3/1/11
I am making progress with my migraines. The frequency of the migraines has decreased, at least in connection with the neck pain. I am down to one neck pain related migraine every three months (I am averaging).
That’s great… isn’t it?
So, now that I have been working on my neck issues I am having more pain. That is good and bad at the same time. It’s bad because I am having more pain, but it’s good because I am fixing the alignment problem. Slowly, but surely, there is a light at the end of this tunnel. I am on medications, doing exercises every day and making progress.
Okay, I am not going to lie. This is frustrating and limiting. I want to run, I want to work out, I want to continue training in martial arts. The medications have terrible side effects and I get a bit cranky about taking them. Yes, the meds work, but I just don’t want to take daily medication.
Every morning I do a physical therapy/ yoga fusion routine. I am pleased that it is working and I have about two hours of no pain afterwards. My range of motion has increased. Of course, as an exercise addict, I want to be able to use exercise to fix whatever ails me.
Even though I’m impatient with myself, I can see the progress.
Showing posts with label migraines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label migraines. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Other Health Issues
I have been agonizing over this entry. At first I wasn’t going to mention any of this, but then I decided to. Since this is affecting my training, it should be mentioned in this blog… I know what you’re thinking; what is she talking about??
Well, I have an ongoing issue with migraine headaches and have been seeing doctors about them for a while. After my back injury, I started physical therapy for my migraine headaches. I wasn’t really sure what could be accomplished but, as an exercise addict, was willing to try.
At first the exercises and neck manipulations were brutal, I left every appointment with a migraine. I was miserable and ready to stop. I went for a couple of sessions and noticed that the exercises were actually helping my neck pain and spasms. This was pretty encouraging. The physical therapist and I had a discussion and decided that the manipulations were not beneficial. He recommended that I try traction.
I am not sure about you, but when he said “traction” I immediately had an image, which was better suited to a castle dungeon or dominatrix than a physical therapy office. I was hesitant, but still willing to try anything to get rid of pain.
The first traction experience was a little strange, but amazing. I was pain-free for two hours afterwards. The absence of pain was so intense that I felt euphoric. I continued with the traction until the end of my sessions.
The neurologist decided that I should get x-rays of my neck, since I responded so well to the physical therapy and traction. He suspected that I was having a problem with degenerative disk disease. It turned out that he was partially right. The films showed that I had spondylosis, degenerative disk disease and a reverse curve in my neck. What all of this meant is that I had pain in my neck that was causing migraines, not the other way around. So, more physical therapy and traction was the answer.
I am almost at the end of my physical therapy and I do feel a lot better. I am not sure if I will be able to continue running. I might have to replace it with cycling or swimming. I still plan on continuing with the project.
I look back at the pain that I have had for many years in my neck and have always assumed that it was just normal. Now, I have more days without pain, it is magical. The exercises are really helping and the traction is great. The whole treatment has dramatically decreased the number of migraines that I am getting. I am working on having a traction device in my home. I am very excited.
I have not been in training for a couple of months and I am looking forward to beginning again. This kind of stuff comes with age, but it doesn’t have to stop you.
It isn’t going to stop me.
Well, I have an ongoing issue with migraine headaches and have been seeing doctors about them for a while. After my back injury, I started physical therapy for my migraine headaches. I wasn’t really sure what could be accomplished but, as an exercise addict, was willing to try.
At first the exercises and neck manipulations were brutal, I left every appointment with a migraine. I was miserable and ready to stop. I went for a couple of sessions and noticed that the exercises were actually helping my neck pain and spasms. This was pretty encouraging. The physical therapist and I had a discussion and decided that the manipulations were not beneficial. He recommended that I try traction.
I am not sure about you, but when he said “traction” I immediately had an image, which was better suited to a castle dungeon or dominatrix than a physical therapy office. I was hesitant, but still willing to try anything to get rid of pain.
The first traction experience was a little strange, but amazing. I was pain-free for two hours afterwards. The absence of pain was so intense that I felt euphoric. I continued with the traction until the end of my sessions.
The neurologist decided that I should get x-rays of my neck, since I responded so well to the physical therapy and traction. He suspected that I was having a problem with degenerative disk disease. It turned out that he was partially right. The films showed that I had spondylosis, degenerative disk disease and a reverse curve in my neck. What all of this meant is that I had pain in my neck that was causing migraines, not the other way around. So, more physical therapy and traction was the answer.
I am almost at the end of my physical therapy and I do feel a lot better. I am not sure if I will be able to continue running. I might have to replace it with cycling or swimming. I still plan on continuing with the project.
I look back at the pain that I have had for many years in my neck and have always assumed that it was just normal. Now, I have more days without pain, it is magical. The exercises are really helping and the traction is great. The whole treatment has dramatically decreased the number of migraines that I am getting. I am working on having a traction device in my home. I am very excited.
I have not been in training for a couple of months and I am looking forward to beginning again. This kind of stuff comes with age, but it doesn’t have to stop you.
It isn’t going to stop me.
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