by Stephanie Miller
Bryan Cable was experiencing a lot of hip pain during his longer runs, but like so many of us crazy runners, he figured that was just part of the sport.
“I was always having hip problems after about six miles into my running,” Bryan said. “I always blamed my shoes!”
It could be the shoes, but most likely it had more to do with the two car accidents Bryan experienced while road cycling, one that ended in a hit-and-run that left him on the side of the road with two broken pelvic bones. After his injury, Bryan admits he came back to sports “much too soon,” and overcompensated on his “good” side.
“I got out of alignment,” Bryan said.
Eventually he took up running, adding weight classes to build up his core and strength. But it was during those strength classes with his wife that he often noticed his form was off. His wife noticed too.
“My wife is big into kettlebells, and she would see me trying to swing one and I could not swing it correctly — even though I thought I was,” Bryan said. “I also kept arching my back during my workouts… I was always off. I tried swimming, but I couldn’t do the freestyle properly…I gave up on it.”
Bryan, who is 54, also sits at a desk all day, which did not help his posture. He continued doing what he was doing and grinding through the pain, believing it was just part of getting older. Then he got a call that Bryan said “changed his life.”
Starting with AlignLife
Bryan is a regular participant at the Asheville Off Road Series, a multi-sport event put on by iDaph Events. This year he ran the 10K, and after the event he was the chosen winner of a free consultation with AlignLife Chiropractic and Natural Health Center, which is owned by Doctor Chris Boyhan and his wife, Heather. AlignLife was a sponsor for the Asheville Off Road Series, and they offered the free consultation as a prize. (AlignLife is also the sponsor for our upcoming New Year’s Resolution Run.)
When Bryan first got the call from iDaph announcing him as the winner, he was skeptical.
“I thought, ”What the heck is AlignLife? I’ve never heard of this. I don’t need a chiropractor.”
Bryan lives in Hickory, so driving the distance to East Asheville was also a factor. But after conducting some research, he decided to give AlignLife a try. He was immediately impressed by Dr. Boyhan’s process, which focuses on thoroughly educating patients so that they understand the value behind his techniques. The first session included taking x-rays and video of his spinal movement to help correctly pinpoint where the issues are.
Dr. Boyhan also uses thermography, which is a technique that measures heat from the nervous system. This shows him if the nervous system is stressed, such as chronic stress, which would keep someone from sleeping through the night.
A wake-up call
When Dr. Boyhan showed Bryan an x-ray of his spine compared to a “normal” spine, it shocked him.
“I thought I was standing upright! That got my attention,” Bryan said.
Dr. Boyhan explained that when our bodies get used to our “bad posture,” our brain can no longer recognize the difference between good and bad posture. That is why Bryan ran with his foot pointing out and couldn’t swing a kettlebell correctly. He thought he was doing things correctly, but his body had other ideas.
After only a few sessions, Bryan says his hips are more in alignment and he is no longer dropping to one side during his runs. The best part? He has virtually no hip pain, he says, and his legs are feeling tired instead of the rest of his body.
“That’s what’s supposed to happen!”
He also noticed more flexibility in his neck, and continues to do stretching and stability exercises to help with his posture and alignment. He stopped lifting weights - only for the time being - so he can focus on getting his body aligned. He even sits differently now, and he can feel the change in his body.
“You really have to train your brain to recognize what is correct and what isn’t,” he said. “Your brain has to be on board too.”
Bryan even brought his wife into the AlignLife office so she could see his x-rays with her own eyes. His wife fought back tears when she saw the x-rays. She had noticed he couldn’t do certain positions at the gym and in sports, and wondered why that was.
“She thought it was because I wasn’t doing it right,” Bryan said.
Dr. Boyhan was happy to have Bryan’s wife come in and see his results with her own eyes.
“It’s important for partners to understand what is going on as well, because you need that support from your partner,” he said. He added that he is very happy with Bryan’s healing process and dedication to making positive changes.
Bryan runs regularly now and is a mentor for a half marathon training series with Fleet Feet Asheville. He recently completed his first half marathon and plans to do more. He continues to see Dr. Boyhan regularly, who is pleased with Bryan’s dedication and positive results.
“Life doesn’t have to be that way,” said Dr. Boyhan. “There’s so many other people walking around thinking it’s normal or common (to feel that kind of pain), but it’s not normal. If Bryan didn’t make these changes, he would not be able to run in 5 to 10 years.”
AlignLife’s philosophy is to bridge the gap from health care to personal development, so you can meet your goals in life. By opening up a new view for people on how to look at their body, AlignLife uses minimally invasive yet highly impacted health care options to get you back on track. After his patients are “cured,” Dr. Boyhan hopes to never see them again, he says jokingly.
“No one should feel limited,” Dr. Boyhan said. “You might have to modify what you do, but to lose doing something you love…that’s hitting rock bottom.”
We are excited to have AlignLife as our sponsor for the New Year’s Resolution Run and Asheville Off Road Series! To find out more or schedule an appointment visit https://www.alignlifeeastasheville.com/ or stop by their office at AlignLife East Asheville on 1272 Tunnel Road.
