The Woes of Back Pain Part 1: my experience

Taken from googleimages

It happened to me March 9, 2011. I was on my motorcycle. I felt a twinge on the right side of my upper back, between the shoulder blades. I thought it was nothing until later that afternoon when I couldn't move! I could barely get up to go to the bathroom without experiencing excruciating pain. It only got worse from there. From test to test and pill to pill, I didn't find relief until the beginning of June! This two-part series aims to help you protect yourself. So read on.



DENIAL

At first I thought it was just a sore muscle so I stretched, continued light exercise and slept with a pillow under my knees. Just like all the advice on the internet suggests. It only made it worse. After stretching I would feel worse!

Going to the doctor was no help because they didn't tell me what I wanted to hear. I stated above that the pain started between the shoulder blades. However, it quickly moved on to my lower back where it remained. I had a right side (lateral), lower back pain for three months.

I, however, did not think it was back pain. 

When I was a student in England I got a kidney infection and had to be hospitalized. The pain I was experiencing in March, and the subsequent months, was very much like that pain. So I was convinced that I had a kidney infection. That was what was causing the back pain, in my opinion.

Medicated

It didn't help that my doctor here in Cordoba is less than content with her job. So she barely looked at me. She didn't ask me any questions and simply sent me for an x-ray of the back. I was fuming! I knew that I didn't have any spinal problems. But what could I do? 

My appointment wasn't until the next week but the pain got so bad that night that I had to be seen sooner. (Funnily, my back would hurt more at bedtime than during the day). My husband used some connections that his father had in the public health system and I was seen that week.

Long story short, nothing on the x-ray. So I was given a prescription for a painkiller (Ibuprofen--600mg) and a muscle relaxant (Myolastan--50mg). I took 1 Ibuprofen and half a Myolastan, in the morning, and 1 Iburprofen and a whole Myolastan, in the evening.

The muscle relaxant made me tripping big time! Good thing I wasn't operating any heavy machinery! It was strong stuff but it worked.

I wasn't satisfied though. I'm a person who doesn't like to take pills. Plus, this was not solving the problem, it was only treating it. Anyway, I was still convinved that I had something really serious.

Fed up!

I went back to the doctor and told her what she gave me, flat out, didn't work and that she needed to find another solution. So she asked me questions and performed some tests and told me it was back pain. 

It couldn't be a kidney infection she said. Not only did I not have any of the other symptoms (pain when you urinate, high temperature, abdominal pain), but also the pain in the back was not the same. It didn't hurt to touch, (which she proved by giving my back a good wack). My back only hurt when I moved. So that was not consistent with a kidney infection.

Whatever. I still didn't believe her but she refused to do anymore tests until I tried these other pills (Diclofenac sodium--100mg). I probably took one or two pills when the pain was just unbearable and I had no other choice. After re-reading the side effects I preferred to deal with the pain.

Lessons Learned

I have been pain free for at least a month or so now. Definitely since I began my hair journey so I'm happy! I have now accepted that what I suffered from was a form of lower back pain.

This wasn't a nagging pain. I would be in so much pain that I couldn't sleep, I couldn't move, it hurt when I breathed...it was serious. 

I think it was the result of a lot of things:

• Stress
• Not stretching properly
• Exercising more than I needed to
• Bad posture
• Sleeping on a horrible pillow
• Not drinking enough water

 

I still haven't solved the pillow problem. I plan to because I think it's incredibly important to sleep on a pillow that aligns your head with your spine. 

Stress affects the body in so many ways. Incorporating yoga into my life, and being aware that I need to relax, has helped me tremendously.

More than ever before I am aware of my body and how it feels. If I need to take it easy I do so. That's the most important lesson I've learned.

Stay tuned for Part 2 where I discuss: 

1. Common causes of back pain
2. How to treat it
3. Back exercises I've incorporated into my exercise regimen.

Hatha Yoga

Taken from googleimages

According to the book, El Yoga Contado con Sencillez, by Ramiro Calle (which I read from cover to cover), hatha yoga comes from:

• ha (positive energy)
• tha (negative energy)

These words stand for the two energy poles in the body that hatha yoga attempts to harmonize and reconcile.  

The purpose of yoga, according to the book, is to unify the "energy currents" in the body to establish a healthy physical and mental state. Through yoga you can control your body and your mind whereby producing a perfectly balanced individual. 

Sounds great right?

I go to yoga at a local community center and only pay 10€ ($14.67) a month! I go twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays. We practice both the asanas (postures) of yoga as well as breathing and relaxation techniques. (I will discuss the relaxation techinques in today's Daily Fitness Tip).

