Tag Archives: Strength

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Thankful for Healing

On this Thanksgiving Day, I’m thankful for the healing in my body this year.  The year isn’t over, nor is the healing, but it’s still something to be thankful for!

I’m at a touch over 3 months post spinal fusion.  My spine is held together by 6 screws and 3 rods, plus cages in the disk space between vertebrae L4-L5, and L5-S1.  Oh, and bone matter.  The goal is that everything will be held together by solid bone, and the titanium of course.  I will see my surgeon again next week, and expect a good report from him.

I’ve been in physical therapy for 6 weeks now.  Danielle is finally back, and she has been working me hard!  We have a couple areas of focus:  my hips and pelvis, and my upper back.  She wants increased movement and flexibility in my upper spine so I’m doing a lot of stretching and rotation work in my shoulders and upper rib cage, rotating from the bottom of my rib cage to look over my shoulders, and reach across my chest.   My hips and glutes are working as well to give me stability in my pelvis to support my sacrum and low back.  During my PT sessions, Danielle has me working on the Pilates reformer – doing a lot of squats in various positions to work specific muscles both in my hips and glutes, but also in my lower abs.  We are working on the flexibility of my low back (those muscles got VERY tight after surgery) while keeping my spine itself in a neutral position, but also stretching my hamstrings and hips.  Everything has been very tight because of years of chronic pain and moving in “defensive and protective” mode.  So I’m doing lots of stretches each day, as well as muscle building activities.  Danielle has also been working on helping the nerves to heal by loosening their paths as well as stretching them.  I have a series of “neural flossing” stretches and movements that are working like a charm.  Nerves heal so slowly, but I am noticing changes in my symptoms, so I know what I’m doing is helping!  Also, Danielle has been great about helping me modify and get comfortable in different yoga poses to help me get back into regular routines.  Best of all, she’s given me confidence to start really pushing my healing forward.

I’ve kind of turned the corner from being in a very protective healing mode and being extremely careful, almost fearful, about doing something to put my surgery in jeopardy – to pushing hard and moving much more.  My stamina is increasing, both muscular and cardio.  I can walk comfortably for a lot longer – it’s not just one slow gentle walk to the driveway, but 3 trips back and forth at a quick pace.  I’m noticing more muscle strength in the muscle groups we’ve been working on, but still need to focus on really engaging the RIGHT muscles to do the exercises, not what my body has been compensating with for years.  I laughed when Danielle said I have some really bossy muscles that need to take a back seat to the ones who are supposed to be working.  I won’t see her next week, but I will continue with my home exercises and yoga practices for hip and sacrum stability.  I have scheduled once a week check ins with her through the end of the year.  I’m doing much better – but I’m not “back to normal” yet, so therapy with guided exercises will help me get there.  Re-training muscles is hard work, in case you were wondering!

I’ve got a lot to be thankful for this year, but I really am thankful for the body God gave me and how resilient it is.  I pray you each have blessings abounding that you are also giving thanks for.

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Thinking about the future

Have been doing my physical therapy each morning like a good little patient.  Making sure I spend time walking throughout the day, do some gentle yoga a few times a week on my non PT days.  The more I move, the better I feel.  Standing around, sitting around only makes me stiff and uncomfortable.

My PT Danielle has still been out sick after her trip, so I have been bounced around to whomever is available in the meantime.  I’ve seen some assistants, some PTs, and then last week none of the openings would work with my schedule, so I did my exercises on my own, and scheduled a deep tissue massage.

Now this is no foo-foo spa type massage, although I enjoy those too – but a deep tissue massage to really get the muscles, and more importantly the nerves to release.  I was a mess, holding lots of tension deep in my muscles from months and months of pre-op sciatica spasms, and then the whole post-surgical lock down of all the muscles trying to protect my back.  Chronic pain will do that, you just tighten everything up without thinking….but at some point it needs to release.  Jerry spent a good hour and some change starting with my feet and working up to my shoulders and upper back.  I had knots deep in my calves, thighs, hips, butt, and beneath my shoulder blades.  He was able to get most of them worked out, but it left me with some pretty tender spots for a few days as they healed.  I’m feeling better now, but anxious to get back to m PT appointments with Danielle.  Hopefully no more last minute cancellations for her.

I’m anxious to work more on flexibility and strength building – I know I need the core strengthening and stability, but I’d like to work on rebuilding strength and flexibility, and find some things I can integrate into my preferred yoga and walking and spin bike work – rather than just the clinical do this many reps of this particular exercise.  I know I need both, but I’d sure like to feel like I’m adapting to real life again.

