Jonathan Kirkendall on mon 25 aug 97
Hi all-
Over the past year I have started experiencing somewhat severe cramps in
my right leg as I throw. I throw on an electric wheel and control the
pedal with my right foot. The cramps are in the muscle that runs down
the inside of the thigh (one of the adductors, I think). Has anyone else
ever experienced this? The only time I experience it is during throwing,
and today after a couple of hours I could barely stand up because those
muscles were so stiff! if anyone has any insight into this, I'd
appreciate hearing from you.
Jonathan in DC
Sandra Dwiggins on tue 26 aug 97
Jonathan--
To relieve the stiffness, try lying on the floor with your spine flat against
the floor. Then bring your knees up to your chest, wrap your arms
around them and pull them as close to your chest as you can. That will
stretch the muscles in your legs and back without harming anything.
Hold for thirty seconds, release, hold for another thrity, release, until
you've done about 2 minutes altogether.
You could be bending over more aggressively on your right side and
stiffening your thigh muscle so as not to push the peddle down too hard.
You need to stretch or get up every few pots.....
Sandy
Norman R. Czuchra on tue 26 aug 97
Jonathan - injured my leg a few years ago and I had to learn to use the
pedal with my left foot. As a balance I put a cement block on the floor to
the left of the wheel and while awkward, kept my right leg from cramping.
Didn't take long to learn and now it feels entirely normal. I also recommend
taking more frequent breaks to stretch your back. Hope this helps.
Candace Young
>Over the past year I have started experiencing somewhat severe cramps in
>my right leg as I throw. I throw on an electric wheel and control the
>pedal with my right foot.
>Jonathan in DC
>
>
Carol Ratliff.clayart.CLAYART.MAILING LIST on tue 26 aug 97
In a message dated 97-08-25 13:29:58 EDT, you write:
<< experiencing somewhat severe cramps in
my right leg as I throw. I throw on an electric wheel and control the
pedal with my right foot. >>
I am not trying to be a smart ass but I have to ask....Can you change the
pedal & drive with the other foot? If you have already tried that, does the
other leg experience the same problems? I have ankle problems & sometimes
while really concentrating after throwing a long time I find my muscles
locking up for a moment & jumpy later. I just get up and walk around alot.
carol ratliff,
san diego
gambaru on tue 26 aug 97
Try raising your footpedal on a platform of some type. I use two batts.
Might help take some of the strain off leg.
Lee Love on wed 27 aug 97
I have my wheel (a Shimpo Gold) up on milk crates, on top of a
square of plywood. This puts the wheel head at about 30" and level
with my work tables and other surfaces. My seat is about 25.5" high,
the difference between the seat and the head is similar to a Leach
treadle wheel. This way, my legs are not always cramped up, but I can
put my feet on the corner of the platform and my knees up when I am
centering. When I am throwing, my foot is always on the footpedal on
the floor for control. I follow the rthym of the clay and the form.
I think this set up is better for the back too and throwing off
the hump helps even more. My friend Toshi, from Mashiko, told me that
he thought many western potters hang over the wheelhead too much (he said
"like vultures") but when you throw from the hump like he does, your
focus is about on level with your heart and your back is straight. The
Leach wheel has you sitting straighter than other wheels too.
Lee in St. Paul, Minnesota USA
http://www.millcomm.com/~leelove
Please send private responses to mailto: Ikiru@Kami.com
Karen Ottenbreit on wed 27 aug 97
Hi all,
Just wanted to put my $.02 in about leg cramps. I personally would advise
plenty of stretching... before, during, and after long throwing sessions.
I am guilty of not always following my own advice..... and I usually regret
it. I also am a true "believer" in regular trips to the chiropractor. A
year ago, I had a problem with leg cramping as mentioned. As it turned
out, my back was so out of alignment (from long intense session with making
"big clay" stuff) that one leg was a tad longer than the other. One little
tweak on the table with a follow up visit and I was good as new. My
chiroprator also gave me great advice on posture while throwing and various
other ergonomic tips to prevent further injuries and back stress.
Well, I'm going to run now. I am in the process of constructing my new
studio.
