♪ Bob and Brad, ♪
♪ the two most famous ♪
♪ physical therapists ♪
on the internet ♪
- Hi folks, I'm Bob Schrupp, physical therapist.
- Brad Heineck, physical therapist.
- And together we are
the most famous physical therapist on the internet.
- In our opinion, of course Bob.
- Brad, I thought it was very worthwhile
to take a video;
to show whether or not the stretches you are doing
are helping or hurting you.
- Right, right.
- And especially lower back.
Because if you do these wrong,
you're gonna make things worse.
- Right.
- So, let's talk about it.
First, we're gonna do
the red light, yellow light, green light concept.
- Right.
- So, obviously, red light, you don't do it anymore.
Yellow light, you proceed with caution.
- Yep.
- And green light, you go away.
- Right.
And I use this analogy a lot
with many, many patients.
People understand it.
And it really is a benefit for their stretches.
- Well, let's talk about the first one: very simple.
If you start doing exercise,
low back stretch, and it hurts...
- Yeah. - I mean it really hurts...
- Mm-hmm. - You stop.
- That's the red light.
That's a solid red light.
- Yep.
- But this is the one
that is a little less clear to people.
Let's say you start doing it,
and it really doesn't hurt anymore,
but the pain spreads out.
So, I'm gonna show on me..
Brad, you wanna show on-- - Sure.
- On the left side, the pain has spread out.
- So, oftentimes with pain,
low back pain, it can spread out,
and it goes to that sciatica region.
So, it may go down to the buttock,
and if it starts going down to the buttock,
or down the leg, that's a red light.
- Right.
- You need to stop doing that exercise,
or that posture that creates this.
- Not only the pain, but also symptoms.
- Right. Like let's say...
You getting more numbness,
and tingling down there. - Mm-hmm.
- You're gonna stop also.
- That means there's a nerve
becoming pinched in there.
- Right, so it's a bad sign
when the pain spreads out.
- Mm-hmm.
- And you could say that as a overall statement that...
let's say your pain has been getting worse,
as far as spreading out.
That means your problem's getting worse.
- Right, right.
- So let's say you do it.
And, and it actually hurts, but it hurts so good.
You know what that concept...
- Right, yes.
Oh, it hurts, but it hurts good.
- Yeah, it feels good.
- And then when you're done oftentimes,
or if it does,
it feels better as a result of doing it.
- Right. That's the green light.
- That's a green light,
but... - Maybe a little red...
- At the first part, it's gonna be a yellow light.
- Yeah. Yeah.
- It hurts so good.
You're gonna see it.
It's not just centralizes the pain,
but it's not spreading out further either.
You wanna maybe see how it is the next day.
See how it's doing.
- Right.
- All right.
How about if it actually centralizes the pain, right?
You wanna show what that means?
- So, let's say you've got pain, numbness,
tingling symptoms that are running down the leg,
like sciatica,
and this... - And I start doing a stretch.
- Yep.
And all of a sudden we notice Bob says,
"Oh, I don't feel any symptoms or pain in the calf anymore.
Just here."
- It's 'cause they've gone away.
- That would be a green light.
- That's a green light.
Yeah, and it could also be as simple as
going from the butt and going up.
Exactly.
- So, it doesn't take very much.
All right.
Let's say the last one is
you have not any pain.
It doesn't really change anything.
- Yeah, you do it and...
- Yeah, just kinda stays there.
That could be a green light.
You could see how it is the next day,
but it's generally a green light
if nothing changes.
- Right.
- As long as you're not making it worse.
- Yeah, and that is, I think,
I would say maybe a little caution light.
wait till the next day to see if it...
- Right.
Maybe do 10 stretches... - Yep.
- And then see the next day, how it does.
- Right.
If the next day it gets worse,
then you know that one's not it.
On the other hand,
maybe the next day it feels better.
Well then it turns into a green light.
- Red light, yellow light, green light.
- Yeah.
Hopefully, we'll find some green lights for you.
- You ever play that game
with the kids where they run towards you.
- Oh yeah, red light, green light.
- There's no yellow light in that though.
- No, there isn't.
- No, that would mean they have to go slow.
I don't know.
Anyways, good luck with it. - All right, thanks.
We hope it helps.
(upbeat music)