Praises for The Bragg Back Fitness Program and The Bragg Healthy Lifestyle
These are just a few of the thousands of testimonials we receive yearly, praising The Bragg Health Books for the rejuvenation benefits they reap – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. We look forward to hearing from you also.
Thanks to Paul Bragg and Bragg Health Books, my years of asthma were cured in only one month with The Bragg Healthy Lifestyle Living! – Paul Wenner, Gardenburger Creator - www.gardenburger.com
When I was a young gymnastics coach at Stanford University, Paul Bragg’s words and example inspired me to live a healthy lifestyle. I was twenty-three then; now I am over sixty, and my health serves as a living testimonial to Bragg’s health wisdom, carried on by his dedicated health crusading daughter, Patricia. Thank you! – Dan Millman, Author “The Way of the Peaceful Warrior" - www.danmillman.com
Paul Bragg saved my life when I attended Bragg Health Crusade in Oakland. I was so weak and sickly, that I had to wear a back brace to sit up. I thank Bragg Healthy Lifestyle for my long, healthy, active life and I love spreading health and fitness. – Jack LaLanne, Bragg follower since 15 - www.jacklalanne.com
As a youth I had a learning disability and was told I would never read, write or communicate normally. At 14 I dropped out of school and at 17 ended up in Hawaii surfing. My road to recovery led me to Paul Bragg who changed my life by giving me one simple affirmation to repeat: “I am a genius and I apply my wisdom." Paul Bragg inspired me to go back to school and get my education and from there miracles happened. I have authored 54 training programs and 14 books and love to crusade around the world thanks to Paul Bragg. – Dr. John Demartini, Dynamic Crusader Star in “The Secret" - www.drdemartini.com
For 35 years I’ve followed The Bragg Healthy Lifestyle - It teachs you how to take control of your health and build a healthy future. – Mark Victor Hansen, Co-Creator, “Chicken Soup for the Soul" Series
Good health and good sense are two of life’s greatest blessings. – Syrus, 42BC
Our prayers should be for a sound mind in a healthy body. – Juvenal
Thanks to the ageless Bragg Health Books, they were our introduction to healthy living. We are very grateful to you and your father. – Marilyn Diamond, Co-Author “Fit For Life"
Thank you Paul and Patricia Bragg for my simple, easy to follow Bragg Health Program. You make my day! – Clint Eastwood, Bragg follower for over 50 years
Bragg Books were my conversion to the healthy way. – James F. Balch, M.D., Co-Author, Prescription for Nutritional Healing
The Bragg Healthy Lifestyle, the Bragg vinegar drink and fasting has changed my life! I lost weight and my energy levels went through the roof. I look forward to my fasting days. I think better and am a better husband and father. Thank you Paul and Patricia. It’s a great blessing in my life. Also, Patricia, we enjoyed your health sharing at our “AOL" Conference. – Byron H. Elton, VP Entertainment, Time Warner AOL
I met Paul Bragg on April 6, 1964 at the famous “L" Street Beach in Boston. We became instant friends. The following day he introduced me to his daughter Patricia. We have been friends ever since. Both Paul and Patricia have always been health inspirations to millions around the world, but especially to me! I gave my first public lecture with Paul and Patricia in April of ‘64, I was 22 then, I am now 63. Paul was always dynamic, energetic and a life-changer! Patricia has continued the Health Crusade and has more energy than any 3 people I know put together. – Dr. David Carmos, Co-Author with Dr. Shawn Miller - “You’re Never Too Old To Become Young" • perfecthealthnow.com
Thank you Patricia for our first meeting in London in 1968. You gave me your Fasting Book, it got me exercising, brisk walking and eating more wisely. You were a blessing God-sent. – Rev. Billy Graham
Paul Bragg inspired me many years ago with the Bragg book The Miracle of Fasting and with his philosophy on health. His daughter Patricia Bragg is a good friend of mine and is also an inspiration and testament to the ageless value of living the Bragg Healthy Lifestyle. I love the Bragg product line and am still inspired by the many books Paul and Patricia have written. – Jay Robb, Clinical Nutritionist, author The Fruit Flush 3-Day Detox
I have been consuming Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar consistently now for only 4 months, 3-4 times per day. My lower back aches and hip pain are totally gone from 25 years of jogging and martial arts. Like your book says, “try it and you be the judge." Well I’ve tried it and I will always purchase it. I love it. Thank you. – Kelly Numrich, Saskatchewan, Canada
The Bragg Healthy Lifestyle, vinegar drink and brisk walking (3x daily) for 20 minutes after every meal, helped eliminate my diabetes! My whole body, circulation, feet and eyes have all improved. Thank you, may God continue to bless your Crusade. – John Risk, Santee, CA
Bragg Super Power Breathing helps make the weak strong and athletes champions. – Bob Anderson, famous stretching coach - www.stretching.com
I have been following the Bragg Healthy Lifestyle for about two months. I am on a college student budget so sometimes I have a hard time affording some of my veggies, but I believe in Bragg Books and the Bragg Lifestyle. So far with the Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar I am feeling so much better than I used to . . . all the stiffness in my shoulders and neck is disappearing and I feel so much stronger and energetic. Thanks. – David Meyer, Boise, ID
I read your book on the uses for Apple Cider Vinegar and I am now taking it daily. After passing on the book to my mom, she too started using Bragg ACV and found that the pain in her shoulder that had been waking her up at nights for years has been greatly reduced.
