Latest / Get Savvy...Demystifying Healthcare / Episode 146: Stretch n’ Release: The Brain Hack for Chronic Pain with Butch Phelps

Transcript

Episode 146: Stretch n’ Release: The Brain Hack for Chronic Pain with Butch Phelps · Get Savvy...Demystifying Healthcare

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_03: And so for the rest of us, the funny thing with our muscles is not only are they physical, but our brain then controls how they react to things.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_03: So I always say to my clients, everything that you think, feel, and do will tighten your muscles.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_03: Now, most times when people go and they try to stretch, they're being told by their trainers or PTs and so forth that you're lengthening your muscles.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_03: And that's part of their training.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_03: That's every training I've ever been to would stretch it.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_03: They would talk about lengthening your muscles.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_03: Your muscles are attached on both ends, so they're never going to get any longer than they naturally are.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: If healthcare has ever left you feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, or stuck, then show it's for you.
• 0:44
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• 0:51
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• 1:01
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• 1:04
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• 1:13
  SPEAKER_01: Hello everyone, before we get into the show, just a quick 90-second update.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_01: What could you accomplish if you could gain five or even 10 hours every week?
• 1:23
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• 1:26
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• 1:31
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• 1:34
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• 1:43
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• 1:51
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• 2:05
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• 2:22
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• 2:26
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• 2:28
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• 2:30
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• 2:37
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• 2:39
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• 2:43
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• 2:46
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• 2:52
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• 2:53
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• 2:55
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• 2:58
  SPEAKER_01: And now on with the show.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_01: Hello everyone, and welcome to the show Stretch and Release, the brain hack for chronic pain.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_01: What if chronic pain is not something you have to just live with as you get older?
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_01: Could releasing tight overworked muscles be the key to moving better, feeling stronger, and taking back control without medications, injections, or surgery?
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_01: To help us get into this topic, I have Butch Phelps on the show.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_01: Butch is a functional massage therapist, an award-winning author and creator of the stretch and release technique.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_01: He helps people 45 plus reduce chronic aches, improve mobility, and move better without relying on meds, injections, or surgeries by teaching them how to release tight overworked muscles and take control of their own bodies.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_01: Butch has helped thousands of people online and in his office to regain the mobility they have missed from chronic pain due to aging or injuries.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the show, Butch.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks a lot, Sandy.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks for having me.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I'm excited because somebody once said to me in an elevator, COVID was the worst thing because we do a lot of sitting and stuff and a lot of pain and all the above.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_01: It probably led you into what you're doing today.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_01: So speaking of that, share with us your journey and how it's led you on all the great stuff you're doing to help folks today.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_03: So the interesting thing about me is I really didn't get into this so I was like 40, 41 years old.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_03: But on the path there, as I was working in corporate jobs.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_03: At 18, I was in a head-on collision with an automobile accident, and I broke my pelvis in several places and my left arm.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_03: And I remember the doctor that I had there because this was 1978.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_03: And I said, you know, I guess you'll put a rod in my arm, which is what they do a lot today.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_03: And he said to me from North Carolina, he said, you know, he said, if the creator wanted us to have metal in your body, he goes, I just believe you'd be born that way.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_03: He goes, You'll be fine.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_03: He said, I'm gonna design an adjustable cast for your arm.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_03: And he said, You'll feel back fine.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_03: You're healthy, you'll be fine.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_03: And he was right, I did.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_03: And and he helped me a lot with that.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_03: And then as I got into my 30s, 30s was a tough decade for me.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_03: I went through a divorce and my wife and children moved back to North Carolina here in Florida.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_03: And so I found myself in a little bit of depression.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_03: And being an emotional eater, I just ate and ate and ate.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_03: I kept Kentucky fried chicken and pizza hut in business.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_03: That's why their stocks dropped once I lost the weight.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_03: And I happened I happened to meet a doctor who she had studied nutrition, and she said to she said to me, She said, You know, you're 37.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_03: I'm looking at your vitals, and she said, With your family history of heart disease, she goes, I'd put$100 on the table now that by 40 you'll have a stroke or a heart attack.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_03: And I was like, Whoa, that's amazing.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_03: And but she said, I can help you lose that weight.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_03: And so she did, and she said, I said to her, I said, What kind of diet you could put me out?
