Ankle control for bodily tension

A slight tweak in the ankles might just help you garner the tension necessary to hold pristine form.

The first example would be the first love of every hand balancing initiate. In the frog stand, flexing your ankles will generate more tension in the glutes, allowing you to feel AND control the lower extremities more. Holding/altering the position in midair becomes easier when both the upper (especially those fingers in contact with the ground ) and lower body is tensed into one congruent piece.

Dorsiflexing in a side plank is a must for 3 reasons. There are only 2 points of contact with the ground in the side plank, it is paramount to have that ankle dorsiflexed at a minimum of 90 degrees for the best stable support. Secondly, having that leg by the ankle under tension facilitates the side plank hold as you fatigue. Thirdly, activating and loading the ankle from the side, builds the lateral fascia of the body in it’s entirety , essential in clients who have bow shaped legs (genu varum). Concentrically loaded or locked short muscles from the medial portions of the leg and thigh cause the legs to bow and thus cause elongation on the other (lateral) side.

When the ankles are plantarflexed, it increases glute engagement and renders it more tangibly. This translates to less forward swing when performing a pullup as the posterior muscles hold the legs back. In terms of fascia lines, dorsiflexing will make the abdominals and the whole front (anterior) of the body work harder and the glutes less.

Anatomical names and fascial continuity (Part 3)

Anatomical names and fascial continuity (part 1)
Anatomical names and fascial continuity (part 2)

In this last segment, a flap is made with an incision on the glutes, the superficial layers consist of fat globules and below it the fascia profunda. On the deeper undersides of the fascia profunda are fascial connections that seamlessly fuse into the gluteal muscles like a weave. Todd also adds that these fascial connections travel to the depths of the periosteum at microscopic levels.

We observe that the structure of the fascia profunda of the glutes is organized differently from the hamstrings, despite the commonality in the anatomical name. Below in the drawing, there are several faint near vertical lines in the center most section that resemble teeth of the Baleen whale. The fascia profunda in the hamstrings however, consist of broad stringy webs that connect from the superficial layer of the fascia profunda under the epidermis, to the deeper layers of the fascia profunda. It does not visually weave itself to the muscles under the deeper fascia profunda like aforementioned glutes.

We saw the fascia profunda of the hamstring group intact, now we are deep to the fascia profunda, so we are relating from muscle fiber to the deep surface of the fascia profunda. Everyone, i have thought this many times, and i am going to say it this time. When i look at this set of structures, the muscle almost disappears in my mind as far as importance is concerned. Because what i see, what i am looking here, and i have no reason to convince you of anything. I am in the profession of just looking, so as i look here, what really gets my attention is what makes continuity, what is making this surface continuous with what i can’t see yet, so the fascia is whats making continuity, because the muscle will go somewhere and make movement available to a joint and other tissues. But the fascia is going to go as deep as you can possibly imagine it, or i should say, come from as deep as you can possibly imagine it, periosteum of the bone…right? or even microscopic where its gonna be endomysium…okay? So i want everybody to be thinking about the fascia even to the point of where we would need a microscope in order to follow it.

Tom Myers: So around each one of the muscle fibers would be a sarcolemme and around each group of muscle fibers the endomysium and each multi nucleated cell, and then the perimysium allowing the glide, can you see how the fibers are gliding on each other? There are lots of them in there, that is on the perimysium and the epimysium of the muscle in this case is built right into the profundus, that is why i was saying there are exceptions there is a profundus layer but here it is very hard to separate the profundus layer from the layer that goes over the butt muscle.

Now everybody, remember, just like we were saying earlier, i am not trying to include everybody in being in agreeance with me, just that you are going to see the same set of structures functioning similarly no matter where you look at the body. We are talking about the hamstring muscles, and now we are using the model of gluteus maximus and the fascia coming from, through and around the muscle fiber to the deep surface of the profunda, but i have to insist on accuracy in your thought here, remember that the organization is unique to this muscle, so the way we are seeing the fascia organized here is specific to the gluteus maximus, we will not see this exact same pattern if we are to look at the hamstrings at this very same level okay? Its not the same set of structures…not doing the same thing, so again we can’t get lazy and just say fascia profundus connecting everything and now i am conveniently dissecting the fascia profunda of the gluteus maximus and when we get to the hamstrings, i am conveniently dissecting the fascia from the hamstring to the deep surface of the profunda, we cant get lazy like that, we have to always be thinking about treating, understanding, how the tissue is specific to the structures even though they carry the same name… as fascia profunda…or adipose…right?