It’s such a simple thing, but so effective. I am now interested in all aspects of maintaining health naturally. Thank you so much. – Catherine Cox, Toronto, ON Canada
Bragg ACV is great. The Bragg Vinegar Drink has now become our Life Supporting System and we passionately support it and cannot live without it! We thank you for all the many ways we can use your vinegar with the miracle mother enzymes. – Yasuko and Hiro Hashimoto, CEO of NEC, Japan
Those with lower back injuries can worsen their pain by avoiding using hurt muscles and its best to trim down if overweight as it increases pressure on spine. – Newsletter Article from Dr. Mercola. See web: mercola.com
How I beat cancer, obesity, diabetes, strep and three herniated disks and excruciating pain? The answer was changing to the Bragg’s Healthy Lifestyle and doing the Super Power Breathing Exercises. It changed and saved my life! I had full recovery and also lost 70 lbs. I received a new life and that is just the beginning because my manhood returned that was lost to diabetes – now that’s exciting! On my trip to Honolulu, Hawaii I visited the famous free Bragg Exercise Class at Waikiki Beach. I became so regenerated with a wonderful new viewpoint towards living my healthy lifestyle that I now live in Hawaii. My 6’ 2" body is invigorated with new energy for life and living! My new purpose for living is to help others reclaim their health rights! I also want the world to join The Bragg Health Crusade and enjoy super health. I am deeply thankful Paul and Patricia for my new healthy life! – Len Schneider, Honolulu, Hawaii
I’ve experienced a beautiful, remarkable, spiritual and physical awakening since reading Bragg Books. I’ll never be the same again. – Sandy Tuttle, Painesville, Ohio
I lost 102 lbs. with the Bragg Vinegar Drink and Bragg Healthy Lifestyle. I have kept it off for over 15 years, exercising and staying away from white flour, sugar and all refined foods. Thank you. – Dee McCaffrey, Chemist & Diet Counselor, Tempe, AZ
We get letters daily at our Santa Barbara headquarters. We would love to receive a testimonial letter from you on any blessings, healings and changes you experienced after following The Bragg Healthy Lifestyle and this book. It’s all within your grasp to be in top health. By following this book, you can reap more Super Health and a happy, longer vital life! It’s never too late to begin! Studies show amazing results that were obtained with people in their 80’s and 90’s . Receive miracles with healthy nutrition, fasting and exercise! Start now!
Daily our prayers & love go out to you, your heart, mind & soul.
BACK FITNESS PROGRAM
with SPINE MOTION For
Pain-Free Back
PAUL C. BRAGG, N.D., Ph.D.
LIFE EXTENSION SPECIALIST
and
PATRICIA BRAGG, N.D., Ph.D.
HEALTH CRUSADER & LIFESTYLE
EDUCATOR
BECOME
A Bragg Health Crusader
for a 100% Healthy World for
All!
HEALTH SCIENCE
Santa Barbara, California
93102
USA
World Wide Web: www.bragg.com
BACK FITNESS PROGRAM
with SPINE MOTION For Pain-Free Back
PAUL C. BRAGG, N.D., Ph.D.
LIFE EXTENSION SPECIALIST
and
PATRICIA BRAGG, N.D., Ph.D.
HEALTH CRUSADER
&
LIFESTYLE EDUCATOR
Copyright © by Health Science ~ All rights reserved under the International Copyright Union. No portion of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to use brief quotations for a magazine, newspaper, website, radio or television program. For information, please contact:
Health Science
Box 7
Santa Barbara, California 93102
Telephone
(805) 968-1020, FAX (805) 968-1001
e-mail address: books@bragg.com
Quantity Purchases: Companies,
Professional Groups,
Churches,
Clubs, Fund-raisers, etc.,
please contact our Special
Sales Department.
To see Bragg Books, some chapters, etc.
and Products on-line,
visit our website at:
www.bragg.com
This book is printed on recycled, acid-free paper, which saves thousands of trees.
Sixteenth Printing MMIX
ISBN: 978-0-87790-057-3
SMASHWORDS EDITION
Library of Congress
Cataloging-in-Publication Data
on file with
publisher
Published in the United States
HEALTH SCIENCE
Box 7
Santa
Barbara, California
93102
USA
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Bragg Back Fitness Program with Spine Motion
Chapter 2 - Your Miracle Body Mechanic
Chapter 3 - Your Precious Nerve Force
Chapter 4 - Dr. Posture Works Miracles
Chapter 5 - Stretching the Spine Promotes a Healthy Back and Body
Chapter 6 - 12 Spine Motion Strengthening Exercises
Chapter 7 - The Gravity of the Situation
Chapter 8 - Choose Your Foods Wisely
Chapter 9 - Eat Right to Build Healthy Bones
Chapter 10 - Put Your Back into It!
Chapter 11 - Healthy Alternative Therapies and Massage Techniques
PAUL C. BRAGG, N.D., Ph.D.