Asanas--proper technique

• When performng the asanas, and coming out of them, it's important that the movements are done slowly and deliberately.
• You should breathe through your nose and said breathing should also be slow and deliberate.
• The mind should actively concentrate on either the asana, your breathing, or your body.  
• Don't allow your mind to wander.
• Make sure you perform the asanas on an empty stomach and wear loose-fitting clothing. In addition, the floor shouldn't be too hard or too soft. Most people use a yoga mat.
• You should rest after each asana before going on to the next.

Each session should contain:

1. A few minutes of warm up, usually in the form of stretching the body.
2. Asanas
3. Breathing techniques
4. Relaxation techniques

Asanas--postures

Heres a list of all the asanas I've done so far. I'm probably leaving something out but we do something new everyday and I have to translate the names from Spanish to English!

• Awkward chair
• Bow
• Bridge
• Child's
• Cobra
• Corpse
• Downward facing dog
• Fish
• Goddess
• Half lord of the fishes
• Hands and knees balance
• Head to knee
• Hero
• Salute with eight limbs
• Legs up the wall
• Locust
• Pigeon
• Plow
• Seated forward bend
• Shoulder stand
• Supine spinal twist
• Tree
• Upward facing dog
• Sun salutation
• Moon salutation
• Grasshopper

Conscious breathing

There are five types of breathing tecniques that I've tried. They are all hard. Something simple like breathing is made a lot more complex in yoga. These breathing techniques are essential when performing the relaxation techniques as well. They are all done typically in the corpse pose unless indicated otherwise.

1. Abdominal--Breath in slowly through the nose and direct the air towards the stomach. It helps to stimulate and massage the organs in the stomach and abdomen, sedates the nervous system and lowers anxiety.
2. Intercostal--Inhale through the nose and direct the air towards the chest and your sides. Then exhale through the nose. It helps to tone the muscles in the torso and helps to prevent lung disorders.
3. Complete--Inhale slowly through the nose directing the air towards the stomach. Continue to breathe in and direct the air towards your chest and your sides, the thorax and clavicles. The inhalation should be slow and uninterrumpted. The air should start in the abdomen then reach the chest. Exhale first emptying the abdomen followed by the chest.
4. Alternate nostril--(This should be done seated with your back against the wall) Basically it consists of inhaling through one nostril by closing the opposite nostril. Close the right nostril with the right thumb and inhale through the left nostril. Immediately close the left nostril with your ring and pinky finger and exhale through the right nostril. It helps with relaxation.
5. Rhythmic--Peform a complete breath (detailed above), hold the air in as long as you can, then exhale completely. Hold with your lungs empty as long as you can. It also helps with reaching a state of relaxation.

I love yoga! I like how it loosens my body with the asanas as well as my mind with the breathing and relaxation techniques. I wish I could do yoga everyday. In fact, I can and will try harder to incorporate it into my workout regimen when I'm not in class. Two days a week isn't nearly enough. In today's Daily Fitness Tip I will go over how the relaxation techniques I use and how they help me.

Hopefully this brief introduction to yoga was helpful. Leave a comment! I will talk a lot more about yoga and my experiences with it in the future. If you're still not convinced to give it a try check this out. Yoga is useful on SO many levels.

I read the book I mentioned above before trying yoga. I'd been thinking about it for some time but wanted a bit more information on the origins of it and the different types of yoga out there. I recommend everyone do their own research.

Daily Fitness Tip: Stretching

Personal Experience

You are already aware that while training for the marathon last year I got injured in the Iliotibial Band. (The stretch I do now for that area is the second-to-last photograph in the "My Favorite Stretches" video in yesterday's Fitness Tip). This was due mainly to not streching adequately or enough. 

My training schedule consisted of short runs (2-5 miles) three days during the week, and fartlek (interval) training, with a long run on the weekend. For the long run I made sure to warm up properly and stretch but for the short runs and intervals I was lazy. All of this eventually wore down my body and as a result my knee suffered. 

Thinking back, I was extremely lucky that I didn't receive any more injuries. 
I was running, on average, 20 miles during the week. Plus whatever miles I'd run during the weekend. 

One reason I started yoga was to get back on track and to force myself out of my laziness. I get embarrassed in class when I can't do the positions (a post coming soon on my yoga classes!). It's good for me. It renews my commitment to taking care of myself. Streching has also been essential for my recovery. For at least four weeks all I was able to do was stretch. Honestly, what's the use of doing exercise if you're not at 100%?

