The other day, in physical therapy, one of the assistants happened to watch me walk from one machine to another. She told me that I was walking much better but was still leaning too much, humped over. She said to "lead with your hips".
I am sure that this is advice given to many. Yet this is the first time I had heard it. One of my physical therapists, back in 2011, was intent on helping me walk straighter and I really tried and continue to try literally years after, yet I keep catching myself walking hunched over. When I see myself reflected I try to straighten myself out but clearly I needed another way to approach this. When Carmen said "lead with your hips" I knew she had given me a gift that might make a huge difference in my life.
Remembering this simple bit of advice really has helped. I straighten up naturally when I do this. My whole body, not just my shoulders, for example.
Other news on the home front: my hip feels completely normal now, except that there is a tiny bit of discomfort when I put on my right shoe. Less and less, though. I no longer sleep with a pillow between my legs. My legs rarely are the cause of a sleepless night. I use restless leg medication rarely now. My knees are just the tiniest bit straighter. Still working on that.
Journal of experiences and experiments with arthritis
