It’s amazing how much money is spent on treating pain. If you read my last blog entry (Advice For People Experiencing Back Pain) you know Americans spend $50 billion per year addressing lower back pain alone. Throw in the amount of money spent by knee and shoulder pain suffers, and you’re easily talking about $100 billion in annual spending.

What if I told you could ease lower back discomfort, relax sore neck and shoulder tension, alleviate hip and hamstring tightness, and sooth aching feet and knees, all for under $25. Like most people, you’d be skeptical, but trust me when I tell you that it’s possible.

Look over to the right of this blog post… see that funny-looking ball-in-a-sock-connected-to-a-handle thing? That’s the Spot-On Pain Reliever™, the simplest and most affordable pain management tool available on the market today. Developed by yours truly, I created the Spot-On Pain Reliever because I regularly saw patients who could benefit from self-massage, but who regularly scoffed at the idea of using a standard issue tennis ball at home as a hands-free self-massager.

The Spot-On Pain Reliever — which is so simplistic in its design and use that I’m often blown away that someone else didn’t think of it first — is the ultimate hands-free self-massager. Unlike The Stick, the Theracane, or foam rollers, the Spot-On is entirely hands-free and costs anywhere from one-third to one-half as much.

Like teeth, our muscles, nerves, and circulatory system like to be brushed and flossed (in a manner of speaking of course), and that’s exactly what the Spot-On Pain Reliever does. By getting into hard-to-reach spots that other so-called self-massagers cannot reach or reach as effectively, the Spot-On promotes good circulation, releases endorphins, relaxes tight and uncomfortable muscles, and allows us to learn cause and effect (i.e., if I massage myself in this way, this is what happens, and, this is what happens over time).

If you’re looking for the benefits of massage without the expense, along with a way to experience instant relief with little to no effort, check out the Spot-On Pain Reliever…. the funny-looking ball-in-a-sock-connected-to-a-handle thing that really works!

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If you experience back pain, you’re not alone. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), American’s spend around $50 billion each year addressing lower back pain, which the NIH says is the most common cause of job-related disability and the leading contributor to missed days of work.

Most people don’t know this, but the vast majority of back pain can be treated without surgery. I can’t begin to tell you how many of my clients sought me out for a second opinion to a doctor or surgeon who recommended surgery, and after meeting with me and following my advice, went on to live pain- and surgery-free lives.

Many lower back pain issues can be successfully addressed by working to restore proper function and strength to the back, which ultimately – when done correctly – prevents the recurrence of injury. In my DVD, Lower Back Basics, I show back pain sufferers how taking care of their back has never been easier. The 12 different therapeutically designed stretches and exercises I’ve chosen to focus on in the DVD require minimal space to perform, promote flexibility and comfort, and put back pain sufferers in a better position to free themselves from lower back pain and the expense of surgery.

Although simple to perform, back strengthening stretches and exercises like mine are complemented by a focused coordination of the breath, which has a significantly positive effect on the stress aspect of lower back problems and is the road into strengthen core muscles. Since lower back problems almost always have an element of compression, the question becomes, how to counter the compression.

If you’re looking for advice for dealing with back pain, and surgery is an option you’re seriously considering, take the time first to watch my DVD on combating lower back pain and give my exercises a try. What do you have to lose, aside of course from thousands of dollars in hospital bills and an untold number of days of missed work and a lack of physical freedom.

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For triathletes, there’s no bigger day than October 10, 2009, when 1,800 of the sport’s most compelling athletes get together to compete in the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. To get to the starting line, participants must receive one of 200 spots through a lottery system or — like my client Michellie Jones — earn one of 1,600 coveted qualifying spots at one of the 29 Ironman qualifying events held throughout the world.

Michellie (pronounced muh-KAY-lee) knows that qualifying for the Ironman World Championship is easier said than done (as is competing against and beating the best triathletes on the largest triathlon stage in the world). More than just a qualifier, Michellie won the 2006 Ironman World Champion title, and finished second in 2005. A few years earlier, in 2000 at the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, Michellie earned a Silver medal in the triathlon, which goes nicely with the two Gold medals she earned in 1992 and 1993 at the ITU World Championships.

