Sherry Brourman, a physical therapist, never suspected her back was out of whack until she had a baby, went dancing a couple weeks later, and suffered a "spondy." Short for spondylolisthesis, that's what happens when spinal vertebrae slip forward.
"I was in tremendous pain," Brourman says. "A lot of docs suggested surgery."
Her response: No thanks.
She turned to a colleague, who suggested exercises to strengthen her abdominal muscles, which assist back muscles. As she became stronger, she experimented with ways of walking that kept her back pain at bay.
Eventually, the California-based therapist developed a system of gait corrections outlined in her 1998 book, "Walk Yourself Well: Eliminate Back, Neck, Shoulder, Knee, Hip, and Other Structural Pain Forever -- Without Surgery or Drugs" (Hyperion).
In the book, she describes what she calls Primary Motion Patterns. The worst, she says, is "leaning back," a stance commonly used by fashion models who sashay down the runway with their shoulders pulled back and their hips thrust forward.
The second worst, she says, is that old favorite of drill sergeants and posture-conscious mothers: "Pull your shoulders back."
"It's terrible," she says. "It forces you to hold your chest so high that your shoulders end up behind your buns."
Not that slouching is better. It makes the rib cage tilt downward and accentuates the belly.
"There's this sweet, happy medium where your shoulders are straight out from your ears, not forward or back, and your belly is tight but not too tight," Brourman says.
If you suspect you're leaning back, look at the bottom of your shoes and feet.
"If your shoes get worn down on the back outside of the heel and you have calluses there, that's a clear indication," Brourman says.
To correct a client's stance, Brourman encourages lifting the torso and bringing it forward. She also recommends unlocking the knees and widening the stance.
The book includes 24 illustrated gait corrections, ranging from "pull your heel out" and "take longer steps" to "untuck your buns." By adopting such corrections, people not only can relieve their aches and pains but also improve their appearance, Brourman says. "Walking is the best way to build the shapes and contours of the body."
Pub Date: 03/21/99