THR Heal first, then exercise, then dance!

[Alitm]

Hello @An54 I drove myself to Saanich today, from Cow. Station, stood leaning against the side of the arena and watch my young horse go for an hour and then drove home again....with seemingly no adverse ramifications as yet (!)...although they may show up tomorrow...stay tuned. in recliner now brrrr! Hubby had the fire on thank goodness...I also wrap myself up in a throw as needed! More enjoyable icing in the summer months!

So with your back, does it "catch" like as in a muscles spasm, when you get up out of the chair or bending down? Do you have a good RMT? They are invaluable IMO! If you do, I would go and see what he/she has to day. Also, if it is muscular, a physio well versed in Myofacial release is excellent...or a good acupuncturist can also help with releasing the muscle knot.

Two weeks before my last surgery I was so stressed out as hubby was taking care of his Mum in Bda and I was trying to get young horse to trainers (but had to get him more relaxed in horse trailer first) and my right shoulder completely froze (part of that was lifting the trailer ramp up and down seven days in a row). My physio does the myofacial release and squeezed me in. I was slightly better immediately, but he said give it two days (and that it would be sore for those two days) and it should be sorted....and it was..pretty amazing!

Just as an aside, when I saw my RMT the other day, she reminded me of some gentle somatic movements to help me release my back on each side, and shoulders. I've been doing them this week and they have really helped. It is all about finding what helps for your body. I've been still icing my 1st op hip, but have been using the heating pad on my lower back and OA hip for now.

As @Barbaraj suggested, pilates work (particularly the core focus) is great for the back. My core strength has always made a difference between being able to do barn chores/ride well, or not. I think it would help protect your back from further injury and really support your dancing as well, once you get through this glitch. The sad thing is, what ever activity we choose to do at our age, a little cross training always helps...which doesn't mean hours at the gym, but doing something that develops overall toning and flexibility.

 

[1stSurgery]

OH so sorry @An54! Just read your back pulling saga. Nothing worse than bad back pain strain. The few times I've had this I found a massage was helpful, I was traveling once when it happened pretty severely and was referred this Russian dancer / masseur who locals swore by, he did a 2 hour hard, full body massage that helped tremendously. But then it didn't ...after awhile. I tried all the stick-on pain patches and wore them frequently also. A few seemed to help somewhat if only to distract from the pain. And I rested. The acupuncture and somatic yoga seems like a good idea and Pilates too, maybe later when the worst of the pain has subsided. I also had to find a harder mattress because the soft one at the hotel just exacerbated the ache so you might try switching beds again to see if it can make a difference. Good thing you are now very familiar with the rest protocol ...because I think that might be just what the situation calls for! Hope it's improving now and will soon be but a memory.

 

[An54]

Just catching up reading a few things here-- and reading from a much firmer mattress! So I was thinking along the same lines as you @1stSurgery . Will post an update tomorrow. Hope everyone is doing well.

 

[Barbaraj]

I think you should try anything and everything, @An54, since you definitely have experience finding ways to rest and relax your body. Here's where your slow and steady approach will pay off in spades, since you've had lots of practice at finding ways to ease body pains and whether it's massage, a firmer mattress, an exercise class or two, or just plain flopping in recliners and vegging out--all are valid suggestions and I'm sure you'll get through this latest setback surely and be back on your feet, and looking with excitement towards the dance floor! Have a good Saturday--cheers!

 

[luvsibes]

@An54 - I am facing the same challenge as you with the deep low back pain after rolling a suitcase off the stand onto the floor. The twist that must have occured as it hit the floor tweaked my back. It's been a week of celebrating my 5 month post-op and icing, heating, massaging the low back. Then, I was able to get back to my warm pool exercise class and overdid it in my quest to stretch it out! Thank goodness I have my monthly massage already scheduled and Weds. will be here soon! This is the second time I've done something that irritated the low back.

I teach 2 chair yoga classes/week and that has been helpful. I also continue to walk 10K steps each day. It does appear that my core strength and newly aligned pelvis and new hip still need some strengthening! I find too much standing, walking, sitting, bending, or lifting create a challenge. The trick continues to be finding the line that is "too much"! I'm on a heating pad now as I type!

I hope the back strain resolved soon.