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_03: She goes, It's not really going to be a diet.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_03: I'm going to change how you think about food.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_03: And so from 1997 to 1998, I lost 105 pounds less than endure, got myself back in shape, but I developed severe low back pain to the point that I'd crawl out of my car on my hands and pull myself up by the door handles.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm like, this is insane to be 39 years old and have this kind of back pain.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_03: This is crazy.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_03: So I'd go to doctors and therapists like everybody does.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_03: And they were sort of like, you're going to pretty much have to live with it.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_03: We can give you some pain pills, we can give you some injections or whatever.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_03: And if it's bad enough, we'll do surgery.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_03: But they said, This is pretty much where you're going to be.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_03: And I'm like, this is insane.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_03: I'm not doing this for the rest of my life.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_03: So as I'm working myself trying to figure out what's going on, I went in and took uh neuromuscular massage and sports massage.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_03: And as I got into the classes, it was it was the weirdest time in my life because when I got into the classes, it was like I had knowledge locked in my brain about muscles.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_03: I had no idea where it came from.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_03: And I would say to my wife, I know things and I don't know how I know things, but I know things.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_03: And so I started working with the teachers and they were taking me off to the side and we were doing all kinds of different things.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_03: And then they introduced me to a man who taught me about a different type of stretching, the importance of stretching.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_03: And I connected with two neurosurgeons who became mentors of mine, and they started talking to me about the brain's connection to the muscles.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_03: So as I started putting all these pieces together in my own life, I actually got rid of my back pain and it's been gone for 22 years.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_03: I'm 66 years old now, I'm more flexible today than I was when I was 40.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_03: I have no pain when I wake up in the morning time.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_03: And so that's how it all started.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_03: And once I saw what it did to me, I was like, I just have to show other people.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_03: So I volunteered at a senior center with 54 retired physicians.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_03: And before I know it, the physicians were having me to sit in on their consultations when people had chronic pain.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_03: And they were just blown away because their training, like mine, while we do work on the muscles, is very limited.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_03: And I went back to school in 2015 and got a degree in aging sciences.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_03: How do we age mentally and physically?
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_03: And what I found out there was we have so little knowledge about our muscles beyond strength training that is not even funny.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_03: And I was I was shocked.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_03: And in fact, the professors that I had would give me an hour of their class times to come in and teach what I was talking about.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_01: Well, what an amazing journey you've been on, and I'm glad you're doing so well today.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_01: Well, let's talk about stretching for a minute because a lot of us just immediately go to surgery injections because that's what you do.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_01: Stretching is just too easy.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_01: It can't possibly work.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_01: So talk to us more about how stretching is not just about the muscle.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_01: What is it really about?
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_03: So stretching it is about the not only the muscles, but it's also about your brain as well.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_03: So we think of muscles as a mechanical thing.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_03: But when you really think about the muscles of the human body, your skeleton gives you shape and it gives you protection.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_03: The muscles is actually what moves you.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_03: So in other words, you get someone who's a quadriplegic laying on a bed, they have the same bones you and I have.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_03: But their bones can't move because their muscles don't work.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_03: And so for the rest of us, the funny thing with our muscles is not only are they physical, but our brain then controls how they react to things.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_03: So I always say to my clients, everything that you think, feel, and do will tighten your muscles.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_03: Now, most times when people go and they try to stretch, they're being told by their trainers or PTs and so forth that you're lengthening your muscles.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_03: And that's part of their training.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_03: That's every training I've ever been to with stretching, they would talk about lengthening your muscles.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_03: Your muscles are attached on both ends, so they're never going to get any longer than they naturally are.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_03: But what you're gonna do is you're gonna release the tension.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_03: And the key is the tension comes from everything you think, everything you feel, and everything you do.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_03: So if you get upset with somebody, what happens to your body?
