What Does A Rossiter Workout Feel Like?

Let's imagine you have pain in your elbow, forearm, or hand. 

Maybe you don't have to imagine!

It's been there a while, maybe started as just some tightness or a dull ache from time to time. You rub it, maybe ice it. Maybe you even have massage, or many massages, which helped. But you can't get massage every day and the pain has gotten worse. You have so much work to do in the garden, but it hurts! You have to practice the trombone, but it hurts! Washing that cast iron skillet is just so much more difficult since you need two hands to pick it up and turn it over to rinse. You can't pick up the milk carton with one hand anymore. You even have some trouble turning the door knob. Definitely cannot open that new jar of tomato sauce! And what's worse, since you use your other hand more, it's starting to hurt too!

You could go see your doctor, maybe you should or maybe you have? Maybe your doctor suggested you have a shot of cortisone to see if that will help. Many do. It is certainly understandable, because you just want to get rid of the pain and go about doing the things you love to do! However, you think there might be some other options and decline the cortisone (good decision, I say.)

If you have decided against the cortisone treatment, you likely have googled other options. Perhaps you have heard of The Rossiter System from a friend, or learned about it on-line. It seems like a hopeful option (it definitely is!) You can read more about how The Rossiter System works here.

You contact a Rossiter coach and schedule an appointment. After filling out a medical history form (confidential, of course) and discuss in detail the specifics of your pain, your coach explains what will happen next. It seems somewhat complicated but she assures you she will guide you through it each step of the way.

She asks you to lie on your back on a mat on the floor. Your arm positioned alongside your body, palm up. She stands on a small stand, holds a pole for balance and lightly lays her foot on your forearm. Initially it feels like massage with a foot as she searches for the 'hot spot'. Then she finds it. and you tighten up and flinch, maybe grimace a bit. She seems delighted! You, however, are a bit skeptical, anxious about the pain. But she eases up and tells you what will happen next. She slowly increases the weight, reminding you to breath and relax. It hurts, but strangely, it's not so bad, (intense is a good word) as she slowly increases the weight, your eyes seem to pop open. It's your decision how much weight to accept, how 'intense' you want it and at that point, you say "stop there" and that is where she maintains the weight. She then guides you in what is called a lock (explained fully beforehand) and asks you to reach, reach, reach and stretch, slowly and deliberately, move the fingers and hands as far as you can go. It's hard work! It's like the big stretch you sometimes do when you yawn, the stretch a cat may do after waking from a nap. 10 seconds, maybe a little more and then she tells you to relax as she lightens up. Once or twice more, whew!

After the workout, she asks you to stand up and walk a little. She asks you to compare the difference, how does it feel? Move your arm around, what has changed from before? How does it compare with the other arm?

Awareness is important.

You probably feel some some good differences, changes that give you hope. Everyone describes it in their own way, but it definitely is relief, likely less pain or no pain. Some people experience relief after a day or so, or after another workout or two. This depends on how long you've had pain, how many weeks, months, or years of stressing the arm.

There are more workouts for the same arm usually right away. You may decide to come back in a day or two after your body processes the changes (there may be many.)

There is homework too!

1. Be aware: is it better or worse the next day, does it start to hurt again and when? does it hurt when you do certain things or move in particular ways? 
2. Walk.  Walking helps to integrate the changes in your body.  A nice strong walk for 20 minutes is best. Daily if you can.

Body Balance Awareness Tip #3

When I first started this blog I started a body balance awareness series. Awareness of our bodies, as we go about our daily lives, and then adjusting, making small changes, can make a positive affect on how we feel. Here you can read Body Balance awareness tip #1 and tip #2.  Time for tip # 3!

Next time you are standing, cooking, talking to someone, or waiting in line for something, check in with yourself. How you are standing? Many of us find that we stand as this first picture shows. For women especially, that hip sticking out is a perfect "seat" for the little child. Did you know that when you stand like this habitually, that it can adversely affect the low back? When we stand like the first picture, with more weight on the left leg, the fascia, our connective tissue, is pulled from the powerful left Quadriceps (your thigh muscles) around from where it is connected in the right lower back. Over time, it causes an aching or chronic pain in your right lower back.

So, if you find you have chronic low back pain on one side, check your standing posture. Get in the habit of checking and adjusting to stand more evenly as in this 2nd picture.

Here is one way to make adjustments. Stand, evenly weighted on both feet and feel your feet on the floor, really connect with the ground. Bend your knees a bit and rock slightly until you find the comfortable place, where there is ease and less work for your body to hold yourself upright. Try it!

And, if you are already in chronic pain in the low back, you can try Rossiter. There is a workout that can fix that!

Body Balance Awareness Tip #1!

I'm adding a new feature to my blog. Every week or so, I'll add a new Body Balance Awareness Tip. I think often people go about their day with little awareness of how they use their bodies. I've been practicing becoming aware of how my body feels as I do daily activities. For instance, sometimes I sit at the computer, thinking I'm just going to take a moment to check email. 20 minutes later I get up and wonder why I am so sore! I've begun to realize that my quick email check wasn't all that quick and when I sat down I didn't adjust myself to sit for any length of time - I find when I do not pay attention I end up sitting on one half of my butt and my feet are turned and curled inwards.

So, here is Body Balance Awareness Tip #1
Try this while you are at the computer. First, sit evenly on the chair facing the computer squarely, shoulders relaxed and feet flat on the floor. Then, every 20 minutes or so, stop briefly and check in with your body. Start from the feet up (or the other way) Are your feet relaxed and flat on the floor? Are you sitting evenly? or are you crooked with your weight to one side of your hips? Are your shoulders up around your ears? Are you hunched over? Is your head cocked to one side? Just notice and gently shift until you are sitting relaxed while you work, even if you're just doing a quick check of email!