Experiences with Bernie Falk – Part 2

I don’t have to tell you, the reader, that my life has changed. The methods of Bernie Falk have not only changed my life, but many others as well. Before reviewing my experience, let me first recap my plight, but here in a bit more clinical terms.

Because of an unusual spinal operation at birth, I had periodically sought medical help throughout my life. As a child, some doctors predicted that at some point I would have back problems. As I have noted, in the years following my headstand in France, I had pain in the upper back (most severe), lower back, neck, shoulders and hands.

I sought help from approximately thirty health specialists, some from conventional medicine, some from alternative areas. The diagnosis varied from one to another, but the general consensus was as shown below:

One Diagnosis:

The operation on my lower back at birth had left scar tissue and a generally weakened spinal structure.
My mid-back had developed a thinner structure than normal.
My upper back had a severe abnormal curvature (double scoliosis).
My neck had a reverse curvature.
My back showed signs of arthritis and disk deterioration.
The vertebrae of my back were misaligned.
I needed a lift on my right shoe to balance the length of the legs and provide equal support.

Almost everyone I consulted considered the problem severe, most likely beyond hope.

Bed rest was frequently advised.

I was told to avoid many everyday activities. Sometimes exercise was prescribed, especially with the aid of physical therapists and chiropractors. The exercise often led to more pain. Swimming was the only exercise that seemed safe enough to attempt. This I did for an hour a day. I eventually ceased almost all other physical activity, and spent 11 to 14 hours a day in bed.

My case, although much more severe than the average back problem, is typical of many pain victims. Dealing with a person in such pain is not easy. It requires a very systematic approach. Above all else, it requires finding out the underlying causes, the truth that explains it all. I was fortunate. I met Bernie Falk and the movement theory.

I cannot forget my first visit to Bernie Falk’s studio.

The studio was more like a gymnasium than a clinic. I was full of misgivings but ready to try something new. There were introductions, a quick look at my records, and some general conversation. It struck me as odd that the atmosphere was so relaxed, for my problem was serious. My neck was hurting because of effects of changing atmospheric pressure on the plane.

Bernie asked me to walk around. After a few minutes, he took me to one of the gym mats and showed an exercise which I later learned was called Knee Rolls. Frankly I didn’t like the idea at first, thinking it might hurt. But it was done lying done, so I accepted it. Before doing the Knee Rolls, he showed me that my back did not lie flat on the mat. I did the Knee Rolls for, perhaps, five minutes. Before getting up, he showed me that my back was now flatter on the mat. He then asked me, to my complete surprise, whether my neck felt better. It did! My body and my mind learned their first tiny lesson.

This first small episode represents a huge point.

Bernie did not give me days of tests, require a medical history (although I did give him a short written summary), or give me a speech about his theories.

What he did do was let me experience a movement.

After the Knee Rolls, my neck did feel better, not a lot, but definitely better. You and I can give all sorts of theories, but it was my neck and something was right.

For the rest of the session it was the same – a bit of exercise, some relief, and the inevitable observation about the way I walked, held my back, turned my head, or some such thing. I had more physical activity in those first two or three hours than I had had in years. In retrospect the exercises were indeed mild. Still, at the end of the session, I was tired, although pleasantly so. Some of the exercises were definitely uncomfortable to do, but they did not hurt.

When I left the studio my mind was spinning. I tried to sit up a bit straighter in the car. Most importantly, I felt a little better than I had in weeks. The old pains were certainly still there, but I was definitely getting a bit better. I agreed to return the very next morning.

During the first few days with Bernie Falk, another diagnosis, a very different one, emerged.

In brief, my movement patterns had been putting stress on my back and neck for a lifetime. The result – was major muscle imbalances, pressure on the nerves, and pain. Yet, not one of the thirty professional people I had seen questioned my movement.

Another Diagnosis:

My left leg was barely used when walking, almost all of the strength being carried by my right leg.
My walk was flat, especially on my left leg.
My left knee caved inward, not landing squarely over my foot.
My left foot pointed outward when standing or walking.
My left hip was too far forward.
My lower back arched backward when sitting, standing or erect.
My upper back was hunched forward when sitting, standing, or walking.
I held both shoulders too high, and my left shoulder was significantly weaker.
I carried my head down, not up, with my head forward.
I held my head slightly to the right.

Again and again, the teaching of movement and the release of pain was through experience. When I swung dumbbells, I felt my shoulders relax. After working on my left leg, it felt stronger. When I did the back exercises, my back felt lighter. It was hard, especially at first, but wonderful. My memory of these first few sessions could be summarized by:

What do you mean my…
Exhaustion…
Leaving, always a bit better.

From the beginning, Bernie wove a teaching of proper movement patterns through my exercises. For example, he pointed out that my head and shoulders were often carried in a slightly forward slouch rather than nicely erect. He reiterated that the strain such a position creates is significant. The upper body cannot be carried in an abnormal position for prolonged periods without creating weakness and stress somewhere.

It was almost like a school drill.

