As a young person, I don't remember pain. Not long after my surgery, I went to try out for junior varsity softball. I was physically ready, but mentally, I chickened out. I was so scared I was going to twist and do something detrimental to my spine. I left tryouts early one day and never went back. Instead of playing softball, I became a bat girl for the baseball team, and I rather enjoyed helping those cute guys! It was a pretty good alternative to playing, for me.
Through high school and college, I walked, jogged, or chased kids around while babysitting. I never had any real trouble with pain.
Then, I began teaching in 2004 after I graduated from the College of Charleston. The more I taught, leaning over desks, sitting on the floor, and standing on that hard surface, well, it took a toll on me. The older I got, the more "expensive" the toll. I began seeing a chiropractor in 2005 or 2006. I got massages. When I moved to China, I tried acupuncture and cupping. All of these things, I did on a needs basis...when I felt poorly, I sought help.
Through high school and college, I walked, jogged, or chased kids around while babysitting. I never had any real trouble with pain.
Then, I began teaching in 2004 after I graduated from the College of Charleston. The more I taught, leaning over desks, sitting on the floor, and standing on that hard surface, well, it took a toll on me. The older I got, the more "expensive" the toll. I began seeing a chiropractor in 2005 or 2006. I got massages. When I moved to China, I tried acupuncture and cupping. All of these things, I did on a needs basis...when I felt poorly, I sought help.
When I quit teaching in June of this year, so much of my stress, and therefore tension and backaches, dissipated. I felt great most of the summer, but I very vividly remembered the pain from the past two years, for that was when I really started hurting the most, because that's when my sciatica started to bother me. And even though I wasn't teaching anymore, when my husband and I were on holiday in Europe this summer, those long days of walking all over London and other cities in the UK and Ireland caused me to have pain. We were in Chinatown one day and I insisted we go for reflexology. My husband wasn't keen on the idea, but anytime I'm in the city, I stop in Chinatown for some bodywork. The reflexology was a Godsend after we had walked 12 miles or so all over town.
In the years prior to the last two, I had lower back pain, and I often had tightness in my shoulders. Those are the two places I get the most movement and thus they are the areas which give me the most trouble. You see, my rods run from the bottom of my neck to the base of my spine. I don't get a lot of flexibility in the back, and although I like yoga and pilates, they are quite difficult for me because there are poses I simply can not do. I find it difficult to build necessary core strength, however I have a friend who had the same surgery, and she tends to be quite active; she spends a great deal of her time exercising. I admire her for her commitment to her health. I will say, however, that you can't compare apples and oranges, and although we both have Harrington rods, we do have very different bodies, and so we have different physical abilities.
It was only in the last few years of my life that I began to have the pain in my left leg, the shooting, burning, awful pain that is associated with sciatica. I recall standing at carpool duty with the pain and just wishing away the minutes until I could stretch, because stretching seems to be the only thing that helps. Lying down doesn't take it away, sitting is no help, but certain stretches will alleviate the discomfort.
My go-to sciatica relief, because I have the pain in my left leg, is to cross my right leg in front of my left, and to bend down and touch the floor with both hands. If the pain were in my right leg, I'd cross my left in front of my right and do the same stretch. This particular movement is the most beneficial thing for me. It alleviates the pain, but I will say it does hurt while in the moment...one of those hurts so good feelings. It burns, but it relieves something, and somehow, it takes away that nerve pain for the time being.
Another thing I use sporadically is my at home tens unit. I usually use it for my back, but recently when my sciatica was acting up, I messaged my chiropractor and asked her opinion on using it while pregnant. She said that the American School of Obstetrics would probably frown on it, but that there were many studies out of Australia which said it was safe and beneficial. I googled what I could on the subject and I found many other studies that said it was safe. Of course I'd not use the tens near my tummy, but I have used it twice now on my lower back and twice on my leg to help reduce the pain. I never use it for longer than 30 minutes at a time (that's when my timer shuts off), but I think in small amounts and on a rather low setting, it is safe and it has been helping. I shared the tens information in the last post, so find the link there on which unit I use.
I had been trying to determine what was causing the pain here recently, especially since I hadn't hurt in a long while, and it dawned on me...it was teaching. Recently, I have been helping with two private schools in my area when their teachers have been unable to attend class. I don't want to full time teach anymore, but substituting at the private schools was an option for me to keep me involved in education. I have gone for two or three weeks now, as needed, and I have noticed a significant increase in my pain levels. It is incredible how just standing in front of a class can cause me so much pain. Even sitting on those hard kiddie chairs hurts me, and I'm sure you can guess what a criss-cross applesauce pose does for my back!
So this post is a reminder that there are things we do to ourselves, sometimes unknowingly, which can cause us great pain. We know we are what we eat, the saying has been around a longtime, but somehow we must also realize that we feel what we do, or however else you might word it. Take care, pay attention to your daily habits, and try to be mindful of how you treat your body. I'm 16 weeks pregnant, and I refuse to go through my third trimester completely bedridden. Yoga, stretches, and other forms of self care will be my refuge.
Another thing I use sporadically is my at home tens unit. I usually use it for my back, but recently when my sciatica was acting up, I messaged my chiropractor and asked her opinion on using it while pregnant. She said that the American School of Obstetrics would probably frown on it, but that there were many studies out of Australia which said it was safe and beneficial. I googled what I could on the subject and I found many other studies that said it was safe. Of course I'd not use the tens near my tummy, but I have used it twice now on my lower back and twice on my leg to help reduce the pain. I never use it for longer than 30 minutes at a time (that's when my timer shuts off), but I think in small amounts and on a rather low setting, it is safe and it has been helping. I shared the tens information in the last post, so find the link there on which unit I use.
I had been trying to determine what was causing the pain here recently, especially since I hadn't hurt in a long while, and it dawned on me...it was teaching. Recently, I have been helping with two private schools in my area when their teachers have been unable to attend class. I don't want to full time teach anymore, but substituting at the private schools was an option for me to keep me involved in education. I have gone for two or three weeks now, as needed, and I have noticed a significant increase in my pain levels. It is incredible how just standing in front of a class can cause me so much pain. Even sitting on those hard kiddie chairs hurts me, and I'm sure you can guess what a criss-cross applesauce pose does for my back!
So this post is a reminder that there are things we do to ourselves, sometimes unknowingly, which can cause us great pain. We know we are what we eat, the saying has been around a longtime, but somehow we must also realize that we feel what we do, or however else you might word it. Take care, pay attention to your daily habits, and try to be mindful of how you treat your body. I'm 16 weeks pregnant, and I refuse to go through my third trimester completely bedridden. Yoga, stretches, and other forms of self care will be my refuge.
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