Dooley Noted: 8/24/2016
Lately, I’ve experienced an influx of middle-aged, active people with chronic pain issues.
When they come to see me, they are very disconcerted that movements don’t come so easily to them anymore.
One particular patient showed me that it was difficult for him to get off of the floor, due to his low back pain.
I watched him slowly go from supine to side-lying, then to oblique sitting.
Then he transitioned carefully to half kneeling, then braved himself from the lunge to a standing position.
He calculated each moment, and he used utmost care.
He then looked at me and said, “Do you see this? I move like I’m old.”
I replied, “Actually, you move like you’re young.”
It’s fascinating how well people move when they are injured.
They finally take the care and calculations they needed to always take to prevent the injury.
I filmed my patient’s transitions, and I showed him how he carefully moved as the baby moves.
I showed him the 4-month supine position he took.
I noted the 5-month side-lying and 7 month quadruped, to his 8-9 month oblique sit and 10-month half kneeling.
I congratulated him for his successful, painless transition from kneeling to the 12-month standing position.
The baby works hard to never sacrifice his stability.
Most adults don’t do this until they get hurt.
I showed him how he was becoming younger, transitioning back to the perfect, reflexive stability with which he was born.
There are no “old” people movements.
But if an injury reminds you how to move like you’re young again, then the injury serves an immense purpose.
I encourage you to take more care in your movements, and move like you’re young again.
That doesn’t mean move fast or without care.
I encourage you to move well.
As always, it’s your call.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley
