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Pain Free for Women: The Revolutionary Program for Ending Chronic Pain
“Women today not only deserve but should expect a pain-free, active lifestyle, no matter their age, no matter their previous experience.”
Pain Free for Women
In his famed San Diego clinic, Pete Egoscue has taught women of all ages and from all walks of life how to use the Egoscue Method for safe, effective, and permanent relief from chronic pain without prescription painkillers, physical therapy, or invasive surgery. Now he shares his specially adapted “Pain Free” program f
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5 Responses to “Pain Free for Women: The Revolutionary Program for Ending Chronic Pain”
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Review by Chris Rhoads for Pain Free for Women: The Revolutionary Program for Ending Chronic Pain
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Over 3 years ago I had constant shoulder, back, and hip pain. I had already invested in over a dozen books and had come to the conclusion that nothing was ever going to help me – chronic pain was a part of growing older. I also had a difficult time doing the Taijiquan (a martial art) form I was working on because my back was overly curved. On the advice of a friend, I got Egoscue’s first book, Pain Free. After doing the exercises (30 minutes each day) for a few months, wonder of wonder, my curved back relaxed and I was able to sink into the Taijiquan postures I’d been trying to achieve for ten years. But best of all – the pain disappeared. For the first time in years, I didn’t wake up to daily pain in my joints!!!Unfortunately, almost a year ago, I got into a car accident that is still causing me a great deal of pain in my neck and back. I had been doing those same Pain Free exercises from before, but they didn’t seem to be doing much. I decided to purchase this newer book anyway – since it was written specifically for women. I actually didn’t think it would help much and prepared myself for disappointment. Oh MY!! After just a few weeks, once again, I was amazed at the difference. The exercises in this book (and yes, they do take much longer than the simple Pain Free book) were so helpful that I was able to change from a narcotic pain reliever to a non-narcotic pain reliever. Believe me, for someone trying to function- that is a BIG difference. Egoscue is a genius. I have seen many doctors, including so-called pain specialists, and the only thing that has significantly helped me so far is Egoscue exercises. I now do them every day, and can feel the difference in my neck, back, shoulders, hips, knees, ankles, and feet.Even better – this book explains in much more detail than the Pain Free book exactly what’s going on in my muscles and body – so that I can really tell why the exercises are working (or not). Now that I can feel the difference, I can tell when to stop doing one phase and move on to the next. I felt compelled to write this review because I noticed a few negative reviews. The only thing that I can postulate is that 1. The people writing were not committed to the exercises for long enough for them to work, or…2. The people did not really have chronic pain to begin with and therefore no motivation, or….3. The people have something personal against Peter Egoscue (I have never met him, so I wouldn’t know).All I can say is — this book changed my life. I only wish I had read it BEFORE my accident – I suspect that I wouldn’t have gotten so hurt had I been in better “functional” shape prior to getting rear-ended. This book is about prevention, about taking control of your body and making it work the way it was designed to work. If you are a women in chronic pain – believe me – if you do these exercises, you will change your life for the better. Don’t let others disuade you from doing the most that you can for yourself.
Review by Anna for Pain Free for Women: The Revolutionary Program for Ending Chronic Pain
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I first found Egoscue seven years ago when I was experiencing unrelenting pain in my ankle due to a car wreck that had crushed my heel. For ten years I’d lived with the pain — until I started doing the Egoscue exercises. Within a week, the pain disappeared. Ten years of pain — just up and disappeared. I was able to walk without lumbering, walk without wincing every step. As years progressed, I got sloppy and less commited to doing the exercices. As my body got more and more out of alignment, the ankle pain returned WITH excruciating hip pain. This pain was so bad that I couldn’t get to the bathroom without lunging to the next piece of furniture, couldn’t stand at the sink to grate a carrot. I was popping aspirin like they were m&m’s. I went back to the book, did the hip menu and, within seventy-two hours the pain completely disappeared. Another couple of years passed, and I again got lazy and stopped doing the excercises. This time, it was the searing pain of sciatica that grounded me. This pain was so bad that I would scream out as I tried to pull myself out of the bed. This was evil pain that wouldn’t go away. Lamenting to a friend (whom I had introduced to Egoscue!) about the pain I was in, I was surprised to hear that her husband had gone to the Egoscue clinic for the exact same sciatic pain. She shared his menu with me and — I am almost embarrassed to say it — the pain disappeared after just three days. And stayed away until I quit doing the exercises. (I am, if nothing else, an exceedingly slow learner.) Pete’s program has brought me back from debilitating pain THREE separate times. I think I finally get it. The Egoscue method works when you work it. It has been a miracle cure for me three times. Yes, it takes a long time to do the menus. Yes, it’s really boring to lie on the floor for that long. And yes, it’s SO worth it to finally feel GOOD again. Anybody who complains that it’s too much trouble or takes too long simply hasn’t been in the kind of pain I’ve been in. But, when they are, this is a method that has never failed to fix what ails me.