& Fasting Pioneer
Paul C. Bragg's daughter Patricia and their wonderful, healthy members of the Bragg Longer Life, Health and Happiness Club exercise daily on the beautiful Fort DeRussy lawn, at famous Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii. View club exercising www.bragg.com. Membership is free and open to everyone to attend any morning – Monday through Saturday, from 9 to 10:30 am – for Bragg Super Power Breathing and Health and Fitness Exercises. On Saturday there are often health lectures on how to live a long, healthy life! The group averages 75 to 125 per day, depending on the season. From December to March it can go up to 150. Its dedicated leaders have been carrying on the class for over 30 years. Thousands have visited the club from around the world and carried the Bragg Health and Fitness Crusade to friends and relatives back home. When you visit Honolulu, Hawaii, Patricia invites you and your friends to join her and the club for wholesome, healthy fellowship. She also recommends visiting the outer Islands (Kauai, Hawaii, Maui, Molokai) for a fulfilling, healthy vacation.
To maintain good health, normal weight and increase the good life of radiant health, joy and happiness, the body must be exercised properly (stretching, walking, aerobics, jogging, running, biking, swimming, deep breathing, good posture, etc.) and nourished wisely with healthy foods. – Paul C. Bragg
(See Bragg Photo Gallery on backpages)
Be a BRAGG Crusader, copy and share with friends, family, co-workers, etc.
Decades of Amazement as Life Rolls By
Where did our years go? They went by so fast.
When we’re young
they seem to cra-a-wl,
With each decade, they fly past!
At
29 we’re the center; At 30 we feel supreme.
But 40 strikes
terror; Life’s not what it seems.
By 50 we’ve reached
maturity; At 60 we accept seniority.
When we’re filled with
excitement of creative living,
There’s no room for depression
and despair!
But at 65, wisdom that comes from experience
Then takes over and we learn to accept ourselves as we are.
Each
new day is a gift to be treasured, Enabling us to go far!
At
75, life is for the living
But it is through our sharing, loving
and giving
that we reach the Stars of Joy, Peace
and the
Possibilities of Eternity!
– by Ruth Lubin, 88 years young & going strong, who started
writing poetry & sculpturing at 80!
PS: Ruth is a fan of the
Bragg Healthy Lifestyle for over 58 years!
WITH LOVE PROMISE YOURSELF
• Promise yourself to be so
strong that nothing can disturb
your
peace of mind.
• To talk health, happiness
and prosperity
to every
person you meet.
• To make your friends feel
that
they are special & appreciated.|
• To look at
the sunny side of
everything & make your
desires come
true.
• To think only of the best,
to work only for the
best
and expect only the best.
• To be just as
enthusiastic
about the success of others
as you are about your
own.
• To forget the mistakes of the
past and press on to
the greater
achievements of the future.
• To be too large
for worry,
too noble for anger, too strong
for fear & too
happy to permit
the presence of trouble.
• To give so
much time to
improving yourself that
you have no time and
no
desire to criticize others.
• To wear a cheerful
expression
at all times and give a smile to
every living
creature you meet.
– Christian D. Larson
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT!
With Your Support The Bragg Health Crusades Can Continue to Spread Paul C. Bragg's Teachings
For over 80 years we have been sharing Paul C. Bragg's teachings on healthy living worldwide! Millions have followed the Bragg Healthy Lifestyle principles and their lives have been changed forever! Everyday people send us letters, e-mails and call, saying – "Paul Bragg saved my life!"
Former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Koop said "Paul Bragg did more for the Health of America than any one person he knew of."
If your life has been touched and helped by Bragg Health Teachings, please help us carry on the Bragg Legacy into this 21st Century and beyond. Your tax deductible donation to the Bragg Health Institute will support our mission to continue the Bragg Message of Health worldwide and inspire future generations.
The non-profit and philanthropic work of the Bragg Health Institute funds The Bragg Health Crusades, community health, school health education, lectures, seminars, and publications on healthy living. The Institute conducts health outreach to youth in schools, organic gardening teaching programs, and helps sponsor health science research and provides scholarships to worthy students pursuing the natural health science professions.
Please join us in sharing The Bragg Health Legacy!
Paul C. Bragg, ND, PhD.
Originator of Health Stores Life Extension
Specialist Health Crusader to the World
Bragg Outreach to Schools
Organic Gardening Teaching Programs
Bragg Scholarships
Patricia Bragg lecturing at Bragg Health Seminars
HEALTH DREAM WITH NEW HEALTH VISION
The Bragg Health Institute is located on a beautiful 120 acre Campus and Organic Farm on the coast of Santa Barbara, California. Patricia Bragg and the Directors of Bragg Health Institute have designated this as the future site of the greatest living tribute to the life of Paul C. Bragg. The new Bragg Health Institute will become a world center for organic and healthy lifestyle education and research. (See our Mission, Purpose and Vision for the Future video on bragghealthinstitute.org)
You can also be part of Paul Bragg's lasting legacy by having your name permanently inscribed upon one of the educational nature walks or inspirational walls that will enhance the natural beauty of the Bragg Health Institute Campus and Organic Farm. Or you may want to have your name inscribed in the Grand Entrance or one of the rooms in the Bragg Memorial Library or Health Education Center. Your name can be part of your own legacy, as you will be recognized for generations to come as a great Health Crusader because of your financial support of these wonderful health projects. When thousands of visitors see your name each year, they will know that you helped make a difference in the world.