Anatomical names and fascial continuity (Part 2)

Anatomical names and fascial continuity (part 1)
Anatomical names and fascial continuity (part 3)

In view, is a partial dissection of the fascia profunda at the adductors. The deepest layer of the fascia profunda (point C) progressively gets superficial as it reaches the dermis (point A) that is held away by the hemostat. Like a bridge made of fleshly web, the connection allows the leg to be brought across the bodily mid line ie sitting cross legged. These stringy bits do decrease in frequency well within the region on the left (medial hamstrings) of the hamstrings (point C).

The fascia profunda at the hamstrings (point C) gets more superficial as it reaches skin level at point A of the adductor region.

All 3 points are part of the fascia profunda with the same name, but their organizational structure is different and specific to their function. In reverse, we can call A the adductors, B the iliotibial band and C the hamstrings, but they all share the same deep layer of the fascia called the fascia profunda.

Here, we have a very good example of why we cannot get lazy and just say something one time. So everybody, now we see that the relationship of the hypodermis or the fat relating to the fascia profunda, and all i am wanting to do here everybody, is saying the same thing as i say before. It is the same structures by name, but it is not the same, you can see that when i pull on the tissue, that it is different…right? the fascia profunda here and some of the fascia profunda here too. And because of the partial dissection, we can see the interaction or the continuity of the fascia profunda from deep to superficial. So everybody i am not trying to say this is complicated or it is mysterious or anything like that. I am saying that the tissue is specific to the region it is in, for a specific function for a specific movement. This clearly looks different… it is more broad and thicker and looks to me like it will accommodate movement or make movement more readily available than what we saw in the lateral aspect of the iliotibial band. And now everybody this is common sense because what we are doing is , as i dissect the superficial tissues here, away from the fascia profunda, we are getting more towards the mid line, so coming up on the adductors, the adductor group of muscles make it possible to cross our legs, the lower extremity across mid line, so the fascia has to be different there, the relationship of the tissue has to accommodate more movement, a different kind of movement, so we have seen it right? And that is my responsibility as a teacher, its to point out what you are seeing, it might seem subtle at first but after you have seen it, and you think about it, it really really is quite obvious and very informative. And very unique i think to be aware of changes of tissue types specifically the fascia. - Todd Garcia

Anatomical names and fascial continuity (Part 1)

Anatomical names and fascial continuity (part 2)
Anatomical names and fascial continuity (part 3)

In this 3 part series of posts, i did like to re-examine how we think of anatomy whenever we bring their names to mind. The posts will feature transcribed words of Todd Garcia as he simultaneously dissected and exchanged insights with Tom Myers.

Here, i have omitted any indication that the iliotibial band continues further down the knee into the peroneals, reaching into the outer edge of the foot. But just saying “iliotibial band” in conversation, obscures this continuity concomitantly.

At any point within the region can the iliotibial band be called its name, however the function of it at the knee differs from its function near the gluteals.

Structure changes as it accommodates joints. So it is one thing to say-the iliotibial band …right? The iliotibial band is fairly well known, it is very easy to become a little too complacent or almost lazy. And just simply identify the structure as if it is the same throughout the body. The iliotibial band is just like any other structure, where ever you are touching it, looking at it, it is specific to that set of structures. And this is a really nice image because you can see how the band is changing its function. How the function of the band is going to change, we are approaching the knee, you can see how it is twisting, it is different, you can see how as we approach out here round the head of the fibula, the quadricep is interacting differently here even though we don’t see the muscle yet, the quadricep is interacting differently here as the iliotibial band starts to interact with the very mobile knee joint, so even though we still say iliotibial band, what we want to really take the time in our conversations and be specific about where we are talking about. - Todd Garcia

Movement and fascial adhesions

As Todd Garcia dissected the lateral compartment of the iliotibial band above the knee joint, i saw for myself, the intrinsic relationship between movement or the lack there of and the quality of the tissue. Indeed, the age old adage that “movement is medicine” rings clear even to the bone.