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_03: Your body tenses up, you're tight, you're ready to fight, right?
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_03: You get frustrated, you get tight.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_03: But if you're having coffee with a friend and relaxing, the muscles just chill right out.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_03: The muscles only react to what's going on in your brain.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_03: And that's where people screw up.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_03: So then when they get into stretching traditionally, like static stretching, they think that they're pulling to lengthen the muscle and that it's the muscle that won't give up.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_03: So they pull twice as hard to try to show the muscle who's boss.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_03: And what they're doing is a strength training, they're never stretching their body.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_03: Lastly, where people make a mistake about stretching, is sort of what you hit on at the very beginning.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_03: Number one, it can't be that easy.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_03: But what you what people don't understand is that the muscles in your thighs control the positioning of your pelvis.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_03: So if you have low back pain, if the front of your thighs are tight from sitting, the pelvis tilts forward, which increases the curve in your back, which increases the pain in your back.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_03: If you see people, sometimes you'll see guys that that are overweight, just like they have no hips at all.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_03: What's happening is they're tightening their hamstrings, which tilts the pelvis backwards to counterbalance the weight on the front side, and it'll flatten out their back, which can lead to things like bolting disc, herniated disc, and pinched nerves.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_03: So when you look at the muscles, we we're always focused on the brain.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_03: And like I said earlier, even for doctors, they're focused on the on the bones when people have pain.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_03: But the bones don't move without the muscles.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_03: So the stretching then is a daily thing because everything you think, feel, and do tightens those muscles, even when you have a dream at night.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_01: Interesting.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I want to share a story.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_01: I gone to a little bit of lower back pain.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_01: You get older and wiser, those kinds of things happen.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_01: And I went in to my orthopedic uh office and you know, was hesitant.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_01: And I certainly had the option, oh, well, you can do PT and and or you can do injections or you can do surgery.
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_01: And I booked my appointment for injections because I just want to get up and move more and I want to enjoy my vacation in life and all that good stuff.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_01: And uh I was really apprehensive about it.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_01: I ended up canceling the appointment and going to physical therapy.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_01: And but it's so interesting what you talked about with something that jogged my memory because I was talking to my physical therapist at the time.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_01: We were working on some stretching, and I said, I need you to tell me why I'm doing this stretching because I need to understand, if I can understand in my brain why I'm doing it, it makes sense.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_01: And so we were talking about sitting at the desk and your muscles being tight and your tendons, and so we were like one leg hanging off, you know, stretching out in that pelvic area of the muscle.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm like, oh my God, this feels so great.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_01: And he goes, You sit at your desk, you lean over, it gets tight, but you need to stretch it out because that impacts your posture.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_01: Everything you were just saying, and the light just went on for me in my brain, going back to what you're saying, and it really did make a difference of just leaning on everything as I walked.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, not immobile by any means, but just going through pain to being able to really walk down an aisle, enjoy going down a block, going antique store, shopping, whatever, all the lovely things.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_01: And it was simple stretching.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_01: So I only mentioned that.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_01: I love telling a story that maybe is something to.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_01: Because I was one of those people that are like, Butch, I hear you, but I won't believe you.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_01: But I do I understand.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_03: I under I under we're we're taught that.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_03: We're we're taught that.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, I was a three-sport athlete, and when I started hearing about stretching, it's like I remember my coaches would say, You boys go over there and stretch.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_03: Uh I'm I'll see you tomorrow.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_03: And by the time he left, it feels so do we.