted to throw that out there if anyone was finding the foam roller too uncomfortable to lay (lie?) on, as I did.

Please look at nospam and jkl626's posts about the melt roller. It has the same dimensions, but it is much softer for TOS patients. You can also google it. Your therapist can also try having you lay on a half roller which is the hard roller just cut in half to begin with.

Also if rollers are too firm or too high to deal with , roll up a large bath towel or a blanket to get a much softer version but similar shape.

Also a great starting point for those in pain , is just doing the corpse pose on the floor or bed.

Then slowly work up to a rolled towel and possibly a foam roller in the future.

Baby steps, don't set yourself back by pushing forward too fast.

Yes Edgelow does have the 6' roller as well as pinkie ball, blood pressure cuff,
airbag etc. as props but I don't think it is so much of "Do not tell too much about the protocol", but doing it incorrectly without specialised supervision can result in a lot of pain. Plus everyone can't do everything in his protocol , that is why you haven't seen it in the posts.

Every exercise of Edgelow's, even with the props involves diaphramatic breathing and it comes down to a lot of detail. Essentially first one has to train on the blood pressure cuff for a very controlled diaphramatic breathing so you don't go into pain before you can start his exercises.
It's different for everyone, each person has his /her own range of breathing they can work on and a specialist in edgelow's protocol has to fine tune it for the patient. It takes months for us to progress, but it even a limited range works and keeps the pain in check.

Jo Mar described it exactly the way I moved up to a foam roller. Doing it the Edgelow way flared me immediately. I used a rolled towel for months while simultaneously getting manual therapy. It took probably a year before I could do the 3" roller up my spine.

I agree, getting Manual therapy and Myofascial release simultaneously is the key to be able to do some of the Edgelow Protocol. I wish Peter had recognized the need for that. Only self exercise program doesn't really work for most patients.

I am using the half roller first per my PT
 

Yup! I am using the half roller right now.

how are you liking the Edgelow protocol so far?

Only done it for a couple of days. Have not done breathing CDs yet. But my pt thinks it will help me and this is the protocol that mass gen uses.

I also find the foam roller too high and hard on my lower back. Does the yoga bolster work in the same way - can you lay your entire spine over it just like the roller?

Thanks, but I was actually talking about the melt roller too. While it's much nicer than a regular, it still seems taller/thicker than what I need when I lay facing down on it per Ando's exercise for pushing elevated ribs in.

But I guess my complaint about the spine was about the regular and not the melt which is easier on the body.

The one I have is not long enough. There are two ways to deal with this.

1) In Katie Bowman's "Aligned & Well: From the Shoulders Up" video, she actually rests her butt on the floor and her upper body on the bolster. This works fine actually; I just make sure I do some child pose afterwards to straighten the back out.

2) Lately, I've been putting this buckwheat pillow at the end of it to extend it. My hips rest on it and the rest of my body on the bolster.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001I4TXU/

I originally got it to try as a regular pillow but didn't like it. However, it has now been repurposed.


Here is the bolster I use:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C9KSZQ/

HTH

I know you can purchase the Edgelow kit - but are there PT's trained in the Edgelow method?

Bucky Buckwheat!!! lol too funny!

Yes, but very few and I think most if not all are located in Cali. Try giving Peter Edgelow a call and see if he may know anyone in your area. Otherwise, just take the Protocol to a PT who is willing to learn about it (that's what I did while in NY). Although learning from 2 PT's here in Cali who trained under Peter was a completely different experience.

my PT has been using the kit with me
 

I know that the mass gen PTs are trained in it, but I agree with Parbie that most probably are in CA. I brought it to my PT and she is helping me with using it- she thinks it's very good.