Injury Recovery Part 36 - Back to Basics Update

Friday night and looking forward to the weekend with Sarah.  Ah yes the pictures, just a little bit of Steam Punk'ery I experimented with during the week as a distraction.  I made the base from a scrap of wood and a piece of copper piping.

This weeks recovery has been, would you believe it, "Slow".   You know life is interesting when nighttime pain permeates your dreams.  It leads to some very surreal dreams, trust me.  So each day this week has provided a different opportunity to reflect on the effect of lower back pain along with mid back and neck pain, with a side order of arm and groin pain to boot.  Sarcasm aside it is hard going back to basics and this week was just that.

So metaphorically it was pick yourself up Matthew, dust yourself down and start your recovery training all over again.  With a voice in my head saying "you should be getting good at it by now".  I put aside my aspirations to participate in upcoming cycling events, counted myself lucky that I have the tools and am able to start over and focused on the basics.  Yes I had and to be clear have moments of doubt and concern, it is hard not to when you have a pain that is not going away.  It is like an itch you can't scratch, the mind plays all kinds of games with you even when you are doing exercises you know will help their is still that voice saying "will they really help" or "are you wasting your time" oh and my favorite "don't do it now, you can do it later".

Before, you ask.  Yes, I succumbed to those voices a few times but as I am learning in spades attitude in recovery is so important.  My attitude is "I WILL get better" and if it takes starting from scratch "SO BE IT" .  I was given the chance to be here and I will not squander that gift.

To reiterated, last week my lower back went into spasm most likely as a result of my old herniation in L4-L5.  This resulted in limited mobility and sensations radiating into the groin and leg.  For anyone who has experienced a herniation these symptoms will sound only too familiar.   Obviously in my case the situation is also compounded by the mid back, neck and shoulder issues.  I set myself the goal of being able to do three foundation exercises by Wednesday.  So with my goal in mind I started the week focusing on Standing Decompressions and basic Founders.  In the morning I got ready for work with 1 or 2 repetitions followed by icing.  During the working day I found time to do the exercises at random during the day.  I ended the day with a few repetitions before bed.  No they did not always feel great but they helped me get through the day and from time to time they did "Just Feel Good".  by Wednesday I was able to add back extension repetitions.  Only 5-6 repeats and after each session I felt a little better.  by Thursday I was able to add an adductor assisted back extension hold for 10 seconds and today although still stiff and sore I am stronger than I was on Monday and ready to help my clients tomorrow in my Foundation Training classes.  Once again having the tools in my toolbox is making all the difference.  The journey forward is still very uncertain so I am staying focused on the near term and trusting that no matter what I life has to throw at me I will deal with it with.