Seventeen years ago, I had my first problems with debilitating back pain. It was ridiculous because I was so young, but bound to happen considering what led up to it:
High stress job, no wellness program whatsoever with no clue about how my body machine worked, and spending 10 hours a day in Danskos. Which, at the time, I thought of as a healthy shoe. But comfortable doesn't always equal healthy.
After the flare up that landed me in bed, I drugged up, which didn't work, then finally agreed to go to a chiropractor. He was a gentle one, not a bone cracker, and he released me from the immediate spasms. I was still sore and scared, but it felt like someone had thrown a bucket of ice water on the raging fire in my body and cut tension wires that had me tangled up.
As he helped me off his table, he said,"Now, go out walking. A lot."
For someone who hadn't moved in weeks due to pain, this seemed the most counter-intuitive thing I could possibly do. I nodded agreement and thought "Not!"
Fortunately for me, The Huz (who was The Boyfriend) makes me do things that I'm supposed to, so he drove me to a place that he could walk me slowly along like an infirm old lady.
And you know what? Things started to feel better that day. But I didn't continue a daily regimen, so every once in a while, that pain flared back up over the years. A constant, cranky companion who is always lurking in the bushes outside my home, waiting to barge in on me at the weirdest times.
Have I had any during this 340 days of walking?
What do you think?
Here's a super short report discussing a study about this very same thing:
Walk For Back Pain
And, 340 days? What the? That means 16 days left in WalkTheYear. Whoa.
Ta-ta,
Dani
Again with the math! Are you just checking to see if we're paying attention?
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