One of my favorites?
Welcome to adulthood, I hope you like Ibuprofen.
For me, even with years of endless appointments and exercisesno days off!my back still hurt.
Therehadto be a way to feel good again, right?
But the real problem began just before the pandemic, when I hurt my back dancing.
(Im a terrible dancer, adding embarrassment to literal injury.)
…
Over the next few months, as the pandemic raged, my back more or less healed.
But then the delta wave lockdown came, leaving us housebound for five solid months.
At the time, I didnt think of this misery as related to my back pain.
When stress piles up, it can show up in the body.
The long lockdown eventually ended, but my back pain did not.
Willing to throw money at the problem, I made an appointment with an osteopath.
He had an open, knowing demeanor and I liked him instantly.
Of course the brilliant, expensive osteopath didnt take insurance.
That feeling proved justified when the first thing she said was that back pain is very commonhappens with age!
…
Doing some diligence, she asked: Do you have pins and needles down your legs?
(I did not.)
Do you have bowel control?
(All good.)
Aging is normal, but whats not normal is when it starts to be debilitating.
Aging is normal, but whats not normal is when it starts to be debilitating.
Lauren Lobert Frison, DPT
Dr. Lobert Frison recommends finding a health practitioner who doesnt make you feel hopeless.
The research shows us this makes things worse.
Its Amazing How Its All Connected.
A day turned into a week, and then into two and three.
Stopping would at least be a break, if not from pain then at least from failure.
Its actually less about the body betraying you, and more that its trying to love you.
Desperate, I went to see a different physical therapist recommended by a friend.
I left her office with one simple instruction: Move your body.
For the first time in years I didnt have a set of exercises.
This left me free to think about what I actually wanted.
Ive always lovedyoga, but everyone had told me it wouldnt build the strength I needed.
But its what I wanted to do!
Back on the mat I groaned at my loss of flexibility, but it felt great.
In the weeks that followed, something wonderful happened: My back finally started to get better.
My original back injury happened over three years agoit should be healed.
I do yoga all the time now, because my body seems to love it.
I carry a backpack instead of a handbag, and I work at my desk and not in bed.
Life in general is a lot better.
I still have Ibuprofen in my bag, but I take it a lot less.
Sometimes it tells me to rest, and often it tells me it wants to move.
And then I do that.
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