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The Miracle Ball Method: Relieve Your Pain, Reshape Your Body, Reduce Your Stress [2 Miracle Balls Included] Paperback – December 10, 2003
| Elaine Petrone (Author) Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author |
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Take two-they're small. And they perform miracles. Suffering a career-ending, potentially crippling injury to her back and right leg, a young dancer named Elaine Petrone tried everyone from orthopedists to yogis to turn her pain and prognosis around. Nothing worked-until she healed herself through a unique program of therapy and exercise based around the use of two small, squishy balls. From there she turned her passion into a mission that is helping the thousands of people who visit her classes conquer pain, stress, and injury.
Now, for relief for sufferers everywhere, comes The Miracle Ball Method, a healing kit containing two miracle balls (each should be around 4-1/2 to 4-1/4" in diameter) and a fully illustrated book, all packaged together in an attention-getting clear plastic cylinder. The work itself is simple. Take a sore back: By resting your aching back on the grapefruit-sized balls and letting your body sink into them, you're unworking the muscles that hurt. Pain and tension drain out of the body. Petrone shows how proper breathing (which she demonstrates) works in conjunction with a range of unexercises that call for placing the balls under the back, head, knees, hip, elbow-wherever there's pain-and then resting, rolling, or rotating on them. She points out that relief can come in surprising ways: Lower back pain may be helped by placing the ball under your neck, or a bad knee might be helped by hip work. It's a revolutionary program of relief, from head to toe.
- Print length296 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherWorkman Publishing Company
- Publication dateDecember 10, 2003
- Dimensions5.13 x 4.25 x 8.38 inches
- ISBN-100761128689
- ISBN-13978-0761128687
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“This is the book that could change your body and the way you live your life…Go get this book and start enjoying your life!”
—Fit Magazine
“Place the deceptively simple Miracle Ball under a trouble spot and sink into—aches actually melt away.”
—Self
“Offers a no-impact routine.”
—Parade
“You’ll ease the pain and tension of injuries and alleviate soreness and stiffness in muscles and joints.”
—Fitness
“Elaine’s method greatly relaxes my tight neck muscles and helps to elongate the spine. I highly recommend it.”
–Christine M. Metz, M.D., Internal Medicine, Gilmore Memorial Hospital, Armory, MS
“My patients have seen great results. I love it myself; I gave the balls to my husband, and he has finally stopped complaining about his back pain.”
–Sally Garhart, M.D., Occupational and Internal Medicine, Bedford Occupational and Acute Care, Bedford, NH“After taking just one of Elaine’s ball therapy classes, I was asymptomatic for the first time in 15 years. I now recommend it to all of my patients.”
– Fred Jones, D.C., Sunshine Chiropractic and Wellness, Merrick, nY“I highly recommend Elaine’s method to relieve back pain caused by stress and tension. My patients find it very helpful for self-management of their symptoms.”
–Janet Freedman, M.D., Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Rehabilitation Center of Southwestern Connecticut at Stamford Hospital, Stamford, CT“After suffering a back injury while playing high-school sports, I spent the next 20 years experiencing episodes of severe back pain. Then I tried Elaine’s method, and I am happy to report I am free of pain.
–Elliot Zelevansky, Ph.D., Licensed psychologist, private practice, New Canaan, CT
“This is the book that could change your body and the way you live your life…Go get this book and start enjoying your life!”
―Fit Magazine
“Place the deceptively simple Miracle Ball under a trouble spot and sink into―aches actually melt away.”
―Self
“Offers a no-impact routine.”
―Parade
“You’ll ease the pain and tension of injuries and alleviate soreness and stiffness in muscles and joints.”
―Fitness
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Workman Publishing Company; Book and Access edition (December 10, 2003)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 296 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0761128689
- ISBN-13 : 978-0761128687
- Item Weight : 1.12 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.13 x 4.25 x 8.38 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #199,486 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #175 in Stretching Exercise & Fitness
- #244 in Exercise Injuries & Rehabilitation
- #266 in Pain Management (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Elaine Petrone is the creator of the Miracle Ball Method. She works at the Stamford (Connecticut) Hospital Rehabilitation Center and with private patients.
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Top reviews from the United States
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I began using 'the balls' and studied the book, last November and can't be without them now. Amazingly the air is still in them and I have not had to air them up yet. Just getting them underneath me on the bed (it's a Tempurpedic so real firm-I am not not able to get down on the floor) is painful but once they are in the right positions I can be mostly pain free while they are under me. For me, this is big. Nothing else does this for me. Pain free moments are not part of my life. I find many times it relaxes me so much, I have gone to sleep while on them which is not a good idea-too much of a good thing! Normally I cannot fall asleep quickly like that, it takes hours. They release some pressure on my spine and hips and it is just so wonderful how it relaxes me for just that little bit of time. The pain subsides some afterward, most of the time as well. I am an extreme case so I would think most people would get relief for a longer period.
The thing I have noticed as far as improvement after use of the balls is that they help my posture. It is difficult to stand up straight now, no matter how hard I try, as it is terribly painful so I bend forward when I have to walk on my walker. I cannot walk at all now without a walker. Most, but not all the time, afterwards when I get up to walk, my posture is so much better. This is the ONLY way I can walk, for a little while, with better posture. Good posture was always a 'biggie' to me. My parents were always on to me about it and modeling, as I did, it was requirement. I am so discouraged and almost in disbelief that I find it extremely difficult to walk upright at all now. So, when after using these I can get up from the bed and walk to another room with almost erect posture, and, well, it helps me to know it isn't permanent and I will be able to walk erect again in the not-so-distant future!