Some Special Health Projects You Can Partner with us:
Healthy Lifestyle Teaching Videos
Paul Bragg Library & Rose Gardens
Organic Medicinal Herb Gardens
Scholarships for Future Health Doctors
Special Health Events & Programs
Organic Teaching Gardens
Health Teaching Kitchen
Health Eco Education Center
Bragg Nature & Farm Walks
Bragg Health Museum
For more info check out our web: www.bragghealthinstitute.org
FOREWORD – A Perfectly-Aligned, Flexible Spine Is Important for an Active, Healthy Life!
A perfectly-aligned, fully flexible spine is one of the best head-starts on perfect health almost all can enjoy! Although we might think that we are born into this world with a perfect spine, it isn’t always true! Unfortunately, even as early as the moment of birth itself, the process of damage to the spine has begun. Authorities say that many physicians grab the baby’s head as it emerges during birth, twisting the head up and down to bring out the baby’s shoulders, stressing and twisting the tiny spine. During this process a number of spinal misalignments and/or slight breaks can happen, interfering with the child’s health. This could possibly contribute to sudden infant crib death. Also, if the baby is hung by its feet and slapped on the bottom, a whiplash injury at the base of the skull may occur, causing even more serious damage. Read up on the gentler, more natural childbirth methods that are available in your area.
Further misalignments (known as subluxations) happen during childhood years through spankings, falls, fistfights, and the typical wrenching and twisting of limbs encountered by a normal active child. Sports injuries during the teenage years take their toll on the young spine. As adults, poor eating, sleeping and poor posture habits reinforce all that has gone before, culminating not only in a painful back, but also preventing enjoyment of perfect health. The vital nerves leading from the spinal cord to all other organs in the body haven’t ever had a chance to function at their healthy best, because vertebrae have been pressing on them and interfering with their important function. Many times, a general tendency to disease or weak spots in an overall healthy constitution can be traced to such spinal misalignments.
With the simple, gentle Bragg Spine Motion Exercises, many of the effects of a lifetime of neglecting the spine can be reversed dramatically within a few months, weeks, or even a few days! Also, your family Chiropractor can help diagnose and correct most serious spinal mis-alignments that, without your suspecting it, may be adversely affecting your overall health and hindering your natural defenses against disease!
Practicing the easy Bragg Back Fitness Program is the best preventive maintenance efforts for your back health. These exercises and The Bragg Healthy Lifestyle will help you enjoy a flexible, pain free back for life. Remember …
You are as Youthful as Your Spine
BRAGG Back Fitness Program with Spine Motion For Pain Free Back
Oh! My aching back! This cry has echoed down the corridors of time for countless centuries, ever since humans learned to walk on their own two feet. This unique accomplishment – achieved only by human beings among all the varied forms of mammals on Earth – has given us the mobility and dexterity to cope with any environment found on Earth. It has enabled us to rule all other creatures, to conquer the Earth and now to set out and explore outer space.
As with almost everything in nature and life, however, there is a price to pay for these accomplishments. Humans are still learning how to Millions suffer with stand erect t! From babyhood on, back pains every human being repeats the slow needlessly! learning process – crawler, toddler, Today start your walker, runner – and all through Back Program. life must pay attention to their posture and maintain it, or suffer with painful backache and its many related ills.
The Spine Is Your Vital Key to Health
Universal native folk lore equates back bone with courage, an intuitive tribute to erect posture and the key role of the spine in physical fitness. However, physical fitness is more than muscular power: It is the superior condition of the human body and its frame.
Practice The Bragg Healthy Lifestyle and these back and spine exercises and practice good posture. An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure!
When your body is fit and every muscle or organ is functioning properly, that body becomes a powerhouse of vim and vigor. Physical fitness means more than just plain health and the absence of illness: It means no hidden liabilities and no silent, painless illness working away like termites at the organic framework of your human house. Remember, the spine is the ridgepole of your body – which is your earthly home and temple.
Role of Spine in Human Bod
Let us briefly summarize the key role of the spine in almost every function of the human body. It is the pivot of the skeleton – the framework of bones giving the body its shape. Anchored to the spine are layers of large and small muscles and ligaments of the back and abdomen, essential in holding the body erect and the vital organs in place (even these organs themselves are supported by the spine). In four-legged (quadrupedal) creatures, vital organs are suspended downward from a curved spinal column. However, in the two-legged (bipedal) human, they must be held up against the pull of gravity by an erect, strong spinal column.
In the center of that column, descending directly from the base of the brain and protected by the bony vertebrae, is the miracle spinal cord, the control center of extensive, intricate networks of motor and sensory nerves that radiate to all parts of the body.
For these basic anatomical and physiological reasons, (which we will discuss in detail during the course of this book,) we believe that many ills can be traced to an abnormal spine. For example, prolonged habits of incorrect posture – as well as accidents, sudden movement, jolt or strain – can cause a vertebra to shift slightly out of alignment (subluxation) and to press against a nerve passing out from the spinal cord through an opening at that level. Such an impingement is an open invitation to trouble in the organ or body part that is serviced by that partially pinched nerve.
