Tai Chi

7/14/11

So, I have been focusing on getting my neck better. I feel good, I feel bad, I feel good, I am incapacitated, back and forth. I have been referred to a pain management specialist and have been seeing a chiropractor. One of these things have to work.

I have gotten many emails from various friends on the Facebook site recommending me to train in Tai Chi to help in my rehabilitation. Many of these instructors have told me that the exercises will help with pain, balance and general health. These emails started when I first had my back injury.

Now that I have more information and experience with my neck problems, I feel that I can begin training again. So, which one to start with? How about Tai Chi?

I contacted a couple of instructors and had no luck at all! I thought that if I trained with an instructor, they could help me to also learn Tai Chi as a martial art and a rehabilitative exercise. After a couple of rejections from instructors, I was stuck. What do I do now?

I was discussing my dilemma with my father. He has started taking yoga classes at the local recreation center and was disappointed with the instructor. He decided to just get a video and do his yoga at home. He recommended the same for me. At first, I was completely against the idea. I started thinking about it more, and looked into Tai Chi videos. I found that there was a lot of instructional material.

So, now I’ve decided to go that route. I am sure that many people would feel more comfortable doing any of this in their own home. So, why not see what is out there and see if it is any good? I am hoping to get feedback from the various Tai Chi masters on Facebook.

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.

Sometimes It Hurts To Fight

It started with a routine move. I have done this move many times when I was a child and was very good at it. I attempted to do it again and it went terribly wrong. This move could have been any form of activity; running, climbing, swimming, walking, etc. In this case it was a break-fall type roll in Aikido. I have done it many times, successfully, when I took Judo.

Martial arts injuries are as common as running or tennis injuries. Staying active runs a risk of injury. So, why do it? Many people engage in activities, including martial arts, to stay fit. Other reasons for engaging in activity include self-esteem, fun, competition and social aspects. Martial arts offer the extra benefit of self-defense.

I am a runner and I train in martial arts. I go to the gym regularly and also work out in my house. Why do I do it? I love to move. My body feels limber and I sleep great when I work out regularly. Swimming, lifting weights, walking, stretching, moving makes me feel good. I have sustained many minor injuries over the years and I still keep moving.

When I performed the roll in my class, it hurt. I rubbed my back and got up and finished the class. That night I was sore, so I iced my back and took some anti-inflammatory medication. I rested for a couple of days and then felt better.

A couple of weeks later I performed the same maneuver. I hurt the same place on my back. The difference between the first injury and the re-injury was the pain. After the re-injury, I felt a significant amount of pain. I could barely drive back home.

I saw the doctor, spent the next two weeks on muscle relaxers and then went back to the doctor. The doctor changed my muscle relaxers and gave me a referral for physical therapy. The weeks spent on muscle relaxing medications were frustrating for me. I was too tired from the meds to write or focus on anything. I slept and lived on the couch for most of my days. If I wasn’t too tired, I watched T.V. Generally, I hate watching T.V. so this activity left me irritated.

I was upset, frustrated and probably very irritating to those around me. My boyfriend, parents and friends supported me and made sure that I was following my treatment. Admittedly, I can be quite stubborn so, my boyfriend has put up with a lot of my crap. I am lucky to have such caring and wonderful people around me.