I’ve also been preparing to get back to soap making.  I need to order a few oils and supplies, which I will do this week, and then hopefully next week I can make a batch or two of soap.  I made the decision not to do any craft shows this fall, which feels a little strange honestly, but I knew I needed time to heal completely.  My intent was that I could then take the time this fall and winter to stock back up on soap, and be ready for spring without all the normal chaos of trying to squeeze it in.  I have a couple orders for Courageous MRKH soaps that I need to fill, an order of foot cream I need to make, and then just start working on restocking and getting caught up on production for spring.

I feel like I’m making good progress, able to think less about the specifics of recovery – and more about what my future looks like with a fused spine.  How to regain my strength and flexibility, and get back to “normal” life again.  I’m a week shy of 3 months post op, so about 12 weeks post op now.  You know you are far enough down the road to recovery when you think of how many months instead of weeks!  I’m feeling good.  Still have some tired and sore days, still have some days where the nerves are pissed off and I’m uncomfortable.  But they just serve to remind me to be kind to myself, use my ice, rest when I need to, stretch when I need to, and MOVE when I need to – and to rest.

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Physical Therapy – the next step in healing

I had my first physical therapy appointment this week.  I got a phone call the day before my appointment that Danielle would not be available due to an illness – but they could move me to the afternoon to meet with Brenda.  I asked if my follow ups would stay as scheduled with Danielle, and was assured that they would.  Knowing this, I accepted the change and planned to meet with her the next day.

She assessed my movement and range of motion, checked my reflexes and strength, and asked about what I have been doing so far and how I am feeling at this point.  While I have been doing quite a bit of stretching, she wants me to focus more on some micro movements.  Building stability and supporting the fusion as it heals.  I was given a sheet of stretches and exercises that take about 20 minutes to do each day.

I start laying on the edge of my bed and letting the outer leg dangle down – stretching the front quadriceps and hip flexor.  Hold for 30 seconds, bring it up and rest, then repeat.  Then switch sides.  Next, on my back knees bent, feet flat – lift and tighten my pelvic floor, belly button to spine, keeping my knees together, slowly rock knees side to side – holding stability and gently stretching hips – but not rotating the spine and it’s a steady motion – for a count of 20.  Next comes a hamstring stretch with a strap – knee bent slightly, foot flexed, pushing up through the heal, and keeping the pelvic floor and belly button engaged – 30 seconds, switch sides, twice each side.  Next is knees bent, feet flat, pillow between the knees.  Inhale and on the exhale, squeeze the pillow, lift the pelvic floor, and belly button to spine.  10 repetitions keeping steady with my breath.  Keeping with this same them, of lifting pelvic floor, belly button to spine, I then do slow and deliberate marching – micro movements of lifting my heel no more than 2 inches – focus on engaging those muscles in my pelvis and lower transverse abdominals.  Count of 20, and then we continue on the marching theme with lifting foot, straighten leg, lower and lift (small micro movements of less than 6 inches total) and back to knee bent, foot on the floor, then the other side. Up, straight, lower, lift, bend, down…count of 20 total.  When I’m done with all those, I roll to my side, feet stacked, knees stacked, hips stacked…and it’s clamshells – 20 working up to 30 each side.

When I’m done with the series of exercises, then I stand up between the bed and the wall and bend at the hips…hands on the wall to stretch the long muscles in my back – it’s kind of a modified downward facing dog – to stretch the long muscles in my mid and upper back.  I hold it for 30 seconds, and then switch to bring my hips forward and a slight backbend, allowing my hip flexors to stretch for about 20 seconds, then another set of stretch for 30, and flex back for 20.

So far this is feeling good, without too much difficulty.  I had to set my mind to just doing it first thing in the morning.  So I get up, let the dog out, start the coffee, and then into the spare room to lay on the bed in there and do the stretching and exercises.  Then let the dogs in, feed them, and off to the shower to start my day.  My intention is to then be able to continue to walk throughout the day and especially at lunch, and at least 3 days a week, spend 20-30 minutes doing a gentle yoga routine.

For the next 6 weeks I’ll be seeing Danielle for more physical therapy appointments on Tuesdays and Thursdays – so we’ll see how the routine changes, but it is my hope that getting up and doing the physical therapy first thing will be a routine I can keep long term – and that hopefully Danielle will help me to incorporate more yoga into the therapy routine.  I also wouldn’t mind using the morning to do a little ride on the exercise bike too – before I’m really awake and full of excuses as to why it won’t fit in today’s schedule.  I’m working to establish healthy habits and I know it will take a bit of time to establish the habit – but that’s where a little help from God will be useful!

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