Re: Dancers and movement...

[Guest guest]

> A thought just crossed me -- I linked your comments with the PT book

mentally

> -- what came up was, the PT book mentions that hypermobiles often use

> hyperextensions as resting places, because our joints are more stable when

extended

> than at rest. Might this be a part of the dancing question, too? I know

when

> acting, I fell into walls standing still, not when I was crossing...

Well the resting in positions normal humans can't get into is definitely me.

I often sleep in positions that a normal would never achieve without years

of yoga training, and yet it's the only thing comfortable for me.

-Barb

[Guest guest]

> A thought just crossed me -- I linked your comments with the PT book

mentally

> -- what came up was, the PT book mentions that hypermobiles often use

> hyperextensions as resting places, because our joints are more stable when

extended

> than at rest. Might this be a part of the dancing question, too? I know

when

> acting, I fell into walls standing still, not when I was crossing...

Well the resting in positions normal humans can't get into is definitely me.

I often sleep in positions that a normal would never achieve without years

of yoga training, and yet it's the only thing comfortable for me.

-Barb

[Guest guest]

I think, that for myself, some of it was that while I was dancing, I

was concentrating on what my body was doing and where my arms, legs,

etc. needed to be to complete the move I was doing and to transition

to the next. In my day-to-day life, I am too busy multi-tasking to

concentrate on how I am moving (too busy worrying about not dropping

the dishes I am taking to the sink and so I don't notice the

invisible rock on the ground). It is extra bad when I am tired!!

As for sleeping, yup, I sleep in odd positions. My husband couldn't

get over how I slept when we first started sharing a bed. On of my

personal favorites is on my side, tilted towards my stomach with the

lower leg (the side I'm lying on) out straight, and the leg of the

side I'm not laying on pulled all the way up so my knee is under my

chin and both arms are curled up between my leg and chest. It is

almost like doing the splits, but the knee of the leg near my chest

is tightly bent. I have to be more careful with this position as my

wrists are also totally flexed inward which often flares up my

tendonitis. I also sleep in the complete fetal position (thighs

touching my chest, and my calves touching the backs of my thighs,

head tucked so my forehead is pretty much resting on my knees) which

my husband calls the " pillbug " or " roly-poly " position, after the

bugs that roll themselves up, and he is amazed I can curl up so small.

> Might this be a part of the dancing question, too?

> Well the resting in positions normal humans can't get into is

definitely me.

> I often sleep in positions that a normal would never achieve

without years

> of yoga training, and yet it's the only thing comfortable for me.

>

> -Barb

[Guest guest]

I misseed the start of this conversation but thought I would stip in

anyway. I too am an ex-dancer (I was actully put into ballet at age 4

by my GP of the time who told my mother to put me into ballet to help

with my being SO unco-ordinated (we know know, not uncoordinated,

HYPERMOBILE) but hey. I too never really injured myself dancing but I

did do MAJOR damage to my pelvis and hips when i was 12 warming up at

home to practice (i.e playing about doing the splits etc) when I tore

a heap of muscles off the bone and it would seem now that I also

dislocated my pelvis (never fixed) and maybe a hip or 2 as well)

but when actually dncing no real injuries.

As to sleeping and resting I tend to rest in positions that normals

can't get into as well. I tend to rotate my arms from the shoulder

(in some odd way) that has my palms turned odd (but for me this helps

to relieve my constantly dislocating sholder and the resulting nerve

damage (RSD)and the muscle tensions I get. I also tend to let my legs

rest and they drop " out " to the sides (not out of sockets though I

think)or in to the middle in a position that can have my feet almost

sitting on the bed (I do have torsions in both my legs (L>>R) not

sure if tibial or femoral or both (but my Osteopath is working on

them and trying to elp they are so obvious at times and hurt when

they try to rotate further which they do frequently (they just start

torsioning further)).

I also use to sleep in a tight little ball (but now with my shoulder

and knee issues and the left over complications from my surgeries etc

I can no longer do this (as my right knee no longer bends past about

100 degrees and my right arm I can no longer lift up or externally

rotate or put behind my back or such things).

I do tend to sit/sleep at rest with my joints at extension becuase

there they " feel " stable (I also tend to walk with my knee locked

when it is playing up as tis feels like it may prevent it giving

out ,but at other times when it is really sore i can't even

straighten it and have to walk with it bent).

Very curious.

Sharon (shazinoz)

> I think, that for myself, some of it was that while I was dancing,

I

> was concentrating on what my body was doing and where my arms,

legs,

> etc. needed to be to complete the move I was doing and to

transition

> to the next. In my day-to-day life, I am too busy multi-tasking to

> concentrate on how I am moving (too busy worrying about not

dropping

> the dishes I am taking to the sink and so I don't notice the

> invisible rock on the ground). It is extra bad when I am tired!!

>

> As for sleeping, yup, I sleep in odd positions. My husband

couldn't

> get over how I slept when we first started sharing a bed. On of my

> personal favorites is on my side, tilted towards my stomach with

the

> lower leg (the side I'm lying on) out straight, and the leg of the

> side I'm not laying on pulled all the way up so my knee is under my

> chin and both arms are curled up between my leg and chest. It is

> almost like doing the splits, but the knee of the leg near my chest

> is tightly bent. I have to be more careful with this position as

my

> wrists are also totally flexed inward which often flares up my

> tendonitis. I also sleep in the complete fetal position (thighs

> touching my chest, and my calves touching the backs of my thighs,

> head tucked so my forehead is pretty much resting on my knees)

which

> my husband calls the " pillbug " or " roly-poly " position, after the

> bugs that roll themselves up, and he is amazed I can curl up so

small.

>

>

>

>

> > Might this be a part of the dancing question, too?

>

> > Well the resting in positions normal humans can't get into is

> definitely me.

> > I often sleep in positions that a normal would never achieve

> without years

> > of yoga training, and yet it's the only thing comfortable for me.

> >

> > -Barb

[Guest guest]

Good. The next time my hubby comments on the positions I sleep in,

I'll let him know I'm not the only one! As for the wrist splint,

I've had to wear one at night the past few weeks because I pulled a

tendon in my wrist taking out the kitchen trash (only us EDSers!),

and I find I sleep really poorly when it is on. I keep waking up

because I can't reposition my body in my sleep when I have it on. Oh

well.

--- In ceda , " Barbara J. Uggen- "

> > personal favorites is on my side, tilted towards my stomach with

the

> > lower leg (the side I'm lying on) out straight, and the leg of the

> > side I'm not laying on pulled all the way up so my knee is under

my

> > chin and both arms are curled up between my leg and chest.

>

> This is how I sleep, only I have one arm under my head and the

other arm

> curled up so my wrist is tucked under my chin.

>

> > I have to be more careful with this position as my

> > wrists are also totally flexed inward which often flares up my

> > tendonitis.

>

> Yup - same with my one wrist tucked under. I occassionaly wear

wrist

> splints at night when it's been bothersome just to keep me from

tucking the

> wrist under my chin.

>

> > I also sleep in the complete fetal position

>

> I only do that when I have a headache or upset stomach, but I've

done it

> before.

>

> -Barb

> EDS Today

> http://www.edstoday.org/