…this lady was active in her life, that is why the tissue separates so quickly and easily. Yes, the scalpel is sharp, yes i am dissecting with great intention, but even still, often what you would see, is the adipose will adhere to the very broad surface of the iliotibial band. Sometimes to make the iliotibial band nice and clear for a model like this, i will have to kind of scrap it off with a scalpel, scrap the adipose off, but you can see with one pass of the dissection here, it is nearly completely clear, that demonstrates that there was good, healthy, natural movement in this tissue. - Todd Garcia

Anatomical patterns

Throughout the Covid Pandemic, the Master dissector of Laboratories Of Anatomical Enlightenment, Todd Garcia, has partnered with the author of Anatomy Trains, Tom Myers. The valuable collaboration has allowed live dissections to be studied over Zoom webinars, all cadavers were unembalmed and treated with the utmost respect for their gift to us. I did like to share some fascinating observations. Several patterns can also be found in nature’s geometry and dinosaurs but i will leave the latter for another article.

Small structures can lead to bigger structures.

The dorsal cavity in the rear starts big at the top and narrows down the canal. The ventral cavity is small from the mouth and throat region but keeps bigger down south.

The dorsal cavity is bigger than the ventral cavity ( mouth and nose ) at head level, progressing down the body, the same dorsal cavity becomes a small canal. In contrast, the small ventral cavity expands into a roomy one below the esophagus, towards the tail end to hold the organs.

The brachial plexus, modest as it seems, branches away from the clavicle area into further nerve trunks, divisions, cords and branches.

Tissues or structures are woven into neighboring areas by fascia and fascial lines.
As Todd tugged on the caude equina (horse tail in Latin) with his hemostat , movement could be seen in the fascial connections down to the anterior sacral foramina. The tissues in those holes (sacral foramina) were squishing back and forth with every rhythmic pull.

The same holds true with the gluteus maximus, pulling on it moves the sactrotuberous ligament inferior to the former structure.

Internally rotating the greater trochanter ( or medially rotating the leg from the hip) causes the piriformis and the obturator internus to stretch (eccentrically load). The sciatica sits inferior to the piriformis and the nerve travels down the back of the leg, interacting with the bicep femoris by fascia.

A line is ever present in the sagittal plane.
At any point down or up the body, there is a line that goes down the mid line of the body. Starting with the brain, nose septum, heart, spinal cord, vagina or urinary meatus in a male. Curiosity got the better of me and i wanted to know if the line travels further south, so looking within the Atlas Of Human Anatomy, the images do confirm this mysterious phenomena. In fact, below the penile shaft lies another line, the scrotum’s septum formed by the dartos fascia.

CNA938 Q&A 30/12/2020

hey friends!

Lance, Melanie and John of CNA938 had me on their last podcast of the year with some great questions from dear listeners about “New Year Resolutions”, solitude vs communal workouts, exercising with knee problems and the big 6 movements everybody needs.

A big shout out to Soo Sien for making this great share happen!

Dollar Cost Averaging the body

In such times we could easily feel like a cork on the tenebrous sea. Fortunately, the remote working climate also permits us unobstructed access to care for ourselves. To have a training space and kitchen readily available within few steps is a rare occurrence isn’t it?

“Spending” time on these non-negotiables, the compounding effects will accrue a healthier body over time. I emphasize consistency and dispassion , as emotions can easily change. In fact workouts that did not score a gold standard might just be the thing our body needed for that day. If we do give up when the rubber meets the road , our plan will inevitably become the next new year resolution. Do the work , stay the course.

Before proceeding , note the sustainability of these new habits. We will try to avoid overreaching beyond what is realistic .

