Getting Up

[Guest guest]

Hello All,

With comments about getting up after falling flowing about, it would seem to be

appropriate to comment on just plain getting up from various positions. Having

had frequent back spasms over the decades, I have developed some techniques to

help prevent reoccurrences. Now that I have turned 70, much physical work has

been less severe and done at a slower pace.

When on the floor, going to the kneeling position and finding a

prop to use my arms in lifting the torso, as has been mentioned, seems to be the

only way to go. Here as in bed, I never sit directly up which puts a large

compression in the spine just as you are curling it up.

Getting out of bed has become a ritual. I roll to the edge of the bed facing

outward and on my side. First I get my feet and lower legs over the edge to

provide a pivot point at the hips. I then take my upper arm and push downward at

my chest level while getting up on the elbow of the opposite arm. At this point

my body is relatively straight and my legs are balancing my torso with the hip

as a pivot. The next step is to push off the torso and swing the legs to the

floor at the same time. This has little stress because of the balance situation.

As the torso becomes erect the feet hit the floor and the push off arm nearest

the bed surface is the stabilizing support.

When the back spasm is on me, the best way to stand up is to use a

trapeze. That not being available, a crutch and a bureau or night stand suffice.

Getting out of a car can be a problem as well. Usually, I swing my legs out and

then wait until my torso is untwisted and straight sideways to the car seat

before doing any lifting off using what ever hand holds are available. Getting

up from a chair, I try to slide forwards and get my feet under the center of

gravity of my body.

Pushing off vertically with both hands and getting my legs under my torso allows

the legs to do the lifting as in a squat. Thrusting both arms forward helps to

balance fore and aft with out using back muscles to balance as well as lift.

Once off the seat, the legs can do the lifting of the torso with a slight

forward lean. My deceased wife, Kitty Kjeldsen, had studied kinematics of the

body as part of her gymnastics career and felt that

what I was doing was satisfactory. My tall 6'6 " stature makes these

procedures all the more important, but I think anybody could benefit from trying

them out.

EdM from NH