Poles for Balance

As I discussed in my last post, I had increased my stamina and was seeking out new surfaces--new surface, new challenge. I was feeling great for most of the walk, however I did notice when I got tired or lost focus I may "fall off" to one side. By that I mean, I would walk a bit to the right rather than straight ahead. I had actually been doing it during the many years when I walked on the toes of my left foot. It didn't happen all the time, but when it did, it often led to bumping into the person I was walking next to, which proved a bit embarassing.

I told *Dr. Cory about it at my next visit, not expecting anything could be done. In my mind, the surgery was already a success and this was a minor inconvenience. If nothing could change it, I could live with it. At least my heel touched the ground when I walked and I could walk for miles without pain. 

Without hesitation, Dr Cory said, "We can fix that. We need to realign your posture to improve your balance. Here's what I want you to do. Get a 5 foot walking stick..." I had purchased hiking poles from Amazon, looking forward to the time I could hike with friends. For the next six weeks, I was to use the hiking pole to provide minimal support to the ankle. When the left foot came down, the hiking stick in my right hand would tap on the pavement as well. Once I get comfortable with that, we would add two poles in a swinging motion, much like cross country skiing. Walking with the pole would lift my frame in a natural posture, rather than having to think about it all the time. I was to continue to do this on all the usual surfaces. I left the office that day wondering how using one hiking pole was going to help, but by this time, I knew Dr. Cory had an incredible knowledge of the utilization of motion in recovery, so I was excited to see how this was going to work. 

The next day, I started out and realized I did not have a rhythmic walk. I really had to think about moving my right arm forward when my left leg was forward.  Hmm interesting.  I kept at it, having to stop now and then when I realized I wasn't aligning my right arm and left leg. It took a couple of days before I could actually do it without thinking. I finally had a rhythm going and felt pretty good. One day I took a long walk and spent time doing other errands. By that night, my lower back, left glute muscle, and left hip were on fire. What now?  I decided I had done too much and my old friend sciatica was back to pay me a visit. Sciatica was a common occurrence before my surgeries.  

I was disappointed, but took two days to rest from walking. I started to feel much better on the second day, so decided I would walk the next morning, but cut back on the distance I was walking. What was interesting was the pain subsided within those two days and when I went back to walking, I was back up to 6 miles within a couple of days with no repercussions.  That was interesting because often when I had sciatica I was on the sofa with a heating pad for up to 5 days and then walking gingerly for a week or two.  In later conversation with Dr. Cory about what had transpired, he explained that the pain was caused by my posture realigning. It was amazing to me, but I realized my posture had changed. I began naturally pulling my frame up without thinking about it. My shoulders were no longer sore and I have not had lingering back pain since. I decided to try a couple of walks with no pole to see if I still felt a change in my posture, and I did. 

Note: If you are depending on a Fitbit or Garmin type instrument for steps/miles walked, it does not compute accurately with the pole. Much like walking with a shopping cart, it would not pick up an accurate reading because I had the pole in my hand. I called Fitbit, and they suggested I put the Fitbit watch in my pocket. It would then pick up the motion from my legs. I tried that and it does compute better that way. It also means I do not look at the steps walked until I get home, so I am truly walking for the challenge rather than the distance.  

After 6 weeks, I returned to Dr. Cory and got the "go-ahead" to use two poles.  What is amazing to me when using the two poles, is the ease of walking, the lack of back pain, and the distance I have gained without even trying. I can attribute the distance and ease of walking to the rhythm of the motion. I don't even think about it. The first time I walked 7 miles I was shocked.  I was enjoying the morning. Swinging my arms in rhythym with my legs; I wasn't getting tired, wasn't falling off to the right, and had decided to try a couple of new streets to add more uphill walking to my route.  

Not surprisingly, a woman from the 55+ retirement community stopped me one day to ask where I got the poles. She wanted to get some because her daily walk was becoming more challenging. I spent a few minutes talking to her about where she could get them and what she might want to try. Spreading the knowledge, spreading the fun!

As I continue my journey, I will soon give up the poles for good. The walks will continue, utilizing the surface challenges and, as the weather cools down, I will try hiking with friends and hopefully 

paddleboarding as well. I am teasing the 8 mile mark and am hoping to reach that goal during August. I don't know how much further I will go, but I do know this journey has opened a whole new world of adventure to me at the age of 67. For those of you reading this and maybe thinking seniors can't do these things...Yes We Can!!

See you next time!  Happy Walking!!

*Dr. John Cory,  Arizona Institute of Motion ,  fastsportsaz.com