Eat more self prepare meals and less take out a week. 4 out of 7 days are good. These home meals will double up as a buffer against the calories consumed during social meals. Though this is not a license for gluttony or drunkenness on the remaining 3 days. Enjoy the freedom that comes from the discipline that gives you space. Personally , i go very light on salt , sugar and oil once a week for an entire day to reset my taste buds , often our tongues are too adjusted to excessive toppings or processed embellishments that the basics no longer hold joy in themselves.

Eat varieties of fruit and vegetables or make a fruit veg smoothie! Like movement , the body needs vitamins and minerals , even more so if balanced meals have been lacking in the past.

Do a full body workout twice a week with sufficient rest time in between. It would be difficult to go wrong with squatting , bridging , pushing , rows with door and doorknobs etc. Being a couch potato during those rest days will probably make you feel worse. With the ongoing confinement, stretching would be a perfect companion to those hours at the desk.

Self-study/contemplate a movement , be it an easier variation of a pushup e.g. kitchen countertop push up or a half squat, i highly recommend making time to troubleshoot how your body does it. In the former , are your hips sagging as you descend with bending arms because the mind is too focused on the upper torso? Are you dropping too quickly from the fear of uncertainty? A mental association between training and discomfort can cause the trainee to rush a movement, in effort to escape physical activity or even evade responsibility. Logically , workouts do need to be worked out to ascertain what the body is capable of , and i would ensure the tendons and ligaments are seasoned through high repetitions even if the muscles show signs of greater capabilities. It would be wise to cease and focus on other muscle groups if pain comes knocking.

Experiment and establish a sleep routine . I usually switch on an incandescent LED lamp ; E14 200 lumen and dimmable. This serves as a visual suggestion that rest and repose is near at hand and i like how the walls are bathed in warm glow . The next activity involves clenching my whole body into a spasm and progressively releasing into deeper relaxation. Understandably the other basics are needed that is not abstaining from drink 2 hours before bedtime , and refraining from work around the designated sleeping area.

For the journey , here are some timeless words from the Egyptian desert.

Abba Moses the Ethiopian asked Abba Silvanus
”Can a man lay a new foundation everyday?”
The old man said,
"If he works hard, he can lay a new foundation every moment.”

Opening up with the Parathor

Everyday we face the gradual attrition of this silent enemy. Slow yet sure to be at work with the actions we make but most likely with those we neglect. Its compounding effects in partnership with time leaves it no choice but to manifest itself with skewed vanity. But fear not for we shall exorcise the forward slump with THE PARATHOR!

Before we start i did like to highlight some key pointers ,

1) it would be essential to have foundational strength within the spinal muscles with bridges , clasp bridges , superman extensions etc. Tom Myers of Anatomy Trains released several excellent expositions on the spine. In respect to that i am more inclined to use the Parathor as a front-of-body opener and not a mobility drill given that the thoracic vertebrae has a narrower extension capability compared to the lumbar. Using a towel to mitigate stress on the spine is a worthwhile endeavour , keeping in mind the irony. A towel increases the height of the contact point thus increasing the steepness and stretch of the parathor when the hands are set in place , pushing upwards towards the sky.

2) The Parathor by nature is a strong stretch , especially for those unaccustomed to the domain of back bending. It is not uncommon to experience difficulty inhaling , or anxiety from the constriction of the upper body. Forcefully take those inhales through the nose , deep exhales will provide a deep stretch in the armpits. Cease and desist if pain is experienced , otherwise the benefits far outweigh the discomfort so have no fear.

We can start with a much gentler variation to warm up the shoulders and the thoracolumbar region. Hang from the bar , walk your feet in the opposite direction you are facing. Spread the legs into a straddle and squeeze the glutes to enjoy a lovely stretch in the hip flexors . To go deeper into the stretch and introduce a mild thoracic extension , push the chest forward , walking the feet forward with pinched shoulder blades.. The chest should be past the shoulders and chinning bar.

Start the Parathor byfacing away from the bar and bending your knees , shift the knees forward and past the toes if necessary . Turn towards the the arm that is reaching for the bar on the other side. Plant your hand on the underside of the bar with the palms up . Point your chest to the sky and try to get the other hand in place without turning your head ( turning the head to the other free hand initiates the stretch ).

