I’m Out of Commission

Gah, back pain is no fun. I feel 80.

Roni, find yourself a good chiropractor who can help with these issues and possibly reverse it. I used to think they were wackos but now that I see one regularly, I fully believe in their practice. Praying for you.

Oh no, not you too!!! I am so sorry that you are in pain. It’s the worst. If you need to vent, let me know. I’m in the same boat. Resting makes my body more sore too, but I am pretty limited in my exercise at this point. It can get frustrating, but I know you will handle it well :)

Oh yeah I almost forgot, you should have seen the neck brace that was my friend for many weeks!! I’ll see if I can find pix to post tomorrow. –fun

Supposed to read cervical fusion surgery. 4,5,6
Typos typing to fast for old brain :(

So sorry… hoping you feel better and can get into a groove but take care of yourself…

That stinks Roni!! Hope you feel better soon!

Just a word on the squatting thing (I’m a PT and a lifter, by the way). The bar should go in the upper, meaty part of your shoulder’s blades. C7 is the neck vertebrae that sticks out the most when you look down (wich you can’t do right now, but touch the husbund’s C7). There a good couples of inches between C7 and the meaty upper part of the shoulder’s blades. The weight at the squat should lay in the shoulder’s blades, and go DOWN from there. The neck doesn’t work AT ALL in the squat, unless you do something stupid and unnecessary like lookink up to the sky and bite hard and makes faces and contract every muscle in your face/neck (wich wont help the muscles that do the real work, way down in the hip, ya’know).

Doctors just don’t get squats. They’re bad for the knees!! WHen done properly, the knee doesn’t work that much at all ¬¬’ That doctor, the one that said no squats.. did he looked like he knows what a squat is, from experience??? (please don’t say “no, but he’s a doc, He must know”).

That being said… you’ll always find some degenerative damage in people over 30, at least at some joints.I guess your neck has a little bit more problems, tho. As a PT, you can’t go out in the street and not see posture problems and think stuff like “she breath from her mouth when she was a kid”, “Too much heels”, “short hamstrings” and the like. So yes, since has I been watching your vids (4-5 years now?) from day 1 I thought “Oops, watch the hunchback when you’re 70 y/o”. Of course that hurts your back, and neck. It happens mostly when young girls go to be a woman. Breast hurt, they feel ashame, back goes hunchback in an attempt to hide it and the pain from streching the pecs area.Or sometimes it just happens. I have a hunchback in the making too, BTW. My point is: yeah, I get that posture problem the minute I saw you on video because I have the same thing going on.

If you ask me, as a PT, what can you do? Well, first rest. For like 3-4 weeks. Wear that white collar thingy but no more than 2-3 weeks, and NEVER more than 2 hours straight. Making your neck muscles stronger will make the problem go away. Making your neck muscles even more weak by wearing the neck piece all day long will make your muscles lazy (because the thing does all the work).
Find a PT that knows best, and hopefully has some Pilates thing going on. PT person + Pilates person = neck heaven. I’m one of them. Trust me, I know. But one thing I won’t do is giving you specific advise over the net. You need a real PT, with real knowleadge, right there in front of you.

Do you have neck damage? Sure, I can tell, but not from the X ray. It’s not that bad, The posture, however.. That’s where tre truth lies. Are you in pain? YES! Is it permanent? Oh, come on. Of course not. You just need to think about the little muscles in your back and neck the same way you think about your biceps or legs. Exercises are different, and slower… but you can make this rigth trough exercise. Just find a good PT/trainer.
I’m rigth here if you need questions answered.

I’m so sorry to hear that! Take care of yourself and hope you’re on the mend quickly!

” Soft kitty, warm kitty. Little ball of fur…”

Feel better yet?

“Happy kitty, sleepy kitty. Purr, purr, purr”

Anything? ( meh. It works for Sheldon…;D )

:( Hope you feel better quickly and most of all, hope you were able to get some rest.

Oh, honey…ouch! Glad you’re taking care of yourself :)

No advise from me, I am just very sad to hear this news. At least it is something that can be treated, so keep that in mind. I hope that you start to feel better soon!

I would really seek a wellness chiropractor. I know PTs and Doctors are not going to recommend that option for care. You may want to check out draxe.com and do some searching on this website. I hope you feel better soon!

i like what reinaldo had to say. i have some of the same “damage”, roni. and every so often i get tinglies in my right hand b/c of it. but i go to my chiropractor, and it gets taken care of.

some people start to lose their cervical curve as they get older. or car accidents or trauma to the neck/head area as a child can contribute to this. (i fell off the bars right onto my head while hanging upside down in elementary school, and i’m sure a bunch of other things ; )

i understand that this curve can be restored through adjustments and exercises (my new chiro sends you home with this thing – i think it’s called – a dakota device.)

women esp. can tend to hunch forward a bit. b/c of the breasts, if they’re tall, school/reading/computer posture, etc. i try to remember to pull my shoulders and head back. really i need to get back to yoga and incorporate some stretches that helps me do this. i have horrible range of motion when i try to do things behind my back with my arms, like clasp my fingers.

i do hope you feel better soon! i think you will :) you’re young and in great shape. and btw, that’s a really cute pic of you!