Review by R. Mathes for Pain Free for Women: The Revolutionary Program for Ending Chronic Pain
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regarding the reviewer who wrote that it takes 3 hours to perform a menu, he or she has misinterpreted something from the book. Static back is recommended for 5 minutes, not 30. Supine Groin Progressive is a long ecise, but for people who are in intense pain (especially intense low back pain) it is a life saver. Even so, at the most it takes a little less than an hour, not 45 minutes a side. and that’s when first starting. after the body begins to adjust, this ecise can be completed in less than 30 minutes.
The average ‘menu’ takes less than an hour and to my knowledge there is not a menu in the book that takes longer than 90 minutes in total.
There is no question that an investment of time is required to make this program successful, but the amount of time it does take should be accurately portrayed.
Review by for Pain Free for Women: The Revolutionary Program for Ending Chronic Pain
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I had been a suffered of sporadic lower back pain that usually came on when I was asleep. It was so painful that it would wake me up and I would be afraid to move because I knew the pain would be agonizing. I thought that lack of muscle strength was the problem and so I faithfully did abdominal crunches and lower back extensions, but that didn’t help. Rather desperately, I went searching for other answers and stumbled across this book. Pete’s discussion of posture struck a chord in me, so I worked on that and added his restoration exercises. The first phase was too mild to help me, but I noticed an improvement in my pain as I moved on to the second phase. My back pain completely vanished as I moved into the third phase and has not come back. I am truly grateful to be restored to normality. The exercises don’t sound very intensive, but they worked wonders for me – stretching, release, and balance is what I needed, not mere muscle. I would recommend that you *try* these exercises, not just read the reviews or sit in a chair and read the book. Once again, it worked for me, and I’m so grateful. I hope it will work for you.
Review by amazon3131 for Pain Free for Women: The Revolutionary Program for Ending Chronic Pain
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I checked out three of Egoscue and Gittines’ books from the library today. I read “Pain Free for Women” first. I have a few thoughts about it:
Pete Egoscue describes himself as an “anatomical physiologist.” He never claims to be a licensed healthcare provider or a scientist (this last will be painfully obvious to any biologist); instead, his background is more like a personal trainer at the local gym — but one who happens to attract, and have an interest in, people who are recovering from injuries or wanting to prevent them.
Except for the chapter on pregnancy-related exercises, this book is not really just “for Women.” The authors actually go to great lengths in the introductory material to convince the reader that men and women have the same muscles and therefore need the same kinds of balanced, varied exercises. There are also suggestions for exercises that kids might enjoy at the end of the book. (The photos of the kids are absolutely darling.)
Not everyone can, or should, do all of the exercises in this book. This is intended primarily for people who are in basically good health and have no specific problems. As the authors say (read the first two full paragraphs on page 130), if you have pain in a specific spot, then you need to get the plain “Pain Free” book instead of this one.
For example, the time-consuming Supine Groin Stretch that normally takes 45 to 60 minutes is actually done “until your lower back settles into the floor” (page 159 and elsewhere), however long that happens to take. In my case, it takes about three seconds. Unfortunately, then I’m in serious pain and I can’t always get up without help. In particular, I think that people with connective tissue disorders should take seriously the authors’ injunctions against doing anything that hurts.
Having said that, a woman who is in basically good health, and who follows the directions in the book, is unlikely to hurt herself. These are really very common exercises. The suggested “menus” of exercises are combinations of standard physical therapy exercises, Pilates work, yoga positions, and calisthenics. They are pretty gentle, and most of them don’t require much strength or energy — the sort of thing you could do even if you were tired or not feeling very well.
There is really nothing ‘revolutionary’ about anything exercise he suggests, except perhaps his optimism that you will actually DO the exercises, instead of merely thinking about them.
This book will not be helpful for me because of my specific issues, but it may be useful for any man, woman, or teen who is in basically good health. And, as with any exercise program, books are only helpful to the extent that you get out of your chair and do the exercises!