Miranda Esmonde-White - Forever Painless Lasting Relief Through Gentle Movement

C hronic pain can result from many different causes, but once pain becomes chronic, life becomes very difficult. One of the most damaging consequences of pain, whatever its origin, is the tendency to stop moving. We stop moving because it hurts to move, or because we fear that movement will make things worse, or because were too exhausted even to think about moving. But the reality is that being sedentary only worsens chronic pain, and initiates a downward spiral that prevents us from recovering: As we move less, our muscles become weak, our connective tissues stiffen, our posture deteriorates, and our stamina decreases. Consequently, any type of physical activity becomes even more difficult. On the other end of the spectrum, programs that encourage people to push through the pain with repetitive exercises cause muscle strain and inflammation, prolonging chronic pain and making it worse. Soon discouragement sets in.

With her deceptively simple exercise program, Essentrics, Miranda Esmonde-White offers a hopeful alternative for the millions of people who suffer from chronic pain. Essentrics uses a simple technique that can gently interrupt and reverse the cycle of pain and physical deterioration. The beauty of the program is its balance of stretching, strengthening, posture, and cardiovascular work. Most important, it leaves no stone unturned, as every part of the body from the fingers to the toes receives attention, restoring harmony and bringing the body back in tune with itself. The emphasis on relaxing tight muscles while performing whole-body movements allows more and more of the body to participate, as tight and painful areas are able to let go and stop sending pain signals.

In my personal experience of doing Mirandas program for the past three years, I have become noticeably stronger and more flexible, never once experiencing any aggravation of pain the day after a workout. This is significant for me, as I have a long history of chronic pain. For more than twenty years, every physical treatment or exercise I tried either did not work or made the pain worse. But after doing this program, my chronic pain is now gone.

To develop Essentrics, Miranda Esmonde-White used her basic training in classical ballet as a starting point, and supplemented it with conventional physiotherapy, tai chi, and a wide variety of other disciplines she had gleaned from her lifelong studies. In her popular public television series Classical Stretch, which has been on the air since 1999, she is a delightful coach, encouraging and coaxing viewers with grace and humor. Just watching her move so beautifully, when she is well into her sixties, is an inspiration. Now in this book, she explains in detail the rationale underlying her exercise program and how it may benefit anyone who suffers from chronic musculoskeletal pain.

My own research on connective tissue suggests that gentle stretching is an essential part of any treatment protocol for chronic pain, as it reduces inflammation and helps heal injuries. Essentrics exercises are gentle but powerful, and come with the explicit instruction to go slowly and change one cell at a time. This is an especially important point when it comes to working with our connective tissues, also known as fascia, which can easily be injured by excessive or rapid stretching.

I look forward to the day when we will have a research study that measures the effects of Mirandas incredible program. In the meantime, we are fortunate to have this treasure of a book, and it is up to each of us to make use of it.