Help! Heel usage = back problems ...stretches/suggestions?

M

mellody43

New Member
:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :evil:

I seem to have chronic lower back problems -- and I am 95% sure it's from wearing heels a lot (mostly while dancing, and of course compounded by the fact that I'm dancing without my heels touching the floor - oh the humanity!) -- It hurts when I lean forward, and I need to find ways to arch/stretch out my back so counteract all of the "anterior tilt" (is that the right term?) that I seem to have developed. I was mostly dancing my heels but for the last 2 weeks have primarily been using my Bloch sneaks at practice, which is at least decreasing my time in heels.

A PT I know suggested lying on my back with my knees to my chest and just resting that way. Also, a stretch for the hip flexors in the front -- they are (she says) tight -- where I kneel on my one knee so it's under me, then place the opposite foot in front of me so my knee is at a right angle, then bend that knee so it stretches the front of the hip (of the leg with the knee on the floor) -- sort of like a kneeling runners stretch, I guess.

Do you have any other suggestions, especially for the back area? I'm really too young to be hobbling about like this. LOL!

Thanks!
Melissa
*ouch*
 
Wow, nice to see you here again! Sorry to hear of your back problem. there is a thread around here soemwhere on High Heels and things that can be done to help prevent issues. I'll see if I can find it for you.
 
Thanks to both of you - I just printed all of those threads! LOL!

I wish I could regularly take a pilates/yoga class but I'm unsure about whether my schedule will allow it, and whether my wallet will either! =/

Best,
Melissa
 
Oh also - found some stuff online

Books by Eric Franklin:

Relax Your Neck, Liberate Your Shoulders: The Ultimate Exercise Program for Tension Relief

Pelvic Power for Men and Women: Mind/Body Exercises for Strength, Flexibility, Posture, and Balance

Conditioning for Dance


Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery

AND

The Pilates Back Book: Heal Neck, Back, and Shoulder Pain With Easy Pilates Stretches by Tia Stanmore


I can get a few from the library.

Thanks everyone!
 
Concentrating on keeping an active center during dancing may also help. At least if you're doing ballroom, you shouldn't have a pronounced anterior tilt. Try to feel that you pull your belly button up and back as you dance (imagine a cord connecting it to your spine at or a little below the point where your bra strap crosses it, and pull it along that direction - up and in). Once you get used to doing this, it will also improve your stability in movement a lot.
 
A lot of people just have poor lower back muscles. It may be inherited. I have a bad lower back that is aching way too much. And I have that from my fathers side.

What helps is strength exercises in general.

For stretching I reccomend standing on one leg and lifting the knee on the other leg as high as possible (not with strecth leg, bend the knee.) Or any exercise with similar effect.

When my back is stiff, I am doing a simple exercise I find loosens my back up very well. I stand in front of a table, leaning slightly forward and supporting my body with straithgt arms. Then I do first do essentially the same as in the stretching exercise, I lift my knee up as high as possible. Slowly. Then I stretch my leg out backwards. Don't overdo this by stretching your backwards and to high upwards. Repeat slowly. After doing it a few times, I find that this loosens up and I can increase the tempo into swinging the leg up and backwards.

If you have the same kind of problem as I do, this helps.

You should of course consult a physician.
 
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