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When a posture straightens more than a boat mast

 

 

Chronic pain that slows down performance

 

The case of a skier and his fight against pain

 

A few seasons ago, a high-level skier came to see me, his eyes tired and his back even more so. For years, he had suffered from chronic pain, diagnosed as ankylosing spondylitis – a stubborn inflammation of the joints between the iliacs and the sacrum, in other words a real sacroiliitis.
The treatment? A series of anti-inflammatories to get through the season. But eventually, it was his stomach that finally cried out for mercy. He wanted to know: "Can we do something about the posture?" My answer: the disease is there, of course, but relieving the pain is possible.

 

 

The postural approach: an effective alternative

 

A complete assessment to understand the imbalances

So we started with a complete postural assessment. Nothing was left to chance. The compensations had been established for a long time, through intense training and gradual adaptation to the pain.
For 3 weeks, we worked together. Every day. By rebalancing what could be rebalanced. By releasing those famous tensions that were pulling in the wrong direction. And with the precious help of osteopathy, we were able, little by little, to put his body back on track. Result? He went back to skiing without pain, ready to get back to his level.

 

The method in practice: 3 weeks of intensive work

For a non-sporty reader, 3 weeks of break is an eternity. But for a high-level athlete? It's the blink of an eye. It's better to "cut" a little, recover properly, than to force and end up stopping for months. It's a simple calculation, but still too often neglected.
It's a recurring challenge in the ski world. I can no longer count the athletes who have consulted me for back or knee pain "without a specific origin". Clean MRIs, medical examinations without anomalies... and yet, something is not right.

 

 

The boat mast: a metaphor for understanding posture

 

 

How imbalances set in over time

This is where I come in. I like to use the image of the boat mast. Imagine this mast, leaning to one side, from being pulled by shrouds that are too tight, worn out by time and repeated efforts. Every day of training, we pull in the same direction, and the mast adapts... but to the detriment of the overall structure.
So what do we do? We relax this tired shroud, we take care of it, and we put it back to work, with the others, to recreate a functional balance. Of course, the human being is a little more complex: we are talking about a 3D structure, in movement, where everything influences everything. Perfect symmetry? It does not exist. The important thing is to find harmony, where each part of the body does its part, without overloading the others.

My job: between science and intuition

 

A passion for complex cases

A job as a researcher… and a scout
In my work, I like to search. Complex cases, those that resist, are those that motivate me the most. But sometimes, by explaining my approach to the athlete, we highlight something that I had not seen. Because nothing is ever completely readable, and that is what makes this job exciting.

Transmit this approach with Posture & Perspectives
This is also the approach that I transmit in my Posture & Perspectives training: a sharp eye, a structured method, and above all, the humility to understand that the human body is a complex mechanism where everything dialogues, even what seems silent.

 

 

And you, where are you with your posture ?

 

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Have you ever found yourself facing an "elusive" pain? Sometimes, it is by looking elsewhere that we find the answer. Share your experiences! 😊