Monday, July 15, 2019

A Personal Tribute to the MELT Method

     What's the MELT Method? At the bottom of this post is a description. If you are not familiar with MELT, please read that first.
     The MELT techniques for relieving Stuck Stress use assorted balls and a 36" roller to stimulate and rehydrate connective tissue. I have been consistently practicing MELT techniques on a daily basis for almost three years. It has helped to keep me active (golfing, lap swimming, walking, gardening, traveling, teaching yoga) and mostly pain-free, despite the fact that I have a hip that could be replaced at any time.
     Last Thursday in a moment of inattention, I missed a step down and wiped out on a cement sidewalk. My right ankle rolled and I landed on my left knee and the heel of my right hand, stopping my face about 3" from the cement. I flopped onto my right upper arm and rolled over on my back to assess the damage. Simultaneously I was feeling stupid (of course, I fell in front of a bunch of people), in pain, and wondering if anything was broken. After a few moments, I got myself up and headed home. The rest of the day was spent with one or more ice packs on swollen and bruised body parts.
     I am so grateful that I have stayed in shape enough to keep my bones so sturdy. Nothing was broken. The only treatment I had was ice, over-the-counter pain meds, and a chiropractor visit to straighten my slightly whiplashed neck. Here's where MELT comes in...
     My bounce-back from that nasty fall, the worst I have yet experienced, has been amazing. I attribute this in significant part to my daily MELTing. Yes, I have some very colorful bruises, a scabby knee, tender spots and a bit of stiffness in my sprained ankle. Those will pass in time. But the very next day after the fall, I was able to swim a half-mile. I continued periodic icing, but was able to resume normal activity. Two days after I was able to golf, gripping the club with a very bruised right hand. Three days after, I did my usual swim of 30 laps (36 laps = 1 mile). The bruises are disappearing fairly quickly. Those 20-30 minutes of MELTing self-care each day have proven themselves to be time very well spent. I'm hooked on MELT and plan to stay hooked.
      I'm 63. A fall like I experienced has put some folks my age in the hospital, even in a nursing home. I'm grateful I was not seriously hurt, and I am motivated to keep using the balls and roller every day.
      I'm MELTing, I'm MELTing!!!
                 Leta

** What is MELT?
MELT is all about the connective tissue which is a tissue that wraps around every single "thing" inside of us ~ every blood vessel, every bone, every muscle fiber, every organ, etc. Consequently, it is the most abundant tissue in the body. Because people don't know what connective tissue is, no one has learned how to take care of it. Diet and exercise do not address connective tissue.

The mere act of daily living (sitting for long periods, carrying kids or heavy bags, even the gentlest form of exercise) causes tension inside the body which results in the connective tissue becoming dehydrated. In MELT, we call this Stuck Stress. Stuck Stress is a stagnant "sediment" caused by excess waste in the body.

Connective tissue dehydration, or Stuck Stress, is a natural, cellular process happening to every single one of us, every single day regardless of age, activity level or diet. If you get out of bed in the morning or up from sitting for a long period of time and you feel stiff, you've experienced Stuck Stress.

The simple, gentle compression and lengthening techniques of MELT yields great results to help you get and stay out of pain by reducing Stuck Stress.

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