 

[Alitm]

@An54 I'm sorry your back pull/strain/crunch is taking its sweet time to resolve, but it does sound that slowly it is moving in the right direction. I'm always amazed at how these injuries are so quick to happen, yet take SO long to resolve! I think I mentioned that in the last three years we've gone through three mattresses! Even now we both feel we could go to even the firmest mattress available. I couldn't tolerate the hardest one we tried as my hips were hurting me so much, and as a side sleeper the firmest mattress was painful. We purchased the second firmest. We will look again after our surgeries! I hope that your firmer mattress really helps! Thinking of you

 

[An54]

First of all @1stSurgery I hope all is going okay for you, what with the fires.

...I also think for back problems, which can be affected by core strength, that Pilates is another good option....

@Barbaraj , Yes, I need to build up that core strength for sure. Plus I need to stop and think, rather than rush in as though I am super-girl; I did a similar thing and hurt my back years ago when I moved a boulder in my Mum's garden. That put me out of commission for a while. On that occasion I saw a chiropractor, which helped.

The sad thing is, what ever activity we choose to do at our age, a little cross training always helps...which doesn't mean hours at the gym, but doing something that develops overall toning and flexibility.

@Alitm , that is so true. And I keep forgetting that I am not a 19 year old tree-planter anymore, but rather a lady of a certain age (as they said in the old days) so I have to strengthen up the old torso, and recognize my limits.

I also continue to walk 10K steps each day. It does appear that my core strength and newly aligned pelvis and new hip still need some strengthening! I find too much standing, walking, sitting, bending, or lifting create a challenge

@luvsibes , Because of the recent mishap, I'm finding bending and lifting a challenge, but once I get walking I am fine. Happily the stiffness in my lower back is beginning to resolve. There was a good lesson for me there (and anyone reading this) ; after all the recovery involved in a THR, don't mess it up with a thoughtless action unless you really have the strength to back it up. If I had been doing reps and Exercising x 4 every day until this point, would I have hurt my back picking that lady up off the floor? We'll never know.

I haven't been sidelined with this, just set back. In the meantime I have been doing regular things such as day and evening engagements--just no dancing. I focus here on this forum the dancing component of my life (not the art, illustrating, writing, sewing, etc) because that is the part of me most tied in with the hip/THR/ that we all share here.

Remembrance Day today, a very special and full day. Most years I join thousands of others at the downtown gathering for the speeches and the parade, then move on to a local Legion where the two floors of the building are packed wall-to-wall with armed forces people, veterans, RCMP in dress uniforms, firemen, members of the public, etc. One great event of the day is the appearance (at various Legions in the city as they move from place to place doing the circuit) of the Seaforth Highlanders' Pipe Band. We get a magnificent performance. There is nothing quite like standing a few feet away from bagpipes and snare drums playing FULL BORE.

I hope everyone is doing well on this Day of Remembrance.

 

[Mojo333]

@An54
Hope back is feeling better and that today will be a good day!

 

[luvsibes]

Hello @An54 - I'm glad you are recovering from the back strain after your kind and heroic helping of another. After a week, my ODIC back strain from lifting has resolved. I must stay mindful even at 5 months! I believe your cross-training and previous exercise experience does help with rehab. I believe those have been key to my successful rehab as well. It's hard to pace ourselves when we have been active and are anxious to get going again! My doc says to give it a year of caution and then I'll be able to do pretty much all I want.

 

[Barbaraj]

Good morning, @An54, hope that back is feeling better/stronger today. Usually if you seriously baby an aching body part, the discomfort eases and all's well shortly. I hope that is true for you. Glad to hear that you are considering some sort of strengthening routine in the future--it will really help, I think, as it is probably inevitable that you will twist your body without thinking in the future (we can't be hyper aware of our bodies all the time!) and if you've worked to build up some core strength I think that will definitely provide some protection for you.

 

[Layla]

Happy Tuesday to you!
How are you doing? @An54 I hope you're feeling better.
Set backs are no fun, hopefully yours is almost history.
Wishing you a good day and a peaceful rest of the week.

 

[An54]

All is well @Layla , thank you for asking. My back is on the mend. It's still stiff and slowing me down, but it's starting to feel more like a good stiffness, the kind you have the next day after a vigorous workout. Daily life continues, which included the symphony on Saturday evening, then Remembrance Day following. In the afternoon met with friends at a neighbourhood Legion to enjoy the Seaforth Highlanders pipe band FULL ON, sitting so close to them it was almost like sitting in the middle of the band.