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_03: You know, and you know, and you never think about stretching because no one really says anything until like, well, I got a pain in my back or I got a pain in my neck or whatever.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_03: Well, let's stretch a little bit.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_03: And then you think if I stretch that one or two times and it feels better, you like let it go.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_03: So you hit on something in the beginning of what you were saying about your age, and it's like people think it's an age thing, but it's not, it's a lifestyle.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_03: So I work on plenty of people in their 80s and 90s.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_03: So that the thing is, is like when you're looking at the muscles, wherever the pain is, the cause is always the opposite side.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_03: So if you've got a pain in your neck, say it's going down between your shoulder blades, and it's like, oh my God, if I could just stretch out my neck and you pull your head down and you're trying to get your head to stretch out on the back side, you're doing the wrong thing.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_03: It's coming from the front side.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_03: So when you think about sitting in a chair working on a computer or driving a car, the muscles on the outside of the chest will tighten because they're used to your arms being out in front of you.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_03: That tightening rounds your shoulders, and as it does, it causes your head to lean forward.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_03: So your head weighs about 10 to 12 pounds.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_03: Every inch it leans forward, the pain between your shoulder blades increases by 10 pounds per inch.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_03: So you could stretch the back of your neck, pound it, you could set in a gym and lift weights.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_03: You're never going to get rid of that neck pain until you open up the front side.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_03: And the same thing for setting on the front side, the front of your hips, the quads, the inner thighs get tight.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_03: That's what creates your back pain.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_03: It's not your back.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_01: Well, let's talk about this further.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_01: So we've talked about the connection now between the brain and stretching and the value of it, but let's talk about doing it.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_01: So you have a stretch and release program because that I want to talk about, and maybe that ties into this question here.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_01: How do we get into if we're sitting here today and you're either driving, or if you're like me, I've been sitting a little bit, and I talked about this at the beginning.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_01: I'm doing this because my back is a little tight and I just want to get it and move.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_01: And but let's talk about where does someone begin who says, Okay, I hear you, this is great.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_01: Where do I begin and how do I be consistent in doing it?
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I mean, the first thing I usually say to people, especially if they're not here where they can come to my office, is go to my YouTube channel, the Muscle Repair Shop, because on the channel there's about 200 videos there.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_03: And I will talk about specific injuries, neck pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, hip pain, or whatever.
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_03: And I'll describe first what's actually happening in the beginning of the videos.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_03: They're probably fifteen, ten to fifteen minutes long.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_03: Talk about what's really causing the pain.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_03: And then I'll I'll discuss why some of the things they may have tried didn't really work so well.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_03: And then in the end, I'm gonna show them how to do those stretches.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_03: Now all you need is a is a yoga strap or an eight-foot piece of rope, nothing elastic to stretch with.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_03: A tennis ball.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_03: A tennis ball can can mimic massaging on the back side of your body so that your back and your hips can be soft.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_03: And I'll talk about even using your hands on the front side of your body to make that happen.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_03: But I break it up into pieces so that it's easy to follow.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_03: I don't give you a ton of things to do so it becomes overwhelming.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_03: I want to make it as easy as possible.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_03: Now, for people who come to my office, what I do is I typically find the three most important stretches for them to do to help them get out of pain, and then I send them home with the videos that they can follow.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_03: The thing is that when you're talking about stretching, for instance, so many of the times in the stretching programs you see, they're trying to stretch groups of muscles at a time because they don't understand the brain's role.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_03: So if I'm trying to stretch all of my quads at one time or all of my hamstrings at one time, the brain is like, okay, so which muscle do you want me to let go of?
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_03: We have three here, okay?