Hi Roni,

So sorry to hear about your injury & pain. SUCKS!! I know it’s hard for you not to exercise, especially when you’re told “you can’t”. Makes you want to do it even more, doesn’t it!! :) I feel the same way. Sometimes it’s hard to get up off the couch, but as soon as someone tell you “you can’t”, than you want nothing more.
I’ve been having a hard time with motivation the past few weeks, but this week I was told “not to exercise” for the week because of a test i’m doing on Sunday. Now there is nothing I want to do more than go for a run!! :)
Take care,
Jeri Lyn

oh, roni, i just thought of something! this week i saw a pic of you with bean in a bjorn. i used one with my daughter too, but truthfully it yanked on my neck/upper back something fierce, esp. as she got bigger. also, i cannot speak either way, but those really into babywearing don’t recommend bjorn’s for baby. maybe a new baby carrier would help once you feel better?

Roni, I’m not a doctor, but two years ago had the most intense pain ever – seriously the worst pain I can ever remember being in (including childbirth), something just as you were describing, every move hurt I had to sleep sitting up, it brought me to tears and made me puke. It is serious. Not to mention, this c5, 6, 7 region is the most delicate part of the spine (from what I understand) I was in so much much pain I was considering surgery. I was seeing a chiropractor and he was the one that encouraged me to see a medical dr because chiropractic treatments in this area gone wrong, go horribly wrong. I’m not trying to scare you, just sharing what I was told. After an MRI it was found that I had a buldged disc in this area, which might be a little different than what you have, but I started traction physical therapy (in tears) but after my treatments and the use of this contraption from my brother, I have been pain free since. It is similar to what you have but it provides the “traction” to stretch your neck – the thing actually is so crazy looking it gives my girls a good laugh, but works miracles, I personally can feel it all along my back and provides much relief for headaches, stiff muscles etc. I rarely have chiropractic visits anymore, when I’m starting to feel off in my neck area, i just use it every night for awhile. I wouldn’t recommend using it before you are a little better and of course I’d talk to a dr or pt person, but it works! my husband tried it for the first time 2 nights ago and he said i would’ve never believed you, having not used it myself (i don’t know if he thought i was faking my relief before or what?!?!? :) )

http://www.drho.com – this is the one my brother had, i found the exact same on on amazon.com (searching by dr ho) for 1/2 the price. Good luck! I sympathize with your pain, and inability to move. Take care of yourself first so you can have a pain-free 35 more (i was 35 when mine happened too…)

PS… okay i was double checking the site and can’t get there while at work so maybe it’s not quite right, but I know it’s dr ho, so maybe just search by that. it’s purple, has 3 contected inflatable (hand pumped) “bladders” that velco around your neck – yes i know it sounds ridiculous – looks that way too, but I’m telling you, it does work.

I’m so sorry to hear about your pain……(frowny face). You’re young! You’ll heal fast! I was amazed at how long your neck it! Get well quick, sweetie!

I have serious arthritis in my lower back (much of it stemming from an auto accident in 2000), so I can empathize. The only advice I can give is keep walking! Also, maybe consider acupuncture for the really painful days. I have found (despite an almost crippling fear of needles…let me tell you!) that it really does help relieve the pain. Oh, btw I am not allowed to take any NSAIDs at all due to the worst allergy on the planet, so that was why I tackled my fear to try the acupuncture. If NSAIDs work for you, then you may not need to try it.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

:( Get well soon!

It really sucks you’re having back issues. BUT. You are the sexiest blogger I know in a neck brace. lol! Feel better!! Walking is a good way to “burn fat”. Between that and your A-ha moment, you’ll be down in no time! And then back to running and weight training!

Poor YOu?!! That is awful honey, there is nothing worse than back pain. I though my husband and I were the only ones who had these probs (Im 35 too)?
Ditto on giving up the baby carrier
those things are just too hard once they get a certain age. Backpack carrier is a better option. You just get some rest and keep walking -the most natural from of excercise- even the Pros have to take time off for injuries. Good luck!! :) PS Heating Pad is my best friend at least once a month haha

Sorry you’re in pain Roni. I totally agree with the massage therapy suggestion. When I pinched the nerves in my neck (C6, I believe), a combination of chiropractic and massage therapy (positional release), saved my life. And the only time I wasn’t in severe pain and in tears was when I worked out. So Leslie Sansone and I became very good friends during that time, up to 4 sessions a day. Feel better girl!

I’m sorry you’re in pain, I know it’s got to be so hard when you have children that want your attention. I’ll be praying for quick healing for you and peace in the meantime! xo

Just wanted to wish you a speedy recovery Roni. Be patient with your body as it heals and be kind to yourself!!!! I have been derailed by serious illness for many years and I know what a marvel the human body is but I understand how frustrating it is to wait for it to recover as well.

Sending positive thoughts your way ♥

Roni – I’m praying for a quick healing process. I can’t imagine with all you have going on…something to throw a bump in the road. Hang in there!

Sorry to hear you’re injured :( The doctors news does sound scary. Hope you heal quickly. Is there a way to help? Calcium vitamins? In the meantime, enjoy those long walks… I bet they’ll put you in a great mood every time. PS, I loved your food journal the other day. It always inspires me to get back on track (and I’ve been WAY the heck off track lately and feel gross).

Argh, I go away for a week and miss all the important stuff! So what exactly is the recovery? How long do you have to wear the brace? :(

I left u a really long reply last night but i don’t see it now….so weird….ill have to write it again later.

Love ur blog and have been following for years.

REINALDO- this doc tells me to muscular therapy ( massage) chiropractor and the shots and then stretching.
The problem will not ever be completely fixed but it avoids surgery at my age and has done wonders for me as far as being able to be active again and not be in pain.