35

As of today, and until next year, I will be 35 years old.

The value of regular consistent work

We ride everyday. And every time we ride we get just the tiniest better - that is why we have to train all the time to get "that" much better. It is a simple principle: a lot of a little bit will give you a lot in the end. It works for calories in a diet, it works for money in the quarter jar. Why then, can't I get it through my thick skull that every PT session counts ? Twice a day I have to do this. It is just SO hard to do it! I am late for work : I am tired from work. The baby is asleep : the baby is awake. My computer beckons me ; humm... my computer beckons me. All these small, mundane daily task often get in the way of my boring PT exercises.

I must say that despite my science background, I find myself poopooing my PT sessions. Yeah, missing one won't reeally make a difference. But it is obvious that it works - not only because my back hurts less when I am consistent - but also there are biological studies that show it works.

OK back to the floor.

history of low back pain

I found this interesting article by Rajeev K Patel, MD,University of Rochester - Strong Memorial Health System and Curtis W Slipman, MD, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center

Here I am only putting the introduction, which I found interesting...

Descriptions of treatment for low back pain (LBP) date to Hippocrates (460-370 BCE), who reported joint manipulation and use of traction. Onset of LBP often is associated with bipedal ambulation. Theories propose that this transformation in the mechanics of locomotion is the inciting evolutionary event that made the lumbar spine susceptible to degenerative disease. Degeneration is universal to structures that comprise the functional spinal unit, composed of 2 adjacent vertebral bodies and the intervertebral disk. The disk and 2 zygapophyseal joints at the same level function as a trijoint complex.
As humans age, they endure both macrotraumas and microtraumas and undergo changes in body habitus that alter and redistribute biomechanical forces unevenly on the lumbar spine. Natural progression of degeneration of the lumbar segment with motion proceeds with characteristic anatomic, biomechanical, radiologic, and clinical findings in lumbar degenerative disk disease (LDDD).

I suppose it is comforting to know that this may be an intrisic problem of being human! I am sure that years of sitting trot did not help me. One would think that a quadruped (like my horse) would have more opportunities for back pain since gravity would tend to bring a "sag" in the middle... no?

Counting beans

I now look at things in terms of Steph-Riding-Hours. Dinner in this restaurant costs 2 SRH, my truck takes 2 1/2 SRH to fill up, if only I had 15 minutes of SRH in my pocket I could have that mochachino at starbucks…

pride

So pride is a bad thing in some belief systems. Fortunately for me, I am pretty free of those mental hang ups. So, I am proud. I should say I was proud – proud to have taken my skinny thoroughbred from the racetrack as a bebe and made a partnership that can do a quite decent 1st level dressage and not choke in 3’6 -3’9 courses.
So it is really hard to ask for help and have someone else ride him.
It is hard because in the past I was the one who would ride other people’s horses, I was the one who trained during the week, so other people’s kids could compete on the weekends. At the time, I intimately thought less of those people, like they were not really passionate about the sport.
Now here I am, feeling all posh and paying for someone to ride my horse. Time to reevaluate my judgmental days of yesteryears… Proud and maybe wrong.
In reality, boy am I lucky to have help. Can you imagine if I were not riding with someone I trusted? Now I share my chestnut with Steph until I get better. She teaches him new moves in the indoor twice a week, while I do my little PT on the living room floor twice a day. And I must say once I recovered from the initial awkwardness (somehow in my head having someone ride my horse is like having someone wear one of my old pairs of underwear… they quickly find out where the embarrassing holes are…), it has actually become quite fun to share training strategies with someone.

Do you share your training? who else rides your horse?

intro to physical therapy

My first session of physical therapy! I was late, my 1 1/2year old son had to go with me, I forgot to change from my gardening slippers and I was hungry. All and all a good start - especially because I was having a really bad back day (I considered calling the doc for another set of steroids).

The rehab center I am going to is very exciting. It looks like a gym, with all kinds of mirrors, sports machines and people in shorts with little towels, sweating, pushing and pulling things while being observed by other people (not in shorts) taking notes. My son immediately spotted a box full of very large brightly colored balls.

My son and I went into a small, bright room with wide vertical blinds (it was drizzling outside). We hang out on the special blue vinyl covered PT bed ( you know, the ones with the hole for the nose so you can face down) while my son carefully shredded the paper that covered the pillow. We waited for Laura.

And there she was ! What a happy cheerful person….Laura, who was very very pregnant, examined me thoroughly. I walked on my tippi toes, on my heels, then she moved my legs in all kinds on directions. Satisfied with what she learned, Laura decided to create a training program. Twice a day I will have to do these exercises (more details later). They are all easy really, more importantly can I do it consistently…

To finish up I was hooked to the fabulous machine. On my back, a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator was attached to relieve stiffness, improve mobility, and relieve pain. I am very intrigued about the mechanism which it uses but more so about how good it felt (so probably more about this later too). Ding ding ding, 15 minutes were up, the alarm rang, someone new came into the room to detach me and my little darling toddler darted off in to the gym.

Anyone doing PT for anything? Do you know this machine? Do you keep up to date on your schedule?

Personal introduction

I have ridden all my life. I don't remember ever not being near a horse. My family has owned horses for generations - my mom was a very successful show jumper. I have jumped and done dressage for a long time.
Recently I had a baby. I have a job that keeps me mildy comfortable and a superb husband. I have an awesome horse and we are ready for big time.

But now I have been diagnosed with degenerative disc disease. In retrospect I could have seen this coming, years of sitting trot and pains ingnored here and there. My back is sore, my left leg tingles, my right knee throbs starting a few hours after a ride. So I don't (for now). It is not going to get better, I can only slow the degeneration. So I am on a mission - to be healthy as long as possible and search to be the best rider I can be. I want my craft to be refined... but tic toc tic toc.

After MRIs and Xrays my physician today suggested the conservative approach as long as possible so to avoid surgery. He understands... he is a jumper himself. I am not to be on a horse for the next 2 weeks and we are doing steroids and physical therapy for the next 6 weeks and then reevaluating the situation. Let's see how this goes...

I am determined to learn as much as I can about my injury and I want to find you, out there, who have the same kind of problems. How do you deal with being hurt ?