The canvas apron, a traditional Japanese work wear, is made of sturdy fabric and a sash to tie it tightly around the waist.
At the same time, it makes me feel more energized.
"It protects your back when you carry heavy things."
"When I wear it, my back doesn't hurt as much."
There is an old saying that goes like this.
For this reason, it has been used by workers in professions that involve carrying heavy objects, such as liquor stores, rice stores, and lumber dealers.
Is that really true? And where should you tighten it to see results?
Let's ask an expert! So we went to talk to Dr. Ishizaka, a judo therapist who runs Ishizaka Osteopathic Clinic in Chofu, Tokyo!
By tightening the apron, "I won't hurt my back even if I carry something heavy" and "It protects my back", etc.
I've heard this question frequently for a long time, but from your perspective, what kind of results can we expect from this treatment?
Dr. Ishizaka: In conclusion, when you wear an apron, it puts pressure on your abdominal area, so what people in the past said about it being useful for preventing back pain when carrying heavy objects was correct.
By squeezing the iliac bone, the waist is tightened and abdominal pressure is applied. This causes the muscles to wake up and "stabilize the waist joints." For that reason, I think aprons are good for the waist.
Dr. Ishizaka: When it comes to choking, first of all, it's about the position. It's the part above the pelvis called the ilium. For men, it's right around the "belt".
Please tighten the waist bone. It is the most protruding part, above the hip bone.
Q: For men, it's a little lower than where they would wear their belt!
Dr. Ishizaka: Yes. There is a method to tighten the lower pelvis (about 2 fingers below the ilium), which is also effective.
For example, postpartum women may want to tighten their pelvis while doing housework. Tightening the pelvis will also stabilize the hip joint.
You can wear it around your ilium, almost like a belt, or around your pelvis (3-4 cm below your ilium). There are two positions to choose from depending on your purpose.
Dr. Ishizaka: Take a deep breath, and squeeze lightly when you exhale a little. On the other hand, it is effective to squeeze the pelvic belt when you inhale and exhale completely, but you don't have to do that with the apron. It's good to inhale, exhale lightly, and squeeze. If you apply too much abdominal pressure, the purpose will change.
Another basic thing to remember is that when you wrap it from back to front, make sure to tie it tightly in front.
Q: I get it! So you inhale and then exhale lightly to tighten it!!!
Professor Ishizaka: To sum it up again, hook it as close as possible to the ilium, or to the pelvis (3-4 cm below the ilium), inhale, exhale lightly, rotate it around, and tie it in front. This is the key point.
Dr. Ishizaka: Pelvic belts come in a variety of shapes and types depending on where you want to tighten them, but with an apron, you can get different effects just by changing the position where you tighten it.
Also, unlike pelvic belts, it doesn't get stuffy even when you wear it, which is nice.
Even so, people in the past really thought things through. Aprons, which have been around since the Edo period, make sense.
Q: Thank you for today!
Professor Ishizaka: No, no. I'm glad I could help.
So, here are the 3 points I learned today!
1. The place where you tighten it is around the "belt"! Tighten it around the protruding hip bone called the ilium.
2. When tightening, inhale (and exhale a little) and tighten it in front.
3. For women (especially after childbirth), it can also be effective to tighten the pelvis slightly below the ilium!
So it seems that it is true that it "reduces the burden on your lower back."
It seems that aprons are filled with the wisdom of people from long ago!
*Note: Of course, there will be individual differences, and there is no guarantee that wearing an apron will cure your back pain, so please be careful not to make any mistakes when wearing one.
The person we spoke to this time was Dr. Ishizaka, a judo therapist whose clinic is located in Chofu City, Tokyo, a 12-minute walk from Chofu Station, next to the Maruetsu supermarket.
They specialize in treating the lower back, neck, etc., so please visit them.
TEL 042-497-6622
(Article by Nishimura)
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