Pop Problems

Body: 

I have noticed my pop has become more prominent lately, I'm wondering if its because I have been bending incorrectly to pic up windfall apples from my garden. I cant squat like Christine suggests as my knees ache, would bending from the waist be better like in Yoga?I'm hoping I can correct this as I have done well these last few months. Any advise would be appreciated.

I would place my feet apart with a good turn out and bend from the hips, not the waist, straight forward, with slightly bent knees, ending up in a plie, or lunge to the side with your torso hanging from your hip joints and your back straight out at right angles or lower than the hips. Don't strighten your lumbar spine. If your need to go lower, bend your legs more and let your belly go between your legs.

What are you putting the apples in? Whatever it is, it needs to be slung low on your hips, not shoulders or waist, or on the ground. Dragging it along might make your POPs feel worse, unless you stick your butt way out. You can straighten your legs as much as you like.

Google images of 'woman planting rice' and you will pick up pictures that illustrate this.

Thanks Louiseds, sorry for delay in answering you ,we have the plummer in and mess everywhere. I did drag some apples along in a container, is this the correct way to pick up other stuff from the floor as I always need to pick stuff up?Thanks .

Hi Fifi

I pick up a lot of stuff too. The important thing to remember in any load shifting, whether or not you are bent over, is to keep your lumbar curve in place, ie all the vertebrae in your spine that don't have ribs should be in a wide even, 'concave' arc with your lumbar spine extended, not bent or flexed. This puts a bend in your torso, so that your pelvic cavity is almost at right angles to your abdominal cavity. Interaabdominal pressure from breathing, etc will go straight down and forward, onto your relaxed lower abdominal wall, where these forces are absorbed like falling onto a trampoline, where they will just bounce back gently. With a straight or bent at the waist spine these forces will continue straight downwards and through your vagina.

So, when picking up, bend straight down from the hips (not the waist) a la rice planter, or do a plie with feet and knees turned out, bending your knees as far as you need to so you can get down far enough, and keep your lumbar curve in place. As a woman with pelvic organ prolapse it is wise to keep your clothing long enough so you can confidently bend forward deeply with your butt up in the air, and keep your dignity.

Yes, you can drag the apples along, as long as you keep your lumbar spine in place. I would think pull with both arms, with knees turned out, and do a little step backwards before pulling again, or fasten a rope around your hips and fasten the other end to the object you are pulling along, using your thigh muscles to straighten your legs, and pull it backwards that way.

Once you *understand* the principle of keeping your lumbar curve in place, and using your strong thigh muscles for lifting, you can figure out ways of doing almost anything safely, and have faith in your body again.