Javizy Wrote:

jettyke Wrote:I think that you have to pay attention to everything.

And start doing everything at once, even just a little. It's just like reading or immersion, you have to start as soon as possible with all things, then you will get used to it.

*Training the right muscles, and others too (running trains a lot of muscles).
*Sitting straight (and sitting only when alert). When I'm sleepy n tired I tend to lean forwards.
* Standing straight
* Walking straight
* Being as straight as you can when moving and not leaning in every direction.

The problem is that your muscles are controlled unconsciously for the most part, and their current level of habitual tension and conditioning means that maintaining certain postures is impossible. Due to a mixture of prolonged micro-trauma like typing, unconscious reactions to stress, injuries, bad postural habits etc, your brain begins to compensate by changing the way it uses certain muscles.

If you have a bad knee and can't put weight on it, you'll unconsciously raise your pelvis on one side and lower your shoulder. If it goes on for long enough, it becomes normal and your permanent posture until you reteach your brain the correct sensory-motor information. This has been called sensory-motor amnesia. No matter how much you try to stand and walk straight, you'll be reverted back to what your brain considers "normal", no matter how horrifically distorted and damaging to your body it may actually be.

The good news is that it is possible to relearn, and there have been a lot of exercises developed for that purpose. I've only found out about this recently, so I can't vouch for it personally yet. I did read one story about an 81-year-old geezer with a 50° hunch who was able to reduce it to 10° by releasing his abdominal muscle. I'm getting ready to follow the program in this book.

i know you didn't post this very long ago, but how's it going? Is the book good?

i'm asking cos my nanna's had hip pain for a few years now. Her hip really hurts to put weight on, and even to touch, but whatever it is also seems to have trapped a nerve because it also hurts down the back of her leg and behind her knee.

The doctors don't seem particularly quick to sort it out, and nothing they have tried so far has had any effect (cortisol injections, and anti-inflamatorys). Recently, it's got so bad that she now has to use a wheelchair most of the time.

She had an x-ray which showed mild osteoarthritis, but it seems to me that it's unlikely that would cause the extent or the severity of the symptoms, so it's possible she has multiple problems, i think.

Do you think this book could be helpful to her? Is it possible that following the instructions might damage it further? Would it help her to find and address the cause of both the hip pain and trapped nerve?

hope you can help!!! i don't like seeing her like this, she's always been active and happy.

Any other suggestions welcome!

They say, in order to make a habit of something. You have to do it for at least one month.

IceCream Wrote:i know you didn't post this very long ago, but how's it going? Is the book good?

i'm asking cos my nanna's had hip pain for a few years now. Her hip really hurts to put weight on, and even to touch, but whatever it is also seems to have trapped a nerve because it also hurts down the back of her leg and behind her knee.

The doctors don't seem particularly quick to sort it out, and nothing they have tried so far has had any effect (cortisol injections, and anti-inflamatorys). Recently, it's got so bad that she now has to use a wheelchair most of the time.

She had an x-ray which showed mild osteoarthritis, but it seems to me that it's unlikely that would cause the extent or the severity of the symptoms, so it's possible she has multiple problems, i think.

Do you think this book could be helpful to her? Is it possible that following the instructions might damage it further? Would it help her to find and address the cause of both the hip pain and trapped nerve?

hope you can help!!! i don't like seeing her like this, she's always been active and happy.

Any other suggestions welcome!

I'm actually doing a few routines at the moment. The reason I'm interested in this stuff is because I've suffered with RSI for years. I'd always assumed recovery was hopeless, but after learning more about the role of the musculoskeletal system, it all makes a lot of sense. I'm really starting to believe I can make a full recovery and end up in better shape than I've probably ever been.

Anyway, I've been reading a ton of books, and I think the one I mentioned might not be ideal for elderly people. Thomas Hanna's Somatics would probably be the most suitable. That's the book with the 81-year-old guy's case study. The first half of the book has a fascinating explanation of how unconscious reactions (stress response and alert response) and physical trauma shapes your posture over time, which produces physical limitations usually put down to "just getting old". The second half is a series of neuromuscular retraining lessons. They consist of a series of mainly simple stretches that you do very slowly and gently with full awareness. This gives your nervous system a chance to reprogram the muscles the lesson focuses on, which releases them from their state of chronic tension.

I've been doing Somatics for about two weeks, and I've reached lesson 5/8. I've noticed a lot of improvement in my lower back and my hips are starting to feel more flexible too. It takes some time to adjust though. After doing a routine, I feel like I can't place my pelvis. I usually rotate it forward, so a neutral position feels like slouching to me. I think it will take a while before I can habitually sit/stand with proper posture. I've just ordered an Aeron to help me with the sitting :-)

Maybe you could try reading the book and see what you think (it's not particularly long). I think you might enjoy trying the lessons yourself. Then you can introduce it to your nan. It'd be best to check with her physician first to see if the movements would be safe though.