In my workout regimen I incorporate 5 minutes of warm up on my static bike, followed by 8 minutes of stretches, and 8 minutes of stretching at the end. I admit I am not always strict with the cool down sessions but I do highly recommend them.

If this helped you leave a comment and let me know how it goes.

I hope you enjoyed your Daily Fitness Tip and will add it to your Recipe for Health

Summer Running Gear Part 2

 

Just came back from yoga actually. It's great because it helps me relax, stretch and do abs! It is a beginner class but that's my level and I don't want anything else right now that is too demanding. 

I'm also considering whether to run again tomorrow, instead of Friday, and do my long run on Saturday. I just signed up for a race today! Ok, it's really nothing special, only 2 km or 1.24 miles, which I can run in like 7 minutes. But the shirt was cute and it was only 5€ ($7) and I can use it when I do my exercises! Yay for cheap gear! It's early on Sunday morning and I'd rather not run again in the evening (especially if I try to win). We'll see. I probably won't take pictures only because it will be finished before the pic is even taken! Maybe I'll take one with my number and the shirt.

Tonight I plan to start my daily FIT TIPS. This should be fun and informative for everyone. I will post a new tip everyday related to either exercising, eating right, and general all around health. Also, be sure to take a look at the websites posted at the top right hand corner on the blog. These are websites that I frequent because they have useful exercises and/or interesting health facts.

Introduction: past and present

Training for the full marathon initially began on July 27th 2010. I looked online and found a pretty reasonable training schedule that was for 26 weeks. Perfect, as I planned to run it in February and the schedule terminated on January 23rd 2010. However, I was overzealous. I didn't listen to my body and I suffered an overuse injury right after I ran a half marathon on November 28th 2010 (photo above). I started feeling tension in the lateral part of my left knee around the first week of December but I kept ignoring it. I was sure that it was only normal soreness from running and that once I took a few days off I'd be back in shape. 

On December 12th 2010, after a 10-day hiatus from running, (and a few days after suffering from a cold), I hit the trail again. It was a long run of 18 miles. Yet, just a week ago I had pain in my knee. I had to stop at mile 16 because the pain became unbearable. I actually felt the pain at mile 12/13 but I didn't stop. I told myself that it didn't hurt enough for me to stop running, although the nagging pain was still there. The next day I woke up with a stiff, painful knee. I could barely walk to the bathroom! I was only able to sit on the toilet seat with help from my husband. Even so, I rode my static bike for 10 minutes and did a lot of stretching. At that point I figured it was time to do some research on how to heal this injury. I was still convinced that I'd be fine by February to run my marathon. 

I found that I was suffering from Iliotibial Band Syndrome. It's a lateral pain in the knee. The ligament rubs against the bone causing irritation and pain. Normally there is no swelling (which I didn't have) and the only "cure" is rest. It is an overuse injury. It typically takes 4-6 weeks to heal, meaning, I had to hault my marathon training for four weeks. Looking back, I was so sure that after that four weeks I was going to run the marathon and finish. Now I know that even when the supposed healing time is over that doesn't mean I would have been well enough to run 26 miles. 

So, on December 9th 2010, my denial now over, I stopped training. It was incredibly hard. I was down, depressed, feeling fat, and I even thought that I would never recover. To cope, I started incorporating visualization techniques into my life. Basically, you run in your mind and visualize the route, your breathing, and the feel of your feet on the pavement. It's a kind of therapy that helps athletes in recovery. 

That January 2011, I started including weight training and the static bike after the six weeks were up. I started running again on January 13th 2011, for 15 minutes. I would run three times a week for 15 minutes. If my leg felt healthy the following week, I'd increase the time by five minutes. I didn't reach 30 minutes until February 2nd 2011. I am now running 1 hour and 40 minutes, three times a week, and I feel great! I plan to start my training again the second half of June.  

This has been a learning experience. I have learned to relax, breathe, and take my time. Most of all I listen to my body now. If I need a break, I take one. If I need to stretch more, I do. I even do yoga twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays to help me de-stress and maintain my flexibility. I hope to use this blog to keep me honest. I am doing all the right things right now and I want to keep up the motivation. Maybe I can even help someone else.

As for the hair journey, that is recently new. I've been natural since my sophormore year at college (2004) but I feel newly natural. My goal is to take better care of my hair to I can maximize my own growth potential. I will include my regimen, products I use, hair styles and things that I learn from the internet. Including things I've learned on youtube or from other blogs by naturalistas that I follow. I measured my hair May 22nd and so my three month update on length will be at the end of August. I can't wait! (Look for more photos soon).

I look forward to sharing my Recipe for Health.