This is another kind of story about pain. It didn’t hurt me physically but mentally it sent me over the moon.
As you recall last week I recounted the time I fell in Paris and shattered my left humerus.
When I finally returned to the USA and got to the surgeon, surgery was scheduled for five days later. The surgeon was busy and there was a weekend to contend with. The French sling was replaced with an American sling, I was given some more Tylenol and a sheet of paper with directions to mobilize my shoulder.
The directions began with these words:” Bend over at your waist and let your arm dangle.” If I had followed these directions my bending would have looked something like this:
I knew too much to follow those erroneous directions.
As you might guess the directions, “bend at your waist” set me off. It pained me to see such faulty directions. To this day I’m not really sure, do orthopedic doctors and physical therapists not know that safe bending happens at the hips? Or is this just a case of imprecise language?
Bending safely, in Balance, happens at the hips like this:
Using imprecise language isn’t unique to the therapeutic community. When I took our granddaughters to a gymnastics class in San Francisco the teacher was a young guy who moved well and was by far the most Balanced of all the other instructors. But he drove me crazy by telling the kids over and over again to bend at their waists. It was even more frustrating because he actually bent at his hips.
Are you wondering if I spoke up in either of these situations? Did I tell the surgeon that the directions he gave me to heal my arm were potentially detrimental to my spine? Did I tell the gymnastics instructor to use the word “hips” rather than “waist? The answer in both cases is, no I did not.
It seemed to me then and it seems to me now that I needed to have more of a relationship with these people to have an impact. But you can tell, I’m still frustrated by these events. I’d like to change the world. It seems with accurate information people could be a whole lot better.
Those of you reading this know how to protect yourself by bending at the hips. A little accurate information goes a long way. Aren’t we lucky?
10 Responses
Yes, we are so lucky. I am thankful every day that I found you at The Balance Center and embarked on this journey of discovery and understanding.
That’s how I feel too, Alysun. Just plane lucky. Balance/Original Alignment has made all the difference.
Happy New Year,
Jean
I absolutely love these stories and photos!! Bravo! Excellent work !
Thank you!!! Appreciate you writing,
Jean
The question in your last post – do orthopedists and PT’s not know that safe bending happens at the hips?
I speak from my experience as a PT. Myself and most PTs are not taught this at all, nor do we(they) truely understand what this means
Even experience as a PT in private practice did not allow me to see what I now see clearly through Iyengar yoga training and most recently through my Balance, natural alignment classes. The latter makes nothing but good sense and a thorough understanding of movement in the body. Thanks for your initial teaching, it was transformative!
And continues to be helpful in the ongoing rehab from left big toe amputation and most recently a bad fall into left knee
BTW, orthopods and GP’s no even less
Corinne,
Your comments really made me smile, “orthopods and GP’s know even less.”
Well, I remember being in the dark too, particularly bending at the hips in my moment to moment life. What a big change to begin to notice my movements from moment to moment when I didn’t go unconscious.
Big toe amputation! Oh gosh, so sorry about that. And falling, such a danger.
Sending good vibes and the courage to slow down, take all the time you need.
Love,
Jean
Yesm we are lucky to know this, but still it takes practice and mindfulness to keep remembering.
Carol, yes remembering is part of the benefit — awareness which brings us in to the present moment. Actually, the more you practice some moves do become “automatic” but then you are on to a more subtle guideline. Paying attention is an on-going benefit. And yes, it’s hard. I’m with you.
Health in ’24!
Jean
Thank you Jean! Language matters. And your story with the juxtaposition of the photos of two people bending -one at the waist and one at the hips makes it abundantly clear!
Sue,
Pass on this information to anyone, anyone, willing to listen.
I so appreciate hearing from you!
Happy New Year!
XO,
Jean