need moral support.....

NinjaMom

NinjaMom

Cathlete
Hi everyone!
I posted over 2 months ago about having a pinched nerve in my neck. It happened right after doing S&H and going really heavy on bench press which may have caused a strain on my neck. My doctor put me on steroids and I was able to move my neck after a few days however I started getting a tingling sensation down my arm and into my fingers. I thought I would give it a few weeks to see it would go away on its own but then I took a bad fall at karate and jarred my back too. I went back to the doctor who sent me to physical therapy. My upper back muscles were so tight and would go into spasms. I had a few vertebrae out of place in my mid & lower back which probably happened when I fell but I also have a protouded disc (C3)? in my neck. I am doing neck exercises that are supposed to get the disc to go back in place and stop putting pressure on the nerve causing the tingling. It has now been two months since I was able to work out and I am getting really discouraged. I cannot do any exercise that strains the neck in any way. That means no weight lifting, running, impact cardio etc. I had worked so hard to get to my fitness level and now I feel I'm losing my strength and endurance plus gaining weight ;( . The therapist says a neck inury can take a long time to heal even though I have improved my ROM and have less pain & tingling. I am feeling so sad & frustrated and just all over crummy because I can't work out. Just wondering if anyone here has experienced something like this and how long were you laid up? My DH & kids have been great but I knew there were friends here who would understand my intense need to exercise in order to feel good & energized. Anyway thanks for letting me vent and whine. I feel a little better already;-) .

JJ
 
{{{{{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
Yes I have and more than once. In '99 I was at my own personal best, which I had attained 3 years earlier, maintaining it until the day of the solar eclipse in August that year. On that day I got into the lift on the 11th floor, the lights went out and the whole lift started shaking. I wasn't afraid of lifts but I was on my own so there was no one to turn to and say "Blimey! What's wrong with the lift?" to. I was in the lift for about 15 minutes, all the while it was shaking violently and rushing up and down between floors (the electronic voice announced each floor to me although there was no mistaking that I was moving) and the security guards had to cut power to the system to get it to stop. I injured my knee climbing the ladder they managed to get in to the box, said I was "Okay, thanks", left the building and collapsed in the park across the road. I hurt my knee pretty badly so couldn't do any cardio or lower body exercises and had to use crutches to get around. As you can imagine, I was not happy!

On the day I gave my crutches back to the physiotherapist at the hospital (we're talking minutes after) a car smashed into the back of the car I was in :( I had my body turned to talk to my Mum who was driving and while we were both badly injured, my injuries were aggravated because I was twisting round at the time of the accident. I was in a very bad way and couldn't even walk after the second accident and if it wasn't for chiropractic, I'm not sure I would be able to workout or walk properly, 4 years later. I've never been a dieter (it just doesn't work for me) and have always been someone who used exercise as a stress release and for weight control (I love it and would love it even if it didn't do anything for stress or weightloss :) ) and gained a lot of weight. I wasn't able to work for months so I suffered financially too. It wasn't an easy road but I'm a stubborn soul so as soon as I was able to start exercising, I did as much as I could and tried to concentrate on how much I'd been able to do instead of dwelling on how much I used to be able to do.

Last year, I finally started to get myself together again and was back to exercising regularly and then... I broke my foot!! It was a really bad break that took months to heal (I'd also damaged the ligaments) and because I couldn't walk properly (British Doctor don't do much for broken feet and toes for some reason) I re-sprained my back! Then.... just as my foot (but not my back) getting back to normal, I broke my toe - on the same foot!

My foot is still grumpy and my back isn't healed yet (the car accident in '99 really messed things up) and despite the setbacks I can do a whole Cathe workout and though the road has been slow and painful, I have learned so much about caring for my body and which muscles (apparent and hidden) I need to work to stay healthy and reach my goals. I'm not there yet but I can do it, I know how to do it and I'm stubborn enough to get there. Don't push yourself, don't beat yourself up because you can't work out: keep moving to prevent stiffness but don't go past your limits. You will get your health back and you will get your figure back. There is always a silver lining to every cloud and I hope you find yours soon :)

I can't remember where I found this quote but I refer to it whenever I start to give myself a hard time:

"Why is it so hard to treat yourself with the respect, that you would give anybody else? Why can't you be on your own side? Get off your back a little while... "

ATB,
- Lisa :)
 
Big {{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}} back to you Lisa!

WOW...you have been through so much I feel kinda wimpy complaining about my neck. I am finally learning to listen to my body too rather than struggling through the pain just to get a workout in. Thanks for the kind words and advice. I hope your foot and back get better soon and that you stay safe and far away from any other bad mishaps.

JJ

p.s. I loved the quote....how true for many of us.
 
Lisa - a warm heart-felt hug for you! You certainly have endured some changes. My daughter Jocelyn also suffers from nerve damage and tingling from a car accident several years ago. That accident also produced TMJ - clicking (lack of a better word) of her jaw and grinding her teeth while she slept, along with lower lumbar pain. Since then she has had a child - now 4 and gained a lot of weight. Presently she saw another doctor, goes to physical therapy 2-3 times a week and is slowly returning to her workouts. She's doing mat pilates and yoga and she tells me how well she's beginning to feel.
I had a thread a while back that talked about my back problems - they're all 100% better and I'm back to my workouts as well. Please keep in mind that time will heal your body and believe me I know exactly how you feel. There are a number of people on this forum that at one time or another have had a set back with their backs, necks, etc. and I received the best moral support and advice that is priceless!!! I suggest you seek other medical advice, MRI's other type of physical therapy - anything and everything to help you back to feeling better.