For those seeking a deeper front line opening , try walking your feet closer to yourself. Or pressing harder on the underside of the bar with your palms.

Pelvic Floor Exercises

The Levator Ani aka pelvic floor consists of the Puborectalis , Iliococcygeus , Pubococcygeus and the Coccygeus . Like a hammock supporting the all the lovely innards above , I wouldn't exclude its vital role when accessing a woman's kyphotic curve and her personal sense of self. Strengthening the posterior chain , opening up the front line along with those hip flexors are great but working the pie completes the picture !

Activate the bottom quadrants

Lying down , face up , flatten your lower back into the ground , bite the left butt cheek into the ground , the right knee will elevate slightly off the ground. 

Repeat with other cheek , check for difference in strength or recruitment ability.

Activate the upper quadrants

Lie down , face up , close your eyes , gently look to the left without turning your head , with mental focus , clench the top left quadrant close to the pubic mound. Repeat on the other side. You might feel your hips twisting to the quadrant you are activating and that is okay. Learn to minimize that as you get stronger.

To work all 4 quadrants

Or use it as a whole . Imagine holding a cherry by the stem with the pelvic floor on the inhale, picking it up on the exhale , feel the lift of the pelvic floor .. Holding the clench with a lift of the pelvic floor on the exhale is one option , the other involves holding it up along with the breath on the inhale and only releasing ( both pelvic floor and breath ) on the exhale. As you get familiar , it is now time to breath in and out smoothly with maintaining the lifted hold of the pelvic floor.

Combining pelvic floor work with dynamic movement works too , especially back bridges with hips thrusting off the ground with entire pelvic floor braced. I have tried this with squats , pullups , chin ups . Its all good and I enjoy trying to recruit those muscles after a prolonged periods of sitting. 

Release methods

If there is ever an overt tightness of the posterior pelvic floor , you can try these methods that have worked for me. However , there are cases of the pelvic floor being too tight , accessing if it is too high or low is beyond the scope of this article and seeking a Rolfer who does body reading could help.

Use the vertical seam as a guideline. Place the therapy ball between the anal opening and the sitz bones , rest into it.

Here I use a foam roller , sitting on the edge brings the opposite end up , I push it down with the hand to increase the point of contact where the arrow on the roller is .

Here we can see Acro Yoga practitioners Brenda and Dek in the throne pose. 

Here the weight of Brenda's body travels down and Dek's feet works as the resisting force pushing upwards just as the methods above. The position of his heels could alter the intensity of the stretch in the External Anal Spinector. A firm grip from the toes as a pivot and a slight rotation of the heels away from EAS does that.

References & further reading

Atlas Of Human Anatomy - Frank H. Netter - Plate 338

The Fine Art Of Pompoir : The ultimate guide to pelvic floor fitness - D.A. Da Costa

Balancing The Pelvis DVD Series - Anatomy trains , Tom Myers

The Pregnancy Survival Guide - Bellies Inc

https://www.facebook.com/acrowithdekandbren/

Reversing Hades part 3

There are 2 notable fitness figures to whom I'm immensely grateful for - Al and his brother Danny Kavadlo. From them I learnt that regardless of one's genetic disposition , the body's underpinnings could be nurtured with compound movements. 

Right above the salon was Kinokuniya , Singapore's biggest bookshop. I wanted to explore ways to train my core preferably with my body as resistance . One real skinny book stood out amongst the rest in the fitness department , its title " the naked warrior" by Pavel Tsatsouline suggested something minimalist , something raw. Accordingly I searched for it on Amazon and the recommended book other customers bought was" Pushing the limits!" by Al , it had the cover of half his body in clothes and the other in ink , captured mid air , perhaps a split second into the explosive pushup .

21st April 2014 , I bought " Pushing the limits! " and got to work the day after, documenting them with an iPhone camera and counter-checking it with the photos of Al onscreen. Paying attention to the details I could perceive in my own body. 