Hopefully, by tomorrow, the roof will be completed and I can begin the
insulating and sheet rock stage. Just in time before the snow flies.
The "new studio thread" this past spring was very helpful in the planning
of the building. Thank you all whom contributed !
Karen on the Kenai
wistfully watching summer come to a close.....
The Wrights on fri 29 aug 97
Karen Ottenbreit wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hi all,
> Just wanted to put my $.02 in about leg cramps. I personally would advise
> plenty of stretching... before, during, and after long throwing sessions.
> I am guilty of not always following my own advice..... and I usually regret
> it. I also am a true "believer" in regular trips to the chiropractor. A
> year ago, I had a problem with leg cramping as mentioned. As it turned
> out, my back was so out of alignment (from long intense session with making
> "big clay" stuff) that one leg was a tad longer than the other. One little
> tweak on the table with a follow up visit and I was good as new. My
> chiroprator also gave me great advice on posture while throwing and various
> other ergonomic tips to prevent further injuries and back stress.
> Well, I'm going to run now. I am in the process of constructing my new
> studio.
> Hopefully, by tomorrow, the roof will be completed and I can begin the
> insulating and sheet rock stage. Just in time before the snow flies.
> The "new studio thread" this past spring was very helpful in the planning
> of the building. Thank you all whom contributed !
>
> Karen on the Kenai
>
> wistfully watching summer come to a close.....
Oh boy, sounds like me. I screwed up my already screwed up back when I
started as a student. I sat at the wheel for hours at a time. I used
to work sitting very high, just like you said, like a vulture, in order
to compensate for the fact that I wasn't strong in the arms to center.
But I am now working more upright, although with trimming I feel as
though I have to lean over to watch the profile, something I learned in
my wood turning class.
I too frequent a chiropractor. He encouraged me to get something called
a TENS unit. It is a small electronic device that sends impulses to
your back via electrodes that are "taped" to specific spots on your
back. The theory behind it is that your "pain" signals travel along one
path of nerves, and that is a "slow" path. Another path receives the
signals from the TENS unit, which travel faster, beating the pain signal
and distracting your brain. This enables healing, by putting your body
into the next level of healing after the pain level. Hope this is
understandable. I don't have all the technical terms and understand it
in my head, explaining it can be more difficult to me.
See if your Chiro"cracker" is willing to help you get this device. Some
are just straight chiropractors and won't go for all that stuff.
Take care, be good to your back, it's the only one you have.
Flo
David Jay on sat 30 aug 97
Karen Ottenbreit wrote:
>
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hi all,
> Just wanted to put my $.02 in about leg cramps. I personally would advise
> plenty of stretching... before, during, and after long throwing sessions.
> I am guilty of not always following my own advice..... and I usually regret
> it. I also am a true "believer" in regular trips to the chiropractor. A
> year ago, I had a problem with leg cramping as mentioned. As it turned
> out, my back was so out of alignment (from long intense session with making
> "big clay" stuff) that one leg was a tad longer than the other. One little
> tweak on the table with a follow up visit and I was good as new. My
> chiroprator also gave me great advice on posture while throwing and various
> other ergonomic tips to prevent further injuries and back stress.
> Well, I'm going to run now. I am in the process of constructing my new
> studio.
> Hopefully, by tomorrow, the roof will be completed and I can begin the
> insulating and sheet rock stage. Just in time before the snow flies.
> The "new studio thread" this past spring was very helpful in the planning
> of the building. Thank you all whom contributed !
>
> Karen on the Kenai
>
> wistfully watching summer come to a close.....
Karen & Johnathan
Cramps or sore muscles of any kind are really painful, I know. As you
get older they get worse! At the '76? NCECA COVENTION in Baton Rouge
one of the guest speakers was a Tai Chi master Al Huang wo gave some
demos and said he would be outside if anyone wanted to try it out. I
went and it literally changed my life! I was looking around for
something to help and had started Yoga, but that was boring to me so
when I returned home I found a Tai Chi teacher and have been doing it
ever since. I suffered from migrang headaches all my life untill I
started practicing every day and havent had one in 20 years. Keeping in
shape really helps at the wheel. Hear's to healthy throwing.
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