3 Simple Qigong Exercises

Qigong shares the same slow, meditative movement as Tai Chi. Give these 3 simple Qigong Exercises a try. They are easy enough to follow along in the video.

Are you an overdoer?

Master the art of pacing and you'll be able to get more done without flaring up. Just click here to see how to change your daily routine and feel better.

Too busy to meditate?

Meditation can be productive in as little as one-minute increments. Don't believe me? Watch this 5-minute video to learn the technique.

How Meditation Works

I've been looking for a video that talks about how meditation works. This one is not scientific by any means, but does a nice job of explaining the benefits of meditation using a Rubik's Cube of all things.

The Power of Gentle Movement

Gentle exercise is an essential part of any chronic pain treatment plan. Here is a simple Tai Chi sequence that can be done in sitting or standing. When first starting out with any new form of exercise, I recommend that you do half as much as you think you can.

A Broken Body

Sometimes coping with chronic pain means completely letting go of the life we think we should be living. Watch this Olympic-hopeful tell her inspirational story. You may need some Kleenex for this one.

The single best thing we can do for our health...

Sometimes the best medicine for a chronic condition is not medicine at all. Take a look at this 9-minute video.

Chair Yoga

I was very excited to come across this handout that shows how a chair can be used for seated and standing yoga.  The pictures are very clear and each pose identifies medical conditions (for example, spinal stenosis or hip replacement) where you need to proceed with caution.

Seated and Standing Yoga with a Chair (handout)

Exercises for repetitive strain injuries

The UC Santa Barbara Ergonomics Program has an excellent handout on stretching exercises to prevent and treat repetitive strain injuries.  I think the same exercises work very well for chronic pain in general.  Here's the link to the handout that can be downloaded as a pdf.

Stretching Exercises (Handout)

Gentle Chair Yoga

Gentle yoga is another form of exercise that works well for people with chronic pain.  In this 13 minute video, Jessica Hatchett does a nice job of demonstrating yoga in a chair.

Tai Chi for Health and Relaxation

I'm always on the lookout for gentle exercises that work for people with chronic pain.  Fortunately there are many options including Tai Chi.  This form of Chinese exercise is so slow and gentle that it is often called, "moving meditation."  Here is Part 1 - 5 Minute Tai Chi for Health and Relaxation.

And here is Part 2.  I appreciate that Dr. Lam demonstrates both the standing and seated movements.

Is it really possible to "think your pain away?"  More on Dr. Mackey's research in this Discovery Channel video.  (Note: this link will open in a new window)

Discovery Channel: Human Body - Pushing The Limits March 2008

What does the brain have to do with chronic pain?  Apparently a lot.  In this video, you'll hear from Sean Mackey, MD, PhD at Stanford's Neuroscience and Pain Laboratory.  For the first time in medical history, we have the technology to see the connection between pain and the brain and can use this information to teach people how to "turn the volume down" on their pain.

Pain pathways

Sometimes it's hard to communicate exactly what pain pathways look like in the human body.  Using animations that are very well done, this 2 minute video provides an interesting visual image of "pain circuits."  Take a look.

The mystery of chronic pain

In this 8 minute video, Eliot Krane talks about the mystery of chronic pain.  As a pediatrician, anesthesiologist, and pain specialist at Stanford, I think he knows what he is talking about.

What to do about chronic pain in 5 minutes

Do you have 5 minutes to learn more about chronic pain?  Take a look at this video.  If only I could draw that fast!