Patient’s Stories

Bike Riddim: Musicians On A Mission

Three years ago Frome Physical Therapy patient Ken Sorensen was bicycling in Neptune City, NJ with and his wife Katie Saldutti and their baby. They realized that it just wasn’t safe to bicycle in their neighborhood with a child on the streets of Neptune City. They also observed that it was almost impossible to cross Memorial Drive on foot as a pedestrian without risking their lives.

The call to action was clear. They formed a grass roots organization called Friends of Fourth Avenue in Neptune City. Joined by their neighbors, they began to lobby public officials to affect change to make it safe for bicyclists to ride, and for pedestrians to cross the street. Katie and Ken are also part of the Asbury Park Complete Streets Coalition.

Sarah Galloway Bike Riddim Recently, Ken teamed up with filmmaker Sarah Galloway of Wanamassa, NJ to make the documentary “Bike Riddim.” Bike Riddim features the band String Bean and The Boardwalk Social Club as they commuted to their gigs on bicycle last summer. From Memorial to Labor Day, 6 days a week, Ken and his band mates loaded their guitars, snare drum and small equipment onto their bikes and cycled to gigs. Amplifiers and other large equipment were stashed in club basements and closets. Bike Riddim takes you along for the ride. You viscerally experience what it’s like to bicycle in the Asbury Park area, while listening to interviews with band members about the challenges of riding a bike in Monmouth County, NJ. The music of String Bean and The Boardwalk Social Club is delightful and helps to make this documentary fun to watch.

Sarah Galloway bicycled to the locations and filmed the movie on foot and on her bike using a GoPro camera. Sarah produced, directed, filmed and edited the movie. She has worked as the senior media producer at The American Museum of Natural History in NYC and coedited the film, “Hoop Dreams.”
Bike Riddim will make it’s debut on April 28, 2018 at the Asbury Park Film Festival and is the winner of the Asbury Park Press Award.

Bike Riddim New Jersey Recently, Friends of Fourth Avenue met with Neptune City police officials and Monmouth County Road engineers to explore changes needed to make Memorial Drive to make it safe for everyone.

What would it take to make Memorial Drive safe for pedestrians and bicyclists? For starters, the addition of a bike lane, the reduction of automobile speed limits and strict enforcement of the speed limit could make a huge impact on pedestrian and bicyclist safety. Additionally, the New Jersey law already states that automobiles must come to a full stop for pedestrians in crosswalks and yield to pedestrians who cross at the corner without crosswalks. It’s time for a change. It’s time to enforce these important laws!

Watch the trailer of Bike Riddim here.

By David Frome • Patient's Stories • • Tags: Bike Riddim, New Jersey

Rolfing & Acupuncture Provide Relief From Fibromyalgia/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Mainstream medicine offers limited relief for the pain and exhaustion that accompanies fibromyalgia. Sometimes antidepressants and counseling are prescribed. Patients are advised to pace themselves and restrict activities to keep their symptoms in check. Additionally, many physicians are suggesting that their patients explore complimentary medical approaches such as Rolfing and acupuncture.

Fibromyalgia symptoms include:

Widespread pain throughout body that is frequently experienced as constant dull ache.
Fatigue.
Trouble focusing and concentrating on mental tasks.
Headaches.
Anxiety and depression.

Chronic fatigue symptoms include:

Extreme fatigue that gets worse with physical
and mental activity, but does not improve with rest.
Loss of memory or concentration.
Sore throat.
Unexplained muscle pain.

chronic_fatigue_syndrome_phmqf While chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia have similar symptoms, pain is the dominant factor with fibromyalgia, while exhaustion is the greatest challenge with chronic fatigue. Both are chronic in nature and have no definitive cure. Conventional treatment for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome focus on symptom relief.

Rolfing and acupuncture draw upon the body’s innate ability for self healing. At first glance, Rolfing and acupuncture are very different healing modalities. Rolfing uses deep pressure to create balance in the physical structure while acupuncture uses needles to balance energy. Read More

By David Frome • Acupuncture, Patient's Stories, Rolfing • • Tags: acupuncture, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, rolfing

Rolfing and Cerebral Palsy – Sam’s Story

Sam, a 13 month old was alert and cheerful when his parents brought him in to me for treatment. His eyes were bright and he was quick to warm with a smile. His parents were concerned because he had been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and he had significant developmental delays.

Sam was having trouble propping on his elbows. His right arm and leg supported him nicely but his left side did not. Sam’s left shoulder, elbow and hand were unusually tight due to muscle spasticity. This was also true of his left hip, knee and foot. These limitations were delaying Sam’s development – he wasn’t able to creep, crawl, sit or pull to stand as would be expected at his age.

Sam’s Cerebral Palsy was caused by a brain injury at birth that caused his muscles to be chronically tight (spasticity.) The spasticity created multiple problems that limited Sam’s mobility, particularly on the left side of his body.

Sam’s parents were particularly concerned as he was already receiving physical, occupational and speech therapy and his progress to date had been minimal.

I began with a structural analysis and found Sam had a profound loss of mobility in his left arm and leg. For example, Sam’s hip joint did not fully flex, extend or adduct due spasticity and myofascial shortening.

Rolfing can be unusually helpful for people with spasticity. While the underlying neurologic problem may persist, Rolfing can lengthen the myofascial span and often restore mobility and function.

