In the waiting room I call the next patient's name
A 90 year old Gent springs up and shakes my hand.
I ask about his right hip pain.
And there's that line again..
I've said it before..
That's music to my ears 🎶
His groin pain had gone.
His flare up settled.
One week of pain
And then it settled..
Sensibly he came for a check up
We talked through the detail..
I examined his hip, back + leg..
(that link talks through another)
And put a plan in place in case it happened again
Now, that plan largely centred on keeping on doing what he's doing.
B: Bodyweight where it should be
A: Staying active and strong
M: Moving well
And the expert spot?
Well, it was something he taught me
See, there was an opportunity to ask 'his secret'
He was living well age 90 years..
And will likely live longer, perhaps a lot longer.
I couldn't miss the chance to ask him his secret.
Now I've already said he's doing plenty of other things well B.A.M. etc.
BUT this was his extra secret to living well..
AND there's something in it.
We're all prone to stiffness in our backs and hips.
That dynamic stretch.. touch your toes right down AND right up..
(stretch right up to the ceiling in between each toe touch)
With our feet apart that movement avoids deep hip flexion
AND keeps our backs moving..
That means, I'm sure, that we ask less of our hips
Our back flexes so our hips don't have to.
Everyday bending is shared out.
More than that => daily toe touches keep us moving
In a fully functional movement that we don't usually do.
What did I do with this Expert Spot?
Well, I pass it on... to people + patients.
And to anyone with:
Back pain
Hip Pain
Stiffness
AND I do 10 toe touches most mornings myself
As part of my daily conditioning routine.
While the kettle's boiling ☕️ 😁