We're doing some renovations at home, such as new kitchen & bath counters. I'm also trying to do a massive purge and disgorge some contents of this household, an uphill battle... most of us have been there or are facing it... stuff..
Happy healing all.

 

[Alitm]

@An54 so glad to read that your back is on the mend!

The pipe band experience sounded amazing
Hope your back is 100% soon and you're out dancing as soon as you are comfortable to do so

 

[Barbaraj]

Sounds like the back pain is truly easing, @An54, and that you have a lot going on in your life. We had some remodeling done in our kitchen and powder room this summer and while it's great to have it finally done, it took longer than we anticipated (don't all such projects have this problem?) and I hated living in dust and chaos for so long. Now that it's all done and quite nice, I'm pleased but I think it's like birthing children, a horrible process but a great outcome in the end so you forget the "bad stuff" and move on. Best of luck with your project!

 

[Layla]

Happy Four Month Anniversary!
I hope your back is feeling better and you've had a nice weekend.
Renovatiing is messy, but I'm sure you'll love the result.
Best wishes for a great week!
@An54

 

[An54]

Thank you @Layla , yes it was indeed four months yesterday. I forgot to 'note' it, which is a good sign; I guess it means the surgery is becoming part of my past, fading from present tense. I have no consciousness of my hips, so all is good on that score. My back is greatly improved from what I think of as that stupid clueless pointless move I made trying to haul that poor lady to her feet after she fell 20" from her bus seat to the floor; I wasn't rescuing her from a flood or anything! Forgot I wasn't Supergirl. I was wondering there for a while after the back injury if I would be permanently disabled, and oh-how-ironic that would have been after going through a big surgery on my skeleton. That has taught me caution about lifting--nothing heavy. I will refrain equally from pole vaulting, broad jumping and other such activities--until and unless I can get strong enough again for more extreme activities.

One big(?!) breakthrough today--I can get down on the floor and up off the floor again!!! with no aids, hoists, furniture, bars, ropes, husbands or any other adjunct piece of equipment for standing up again.

It's a beautiful day, the day's grunt-work is done (preparing for renos), so maybe time for a walk.
@Going4fun , my Big Band Swing event is coming up this Friday (15 piece band) . I had earmarked that day on my calendar as the date I would be living a 'normal' life again, which for me means dancing of course. I almost wrecked everything with the injured back, but it is a lot better. I'll let you know how the swing event goes.

 

[Going4fun]

@An54, so wonderful to hear about the Friday event with the bands. I've been doing some 6-counts around the house ... it's one of the ways I mark my progress ... OK, I did some 8-counts as well ... not too bad. For 8-counts I'm dancing (with myself) to slower tunes ... just for a short period of time ... Not gonna risk it and go out there yet ... as I still use the cane on and off ...

But week by week the leg feels better and better, and each week my dancing improves (again, for short bursts). In fact, it's my ability to dance with myself that I can best see my progress--as I don't count walking mileage and so on.

Yes, do report ... I love hearing your descriptions of the leads. And report on the band.

 

[Layla]

Thanks for the update. You sound fabulous. I'm happy to hear your back is doing better. I find it admirable that your first instinct was to "help another", rather than "self".

Woohoo on getting down / up off the floor! I'm happy for you! A crabby PT once scolded me that it was a skill I needed for life as she watched me struggle to do so with a stage 4 artrictic hip. I had a choice word for her on the tip of my tongue, lol.

I hope you have a great time dancing at the Big Band Swing event on Friday.
Have fun and tell us all about it next week. Would love to hear.
A great week to you!
@An54

 

[Mojo333]

Nice to know if you "get down" you can also get Up!

Best wishes for continuing progress!

 

[Alitm]

@An54 Lovely to read your post! I agree that when we forget about our hip, we know things are where they should be. I haven't had the pleasure yet, but had such amazing healing on hip #1 I can begin to imagine. She performed so well prior to second surgery.

SO pleased you can get down and up off the floor!! Here are some flowers and a curtsy to you for that milestone!

Seriously hoping you've been dancing your heart out tonight Big Band Swing event too...So great!!