Beyond-Brawn-2nd-Edition

BEYOND BRAWN
Caution!
18.86 If any medical condition exists which might preclude the use of inversion
therapy, such as high blood pressure, spinal problems, middle ear infection,
or eye disorders, first consult your doctor. And never let children perform
inversion therapy unsupervised.
Other reasons
18.87 Until my back problems started in 1992 I could sit in any way I wanted, and
on whatever surface, without any ill effect. I could slouch and have poor
posture without suffering any bad effect. And I could sleep on a lousy mattress
without much if any complaint from my back upon waking. After summer
1992, however, this “indestructibility” changed. I gave up sitting on soft
chairs, always slept on a decent mattress, and gave attention to posture that
had never been necessary before. If I cut any corners here, my back would
irritate me. Trigger point therapy would relieve the irritation, but I had to
stop the cause.
18.88 All that was necessary was for me to preserve the normal degree of lumbar
lordosis, i.e., the inward curve of the lower spine just above the pelvis. I
would sit up tall every half an hour or so of desk work or driving (or whenever
I felt tension in my lower back), and very briefly exaggerate the lumbar
lordosis. is was enough to preserve my normal degree of lumbar lordosis
and prevent back pain.
18.89 Whenever I felt the need, I would do some neck stretching. Sitting for an
extended period tends to cause the head and neck to protrude forward, even
if a conscious effort is made to sustain good posture. is protruded position
of the head and neck puts stress on the upper vertebrae that can lead
to discomfort. Interrupt this protruded position regularly and the stress will
be relieved. Retract the head while keeping the chin pulled down and in. Do
this a few times and you should feel an immediate benefit. (See Stretch H in
THE INSIDER’S TELL-ALL HANDBOOK ON WEIGHT-TRAINING TECH-
NIQUE.)
18.90 Even now, whenever I perceive any compression in my lower back, whether
training related or otherwise, I do one or more of the back stretches
described in the stretching routine in THE INSIDER’S TELL-ALL HAND-
BOOK ON WEIGHT-TRAINING TECHNIQUE, or perform some inversion
therapy.
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