TLDR: I had to take a week off cause of my scoliosis, and strained my back. I wanted to train, but had to listen to my body because it was screaming at me. The hard part is when you are on the mend and feeling better, but need to take it easy so that it will heal all the way.
Waiting is the pits, we hates it
It may be because the quarantine. It may be because I am so used to training. It is probably both. However, I had to take this last week off because of an injury and it felt like and eternity. This comes from a chronic condition I have had since I can remember. If you are new to my blog, I have scoliosis, or curvature of my spine in my neck and back. I suffered a herniated disk that pushed on my sciatic nerve and had to take months to rehab it.
Because of scoliosis, I have to get regular adjustments to my back and neck just so that nerves don’t get pinched, and I can function without pain. I was training for my gyms Level 1 Muay Thai test, and was feeling great, so I had not visited my chiro in 6 months. I know this statistic because he told me when I went to see him. Lol
The last few months my hip has felt a little out of place. But I trained through it, because it was a minor nag, and nothing that was hindering me. Well last week I finished with a banded dead lift and that hip misalignment along with my scoliosis cased me to strain my back. Yay!?! … no ouch!
If you have never dealt with this kind of issue. Think about a bunch of rubber bands held in tension around your bones, those rubber bands are your muscles and tendons. When your spine is out of alignment, your rubber bands are holding the spine in tension, and sometimes the smallest tweak or wrong movement sends a catalyst of changes that causes the rubber bands to move, and pull things out of line. This causes pinched nerves (tingling, numbness, pain), pain, in ability for the joint to move correctly, and inflammation.
So what did I do to myself:
- I had two of my vertebrae in my neck out of alignment.
- I had a dislocated rib
- My SI joint was out of place
- 1 side of my hip was jammed
- Other side of my hip was dislocated (note: I can usually tell from slight pain, and I sometimes trip when walking on flat surfaces from misalignment.)
Needless to say, I have been rehabilitating my back. Laying flat, icing, Ibuprofen, plenty of water and went to my chiropractor in this last week. He told me I had not seen him for 6 months. I was doing really well. He was impressed, but I really should have gone in after my Level 1 test to get a tune up.
I am feeling loads better (I have some pain) and plan to be back on my training schedule next week. I may take it slow for the first days to make sure my back is holding up. But for this week I took it easy… even thought it was this side of torture, especially when we can’t get out to do anything else.
If it hurts why do it?
I post day to day updates on my other forms of social media, and was asked why I do this at all. The “this” being Muay Thai, Working out as much as I do, training at all. I am often asked this and one other question. Do I think training like this is hurting my condition/body more?
So lets just address these questions, because there are times where I wonder. I have mulled it over. Often times it happens when I am injured or my painful condition rears its ugly head.
Why do I train Muay Thai, and workout as much as I do?
- I do this cause I love the martial art.
- I train cause it is great for my body. I feel better over all when I train. My body stays limber, my mind stays sharp, I sleep better, I am learning about a culture I have grown to love, and I feel a sense of accomplishment.
- I have fitness goals I want to achieve.
- I would love to possibly one day pass on what I have learned. Pass on my love for this art.
Do I think training like this is hurting my scoliosis/body more?
I have wrestled with this question many times. Wondering if I am harming my back more. I can safely say that for me and my body, my Doctor has been amazed at my healing ability, and how flexible I am staying. He says I am leaps and bounds more active than 80% of the people in my age group.
- I don’t believe it is hurting my scoliosis more. If anything it is keeping me limber, helping me grow and condition my muscles to support my back more. (Doctors reports tell me I am not, and he is fully aware of my activities)
- I will not let my condition define me and stop me from living my life. I have long since decided that I could just sit on the couch. Keeping my back and neck safe. Avoiding things that could hurt it. In the end of my life, what would that life be like? What would I look back on, thinking… well I was safe, and did not hurt anything? That seems sad, to not live life because I am scared to get hurt. That is not to say I don’t stop to think about it some times. I think that is human to re-evaluate.
- I am much healthier now. I know how my body felt before I started my fitness journey and how I feel now.
Keep in mind, sore muscles, sore body due to exercise/exertions are completely different than structural damage. If I were damaging my body structurally I would not do that.
Now that I am on the mend waiting is terrible. Anyway thank you for reading, and I hope you and your loved ones stay safe in this pandemic. Get out there and move your body if you can. I will be back at it next week.
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Thinks with Spinks 