Of all knowledge, that most worth having is knowledge about health. The first requisite of a good life is to be a healthy person. – Herbert Spencer
For similar reasons, the spine itself is often thrown out of alignment and into abnormal curves toward the sides, front or back of the body. This can adversely affect other bones of the skeleton, shorten or stretch muscles and ligaments, cause organs to prolapse (fall) and/or bring on interrelated malfunctions throughout the body.
Body Misuse Causes Injury Over Time
According to Dr. Thomas G. Gutheil, M.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, There are many reasons for an aching back, a number of which have to do with lifestyle changes, fitness, and the modern environment. Not only does the back carry the body, but it also carries many of the psychological tensions that humans get weighted down with. In my psychiatric training, I learned to look at the posture and body position for clues to a person’s mental state: the stooped back whose owner seemed bowed by the weight of depression, the shoulders drawn in and tight, and the head retracted like a turtle’s in anticipation of a blow that comes only in the fearful patient’s imagination, and the many other posture giveaway signs.
Sheila Reid, rehabilitation services coordinator at the Spine Institute of New England, observes, The single event that people think caused their back injury is often not the problem. Instead, it’s almost a cumulative trauma. We go through years of back and health misuse, and then there is the one fall or the box or child you pick up that breaks the proverbial camel’s back.
See web: http://www.fahc.org
The ratio of nerves sending messages about our backs, in comparison to the nerves on our fingertips, is much less than a hundred to one! Therefore, we are receiving fewer warning pain signals from our backs. Sad facts: most people tend to ignore their back until it starts crying out to them, calling for help to be relieved of pain and discomfort!
According to the New England Journal of Medicine, one study found that although some back patients were satisfied with treatments provided by back specialists, others are finding good results with alternative therapies like chiropractic care, that cost less, require fewer expensive tests and often solve the back problem with a few simple spinal adjustments.
Researchers estimate that a whopping four out of five Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives. In fact, back pain is second only to the common cold as a reason for visiting a doctor. Annually, nearly 31 million Americans experience back pain, at a skyrocketing cost of $20 billion for medical treatments and disability payments, some on permanent disability!
Our modern machines are taking the place of manual labor, and have significantly deteriorated the physical body over the last 60 years. However, Spine Motion can help alleviate almost any back pain you may encounter and help keep it from decreasing your quality of life.
Bragg Originates Spine Motion Exercises
In order to help alleviate back problems arising from structural spine problems, my father Paul C. Bragg originated the Spine Motion Exercises given in this book.
These exercises were introduced over 70 years ago. Public and press reception were so enthusiastic that claims made by those who used these exercises sounded extravagant. Only a small part of the amazing results reported would have to be true to establish the principle of Spine Motion as the valuable force that it is.
As remarkable as may be the results attained by you and others following these Spine Motion Exercises, we do not want anyone to regard this as evidence that these exercises can supplant all other health measures. They cannot, nor are they intended to do so. You must follow a well-rounded healthy lifestyle program, including proper nutrition, adequate rest and other forms of exercise, al of which we will discuss in this book.
Spine Motion Exercises are also not to be considered a cure for any condition, illness or disease. In fact, nature has no cures, in the generally accepted sense of the word. The human body is self-healing and self-repairing when we work with Mother Nature, not against her. If one feels sick and miserable, it’s usually brought on by oneself by failing to obey her God-given natural laws.
Remember: It’s never too late to strive to be what you want to be! So start to Plan, Plot and Follow through! – Patricia Bragg, N.D., Ph.D.
Paul C. Bragg Recalls Remarkable Results with Spine Motion
Bragg Spine Motion Exercises are a natural, drug-free approach to health. They are designed to help restore the spine to its natural, normal functions. This helps eliminate the causes of many apparent ailments in the back and other parts of the body that arise primarily from defects in spinal structure. These defects are brought on by poor posture, flabby muscles, improper living and bad working habits or accidents and injuries.
If you are under medical care, do consult your doctor on these exercises and general healthy lifestyle presented in this book. Many orthopedists, neurologists, osteopaths, health professionals, physiotherapists and chiropractors find this program helpful to their patients.
I have seen back injuries and displacements (having resulted from slips, falls, coughs, sneezes or other sudden movements) respond wonderfully to these Spine Motion Exercises. Occupational accidents, such as sprains, strains or from improper lifting, pulling, carrying or bending, often produce the type of pain and misery that only Spine Motion Exercises can help relieve.
At one time, when I returned home from a Bragg Crusade, I found a relative in pain. He had been preparing a piece of ground to plant an organic vegetable garden, and had come across a large, heavy stone. Not realizing how heavy it was, he strained his back while trying to lift it. Unable to continue his work because of severe, crippling back pain, he had been taking all kinds of treatments; however, the condition persisted. I advised him to take hot baths (add 1 cup vinegar) daily and, right after bath begin very lightly doing my Spine Motion Exercises. He followed my advice, doing the simpler exercises first, gradually progressing to the more strenuous ones. At the end of one week his pains were gone, and in another week he was once more working in his organic garden.
