rooted back _ best fix

[bombora]

Hiya, going slowly nuts as have been dry for two weeks cause of a crook back (apart from gumby Sunday morning session in which I could hardly bend so rode each wave virtually in the Duke upright position!!).
I've had a curve in the spine since a growth spurt as a young teen so the pain ain't the issue as you get used it it. But recently its been really shitty and when it keeps you out of the water something must be done. So, advice has been split between yoga and pilates. Which is best for a surfer (43-y-o) ? Anyone tried both and can compare? Cheers from the Surfing Rasberry

[bombora]

sorry this should have been in the injuries/health section; that's what happens when you try to type on a computer keyboard while lying on the bloody floor!

[Larry]

There are all sorts of crook backs old son, .. and if you have any pain going down into your legs as well then that's sciatica ..

Bad backs like a lot of time to get better and they don't like any interference - you will not exercise the pain away - just wait.


The natural way to deal with the problem, in the hope that it will not recur, is to first look in the mirror side-on .. if you have guts, get rid of them... and if you don't do daily stomach strengthening exercises, start now .. Check your sitting posture, slumper are you ? so fix that as well.

Jogging is good, try pushing your finger into your abs as you run and guess what ?? They go hard .. this is good

so getontoit

[barstardos]

I had a crook back for years and have got rid of it completely.
two simple actions.
1 - take you wallet out of your back pocket when sitting eg in office or car. Seriously makes a big difference in allowing back to even up.
2. Swimming - lots of it. I now swim 1.5km - 2km every day the surf is crap. Has really balanced out curvature from paddling with core abdominal strength. Added bonus - now much fitter and catch heaps of waves.

[Kunji]

I had a crook back from jumping off my mates roof into the shallow end of the pool. My hair didnt even get wet.

I slipped my disc and i didnt attend to it for a couple o weeks. This in turn was not good as the muscles fixed the shifted disc in its incorrect position. my legs were tingling.

I started swimming 2 times a week 3km. This was a great help! I also did Pilaties with my missus at the time. Its all about strengthening your "centre" which is between your navel and pelvic bone(r ) It will line up your spine and completly healed my whole back. My shooting pains in my legs were gone and my back is 100%. Being tall i have to look after my spine.

I hope this was some help.

[Chamberess]

I do pilates 4 times a week and yoga twice a week.

Coops is on the money...pilates is the way to go.

Your pilates instructor will get you to focus on correctly balancing what they call your 'T' zone.('centre' as coops put it).

If you were to lie down on your back with your knees bent and feet on the ground,and someone was to draw a triangle where your pelvis is,the triangle should sit flat.What tends to happen is our hips,spine,etc cause the 't' zone to tilt,putting it out of balance.

In pilates you work your 't' zone whilst standing and laying down so you find that your posture improves as well as an improvement on any back pain because you tend to re-correct the alignment in your spine through the various stretching and strengthening exercises.

i would definitely reccommend it.

Do not get me started on the benefits it has for your abs/core...

[loco4olas]

Hiya, going slowly nuts as have been dry for two weeks cause of a crook back (apart from gumby Sunday morning session in which I could hardly bend so rode each wave virtually in the Duke upright position!!).
I've had a curve in the spine since a growth spurt as a young teen so the pain ain't the issue as you get used it it. But recently its been really shitty and when it keeps you out of the water something must be done. So, advice has been split between yoga and pilates. Which is best for a surfer (43-y-o) ? Anyone tried both and can compare? Cheers from the Surfing Rasberry

Including everything sensible above, try and get your hands on the the book 'Treat Your Own Back' by Robin McKenzie:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/095977 ... e&n=283155

Great book-helps me (when I adhere to the suggested methods-getting lazier as I get older, hey Lazza!)

Matt

[Karlos]

Depends on whether you've got any damage or not, but it could be worth checking out a chiropractor or osteopath & getting an opinion from them. I see one once a month after finally deciding to deal with an old injury in my lower back. That, plus strengthening exercises have improved my back out of sight. I only ever used to see a chiro for a quick fix when it got too bad, but these days I've decided to go for the long term one instead. As I said, so far, so good.