As you can see, Michellie knows a thing or two about competing in and winning triathlons. She also understands that massage therapy is a vital part of the intensive training that makes a champion, and she is not alone. The demand for my therapeutic massage services has brought me seven other Ironman World Champions to work on, including:

• Mark Allen, 6-time winner of Ironman Hawaii
• Paula Newby Frasier, an 8-time winner of Ironman Hawaii
• Greg Welch, the first non-American male winner of Ironman Hawaii
• Heather Fuhr, 5-time Ironman USA winner
• Peter Reid, 3-time winner of Ironman Hawaii
• Lori Bowden, 2-time winner of Ironman Hawaii

Collectively, triathletes I have worked on during the last quarter century have won 20 Ironman World Championships and countless other Ironman events all across the globe. One thing all of these clients have long recognized is the importance of including a flexibility regime in their training program.

Part of my work with athletes like Michellie is to assist them in personalizing their stretching routines. I have been involved in the Ironman race in one capacity or another since the mid-80’s and know that stretching and flexibility training can provide the edge that separates winners from everyone else.

Michellie Jones is a dominant, classy, and timeless world champion. Good luck Michellie, and thanks for letting me be a part of your Ironman World Championship preparation.

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For the last nine years or so, I have been fortunate enough to have a clinic in Mexico City, Mexico, where I perform injury rehabilitation massage work along with stretching and flexibility training. I travel to Mexico once or twice a year and even have plans to work there for a week at the end of May.

Over the past few days, however, as news of swine flu (i.e., swine influenza & A/H1N1 infection) has spread, along with the incidence of infection, I have become very concerned about my patients and friends in Mexico City and have started to question even my own travel plans. Although I love my work and clients in Mexico, with two little children at home in California, I’m not sure if it is worth the risk.

Although I am usually the first one to say body work can help in almost every situation, I am sorry to say that it does not help when you present symptoms associated with the flu. Instead, massage tends to over-stimulate toxins and exacerbate the symptoms related with influenza. So, what do you do to get some relief when you have the flu? Here are some suggestions:

1. Contact you doctor immediately and follow his or her instructions.
2. Then, if you doctor agrees:

• Soak your body for at least 15 minutes in a warm bath with mineral salts (this will help draw toxins out so that the immune system can attack them head on).
• Sleep as much as you can (seriously, this allows the immune system to do its work).
• Drink lots of fluids (especially water, healthy juices, and herbal tea — all of which generally tend to help flush toxins out of the body).

To learn more about swine influenza and the A/H1N1 infection, visit the World Health Organization’s Epidemic and Pandemic Alert and Response webpage, and if you’re thinking of traveling during the outbreak like I am, be sure to visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Travel Notices webpage.

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You wouldn’t know it to look at me today but back in the late 1970s, I played on my high school football team. What’s more, I played on the same team as Hall of Fame NFL quarterback John Elway, who by the way, probably wouldn’t have passed Chemistry if it weren’t for me.

My point in sharing this is that Elway recently returned to my high school (Granada Hills Charter High School) in Southern California to tape an episode of ESPN’s new reality show, “Homecoming,” which features A-list athletes participating in one-on-one interviews with noted sports journalist Rick Reilly.

I have great memories of playing high school sports and studying alongside the likes of Super Bowl MVP John Elway. I’ve become older and wiser, I’ve often reflected on just how lucky I was to know someone like Elway before he became a household name.

Many of the high performance athletes I treat through my kinesiology practice are household names in their sports as well, but the moment they enter one of my two clinics, they’re just like everyone else I see… they’re experiencing lower back pain and need immediate and long-term relief; or, they’ve suffered an injury and wonder if I can save them from going under the knife. You see, it doesn’t matter if you’re John Elway or John Smith… we all hurt in similar ways, and we all deserve the best possible treatment at an affordable price, which is exactly what I offer—along with a ton of education—for each and every one of my clients.

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If you watch today’s 95th edition of the Rose Bowl football game (5:10 P.M. ET, on ABC), you might see USC Kicker Jordan Congdon, a young man whose athletic performance has improved from an overhaul in his biomechanics.

Jordan and I met in the early part of 2008 when he came to my Solana Beach, California clinic to see what my team and I could do help him kick pain-free. After resolving a couple of chronic injuries—one to his inner groin, and another to his lower back—I helped Jordan reorient his kicking mechanics, which resulted in both pain-free kicking and an extra five to seven yards tacked onto the end of each of his kicks.

