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Elaine Petrone knows pain. As a young dancer, she suffered a debilitating injury and was told she'd be lucky to walk without a limp, let alone dance. Her quest to heal herself led her to develop the Elaine Petrone Method. It healed her injury, alleviated her pain, and changed her life. For 30 years, she has been teaching individuals, doctors, and therapists how to do the same.

Unlike exercise programs that are designed to build muscle through repetitive motion and muscle tightening, the Elaine Petrone Method teaches you to "unwork" the excess muscle tension that contributes to chronic low backache, joint pain, arthritis, anxiety, fatigue, stress, and a host of everyday twinges, spasms, and hurts. Revolutionary in its simplicity, this program will show you how to use controlled breathing, two squishy balls, and gentle movements to let your lower back and hips heal themselves. (Coming in January 2007 for pain in the shoulders, neck and head: "The Elaine Petrone Method: Stop the Clock.")

Muscles respond to stress by activating a cycle of pain in your body. Whether your pain comes from injury, improper body alignment, or just the stress of everyday life, get on the ball and get relief!

Customer Rating:
Summary: Miracle Ball
Comment: It is a great product for pain relievers. I strongly recommend it as long as you follow the directions properly.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Misrepresented
Comment: The product picture shows a full kit with 2 balls and DVD, so you'd expect to see these things when it's receieved. Think again! No balls are included, just a DVD. The product desc mentions nothing about "balls not included". The DVD itself is OK as it has some decent techniques not included in the original Petrone kit.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Concepts: Bad DVD
Comment: I like these miracle balls. They seem to help my low back. But, I don't know if they would help other parts of my body because the DVD that came with the balls only explain the one series of low back exercises. I can't even find a book by Petrone (let alone a complete DVD) that explains all the positions possible with the balls. I actually thought my DVD was damaged because it ended so abruptly and didn't get to a couple of things I thought she was going to explain. I kept going back to the menu and trying again. This was a good idea executed poorly. I guess I will keep searching for more information on how to use my new miracle balls.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: everything is not for everybody nor every body
Comment: I too have read some of the other reviews and am quite surprised at the vitriol! Can't people just say that they don't like something or that they did not have success and why? Plain and detailed descriptions of both success and failure can be quite helpful and that is what I come to Amazon reviews for.

I was fortunate enough to have taken classes with Ms Petrone at a New York health club in early 2001. Every single thing she ever said in that class or the tape that I subsequently bought from her, was true and happened to me in my own body, right there in the class and at home. I do understand that there are people who can't do anything unless there is someone there pointing or touching and describing every little thing. Those people could never be satisfied with any tape, DVD or book unless it came with the instructor herself! That's why there is a whole industry built around personal training and it does not mean there is anything wrong with the Petrone Method.

I also have a very early version of the kit. Mine came with a booklet, a VHS and a cassette. If I am not mistaken, the VHS is to show the positions because she does not want you to look at the screen while you should be concentrating on the movement, with your head down.

I also understand that I have had the benefit of personal instruction, so the cassette was a reminder of what I already knew.

I am currently learning Yoga from a Book that came with a DVD and a CD: Peaceful Weight Loss Through Yoga by Brandt Bhanu Passalaccqua. The DVD is meant to show you how the movements are supposed to look and the CD has the same verbal cueing with music so that you are not looking at the screen when you should be looking at the ceiling or the mat. That method does work, but this author's DVD is really a visual representation of the illustrations in the book (which come with instructions that could be confusing if you have never seen the movement performed), and what is on the CD. He does a whole class on the DVD. Perhaps Ms. Petrone's next set could emulate this man's formula.

Ultimately though, it is important to bear in mind that no matter how great something truely is, such as Ms. Petrone's little balls, everything is not for everybody, nor every body. Temperment and learning style are as important as the quality of the product. As a personal trainer, I make lots of money explaing to others how to do things I learned mostly from books. However, I learn best from verbal instructions too.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Method good but DVD #2 needs work.
Comment: I would gladly have given a five star rating if it weren't for the second DVD; it is really poor.

I have the orginal balls with the book and had difficulty using them with only still pictures and text as guidance. I ordered the version with the DVDs hoping it would provide adequate follow along instructions. The first DVD descripes the breathing and position method; it was very well put together. The second one is only Elaine's voice and no pictures. Now, that's the time I needed more. Her instructions without pictures allows too much room for error. I had to rely on my book to work with the other parts of the body. This DVD (for the Back, Elbow and Neck) was bad. You can't even concentrate with only a voice going on and on. It became fustrating and I finally turned it off.

The first DVD explains the method along with proper breathing. So the second DVD would really only need good pictures of ball placement for the other various parts of the body. It need not labor on with redundant breathing instructions.

If there is to be a second edition DVD instruction, please incorporate pictures as described above. Elaine's actual method is very beneficial.

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