You have my support sweetie - hang in there!

Take care,

Iris
:D
 
You really have my sympathy. I would like to suggest that you take up walking. You would be suprised at how good a work out you can get. If you bend your elbows and hold in your abs, you can get a pretty good pace going. It really can be enjoyable. The only thing to get in your way is the weather! I recommend a walkman. You can plug in to your favorite peppy tunes (rock & roll works great) and lose yourself in the rhythm of the walking & music. -joy
 
I, too, think walking is a fantastic way to make yourself feel better. Heck, even a stroll does wonders. I try to take a short walk (a mile or two) every day... just because it's nice to get out. It saved me when I hurt my hip flexor. I would just stroll very slowly for about 15 minutes... it made me feel better, mentally and physically.

It is very hard for me also to not exercise for long periods of time, and this year, I've had a ton more off-time than on-time. (Two hip flexor injuries and a loooong vacation - I don't expect anyone to pity me for that one... hahaha) It's been somewhat annoying, but the challenge of getting back into shape really is fun, and faster than you think. Take care, and you'll be alright before you know it. Until then, you can do what I do.. I stock up on new exercise vids and health magazines and dream until I am able to get back into it... :)

Sara :)
 
JJ and Lisa!

Wow, my heart goes out to both of you. You've received great advice here. I just wanted to let you know I am thinking of you both and I know thru your determination, you WILL get there! I thought I was devastated with JUST a broken toe last year! You have been thru sooo much more. Hang in there and come here any time you need any encouragement or a need to vent. We will always be here for you! Keep us posted on your progress.

Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/wavey.gif If You Get The Choice To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!!
 
Thank You!!!

Thanks to all who posted. This is the best place to go when I need a boost....everyone is so nice and I have gotten some great advice. I have actually been walking and finding it can be intense if you use your arms and walk hills. Best thing is it doesn't bother my neck:) I'll quit feeling sorry for myself now and will look forward getting back my endurance once I'm healed.

You guys are the best!!!

JJ
 
I'm sending good healing vibes your way. I can empathize a little with you. I don't know what I did, but my neck is so soar - like I strained the muscles. So here I am at work with a heating pad on my neck feeling like an old lady. And my neck really hurts!! Ouch. Maybe you could work a lite leg lifts. I wonder if lying on your back would ease any pressure on your neck so you could lift light weights? Just thinking out loud.

Beth
 
JJ, thank you too for your kind words :) I'm glad to have been of some support to you and you're very welcome to e-mail me any time you want to chat or swap notes if you want. I don't think you're wimpy to "complain" about your neck! A neck injury is very debilitating! My neck was bad after the car accident and I still have problems with it if I let my muscles get too tense for too long. It's hard not to jar your neck and it must be driving you nuts not to be able to use your neck properly! I can only imagine how painful and awkward getting to sleep must be with neck pain. I change my pillows regularly now to make sure my back is properly support end-to-end, even though my neck is usually pretty quiet, the difference in comfort is so worth it! I find I can't get on with the firm and medium firm pillows, but the soft pillows are just the ticket because the fill the gap behind my neck so nicely - like a mini neck hug :)
 
RE: JJ and Lisa!

Thank you so much to all of you :) It's easy to marginalise your own pain and just "cope" and I often forget just how much I've been through and how much I still need to fix! At the time all this happened to me, I didn't know anybody who had been through something similar and my Mum didn't want to talk about it and I didn't know that you're meant to talk about it so I coped on my own! I now realise that that was a silly thing to think and that coping doesn't heal anything so hopefully I've learned enough to put me on the right road now :)

Debbie: broken toes are awfully painful aren't they! Apart from the most severe kind of back pain, I'd take back pain over foot pain any day! There's not much you can do to avoid bothering your foot and when it was hard not to have a blanket over my left foot during the winter months <brrrrrrr>

Iris: I followed your posts about back pain with great interest. I was so happy to learn of your progress and happier still to learn that you are healed now. My Chiropractor recommended Pilates to me as soon as she thought I was ready. It's really helped but I prefer Yoga these days. Pilates is wonderful for strengthening your core but Yoga is a gift to a clenched back. I had a brief (about 7 months) brush with TMJ like symptoms. I had a clicking jaw, jaw pain that would wake me up at night as well as nighttime grindind and clenching. I didn't get it diagnosed (don't ask me why but I didn't think it was worth mentioning!) I have no idea if it was TMJ but Chiropractic sorted it out for me and I hardly ever clench or grind now. Cranio Sacral Therapy has been the best for jaw tension, which I still get when I'm tired or stressed out. I hope your daughter's therapy is at least as beneficial and I wish her the very best, and for you I wish for continued good health :)

Sara: I believe the same thing, if only my foot agreed and would let me walk for long enough! I also stockpile workout tapes and watch them wistfully during those times when I'm not able to do them :D
ATB,
- Lisa :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top