As it turned out, Jordan had been kicking in pain for most of his high school and college career, and it wasn’t until we worked on his biomechanics—which is something I do quite often for high-performance athletes—that Jordan truly realized the joys of playing football.

If you’re unfamiliar with him, Jordan Congdon originally signed with the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers’ and was named to freshman All-American teams selected by the Football Writers Association of America, ESPN.com and Rivals.com. Previously, in 2004, Jordan was honored with a high school All-American selection, and later went on to tie the University of Nebraska’s record for most field goals in a single season (19) and ranked first in the nation among freshman kickers in field goal accuracy. In December of 2006, Jordan left the University of Nebraska and eventually walked on for Pete Carroll and the USC Trojans.

Here’s wishing Jordan and all athletes a safe and productive New Year. If you’re a high-performance athlete (amateur or otherwise), contact my office to see how we can help you with your own biomechanics.

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I don’t know about you but I’m always in the habit of giving thanks for the blessings I receive, especially this holiday season. As you can see from the picture below, my family and I recently welcomed a new addition … a baby boy named Eli.

(Above, from left: our four-year-old, Avery; me, Eli and Nicole)

Suffice to say, Eli and Nicole are both doing really well, and Superman is adjusting just fine to his new role as a big brother.

While my family and I are readjusting to old routines this holidays season (i.e., feeding the baby, changing diapers, making silly baby faces, etc.), for many people the holidays mean taking a break from theirs, including scaling back on stretching and exercising.

There is no doubt that the ‘off-season’ is a great time to recover and reflect on the year gone by. I’m a big believer that strength and long-term recovery happen when you’re relaxed (the body’s relaxation response has a direct effect on regulating hormones and healing deep connective tissues that took a beating throughout the year).

Last year I wrote a short article about the importance of taking care of yourself during the off-season (for more information, check out “Turn on the off-season”). As I say in the article, in the off-season, stretching is a real lifesaver. It’s a great way to stay active, stimulate recovery and encourage relaxation, without having the high breakdown factor associated with full-on exercise.

Regardless of what you choose to do this holiday season, from my family to yours, here’s wishing you and your loved ones a safe and happy time.

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The January 2009 issue of Triathlete Magazine (on newsstands December 9, 2008 -  January 12, 2009) includes an article by Samantha McGlone recommending my stretching DVDs. If you’re unfamiliar with Sam, she’s a professional triathlete who just happens to hold a degree in Kinesiology from McGill University. In 2007, Sam finished in 2nd place at the Ironman Hawaii World Championship, and 2nd at 70.3 World Championships. Because of her accomplishments, Sam was named Triathlete Magazine’s 2007 Triathlete of the Year, and followed that up with a 1st place finish this May at the Wildflower Half Ironman.

From page 162 of the January 2009 issue of Triathlete Magazine:

Brian Dorfman stretching DVDs: If there is one thing we all need to do more of, it is stretching. Brian Dorfman (www.BrianDorfman.com) has designed these short and easy DVDs specifically for triathletes to target all those woefully neglected tight muscles. Twenty minutes a day to Gumby-like flexibility? Sign me up.

Thank you Sam (and the editors of Triathlete Magazine) for the endorsement / exposure. For therapeutic stretches that probably won’t result in Gumby-like flexibility, but will benefit your training, performance and recovery, check out my Flexibility Training DVD.

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One of the things I’m known for is producing and selling a unique line of DVDs and booklets on stretching, flexibility, and injury prevention. For example, my Lower Back Basics DVD guides you through 12 entry-level therapeutic stretches to free you of lower back tension, tightness or pain. Each of my exercises — which are shown in easy-to-follow step-by-step detail — promotes flexibility and comfort and can be performed right in the coziness of your own home.

But what if you feel (pun intended) the need to take your stretching and back pain prevention to the next level? While books and DVDs are fine for some people, others may appreciate or require a more hands-on approach, which is why I offer my services to anyone who can make it out to one of my two California-based Kinesiology clinics where I personally specialize in working on injury rehabilitation and long-term and unresolved cases of pain and discomfort.

If you live in Southern California and can make it out to my Solana Beach Kinesiology Clinic, feel free to inquire about meeting with me in person. The same goes for those of you who live and work in the Central California region (particularly if you’re anywhere near my beautiful Morro Bay Kinesiology Clinic).

For more information about my hands-on clinics, check out my Clinic page.

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