Illustration of the Pain Pathway by Rene Descartes 1664
I woke up this morning wracked with pain, anticipating another day of spasms up and down my neck, back and legs. The illustration is identical to what I just described to a specialist the other day.
I’ve not been writing much, mostly because it’s painful to sit long enough at the computer to finish an original thought, or edit those thoughts.
This has been going on for around one month, since I set out to improve my posture through neck and back exercises and yoga. (For days after the gentlest yoga, I am miserable and forced to take Aleve).
I’ve been prone to back spasms since one day in the 80’s when I went out to jog in Madiun, Indonesia and returned incapacitated with pain. Long story.
However, this attempt to improve my posture, and thus prevent Migraine headaches, is just weird. It is especially bad on grey, cloudy days like today.
Are the severe back spasms and pain now, a result of last winters’ living dangerously slouched on the couch in Delaware pounding away on my laptop as I developed my blog? A sports medicine expert who got me going on this posture pursuit suggests so. He also suggests my habit reading in bed is a culprit.
So, will I survive my posture training? This morning, as I returned to bed, after a walk around the yard, having bent over to pick a few weeds, I doubted it. As my back tightened I cried to God, “What is going on?” Help me!
Huddled there under my serape (I’m in Colorado!) I couldn’t think what to do, besides cry. As the pain subsided, I thought, of pain meds, hot shower…more back exercises. And so here I am, an hour later, back again at my laptop…sitting properly.
Like most habits, or addictions…I miss sitting slouched on the couch, in front of “Morning Joe“, drinking strong coffee typing furiously on my laptop in response to what I’m hearing. I miss writing in general.
Hopefully, my years of bad posture will eventually be transformed into new muscle patterns and I will avoid a “dowagers’ hump” and maybe some Migraine activity. I sure hope it’s worth the pain of retraining these bad boys.
Related articles
- Why Your Mom Was Right About Slouching (huffingtonpost.com)
- Posture Reveals All (studiowithoutwalls.org)
Filed under: Bearing Burdens, Challenges, Change, Confusion, Healing, Learning, Writing |
I am so sorry, Mary, and do hope you find a solution and cure to all this pain!
Try looking into prolotherapy to see if you think it could apply. Questions can be addressed to MillerP@CARINGMEDICAL.COM
God bless your efforts with relief.
Love,
Barbara
Thanks, Barbara. Nice to hear from you. Are you my long time friend, Barbara from Ithaca?
I’m sorry about the pain — there are other slow exercises besides yoga; wondering if one of them might suit you better — tai chi is one, pilates another. I hope things improve!
Hmmm…I might look into Tai Chi, i tried water pilates and it was also painful… another friend suggested Fibromyalgia…..thanks.
Do you think it could be fibromyalgia? I remember reading an article the other day about it. There was something about frequent misdiagnosis, with widespread pains and also depression as symptoms. I do hope you can find someone there in Colorado who can help!
A somber side-note: Becky Greer’s sister, Renda, (three years our junior) just died of a heart attack.
So sad to hear about Renda. Just when I am going on about how yuk I feel…well certainly I’m thankful for life! I was told by a Rheumatologist that I don’t have Fibro only that my nerves send more pain signals to my brain than most people! It sounded exactly like Fibro to me. I was taking Cymbalta for a long time and it helped, but I just went off it (and the spasms and pain got very bad). Soooo…good thoughts. See you in Sept.