Stacie Hand is just 40 years old and likes to stay in shape. But a combination of orthopedic conditions makes most traditional forms of exercise painful if not impossible for her.

  “I have a 16-level fusion in my spine and battle chronic pain from degenerative disc disease, severe scoliosis and sciatica,” she says. “I also have pain in my thoracic spine due to a rod removal and scar tissue.”

  Then she heard about a unique exercise method called ELDOA, for Étirements Longitudinaux avec Decoaptation OsteoArticulaire—in English, Longitudinal Osteo Articular Decoaptation Stretching—developed by French osteopathic physician Guy Voyer.

“The ELDOA method simultaneously works to strengthen, educate and realign all the fascial connections in relation to the spine,” says Janice Harris, a certified ELDOA teacher who offers private, semi-private and group instruction in Destin and Miramar Beach. “There can be remarkable improvement found in the correction of scoliosis for both children and adults when performed as part of a daily routine.” 

“This is workout has helped me build muscle memory in the smaller supporting muscle groups that are hard to target,” says Hand, who is one of Harris’s students. “I highly recommend this class for any activity level.”

“ELDOAs” are one-minute postural holds designed to stretch and strengthen the body’s connective tissue (fascia) and increase the space within the joints, Harris says. The result is better joint mechanics, increased blood flow, rehydration of the spinal discs, better posture and muscle tone—and, perhaps most important, pain relief.

Preventing Pain and Injury

Mary Worman, a snowbird, says she’s been taking classes from Harris for a year, but the benefits were almost immediate.

“My very first class made a believer out of me,” she says. “That may sound a bit extreme, but in that first class I experienced great relief from sciatic pain which I had been experiencing for several weeks. I’m a yoga instructor, and I’d done everything I was aware of to relieve the discomfort.”

Another of Harris’s students, Edina Mann, started taking classes to deal with cervical and lumbar pain resulting from a car accident and poor body mechanics. Six weeks in, “I’ve already noticed improvement in my strength and posture,” she says.

Calling the ELDOA method “a magic bullet” for back pain, Harris notes that it also can resolve other types of chronic discomfort, including headaches, neck and shoulder tension, and joint inflammation, while easing related issues like stress, poor digestion and sleep problems.

“The exercises can help keep aging spines and joints mobile and healthy, and they’re particularly effective for prolonging the health of the joint,” she says. “Therefore many athletes, both youth and seniors, are using this method for mobility strength and injury prevention. It allows them to play whatever game they love—better, longer and free from injury.”

For appointments or more information, call Janice Harris at 918-693-6103. ELDOA classes are also offered at Hanger of Healing, 5043 Bayou Blvd., Ste. 1A, Pensacola, FL. For more information, call 850-485-2885 or visit HangarOfHealing.com.