REHAB ROUND UP

Last week  I took the plunge and sought a different form of help for my lower back problems. Although I have a great chiro who practices very effective pain management treatments, I found that he wasnt able to address the underlying cause of my pain. I've been talking with Liz a fair bit lately and she had some pretty good advice about who to seek out for help. I'm now seeing a physio and working my way slowly thru some rehab work.

Over the last week I've been focussing on strengthening my core muscles in particular my pelvic floor (which isnt too bad) and my TA (transverse abdominus) which has lots of room for improvement. The exercises I've been given force me to take a quiet break and connect with my breathing in order to totally relax. I even take a break at lunch time, close my office door, lie down on the floor and do them in total peace. They leave me feeling calm, relaxed and ready to tackle the afternoon.

Running is off the agenda for now but I walk for 30 minutes daily and whilst it sort of feels like its not enough, I constantly remind myself that its better than nothing. I must be patient and allow the rehab to slowly take effect.

From today I begin self myofascial release of my ITB (outer thigh) and the muscles either side of my sacrum (lower back). The walking and core strengthening work continues. I've even gone as far as to wear a lower heel despite being a high heel devotee all my life. I love that my physio has said that high heels are ok if I can take them off when in the office and walk in bare feet for some of the time. Oh and no more sitting with legs crossed and wrapped around each other. Its all about posture and making it is as good as possible to give the muscles a chance to relax and realign.

I'm feeling positive about my treatment and am committed to doing my rehab exercises as I want the best possible recovery. Its a bit of a wake up call that says "hey you're not 20 something anymore and whilst your body can still do a lot and look good, its gonna take a bit of extra care and work to maintain."

So rock on and lets make it happen :-)