[Longygrom]

i fractured wto bits in my lower back in november and couldnt feel my legs initially... after 4 days of struggling to walk and thinking it will just get better..i saught a chiropractor.

X rays revealed i did break my back but i was going to be ok. I didnt surf for the 3 weeks after just until the chiro got everything under control and bent it back into a a safe position.

Regular sit ups and hamstring stretching are the only tasks i had to do to look after it.

[Shaunm]

Having damaged my back @ work in the mid 90's crash tackling a thief, I found strengthening the abs as much as possible the only solution to avoid fusion. In addition swimming 1/2 mile 4 times a week helped - start mostly arms and then gradually increase the legs, then build to a mile etc. I'd be really sure your pilates instructor is qualified in this area, I know of a few cases where the advice issued was not correct and caused further probs - ask what their qualifications are, dont be shy! If they're only an instructor then choose wisely, don't get conned.

[bombora]

Thanks heaps for the replies and advice! Very valuable. So can anyone recommend pilates instructor/classes? I'm in DY. Evening classes??
I'm tall and skinny so no gut to get rid of. My back has been rooted since about 14 when I spent an hour plus five days a week literally on a rack having it streched and straightened. Was 6 foot 6 by 15 . How lucky am I that surfing actually helps my back _ just very very lucky as the curvature caused by scoliosis normally makes surfing a nightmare. It's just that a few days of naughty night time fun _ sleeping pissed always stuffs me _ and a few days of not surfing and I'm a tad crook. Dislike osteos etc as over the years have seen far too many shonks.
cheers

[Chamberess]

Try:

http://www.pilates.net/australasia1.asp

This is a listing of accredited and qualified pilates instructors and i would use it as my first point of reference.

Then your normal google/whitepages search to find more listings and cross check their qualifications

e.g
http://www.findpilates.com.au/processse ... ++++Search+++++

[Kunji]

Fcuk! i wasted my 100th post..

[Shaunm]

and your 1000th too

[Karlos]

Dislike osteos etc as over the years have seen far too many shonks.
cheers

Don't let the shonks put you off. There are good ones out there that really can help.

[Shaunm]

There's a place in the arcade in Chatswood on Archer St near the locksmiths, on the ground floor that can help. Ask for Carlos and tell him Shaun sent you - the owner is Amin.

[brenno05]

so is your main problem the scoliosis?

if so by the sounds of the progression of the pathology it is a structural scoliosis, as their has been an actual change in the bone/s itself.

consquently the spine is out of alignment which as already mentioned has an effect on the rest of your body as it trys to offset the problem.
A postural analysis using particular reference points on your body i.e diff in height between PSIS and illiac crests would reflect this.

*most of us have some slight scoliosis and it presents no significant problems

as a result the muscles on one side of the body will be much tighter as they are contracted and placed in a shorter position more often as opposed to the other side which would be lengthened for longer periods...

im sure you've visted chiropractors so remember what they told you about your condition and follow their instructions..

it will be important to strengthen both anterior and posterior muscles in order to improve you posture so ensure equal time is spent on both abb and back workouts...combined with activities such as swimming these should help to stregnthen up the muscles

pilaties and other forms of stretching are fantastic ways of not only helping to strengthen that "core" but also help to stregthen the ligaments and other connective tissue

brenno

[Felix]

Tennyson Yui
Realto Square
Shop 11/ 11 -25 Wentworth St
Manly 2095

9977 2200

If you don't mind accupuncture, he's the best there is. He regularly goes to China to teach the Chinese. You won't even need to tell him what's wrong with you, he'll just take a look at how you hold yourself and he'll tell you. Then he'll fix it. Then you make a donation and go for a surf. Maybe you go for a surf the day after.

Ask him about some of the surfers and other sports people he has treated over the past 25 years.