Saturday, January 11, 2003

Back to reality

How could I be in my mid-twenties and already have back problems??

A couple of days ago, I went jogging and ended up with a pinched nerve. Needless to say, it was extremely painful. Was laid up for most of the day and when I was able to move, I couldn't put any weight at all on my right leg. The pain's been decreasing as the days go by. Now, I've regained full mobility, albeit with a stiff back.

Last year, I had a slipped disc (due to a repetitive cough, of all things), which meant the barest minimum of fieldwork data collection for that particular month. I remember feeling so bad that month, missing so much fieldwork. The previous year, I was in a really bad car accident in British Columbia, which really started it all.

I don't like physiotherapy, or at least the physiotherapy I've had here, so I'm looking at alternative treatments to strengthen my back, so that I won't run into problems when I start working in the field. Dad suggests his "swimming dragon" exercise, which is some sort of tai-chi move, I gather. I'd like to join a class but I don't know of one that isn't taught in Chinese.

Or I could sign up for yoga classes, as someone suggested.. but I must admit that I'm rather intimidated by the pint-sized, very out-spoken (the local variety, which means saying lots of things that really shouldn't be said in public and in full volume) instructor. Besides, right now, I'm concentrating on keeping my back straight, rather than contorting it. I'm not sure whether I'm ready for yoga at this stage.

Anyway, moral of the story is to be very, very kind to your back... unless if you're an invertebrate then you're a-ok.

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