I did some exercise, then walked and walked just concentrating on keeping my upper body up. The point is that it is not enough to say to yourself “walk tall”. Practice is essential – the correct movement and the feeling when the body is properly positioned must be experienced and integrated.

As the centerpiece of treatment, a movement program was developed for my specific problems. The first is shown below.

Home Program 1:

Duration: 2 weeks

Time Spent: 60 minutes per day

Note: The parenthesized remarks below give my special reminders for each exercise.

Low Walk, 200 steps (emphasize use of heels)
Toe Walk, 300 steps (keep upper back high)
Forward Bends, 150 bends (hold head high)
Knee Rolls, 100 each side (emphasize roll of the neck)
Head Lifts, 400 times (strengthen neck)
Overhead Lifts, 60 times holding 5 pounds (strengthen abdomen and shoulders)
Knee Swings, 100 times (push left hip back)
Single Knee Bounce, 200 times (emphasize use of left leg)
Double Knee Bounce, 100 times (keep knees parallel)
Knee Thrusts, 100 times (emphasize use of left knee)

This program is really quite special.

It is special in the sense that it is the kind of program that one can give to an adult in an extremely weakened state. For instance, the exercise called Knee Swings is no marathon. For a healthy person the exercises are indeed mild. For someone in my condition, however, they were a genuine workout. At first it took great discipline to do them every day.

This program of exercise took me about an hour at first. Including my visits to Bernie Falk’s studio, in the first three weeks I trained and exercised about four hours a day. Every day I felt a small but definite improvement, renewed strength, and a slight lessening of pain – an upward spiral which continued uninterrupted.

The purpose of the first movement program was to lay a foundation for a fundamental shift in my movement patterns. I also developed some strength in areas weakened by years of neglect. I do not want to imply that it was easy. It was not. After a month or two, I began to look forward to my exercises. To me, they now represent “living”, in the best sense of the word. But starting was surely the hardest part.

I stayed with the first movement program, often performance under Bernie’s guidance, for two weeks. During this time my general pain level decreased by about 25 percent. My everyday activity level increased even more.

As for my shoes, Bernie “suggested” that the lift on the right shoe was unnecessary. I didn’t believe him at first, but I borrow a pair without lifts. I now believe it was a definite part of my problem in that it caused an even greater imbalance in my walk. Also at Bernie’s suggestion my hour’s “pain rest” was also eliminated. The theory is that strength brings new strength.

I must inject here a comment about Bernie himself.

He never “told” me to get rid of my shoe lift was “bad”. His ways are subtle, quiet and kind. He teaches “experience”. Once you “experience” an idea, who needs to say anything? You understand.

There are many psychological actors when dealing with a person in pain, and I was no exception. I feared every new movement. Even after learning how to open a door, for instance, it took months for me to do it with confidence. At first I was afraid of any exercise or new movement.

I recall one experience in my second week most vividly.

I had feared any use of my back. Having young children, I was absolutely terrified of giving piggyback rides. I told Bernie about this. His response still amazes me. He asked me to get in a piggyback position, which I did without question. Then he got on my back and asked for a ride! I was shocked, angry, and fearful. But I did it. There was no pain. How did he know it wouldn’t hurt me?

Now, years later, I am aware of the difference between good and poor movement. My back may be crooked, but it works. I know that when I give a piggyback ride, the rider should sit on either the extreme lower back or the extreme upper back. This reduces the strain considerably. Needless to say, my children had many piggyback rides afterwards.

Beyond dramatic moments like these, Bernie had to face my constant barrage of questions and fears. It is here that his special gifts (beyond those of any movement theory) were pressed and pressed again. Will bending sideways hurt? Is this the right way to push a box? Should I shovel snow? How can I get rid of this pain in my upper back? His personal skills in these matters are immense.

During my first two weeks with Bernie Falk I was exposed to his numerous ideas about movement. A number of new exercises were tried, leading to a home program, outlined here as Home Program 2 (linked below). I asked Bernie not to be bashful about the exercises and he obliged.

The exercises were more vigorous and made use of some of my progress. Some of the exercises are quite specific to my individual problem. For instance, Left Leg Sit-Stand holding a five-pound weight in the left hand, raising it to shoulder level while sitting on a chair or bench, and then standing up. The standing action was done using only the left leg and letting the weight come down. The purpose of this highly specialized exercise was to force attention and strength to the left side.

My second home program took me about an hour and half a day. For me the effort required was significant, but, again, so were the gains.

After three weeks I left Detroit for home, my second home program in tow. I was still not pain free, but I carried my own luggage (I kept asking Bernie if he was sure it wouldn’t hurt) and buckled my own seat belt. And you can be sure I held my head up and tried to use my left leg.

Over the next month my pain lessened significantly.

My energy level and activity dramatically improved. Turning, bending, jumping, lifting, running, and playing slowly became a part of my life. I reduced resting and time in bed by three hours. Day-to-day events seldom led to any pain. Most importantly, these gains were permanent. I held no fear of a setback or a return to the old state. Not that I was totally back to normal; it took about a year before I was virtually free of pain. It took about two years to fully believe it.

Continue Reading:

Home Program 2