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_03: My calf muscles.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_03: We have four here.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_03: So in the video, what I help them understand is that as they're trying to stretch, it's not using force to pull my muscle.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_03: But as I start to say, for instance, a calf stretch is I'm using the strap to pull my toes back with me.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_03: Take that moment and realize I need to breathe out so that once my brain relaxes, my muscle relaxes.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_03: You see.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_03: And then once you can do that, now all of a sudden you start to feel the muscle just letting go.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_03: Everybody, when they stretch, they want to feel like they're pulling tappy, like they're pulling really hard.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_03: That's not what I want you to feel.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_03: What I want you to feel is you start with that tight muscle, and as you breathe out, the muscle just lets go.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_03: And when the muscle lets go, then all of a sudden you start to get better movement and flexibility, let's say in your ankle, if it's a calf, and then you start to move forward.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_03: And I also will discuss things like if you're doing a calf stretch or a back pain or neck pain, the role shoes can play with that.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_03: There are the things in your lifestyle that can play with that.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_03: So many times people will go to PTs and they'll do the work while they're with the PT, they go home, they sort of halfway do it when they go home, but nobody talks about what are you doing in your lifestyle that's going to negate what you just did at the PT's office.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_03: And so they go home and they go back to doing exactly what got them in trouble to begin with.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_03: So when they go back to the PT or they go back to the massage therapist, you're back to ground zero.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_03: I want you to learn what in your life is causing you to have that pain and how do you resolve that in your life and still live your life.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_01: Well, walk us through butcher maybe a case study of person came in with X.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_01: This is what we did, and this is how they're living their life today, to solidify and help people understand the value of all the stuff you're sharing with us today.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_03: Absolutely.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_03: Probably one of the most common things I see is things called plantar fasciitis.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_03: That's that pain in your heel when you step out of bed the more time.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_03: Excuse me.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_03: That's probably the most common thing I see.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_03: Most of that is created by the shoes you wear and the inability or the lack of knowledge of how to truly stretch your calves.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_03: So when I talk about this with people with plantar fasciitis, you almost see their minds just explode as I'm talking to them because it's like, oh my God, nobody said anything about that.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_03: They said these shoes would help me, you know.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_03: And it's like, no, no, no, these shoes are just doing the wrong thing.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_03: So, number one, when you're when you're looking at your foot, the plantar fasciitis was named after the muscle in the arch of the foot called the plantar fascia.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_03: Now it gets tight in plantar fasciitis, but that's the symptom.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_03: That's not the cause.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_03: That's where they messed up.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_03: And everybody wants to treat the heel.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_03: They'll give you injections in the heel and they'll give you heel cups to put underneath your foot and so forth.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_03: But the real cause of that is in the calf muscles up just below the knee.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_03: So you've got four calf muscles there that control the foot vertically, laterally, and rotationally, because you have two bones in the lower leg, so you can make those rotational movements.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_03: When you're not stretching those muscles correctly, what happens is you can't bend the ankle very well, so that when you step down out of bed and you go from 90 degrees and you're trying to push off to walk forward, the pain really ensues in your heel at that point because the calf muscles are so tight, there's no room for extension there.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_03: So it pulls on the nerves around the heel itself, causing that pain.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_03: When when people stretch their calves or they think they stretch their calves, they'll lean against the wall, they'll drop their heel off of a step, they'll stand on a slant board, and every trainer and every PT will say to you, Well, that's a calf stretch.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_03: Let me tell you right now, if that's what you're doing, you have never stretched your calves in your entire life.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_03: Because what you're stretching is the Achilles tendon, which is at the back side of the heel.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_03: When you do a calf stretch correctly, which is what I have in my videos, you're using that yoga strap, you're setting on the floor against the wall, but you're as you're bringing your foot back, you're getting the middle ones, and you'll do that like 10 times.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_03: You're only going to hold for about five seconds.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_03: And the reason for that is the five seconds is so you don't have a stretch reflex.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_03: The 10 times is for nothing more than for your brain to see, I didn't die from that movement.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_03: It's safe.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_03: That's all you want the brain to see.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_03: Once it sees that, it's like, hey, we're good, we can do that.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_03: Then you rotate the leg over, repeat the same stretch, but you're going to feel it to the outside so you can get the outside calf muscle, then rotate the foot out to get the inside calf muscle.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_03: Once you do that, your plantar fasciitis with between two to five days will be gone.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_03: Period.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_03: And so what causes that?
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_03: So when people wear shoes with thick soles, or you wear an orthotics, or anything that puts a cast on your foot, it prevents the ankle from bending.
