John Glick, Sciatica and Standing Wheels
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An oft-cited piece on body mechanics and injuries to potters is John Glick’s “To Sciatic and Back: A Potter’s Journey,” which was published along with numerous other articles about ceramics and safety in the June 1987 issue of Studio Potter (Vol. 15, No. 2). Although a bit dated in terms of medical advances, this is a beneficial and easy to read article on back issues related to pottery making.
Glick discusses his back injury of a ruptured disk and resulting sciatica, due mainly to unhealthy studio practices like lousy posture at the wheel, improper liftings, overworking when in pain, etc. As his physical therapist told him, “You have been working for 22 years in a seated, flexed, forward position, and the disks in the lumbar area have been under terrific stress.”
After undergoing an aggressive but non-surgical treatment involving 3.5 months in a back brace and a significant reduction in sitting [mainly standing, lying, kneeling — basically any position to keep his back straight], Glick emerged from his ordeal relatively pain-free. This positive outcome not only serves as a testament to the effectiveness of the treatment but also inspires Glick to share his experience and knowledge with others, encouraging them to adopt healthier studio practices.
Glick is often considered a primary advocate for using a standing wheel to maintain proper spinal alignment. He experimented with different heights with his own wheel, ending up with a position in which the wheel head was level with his navel, and he tucked his elbows into his rib cage (instead of resting them on his legs).
Back support pads are important components of Glick’s set-up, although they are not always considered when using a standing wheel because they require either a wall or additional armature. Essentially, the potter is “pinned” between the wheel and the pads. Two supports are needed: an upper one for the lumbar region and a lower one for the bottom. Glick also recommends an antifatigue mat.
The article also reviews proper lifting and describes the benefits of a car kiln, that is, a kiln in which a cart or trolley is loaded and then wheeled into a kiln. Thus, the awkward positions of lifting fired ware into and out of top-loading or side-loading kilns are minimized.