Frequently Asked Questions
How long will it take to feel better?
Everyone is different and has different goals, and depending on other factors in your life, it could take a few days, weeks, or months. Like a growing stock market, there will be ups and downs, but the general trend will be positive.
How frequently should we meet?
Initially once per week, then we will reduce to once every two weeks, then once a month, then once every three months and so on. Even once you are feeling great you might find it useful to get together to address a new challenge or goal.
How difficult are the exercises?
Most exercises require either no effort or only 50% effort. Some of the most effective exercises just require you to lay or stand in a certain position with blocks or towels holding you in place using gravity as our ally. The thing to remember is that every menu is custom, if you can't do something or it is uncomfortable we will simply find a replacement exercise that accomplishes the same goal.
How often do I need to do my exercises?
Every day. We have potentially years of negative postural patterns to reprogram, so reminding your body daily how it should be performing is essential. Once those changes really get locked in we will put you on a maintenance menu which will probably only need to be done about 3 times per week.
what if i am feeling a new sensation or pain after doing my menu?
If something hurts while doing a particular exercise, stop, contact me and we will find a better one for you. But it is very common for people to feel new aches and pains while going through the long term process of modifying their posture. This is because your body must adapt to the changes we are making. Muscles that have been dormant for years are suddenly being asked to do their job, and sometimes they complain. Joints will be repositioned relative to each other causing muscles to either lengthen, shorten, tighten, or loosen. Your body will slowly absorb these changes and the new aches and pains will go away. In general, if the new pain moves closer to the dysfunctional part of your body (which we will identify on your first appointment) then we are making positive progress.
My Doctor says i need surgery, could this possibly be an alternative?
It might be. Let's say a shoulder surgeon is confident they can fix your bursitis. But what caused the bursitis in the first place? A dysfunctional shoulder? Well, how did it become dysfunctional? Why doesn't the other shoulder have bursitis? What if the shoulder is dysfunctional because your hips are chronically out of position due to a lifestyle that includes a lot of sitting activities? Or maybe you have an ankle that you injured a decade ago that still isn't as mobile as it once was; believe it or not, this could affect your shoulder positioning and function. We can often prevent the need for surgery by fixing the root cause of the dysfunction and allow the body to heal itself. In some cases, the damage to the joint might be bad enough that surgery is still required, but by removing the root cause you not only heal from surgery faster, you greatly improve your chances of not needing another surgery down the road.
Can this be a replacement for things like Physical therapy, CHIROPRACTIC, or acupuncturE?
Egoscue therapy is actually completely complimentary to other health practices. By improving your posture, these other practices will be even more effective.
Are virtual appointments as effective as in-Person?
Yes. Meeting virtually has some great advantages, the biggest is probably that I can see the space and objects you have in your home to successfully perform your exercises. I'll help you make sure you are positioned correctly for success from day one. Also, being virtual, I can help you wherever you are located.
Do you accept insurance?
Most insurance companies won't reimburse you because The Egoscue Method is "non-medical". But think about it this way: this work is an investment in yourself and your overall health. Someone once said, "if you pay, you pay attention." This type of therapy is not effective unless you put in the effort, but the effort can pay for itself with a longer and fuller life.
are my posture photos stored securely?
Yes. All of your posture photos are stored securely on Amazon Web Services and only I have access to them.
Will I need special Egoscue equipment?
For the most part we can take advantage of your surroundings, using things like chairs, benches, sofas, pillows, and towels. Depending on your diagnosis, we might get even better results by incorporating a slant board, Egoscue tower, or prism glasses, which I can help you to find.