Honestly, we haven't a clue. Everything was going like normal, a little hip discomfort towards the end of a busy day, but that's about it. Then one night it was like my spine caught on fire. I couldn't even think because the pain blonked even that ability out. It was a year or so before I could even sit up long enough to ride into town to have it looked at. My primary care physician, who I can't stand, wouldn't even talk about it, he just focused on my sudden weight increase.Originally Posted by applejacks
After more time had passed, I insisted on seeing a chiropractor, even if I had to pay for it out of my own pocket, but he sent me to a physical therapist. Nothing improved with them. finally, after another insistance, he sent me to the chiropractor (so my insurance would cover part of it). The xray the chiropractor took showed my spine twisted in two different places, and my sacral area...it was gross, it looked like I had been in a massive car accident. I was about 35yo at the time, he said my spine looked like a 65yo's. he got my hip area so I could cook, do dishes, walk 1/4 a mile, but everytime he'd try to adjust the middle of my spine, I'd be in far more pain and unable to drive myself home.
But, by accident, after pushing myself too hard to get shopping for my daughter done, I collapsed onto the bed. I was on my side, and the gravity was pulling on my spine. It hurt so bad I couldn't even cry. But after half an hour, I had to get up...and the pain after I was up...it was gone...for a little while.
So after trial and error, I found the right way to lay down, we changed our bed to further aid my efforts, and I've come a long way, but still have further I'd like to go. I stopped seeing the chiropractor because I didn't want to risk messing with the improvements I had found. I cannot lay on my back, because within a minute I can feel my spine in that area slipping out of alignment. I have to be careful how I sit, walk, bend, etc. It's like a constant mental excercise, but it gets easier over time. I'm constantly having to scan my spine and hip areas to make sure that certain muscles are tight enough, and the rest relaxed enough.
My mom (a nurse for many...many years) thinks the damage may have been caused by things that happened to me when I was younger. My primary care physician thinks it was caused by my sudden weight gain (never mind that the weight came on AFTER my spine "caught fire"). The chiropractor thinks it was cause by gradual misalignment over the years (but can't explain the "catching fire" and suddenly unable to be without pain). I think it was probably a combo of factors, including having increased my hooping and trying out a different/new exercise program that had focused extensively on their version of spinal alignment.
All in all though, I have more respect for the power of mobility.
And more respect for those people who have had to deal with spinal problems most their lives.
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