Back pain Maintenance - Sound Posture-Movement Patterns (2)

Forward bending and Return from Forward Bending...
Young to middle aged men with bad backs tend to initiate forward bending with the spine. The elderly (over 45) with bad backs tend to initiate return from forward bending with the spine. In contrast, the healthy person (of any age group). will initiate with hip and knee movement.
Start of Forward Bend as Performed by most Middle-Aged Men:	Correct Start of Forward Bending:
Start of Return from Forward Bend as Practiced by many Elderly Folk:	Correct Return from Forward Bend

This 70 year old quote still holds true:-
"Good body mechanics imply that all the joints of the body are used in such a position in relation to their total range of motion that the possibility of further motion in either direction - the factor of safety motion - is always present(11)". Once you know the feel of the safe middle range, stick with it! - it gives you that safe "factor of safety!"

Posture-Movement targets for the back pain sufferer who genuinely wants to improve:-

To perform the start of forward bending by hip and knee movement only.
To be able to lie on your back with both legs extended with no or minimal pain.
To land your butt on the front of a chair seat with your spine fully supported, and lengthening upward.
To be able to engage the Gluteus maximus when performing tasks one and three, and also to engage the Gluteus at foot fall when walking.

Summary:- Back exercises are necessary but not sufficient. You must correct bad Posture-Movement patterns as well!

Previous page:
Sound Posture-Movement Patterns (page 1)
Further reading:-
The mind body connection: Alexander Technique/ Backs
Purchase :-
The Back Maintenance Manual

Reference List

Shirley A Sahrmann: Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes; Publ. Mosby 2002
Kendall, McCreary, and Provance (1993) - Muscles: Testing and Function Publ. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins ISBN: 0683045768
The Official Body Control Pilates Manual Available from: http://www.bodycontrol.co.uk/
Wilfred Barlow: "The Alexander Principle" Arrow Books Ltd. Reprinted 1987 ISBN 0 09 910160 2
Bruce Thomson: OBP Cures Tennis Elbow
B I Kodisch: Back Pain Solutions: How to help Yourself with Posture-Movement Therapy and Education Publ.Extensional Publ. Pasadena, Ca 2001 ISBN 0-9700664-5-7
Goldthwaite Joel E, Lloyd T. Brown, Loring T. Swaim and John G Kuhns: Essentials of Body Mechanics in Health and Disease. (1934,1652) Fifth Edition. Philadelphia: J.B. Lipincott.
Deborah Caplan, MA, PT: The Alexander Technique: Education for the Aching Back http://alextech2.freewebpage.org/
David Chapman-Smith: "The Chiropractic profession: Its Education, Practice, Research and Future Directions" Publ. NCMIC Group Inc. West Demoines, Iowa. 2000 ISBN 1-892734-02-8
B Conable and W Conable: "How to Learn the Alexander Technique - A Manual for Students" publ. Andover Press June 1995 ISBN 0-9622595-4-3
Goldthwaite Joel E, Lloyd T. Brown, Loring T. Swaim and John G Kuhns: Essentials of Body Mechanics in Health and Disease. (1934,1952) Fifth Edition. Philadelphia: J.B. Lipincott.