by Colin Aina
Welcome back kids!
It’s been a while, so in case you forgot the beginning of the story…
Part 1
Part 2
If you do recall, I left you last with me reacting comically, to my x-ray upon its presentation by my Orthopedic PA.
I laughed at how mis-shaped and mis-aligned my lumbar vertebrae were (refer to Part 1 for prognosis). The PA referenced the bulging discs and the lack of healthy spacing. Her advice to me was to keep doing what I was doing and needed to do to stay pain free and that, "You know what bothers you". She also postulated that the occurrence of having a bad flair up was very low, but if it did happen again, the odds of future occurrences would increase.
I left feeling positive and relieved that nothing serious (relatively speaking) was going on. I knew the answer to my problems and needed the assistance of professional help to confirm them. I prioritized returning to my routine while still doing what I wanted to do outdoors. All had been going well until March 2020. Although I was extremely active during the shutdown, my physical work position shifted to a computer screen..my worst nightmare! I now know why so many people are in shitty moods. I also can relate to how sitting for long periods of time (45mins for me!) really exacerbates the lumber spine. I started to gain some spine stiffness, but still made sure to take care of my body as best I could.
The point I want to convey is that that flexibility is very often misunderstood. The ability to move well and efficiently through a given range of motion is what is important, which is mobility, not flexibility. There are more pressing issues in life, BUT the barometer of good movement that people most associate with is being able to touch one's toes. This causes me rage. I have worked with many people that have joint issues because they are too flexible, thus creating unstable joint structure. I'm not saying that you're gong to end up in my situation, but it is not as necessary as we think it is.
This is going to sound a bit masochistic, but a positive to me having spine issues is that I can relate to people better. I've had my ACL replaced on my right knee, and whenever I meet someone that has to have it done, I know that sharing my experience will help to put that person at ease and perhaps provide a bit of hope. I also "like" the opportunity to learn about a new aspect of the human body, enabling me more tools in my tool belt.