Dem bones

By John Stevenson

 We've all heard it before, " sit up straight and don't slouch ". Bones over bones in alignment, it's that simple. Whether you are at the dinner table or heading down a pitch that has your gripped meter pegged. This simple fact of good posture has come home for me lately in a way that puts "good stance" into a whole new perspective.

About twenty years ago I started experiencing some minor back pains, usually associated with lack of proper stretching and poor lifting technique. Being young and bulletproof I didn't pay much attention to the symptoms. I learned to deal with the pain and went on being ignorant of what my body was telling me.

Ten years ago I left the security of corporate life and went out on my own. The work I chose included digging holes in the street with a jack- hammer. By now I also had to schedule recovery time in with actual job time. I discovered over the counter anti-inflammatory drugs. My body continued to talk, but I still would not listen.

Last January I was doing some light carpentry after two days of Telemark and alpine skiing. In an attempt to move shelves into position before attaching them to the wall, I lifted and twisted. Bad move ! It felt like warm water was being poured down the middle of my spine. Now I heard my body loud and clear. It said change your ways or I quit ! The outcome of this has been surgery for a herniated disc and the removal of part of my spine.

IT DIDN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY! If I had paid more attention to my body as a younger man, and if I had sat up straight and kept bones over bones I could have avoided many years of pain and a costly surgery.

Now the good news, since my surgery I no longer have pain running down both legs and can actually work out without paying for it for several days. I also found that what I knew about good skiing stance came in very handy. Learning to walk again after surgery was literally one step at a time. As I gained strength and confidence I would rely on what I knew to be good and true about good neutral stance, the same stuff I have been hearing from Nick, Dave, Marty, Amy, Lane and Roger etc.. for years, bones over bones, keep your hips over your feet and so forth.

It is a real joy being able to do as much self help as I am in my recovery. From leaving walker track-marks in my carpet, to twenty minutes twice a day on the bike, I am constantly using good skiing as my baseline imagery for good recovery posture. When I discuss good body position with my physical therapist he talks about soccer and I talk about skiing, we both say the same thing, line up dem bones!

Now instead of just teaching good stance and posture I live it. My surgery was June 22 and I plan on skiing at Hood on Aug. 18. This would not be possible without using what I have learned about good skiing posture in my recovery. There is plenty of "could of -would of-should of " in this story so if you can go to school on my mistakes, go for it! Just remember, listen to your mother, listen to your tech team member, and most of all, listen to your body.