I didn’t set out to find Block Therapy. I set out to avoid surgery.
By the time a friend suggested it, I’d been in pain for years. After a car accident in 2000, I’d lived with spinal compression for more than two decades. What started as “manageable” became “relentless” in 2023. I saw multiple specialists; tried injections, physical therapy, and acupuncture; and even explored the psoas muscle as a culprit. I endured MRIs, nerve studies, X-rays, and spent thousands of dollars chasing relief. The only definitive finding was the spinal compression I already knew about.
Then came the hip labrum tear diagnosis. That was the tipping point.
Taking a Chance on Block Therapy
I was determined to evade surgery if possible. A friend told me about Block Therapy after it helped her with shoulder issues. Skeptical but curious, I wanted to understand what it was before committing.
Block Therapy is a self-care practice that works with your fascia, the tissue that connects everything in the body. Using a wooden block, you put gentle pressure on certain spots and breathe deeply to release built-up tension. For me, it was less about the science and more about the relief: lessened pain, improved posture, easier breathing.
Intrigued, I signed up for the Sampler Program, which was being offered for $9 (normally it costs $47). That program directs you to use a rolled-up towel in place of the block. From day one, the difference was noticeable. My breathing deepened. My stress levels dropped. My pain eased just enough to give me hope.
I upgraded to the Block Therapy Starter Program, which includes the block and builds on the sampler experience, and worked through every module. By the end, I was hooked.
The next logical step was to subscribe to a full membership, which offered guided programs daily for multiple issues, special focused series, videos, podcasts, classes, and lessons for every imaginable need.
But once I joined, my momentum stalled. I didn’t lack motivation; I lacked direction. With multiple issues to address and limited time, I hopped around the program’s offerings—getting a little of this, a little of that. Sometimes I felt progress…sometimes I didn’t.
Then I got an email about booking a Certified Block Therapist. It sounded exactly like the guidance I needed, so I signed up. The intake form itself wasn’t especially detailed, but in true Type A fashion, I made it thorough, listing my injuries, my goals, and my concerns. And then there were the four required photos for assessment. I’ll be honest: I hated submitting them. But I did it.
When the therapist and I reviewed them together on Zoom, I was stunned. My shoulders weren’t aligned. One rib sat higher than the other. My calves were different sizes. Even the way I stood was contributing to my foot pain.
It was humbling, but it gave me direction.
She mapped out my first 10 days of classes, then the next, tailoring them to my body and my goals. Some I loved instantly, such as sciatic relief, toe webbing, a 90-minute butt sculpting session. Others, like double blocking, were awkward. But each class built on the one before it.
I wasn’t guessing anymore.
By Day 20, I was trying things I never would have chosen on my own. I took a class for something called a Dowager’s Hump, and it made my upper body feel amazing. The program’s “cyber sickness” series eased tension I didn’t realize I had. I started noticing changes beyond pain relief: better posture, easier breathing, more mobility.
Then, less than a week before finishing the program, I hit an unexpected bump: a pinched nerve in my shoulder. It had nothing to do with Block Therapy, but it forced me to adapt. What I appreciate most is that the program isn’t rigid. There are just a few guiding rules:
- Your breath is your guide. If you lose that calm, relaxed breath, back off.
- Stay at least three minutes in each position. That’s the time it takes for your body to start letting go and begin to heal.
So, I modified my final days by following those rules and applying a little common sense. If a position aggravated my shoulder blade—the source of pain—I adjusted, always letting my breath lead. I didn’t quit, but I didn’t push recklessly either.
Beyond the Body
The lessons I’ve learned from Block Therapy are immensely helpful beyond their physiological impact. In business, as in physical healing, progress isn’t always about pressing harder; sometimes it’s about knowing when to ease up, when to listen, and when to move forward within your range.
Thirty days taught me that consistency creates change. Healing, leadership, business—it’s all the same. Random effort won’t get you there. You need a clear path and the discipline to follow it.
Block Therapy gave me that path and reminded me that progress comes from showing up, again and again.