Nature, time and patience are the three greatest physicians. – Irish Proverb
Wisdom is the principle thing; therefore get wisdom: and with al thy getting get understanding. – Proverbs 4:7
I have known cases of severe injuries to the back, such as whiplash from auto accidents, in which great relief was attained by lightly performing simple Spine Motion Exercises. I have also helped many an athlete return to normal after a severe back injury, especially in physically punishing sports like wrestling or ice hockey.
A lifelong athlete myself, I have engaged in all types of sports and my daily practice of Spine Motion Exercises has strengthened my spine so much that I have never had any serious back injuries, despite some bad spills.
Patricia and I receive letters, e-mail, etc. from people all over the world who have followed our instructions in this book and found pain relief from such conditions as lumbago, sacroiliac pain and postural defects of long duration. The exercises have also relieved painful cases of bursitis (inflammation of the bursa, especially of the shoulder, elbow and knee joints), sciatica, arthritis and persistent headaches.
Millions Suffer from a Defective Spine
Researchers have indicated that one in five sufferers of back pain are born with one leg longer than the other. This imbalance can put excessive pressure on the back and spine, the hips and knees. (Try balancing with heel lift.)
About 1 out of 150 persons (of average development) has a sufficiently flexible spine. In today’s society, the majority of people are sedentary, warping their spines by faulty posture habits in sitting, standing and walking, by general lack of exercise and improper diet. This applies not only to adults, but also to most schoolchildren who are products of the TV and computer generation and of the many schools that don’t require basic physical education.
A recent study of teenagers in 7th and 8th grade, reports 11% with scoliosis, or spinal curvature. The research was conducted among 841 students in Downey, California, by Dr. Leon Brooks, an orthopedic surgeon in the spine deformity service of Rancho Los Amigos Hospital. Dr. Brooks noted that untreated scoliosis can be responsible for future back pains and respiratory problems. Special exercises are the basic treatment, except in severe cases requiring temporary back braces or, in extreme cases only, surgery.
Spine Motion is Simple and Scientific
Sporadic or incorrect exercise can take its toll on the spine, as overly strenuous exercise, as found among construction workers and some athletes. From the thousands of spine and back cases in our files, here are three illustrative examples:
The first case is a person whose spine was so badly slumped that it disturbed his nerve reflexes; he could not take part even in the ordinary play and games of youth. After only four weeks of Bragg Spine Motion Exercises, he became more normally active. Later, he developed into a remarkable swimmer.
The second case is of a logger in Northern California who, at age 55, was forced to abandon his rigorous outdoor work due to subluxation of the spine (partial dislocation of some vertebrae). He was puttering at odd jobs around the camp when he started the Spine Motion Exercises. In less than a month, he was able to resume logging. Here was a man who for years had swung an ax, surely a vigorous form of exercise! Even so, the spine had become defective from lack of extension in the right directions and to the right degree. It required the peculiar, anatomical twist of the more scientific Spine Motion to align and flex his spine at every point.
The third case is of a 43-year-old woman who was clearly headed for invalidism, with organs supposedly far out of place and ailments that had defied ordinary forms of correction. After a few days of practicing Spine Motion Exercises, she obtained complete relief.
The three cases just described are widely diverse, yet all three responded beneficially to the same Spine Motion Exercises. Why? Remember that the spinal column is the focus of the neuromuscular and musculoskeletal systems. Even a slight dislocation or malfunction in the spine can affect other body parts and cause problems.
The nervous system falters and suffers when we don’t take care of our body.
When recovering from accidents, fractures, etc. it’s wise to take extra herbs, and mineral and vitamin supplements to help your body heal faster.
Life is largely a matter of chemistry. – William J. Mayo, M.D.
The Bones of the Human Body
Healthy Bones
Bone, like all living tissue, requires adequate nutrition for health and growth. Bones need sufficient levels of minerals, especially calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, manganese, zinc, copper and silicon, plus vitamins A, C and K. Vitamin D and boron are necessary to ensure proper intestinal absorption and utilization of calcium. Live The Bragg Healthy Lifestyle to keep the bones healthy and strong!
Every man is the builder of a temple, called his body. We are all sculptors and painters, and our material is our own flesh, blood and bones. – Henry David Thoreau
The Spine Works as a Miracle Machine
A scientific study of the spinal structure has made it possible to devise simple spine motions that give your miracle spine the requisite pull or stretch to restore its natural alignment and flexibility. The effects of such motions have been carefully recorded and compared. It has been found that these simple manipulations, through careful, active use of trunk muscles, cause all the tiny bones comprising the spinal column to separate normally and allow Nature to build up the cushiony growths of cartilage between each pair of bones.
Life holds many examples of what resilience means. Imagine an automobile without shocks, a trampoline without springs or a piano without felt hammers.
In thinking of anything mechanical, just recall that every machine ever designed is patterned after the master mechanism constituting the human body. The more perfect the machine, the closer its designers have come to the principles of motion found in the human body.