• 21:12
  SPEAKER_03: The reason I was watching um professor from Harvard, Dan Lieberman is his name, and he does a lot of studies on the foot and how the foot and the calf works.
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_03: And the funny thing is, is that he says that the reason we walk heel to toe is because of the thickness of the sole or the heel on the shoe, not because we naturally do that.
• 21:31
  SPEAKER_03: And so I'm watching his videos, and as he's as he's got a guy running on the videos, he's running heel-toe, heel, toe, heel-toe.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_03: He has even take his shoes off, do the same thing.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_03: He runs on the whole foot.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_03: That's number one reason why people wind up with things like plantar fasciitis.
• 21:46
  SPEAKER_03: And then surprisingly, I had a woman come see me.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_03: She was from South Africa, and she was a professor here at a university.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_03: And she said, You know, my friend says she has plantar fasciitis.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_03: She goes, What is that?
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_03: She goes, I've never heard of that.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_03: And I said, and I explained to her what was Going on.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_03: She goes, that's weird.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_03: She goes, you know, my podiatrist said I should never walk barefoot.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_03: But she said, my whole tribe runs hundreds of miles barefoot all the time.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_03: She goes, I've never heard of plantar fasciitis.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_03: And I said, No, because you're running barefoot, you're moving your calf muscles there full length.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_03: The shoe is stopping them from doing that.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_03: And so people don't quite understand that.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_03: But that's the most common thing.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_03: And it's like I've got guys come in, they've had plantar fasciitis for months to years, and you do that simple stretch with them, two to five days is gone.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_01: That is amazing.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_01: Well, speaking of that, let's talk more about your website and a little bit more about your channel.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_01: Because I'm thinking of listeners who may be listening and say, Wow, really like what Butch has to say.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_01: This is something I want to look into, but they're not in Florida.
• 22:42
  SPEAKER_01: So I know you talk about online.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_01: So kind of talk about your website videos and how people maybe who live in Colorado, if they wanted to reach out to you and say, How can I work with Butch?
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_03: It's very easy to do.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_03: On my website, you can contact me.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_03: In fact, you can even schedule an online session with me on my website, or you can just contact me by email or call me and we can get online.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_03: And when you get online, I'll all I need is you to set up your camera so that I can see what you're doing and how you're moving.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_03: And then I can guide you through what to do.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_03: I had a gentleman from Amsterdam, and I first I said to him, I go, online, like I don't think that's going to work.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_03: And he goes, because I'd always done it with just with people, yeah.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_03: And he said, Well, let's try it and let's see.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_03: And what I found was that I was able to guide him through and stop his back pain and neck pain online.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_03: Well, he was in Amsterdam when I was here.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_03: And then I just started doing it with more and more people, and it just became something very easy to do.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_03: So the the key to this is what you do when you're at home.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_03: So, and I say this to people who come on to see me.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_03: I'm not going to touch you and heal you.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_03: So, for people who are looking for somebody who would do that, that's that's not me.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_03: And I know there's some people who do.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_03: But for the people, I show them what to do, tell them what to do, and they go home and they do it and they do it consistently.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_03: Rarely do I have anybody who didn't have success with that.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_03: And it's just it just blows my mind.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_01: Well, that's cool.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_01: And I think people, or thank you, COVID, but I think people are much more comfortable with online.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_01: And this might be interesting to you.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_01: I interviewed a gentleman and a couple episodes back who talked about he actually was a doctor in a physical therapy.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_01: And it really there's now online therapy.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_01: And I was asking, well, you know, because I had knee surgery, and I'm like, well, how do you measure, you know, the the bend of the knee?
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_01: And actually, there's now an AI tool that allows physical therapists doing that remotely.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_01: There's so much advancement and so much opportunity.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_01: I think the message here is just begin, right?
