[Sir Squeaky]

Nope, apparently not.

WFP is very bad for your neck.

[Clive McDonald]

You've got Einsteins pipe syndrone. He smoked a pipe (apparently) and there was no one around smarter than he was to tell him that it was bad for him.
What was wrong with the milk crate idea? Also you could use a short pole(traditional) to use different muscle groups.
Half the problem is probably because you are too fast and good at what you do.(vigourous). Is it unthinkable to slow down?

[Ian_Giles]

Try going to the gym Rog, use a variety of machines so that all the major muscle groups are well worked.
Doing 100 press ups might make youl feel good, but specifically working a lot more of the muscle froups might help you get your body into a better balance.

We all of us become 'unbalanced', we favour certain muscles as we work or do anything at all, as a result other muscles become weak and more reliant on the surounding muscles.
Sometimes when the balance is too far out damage occurs, the weakened muscle shortens and then when under strain it goes 'pop!'

Part of the idea behind Sports Massage is that they work all the muscles and unkink them if you like, lengthening them and allowing them to work more effeciently.

Anyway, its only a thought, it may or may not help you...but it can't hurt!

Whether WFP will hurt your neck...or any other part of your body come to that, has more to do with the way in which you work, you don't spend all your time craning your neck, you'll be surprised how often you are doing just that when you are working off a ladder, as often as not you are working with your head bent back.
I for one have never had the remotest problem with my neck as a result of WFP, and I do a lot of high stuff.

The problem is of course that you never know until you try do you?
A bit of a catch 22 position isn't it?

Ian

[Sir Squeaky]

Whether WFP will hurt your neck...or any other part of your body come to that, has more to do with the way in which you work, you don't spend all your time craning your neck, you'll be surprised how often you are doing just that when you are working off a ladder, as often as not you are working with your head bent back.
I for one have never had the remotest problem with my neck as a result of WFP, and I do a lot of high stuff.

The problem is of course that you never know until you try do you?
A bit of a catch 22 position isn't it?

Ian

You're right Ian, you do look up when cleaning trad.
The difference is only probably 10 degrees more with WFP, but according to the osteopath that's a lot more strain.

Like you said, do I lay out a lot of money only to find it's a bad idea...?

[gary evans]

Squeeky

I had similar problems to you when i was trad, 3 or 4 times i had phyio to sort it out.

Approx 8 years a go we was doing 5% windows the rest was other cleaning & grounds related work. i had a bad fall (not window cleaning i had, ind cleaning.)
At one point they informed me i should go disability benefits 6 months it took to get back to work proper. I was determined not to do this so constantly was in pain & took painkillers for 2 years on & off with addititional time of 4 to 6 weeks at a time.

Over 5 years ago we started to get back into windows usual reasons & picked up a lot of commercial contracts. We then looked into wfp & invested in Tucker system, & have not looked backed our w/c now is 98% of turn over.

I rarely have back problems now doing wfp, & have not reyurned to physio for neck shoulder injury snce. Wfp can be strenuous but it is easier than it looks with practice. Especially with all these new light weight poles. I would say give it a go if you have the work to warrant it.

Gary