The Worker’s Dilemma
October 15, 2009
We’re settling into our Florida home and the cats
> are milling around finding their favorite spots
> again. As part of our winter refurbishment, we called
> our friend, Dave, who is an excellent painter, to
> do some painting of the baseboards in the house.
> These have gotten worn and discolored over the years,
> especially with all our cats rubbing around them.
>
> He came over with his helper, Octavio, like us, a
> middle aged guy. He was complaining about a twinge
> in his back, on the right side of his lumbar area.
> Seems they had been working on a project that required
> him to twist around in an abnormal position. And his
> back was registering its complaint at the abuse.
>
> I laughed at him, in sympathy. I know, all too well,
> how odd positions can cause low back pain. Hell, I
> live with it every day. It’s the back pain from my
> normal “work position” that ended my surgical career.
>
> “Welcome to middle age,” I said. He smiled ruefully
> and acknowledged that he didn’t have these problems
> when he was younger. No. Who does? We all get a bit
> creaky with the march of years on our tired chassis.
>
> But I explained to him that the spasm he was having
> now could be relieved by a little stretching. So I
> had him just bend over and let gravity distract his
> spine, slowly. He was impressed at the result.
>
> “Hey, that feels better,” he said.
>
> “Sure it does,” I replied.
>
> I looked over at my wife and said, “See that? I
> didn’t even need to touch him–it’s my healing aura.”
>
> For some reason she laughed at me….go figure.
>
> Anyway, they got to work and I then noticed
> Octavio kneeling right on the bare wood floor,
> as he sanded the baseboards, in preparation for
> painting. I told him he really should have a
> pair of knee pads. But he didn’t, so I loaned
> him my own. “Don’t take off with these,” I
> warned him. “I need them myself.”
>
> I then explained how they worked. Knee pads
> disperse compression forces over a significantly
> larger area than would otherwise be the case when
> kneeling on a hard surface. That’s why they feel
> so good. They should be an absolute requirement
> for any workman who must kneel to do his job.
> That would include plumbers, roofers, rug layers,
> brick layers, tile men, electricians, anyone who
> has to kneel.
>
> And the harder the surface, the worse it is. For
> example, kneeling on concrete or marble is much
> tougher on your knees than a wooden floor, with
> carpeting.
>
> I can’t tell you how many workers I treated over
> the years with knee pain, who had never used these
> simple measures to prevent it. When they were
> young, they could tolerate kneeling on hard floors
> and other surfaces and just ignored any discomfort.
>
> But with the onset of middle age, the body’s not
> so forgiving any more. Yet, they need to keep
> kneeling to do their job–this is almost always
> the worker’s dilemma.
>
> I gave them, then, the same advice I gave Octavio,
> now: first, avoid EVER kneeling on hard floors,
> or other surfaces, without some protection, like
> knee pads, or even a folded towel, or pad. That
> makes all the difference.
>
> Next, get on an ultra pure, enteric coated
> pharmceutical fish oil, like my POWERHOUSE OMEGA
> FORMULA, for its natural anti-inflammatory
> and pain relieving effects. Since most late onset
> knee pain has an arthritic component, this is
> really important.
>
> http://www.favoriteformulas.com
>
> Then, strengthen the muscles around the knee,
> especially the vastus medialis, with specially
> modified squats and isometrics that alter the
> dynamics of the patellofemoral compartment,
> help to absorb any compression forces and
> relieve knee pain, for the long term. I describe
> how to do these proven knee pain exercises,
> in great detail, in my PAIN-FREE PROGRAM:
>
> http://www.drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
>
> If you’re young, use protective gear while you work.
> It’ll pay big dividends, later in life. If you’re
> older (and now wiser) you’ve already found out
> that you should have done that, but now, you’re
> “paying the piper.” But, if you follow these
> simple tips, you too can avoid the knee pain
> that comes with kneeling. Believe me, I know,
> from first hand experience. Til next time, my
> friend, be well.
>
> Yours for a pain-free tomorrow,
>
> Dr. Bill
> P.S. For DR. BILL’S LITTLE GREEN BOOK ON ELIMINATING KNEE PAIN, a concise, but complete handbook on the root causes and the various options for treating knee pain, go to http://drbillsclinic.com/eliminate_knee_pain.html
>
> P.P.S. For DR. BILL’S PAIN-FREE PROGRAM: EXERCISES TO PREVENT OR ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN, please go to
> http://drbillsclinic.com/exercise_eliminate.html
>
> P.P.P.S. For conventional and alternative treatments and exercises to relieve knee pain without surgery click on http://drbillsclinic.com/avoid_knee_surgery.html
>
> P.P.P.P.S. For the giant, comprehensive ADVANCED MASTERS’ COURSE: HOW TO ELIMINATE KNEE PAIN–ONCE & FOR ALL!, everything you need to know on causes and solutions for knee pain and the complete exercise program, too, go to
> http://drbillsclinic.com/advanced_masters.html
>
> FREE BONUS CD with any order: THE HEALING POWER OF POSITIVE PAIN PERCEPTION
>
> Copyright, 2009 by William Thomas Stillwell, MD, FACS
> All rights reserved