Backs Are Strong if Given Care – Dr. Morris Fishbein
“Fortunately for mankind, the back has developed so well that it is capable of withstanding stresses and strains better than many other parts of the body. There are some who insist that the back is the weakest part of man. Actually, it is one of the strongest. If it could be given the same amount of personal consideration and attention that we give regularly to the teeth, the skin and other portions of the body that are more easily visible, the human back and body would be a more efficient mechanism and would last much longer without breaking down." – Stated by Dr. Morris Fishbein, Editor 1924 to 1951, Journal of the AMA (American Medical Association)
Let us explain your spine (the body’s mainspring) – its structure and function and how you can give it the loving care and attention it needs to fulfill its built-in potential of performing at least 120 years of good service for you.
Man’s days shall be 120 years. – Genesis 6:3
Conrad Hilton Thanks Bragg for His Long Life!
Patricia with Conrad Hilton
When the world’s biggest hotel magnate Conrad Hilton was 80 years old and lying on his hospital deathbed, we gave him a new lease on life by introducing him to The Bragg Healthy Lifestyle. He loyally followed our instructions and discovered a whole, fresh new healthy, vibrant lifestyle! He was soon healthy, happy and fit, enjoying life! He remained active in business (half days at his office) to almost 100 active, youthful years! Mr. Hilton at 88 was quoted in a People Magazine interview as saying, I wouldn’t be alive today if it wasn’t for the Braggs and their Bragg Healthy Lifestyle! With this article was a photo of the grateful hotel founder with his healthy lifestyle teacher.
A thousand Happy Bragg Health Students Enjoying Hiking, Exercise and Fresh Air on The Trail to Mt. Hollywood, California. Summer, 1932. In the left foreground is Bernarr Macfadden, Father and Founder of the Physical Culture Movement and Publisher of popular Physical Culture magazine and to the right, Paul C. Bragg, Health Crusader and Life Extension Specialist. These Health Pioneers enjoyed leading Health and Fitness Crusades across America.
Your Miracle Body Mechanic
The Spine and Skeletal System
If you suddenly removed the poles from a circus tent, the tent would collapse. The typical adult skeleton is comprised of 206 bones that support the softer parts of the body and give the body its general shape. If the spine, corresponding to the main pole of the tent, and the other supporting bones (or poles) were suddenly removed, the body would sink to the ground in a shapeless mass.
The spinal column, the master bones of the human body, is composed of 26 hollow cylinders of bone called vertebrae. If you string 26 spools of thread on a stiff wire in the shape of a very open letter S, you’ve constructed something resembling a spinal column.
The skull, which is supported by the spinal column, is made up of 29 flat bones. The round part of the skull that encases the brain is called the cranium, which consists of eight bones. The face, including the lower jaw, consists of 14 bones. There are three tiny bones in each ear. There is a single bone, the hyoid, in the throat.
The chest is composed of 25 bones: a single breastbone, called the sternum, and 24 ribs. All ribs are attached to the spinal column. The upper seven pairs of ribs (14 bones) are attached to the spinal column at the back and the sternum in front. The next three pairs (six bones) attach only to the spinal column, curve around the front of the thorax (chest) but do not meet the sternum. The two lowest pairs of ribs (four bones), called the floating ribs, extend from the spine only partway toward the front. There are two collar bones (clavicles), which are attached to the sternum in front and to the two shoulder blades (scapulas) at each side.
Researchers have discovered the more healthy habits an individual practices, the longer they live and the healthier and fitter they are! – E. Vierck, Health Smart
You are what you eat, drink, breathe, think, say and do! – Patricia Bragg
Your Body’s Strong, Hard-Working Bones
Each arm consists of one upper arm bone, the humerus, and two forearm bones, the ulna and the radius. There are eight bones in each wrist, the carpi, each with a different anatomical name and function. Five bones, called metacarpi, connect the wrist with the fingers, which are composed of 14 bones, called the phalanges (two in the thumb, three in each finger).
Connected to the lowest part of the spinal column (the sacrum and coccyx) are the two hip bones (coxa), the broadest bones of the skeleton. Each connects with a thigh bone (femur), the thigh bones being the longest, strongest and heaviest bones of the body. In each leg, the kneecap (patella) covers the joint attaching the thigh bone to the two lower leg bones, the shinbone (tibia) and its smaller companion, the fibula.
There are seven bones, the tarsi, in each ankle (larger than those in the wrist). Five bones, called metatarsi, form the arch of the foot, connecting the ankle and toes. As in the fingers, there are 14 bones (also called phalanges) in the toes of each foot, two in the big toe and three in each of the other toes.
Keep Your Bones Healthy & Youthful With Exercise & Good Nutrition
Always remember you have these vitally important reasons for following The Bragg Healthy Lifestyle:
The ironclad laws of Mother Nature and God.
Your common sense, which tells you that you are doing right.
Your aim to make your health better and your life longer.
Your resolve to prevent illness so that you may enjoy life.
You will retain your faculties and be hale, hearty, active and useful far beyond the ordinary length of years.
You will also possess superior mental and physical powers!
By making healthy living an art, you will be youthful at any age.
The Body’s Miracle-Working Joints
Except for the U-shaped hyoid bone of the throat, every bone in the body miraculously is connected, or articulates, with another. The spinal column is the main miracle pivot of the entire body skeletal system.