Rolfing is an intimate experience where the Rolfer’s touch can open up restrictions in the soft tissue. David worked closely with Sam, always respecting Sam’s tolerance for change. Sam came for weekly Rolfing sessions over an eight-month period.

After four months of Rolfing, Sam’s was able to prop on both arms, creep and attain quadruped. Upon completion of his Rolfing series he was crawling, sitting and pull himself up into a standing position.

The synergy of Rolfing and traditional therapies was a winning combination for Sam and for many children with developmental delays. Sam’s family shared these words:

“David’s amazing experience both as a Rolfer and a classic physical therapist along with his wonderful personality are a gift. We are absolutely convinced that our son’s amazing progress has certainly roots in David’s therapies.”

By David Frome • Patient's Stories, Rolfing •

Oh, My Aching Back – A Dentist’s Story

People are often surprised to hear that acupuncture can cure a musculoskeletal problem such as low back pain. Western medicine tends to underplay the role that the body’s energy field can have on health.

Dr. P, a dentist by profession got in touch with us with a ten-year history of low back pain. With an occupation that demanded him to be standing and leaning forward for many hours a day, he had sharp spikes of low back pain on a daily basis. Additionally, he was also a golf enthusiast, which further made his symptoms worse.

His physician had prescribed NSAIDs, steroidal injections, nerve blocks, facet injection, back braces and many rounds of physical therapy. None of these approaches proved successful – his LBP persisted. When he came to David, he explained, “I tried many modalities over the years, to no avail. I would usually look for the quick, easy, no work on my part back cure; ie; drugs, steroid injections, block injections, facet injections, braces, supports, several rounds of physical therapy, physiotherapy, electrical stimulation and others. All to little or no avail, my pain was constant.”

He decided to give acupuncture a try. David started with getting a thorough history including motion tests & structural analysis. Additionally, he took Dr. P.’s pulses and performed palpation to understand the precise nature of this problem and it’s underlying causes.

David found some structural issues that had previously been overlooked. Dr. P had a severely shortened illiacus muscle in his right pelvis. Additionally, he had an abdominal scar from an old surgery that was very tender to the touch. Scar tissue can become dry and hard, preventing the qi or energy from flowing smoothly through the body. In Chinese medicine it is believed that scar tissue can form an energetic block that can result in chronic structural or health problems.

After eight acupuncture treatments, Dr. P.’s illiacus muscle was no longer short and the scar tissue was normal to the touch. LBP became a memory. He got out bed and realized he had no pain. “I twisted and contorted my body in order to stimulate the discomfort, but it was not there”, said a very happy Dr. P.

He now enjoys his busy New York city practice and can no longer blame his back for his challenges on the golf course.

David states: “Low back problems are often complex. A thorough assessment can help us get to the bottom of the problem. Then, we can find a unique and elegant solution to support your recovery and help prevent recurrence.”

But the real example of how good acupuncture is can be expressed with Dr. P’s testimonial. “I would recommend David to anyone who is living with pain, don’t spend years chasing a medical solution that may not exist, try acupuncture with David Frome.”

Read more about the experience of Dr. P and other patients here.

By David Frome • Acupuncture, Patient's Stories • • Tags: acupuncture, Back Pain

Does Rolfing Benefit Dancers?

“Dancing is the hidden language of the soul. The body says what words cannot” – Martha Graham, Dancer & Choreographer.

Dance is just as much an athletic event as an artistic form of self-expression. If you love to dance, nothing is more frustrating than being sidelined by injury. Whether you dance occasionally, or have a career as a dancer, Rolfing will help you to prevent and recover from injury.

Better breath, better pace and generally better dancing
Since a lot of dancing works against gravity, Rolfing could be of greater benefit since it reorganizes the body so that gravity is a supporting force.

Some interesting benefits have been reported by dancers who have been Rolfed. Helen, a modern dancer reported being able to run more quietly across the stage. This is likely related to the new found healthy functioning of her arches after a Rolfing series.

Photo courtesy – pixgood.com

Gina, a ballet dancer reported that she can now leap across the stage without struggling to catch her breath. After the first Rolfing session, the motility of the rib cage often expands and allows for more oxygen to be inspired.

Better body image
The most touching of comments that I received after Rolfing a young dance student was “I feel so much better about my body. I don’t hate it anymore.”

Rolfing can be effective medicine for negative body image that tends to haunt dancers in particular. Dancers are often taught to scrutinize their bodies in the mirror; the size, the shape, the line.

Breathing fully, standing squarely on both feet, feeling your head reaching heaven ward and your shoulders back allowing for an open heart – these proprioceptive experiences gained from Rolfing create a foundation for self confidence and a transformation of who one is, and how one appears to others.

The sense of self deepens as the physical body is freed of its tension. The mind and nervous system then have a chance to recalibrate.

It is important for dancers to maintain their flexibility and if possible gain more of it. Also, extensive dancing often causes certain kinds of strain on the body. Rolfing helps to counteract this strain and produces increased flexibility and mobility, along with improvements of motor control and better posture. That is a wonderful benefit of getting Rolfed and for dancers, it is invaluable.

By Rebekah Frome • Patient's Stories, Rolfing • • Tags: rolfing, Rolfing For Runners, Running