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_01: Well, it's so funny.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_01: I'm reading a fiction book right now.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_01: It's kind of fun, but but what that they said in the statement has stayed in my head, and I think it's a really good one to your point about movement, and that is motion is lotion, right?
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_03: Because the thing is, is as you're moving, so you see your body's putting in what's called synovial fluid in your joints and in the disc of your spine, which is like a WD-40.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_03: It's like a cushioning agent in a lubricant.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_03: If you're sitting in a recliner all day watching TV, you're just rusting up like an old car sitting in the garage for 20 years.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_03: And and and I've seen that at people who are in their 40s, and I've seen it with people in their 80s.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_03: So age has nothing to do with it.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_03: You gotta move.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, for sure.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_01: Well, make sure link to your website, and yeah, and I know you mentioned you're kind of doing some enhancements to that.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_01: So, so, but we'll link there and and people can access all the new and improved stuff.
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_01: But tell us also your award-winning author, tell us more about your book.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_03: So the book I have, it came out in October of last year and it won an award uh in health and fitness.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_03: And so what the book does is it it describes and tells you what the stretch and release is all about.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_03: How did it come about?
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_03: How does it work?
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_03: How do I get to put it into my life?
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_03: And then there's a section of it that talks about nutrition, and there's a part of it that talks about why certain treatments or typical treatments you'll do for typical things either fall short or just doesn't work at all.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_03: And then in the back of the book, the last half of the book, I get into specific areas, the neck, the back, the hips, the knees, the feet, and I'll talk about the common injuries that come to those areas, what usually causes them.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_03: And then you there's QR codes in the book that you can scan and get to videos to help you do the stretching that to fix those things and in there.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_03: What I want to get from the book is that you can actually take that book, it's like a manual and start to change how you feel.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_03: On top of that, what I'm what I'm doing for my new readers as are coming in is that I'll give you the links, Andy, to put into the the description down below.
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_03: That once you buy the book, you can go to this link and get my seven-day fast start, which is a series of videos for seven days that will literally walk you through the five most common stretches everybody needs to do every day.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_03: And then you have that totally for free just from buying the book.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_03: So that gives you a chance to really get started, get yourself going day one, so that you don't have to wait around and try to figure it out on your own.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_03: Because it can be it can be very overwhelming sometimes.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_01: It can be.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_01: And uh I love what you said too.
• 27:03
  SPEAKER_01: It could be as simple as um a tennis ball.
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_01: And I immediately went to my, and we all have one.
• 27:08
  SPEAKER_01: If you have dogs, you have a tennis in the toy bin.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_01: So go grab the tennis ball.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_01: It doesn't have to be hard or expensive.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_01: It just you mean, and I'm saying this, you know, 10 fingers pointing at me.
• 27:19
  SPEAKER_01: So well, Butch, as we draw to close, I'll link to your book.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_01: I appreciate your generous offer on that seven-day.
• 27:25
  SPEAKER_01: So if you don't mind just providing maybe some final thoughts that you would leave listeners with.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_03: So, number one, when I talk about stretching on a daily basis, I'm not saying you have to stretch every single muscle.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_03: Think about what you did the last 12 hours.
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_03: If you're sitting in front of a computer, chances are the front of your thighs, the front of your hips are gonna be tight.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_03: You may want to focus on that.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_03: If you're getting neck and shoulder issues, you want to focus on your chest.
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_03: So that's what I do every day.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_03: Typically I stretch first thing in the morning, last thing of the day.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_03: First thing in the morning is if I have any dreams or whatever at night, I'm gonna be tight.
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_03: I want to start my day a little more fresh.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_03: Take your time with it.
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_03: Don't try to learn it all in one day because you're just not.
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, I'm learning, I've been doing this for 20 years and I'm learning every single day.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_03: But take your time with it.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_03: Don't force anything.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_03: In other words, when using a tennis ball on your back or using on your hips, don't put a hole in your wall because you're pushing too hard.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_03: Use a tennis ball to identify spots that are sore on your body.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_03: And when you find those spots, relax.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_03: Breathe out, allow the muscle to release.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_03: Remember, once the brain relaxes, your muscles will be relaxed.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_03: Again, think about if you're having coffee with a friend, how relaxed you feel.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_03: That's what you want to accomplish when you're doing the stretching with that.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_03: And don't overthink it, it's not that difficult.