The point at which two bones meet, or articulate, is known as a joint. The joints of the cranium, the part of the skull that houses the brain, are immovable. Those that join the ribs and spine are partially movable. Movement is even more limited in the sacroiliac joints, connecting the base of the spine with the hip bones, where the whole weight of the trunk is supported. Sacroiliac pain (#1 back problem) occurs when the tough, resistant ligaments that hold these joints together weaken under continued or unusual stress, such as lifting a heavy object, a sudden body twist, or the strain from trying to raise a jammed window, etc. (Spine Motion Exercises help strengthen these important ligaments.)
Success depends on your backbone, not your wishbone.
Movable Body Joints – Your Strong Servants
There are four main types of movable joints in the body and, as you will recognize from their names, these human joints have served as patterns that humans have adapted mechanically. Ball-and-socket joints, connecting the shoulder to the arm and the hip to the leg, permit the widest range of movement. Hinge joints, like those of the knees, fingers and toes, allow bending back and forth only. A pivot joint permits the bones to rotate at the joint like a key turning in a lock, such as at wrists and ankles and the joints at the base of fingers and toes.
These are the types of faithful, hard working joints in your body. Between the movable ones, a clear amber lubricant called synovial fluid keeps the joint moving easily. When inorganic minerals from toxic acid crystals or hard drinking water begin to replace this fluid, the joints become stiff, arthritic and painful, and the body feels miserable.
The elbow is a combination of pivot joint and hinge joint, allowing one bone of the forearm to rotate about the other as well as providing a bending motion. Saddle joints, like those of the vertebrae, allow movement in all directions that is of a more limited sort than that of ball-and-socket joints. These saddle joints permit limited movement forward, backward and sideways. Although each vertebra moves only slightly on the one adjoining it, the combined movement of the 26 bones make the column rather flexible as a whole.
Nature lubricates your joints with precious synovial fluid, which is permanently encased in a membrane. The natural supply of this fluid is ample for a lifetime, but proper diet is important to maintain its consistency, particularly the avoidance of hard drinking water and other substances containing inorganic minerals, which will be discussed in a later section.
Cartilage – Your Joints’ Shock Absorbers
Also lining the bone surfaces of the joints is a tough, springy tissue called cartilage, which not only prevents the bone surfaces from rubbing against each other, but also acts as an all-important shock absorber. This is particularly important in the spine, where cartilage plates and intervertebral disks (described later) between the vertebrae absorb the shocks of ordinary actions such as walking, sitting and blows to the spine.
Cartilage is the precursor of bones in the formation of the skeleton in the embryo, and some of it remains as part of the skeletal system. At birth, the soft parts of a baby’s skull are cartilaginous to allow room for growth of the brain, changing into hard bone like the rest of the skull after the brain has attained full size. Since cartilage is more elastic than rigid bone, some of it remains at the juncture of the ribs and the sternum to allow full lung flexible expansion. Cartilage also remains part of the adult skeleton in semirigid tubes that must be kept permanently open, such as the larynx, trachea (windpipe), bronchi, nose and ears.
We must always change, renew, rejuvenate; otherwise, we harden. – Goethe
Cartilage, also called gristle, is often confused with tendons and ligaments. All three are tough white tissues with varying degrees of elasticity and differences in structure and functions. Cartilage is embryonic bone without a direct blood supply and is semirigid, still somewhat elastic. Tendons are the white, glistening fibrous bands that attach muscles to bones. They have great tensile strength but are not elastic. They contain a few blood vessels and sensory nerves. Ligaments are of similar structure but contain elastic fibers that connect two or more bones or cartilages and support certain organs, muscles and fascia (fibrous enveloping tissue).
Tendons and ligaments are part of the muscular system, while cartilage is part of the skeletal system. The three are only classified together when dealing with what scientists are now calling the musculoskeletal system.
Joints Deteriorate without Proper Care
Many things can go wrong when your joints – and especially the cartilage that cushions them – aren’t kept healthy. Besides being more susceptible to injury, neglected joints are prone to chronic conditions such as the many different kinds of arthritis (which means inflammation of the joints). 81.75 million Americans suffer with stiffness, pain, swelling, instability, deformation, dislocation and reduced mobility in their joints. In the United States, over 46 million people have joint problems that can be traced back to damaged cartilage. This damage can result from injury, age, heredity and/or unhealthy living. If you are experiencing severe symptoms, it is important that you consult a health professional to determine the cause and accurately diagnose the discomfort before applying a healing program. In the meantime, there is much that you can do to protect your joints and keep them healthy so that they don’t develop problems. And if you do have problems, there are many ways to address them naturally.
Nerve roots are often the cause of low back pain, the second most common cause of missed work days. The back and its problems are the leading cause of disability between ages 19 and 60. Also, it’s the number one leading impairment in occupational injuries. Eight out of ten people will have a problem with back pain at some time during their lives. – Medical Multimedia Group
People who suffer from joint problems are often the unhappiest and unhealthiest people. Often they’ve been taking prescription drugs with dangerous side effects that increase rather than heal their discomfort. Here are some tips for improving their situation.
4 Basic Lifestyle Changes
a healthy, well-balanced diet
regular, careful use of herbal remedies and food supplements