The day I bought the book was also the time I started emailing Al's brother Danny. He had the physique of a Greek hero and I was determined to make what I would call my own. His advise was to check out the chapters on bridge work and do pull ups. By the 1st of May , I attempted bridge progressions now that my gut had healed and inversions did not pose any potential risks.

                                                        Accountability partner on paper

13th May I discovered a chin up bar in Holland Village and took my workouts beyond the comforts of my bedroom.

Over the next year , I juggled between practicing my last haircutting exam and the century test of the PCC. The worlds' first calisthenics certification program in NY. Time had to be made for haircut practice after work and calisthenics training , often I did workout from midnight til 1am. I was that obsessed! One great example of how a flaw could be transmuted into strength in the right context.

June 2015, I arrived in NY for the first time , feeling vulnerable for it was dark and rainy the moment I got off in Manhattan , dressed in ultra thin clothes for the summer (swimming trunks in luggage) when it was in fact REALLY cold. 

Days later I arrived at the SOHO strength lab , and together we smashed our "firsts" throughout the next 3 days. As of now , one of the major mental tattoos I have imbued deeply into my heart and mind would be the experience of the PCC , in general I have never really felt safe where ever but here there was no threat of the noose on how other perceived the way I perceived myself. It was congruent , the environment set up felt safe emotionally and mentally. We supported each other with the assistance of the trainers. But deep down I knew life was transient , or maybe instead of seeking this , I could recreate it whoever I was with. 

                                             PCC comrades Adrienne Harvey on the left and Magnus on the right.                                                               Photos by John Du Cane

I passed the century test and got myself certified as an instructor but a choice had to be made since I passed my haircutting exam a week before. Life had been kind enough to place bumpers on my life's journey, just the right amount to keep me on track and for that I'm blessed. 

                                                                                           From books to flesh with Danny & Al.

                                                                                                            June 5-7th 2015

Carl Jung once wrote " We all walk in shoes too small " , indeed the time was ripe for the new vocatus. Dependence on hearth would too easily tangle with the fear of stepping out into a  larger life . Could I not try living the question I not try to live? NO! A letter of resignation was submitted a day after I returned and since then been committed to creating a safe haven for bodies to be restored with calisthenics, meeting them halfway , as Beatrice was to Dante in his masterpiece "La Divina Commedia" , never usurping personal responsibility but guiding.

Thank you for making the time dear reader :)

                            21 months of calisthenics and healthy.
                                       28th December 2015

Reversing Hades part 2

With closed eyes and whatever savings I had left , scribbled an illegible signature. Such an expensive gamble with no guarantees in the clause , I paid for membership and PT at Pure Fitness - the swanky new gym across the street at Knights Bridge.

It was just weeks before that it happened, a daily duty lead to this health fiasco. I remember reaching out for a pump of shampoo, twisting at the hip simultaneously to assist made my legs disconnect from my torso. As if the signal was abruptly cut. What saved me from collapsing were the towel shelves behind me, these stoic pieces of furniture are indispensable, never complaining about the wet hands that touch them throughout the day. Anyway, they house the towels used to dry and wrap the heads of our dear clients. Even the best hair salons and hair cutters cannot function without clean towels and water.

An hour later, a throbbing pain pulsated in my hip without ceasing. The pain persisted for 3 hours until a doctor administered a relaxant via injection. And when i was discharged, everything in life felt like a zero sum game bent on failure, more financial losses as well as career prospects. How was I going to sustain my job washing heads at the basin with a body in this current state? A kind colleague brought his swivel chair to the basin in hopes of alleviating labor but the mechanics worked further against me, i was now further from the basin and had to bend even lower,. Never to say , I ditched it.

I worked out 3x a week with Dave , an ex-commando from the Singapore Armed Forces  Plus on a social level , I was even showered with compliments from colleagues at work and friends.

Within a month , we completed the 15 sessions and I was finally separated from the womb, with all workouts spoon fed to me being on my own in this iron jungle. But such is the transitory nature of life and many times I did arrive in the gym with excitement only to be clueless as to what my workout should be.
 

