Barbara WintroubI just returned from the Huntsman World Senior Games where back pain was running rampant. At our age you can MRI a room full of people and find similar back issues with all, but only some will have pain. My MRI doesn’t look all that good, but I bend every which way to Tuesday on a daily basis, stand up straight from my hips and do fascial stretching, which is very different than regular stretching. I noticed that so many of you are more bent over than ever. Your poor back muscles are trying to hold up your head and torso and they cannot. At tournaments you sit in those terrible chairs that cradle your back in a horrible position. And, you bend over from your back to dink instead of bending your knees and sitting from your hips.
First, work very hard at standing tall from the top of your head and your chest. Don’t let your nose enter the room first. Next, replace those tournament chairs and probably your computer chair with a straight back, flat seat chair. Third, every day bend back, forward, side to side to lubricate your back discs. Just plain move your body around. Last, stretch when you awaken, stretch during the day and stretch before sleep. Google fascial stretching for more information. Improve your dink and your posture at the same time and maybe, just maybe get rid of back pain. Dink from the knees not the back.