I can only sleep on my right side, usually, so use the balls to "brace" my back. I put them behind me, against my spine and hips, they roll in and stay there. I discovered this by accident when I left one in the bed and did not put it back in the box when finished. So now, both of them stay in the bed all the time with me. I know it may seem strange but it really does help so there is no 'pull' against me to turn back over on my back. Any movement causes me pain and to wake up. Of course don't try it if you sleep on your back, under you, for the entire night. That is too much pressure against your spine and hips for too long a period. It only works if the balls are Against your side, not under you.
I use the balls also at the base of my neck for headache and tension. My son uses them for back and hip pain and headaches as well.
I have had the injections (be aware, these can cause Avascular Nucrosis), narcotic pain medication and other, physical therapy, traction, Tens units and I still can't believe that the only time I have gone without feeling ANY pain is those minutes while I am lying on these balls! The best pain relief I have received for chronic terrible pain has come from two very inexpensive balls.
If you are suffering, please give these a try. Just remember, you have to use them and they are no good to you sitting in a drawer! This society is such a hurried one and we all need to slow down, take some time to "be still" take care of ourselves and be good to ourselves. I have found that keeping the balls within reach and accessible causes me to use them more frequently. For me, they now stay on my bed where, unfortunately, I usually am. (But...not for long)!
Blessings!
UPDATE 9/21/11- My sweet 35 year old Amazon Parrot decided to play with my ball and guess what?! Now I have one ball left. I thought I could do with that one for awhile but then I got that pulled "something" back pain that seems to go right trough your lung and each breath hurts. The balls fixed that for me before. I can't do without both so am ordering another set now!
During the years that I had insurance, I tried going to chiropractors, but found the co-pay too unaffordable for repeated visits and their treatment too ineffective. The joint-popping adjustments I've learned to do on my own, and the electrical stimulation therapy you can buy for yourself and do at home with a TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) device like this: Tens1000 Electronic Nerve Stimulator . That's really all they do. It's not a sustainable long-term treatment.
I did a bit of research and bought this several years ago to try because it was so cheap and I had already discovered that lying down on a large round object (like a can of tomatoes under my shoulder blade) and rolling my affected muscle points over the can helps relieve some stress. Lying on cans isn't very comfortable. But this book and the balls sat unused in a corner of my house all this time until last night when I decided to try them out again.
This product is just 2 soft rubber balls and a book. The idea is put the balls underneath where it hurts, lie down on them, then meditate and clear your mind so your body relaxes. The 250+ page book is pocket sized and just shows you rolling/stretching exercises with different parts of the body and ways of moving to massage yourself with the balls, so don't think it's a monster chore. It's got a lot of photos. The balls themselves are nothing special (they have a bit too much give for some people), but it's Petrone's ideas that are unconventional. She's teaching you a new way of managing and hopefully, reducing pain.
I slept on them (they are quite comfortable to sleep on) and managed to sleep better than I've had in a long long time. Today I feel more alert and less tired than I normally do. I'll continue to use them for the next few weeks and update my review accordingly. I don't know why I didn't try this sooner. It's so simple and easy to do.
Top reviews from other countries
Buying this was the best thing I've done in a while, on a par with stopping smoking in terms of its life-changing impact. It's definitely not a fad, and it really does work. Elaine Petrone knows what she's doing and has developed a carefully thought out, effective way to relieve pain. It's so simple. You just place the balls underneath your body and relax, let your weight sink to the ground supported by the balls and your body re-aligns itself. I've had indescribably horrendous back pain, which prescription strength codeine couldn't even take the edge off, and after using these balls two days in a row the pain has gone entirely. I've had no painkillers for two days, I can bend my back normally again, sit in a chair without wincing, and the most unthinkable thing of all, I actually managed to get on my yoga mat this afternoon and do a few crunches and planks. It's been a long time since I could do that. It's a simple but beautiful idea, no effort involved, no straining or stretching, all you do is lie on the balls and let your body heal itself with correct alignment.
The booklet explains the technique, and how to do each exercise correctly. You can work through it all in order if you like, but I did the first one to get the basic technique then skipped ahead to the targeted exercises for what was up with me. There's something for everything here, back pain, hip pain, neck and shoulder pain. There's even something for stress and depression and, bless her heart, Petrone has several ways of using the balls to get rid of headaches and migraines which I tried when I had the headache from Hades at the weekend, and they work faster and better than popping pills. It just seems to melt away pain. Once you get the hang of each exercise, which is pretty quickly, you can do them from memory so you can do it whilst listening to the radio or telly or whatever you like, it isn't intrusive into your day like some types of exercise. You'll need a pump to keep the balls inflated as lying on them does flatten them quickly, just a basic ball pump is all you need. I'd strongly recommend this if you're looking for something to help with pain.
I cannot over-emphasise how much of a change it's made. Within 2 sessions I was pretty much pain-free. I do use them lots (frequently throughout the day - a quick lie on them is enough to re-adjust something hurting). The feeling is coming back into my arms. I can hold things properly again. My neck moves again.
I have, in the past, paid a 'faith healer' almost £900 to help it was so bad. I've seen acupuncturists, chiropractors, osteopaths and doctors. I've taken tablets, exercised, meditated and taken drugs. This is the single most effective wonderful discovery ever. I have cancelled my booked surgery and am hopeful I can continue in my current career as a musician. Thank you Elaine Petrone!
I would suggest to anyone with EDS/ HS- but obviously be cautious, I would say get a Physio/Dr's opinion, but I think we know our bodies best.