L)28th Sep'12 - 1st week of training , note the imbalance in the left shoulder, rotation of ribcage evident in the abs/obliques , as well as the lesser developed left pec relative to the right (from your view) , something I tried to correct through Jungian depth psychology.

M)5th Oct'12 - 2nd week

R)27th Oct'12 - 5th week

1)5th Oct'12 - 2nd week , rubber band snake fed with whey protein , given to me by Adrian , he hoped for me to getting better from all the weight I lost in hospital. At this point I was still eating trashy mass cooked food so protein shakes were a "healthier" addition.

2)14th Oct'12 - 3rd week

3)20th Oct'12 - 4th week,

4)27th Oct'12 - 5th week

20th Oct'12 - 4th week

Then one day it all came crashing down ,I benched pressed several times a week , and left the gym with a treacle like sensation in the neck. Foam rolling - check , dry needling - check , trigger point therapy - check , all good but at best provided only hours of provisional relief . Shortly after, I developed gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and gastritis from the consumption of pain-killers prescribed by a GP for a bone spur in my palm.

On the bed with napalm in my gut, I found tarry stools in the loo .  With nothing left to lose, I cancelled my gym membership. A client from the salon later recommended a friend that could help me, Nelson Chong, from the Functional Training Institute. At this point, my trapezius and scapular muscles felt a dull ache for almost the whole day, except when i was asleep. what followed was an episode of buzzing that radiated down my arm 24/7. FTI’s system of trigger point therapy and functional strength training greatly accelerated my progress in pain management. Another colleague of theirs did a session of gentle neck traction that solved the buzzing in my arm, on hindsight, it was a pinched nerve. I was keen on learning about fascial lines and anatomy, David ( the functional strength trainer I was under ) always took the time to explain whatever anatomy was involved whenever we did the exercises. It was him and FTI that introduced me to Anatomy Trains by Tom Myers, a manual that would eventually contribute to my career as a trainer in no small way.

In the next and final chapter , I meet my heroes. Stay with me.

Reversing Hades part 1

Knuckles whiten...pale crescents appear as my fist forms a death grip. I trudge away from room 7 , towards the rest area behind velvet curtains...away from the world , not wanting to put my signs of anguish on display. I sit in effort to expiate but the spasm in my butt continues to twist and contort ,showing no mercy to its owner.

Before this , life was pretty much centered around the salon , I had dreams of being a hairdresser in Asia's most expensive salon , spending most of my after work hours hustling by practicing on my friends. Dinners were always late and food was a no-brainer , often settling for the most economical choice - Cai fan or a plate full of inflammatory goodness from Lucky Plaza.

As you most likely guessed , it all added up...and the levee was broken.

I got anxious not understanding the drama that was taking stage in my body , was it the hours of standing or my inclination to sit cross legged with the guitar , for now , it didn't matter, I needed medical attention and for that reason , my manager was notified and I got my best friend and trainee doctor at that time Nicodemus to meet me at SGH.

After what seemed like hours of waiting, the nurse administered a relaxant to my left glute. Trouser change was a joke when one half of the party refuses to corporate in sedation . The next day an MRI was done , and results revealed disc degeneration in my cervical area and some spurs. Queer , but I took comfort, now knowing it was this condition that was causing such a riot in my thoracic region and neck.

Wheel chair joyride around SGH with big man Adrian.

By the 7th day , it was time for home. I remember vividly telling my mum to wait while I visited the loo. Not only were my stools tarry but I felt queasy in the gut. Brushing it aside , I was more than happy to leave the hospital and cared less.

Omeprazole - designed to protect the stomach before an NSAID is consumed did not work for me , the daily ingestion of Ibuprofen had corroded my stomach and those core muscles were now reduced to nothing . The next morning I took a taxi down to the hospital ward . They apologized and explained they could not help me , suggesting instead to  take a queue number by the A&E , no way was I going back there again. Yup , more pain and anxiety generously served on the platter . Not only was I nauseous and retching , I could not eat , or hold my body upright . so I slept the pain away , sometimes up to 18 hours a day , body now stiff as a coffin , so stiff in the joints I could not descend the stairway.