Dear Esther,
Thank you for enduring all my videos and questions over the past one and a half years. The Lord has answered my prayers and helped me to walk better and without knee pain.
After going through chapter 8 yet another time, I tried letting my leg "drop" so to speak as the other leg did the work. I went to a large stretch of linoleum (smooth) floor in my house, wearing socks, and let my foot slide along the smooth floor during the "glide phase," like a person would cross country snow ski. For some reason, this particular exercise helped my brain to figure out what to do. So now when I walk, I feel like I am "dropping" my swinging leg while my working leg is strong and stable on the other side, my rib anchor is pulled in, and my arch muscles get to work as well. In the past, I think I was keeping my swinging leg too far above the ground (my toes now are just barely above the ground during the glide phase) and I was not truly relaxing the leg at the femur/hip.
It feels as if I am swinging my hips out while walking but actually I'm just "letting go" of the leg as it is moving forward. This walk feels so good and natural, and my knee pain is 96% gone.
Reflecting on the time I've spent trying to improve my body with your book, I've learned that for me, body work takes a lot of time but it's like building a wall a brick at a time, and it all adds up to better function. While the wall is in its early stages, one can get discouraged but one must keep on, and the benefits will appear over time.
Again, thank you Esther for the good you have brought to me. Now I'm working on good shoulder position while sitting, standing, and walking. I know so many people having surgeries at relatively young ages for neck pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, knee pain, and foot pain. These stories alone motivate me to try to keep in proper aligmnent and try to keep my body strong, and if I do end up with surgery for one of these conditions, at least I'll have a background of muscle strength to speed up recovery time.
Lemontree
12 years 4 months ago
07/28/2010 - 7:17am
Guess what? After about four weeks of minimal pain, now I'm having knee pain again in the same spots (front of knees) and some hip pain.
Today I had a friend video my walking and I found the slow motion buttons on my camera. What a find! My back leg is straight, but when I'm landing, the heel definately comes down first then the rest of the foot, rather than heel barely first. When my heel is touching the road, my leg looks straight. When the rest of my foot has contact with the road, my leg is bent some at the knee.
Another problem I noticed was I seem to be leaning backward. It feels upright but looks backward. So I will try to bend forward at the hip. I did this today for a 0.3 mile walk and I was so winded due to using my inner corset the whole time (it felt right to use my inner corset when leaning forward a bit).
What should I be doing different? I'm aching to go to a conference but am waiting for one within driving distance of my home.
I did try walking the "wrong" way to relieve my knee pains, but it feels so good and right mechanically to walk the 8 Steps way, that I just walk that way. It feels foolish to me walk the "wrong" way now.
Esther or anyone... help! Please!
Lemontree
12 years 4 months ago
07/28/2010 - 7:17am