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In Remembrance
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,002
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In Remembrance
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,002
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First, to Humorme, I am so glad that you have joined our group because you truly challenge me intellectually and visually and so I like that burst of challenge! Thank you! Now for the substance, let's rumble!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by humorme
If I had not strengthened my back muscles, I'd be worse off. It was KEY to my recovery and/or progress and/or reduction of flare ups and pain. Ok, yeah, that's true for everyone. You need to strengthen the back and the stomach muscles for good muscular / skeltal health.
The above said, I have always maintained that one listen to one's own body for indications of what is or is not appropriate. This statement "depends" upon whether you've already had some surgeries, hernia, stitches, etc. and you KNOW without a doubt, what you can and can't do there, so don't do it! Stick up for yourself and say no! If one doesn't at least TRY, one will never know. FALSE FALSE FASLE And sometimes trying requires a LOT of effort (time/patience). /;This is too vague of a comment to matter As I said in another post...I did not see/feel improvement for at least 6-9 months. I had to trust the process and what was told and my own education about the body's mechanics. It makes perfect sense that merely standing straight is not sufficient IF the shoulders are rounded forward and held there by tight pec minors. It makes perfect sense if the opposing back (rhomboids/mid-traps) muscles are disinclined to hold the shoulders back because they are weakened by the short pec minors. The body becomes used to this position and in time compresses everything in the vicinity. Open the area up...reverse the compression...pull the shoulders back and KEEP them held back and voila...less/no compression!
I agree, not everyone may be able to tolerate the work necessary...but to not even try IMHO is a set up for disaster. The simple act of lying on a foam roller as suggested earlier should be helpful...if that can't be tolerated, one can lie on the floor and try to let the shoulder drape back...work up to a rolled up towel and progress from there. Progression is key. I did it with towel, then roller then roller with weights and then they gym with cable rows and the like which strengthened the back muscles while lying on the roller stretched the pec minors to allow them to lengthen so that the stronger back could then hold them in the corrected (held back) position.
This does not apply to everyone but it applies to many and I will not give up repeating this very important thing. There were MANY days I thought this was all pointless. There were MANY days I had the 2 steps back and couldn't see the 1 step forward. The progression sped up in the past 6 months because one has to just PERSEVERE. To give up was NOT an option for me.
Please do NOT discourage people from trying. I do NOT believe that the doctors are NOT recommending efforts like the above at least to TRY to see if they can be tolerated. Baby steps. I know my doctor promised nothing but did say it would take a LOT of dedication and hard work. Same with the PT. Both said many have given up and they both were disillusioned by their lack of persistence. Both are pleased with my sticktoitness and have used it with others to encourage them to keep at it. The PT has even named a maneuver after me because of something I found that helped me that she agreed would help others "get it."
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There is nothing wrong with patting oneself on one's back for a job well done!
But I really thing that whatever is hurting, we need to take a close look at the repetitive movement that is involved and consider if the person has something wrong with their own body, or something wrong with the equipment that they are using, or something wrong with the expectations of the country in expecting people to do this movement so often and with such intesity that the body is not made to do that and perhaps to change the job such that the person has either more rest times in between (to allow the same work to go on, like a pianist), or, as in produce packaging, to change up the various jobs and share them around so that no one person is doing the same thing, all day and night long. Encouraging good health, good PT, good accident prevention and helping workers to get back to work, whether as a cabbage picker or a world class pianist is the same. To care about the human being and to do what is right for that human. To treat each "worker" as if the "worker" were your very own child.
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