• 28:38
  SPEAKER_03: But once you allow the body to release the tension in the muscles and let go, that changes so many things in your life with that.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_03: And so, you know, like she said, you you're gonna put the link to my my website, which is musclerepairshop.com.
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_03: Again, the YouTube channel is at the muscle repair shop.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_03: Uh the book stretch and release, it is on Amazon.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_03: And once you get on Amazon, you can contact me and I can get you the seven-day fast start.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, I'll give I'll give Sandy the link to the seven-day fast start as well.
• 29:07
  SPEAKER_03: So once you buy the book, you go to that link, put in that you bought the book, and then you can get that seven-day fast start and start today.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_01: And I, you know, I always say this, whether it's in business or anything else.
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_01: You know, nothing, whether it's business or goals or habits in life, nothing's created with one giant leap.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_01: It's small steps taken consistently over time.
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_01: I love to say that.
• 29:28
  SPEAKER_01: Well, it is amazing your knowledge and really your perspective and on stretching and enlightenment on how to look at how we move and how to deal with that chronic pain in a different way.
• 29:40
  SPEAKER_01: So I appreciate your time, your expertise, and your generosity in the seven-day fast start.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_01: We appreciate your time today.
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you so much, Sandy.
• 29:49
  SPEAKER_01: We enjoyed having Butch on the show.
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_01: Really a different perspective.
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_01: And I think one we don't talk about as much as we should.
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_01: I know on this podcast I often talk about demystifying the healthcare and that doctor's visit and working in partnership with your provider and and being a good advocate if you're taking care of a loved one and beyond.
• 30:09
  SPEAKER_01: Because I really don't know where anyone's at on their healthcare journey.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_01: So I do try to cover broad topics.
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_01: But what I really loved about this topic with Butch was providing tools where you can take a proactive approach that is going to really make a difference in your life.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_01: And I know as I was talking with him before and after the show, even just realizing some of the things that I can do better in my own life and that are all within my control.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_01: So, really an enlightening conversation.
• 30:34
  SPEAKER_01: I hope you've enjoyed this episode, but don't stop there.
• 30:37
  SPEAKER_01: Make sure and check out his website and his book, Stretch and Release: The Missing Piece to More Pain-Free Life.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_01: I have to say firsthand that I purchased the book.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_01: I have gone through many sections of it and because I had to get to the lower back pain one really quick.
• 30:52
  SPEAKER_01: But I have to tell you, first and foremost, the reviews from people like you and me are off the charts in terms of their results.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_01: It is an easy read, and I have tried many of the things in there and am feeling so much better today.
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_01: It certainly is a journey, but I highly recommend getting his book and starting and taking that proactive approach.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_01: Make sure and check out the links in the show notes.
• 31:17
  SPEAKER_01: In our next episode, what if years after surgery you find yourself faced with a chronic illness that impacts your life?
• 31:24
  SPEAKER_01: You're frustrated and wondering, how did this happen?
• 31:27
  SPEAKER_01: I'm bringing on Dr.
• 31:29
  SPEAKER_01: Katie Seuss on the show.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_01: She is a chiropractor, educator, entrepreneur, and the author of Beyond Beauty, a deeply personal memoir about survival healing and transformation.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_01: Dr.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_01: Katie shares what she learned through years of exploring trauma, chronic illness, toxic exposures, regenerative medicine, and personal growth.
• 31:48
  SPEAKER_01: At the heart of her book is one central message: the identities that help us survive are not always the identities that help us heal.
• 31:56
  SPEAKER_01: Make sure and follow the show so you don't miss this episode and any of the ones we have up and coming.
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_01: Until next time, get savvy.